Mastodon by Steve Stred
BOOK REVIEW: MASTODON BY STEVE STRED
Lions and tigers and...WTF!!
Stred takes fans deep into the woods with this thrilling and twisted horror that will leave readers delightfully queasy! Tyler Barton's mother vanished in the forest seventeen years ago. Fast forward to the present and his father disappears in the exact same spot. Determined to not lose another parent, Tyler sets out on a rescue mission only to quickly discover that nothing is as it seems.
This book is W-I-L-D! Stred quickly captures the reader's attention and doesn't let go as this adventure unravels an unsettling secret lurking deep in the Canadian wilderness. Tyler is a likable and sympathetic character with the exact skills needed to rescue his dad. Too bad things don't go as planned and he finds himself being hunted by...well, that's for the reader to discover! But if anyone picks up this book certain they know what's lurking in the shadows, they will be pleasantly surprised (and perhaps a tad grossed out) by the twists!
The tension drips off the page, and while perhaps a little more time could have been spent on the father's POV in order to add another delicious layer of horror to the plot, there's plenty of disturbing fright to keep scare-enthusiasts glued to the page. Readers who enjoy Hunter Shea or Kealan Patrick Burke will easily feel at home diving into Stred's fast-paced creature-feature.
FOUR STARS