The Troop: A Novel

By Nick Cutter

“The Troop scared the hell out of me, and I couldn’t put it down. This is old-school horror at its best.” —Stephen King Lord of the Flies meets 28 Days Later in this “grim microcosm of terror and desperation haunting” (Christopher Golden, New York Times bestselling author) following a scout troop on a terrifying fight for survival when they come across a mysterious—and deadly—stranger in the Canadian wilderness. Once every year, Scoutmaster Tim Riggs leads a troop of boys into the Canadian wilderness for a weekend camping trip—a tradition as comforting and reliable as a good ghost story around a roaring bonfire. But when an unexpected intruder stumbles upon their campsite—shockingly thin, disturbingly pale, and voraciously hungry—Tim and the boys are exposed to something far more frightening than any tale of terror. The human carrier of a bioengineered nightmare. A horrifying contagion that spreads faster than fear. A harrowing struggle for survival with no escape from the elements, the infected…or one another. Part parasitic horror, part survival thriller—and all-consuming—this tightly written, edge-of-your-seat thriller takes you deep into the heart of darkness, where fear feeds on sanity…and terror hungers for more.

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Published Aug 16, 2016

384 pages

Average rating: 7.3

359 RATINGS

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What Bookclubbers are saying about this book

✨ Summarized by Bookclubs AI

Readers say *The Troop* is an intense, unsettling horror novel known for its vivid body horror and suffocating island setting. Many praise Cutter’s im...

Mellific
6/10 stars
I honestly had a difficult time rating this book. It was written so well, but a lot of the details made it absolutely disgusting and almost impossible to stomach. I could not drink water or eat food while listening to this audiobook. There were many parts of this story that I cringed at and even more parts that made me feel sick. I feel that books should make the reader feel something, but at the same time, I can confidently say that I will never re-read this book.
KelBel
8/10 stars
WOW! I’m still trying to come to grips with what I just read. It was horrifying, gross, anger inducing, heart wrenching and I could not stop reading it. I can't imagine going through what those kids went through. I really liked the writing; it was smooth and oh so descriptive. I could see the worms in my mind’s eye as I was reading. The psychological aspect of what the Dr was doing is just... I have no words. The descriptions of the test subjects and what they went through… just awful! I mean I get the appeal of quick weight loss but that’s a huge hell no for me on that one! I agree with the admiral et all being up on charges. I really feel they could have doused the kids with antibiotics and maybe a few more of them would have lived. Not Shelly, he was a psycho, what he did to Eff… I was so mad, he deserved everything he got. Then to have Newt go out the way he did... just sad. The ending left me wondering though, is Max that sort of “hungry”?? Hummmmmm.
literarily_occupied
8/10 stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 4 stars

This book creeped me out and I'm all for it!
When I think of horror, this is the type of story that comes to mind.

A troop of young boy scouts are left abandoned and fending for themselves when a sickly stranger shows up at their door.

It's gore filled, edge-of-your-seat terror that moves along at a brutal pace leaving the reader uncomfortable, unsettled, and thoroughly grossed out.

This was the first book by this author that I have read, and I will most definitely read another by him in the future.

I listened to the audiobook via Libby and quite enjoyed the narration.
tbr_and_chaos
8/10 stars
This was intense from start to finish. What begins as a simple camping trip quickly spirals into something horrifying and deeply unsettling. The isolated island setting creates a suffocating atmosphere where every decision feels dangerous. The body horror is graphic, but what really stuck with me was the psychological unraveling. Watching fear and survival instincts take over was just as disturbing as the physical elements. It is not an easy read, but it is gripping and memorable. Disturbing in the best horror way.
john castiglia
10/10 stars
For those seeking not just a great Halloween read, but also an imaginative, well-written novel with emotional resonance, please read “The Troop,” by Nick Cutter.

The author never sacrifices substance for pacing. “The Troop” presents fully-fleshed characters, realistic body horror, and a veritable case study in psychopathy all coiled tightly around a plot that builds tension to a tragic but satisfying conclusion.

Saying any more would probably do this book a disservice - give it a read, Nick Cutter delivers quality horror with “The Troop.”

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