Started off well

Would you try another book written by Adam Nevill or narrated by David Thorpe?

The narration was good, the accents were smooth enough that they didn't distract from the story so would certainly listen to David again. As for Adam Nevill, I would have to give it a few years for him to mature I think.

Which scene did you most enjoy?

Initially when they first come across the house I felt the scene was genuinely atmospheric and creepy.

If this book were a film would you go see it?

No

Any additional comments?

The book starts off well, the characters are reasonably well defined and the scene descriptions are good. However, the story completely changes half way through and you are left with a cross between monsters and sociopaths and frankly after all the trouble the sociopaths cause I was devasted when their fates were quick! It was almost like Neville started the book and then thought that he couldnt do a monster story justice and would take a page out of Lionel Striver's "We need to talk about Kevin". Was quite disappointed with this really.

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3 people found this helpful

Great first half. Got tiring durin the second.

I loved the first half. I got through it pretty quickly. But the second half seemed to drag on for me, which spoiled it overall.

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3 people found this helpful

Brilliant audiobook!

Right... this was such a hard book to rate for me. a book has to be truly exceptional to earn a 5 stars for me. I don't give them out often. so close this book was to a 4, but one factor swung it for me.

How quickly I went through it.

5 days, for a book of this size is quite a feet for me, the narration was probably what ultimately swung it to a 5 for me. the first half of the book is incredible. Tense, suspenseful and thrilling as the four friends go up against nature and the monster hunting them down. The second half changes tone quite a bit, not in a bad way but no where near as tense. it's a different kind of tension, more akin to Stephen King's Misery (those who have read this will understand the reference). The end returns to the thrills of the first half and ends really strongly. So, this stood between 4-5 stars for me. The second half, not being as strong as the first almost dragged it to a 4, but consider the brilliant narration and the speed in which I found myself wanting to read on and find out what happened next made the decision to give it a 5 a fair one. You'll not be dissaoointed.

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1 person found this helpful

Amazing!

Gripping story, amazing narration and just a fantastic and chilling experience, I couldn’t stop listening but am now terrified to go into the woods haha.

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Horrifically Brilliant

Where does The Ritual rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This really is one of the best I have ever listended too. It had me 100% gripped from start to finish,,,well done!

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Ritual?

You don't want to know! No spoilers but rest assured....you won't rest well ever again.

Have you listened to any of David Thorpe’s other performances? How does this one compare?

No

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Fear....real fear.

Any additional comments?

If you want a creative, realistic and utterly brutal horror then go for it. There is no cheese, no humour and no let up. It's fantastic....

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Fantastic Detail, Depth of Characters and kept me excited

So much better than the film!!! Loved the depth of character for luke and how human everyone really felt.
Creepy level of detail though, really felt like I could see what Adam was talking about at certain points. Great narrator 5*

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Incredible narration, definitely creeped me out

I'll start with saying that I've never seen the Netflix show, so I went into this book "fresh". I have been looking for horror books that would actually make me feel something, and this did it! It didn't leave me sleepless, but it definitely creeped me out. I listened to the audiobook read by David Thorpe, who is one of the best readers I've heard to and definitely helped me get the sense of dread of the story.

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gripping paranormal thriller

a good read but rather samey after a while. plot tends to drag on for longer than necessary and a rather dubious ending.

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3 people found this helpful

Brilliant Narrator

Good horror book with a fantastic narrator. Had a knack for accents and made it easy to discern the different characters throughout and really brought them to life. Yhoroughly enjoyed it!

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2 people found this helpful

Awful narration!

Narrator did not suit the tone of the book. A darker grittier voice would have been perfect.
This narrator could easy be a guy in a pub chatting to his mates. That kind of chatty vibe and pitch. Just did not suit at all. Spoiled the audiobook for me. The story was very good though!

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