January 2023 Group Read #1 - The Shuddering

[James]

Badseedgirl - I hear you. IMO the characterization is disappointing, hard for me to get behind any characters. Be interested to hear other opinions and get into spoilers eventually

[Netanella]

Badseedgirl wrote: "Ok, so this might be an unpopular opinion, but I find Jane to be a bit of a whiny ass beotch. She has spent most of the book so far screeching at her brother, pining for Sawyer, and cooking/baking...."

😂😂

Now I'm really interested in getting to this book!

[Victor]

Does anyone else feel this novel reads a lot like watching a movie? The kind where you might not be entirely sad if all the characters don't make it in the end? Not necessarily a bad thing, I could still get behind a story like that - I'm about a third of the way through so far, interested to see where it goes. :-)

[Mia]

It’s been on my TBR list for awhile, so seeing that it’s one of the group reads is pushing it to the top of my list! Going to get started! I’m excited since I’ve heard that it is similar to Until Dawn, one of my favorite horror games.

[Gareth]

Badseedgirl wrote: "Ok, so this might be an unpopular opinion, but I find Jane to be a bit of a whiny ass beotch. She has spent most of the book so far screeching at her brother, pining for Sawyer, and cooking/baking...."
You could say she's a little self obsessed and a little materialistic, the same goes for another of the characters too.

[Badseedgirl]

I'm at 57%. (view spoiler)[Well, crap, the only halfway decent character in the group just ended up dead! R.I.P. Lauren. It makes me a bad person, but I hope like heck that April is dead out in those woods. Now I'm going to have to hope that Oona is the final girl! (hide spoiler)] It is a quick read.

[Stacy (Gotham City Librarian)]

I'm about to start it! I've never done a group read before.

[Lauren]

I just finished this and I loved it!

[Marie]

I am kind of behind on reading this book as I am reading another book that has my interest too. So will read some more tonight and add thoughts tomorrow. :)

[Marinka]

I’d love to read this, but none of my libraries have it and I do not want to buy it 😩

[Victor]

Fun, quick read - I liked it. Especially enjoyed the ending, brought a smile to my face.

[Tommy]

I finished - I liked the structure and reads like two halves. After reading this and Brother I may opt to read Seed next.

[Marie]

I am 72% into the book.

(view spoiler)[After the 50% mark the book takes off into blood fest action. Though I can see where the characters are doing dumb things to not help their situation of staying alive.

Stupid things so far:

1) April taking off "alone" into the snow packed woods not caring if any kind of animals are out in the woods with her. Besides the creatures out in the woods - there could be other things out there - like bears or something. She just takes off. A definite horror trope. I feel like I am watching a horror movie. lol

2) Then Ryan and Lauren going after her "alone" in the woods without any kind of weapon - they just decide to see if they can find her - they have no cares either about if anything is out there.

3) Of course Lauren gets attacked and killed - I am surprised that Ryan even made it out of there alive but again we are in the middle of a horror trope movie scene (lol) - someone has to be able to make it back to warn the others that there is something stalking the woods and killing people.

It is a good book but nothing different than what I have read in other books and this really could play out as a movie scene in your head with things happening.

I do love the blood and gore action though. The creatures are different with the description of them. I am wondering if they are considered a folklore legend of some kind.

Just my thoughts on here. :) (hide spoiler)]

I will read some more of it today and probably finish it tonight.

[Badseedgirl]

I finished the book last night. It was fine. This is my third read by the author (previously read Within These Walls and Brother) I'm not nearly as impressed by Ms. Ahlborn as many are. All her reads, including this one, have been three star reads for me. I'm not opposed to reading more from this author, but I'm not going to put much effort into finding them. If they are offered in my Library or through KU, I would read more of her work.

[Brenna]

Badseedgirl wrote: "Ok, so this might be an unpopular opinion, but I find Jane to be a bit of a whiny ass beotch. She has spent most of the book so far screeching at her brother, pining for Sawyer, and cooking/baking...."

Totally agree on this & Danny's comment as well. That's why it's taking me longer than usual to read this kind of book...every time I pick it up, after 10 pages I'm annoyed 😂

I've never read the author before. I definitely want to plow through & finish to see what happens.

[Stacy (Gotham City Librarian)]

I actually DNF'd "Brother" pretty early on, but I'm about 1/3 of the way through this one and so far I think it's such a better read! It feels like a completely different author to me.

[Kim]

This book is brutal! It has put me in the mood to read more monster horror.

[Evie]

Please don't hate me but I gave this one a GENEROUS 3 stars. I forced myself to read through it in about 24 hours just so I could be done with it because I was actually bored. Ryan has a savior complex, Jane only puts others first so she can say that she puts others first, April is a self-absorbed twit, and Sawyer wants his cake and to eat it too. The only worthwhile characters in my opinion were Lauren and the dang dog, lol.

Those saying that this read like a monster horror movie aren't wrong. The entire store could have been told with about 60 less pages IMHO.

Btw, can someone tell me how to quote others' comments like I see people doing? I'd really appreciate it!

[Heather]

Evie wrote: "Please don't hate me but I gave this one a GENEROUS 3 stars. I forced myself to read through it in about 24 hours just so I could be done with it because I was actually bored. Ryan has a savior com..."

Hi Evie, to quote, just hit REPLY in the bottom right after the message of whatever message you want to quote (like I did above) and the message to which you are replying will be automatically "quoted".

You are being more generous than I am; I am giving the book a generous 2 stars. I'm with you on the characters and did not think the plot or pacing were worth much of anything :)

[Evie]

Heather, I don't see the reply option at all. It's not on the app or on the website for me. Weird...

[Heather]

Evie wrote: "Heather, I don't see the reply option at all. It's not on the app or on the website for me. Weird..."

it's not right below messages in the bottom right corner? that IS weird! I don't use the app so I can't speak to that, but it should be available through the website. You *might* want to shoot Goodreads and/or the HA mods an email in case there is some weird glitch, maybe with your account? I know they are updating the website and some features have been glitchy and disappearing, some to never be seen again. Does that help?

[Marie]

I finished the book late last night and I am giving it four stars. Mostly for the (view spoiler)[creature feature blood and gore fest not for the characters as they were dingy. They would rather run straight out into the creatures habitat then stay in the house or try to leave the area. (hide spoiler)] I will read more by Ahlborn - I have read two of her books in the past "Seed" and "I Call Upon Thee". Both were good books.

[Jason]

Evie wrote: "Heather, I don't see the reply option at all. It's not on the app or on the website for me. Weird..."

You might be on the mobile version of the website and not the Desktop version. Near the bottom of most pages there is an option to use the desktop version. However, everything is formatted for a larger screen.

The apps don't have an option to reply... Or a lot of other features. The iOS app is terrible and the Android app is worse.

[Stacy (Gotham City Librarian)]

Evie wrote: "Please don't hate me but I gave this one a GENEROUS 3 stars. I forced myself to read through it in about 24 hours just so I could be done with it because I was actually bored. Ryan has a savior com..."

I definitely hate Sawyer a LOT, and I'm not a huge fan of some of the character dynamics that are happening in general. But I'm a fan of the vivid descriptions and the monster stuff, so I'm hoping that continues!

[Jason]

I'm only at 13% (page 37-ish), and so far reading this has been more of a chore than I anticipated. The opening scene was fantastic, but since then I feel like I've been fed a lot of information that is likely inconsequential to advancing the plot.

Lauren seems like the only tolerable character so far. My way-too-early rating is 2-stars with plenty of room for improvement once some characters start getting eliminated.

[Stephanie]

This book was exactly my cup of tea! I agree the main characters were all pretty irritating, but as far as the story itself I really enjoyed it. I’ve read other books from this author and did not really care for them but this one hooked me, maybe BECAUSE it read like a horror movie. I need more books like this one in my life!

[Emilie]

Victor wrote: "Does anyone else feel this novel reads a lot like watching a movie? The kind where you might not be entirely sad if all the characters don't make it in the end? Not necessarily a bad thing, I could..."

A 100%- came to this discussion to say something similar. I think it would be great on the SYFY channel honestly.

[Ashley]

I’m sorry to say this but this seemed more like a love story with a little bit of horror.

[Gareth]

I'm starting to see a trend here, it seems like the majority of us had a dislike of at least one character or more. I wonder if that was intented by the author, just an unhappy accident or bad writing?

[James]

This book definitely made me think about whether characters need to be likable. I have read books without characters I liked and if it fit with the themes and served the purpose of the book I wouldn’t mind not liking the characters. With this book it wasn’t just that I didn’t like the characters, I felt the characterization, which felt thin, didn’t serve anything particularly interesting to me. Any themes that are suggested seemed like they didn’t have much to back them up. I recently read Mongrels and felt the monsters, tropes (played with lovingly and terrifyingly), themes, characterization, all formed a whole that was thought provoking and entertaining. The title itself served the theme in that case. I suspect The Shuddering title does this as well for what its story is. I’m supposed to shudder at the horror it describes, but it just didn’t get me like that. But sometimes a horror book can just be fun and I hope that it has been for some!

[Lindsay]

I think I like it...? I'm about 70% done so I'll finish it today. I absolutely agree that this would make a fantastic SYFY movie. I love a cozy monster book (still happy I live in Florida!).

But the characters seem very... childish to me. I don't think they are inherently unlikable, they're all flawed in recognizable ways and I'd be lying if I said I didn't know people who had the same hang ups presented.
Maybe it's because I'm a Certified Goth (tm), but I have friends of all types, and haven't used the word "prep" since I was over the age of 16 perhaps. I reads a little YA to me in that sense.

[Jason]

31%... Trying to read at least 7% per day to make steady progress, and hope things pick up and hook me at some point. I'm just not a fan of the pacing and how much time is spent on incidental storylines.

Ashley wrote: "I’m sorry to say this but this seemed more like a love story with a little bit of horror."

Yup. I also thought this read more like romance than horror... and that was before all of "The Sound of Music" references. :)

Gareth wrote: "I'm starting to see a trend here, it seems like the majority of us had a dislike of at least one character or more. I wonder if that was intented by the author, just an unhappy accident or bad writ..."

I often wonder this myself. Personally, I don't need to like every character, and in many stories, unlikable characters are the best characters. There is also a difference between an unlikable character, and not liking how a character was written. I'm not certain what the case is here. What I do know is that when it comes to 3 or 4 of these characters, I'm rooting for whatever is in the woods. :)

[Brenna]

Off of Jason's comment, I think it's a combination for me - the characters being actually unlikeable (to me) and some problems with the way they're written. I definitely don't need to like all of the characters to enjoy a book, and I agree that some of the best characters are inherently unlikable but I don't think that's the case in this one.

To echo some other posters, the scenes with the monsters are my favorite and I love the way they're written. Totally sucks me in compared to the rest of it. Definitely could be a good movie!

I'd really like to finish up this book tonight or tomorrow - I have a feeling I'll settle on 3 stars for this.

[Giovanni]

i had the same impression about the characters playing outside the creepy scenes
there is too much contrast between the fear of being eaten alive and the carelessness of love and bonding just when monsters are not present
but that works fine in horror movies, right?

[Stacy (Gotham City Librarian)]

I'm finally at the halfway point and it sounds like things are about to pick up so I'm happy about that! The interaction between the characters is really grating on me, but I love all the horror scenes and the way that those are written. The description of the bitter cold is well done, too. I can feel it!

[Brenna]

Now that I’m about 70% through, I have to say the action is really keeping me hooked. I stand by not liking the beginning (really the first half) & the character stuff, but it’s sooo much better now. I wonder how many people DNF this book before they get to the crazy stuff. It was a close call for me, if it wasn’t a group read I don’t know if I would’ve made it past 30%.

[Stacy (Gotham City Librarian)]

I finished it last night! Only giving it three stars overall since the characters kind of ruined it for me, but I loved the ending.

[Stacy (Gotham City Librarian)]

Brenna wrote: "Now that I’m about 70% through, I have to say the action is really keeping me hooked. I stand by not liking the beginning (really the first half) & the character stuff, but it’s sooo much better no..."

Same! The comments encouraged me to keep reading.

[Hilde]

I started reading this today after finishing the other group read for this month. The horror scenes are just so vivid and suspenseful! :)

[Chandler]

Just finished it. It wasn't my favorite Ahlborn book but I still liked it. The characters actually grew on me a lot once the action kicked in. I found myself caring about them. (view spoiler)[Typical Ahlborn nihilistic ending, which I do appreciate. I was hoping Oona would make it out at least. :( (hide spoiler)]

[Gareth]

Chandler wrote: "Just finished it. It wasn't my favorite Ahlborn book but I still liked it. The characters actually grew on me a lot once the action kicked in. I found myself caring about them. [spoilers removed]"

The one person I wanted to survive died early on. Unlike you I developed a dislike for most of the characters wanted some of them to get killed :-)

[Brenna]

Just finished. Have to agree the characters grew on me as the action went on, especially Ryan. I liked this way more than I expected in the end - it really would make a good movie. I think it’s a 4 star for me, the last 30% really made up for the beginning in my opinion.

[Chris]

Finished a little while ago and really have some mixed feelings. Overall, I enjoyed it so decided to go with a four star rating, but feel like it deserved more like a 3.5. Alternately liked and hated some of the characters. I have no idea why April was supposed to be so unsympathetic, while I genuinely disliked Jane. She gave me mean girl vibes. On a positive note, it was well written, creepy, I loved the setting, and that ending was horror movie worthy. Just wished different characters would have made it out... somewhat alive ;)

btw that husky was the most useless dog in existence... come on. You have a sled dog, and a makeshift sled, and don't put the two together? lol

[Hayley]

I am loving the creepy bits so far, but Lauren is the only one of the main characters that I actually like. The love triangle is just so exhausting to me, and I feel really bad for April.

We'll see how I feel at the end...

[Hilde]

Finished this today, 4 stars for me. I enjoyed the visual storytelling and the gore, it was hard to put the book down. There was a little bit too much drama going on for me towards the very end though, it just made the story drag on for too long. The ending was indeed fun ;). Looking forward to reading more from this writer!

[Hayley]

I gave it 3 stars. I loved the gory bits, and the monsters were neato! I am disappointed that April didn't show up covered in the blood and gore of slaughtered monsters and riding one of them like a horse.

I read The Bird Eater and absolutely hated it, and I really disliked the majority of the characters in this one as well. Like many people have said, I found them immature and self-centered, and I really didn't understand why poor April was so hated. I think the whole situation would have been stressful for her and I think it would have been neat to see more from her perspective, so we sympathize more with her instead of everyone just tearing her to shreds (metaphorically). I did appreciate that the characters seemed to develop a little bit more towards the end, when things got dire.

The gore was fabulous though, and the monsters. So I give it extra for that.

[Kirsten]

Just started this! Just gotta say you know trouble is going to hit when someone says "Relax, no one knows we're up here".

[LTJ]

Hey everyone! I'm starting this one right after breakfast and can't wait! My goal is to finish this in one day :-D

[Aaron]

Hayley wrote: "I gave it 3 stars. I loved the gory bits, and the monsters were neato! I am disappointed that April didn't show up covered in the blood and gore of slaughtered monsters and riding one of them like ...""

Lol! I kept thinking something similar might happen. Good story with an O. Henry ending. Thanks for recommending tthis one.

[April]

This nosedived from 4 stars to 2 and fast. The monsters are great— there’s a wonderful, cinematic sense of movement during the action scenes and great gore, but I would’ve preferred to stay with any of the random dying characters than with the core group.

Everyone’s characterization was paper thin, but Jane— go girl, give us nothing. I geared up for an honest to god turn from her during her pep talk in the bathroom. She remembered her active shooter training and resolved to protect her loved ones. And then does… nothing with it? She waits in the kitchen for the men to tell her what to do and when?

I’ll try another Ahlborn. I like her writing style, but these characters and their interpersonal problems were not it for me.