'Silverwood: The Door' – Brian Keene, Richard Chizmar, Stephen Kozeniewski, Michelle Garza, Melissa Lason (Serial Box)

So there I was, all finished with 'Clickers Forever' and looking for Twitter recommendations for my next read. I was pointed in the direction of 'Silverwood: The Door', a book that I'd had half an eye on anyway, so once I'd been paid I thought I'd give it a shot. Sometimes, picking the next read is really that simple (I wish everything else was...)

Bit of a side note before I start. I'm not sure how it all works but it looks to me like if you buy from Amazon then it's just an eBook but if you buy directly from the Serial Box site then you get the audiobook as well and the two formats sync so you can switch between the two. So there you go. Either way though, you're in for a good read.

In the forest of Silverwood you won't just lose your way, you'll lose your mind.
Deep within the forest of Silverwood, California, a crack between dimensions has appeared. A dark force that lurks among the trees is growing stronger, determined to return home if it can only gather the strength to open the door—bad news for a Cub Scout troop and the employees of Hirsch Capital on a company retreat nearby. As their darkest fears and impulses power the mysterious force, their bonding exercises take a deadly turn. Will anyone be able to keep their minds long enough to close the door before our world is torn apart?

If you go down to the woods today... Well, you're looking at a mixture of 'Stranger Things' meets 'Battle Royale' meets 'The Blob' meets a whole load of other horror films as well as a giant Teddy bear (because why not, I loved the teddy bear though, possibly the only true innocent in the whole thing and it takes part in a picnic of sorts). Silverwood is vast and there's room for whatever is lurking underneath the forest, and what lives in the old cabin, to really mess with anyone who happens to be camping or on a company retreat. And they do, repeatedly. A heady mix of violence, fear, suspense and real cliffhangers made 'Silverwood :The Door' a book that I started reading on Monday and finished yesterday (with breaks in between for things like eating and, erm... going to work). This is a book that pretty much demands you finish it in one sitting. Whether you're rooting for particular characters or not (I rooted for a few but was definitely glad when others died), there is plenty here to keep you reading.

I mentioned 'real cliffhangers'... I read that the book was written along the lines of each author finishing their designated chapter(s) and then passing the story along to whoever's chapter came next. While I'm sure that there was a framework to the story (and hence, an ending that people were working towards), this approach really worked for me as it felt like you never knew 100% where the story would go next. The only thing that you can really be sure of is that things will escalate, every author here is on board with the notion of throwing everything they have at the plot and seeing what sticks. Luckily for us, it all sticks and what we get as a result is a full on bloodbath interspersed with a mystery to solve and characters that you will either root for or happily love to hate (Carl for me, always Carl). I've had the pleasure of reading Brian Keene and Stephen Kozeniewski before, and am happy to report that they deliver in terms of their usual quality, but it was my first time reading anything by Richard Chizmar or Michelle Garza and Melissa Lason (known to horror reading types as the Sisters of Slaughter). I'm pleased to report that these three held up their end of the deal as well; moving the story forwards, leaving things on a cliffhanger (a springboard for the next writer to jump from) and pouring gallons of blood over everything in between. Special mention has to go to the Sisters of Slaughter who introduced Carl to the mix, I hated Carl but he was so memorable and really picked the wrong time to be doing what he was doing in the woods.

So, an absolute bucket load of slaughter (really, not even the cub scouts were safe) set against a mystery, and setting, that is explained but still has enough in it for a 'Season 2', if Serial Box do one. Can you ask for more than that? I don't think so and if you pick up 'Silverwood: The Door' then I think you'll agree with me. It's certainly made me want to try and find the original 'Silverwood' (that this was based on), we'll see how that goes.

Anyway, definitely read it if you get a chance.