Zire Golf - Shop now
Enjoy fast, free delivery, exclusive deals, and award-winning movies & TV shows.
Buy new:
-7% $10.17
FREE delivery Saturday, June 21 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Ships from: Amazon.com
Sold by: Amazon.com
$10.17 with 7 percent savings
List Price: $10.99
Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns
FREE delivery Saturday, June 21 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Or Prime members get FREE delivery Thursday, June 19. Order within 1 hr 19 mins.
Only 3 left in stock - order soon.
$$10.17 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$10.17
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Ships from
Amazon.com
Amazon.com
Ships from
Amazon.com
Sold by
Amazon.com
Amazon.com
Sold by
Amazon.com
Returns
30-day refund/replacement
30-day refund/replacement
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.
Payment
Secure transaction
Your transaction is secure
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
$9.50
Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns
100% satisfaction guaranteed. Book in very good condition. Ships directly from Amazon! No highlighting or writing inside this book. 100% satisfaction guaranteed. Book in very good condition. Ships directly from Amazon! No highlighting or writing inside this book. See less
FREE delivery Saturday, June 21 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Or Prime members get FREE delivery Thursday, June 19. Order within 1 hr 19 mins.
Only 1 left in stock - order soon.
$$10.17 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$10.17
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

The Cabin at the End of the World [Movie Tie-in]: A Novel Mass Market Paperback – February 7, 2023

3.7 out of 5 stars 7,678 ratings

{"desktop_buybox_group_1":[{"displayPrice":"$10.17","priceAmount":10.17,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"10","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"17","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"hC2zkhDYrNt8D7UWPBSKXWKGkW6OnJK2zz9fH3ZDuwo6zL2YcRNpgcG%2FaLiGfKuzMdADwcDuN84%2FPnxAfQLLJ99G7ERnfbolcRtCyYdPSIQLTvxTi07b67wsp4SL3ZAUEm%2FcHjKaIc6mtl6X3mGBog%3D%3D","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":0}, {"displayPrice":"$9.50","priceAmount":9.50,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"9","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"50","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"hC2zkhDYrNt8D7UWPBSKXWKGkW6OnJK2tpbaILZc0UBXCKAMRuuoFAYXlUApbdAffDM3QVZ2Pl92%2Bu%2BCpy7zbghVRaC1r4jm8aM6%2BBPBDwXm1ceC7ruk3cvCfwPCuXrdNk3QoHzb0BtB%2FEEa6pVdwjW1%2FjwDMQlBgWhvZS7DiPou1bfS9CTxn5Y0cCCkBN5N","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"USED","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":1}]}

Purchase options and add-ons

Paul Tremblay’s terrifying twist to the home invasion novel—inspiration for the upcoming major motion picture from Universal Pictures

“Tremblay’s personal best. It’s that good.” — Stephen King

Seven-year-old Wen and her parents, Eric and Andrew, are vacationing at a remote cabin on a quiet New Hampshire lake. Their closest neighbors are more than two miles in either direction along a rutted dirt road.

One afternoon, as Wen catches grasshoppers in the front yard, a stranger unexpectedly appears in the driveway. Leonard is the largest man Wen has ever seen, but he is young, friendly, and he wins her over almost instantly. Leonard and Wen talk and play until Leonard abruptly apologizes and tells Wen, “None of what’s going to happen is your fault.” Three more strangers then arrive at the cabin carrying unidentifiable, menacing objects. As Wen sprints inside to warn her parents, Leonard calls out: “Your dads won’t want to let us in, Wen. But they have to. We need your help to save the world.”

Thus begins an unbearably tense, gripping tale of paranoia, sacrifice, apocalypse, and survival that escalates to a shattering conclusion, one in which the fate of a loving family and quite possibly all of humanity are entwined. The Cabin at the End of the World is a masterpiece of terror and suspense from the fantastically fertile imagination of Paul Tremblay.

Books with Buzz
Discover the latest buzz-worthy books, from mysteries and romance to humor and nonfiction. Explore more

Frequently bought together

This item: The Cabin at the End of the World [Movie Tie-in]: A Novel
$7.87
Get it Jun 30 - Jul 8
Only 1 left in stock - order soon.
Ships from and sold by SPRUCEKNOB.
+
$14.85
Get it as soon as Saturday, Jun 21
In Stock
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
Total price: $00
To see our price, add these items to your cart.
Details
Added to Cart
One of these items ships sooner than the other.
Choose items to buy together.
Popular Highlights in this book

From the Publisher

banner 1
banner 2
banner 3
THE BEAST YOU ARE
THE PALLBEARERS CLUB
A HEAD FULL OF GHOSTS
SURVIVOR SONG
DISAPPEARANCE AT DEVIL'S ROCK
HORROR MOVIE
Customer Reviews
3.9 out of 5 stars 252
3.8 out of 5 stars 966
4.1 out of 5 stars 13,401
4.1 out of 5 stars 2,440
4.0 out of 5 stars 540
3.6 out of 5 stars 3,540
Price $15.00 $16.12 $11.99 $13.59 $15.19 $13.74

Editorial Reviews

Review

“A tremendous book―thought-provoking and terrifying, with tension that winds up like a chain. The Cabin at the End of the World is Tremblay’s personal best. It’s that good.” — Stephen King

“Read Paul Tremblay’s new novel, The Cabin at the End of the World, and you might not sleep for a week. Longer. It will shape your nightmares for months—that’s pretty much guaranteed. That’s what it’s built for. And there’s a very, very good chance you’ll never get it out of your head again.” — NPR

The Cabin at the End of the World is a clinic in suspense, a story that opens with high-wire tension and never lets up from there. The blend of human horror and human heart is superb. Paul Tremblay is rapidly becoming one of my favorite suspense writers.” — Michael Koryta, New York Times bestselling author

“The apocalypse begins with a home invasion in this tripwire-taut horror thriller. . . .[Tremblay’s] profoundly unsettling novel invites readers to ask themselves whether, when faced with the unbelievable, they would do the unthinkable to prevent it.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Think The Desperate Hours meets 10 Cloverfield Lane, but way, way stranger.  With The Cabin at the End of the World, Paul Tremblay gives us a gloriously claustrophobic and gory tale of faith and paranoia.  Signs and wonders and homemade battle-axes, oh my!” — Stewart O’Nan, author of The Speed Queen and A Prayer for the Dying

The Cabin at the End of the World is a thriller that grapples with the timely and the timeless. I tore through it in record time. I just couldn’t wait to see where Tremblay was going to take me next.” — Victor LaValle, author of The Changeling

“A blinding tale of survival and sacrifice that matches the power of belief with man’s potential for unbridled violence.” — Kirkus Reviews

“[A novel] about the clash of rational and irrational, hatred and violence, prophecies and religion gone mad, and perhaps hope. The Cabin at the End of the World is a terrific, disturbing, desperate novel, one that profoundly reflects the current political climate of North America and our ambiguous times.” — Mariana Enriquez, author of Things We Lost in the Fire

“Tremblay once again demonstrates his talent for terrifying readers. Offering a terrible situation with no good outcome, this is the author at his best. Highly recommended for Tremblay’s fans and those who relish end-of-the-world scenarios.” — Library Journal (starred review)

“Paul Tremblay is the real deal! The Cabin at the End of the World is a heart-pounding, edge of your seat thriller that will leave you with one simple question: what would you do?” — J.D. Barker, internationally bestselling author of Forsaken and The Fourth Monkey

“Tremblay captures the intense emotional struggle. . . of Wen, Andrew, and Eric, while dread and terror permeate every sentence. This is a novel with the heart and tone of The Road, by Cormac McCarthy, but will also appeal to fans of Ruth Ware, Josh Malerman, and Joe Hill.” — Booklist (starred review)

“Paul Tremblay loads emotion and tension into every paragraph on every page of The Cabin at the End of the World. It is a dream come true, a heartfelt, emotionally charged journey into our worst nightmares. — Caroline Kepnes, author of You and Providence

“Tremblay skilfully keeps his readers guessing about the reality of Leonard’s ominous warning as he lets his horrifying scenario play out.” — The Guardian

“Equal parts gripping, horrifying, and mesmerizing. . . . The Cabin at the End of the World succeeds in part because it trades in frights rooted (or not) in totally unprovable motivation.” — GQ

From the Back Cover

A propulsive, heart-palpitating novel of psychological suspense from the Bram Stoker Award–winning author of A Head Full of Ghosts

Seven-year-old Wen and her parents, Eric and Andrew, are vacationing at a remote cabin on a quiet lake in northern New Hampshire. A handful of miles from the Canadian border, far removed from the bustle of city life, cut off from the urgent hum of cell phones and from the internet, they are more than two miles away from their closest neighbors in either direction along an old dirt logging road.

On a cloudless summer day, as Wen catches grass-hoppers in the front yard, a stranger unexpectedly appears. Leonard is the largest man Wen has ever seen, but he is young—twenty-four and a half years old, he tells her—and friendly, with a warm and wide smile that wins her over almost instantly. Leonard and Wen continue to talk and play, until three more strangers, two women and a man, all dressed like Leonard in jeans and button-down shirts, come down the road carrying strange, menacing objects.

In a panic, Wen tells Leonard that she must go back inside the cabin. But before she goes, her new friend tells her, “None of what’s going to happen is your fault. You haven’t done anything wrong, but the three of you will have to make some tough decisions. I wish with all my broken heart you didn’t have to.” As Wen sprints away to warn her parents, Leonard calls out, “Your dads won’t want to let us in, Wen. But they have to. We need your help to save the world. Please.”

The Cabin at the End of the World is an unbearably tense, gripping tale of paranoia, sacrifice, apocalypse, and survival that escalates to a shattering conclusion, one in which the fate of a loving family and quite possibly all of humanity are entwined. Electrifying and haunting, it is a masterpiece of terror and suspense from the fantastically fertile imagination of Paul Tremblay.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ William Morrow Paperbacks
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ February 7, 2023
  • Edition ‏ : ‎ Media tie-in
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 336 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0063249774
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0063249776
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 4.19 x 0.76 x 7.5 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    3.7 out of 5 stars 7,678 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Paul Tremblay
Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Paul Tremblay has won the Bram Stoker, British Fantasy, Sheridan Le Fanu, and Massachusetts Book awards and is the national bestselling author of The Beast You Are, The Pallbearers Club, Survivor Song, Growing Things and Other Stories, Disappearance at Devil's Rock, A Head Full of Ghosts, and the crime novels The Little Sleep and No Sleep Till Wonderland. His novel The Cabin at the End of the World was adapted into the Universal Pictures film Knock at the Cabin. Two short stories "The Last Conversation" and "In Bloom" were Amazon Original shorts.

His newest novel, Horror Movie, is coming June 2024.

His essays and short fiction have appeared in the New York Times, Boston Globe, Los Angeles Times, and numerous "year's best" anthologies. He lives outside of Boston, Massachusetts and has a master's degree in Mathematics. He is represented by Stephen Barbara, InkWell Management.

Customer reviews

3.7 out of 5 stars
7,678 global ratings

Review this product

Share your thoughts with other customers

Customers say

Customers find the book thought-provoking and consider it a fun read, with one describing it as a high-tension tale that keeps them engaged. The writing quality receives mixed feedback, with some praising its brilliance while others find it wordy. The horror content and character development also get mixed reactions - while some consider it an excellent psychological horror story with rich characters, others find the characters poorly defined and the story boring. The pacing receives mixed reviews, with some finding it fast-paced while others say it drags.

225 customers mention "Readability"161 positive64 negative

Customers find the book enjoyable to read, with some describing it as amazing and worth trying, while others find it meh.

"...He's famous for making either great movies or awful movies. The book was mostly great, but I DO NOT recommend the movie at all...." Read more

"...Overall, it was a good read with an amazing story at its core...." Read more

"...There were no over the top emotional moments, everything was fair. ➖gay characters represented in horror stories in a refined way..." Read more

"...the cop out of the ending not being more detailed made this a waste of time for me. This lets me know not to watch the movie...." Read more

82 customers mention "Thought provoking"71 positive11 negative

Customers find the book thought-provoking, appreciating its interesting concept and deep ideas, with one customer highlighting its exploration of human psychology.

"...I appreciated this deep, thought provoking and intellectual writing style as it’s crisp and different from the usual canned ‘alphabet soup’ and..." Read more

"...➖the emotional range was explored and was convincing. There were no over the top emotional moments, everything was fair...." Read more

"...It is thought-provoking, literary-horror at its finest. Here’s to hoping to feature-film is in the works." Read more

"...From that premise, the novel is able to explore a wide variety of deep ideas. It touches on the concept of what family and love mean to people...." Read more

337 customers mention "Story quality"187 positive150 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the book's plot, with some finding it enthralling and high-tension, while others hated the storyline and found the ending unsatisfying.

"...I'd recommend reading it if you're up for a book with a great story and decent tension. Just temper your expectations and brace for what I shared...." Read more

"...𝐒𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐍𝐢𝐭𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠: ➖some pretty horrible things happen, but fair. I just think these themes are better in movies...." Read more

"...When Eric and Andrew refuse their captors’ requests, the non-stop action erupts, page after mesmerizing page...." Read more

"...writing from a variety of characters' perspectives and the narrative remained engaging even during the slower moments when nothing terribly exciting..." Read more

179 customers mention "Horror content"89 positive90 negative

Customers have mixed reactions to the horror elements in the book, with some praising it as an excellent psychological horror story and fantastic book of suspense, while others find it terrifying.

"...The violence is not gratuitous or exploitative because the author tells the story thoroughly, describing both the sickness of the guilty and how it..." Read more

"...It's gross. And the cop out of the ending not being more detailed made this a waste of time for me...." Read more

"...reading it if you're up for a book with a great story and decent tension. Just temper your expectations and brace for what I shared...." Read more

"...It is jarring to read and doesn't seem to contribute to the story's impact...." Read more

172 customers mention "Writing quality"102 positive70 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the writing quality of the book, with some praising its brilliance and descriptive style, while others find it wordy and poorly written.

"...violence is not gratuitous or exploitative because the author tells the story thoroughly, describing both the sickness of the guilty and how it..." Read more

"...Another instance, one of the invaders goes into this REALLY weird monologue that makes NO sense why anyone would stop and listen to her at this point..." Read more

"...I appreciated this deep, thought provoking and intellectual writing style as it’s crisp and different from the usual canned ‘alphabet soup’ and..." Read more

"...the reader right in the room with the characters, a silent witness to an unforgettable tale. Before long, Leonard turns on the TV...." Read more

94 customers mention "Character development"55 positive39 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the character development in the book, with some finding them rich while others note that they are not well defined and there is too much boring dialogue between them.

"...All characters are believable despite the absurdity of the situation, which is the scariest aspect of the novel...." Read more

"...The narrator has a very strange cadence and inflection; their voice pitches down at the end of each sentence to a degree that it's very distracting...." Read more

"...The characters were fun and come to life...." Read more

"...I couldn't stand the characters and just wanted it to be over. Some of the decisions made were stupid...." Read more

47 customers mention "Pace"23 positive24 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the book's pace, with some finding it a fast-paced read while others say it drags.

"...that while the novel should be reaching a climax, its pace actually seems to slow to a crawl, partly due to stylistic choice and partly due to the..." Read more

"A relatively short and easy read for a novel, but gripping the whole way through...." Read more

"...and suspense in this tale of a home invasion, the novel takes an excruciating long time to answer urgent questions, and then the pay-off..." Read more

"No spoilers here. I enjoyed the book. It is a fairly quick read...." Read more

66 customers mention "Boredom"0 positive66 negative

Customers find the book boring, with multiple reviews describing it as a pointless and time-wasting experience.

"...This book is not a funhouse ride like a Scream slasher movie or alien invasion romp...." Read more

"...pitches down at the end of each sentence to a degree that it's very distracting...." Read more

"Not like the movie, which is why I will always try to read the book of a movie if there is one...." Read more

"...This one spends far too much time on an extended lecture about the oppression of gay people, just the sort of thing one might expect from an..." Read more

Excellent Book On So Many Levels That One Could Easily Miss A Central Point!
5 out of 5 stars
Excellent Book On So Many Levels That One Could Easily Miss A Central Point!
In this review, I will attempt to humbly share a bit of my own thoughts and insights into The Cabin at the End of the World: A Novel by Paul Tremblay. I say this because many great writers, some who are world renowned such as Stephen King, gave absolutely astonishing reviews that do this literary work far more justice than I could ever provide. I have seen several reviews here on Amazon by other customers and sadly their reviews were not nearly as positive, but I believe I know why! One reader in particular said that they were “hooked on the first 80% or so of the book, but it was as if the author was unsure how to write the ending.” I’m paraphrasing, by the way, but I can assure you that is most definitely not the case! If you “don’t get” the last few pages, I would urge you to read them again, but this time reading them far more carefully to prevent missing the point. I will admit that I missed the point myself, initially thinking that this book concluded with a “weak ending” and would arrive at a solid four stars for it. I read the last few pages over again and also read the author’s notes at the back of the book. Those notes are vital to understanding the work as they opened up a whole world of hidden secrets that would otherwise be very hard to spot. I picked up on a few, but for every one I would pick up on, another two would go completely over my head. I appreciated this deep, thought provoking and intellectual writing style as it’s crisp and different from the usual canned ‘alphabet soup’ and literary tropes that find its way into every book of similar genre. So, what if you read the book in it’s entirety and find that there’s a tremendous question left unanswered?! If I told you that the answer to that question didn’t matter, would you believe me? The author’s notes said just that, without trying to provide a spoiler here, I will only say that whether the message of the “others” is true or false is not nearly as important as the underlying choice that’s required of our main characters, the broken Eric and the far more cynical Andrew. For anyone who’s read the book and would enjoy knowing why I left Wen (their young daughter) out is simply because there was never the question if they would “choose” her. That option was clearly never on the table. Other than in the introduction, the entire book revolves around their choice, and that choice revolves around the greatest sacrifice of all — love — is your love so powerful that it’s literally more important than everything else in the known universe?! Experiencing true love and ‘taking the easy road’ seem more mutually exclusive the more you think about it! That’s what it all boils down to, the family dynamic, and their own world within an even bigger world. The questions that affect our family and those outside forces that shatter it should be far more important to us than it’s screwed up macroscopic counterpart. I should add that the literary devices used by the author were anything, but ordinary. A combination of first, second, or third person language was used throughout the book in order to better captivate the reader. It worked! By the end of the book, a “first person plural” was used to better facilitate the reader as if they were Eric and Andrew coming down to the moment that will change everything forever, but regardless of whether it would have any outside effect is not the concern, not in their ‘here and now.’ Their lives have been shaken upside down in some horrible and traumatic ways, however they just can’t escape “the question!” The world will always be screwed up. The world may be here tomorrow or it may not. We have zero control over those things, though it’s nice to pretend we do, the fact remains that only a handful of people control the fate of our entire world! At one point in the book, they made it a point to mention that nearly everything spewing out of cable news is “bad news!” I totally agree and have been saying for years that each news station puts its own spin on the “news” to make it an entertainment show, not a legitimate news show, hell, it’s been 40+ years since we’ve had any semblance of real news on the airwaves! The reality is that such “news” doesn’t really have much of an impact on our daily lives, however 99% of what does have a major effect is dictated by those closest to us! All we could, and should want, is for those closest to us to be safe, healthy, loved… That’s what should really matter instead of a chance possibility in some far off land as told by an overpaid TV broadcaster! We need to worry about our loved ones primarily as those are the people who life goes on with. The thing this story teaches us to remember is that horrible things may happen, but: “We will go on.” After pondering that, this book is undoubtedly a 5/5 star read that I would urge anybody on the fence to just pickup and read! One warning, once you start, it will be VERY difficult to put this book down. On many levels, it is, simply, that good!
Thank you for your feedback
Sorry, there was an error
Sorry we couldn't load the review

Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on May 18, 2023
    Yeah, so some ignorant, confused people do what they do and good people suffer. If you already know the premise, I haven't spoiled anything for you and if you're still considering reading this book, it's because you want/need to confront some of life's harsher truths. This book is not a funhouse ride like a Scream slasher movie or alien invasion romp. It's about deeply misled humans and they're the scariest monsters of them all. And this book gets DARK.

    I was aware of this book for a few years before I decided to pull the trigger and read it prior to seeing the movie adaptation. I highly recommend the book. Tremblay's prose is often quite beautiful, making a difficult subject matter easier to take. All characters are believable despite the absurdity of the situation, which is the scariest aspect of the novel. The violence is harsh because it should be to convey how evil human beings can be towards each other for no good reason at all. The violence is not gratuitous or exploitative because the author tells the story thoroughly, describing both the sickness of the guilty and how it becomes the punishing of the innocent. The book got unexpectedly bloody. Very bloody. It is rated R, hard R, and while it isn't perfect, it achieved a rare thing: it packs an emotional punch this reader still felt days after finishing. In real horror, the innocent must suffer. I naively expected a funhouse romp and got walloped. I'll be reading Paul Tremblay again.

    M. Night Shyamalan is one of the most inconsistent filmmakers around. He's famous for making either great movies or awful movies. The book was mostly great, but I DO NOT recommend the movie at all. Nearly the entire second half of the story was changed and the stupidly titled "KNOCK AT THE CABIN" is not the better for it. The movie irresponsibly softpedals the violence in exactly the kind of story in which that definitely should not happen. Not hardly a drop of blood on screen. Everything suggested. The villains motives are FAR less explored and become far less villainous because of it. And the character that dies in the book is not the character that dies in the movie. Wrong choices all around likely made because Shyamalan and/or the studio didn't want the audience to feel TOO bad. The movie is soft even for a PG-13. Pulls all punches. Irresponsible in a way because the bad guys look less evil as you munch on your buttered popcorn and Junior Mints and the socio-political message the book gets right is entirely muddled and forgotten once the credits roll. Another disappointment in a mostly disappointing filmography.

    If you enjoyed the concepts in the movie enough to seek out the book, I highly recommend you do read it because it may just right the wrong M Night did to you.
    16 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on October 1, 2022
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    In this review, I will attempt to humbly share a bit of my own thoughts and insights into The Cabin at the End of the World: A Novel by Paul Tremblay. I say this because many great writers, some who are world renowned such as Stephen King, gave absolutely astonishing reviews that do this literary work far more justice than I could ever provide. I have seen several reviews here on Amazon by other customers and sadly their reviews were not nearly as positive, but I believe I know why! One reader in particular said that they were “hooked on the first 80% or so of the book, but it was as if the author was unsure how to write the ending.” I’m paraphrasing, by the way, but I can assure you that is most definitely not the case! If you “don’t get” the last few pages, I would urge you to read them again, but this time reading them far more carefully to prevent missing the point. I will admit that I missed the point myself, initially thinking that this book concluded with a “weak ending” and would arrive at a solid four stars for it. I read the last few pages over again and also read the author’s notes at the back of the book. Those notes are vital to understanding the work as they opened up a whole world of hidden secrets that would otherwise be very hard to spot. I picked up on a few, but for every one I would pick up on, another two would go completely over my head. I appreciated this deep, thought provoking and intellectual writing style as it’s crisp and different from the usual canned ‘alphabet soup’ and literary tropes that find its way into every book of similar genre.

    So, what if you read the book in it’s entirety and find that there’s a tremendous question left unanswered?! If I told you that the answer to that question didn’t matter, would you believe me? The author’s notes said just that, without trying to provide a spoiler here, I will only say that whether the message of the “others” is true or false is not nearly as important as the underlying choice that’s required of our main characters, the broken Eric and the far more cynical Andrew. For anyone who’s read the book and would enjoy knowing why I left Wen (their young daughter) out is simply because there was never the question if they would “choose” her. That option was clearly never on the table. Other than in the introduction, the entire book revolves around their choice, and that choice revolves around the greatest sacrifice of all — love — is your love so powerful that it’s literally more important than everything else in the known universe?! Experiencing true love and ‘taking the easy road’ seem more mutually exclusive the more you think about it! That’s what it all boils down to, the family dynamic, and their own world within an even bigger world. The questions that affect our family and those outside forces that shatter it should be far more important to us than it’s screwed up macroscopic counterpart.

    I should add that the literary devices used by the author were anything, but ordinary. A combination of first, second, or third person language was used throughout the book in order to better captivate the reader. It worked! By the end of the book, a “first person plural” was used to better facilitate the reader as if they were Eric and Andrew coming down to the moment that will change everything forever, but regardless of whether it would have any outside effect is not the concern, not in their ‘here and now.’ Their lives have been shaken upside down in some horrible and traumatic ways, however they just can’t escape “the question!”

    The world will always be screwed up. The world may be here tomorrow or it may not. We have zero control over those things, though it’s nice to pretend we do, the fact remains that only a handful of people control the fate of our entire world! At one point in the book, they made it a point to mention that nearly everything spewing out of cable news is “bad news!” I totally agree and have been saying for years that each news station puts its own spin on the “news” to make it an entertainment show, not a legitimate news show, hell, it’s been 40+ years since we’ve had any semblance of real news on the airwaves! The reality is that such “news” doesn’t really have much of an impact on our daily lives, however 99% of what does have a major effect is dictated by those closest to us! All we could, and should want, is for those closest to us to be safe, healthy, loved… That’s what should really matter instead of a chance possibility in some far off land as told by an overpaid TV broadcaster! We need to worry about our loved ones primarily as those are the people who life goes on with. The thing this story teaches us to remember is that horrible things may happen, but:

    “We will go on.”

    After pondering that, this book is undoubtedly a 5/5 star read that I would urge anybody on the fence to just pickup and read! One warning, once you start, it will be VERY difficult to put this book down. On many levels, it is, simply, that good!
    Customer image
    5.0 out of 5 stars
    Excellent Book On So Many Levels That One Could Easily Miss A Central Point!

    Reviewed in the United States on October 1, 2022
    In this review, I will attempt to humbly share a bit of my own thoughts and insights into The Cabin at the End of the World: A Novel by Paul Tremblay. I say this because many great writers, some who are world renowned such as Stephen King, gave absolutely astonishing reviews that do this literary work far more justice than I could ever provide. I have seen several reviews here on Amazon by other customers and sadly their reviews were not nearly as positive, but I believe I know why! One reader in particular said that they were “hooked on the first 80% or so of the book, but it was as if the author was unsure how to write the ending.” I’m paraphrasing, by the way, but I can assure you that is most definitely not the case! If you “don’t get” the last few pages, I would urge you to read them again, but this time reading them far more carefully to prevent missing the point. I will admit that I missed the point myself, initially thinking that this book concluded with a “weak ending” and would arrive at a solid four stars for it. I read the last few pages over again and also read the author’s notes at the back of the book. Those notes are vital to understanding the work as they opened up a whole world of hidden secrets that would otherwise be very hard to spot. I picked up on a few, but for every one I would pick up on, another two would go completely over my head. I appreciated this deep, thought provoking and intellectual writing style as it’s crisp and different from the usual canned ‘alphabet soup’ and literary tropes that find its way into every book of similar genre.

    So, what if you read the book in it’s entirety and find that there’s a tremendous question left unanswered?! If I told you that the answer to that question didn’t matter, would you believe me? The author’s notes said just that, without trying to provide a spoiler here, I will only say that whether the message of the “others” is true or false is not nearly as important as the underlying choice that’s required of our main characters, the broken Eric and the far more cynical Andrew. For anyone who’s read the book and would enjoy knowing why I left Wen (their young daughter) out is simply because there was never the question if they would “choose” her. That option was clearly never on the table. Other than in the introduction, the entire book revolves around their choice, and that choice revolves around the greatest sacrifice of all — love — is your love so powerful that it’s literally more important than everything else in the known universe?! Experiencing true love and ‘taking the easy road’ seem more mutually exclusive the more you think about it! That’s what it all boils down to, the family dynamic, and their own world within an even bigger world. The questions that affect our family and those outside forces that shatter it should be far more important to us than it’s screwed up macroscopic counterpart.

    I should add that the literary devices used by the author were anything, but ordinary. A combination of first, second, or third person language was used throughout the book in order to better captivate the reader. It worked! By the end of the book, a “first person plural” was used to better facilitate the reader as if they were Eric and Andrew coming down to the moment that will change everything forever, but regardless of whether it would have any outside effect is not the concern, not in their ‘here and now.’ Their lives have been shaken upside down in some horrible and traumatic ways, however they just can’t escape “the question!”

    The world will always be screwed up. The world may be here tomorrow or it may not. We have zero control over those things, though it’s nice to pretend we do, the fact remains that only a handful of people control the fate of our entire world! At one point in the book, they made it a point to mention that nearly everything spewing out of cable news is “bad news!” I totally agree and have been saying for years that each news station puts its own spin on the “news” to make it an entertainment show, not a legitimate news show, hell, it’s been 40+ years since we’ve had any semblance of real news on the airwaves! The reality is that such “news” doesn’t really have much of an impact on our daily lives, however 99% of what does have a major effect is dictated by those closest to us! All we could, and should want, is for those closest to us to be safe, healthy, loved… That’s what should really matter instead of a chance possibility in some far off land as told by an overpaid TV broadcaster! We need to worry about our loved ones primarily as those are the people who life goes on with. The thing this story teaches us to remember is that horrible things may happen, but:

    “We will go on.”

    After pondering that, this book is undoubtedly a 5/5 star read that I would urge anybody on the fence to just pickup and read! One warning, once you start, it will be VERY difficult to put this book down. On many levels, it is, simply, that good!
    Images in this review
    Customer image
    109 people found this helpful
    Report

Top reviews from other countries

  • C. Wallwork
    5.0 out of 5 stars It’s the End of the World as We Know it, but I Feel Fine.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 12, 2018
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    A claustrophobic, intimate story that explores the nightmare of isolation and intimidation with such detail you feel as much a part of the horror as those undergoing it. I’m still processing what happened to eight year old Wen, and her two dads, Andrew and Eric, but I can safely reassure you Tremblay has tendered a situation more scarier than monsters, demons or ghosts that occupy the head. Their world is real. Their nightmare can happen. And it probably will happen. To talk more about what exactly happens will spoil the story. It needs to be read with a blank slate. You need to pick up knowing very little, save for the understanding you will be delivered into a world where you’ll doubt motives, faith, humanity and truth. By far Tremblay’s best.
    One person found this helpful
    Report
  • Cone
    5.0 out of 5 stars Couldn't put it down
    Reviewed in Germany on February 2, 2019
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    I had a similar experience reading "A head full of ghosts". I couldn't put it down. I finished it in two days, reading while cooking, while riding the train, in lunch breaks and instead of watching TV. It wasn't different with "The cabin at the end of the world", my eyes were glued to the pages and I sometimes shouted during reading. (which surprisingly didn't freak out my family, because,well, they know me...)
    Tremblay is a terrific writer, not only because he has a talent for creating suspense, for making me simultaneously want to read further and not read further, out of fear what may happen. But mainly, because you feel with the characters, you feel their love, their despair, their pain and it affects you. Your are no longer a bystander, but right in the middle of this cabin.
    This is not a common Home Invasion Horror/Thriller, like "A head full of ghosts" it takes a fresh look at an often used theme and I'm so here for it! Paul Tremblay has become one of my favourite Horror writers and I can't wait for his next book!
  • Dickie
    5.0 out of 5 stars Unsettling, intense, and oh so good.
    Reviewed in Canada on July 6, 2018
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    So what do you do when you absent-mindedly pre-order both the hardcover and kindle version of the same book? Well, you let your better half discover a great author she hasn't read before, which is how both my girlfriend and I read Paul Tremblay's THE CABIN AT THE END OF THE WORLD together.

    She reads a bit faster than me, so she was constantly asking me where I was in the book, and telling me to hurry. She was eager for me to finish so she could discuss it with me, and boy did we did have a lot to chat about!

    As a lifelong fan of dark fiction, I'm supposed to be jaded to this stuff, but CABIN got under my skin and left me feeling quite unsettled.

    So, I got to read yet another novel from Paul Tremblay that I enjoyed immensely, and my girlfriend found a new author she enjoys. Consider this to be two five star reviews!
  • Verinha Coutinho
    3.0 out of 5 stars Ok
    Reviewed in Spain on April 9, 2019
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    Just read and i give it 3*. For the amazon.es service is 5*
  • Max Stark
    5.0 out of 5 stars Just read it
    Reviewed in Mexico on August 15, 2018
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    "Monsters are real, and ghosts are real too. They live inside us, and sometimes, they win" Stephen King
    Probably, for most lf the people around the globe, the safest place in earth is home, with the exception of course of the good old and protective sheet of our beds. I mean, who hasn't be afraid of a strange noise at night and cover completely from head to toes? Yeah, I know, it's stupid but we've all done at some point in our lives. Luckily those monsters from who we hide off where just a product of our imagination.
    But Tremblay's monsters in "The cabin at the end of the world" are not a product of the protagonist's imagination. And they break the peaceful life of a family on vacation on a cabin, yeah you guessed it, at the end of the world, with no cell service, no ground phone and no one near who can be of any help. Tremblay created the worst kind of monsters we can imagine in fiction, the human kind. They are some complex human beings with feelings and regrets and a mission to accomplish, and that's what will torment you through all the novel. You will be put to test to believe if these monsters which interrupt abruptly into this family lives are insane or not.
    And believe me when I say that THIS IS ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW about the story. Tremblay has a wonderful voice to guide you through all this paranoid and schizophrenic ride. He did a wonderful job giving life to all of the characters cause you will care what will be of them. Maybe you won't agree with my 5 star rating (I know it's not a perfect novel), and perhaps the only complain I have is the ending (it seemed a little too weak for my taste, and somehow predictable), but as I said a few lines before, the ride is worth the ticket and you won't regret taking Tremblay's hand all the way down to hell.