BOOK REVIEW: THE THING IN THE WOODS REVIEW BY MATTHEW W. QUINN

21/6/2018

By Michael Sieber

Something lurks in the pond in the deep forest where locals fear to go. Something ancient. A god worshipped for generations. And it demands sacrifice.

“The Thing in the Woods” is about a 17-year old boy named James Daly who’s desperate to get out of Edington, Georgia, but can’t. His dad moved the family there for a job that fell apart soon after they arrived. Now, upside down in their mortgage, they’re stuck, and James works a crappy retail job to help keep the family afloat while dreaming of getting away. And, to make matters worse, there is a group of bullies who harass James every chance they get.

While James tries to ignore the dirty looks and snide comments, the main bully, Bill, pushes him to the breaking point. Bill challenges James to an ATV race — in the deep woods where the locals fear to go.

During the race, the ancient beast comes out of the pond, and the bullies and his shitty job are suddenly the least of James’ concerns.

“The Thing in the Woods” is like an exploitation flick in book form, which isn’t a bad thing; I love exploitation flicks.

And like any good exploitation flick, Quinn doesn’t waste any time getting to the good stuff. We get a glimpse of the creature and a general idea of its place in the community right off the bat, and then we’re off to the races. Quinn’s pacing, while not breakneck, moves along well, giving you just enough time to catch your breath between action set pieces before launching you into the next.
And, what kind of monster story would it be if there wasn’t any blood? A boring one. But thankfully that’s not the case here as Quinn turns on the tap with no regard for the bill.

Speaking of monsters, the creature here is straight out of Lovecraft with its many tentacles and god-like status — a true “Old One.”

With an ending that I didn’t see coming, I finished the book very satisfied at the story I’d read. It’s not breaking any new ground, but what it does, it does well.

Part pulp, part Lovecraftian horror, and part splatter: “The Thing in the Woods by Matthew W. Quinn is an enjoyable read if you like a good old fashioned monster story.