I had just finished Dan Simmon's The Terror and was looking for more horror books to get into. I almost mistook this for YA (especially after reading the 900+ pages of The Terror) and almost didn't continue, but it definitely is not for the young. The story get's very graphic/gory a few chapters in. The story is not original, but the author still does a good job conveying the emotions these boys feel. I like how the chapters rotate between the story being told, clippings from articles, transcribed audio from science experiments, and post-event interviews during the "investigation."

I couldn't help thinking all throughout the book that it would make a good gory horror movie ala The Evil Dead remake. Definitely a quick read!

When I think of "The Troop," the word that comes to mind is "eww." Five boys and their scoutmaster are on a small Canadian island when a man arrives by boat. There is something very wrong with him. He is so hungry, he eats everything he can get his hands on (dirt, bugs, his own hair). I had a sense of the fate of the six characters fairly early on (spoiler: none of it is good), but there was something about this book that kept me engaged even when I had to put it down because eww. I think it was the boys in the story, who aren't totally fleshed out but do have enough meat on them (hardy har har) to make me care. If you like horror and are not easily grossed out, give this a read.

Perhaps the most scariest, primally horrific horror book I have ever read. True to it's description of "a novel of terror". Read this book at your own discretion. It is a true novel of primordial horror.

Much like a mix between Lord of the Flies, Stand By Me, Dreamcatcher, and an episode of The X-Files set in Canada.

My favourite character: Newt

This is the very definition of the 'body horror' genre. David Cronenberg would be proud. Very creepy in its isolation of the characters, and the troop members are well drawn. I don't see this getting made into a movie anytime soon. SPLAT!!!

I picked this up because Stephen King said it scared the hell out of him. It's definitely for horror fans with a strong stomach. I was disgusted but I couldn't stop reading!

This book is about a scout troop that encounters worm like creatures that nest in human stomachs. Probably inspired by Stephen King's Dreamcatcher, it goes heavy on the gore and gross out descriptions. Cutter has intercut news articles and government documents with his narratives to give the reader a sense of reality in every book of his I've read, and that continues here. It's a technique that grounds the sci fi and horror in reality in order to help the reader suspend their disbelief. And mostly it works, however, you could probably skip those interludes and still experience the story in full. Stephen King has recommended this book and Cutter's Little Heaven. I personally recommend Little Heaven over this. Maybe it was just because I didn't find the Boy Scout characters all that interesting.

This book was pretty gross and very scary! The writer did a great job with vivid descriptions, making the reading experience almost visual for me. I definitely recommend it for fans of horror, but you can't be too squeamish if you're going to make it through this one.

What a terrible book. I couldn't even finish it. Too much gore and disgusting detail in it but not a lot of story.

I truly enjoyed this book from the first words to the last. I had trouble putting the book down. And it was happening in P.E.I.! I even had a nightmare about it last night. This book was creepy as hell! :p

Easily one of the more unsettling horror novels I have read in a long time. In a nutshell, the troop is a tale about a small scout troop (Number 52) that crosses paths with the unfortunate subject of a biological experiment (was it a new weight-loss "drug", a biological weapon - or both?) on a remote island. Cutter's use of interviews and periodical clippings interspersed through the book are Cutter's homage to Steven King (ala "Carrie") King himself offers high praise for the book. If you are squeemish, you'll probably want to give this a pass. IF you are brave enough to explore the horrors of genetically modified hytadids, then this book is for you!