It’s usually pretty easy for me to pick which book as my favorite of the month. Generally it’s the book I read the fastest, the book I had to gush about to anyone who would listen, the book I immediately wish was a movie, and the one I can’t stop thinking about even when I start reading something else. And this month, the clear winner was The Watchers by A.M. Shine.
From start to finish, this book had me hooked. And I went into this book blind (like I usually do) so I had no idea what to expect. It wasn’t until after the first chapter that I even read the book description. And all that really tells you is they’re lost in the woods with this strange house and a strange woman. But that’s all you really need to know to dive right in.
The tone and descriptions were so dark and creepy. Mina takes on a strange errand and gets lost in the woods and her car dies. A perfect start and if it was a movie I’d be screaming, “Don’t go into the woods!” at the TV screen.
But of course she goes into the woods. And finds the strange little house with three people trapped in the woods as well. And the relationships that develop from there are vivid and chaotic. The tension between them is like a taut string waiting to snap.
The imagery of the watchers and what happens at night is incredibly well-done and I was definitely creeped out. Without giving too much away, there was one scene in particular that made me hold my breath until they’d gotten through it.
And I can’t gush enough about the ending. There have been too many horror books and movies with flat endings lately and I was so happy this wasn’t one of them. Mina’s revelation, and then the last scene *chefs kiss* amazing.
I wish I could read this book again for the first time. I’ve been recommending it to anyone I know who likes creepy stories. And I saw it is supposed to be a movie soon while preparing to write this post. And I Can’t Wait.
Thank you for reading. Definitely pick up a copy of The Watchers by A.M. Shine.