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The Woodkin
On the trail, anything can happen.
After secrets and betrayal shatter his marriage, Josh Mallory seeks solace on the Pacific Crest Trail, in the mountains of Washington. On the trail, he’s just another hiker. On the trail, he can outrun the memories. But this backpacking trip swiftly turns grisly when he comes across the body of another hiker who seems to have fallen to his death.
Josh is forced to detour through a small mountain town, where missing hiker posters flutter in the windows, and residents show no interest in hearing about the dead hiker. Unease that something is not quite right chases him back to the trail. But night falls too quickly and in his haste to get away, he becomes trapped on a mountain ridge beneath the light of a full moon. Feeling more and more uneasy, Josh soon realizes that he may not be alone on the mountain, and begins to fear that, like the missing hikers, he won’t make it out alive.
After secrets and betrayal shatter his marriage, Josh Mallory seeks solace on the Pacific Crest Trail, in the mountains of Washington. On the trail, he’s just another hiker. On the trail, he can outrun the memories. But this backpacking trip swiftly turns grisly when he comes across the body of another hiker who seems to have fallen to his death.
Josh is forced to detour through a small mountain town, where missing hiker posters flutter in the windows, and residents show no interest in hearing about the dead hiker. Unease that something is not quite right chases him back to the trail. But night falls too quickly and in his haste to get away, he becomes trapped on a mountain ridge beneath the light of a full moon. Feeling more and more uneasy, Josh soon realizes that he may not be alone on the mountain, and begins to fear that, like the missing hikers, he won’t make it out alive.
410 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2023
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5720 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 160 reviews
June 22, 2023
Josh Mallory and his wife Deb had a huge falling out. A rip-roaring fight in which he just can't forgive her. In his haste he decides he needs some time away to re-assess his life and their marriage. Being the avid hiker that he is he decides to take a 3 week hike through the Cascade Mountains in the Pacific Northwest. The fresh air and nature is sure to do him good.
While hiking he stumbles upon a dead body. His thought is that the hiker fell and broke his leg and being unable to get to help he perished where he lay. That is until he notices the ravaged stomach of said hiker. Must be mountain lions. Yup, that's what happened. He convinces himself of this but there's a twinge, a little niggle, in the back of his brain warning him he may be in danger.
Josh makes it to the small town of Belam, just off the trail, to find help and to let the proper authorities know of the dead body he stumbled upon. What he finds are many missing persons posters hanging all around the town. What he doesn't find are any locals that are willing to help. There isn't even a police department.
Now he's back on the trail but he isn't alone. That isn't bird song your hearing. Oh no. Beware the Woodkin.
Let me tell you that this up and coming horror author shows a lot of promise and I am so happy to be able to say that. Josh is a likeable character and the story is creepy as all get out which I always appreciate. This is reminiscent of the movie, The Hills Have Eyes, which is a favorite of mine. My one caveat to the praise is the repetition. This started out so strong and I was flipping the pages like a madwoman but about half way through there was a lot of heart thumping, heart racing, sweat dripping here, there, and everywhere, the gagging and dry heaving, the many aches and pains he suffered. Which is all well and good but I felt like I kept reading the same page over and over again for a while there. The reason for this is because we really only have Josh and his inner thoughts with very little other dialogue for a good chunk of the story. When he did have others to talk to the book was so much more interesting and the tone more ominous. I'd say a little more editing and a few less pages would have benefited the book.
All in all though this is a promising debut and I look forward to see what Alexander James treats us to next. I hope it's another bloody good time. 4 stars!
Thank you to Edelweiss and IPG Publishing for my complimentary copy.
While hiking he stumbles upon a dead body. His thought is that the hiker fell and broke his leg and being unable to get to help he perished where he lay. That is until he notices the ravaged stomach of said hiker. Must be mountain lions. Yup, that's what happened. He convinces himself of this but there's a twinge, a little niggle, in the back of his brain warning him he may be in danger.
Josh makes it to the small town of Belam, just off the trail, to find help and to let the proper authorities know of the dead body he stumbled upon. What he finds are many missing persons posters hanging all around the town. What he doesn't find are any locals that are willing to help. There isn't even a police department.
Now he's back on the trail but he isn't alone. That isn't bird song your hearing. Oh no. Beware the Woodkin.
Let me tell you that this up and coming horror author shows a lot of promise and I am so happy to be able to say that. Josh is a likeable character and the story is creepy as all get out which I always appreciate. This is reminiscent of the movie, The Hills Have Eyes, which is a favorite of mine. My one caveat to the praise is the repetition. This started out so strong and I was flipping the pages like a madwoman but about half way through there was a lot of heart thumping, heart racing, sweat dripping here, there, and everywhere, the gagging and dry heaving, the many aches and pains he suffered. Which is all well and good but I felt like I kept reading the same page over and over again for a while there. The reason for this is because we really only have Josh and his inner thoughts with very little other dialogue for a good chunk of the story. When he did have others to talk to the book was so much more interesting and the tone more ominous. I'd say a little more editing and a few less pages would have benefited the book.
All in all though this is a promising debut and I look forward to see what Alexander James treats us to next. I hope it's another bloody good time. 4 stars!
Thank you to Edelweiss and IPG Publishing for my complimentary copy.
May 8, 2025
Is That Dueling Banjos I Hear?...
THE WOODKIN
by Alexander James
4 stars. Josh was solo hiking the Pacific Coast Trail when he stumbled upon...
A dead man...
... by the shallows of the riverbank. The man appeared to be the victim of a mountain lion...
This discovery...
... changed Josh's perception of the trail; now it was sinister, and he had the prickling sense that he was being covertly watched...
Continuing along the trail...
Josh met another hiker whose trail name was Appletree, and the two decided to continue their journey together...
At sunset...
The two agreed to share a fire and set up camp together...
Later at the fireside...
Josh confessed that he'd found a dead body back down the trail a ways, which led to telling Appletree...
Other secret things...
Later that night, Josh woke to the sound of a twig snapping and the feeling that something was off...
Next morning...
Josh saw that his backpack had been raided and all his food had been taken. Appletree told Josh about a little town along the trail...
Called Bedal...
Where Josh could replenish his supplies, and so the two men walked together until the trail forked...
Josh took the right hand trail while Appletree took the other fork. Josh waved Appletree off and said he'd catch up with him soon...
Appletree replied: I'm sure you will...
This was a very suspenseful folklore story that I was lucky to stumble upon. I could almost hear Dueling Banjos playing in the background.
I removed a star for the reveal, which I found very confusing, but I must say it was a lot of fun getting there.
This story was somewhat like PETRA'S GHOST by C.S. O'Cinneide.
THE WOODKIN
by Alexander James
4 stars. Josh was solo hiking the Pacific Coast Trail when he stumbled upon...
A dead man...
... by the shallows of the riverbank. The man appeared to be the victim of a mountain lion...
This discovery...
... changed Josh's perception of the trail; now it was sinister, and he had the prickling sense that he was being covertly watched...
Continuing along the trail...
Josh met another hiker whose trail name was Appletree, and the two decided to continue their journey together...
At sunset...
The two agreed to share a fire and set up camp together...
Later at the fireside...
Josh confessed that he'd found a dead body back down the trail a ways, which led to telling Appletree...
Other secret things...
Later that night, Josh woke to the sound of a twig snapping and the feeling that something was off...
Next morning...
Josh saw that his backpack had been raided and all his food had been taken. Appletree told Josh about a little town along the trail...
Called Bedal...
Where Josh could replenish his supplies, and so the two men walked together until the trail forked...
Josh took the right hand trail while Appletree took the other fork. Josh waved Appletree off and said he'd catch up with him soon...
Appletree replied: I'm sure you will...
This was a very suspenseful folklore story that I was lucky to stumble upon. I could almost hear Dueling Banjos playing in the background.
I removed a star for the reveal, which I found very confusing, but I must say it was a lot of fun getting there.
This story was somewhat like PETRA'S GHOST by C.S. O'Cinneide.
November 7, 2023
When I came across The Woodkin, I was immediately hooked by the premise. Woodsy horror will always be one of my absolute favorite sub-genres.
Unfortunately, my excitement for this title started dim quite quickly with each page. And from the approx 170 reviews of this book so far, it would seem I’m in the minority of readers who found this book to be an absolute slog to get through.
Aside from a few stand-out gnarly scenes, nothing in this book felt very well executed, feeling overall pretty amateurish. And even at 251 pages, this story felt like it would’ve made a much better novella. This book just drug on and on, and the longer it went the less and less I gave a damn about any of it, most especially our narrator, Josh/Switchback, who is a very specific kind of “progressive” southern straight guy that just gets on my nerves in a very low-key way that builds gradually. There are some personally cringe-inducing moments in his narration that made felt so much like the writer was trying too hard and others that were just… awkward. One scene for instance has a woman being harassed in a store and Josh wants to intervene on her behalf but has to remind himself that she’s “a strong, independent woman” and can handle it herself.
Now, don’t get it twisted, this isn’t something I have an issue with in essence because yeah, that lady did not need him to intervene. But it’s just the way that the scene and other parts of his narration are written that make reading this book so vexing.
I know my disdain for Josh’s characterization is super subjective, again because he reminds me of a certain type of person I don’t enjoy spending time with, so take that with a grain of salt, as I’m sure some readers will enjoy the very colloquial nature of his narration.
But, yeah. This book just wasn’t for me.
And I’ll also note that I just really, really felt the ending was just so absolutely limp and lacking in anything resembling actual human behavior or logic. Which could also be said about much of the dialogue. Too me, a lot of it felt too forced.
Anyways, that’s enough complaining from me. I’ve got a reading challenge to finish.
Unfortunately, my excitement for this title started dim quite quickly with each page. And from the approx 170 reviews of this book so far, it would seem I’m in the minority of readers who found this book to be an absolute slog to get through.
Aside from a few stand-out gnarly scenes, nothing in this book felt very well executed, feeling overall pretty amateurish. And even at 251 pages, this story felt like it would’ve made a much better novella. This book just drug on and on, and the longer it went the less and less I gave a damn about any of it, most especially our narrator, Josh/Switchback, who is a very specific kind of “progressive” southern straight guy that just gets on my nerves in a very low-key way that builds gradually. There are some personally cringe-inducing moments in his narration that made felt so much like the writer was trying too hard and others that were just… awkward. One scene for instance has a woman being harassed in a store and Josh wants to intervene on her behalf but has to remind himself that she’s “a strong, independent woman” and can handle it herself.
Now, don’t get it twisted, this isn’t something I have an issue with in essence because yeah, that lady did not need him to intervene. But it’s just the way that the scene and other parts of his narration are written that make reading this book so vexing.
I know my disdain for Josh’s characterization is super subjective, again because he reminds me of a certain type of person I don’t enjoy spending time with, so take that with a grain of salt, as I’m sure some readers will enjoy the very colloquial nature of his narration.
But, yeah. This book just wasn’t for me.
And I’ll also note that I just really, really felt the ending was just so absolutely limp and lacking in anything resembling actual human behavior or logic. Which could also be said about much of the dialogue. Too me, a lot of it felt too forced.
Anyways, that’s enough complaining from me. I’ve got a reading challenge to finish.
June 4, 2024
Would have been 4 Stars, but that ending REALLY rubbed me the wrong way.
July 14, 2023
“The Woodkin feed the Feast…The Woodkin will feast in His glory.”
Yet another gripping horror story that validates my caution about the wilderness.
The Woodkin follows Josh “Switchback” Mallory, a man hoping to escape his domestic troubles and painful past by backpacking across the mountainous Pacific Northwest. After discovering a corpse on his hike, Josh detours to a nearby mountain town in hopes of informing the inhabitants of his discovery. But they show little interest or concern. Our protagonist decides to search for another town that may have helping hands–working phone lines and law enforcement–but when night falls on his trek he feels as if he’s being watched.
I’m telling y’all, I don’t understand how anyone willingly hikes in the wilderness alone but you won’t catch me doing it. You never know what you’ll find, who you’ll meet, or what might find you. This story was a good time with plenty of gore, mystery, psychological terror, and suspense. If you enjoy survival horror, wilderness settings, and creepy cults, definitely check this book out!
(Thanks so much to the author and CamCat Books for my review eCopy of this book!)
Yet another gripping horror story that validates my caution about the wilderness.
The Woodkin follows Josh “Switchback” Mallory, a man hoping to escape his domestic troubles and painful past by backpacking across the mountainous Pacific Northwest. After discovering a corpse on his hike, Josh detours to a nearby mountain town in hopes of informing the inhabitants of his discovery. But they show little interest or concern. Our protagonist decides to search for another town that may have helping hands–working phone lines and law enforcement–but when night falls on his trek he feels as if he’s being watched.
I’m telling y’all, I don’t understand how anyone willingly hikes in the wilderness alone but you won’t catch me doing it. You never know what you’ll find, who you’ll meet, or what might find you. This story was a good time with plenty of gore, mystery, psychological terror, and suspense. If you enjoy survival horror, wilderness settings, and creepy cults, definitely check this book out!
(Thanks so much to the author and CamCat Books for my review eCopy of this book!)
October 30, 2023
We interviewed the author on our podcast before I read this and his ‘pitch’ had me so hooked.
I read this in one night; the writing is so easy to follow that i was plowing through pages super quick. The author has a great sense of pacing too, the story never once felt like it lagged.
If you hike, or are interested in hiking…uhh, sure read this 👀
Id aay this story is like the Deliverance meets The Ritual, but kept all the good parts.
I read this in one night; the writing is so easy to follow that i was plowing through pages super quick. The author has a great sense of pacing too, the story never once felt like it lagged.
If you hike, or are interested in hiking…uhh, sure read this 👀
Id aay this story is like the Deliverance meets The Ritual, but kept all the good parts.
May 12, 2024
This is sometimes creepy, often slow; it has a strong start that turns into a disappointing but still conversation-worthy read.
LIGHT SPOILERS BELOW.
This felt uneven for me, and ended up feeling long. The book starts really strong: creepy hiking in the woods, ambiguous town, eerie vibe, and mysterious characters. The tone was great, and I liked the vivid descriptions of hiking in the Seattle area. Whew, then the middle really dragged. I think it drags for two main reasons: one, because the narration includes a lot of repetitive description of the speaker talking about how scared, tired, and beat up they are; two, because once the evil/"bad guys" are revealed explicitly, a lot of the intrigue was lost for me. On one hand, I appreciated that the author reveals the villains and gives a lot of info about them; on the other hand, this often came through as an info dump, and while I like cosmic horror, it came off as B-horror movie in a way that wasn't campy enough to feel like the cringe factor was on purpose. The end picked up a bit, but then was ultimately really disappointing (i.e., quickly resolved in an deus ex machina fashion; I didn't believe the defeat of the monster or the interpersonal resolution).
I did really like the themes of the novel. For example, the main character's arc requires them to forgive themselves for a childhood trauma. On paper, I really like this. In execution, though, the delivery of the childhood trauma redemption-arc didn't feel genuine. First, because the character had already been to therapy regarding their excessive guilt/blame for the event, and - relatedly - a lot of their rehashing of the narrative felt repetitive. Second, because the trauma in question wasn't very nuanced (i.e., it was pretty cut-and-dry not their fault). And, perhaps most importantly: third, because while the arc so deeply relied on them forgiving themselves for inaction in their childhood, the book leaves the main character's current inaction (i.e., in decision-making throughout the book) untouched. Relatedly, the novel includes a lot of pieces about forgiveness (the childhood trauma, adultery, and people returning home), but doesn't bring them together.
This book also has an under-baked perspective on sexual harassment, assault, and women's health. Two scenes involving sexual harassment (i.e., the main character witnessing it firsthand, and the character finding hidden camera images) are commented on seemingly only with the purpose of the narrator conveying that he is Not Cool with that kind of male behavior. But, then, issues of rape (i.e., a woman being terrified and then murdered because she attempted to escape a rape in the cult) and still birth (i.e., a ritualistic scene of a naked woman giving painful birth to a still born baby while people surround her) are presented (for shock value? to convince you that the bad guys are bad? to be creepy?) but not unpacked. In all of these instances the main character does not intervene. All together, this gave the narrator a bit of a "Nice Guy" vibe for me. Either comment on/unpack all of it, or don't comment on/unpack any of it --- this in-between approach, from my perspective, didn't do the main character or overall narration any favors.
Listened to this on audiobook with my partner: clear narration, uneven character voices.
LIGHT SPOILERS BELOW.
This felt uneven for me, and ended up feeling long. The book starts really strong: creepy hiking in the woods, ambiguous town, eerie vibe, and mysterious characters. The tone was great, and I liked the vivid descriptions of hiking in the Seattle area. Whew, then the middle really dragged. I think it drags for two main reasons: one, because the narration includes a lot of repetitive description of the speaker talking about how scared, tired, and beat up they are; two, because once the evil/"bad guys" are revealed explicitly, a lot of the intrigue was lost for me. On one hand, I appreciated that the author reveals the villains and gives a lot of info about them; on the other hand, this often came through as an info dump, and while I like cosmic horror, it came off as B-horror movie in a way that wasn't campy enough to feel like the cringe factor was on purpose. The end picked up a bit, but then was ultimately really disappointing (i.e., quickly resolved in an deus ex machina fashion; I didn't believe the defeat of the monster or the interpersonal resolution).
I did really like the themes of the novel. For example, the main character's arc requires them to forgive themselves for a childhood trauma. On paper, I really like this. In execution, though, the delivery of the childhood trauma redemption-arc didn't feel genuine. First, because the character had already been to therapy regarding their excessive guilt/blame for the event, and - relatedly - a lot of their rehashing of the narrative felt repetitive. Second, because the trauma in question wasn't very nuanced (i.e., it was pretty cut-and-dry not their fault). And, perhaps most importantly: third, because while the arc so deeply relied on them forgiving themselves for inaction in their childhood, the book leaves the main character's current inaction (i.e., in decision-making throughout the book) untouched. Relatedly, the novel includes a lot of pieces about forgiveness (the childhood trauma, adultery, and people returning home), but doesn't bring them together.
This book also has an under-baked perspective on sexual harassment, assault, and women's health. Two scenes involving sexual harassment (i.e., the main character witnessing it firsthand, and the character finding hidden camera images) are commented on seemingly only with the purpose of the narrator conveying that he is Not Cool with that kind of male behavior. But, then, issues of rape (i.e., a woman being terrified and then murdered because she attempted to escape a rape in the cult) and still birth (i.e., a ritualistic scene of a naked woman giving painful birth to a still born baby while people surround her) are presented (for shock value? to convince you that the bad guys are bad? to be creepy?) but not unpacked. In all of these instances the main character does not intervene. All together, this gave the narrator a bit of a "Nice Guy" vibe for me. Either comment on/unpack all of it, or don't comment on/unpack any of it --- this in-between approach, from my perspective, didn't do the main character or overall narration any favors.
Listened to this on audiobook with my partner: clear narration, uneven character voices.
October 26, 2024
I think I've let #bookstagram entice me one too many times into reading something I otherwise might not have picked up. In this case, I should have left this particular book on the damn shelf where I found it.
First, praise where praise is due. The first 100 some pages were actually quite good. Our MC Josh discovers his wife has cheated on him and he takes to the woods to clear his head. A good long hike on the PCT may be just what he needs, enjoying nature and making small talk with the few odd folk on the path. That is, until he stumbles on a dead body, and takes a quick detour into the small town of Belam to file a report. But help does not come easy there, and he can tell he's not exactly welcome, so he hightails it back to the trail just as night is falling ... and... cue the Woodkin and all kinds of weird ass shit, which marked the beginning of the end of this book for me.
What crap. What absolute crap this book became. Almost none of it made sense and it just felt so uneven and sloppy. I think the author watched one too many woodsy horror movies and tried to evoke the same creepy you-can-try-and-run-away-but-you'll-never-leave vibes but it just didn't work.
Ugh. I'm so mad at it.
First, praise where praise is due. The first 100 some pages were actually quite good. Our MC Josh discovers his wife has cheated on him and he takes to the woods to clear his head. A good long hike on the PCT may be just what he needs, enjoying nature and making small talk with the few odd folk on the path. That is, until he stumbles on a dead body, and takes a quick detour into the small town of Belam to file a report. But help does not come easy there, and he can tell he's not exactly welcome, so he hightails it back to the trail just as night is falling ... and... cue the Woodkin and all kinds of weird ass shit, which marked the beginning of the end of this book for me.
What crap. What absolute crap this book became. Almost none of it made sense and it just felt so uneven and sloppy. I think the author watched one too many woodsy horror movies and tried to evoke the same creepy you-can-try-and-run-away-but-you'll-never-leave vibes but it just didn't work.
Ugh. I'm so mad at it.
October 28, 2023
3.5/5
As a passionate hiker, I found plenty to enjoy in The Woodkin. But also an incentive to rethink the hobby :P
Marital problems make Josh Mallory look for solace along the rugged trails of Washington. As expected from the horror novel, a therapeutic hike soon spirals into a nightmarish fight for survival. Things start with the body of a fellow hiker and only turn more lethal.
I loved how the author captured the essence of the hiking experience. I also appreciate the eerie atmosphere of the story. The strong beginning sets the stage for a thrilling journey, and the protagonist’s inner turmoil is well-written.
However, I also felt some brutality later in the story wasn’t necessary. There were instances where the dialogue felt odd. Also, the middle, and especially the end of the story leave a lot of loose ends and unexplained mysteries. Some will be okay with it, but I would prefer more resolution or explanation of the things that happened.
Despite its flaws, The Woodkin is a compelling horror read.
As a passionate hiker, I found plenty to enjoy in The Woodkin. But also an incentive to rethink the hobby :P
Marital problems make Josh Mallory look for solace along the rugged trails of Washington. As expected from the horror novel, a therapeutic hike soon spirals into a nightmarish fight for survival. Things start with the body of a fellow hiker and only turn more lethal.
I loved how the author captured the essence of the hiking experience. I also appreciate the eerie atmosphere of the story. The strong beginning sets the stage for a thrilling journey, and the protagonist’s inner turmoil is well-written.
However, I also felt some brutality later in the story wasn’t necessary. There were instances where the dialogue felt odd. Also, the middle, and especially the end of the story leave a lot of loose ends and unexplained mysteries. Some will be okay with it, but I would prefer more resolution or explanation of the things that happened.
Despite its flaws, The Woodkin is a compelling horror read.
nope-dnf
August 29, 2024Dnf 45% I don't like the plot this has developed into and I really dont want to follow the foul dude leering after the wookin women. I don't care where the story is heading. This wasn't what I thought it would be.
Reading notes along the way...
22% so far okay, maybe a little slow...but something about this setting hooks me.
There have been a few tense moments (he found a dead body, something destroyed his pack, he's seen a few shapes in the woods) but nothing really scary yet.
37% he's been captured by the "woodkin" but I'm not feeling a lot of tense atmosphere or imagery honestly.
Reading notes along the way...
22% so far okay, maybe a little slow...but something about this setting hooks me.
There have been a few tense moments (he found a dead body, something destroyed his pack, he's seen a few shapes in the woods) but nothing really scary yet.
37% he's been captured by the "woodkin" but I'm not feeling a lot of tense atmosphere or imagery honestly.
April 8, 2024
I think this book's main problem is that it tends to tell instead of show. There's a couple good twists, but everything else felt half-baked and tired. It was simultaneously too long to be a creepy pasta-style short, and too short to feel like a satisfying amount of time spent with the characters.
Anyways, cool premise, but needed some more time to cook.
Anyways, cool premise, but needed some more time to cook.
December 10, 2024
This was a surprising read, loved it!
April 27, 2024
I liked The Woodkin by Alexander James. It's not a perfect story by far, but I'm a sucker for horror books set in the woods. This is one for fans of nature walks, hiking, mushrooms, cults, and just a touch of good old fashioned hillbilly horror.
My biggest complaint here is that The Woodkin has a lot going on and jumps focus quite a bit, almost like it just couldn't quite pick a lane. And honestly, not a lot of the things introduced throughout the narrative come together in the end or resolve in a satisfying way. It was disappointing.
But I still had a good time with this. It was a quick read. (Don't listen to Goodreads, this book is 250 pages on the dot, not the 400+ listed in the description.) James writes well and did a good job making me feel like I was in the woods with our unfortunate protagonist.
3.5 rounded up.
My biggest complaint here is that The Woodkin has a lot going on and jumps focus quite a bit, almost like it just couldn't quite pick a lane. And honestly, not a lot of the things introduced throughout the narrative come together in the end or resolve in a satisfying way. It was disappointing.
But I still had a good time with this. It was a quick read. (Don't listen to Goodreads, this book is 250 pages on the dot, not the 400+ listed in the description.) James writes well and did a good job making me feel like I was in the woods with our unfortunate protagonist.
3.5 rounded up.
October 31, 2023
This novel is a love letter, if a twisted one, to the Pacific Northwest. It is a clear-eyed consideration of childhood trauma and guilt carried like so much hiking gear into adulthood. It is a beautifully-paced and inventive horror story. And it's a poisoned apple, with an antidote for the reader who makes it out of the treeline. I loved the book. I look forward to hearing a great deal more from Alexander James.
November 8, 2023
Not much to say to this one. You read the synopsis and it is exactly what it says, for much worse than better. There was an attempt to make the main character somewhat relatable because 1) his wife had an affair 2) his mom died when he was a kid! Oh now we are supposed to like him! The ending is completely ridiculous, as is the Cult. The idea of a cult preying is a good one, this just didn't scratch that itch.
April 2, 2024
Starts well, as a claustrophobic Blairwitch backwoods tale, then gets rather boring, only to fizz out in a nonsensical delirium.
Read
August 27, 2024DNF @ 50%. Not my vibe
October 15, 2023
Ummmm how do I even review this crazy tale?!?
It starts off with a man doing a 3 week hike on the PCT. Switchback (his trail name) up and started walking after being betrayed by his family member; he’s running from reality and his problems.
Pretty soon he stumbles unto a body: hiking accident, animal mauling, or something more nefarious…. whatever the cause, the dude is gored out. The nearest ranger station is so far away that he has no one to report it to.
“I found him by accident, buried in the depths of a hollow formed by tree roots on the riverbank. Pine sap perfumed the breeze blowing over the green-glass water, masking the sour-meat-and-maggots stench of his corpse.”
After some other good and weird encounters on the trail, he ends up in a bizarre small town. Things go from crazy to batshit crazy shortly after. Think cults, think Deliverance type hillbillies, think cosmic entities, think survival horror…. There’s sooooo much going on.
It was such a good story and the main character deals with complicated grief and historical trauma on top of all these other insane encounters. Switchback is certainly memorable and someone the reader can empathize and sympathize with.
The only thing I would’ve liked to see added or changed is more backstory on the cult/granite slab/roiling black smoke stuff.
Thank you to BookSirens & the author for a copy!
It starts off with a man doing a 3 week hike on the PCT. Switchback (his trail name) up and started walking after being betrayed by his family member; he’s running from reality and his problems.
Pretty soon he stumbles unto a body: hiking accident, animal mauling, or something more nefarious…. whatever the cause, the dude is gored out. The nearest ranger station is so far away that he has no one to report it to.
“I found him by accident, buried in the depths of a hollow formed by tree roots on the riverbank. Pine sap perfumed the breeze blowing over the green-glass water, masking the sour-meat-and-maggots stench of his corpse.”
After some other good and weird encounters on the trail, he ends up in a bizarre small town. Things go from crazy to batshit crazy shortly after. Think cults, think Deliverance type hillbillies, think cosmic entities, think survival horror…. There’s sooooo much going on.
It was such a good story and the main character deals with complicated grief and historical trauma on top of all these other insane encounters. Switchback is certainly memorable and someone the reader can empathize and sympathize with.
The only thing I would’ve liked to see added or changed is more backstory on the cult/granite slab/roiling black smoke stuff.
Thank you to BookSirens & the author for a copy!
May 16, 2024
A perfectly decent creepy people in the woods horror novel. My favorite parts though were generally about through hiking the Pacific Crest Trail and the creepy potential of that- including the creepiness of being in our own heads for that long. Would be open to watching this author continue to develop and deepen his craft (by trying out his future books).
May 18, 2025
Find this review and all my others over at Read Book. Repeat
After suffering a massive betrayal, Josh needs time away from his wife and his life. He decides that now is the time to head out on the PCT for 3 weeks. On the trail, he can be someone else. On the trail, he can be free. After stumbling across a dead body, he's wary and a little concerned but figures that it's easy enough to meet a terrible fate out in the wild. Then stranger things begin to happen. Josh is forced to detour through a small town where missing hiker posters are plastered all over. Finding his way back to the trail, night falls too quickly. Trapped beneath a ridge under the moonlight, Josh begins to realise that he may not be alone out in the wilderness after all and that there's a possibility that he'll become just another missing hiker.
I got an amazing special edition of this book from Twisted Retreat. This box has been responsible for me discovering new and lesser-known horror authors, and I am here for it. I was over the moon when this one rocked up as I have a thing for forest/camping horror. Something about being out in the wilderness when terrifying stuff starts to happen just does it for me. I also have a bit of an interest in the PCT, so this ticked a heap of boxes for me. The first half of the book was absolutely amazing. James sets a creepy tone from virtually page one, and it's only deepened as Josh travels along the trail and swiftly gets worse when he comes across a dead body. The feeling of isolation and danger is palpable from the beginning, and James continues to build a solid atmosphere throughout the entire story. Several moments gave me chills up the spine.
I can't say too much about the characters, as for a good portion, the only person we're with is Josh. We do meet other characters along the way. There were some I liked, some I didn't, and some I was terrified of. James did a fantastic job at writing an antagonist who really brought that "can't be defeated or escaped" feel. I know how hard it can be to write something that has those vibes, but James brought it in spades. I really empathised with Josh in more ways than one.
I found the first half of the story to be unputdownable, a complete page turner. As we got to the second part of the story, I found I was struggling a little bit with the repetitiveness of the narration. I can definitely understand that when you've got one character who's in a bit of a precarious situation where he can't do much, there's not a whole lot that can happen in the narration. I do feel that if some of this was re-edited and the story was cut down slightly, the pacing would have stayed at a high pace for the entire story.
All in all, this was a good read, creepy moments, a little repetitive at times, but overall, a decent read.
View all my reviews
After suffering a massive betrayal, Josh needs time away from his wife and his life. He decides that now is the time to head out on the PCT for 3 weeks. On the trail, he can be someone else. On the trail, he can be free. After stumbling across a dead body, he's wary and a little concerned but figures that it's easy enough to meet a terrible fate out in the wild. Then stranger things begin to happen. Josh is forced to detour through a small town where missing hiker posters are plastered all over. Finding his way back to the trail, night falls too quickly. Trapped beneath a ridge under the moonlight, Josh begins to realise that he may not be alone out in the wilderness after all and that there's a possibility that he'll become just another missing hiker.
I got an amazing special edition of this book from Twisted Retreat. This box has been responsible for me discovering new and lesser-known horror authors, and I am here for it. I was over the moon when this one rocked up as I have a thing for forest/camping horror. Something about being out in the wilderness when terrifying stuff starts to happen just does it for me. I also have a bit of an interest in the PCT, so this ticked a heap of boxes for me. The first half of the book was absolutely amazing. James sets a creepy tone from virtually page one, and it's only deepened as Josh travels along the trail and swiftly gets worse when he comes across a dead body. The feeling of isolation and danger is palpable from the beginning, and James continues to build a solid atmosphere throughout the entire story. Several moments gave me chills up the spine.
I can't say too much about the characters, as for a good portion, the only person we're with is Josh. We do meet other characters along the way. There were some I liked, some I didn't, and some I was terrified of. James did a fantastic job at writing an antagonist who really brought that "can't be defeated or escaped" feel. I know how hard it can be to write something that has those vibes, but James brought it in spades. I really empathised with Josh in more ways than one.
I found the first half of the story to be unputdownable, a complete page turner. As we got to the second part of the story, I found I was struggling a little bit with the repetitiveness of the narration. I can definitely understand that when you've got one character who's in a bit of a precarious situation where he can't do much, there's not a whole lot that can happen in the narration. I do feel that if some of this was re-edited and the story was cut down slightly, the pacing would have stayed at a high pace for the entire story.
All in all, this was a good read, creepy moments, a little repetitive at times, but overall, a decent read.
View all my reviews
November 20, 2023
I'm already afraid of hiking alone and evil small towns, but now I'm afraid of the Woodkin too!
The Woodkin by Alexander James is a horror novel that took me by the throat and carried me through the darkest parts of the forest until its exciting conclusion. This novel was such a fun thrill ride truly. Not only was I immediately hooked after reading the first couple of chapters, but this book kept my attention and it never waned. It has such a grisly atmosphere about it. The setting and environment felt claustrophobic while being in the open air at times. Not to mention the characters introduced into this story surprised me.
I really enjoyed this book and think it holds a lot for readers. In addition to it being scary and thrilling, there are some good elements to it. There is a cosmic horror element that really elevated the stakes and ensured that this story didn't hit a plateau.
If you are a fan of folk horror, survivalist horror, or cosmic horror, you're going to love this book. If you really like any of the Wrong Turn movies (especially the remake), this could be a great book for you. Check it out!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
The Woodkin by Alexander James is a horror novel that took me by the throat and carried me through the darkest parts of the forest until its exciting conclusion. This novel was such a fun thrill ride truly. Not only was I immediately hooked after reading the first couple of chapters, but this book kept my attention and it never waned. It has such a grisly atmosphere about it. The setting and environment felt claustrophobic while being in the open air at times. Not to mention the characters introduced into this story surprised me.
I really enjoyed this book and think it holds a lot for readers. In addition to it being scary and thrilling, there are some good elements to it. There is a cosmic horror element that really elevated the stakes and ensured that this story didn't hit a plateau.
If you are a fan of folk horror, survivalist horror, or cosmic horror, you're going to love this book. If you really like any of the Wrong Turn movies (especially the remake), this could be a great book for you. Check it out!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
October 10, 2023
From very first sentence of The Woodkin I knew I was in for it, but in no way did I have any preconceived idea about exactly what 'it' was. Following Josh Mallory through the dark woods of the Pacific Coast Trail to the moment of discovery was a long, disquieting trip permeated with mysterious and unsettling interactions and subtle undertones of menace. For much of the story, it was the mere threat of what could happen to a person alone out there at the mercy of the terrain, the elements, the wild-life, and things that fall outside of the realms of normal experience that inspired so much anxiety and tension.
Alexander James is a fantastic writer. He vividly evokes the fear and the sense of foreboding that derives from not knowing what's happening. Even though we are out in the great wide open with Josh, I couldn't help but feel trapped and oppressed by the atmosphere James created. His characters are fully drawn humans you are invested in seeing survive or get what's coming to them. The dialogue is tight and feels really authentic.
He also has a way with a turn of phrase: "I lost my entire train of thought from engine to caboose" and "what's the cumulative benefit of living a life through a little rectangle?" My favorite was when Josh, struggling with poor vision and balance, refers to the floor under his feet as a "tricksy hobbit". I mean, that's just genius.
I really enjoyed every minute of this unique story. I'd happily recommend it. And I'll definitely look forward to reading future books by Alexander James.
Please note that I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Alexander James is a fantastic writer. He vividly evokes the fear and the sense of foreboding that derives from not knowing what's happening. Even though we are out in the great wide open with Josh, I couldn't help but feel trapped and oppressed by the atmosphere James created. His characters are fully drawn humans you are invested in seeing survive or get what's coming to them. The dialogue is tight and feels really authentic.
He also has a way with a turn of phrase: "I lost my entire train of thought from engine to caboose" and "what's the cumulative benefit of living a life through a little rectangle?" My favorite was when Josh, struggling with poor vision and balance, refers to the floor under his feet as a "tricksy hobbit". I mean, that's just genius.
I really enjoyed every minute of this unique story. I'd happily recommend it. And I'll definitely look forward to reading future books by Alexander James.
Please note that I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
March 14, 2024
This was immensely disappointing for me. As someone who's frightened of deep woods, camping/hiking, and deep isolation in nature, I should've found this scarier.
I found the main character/narrator to be insufferable. Like, okay, so you find out your wife cheated on you so you're logical step is to go on a three week hike?? I guess people do it, but then add on that i didn't like his voice. Also there's literally a part where he's talking about a woman getting harassed in a store and literally says he doesn't need to step in because "she's a strong independent woman" 🤢
But I can forgive an unlikeable/unrelatable character and the weird nature horror was good in the first bit so I continued. And it just got progressively more disappointing with everything. Like it really jumped the shark, and I say that as someone who enjoys cosmic horror a LOT but it just felt poorly executed to me and I HATED the conclusion. Like so, so much. How are we gonna wrap everything up in a nice little bow after everything without any discussion of repercussions.
This did have potential though, and I think it would be some people's cup of tea. I think it would've been vastly improved if it was significantly shorter and far more ambiguous.
I found the main character/narrator to be insufferable. Like, okay, so you find out your wife cheated on you so you're logical step is to go on a three week hike?? I guess people do it, but then add on that i didn't like his voice. Also there's literally a part where he's talking about a woman getting harassed in a store and literally says he doesn't need to step in because "she's a strong independent woman" 🤢
But I can forgive an unlikeable/unrelatable character and the weird nature horror was good in the first bit so I continued. And it just got progressively more disappointing with everything. Like it really jumped the shark, and I say that as someone who enjoys cosmic horror a LOT but it just felt poorly executed to me and I HATED the conclusion. Like so, so much. How are we gonna wrap everything up in a nice little bow after everything without any discussion of repercussions.
This did have potential though, and I think it would be some people's cup of tea. I think it would've been vastly improved if it was significantly shorter and far more ambiguous.
April 9, 2025
I was immediately hooked by the premise of this one, I’m a huge fan of woodsy horror. But it honestly kind of just left me feeling bored. It wasn’t bad but it was predictable and it didn’t feel like it brought anything new to the table. Not a bad story, just not super original.
September 5, 2023
Josh “Switchback” Mallory heads deep into the forest of the Pacific Northwest, hoping to escape the falling out he has had with his wife Deb. Unfortunately for Josh, what he will find is far from a nice hiking getaway. He soon finds himself in the hands of a dark cult, the Woodkin.
This story was enjoyable, but it could be a little slow at times. I found myself very confused about the lore of the cult and what was happening, and I had to go back and reread a lot of pages for context. The vibes of this were very similar to The Ritual by Adam Nevill, so if you liked that book I do recommend giving this one a try.
Thanks to BookSirens for providing me with a free review copy in exchange for my honest review!
This story was enjoyable, but it could be a little slow at times. I found myself very confused about the lore of the cult and what was happening, and I had to go back and reread a lot of pages for context. The vibes of this were very similar to The Ritual by Adam Nevill, so if you liked that book I do recommend giving this one a try.
Thanks to BookSirens for providing me with a free review copy in exchange for my honest review!
May 22, 2024
This book--> good…good…good…interesting…good…good…good…oh my….good….what.the.hell?…okay…what?..........where.am.I?…....uh…?…oh…....okay…the end.
I really enjoyed this for the most part, and the hiking part a lot. I did get a bit lost/confused for a bit, which isn’t too unusual for me, but I did like it in the end.
I really enjoyed this for the most part, and the hiking part a lot. I did get a bit lost/confused for a bit, which isn’t too unusual for me, but I did like it in the end.
August 26, 2023
The beginning was quite strong; however, I found myself getting a bit bored as the story progressed. Nevertheless, the writing itself maintained a consistent splendor throughout.
September 20, 2023
Predictable.
It started off strong with potential. Then, I found myself asking, “why am I even reading this?” So I stopped, I didn’t even finish it but I did make it more than half way through.
It started off strong with potential. Then, I found myself asking, “why am I even reading this?” So I stopped, I didn’t even finish it but I did make it more than half way through.
October 2, 2024
I don't read much horror, overall this was a good kickoff to spooky season if you like to read this type of story.
We have Josh who is in a fight with his wife (he's justified, it's a big one) so he decides to go on a 3 week hike on the Pacific Coast Trail.
First two weeks things are good, Josh has given himself a trail name (apparently this is something one does?) He is now Switchback. He has decided that Switchback and Josh are two separate people and Josh's problems in the real world aren't his at the moment and he just wants to enjoy his time on the PCT.
After about 2 weeks Josh finds a dead body by the river, he assumes he fell and broke a leg, tried to hide in the cutout of a tree for the night, and mountain lions got him. He must push on but makes a note to tell a ranger at the next station. Those pesky hairs on the back of his neck just won't leave him alone about it.
Later that day, he meets another hiker Appletree and they decide to camp out together for the night. That nigh Switchback thinks he sees someone, but dismisses it as a trick of the light only to wake and find his things completely destroyed. He now has no food and one week left.
Appletree tells him about this town Bedal, it's 10 miles or so off the path and he can restock and come back to the trail.
Here is where I'll stop talking, things get weird, eerie, and are just generally off from here on out.
What are the Woodkin? Who are the Woodkin? Can you survive the Woodkin? All of these questions are swirling around as you try to figure out what in the hell is going on.
Due to us only having Josh/Switchback's POV it gets a bit repetitive and slow in spots. When he does have dialog with others I found myself wanting a bit more of that.
The ending was just ho-hum, but honestly I feel that way about most horror movies as well. They do a great job making me feel sick to my stomach throughout and not wanting to see those details, however the ending almost always leaves something to be desired.
For a debut novel, 3 out of 4 stars with the potential to be 4 stars with a reduction of some of the wordiness.
Spoiler below just for me to remember the details, don't read if you don't want me to spoil the whole book in a nutshell!!
We have Josh who is in a fight with his wife (he's justified, it's a big one) so he decides to go on a 3 week hike on the Pacific Coast Trail.
First two weeks things are good, Josh has given himself a trail name (apparently this is something one does?) He is now Switchback. He has decided that Switchback and Josh are two separate people and Josh's problems in the real world aren't his at the moment and he just wants to enjoy his time on the PCT.
After about 2 weeks Josh finds a dead body by the river, he assumes he fell and broke a leg, tried to hide in the cutout of a tree for the night, and mountain lions got him. He must push on but makes a note to tell a ranger at the next station. Those pesky hairs on the back of his neck just won't leave him alone about it.
Later that day, he meets another hiker Appletree and they decide to camp out together for the night. That nigh Switchback thinks he sees someone, but dismisses it as a trick of the light only to wake and find his things completely destroyed. He now has no food and one week left.
Appletree tells him about this town Bedal, it's 10 miles or so off the path and he can restock and come back to the trail.
Here is where I'll stop talking, things get weird, eerie, and are just generally off from here on out.
What are the Woodkin? Who are the Woodkin? Can you survive the Woodkin? All of these questions are swirling around as you try to figure out what in the hell is going on.
Due to us only having Josh/Switchback's POV it gets a bit repetitive and slow in spots. When he does have dialog with others I found myself wanting a bit more of that.
The ending was just ho-hum, but honestly I feel that way about most horror movies as well. They do a great job making me feel sick to my stomach throughout and not wanting to see those details, however the ending almost always leaves something to be desired.
For a debut novel, 3 out of 4 stars with the potential to be 4 stars with a reduction of some of the wordiness.
Spoiler below just for me to remember the details, don't read if you don't want me to spoil the whole book in a nutshell!!
September 28, 2023
When Josh Murphy finds out his wife of five years has been cheating on him he takes to the PCT trail in his trail name is switchback he loves the mindless relaxation of hiking and is having a great time away from reality but when he runs into a man named Appleseed he finds him to be a little old-fashioned but very nice and enjoys his time with him he even spends the night sharing a campground but the next morning when he wakes up and find his stuff thrown all over and some of his food wasted it is his new friend Apple seed who tells him about the nearby town where he could stop and replenish his food stock and jump back on the PCT right out of town the only problem is before running into Appleseed Josh found a dead body with a broken leg and he’ll have to report it before leaving Babble. The only problem is no one seems to have a working phone in the whole town the old time café has the nice waitress who calls you honey and baby and wants to feed you up with some good old boys who have some strange ways of ending a conversation when it goes across the street to the General store he is shocked to see it clean but unfortunately it is run by a jerk who aggressively comes on to a woman despite her big red flags that say no no no switch back tries to ignore this and go about his business once he gets back on the trail after giving up reporting the dead body he hears a young boy laughing in the trees and although he saw this boy earlier he thought maybe the boy lived in the nearby town but now he is hours away from the town and yet here that same boy yes before he knows it he is fighting for his life against an 11 year old crazed killer but before it’s over there’s dozens of young boys surrounding him he has been trying to get away from this boy for hours but he knows he will never get away from dozens of them although he will try. This is the beginning of a nightmare he wakes up being put in a cage and next to him this is camping buddy Appleseed but Appleseed has nothing to say it seems they have driven him crazy with fear and win switchback sees whole bites taken out of Apple seeds hands he doesn’t know what to think he only knows he wants out of this nightmare but the ending isn’t coming no time soon and appleseed will not be the only person he reunites with in this nightmare. What he goes through is truly a horrific ordeal. Let me just say if you love horror then you’ll love this book it has monsters the supernatural missing people in the PCT there’s nothing worse than being far away from civilization and being surrounded by the holy uncivilized and that is this book in a nutshell I totally loved it and if you think this summary is crazy I haven’t even told half the story there is so much more to this book it truly is a fascinating read. I want to thank Book Sirens and the author for this awesome free Ark copy please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.
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