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The Curse of the Mountain
Death stalks a town. An ancient evil. A long-buried secret.
A young officer responding to a call in the middle of the night about chickens being slaughtered turns into a night of reckoning when a deadly creature emerges from the woods.
Years later, while on a hike in the North Carolina wilderness, four friends discover an old book. When they open it, they black out – only to find on waking that they have released the evil things that live within the pages.
As they fight to keep their neighbors from dying, they unravel a dark secret that the leaders of their town have held since their ancestors first settled.
But can the boys really stop the devil?
A young officer responding to a call in the middle of the night about chickens being slaughtered turns into a night of reckoning when a deadly creature emerges from the woods.
Years later, while on a hike in the North Carolina wilderness, four friends discover an old book. When they open it, they black out – only to find on waking that they have released the evil things that live within the pages.
As they fight to keep their neighbors from dying, they unravel a dark secret that the leaders of their town have held since their ancestors first settled.
But can the boys really stop the devil?
- GenresHorror
236 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 10, 2020
41 people are currently reading
296 people want to read
About the author
Tyler Cram
1 book23 followersTyler is a horror aficionado. He has been obsessed with the genre since he was too young to be watching it. It started with An American Werewolf in Paris—the awful 90’s sequel to the original—and snowballed ever since. His influences stem from Stephen King, Joe Hill, Shirley Jackson, Algernon Blackwood, and countless others. He studied them almost academically, peering into their minds psychologically, pulling back the curtains to see what drove them to creating their stories. The answer is reality. Tyler loves the idea that all great horror writers use the real world to concoct monsters. At certain points, you don’t know whether it’s the real ones or the fake ones that are scarier. He decided he wanted to open that box for himself, create something that no one has read.
That’s when the ideas start.
That’s when the ideas start.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
March 19, 2021
When there is splatter brain matter on the first two pages and the next chapter includes someone being gutted, that is a sign to me I am reading a book I will absolutely enjoy! Does that make me a psychopath? Perhaps.
But THE CURSE OF THE MOUNTAIN is so much more those first few pages. And there are some seriously dark and bloody scenes in this book, but there's not so much this would turn off any reader who enjoys horror or something a little dark. This is a coming-of-age tale rooted in friendships and family, this is a small town mystery, and this is a story with a flesh-bound book that calls forth beastly werewolves, demonic spiders, and even some these creepy pinhole eye people! And on a heavier level it explores our own humanity, or sometimes lack thereof, with topics of racism, bigotry, sexuality, death, and more. It really has a lot going on and it's written in a way that I fell in love with the setting so much that, despite the horrors of the small town and the mountain, I want to go hiking. WHO AM I? I just read a book that's like, "Yeah, this is a nasty evil place. Don't go there." So my first inclination IS to go there to see what the fuss is all about... because that is how great this writing is to me! And I love a story with an epilogue... because that always gives the chance there might be a sequel! 4.5 stars rounded up on Goodreads!
Side note: I SO want to see this as a movie! I can see it being extremely creepy given the appropriate director, cinematographer, sound crew, and cast!
But THE CURSE OF THE MOUNTAIN is so much more those first few pages. And there are some seriously dark and bloody scenes in this book, but there's not so much this would turn off any reader who enjoys horror or something a little dark. This is a coming-of-age tale rooted in friendships and family, this is a small town mystery, and this is a story with a flesh-bound book that calls forth beastly werewolves, demonic spiders, and even some these creepy pinhole eye people! And on a heavier level it explores our own humanity, or sometimes lack thereof, with topics of racism, bigotry, sexuality, death, and more. It really has a lot going on and it's written in a way that I fell in love with the setting so much that, despite the horrors of the small town and the mountain, I want to go hiking. WHO AM I? I just read a book that's like, "Yeah, this is a nasty evil place. Don't go there." So my first inclination IS to go there to see what the fuss is all about... because that is how great this writing is to me! And I love a story with an epilogue... because that always gives the chance there might be a sequel! 4.5 stars rounded up on Goodreads!
Side note: I SO want to see this as a movie! I can see it being extremely creepy given the appropriate director, cinematographer, sound crew, and cast!
August 9, 2021
Why did it take me so long to read this book?
It was spectacular!
There's creepy monsters, creepy spiders, zombies, water creatures, and a friendship that rivals the group from that one book with the killer clown. I mean I spent a lot of the book talking to myself and hoping my favorites didn't die.
It was really just a great read. At some points in the book the grief and sad feelings were so heavy they leaped out at you from the page.
Y'all definitely add this to your TBR list!
It was spectacular!
There's creepy monsters, creepy spiders, zombies, water creatures, and a friendship that rivals the group from that one book with the killer clown. I mean I spent a lot of the book talking to myself and hoping my favorites didn't die.
It was really just a great read. At some points in the book the grief and sad feelings were so heavy they leaped out at you from the page.
Y'all definitely add this to your TBR list!
September 18, 2022
It’s quite rare for me to give a book such a low rating, I think I can count my one star reviews in the last year on one hand. But this book sadly left me no choice. The gorgeous cover and great title drew me in but that’s about all the enjoyment I found in this book, the cover and the title. The rest I really, REALLY struggled with. I did manage to finish it so there is that but I really had to force myself to push through. The story sounded so great but the writing fell totally flat for me. It felt like a 12 year old pre pubescent boy wrote it and not in a good way. The writing was clunky and unpolished and didn’t make for a fluid reading experience. I kept having to stop and reread because it was just so awkwardly written and that’s not a fun thing to do when reading. This was definitely a huge disappointment for me and a case of a cover buy gone horribly wrong.
May 12, 2021
Review coming soon.
July 26, 2022
Amazing read and what an ending. Would like a sequel.
January 20, 2021
A group of kids, having just left high school, go on a hike and discover a book. They make the mistake of opening it and having done so, unleash all sort of mayhem and madness on their small town of Roanville.
Massive wolves, terrifying spiders, zombified residents, and lots more: the list is a what’s what of horror tropes and makes for a hell of a ride. Tyler doesn’t hold back and goes full throttle visceral as relatives, friends and townsfolk are maimed, slaughtered or rendered to dust.
But the thing I really liked about it, what made it a cut-above, was the way he wrote the ensemble of characters: teenagers with all their hopes, dreams, worries and issues who work them through whilst dealing with unimaginable evil. In this, he had much in common with lord and master of this stuff, Stephen King. Like him, without diffusing any of the horror, Cram puts us in the skin of these characters, we feel what they feel whilst all the time sharing in their camaraderie and teenage humour. It’s the sign of a talented writer who can use authentic dialogue to make us care what happens to them, thereby making the horror worse.
And it is by going back to Stephen King, that I’m offering the barest of criticisms. I’d have liked the book to be twice as long. For Cram to have mined the backstories more – like with Brock; to have taken even more time, possibly with flashbacks, and maybe developing the underlying ‘monster’ way beyond the devasting end reveal.
But make no mistake, Tyler Cram is a talented writer and definitely one to watch.
(Personal note to author: I thought the spider bit was most horrid. Thank you very much for the bad dream).
Massive wolves, terrifying spiders, zombified residents, and lots more: the list is a what’s what of horror tropes and makes for a hell of a ride. Tyler doesn’t hold back and goes full throttle visceral as relatives, friends and townsfolk are maimed, slaughtered or rendered to dust.
But the thing I really liked about it, what made it a cut-above, was the way he wrote the ensemble of characters: teenagers with all their hopes, dreams, worries and issues who work them through whilst dealing with unimaginable evil. In this, he had much in common with lord and master of this stuff, Stephen King. Like him, without diffusing any of the horror, Cram puts us in the skin of these characters, we feel what they feel whilst all the time sharing in their camaraderie and teenage humour. It’s the sign of a talented writer who can use authentic dialogue to make us care what happens to them, thereby making the horror worse.
And it is by going back to Stephen King, that I’m offering the barest of criticisms. I’d have liked the book to be twice as long. For Cram to have mined the backstories more – like with Brock; to have taken even more time, possibly with flashbacks, and maybe developing the underlying ‘monster’ way beyond the devasting end reveal.
But make no mistake, Tyler Cram is a talented writer and definitely one to watch.
(Personal note to author: I thought the spider bit was most horrid. Thank you very much for the bad dream).
October 11, 2020
This is a moving coming-of-age story, but one which is drenched in blood. With ivory bone splintering on the first page, you know you’re in for a truly gruesome read. Prepare to have your senses overloaded with terrifying images; robed figures, gravestones falling like dominoes and five-pointed stars made out of salt. This is Roanville; a place where soccer isn’t considered a true sport (!?) and a place where dreams really do come true as long as they’re stuffed with monstrous werewolves, demonic spiders, people with pinhole red eyes and yellow, razor-sharp teeth. This book is super dark.
What do James, Ray, Dan and Wally unleash at the waterfall which means that they must leave Roanville behind? At the centre of this story lies a book so terrifying I can’t bear to think about what it’s bound in. ‘A cool book in a cool spot’ – I think not!
I’m squeamish, so this was a difficult read, but Cram kept me hooked with his gallows humour. I loved the scene with the hilarious Safety First movie made by Dan and Susan, and the idea of the St. James directive is just genius. The constant teasing and one-liners from the boys kept me racing through the action, even though I knew I wouldn’t like what was coming up next. But, above all, what I love about Cram’s writing is how poetic he manages to be whilst writing about such horrific events; the sparkling, rainbow-filled waterfall had me longing to dive in (before Mr Watergobbler appeared on the scene). His prose is full of beautiful, red trumpet lilies, skies peppered with stars and windy Appalachian roads. His descriptions of people are witty and inciteful and I like how each periphery character comes to the page with their own pocket-sized history; Father Glattis and his Viagra antics, Icahabod who speaks like there is ‘a marble on his tongue’. By the way – Officer Sarah Mann is a legend.
Ultimately, despite the bloodbath, Cram tells a very moving story of friendship in which he subtly deals with big issues such as; abuse of authority, racism, bullying and supressed sexuality. He considers the need a community has for religion even if it doesn’t necessarily want it and explores the meaning of true sacrifice. By the end of the novel, I can guarantee ice cream will have lost its appeal; you’ll be throwing everything you own which is red out of the house and you won’t be going to visit the shed at the bottom of the garden for a while. Cram, I’d love to know what your Mum says after she’s read it… This is the stuff of nightmares – horror at its most twisted.
What do James, Ray, Dan and Wally unleash at the waterfall which means that they must leave Roanville behind? At the centre of this story lies a book so terrifying I can’t bear to think about what it’s bound in. ‘A cool book in a cool spot’ – I think not!
I’m squeamish, so this was a difficult read, but Cram kept me hooked with his gallows humour. I loved the scene with the hilarious Safety First movie made by Dan and Susan, and the idea of the St. James directive is just genius. The constant teasing and one-liners from the boys kept me racing through the action, even though I knew I wouldn’t like what was coming up next. But, above all, what I love about Cram’s writing is how poetic he manages to be whilst writing about such horrific events; the sparkling, rainbow-filled waterfall had me longing to dive in (before Mr Watergobbler appeared on the scene). His prose is full of beautiful, red trumpet lilies, skies peppered with stars and windy Appalachian roads. His descriptions of people are witty and inciteful and I like how each periphery character comes to the page with their own pocket-sized history; Father Glattis and his Viagra antics, Icahabod who speaks like there is ‘a marble on his tongue’. By the way – Officer Sarah Mann is a legend.
Ultimately, despite the bloodbath, Cram tells a very moving story of friendship in which he subtly deals with big issues such as; abuse of authority, racism, bullying and supressed sexuality. He considers the need a community has for religion even if it doesn’t necessarily want it and explores the meaning of true sacrifice. By the end of the novel, I can guarantee ice cream will have lost its appeal; you’ll be throwing everything you own which is red out of the house and you won’t be going to visit the shed at the bottom of the garden for a while. Cram, I’d love to know what your Mum says after she’s read it… This is the stuff of nightmares – horror at its most twisted.
April 9, 2023
"The Curse of the Mountain" by Tyler Cram is the worst book I've ever read.
I don't even know where to start. It's rare that I read something that makes me so physically angry. I thought when I purchased it that it sounded like a cool premise; four high school friends take on the devil to try and save their mountain town. What I got was a cool cover filled with the most abysmal writing I've ever had to struggle through.
I understand why people don't finish books, and honestly, I really considered throwing this one in the trash at chapter 5 and calling it a day. That said, I think if you're going to review something you owe it to the author (and to other potential readers) to stick it through, and that's what I did.
If you told me this book was the author's first draft, I would say "No shit." Hell, if you told me it was transcribed, word for word, spelling and grammatical errors included for accuracy, from a mangled notebook found at the bottom of an edgy high schooler's locker, I'd probably believe that too. From a structural perspective, the book is not very good, and from a creative angle it's even worse. Nothing makes sense, and when Cram tries to make it cohesive, he over corrects and writes in circles. It's an infuriating read.
Reading this book is akin to watching a low budget amateur horror movie that your high school friends made one weekend during summer break, but worse. I understand writing is hard, and I commend Cram for attempting to tell a story that clearly means something to him, but I would never ever recommend anyone else to suffer through it. Get a blog, buddy. At least then no one will pay $8 for a cool cover.
I can’t believe this book has the rating it does on here, which leads me to believe it’s mostly been reviewed by people that haven’t read it and just want to help the friend or family member who wrote it. Well I did read it, every single word, and I can say that if anyone tried to tell me with any sincerity that they thought this book was good I’d punch them right in the teeth.
Don't buy this book. If somehow it comes into your possession for free, don't read it without fully understanding what you're getting yourself into. It's fun to watch a "so bad it's good movie" but that doesn't translate when it's a book and you have to force yourself to sift through the terrible dialogue, and cringy characters. It would be better served as a coaster or to balance a wobbly table. Otherwise, avoid at all costs.
I don't even know where to start. It's rare that I read something that makes me so physically angry. I thought when I purchased it that it sounded like a cool premise; four high school friends take on the devil to try and save their mountain town. What I got was a cool cover filled with the most abysmal writing I've ever had to struggle through.
I understand why people don't finish books, and honestly, I really considered throwing this one in the trash at chapter 5 and calling it a day. That said, I think if you're going to review something you owe it to the author (and to other potential readers) to stick it through, and that's what I did.
If you told me this book was the author's first draft, I would say "No shit." Hell, if you told me it was transcribed, word for word, spelling and grammatical errors included for accuracy, from a mangled notebook found at the bottom of an edgy high schooler's locker, I'd probably believe that too. From a structural perspective, the book is not very good, and from a creative angle it's even worse. Nothing makes sense, and when Cram tries to make it cohesive, he over corrects and writes in circles. It's an infuriating read.
Reading this book is akin to watching a low budget amateur horror movie that your high school friends made one weekend during summer break, but worse. I understand writing is hard, and I commend Cram for attempting to tell a story that clearly means something to him, but I would never ever recommend anyone else to suffer through it. Get a blog, buddy. At least then no one will pay $8 for a cool cover.
I can’t believe this book has the rating it does on here, which leads me to believe it’s mostly been reviewed by people that haven’t read it and just want to help the friend or family member who wrote it. Well I did read it, every single word, and I can say that if anyone tried to tell me with any sincerity that they thought this book was good I’d punch them right in the teeth.
Don't buy this book. If somehow it comes into your possession for free, don't read it without fully understanding what you're getting yourself into. It's fun to watch a "so bad it's good movie" but that doesn't translate when it's a book and you have to force yourself to sift through the terrible dialogue, and cringy characters. It would be better served as a coaster or to balance a wobbly table. Otherwise, avoid at all costs.
January 20, 2021
Amazing Horror
I was immediately drawn in and stayed captivated by the story. I thought the author did a great job on character developments and especially descriptive on scene settings. I felt the Prologue was unnecessary, and had to go back and reread it after I finished the story. I got invested in one of the main characters, and wished I hadn’t. The Epilogue left an opening for another story, but not sure I would consider it.
I was immediately drawn in and stayed captivated by the story. I thought the author did a great job on character developments and especially descriptive on scene settings. I felt the Prologue was unnecessary, and had to go back and reread it after I finished the story. I got invested in one of the main characters, and wished I hadn’t. The Epilogue left an opening for another story, but not sure I would consider it.
February 11, 2021
I was immediately drawn to this coming of age horror story.
“The Curse of the Mountain” is about a group of kids that find an old book. They open it and black out only to realize they released evil things that live within the pages. This book was chocfull of creatures: werewolves, spiders and more.
Tylor Cram, the author, keeps this dark coming of age story moving at a steady pace. The descriptions in this book were haunting. There were plenty of terrifying images (robed figures, gravestones, yellow eyes peering from darkness) to keep the reader on the edge of their seat.
Underneath the gore and chaos there is a deeper story of friendship. The book successfully tackles difficult issues without taking away from the horror story at hand. My only complaint is that I would have loved a longer story. I did like the epilogue because it feels like the book has been left open for a second book.
March 17, 2021
Roanville makes Midsomer village an ideal holiday spot. Roanville has it all if you’re looking for one hell of a ride. There’s werewolves, evil spiders, zombies you name it, Roanville has it. It all started when a group of youngsters found an old book and unleashed the devil.
A great fun read for anyone who’s in to zombies with lots of blood, guts and gore with a few gallons of holy water thrown in for good measure.
A great fun read for anyone who’s in to zombies with lots of blood, guts and gore with a few gallons of holy water thrown in for good measure.
February 21, 2021
The curse of the mountain is a blast through body horror, creepy crawly horror, trope horror (werewolves and witches), ghost horror - you name it, Tyler packed it into its pages.
The book is centered on a coming of age story, four friends dealing with horrors they unwittingly unleash on their home town. The argument that that horror would have had to explode at some point is nevertheless ignored due to the boys stepping up and accepting their responsibility to both their town and one another.
It's action packed, relentless, and is obviously written from a fan of horror, both in books and on the big screen, and imparts the feeling of being inside a horror movie, as it speeds to its climax.
I think I can say that it is written somewhat tongue in cheek - there are moments in the book (the spiders) that could only be found in old horror movies, but it's written with the love those movies richly deserve, and that passion makes those scenes work, at least, they did for this novice horror book reader.
A solid debut from Tyler, one of the nicest writers on the planet, a general all round good guy. This deserves to go as viral as his guitar playing should.
Buy it today.
The book is centered on a coming of age story, four friends dealing with horrors they unwittingly unleash on their home town. The argument that that horror would have had to explode at some point is nevertheless ignored due to the boys stepping up and accepting their responsibility to both their town and one another.
It's action packed, relentless, and is obviously written from a fan of horror, both in books and on the big screen, and imparts the feeling of being inside a horror movie, as it speeds to its climax.
I think I can say that it is written somewhat tongue in cheek - there are moments in the book (the spiders) that could only be found in old horror movies, but it's written with the love those movies richly deserve, and that passion makes those scenes work, at least, they did for this novice horror book reader.
A solid debut from Tyler, one of the nicest writers on the planet, a general all round good guy. This deserves to go as viral as his guitar playing should.
Buy it today.
January 20, 2021
What the what?
For anyone who loves reading supernatural horror...well, this would be a good one for you. I have been missing Stranger Things, and this story filled the gap (minus the D&D) as the characters dealt with internal and external forces challenging their bonds. The horror part, did it give me the willies? Ah, yeah. The werewolf, undead, and the spiders...gah. The Curse of the Mountain was frightening and yet I second another reviewer in that I wish it had been longer. Thank you, Tyler Cram, for this story. Can't wait to see what else you write!
For anyone who loves reading supernatural horror...well, this would be a good one for you. I have been missing Stranger Things, and this story filled the gap (minus the D&D) as the characters dealt with internal and external forces challenging their bonds. The horror part, did it give me the willies? Ah, yeah. The werewolf, undead, and the spiders...gah. The Curse of the Mountain was frightening and yet I second another reviewer in that I wish it had been longer. Thank you, Tyler Cram, for this story. Can't wait to see what else you write!
January 21, 2021
Four stars. Good book. What I liked best about it was that the cursed town had a lot of things unleashed. Not just one monster.
November 20, 2020
A good read
Great story fairly well written. The over use if a thresus was a little irritating, especially when the obscure words didn't even fit the context. A good editor would have helped a lot. Otherwise I enjoyed the story but thought it improbable that the 4 high school friends would wind up roommates or that Sarah would come to kill one of them.
Great story fairly well written. The over use if a thresus was a little irritating, especially when the obscure words didn't even fit the context. A good editor would have helped a lot. Otherwise I enjoyed the story but thought it improbable that the 4 high school friends would wind up roommates or that Sarah would come to kill one of them.
October 9, 2020
The book cover is amazing. I wish the reading part was. It was a good story, but long-winded. I didn't really need to know the back story on every character I met. After all, it's a book of "evil" and people die anyhow. The description of the "murders" were great though.
August 31, 2021
Keep the lights on and don't read before bed! The grim, vivid imagery is what nightmares are made of, and the unholiness of the demon will infest your mind. If you dare read it before bed, at least say your prayers first.
That instant connectivity to the four main characters made every one of the boys valuable to the reader. And when the antagonist is the bringer of death, having characters so close to home makes every interaction between hero and villain an edge of your seat battle.
Cram's writing styles closely resembled Clive Barker's barbaric darkness and Stephen King's imaginative villain It. The most surprising of Cram's inspirations was the Bible itself. He referred to specific Biblical names (not the most well-known) and correlated them with the story with familiarity. I absolutely loved that element. Especially the way he twisted Catholicism EXACTLY the way the Devil does.
The editing was almost painfully lazy. I wouldn't say anything if it was a missed period here, a misspelled word there. This was almost every other page, and it got worse toward the end of the book. Characters names were missing letters, the spelling was so confusing I had to read sentences twice, periods were often commas instead; it got confusing sometimes and the cosmetic errors distracted from the mood Cram worked so hard to build in each scene.
That instant connectivity to the four main characters made every one of the boys valuable to the reader. And when the antagonist is the bringer of death, having characters so close to home makes every interaction between hero and villain an edge of your seat battle.
Cram's writing styles closely resembled Clive Barker's barbaric darkness and Stephen King's imaginative villain It. The most surprising of Cram's inspirations was the Bible itself. He referred to specific Biblical names (not the most well-known) and correlated them with the story with familiarity. I absolutely loved that element. Especially the way he twisted Catholicism EXACTLY the way the Devil does.
The editing was almost painfully lazy. I wouldn't say anything if it was a missed period here, a misspelled word there. This was almost every other page, and it got worse toward the end of the book. Characters names were missing letters, the spelling was so confusing I had to read sentences twice, periods were often commas instead; it got confusing sometimes and the cosmetic errors distracted from the mood Cram worked so hard to build in each scene.
June 14, 2021
CW: This book contains use of racial and homophobic slurs.
Overall I enjoyed this book a lot, there is a lot of heart for a horror book and Cram certainly has a lot of love for the genre and it shows. The book does not shy away from the visceral and the imagery it conjures serves well.
As much as I look forward to reading more of the authors work, I really do hope that they abstain from using slurs in their work. I feel like the extreme views of the characters using these words could be expressed without them being used. The real horror of this book was having to read the N and F slur.
Overall I enjoyed this book a lot, there is a lot of heart for a horror book and Cram certainly has a lot of love for the genre and it shows. The book does not shy away from the visceral and the imagery it conjures serves well.
As much as I look forward to reading more of the authors work, I really do hope that they abstain from using slurs in their work. I feel like the extreme views of the characters using these words could be expressed without them being used. The real horror of this book was having to read the N and F slur.
April 2, 2021
DNF: f e n slurs entre outras ofensas racistas, sexualização... sinceramente não quero descobrir o que mais tem já foi terror suficiente pra mim
March 15, 2023
pretty good occult horror book
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews