Review | The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul Tremblay

Married couple, Eric and Andrew, and their adopted daughter Wen, are on vacation in a cabin in the middle of nowhere. A perfect getaway from the city, until four strangers turn up at the cabin. Weapons in hand, they demand to be let in. While Eric and Andrew descend into confusion and panic, the four strangers are adamant. They say they want to save the world. And they are running out of time.

“And they realize again, in this darkest hour of the darkest day, they remain alone, fundamentally alone.”

The Cabin at the End of the World is a claustrophobic horror story with intense storytelling. The beginning is well-crafted and superbly strained. I had to stop reading for a while because the strangers trying to break into the cabin gave me anxiety!

The terrific premise can only be sustained for so long though, and its third act stumbles. It doesn’t help that the four strangers feel like archetypes of villains instead of fully fleshed human beings. At times, the writing doesn’t reflect the urgency of the family’s situation when there is a lot of exposition and conversations that seemed out of place. However, I like that there is a conflict between Eric and Andrew in how they deal with the strangers. Their background plays a part in whether they should believe or dismiss the strangers and their claims.

I appreciate the representation because a gay couple and a Chinese child as the main characters is something that I have rarely seen in horror fiction. The story touches on the hate and bigotry that Eric and Andrew have had to face. It also focuses on Wen’s displacement as she tries to fit into a Western family while seeking answers about her birth family from China. I could feel how much the family members care for each other.

The book brings up a great question – would you sacrifice someone you love to save the world? Ultimately, whatever you choose is still a choice you have to live with. Which might be the hardest of all. If you’re looking for a slow-burn, dread-building horror, The Cabin at the End of the World is the right pick for you.

About the author: Paul Tremblay

Photo by Jenny Caywood