The Troop

On a remote island off the coast of Prince Edward Island, a scoutmaster takes five teenage boys for a weekend camping trip, only for their isolation to turn deadly when a starving, skeletal stranger stumbles into their camp, ravenous and dying, carrying a bioengineered contagion, a genetically modified parasite with an insatiable hunger, that spreads among the boys and turns their remote adventure into a nightmare of infection, paranoia, and survival. Cutter writes fast, visceral horror in the tradition of survival dread, cutting between the escalating catastrophe on the island and interspersed documents, interviews, and reports that reveal the origins of the outbreak and its aftermath, ratcheting tension as the boys turn on one another and the parasite works its horrors. The body horror is graphic and unflinching, and the group dynamics, including a genuinely disturbing young sociopath among them, sharpen the dread. This suits readers who want brutal, fast-paced creature and contagion horror with strong atmosphere and real stakes, and who can stomach graphic content. It fits less well anyone wanting subtlety or gentleness, since the book is relentlessly gory and grim. The detail that a hungry man carrying engineered parasitic worms unleashes a devouring contagion on a group of isolated boys gives the book its stomach-churning premise. Fast, visceral, and genuinely frightening, it rewards fans of extreme horror. Content note: it contains graphic body horror, animal cruelty, and violence, so sensitive readers should be cautious, but its relentless dread is exactly what horror fans seek.

Best for readers who want something unflinching: morally complex, heavy, and honest about the worst of things. The writing rewards attention without being demanding, a good balance of depth and readability. It moves quickly: once you're in, it's hard to stop. Not the right choice if you're after something comforting or redemptive.