The film adaptation of this book was 100% what spurred me to finally get around to reading it now. At this point, having been on my TBR a little over 2 years I wasn’t exactly “on the look out” for it. If there is a book, I want to read it before watching any movie or show & I really wanted to watch the movie haha. This review will include my thoughts on both books & the movie. Of course there were differences, which is exactly why I like to read books before watching their film adaptations. Let’s review.
The Watchers by A.M. Shine
- Category – Paranormal Horror Mystery
- Length – 310 Pages
- Read Time – 1 Day
- GR Rating – 4 Stars
This story was a slow burn horror mystery. It felt like a mashup of a few ‘urban legends’. It was a little reminiscent of the legends of Aokigahara, Japan. There was a little changelings myth and a little Labyrinth, all tied together with fae lore. Set in a dense Irish forest, our protagonist 28 year old Mina, finds herself stuck. She is seemingly in the “middle of nowhere,” far removed from civilization. She becomes trapped when her car suddenly stops working during a bird delivery gig. Unbeknownst to Mina, her car stopped working because she entered within THE FORESTs’ limits. Outside technology doesn’t work inside THE FOREST. Once inside Mina quickly discovers she’s in danger, coming upon a fortress with a huge glass wall offering sanctuary from the creatures screaming in the night. Although unable to see what’s on the other side of the glass, Mina can hear & feel the ominous presence of the monsters outside. “The Watchers” as her companions in the glass & concrete fortress call them.
Every night the light comes on in the “coop”. The glass wall becoming a one way mirror from from outside. Hiding the creatures stalking THE FOREST while the occupants inside are on display. Madeline holds the keys to the coop. Locking the door every night as soon as the light comes on, ensuring the Watchers can’t get in. Making sure Ciara, Daniel & now Mina follow the rules. Having been there for years, Madeline is the coops longest standing resident & self-proclaimed leader of the group. Relaying the rules, keeping the unfortunate souls who stumble into THE FOREST safe & keeping secrets of her own. The coops other current occupants are Daniel, a quiet young man who ended up there as he was running away from home. Ciara a young widow who ended up there with her husband, losing him to the Watchers.
After rules are broken, the Watchers intensify their terrorization of the group. Forced to try to find a new way out, their search leads to the discovery of a bunker under the coop. Discovering the hatch entrance in the floor just in time. This allows them to survive another night, finding a much-needed stash of food & clarity. Inside the bunker the group watches a video recording left by “the professor” as a last ditch attempt to rectify what he realized too late was a mistake. Learning where they are, what the Watchers are, how the coop came to be & a way out. The professor is the coops architect, having spent years researching the lore of the Watchers he purposely sought them out. Professor Kilmartin goes to THE FOREST & has the coop built hoping to further study them. Having underestimated the Watchers ability to learn & adapt he ended up being the one studied.
SPOILER ALERT
Mina is out of THE FOREST, she’s escaped but that doesn’t mean she’s safe. Outside Mina learns the Watchers aren’t confined to THE FOREST as they’d believed. This is where I have issue with the movie adaptation. I understand that timelines get moved around & details are often altered in film adaptations. However, that was such a huge difference to the book that it just didn’t make sense to me. Since reading book 1 & watching the movie, I’ve also read book 2 & am even more baffled by the altered movie ending. The direction the books went in was so good & so different.
Stay in the Light by A.M. Shine
- Length – 320 Pages
- Read Time – 1 Day
- GR Rating – 4 Stars
Book 2 picks up months after Mina escaped THE FOREST. She’s still constantly looking over her shoulder, afraid that at any moment they’ll come for her. After finding out that there are Watchers living in the outside world, she knows humanity isn’t safe. They have successfully mimicked humans enough to blend into the crowd. She becomes obsessed with researching & learning everything she can about them, hoping to find a way to save humanity from them. When an old acquaintance reappears in Mina’s life with distressing news she knows she has to do everything in her power to try to stop what’s happening. Back in THE FOREST someone has picked up where the professor left off.
The way this book expands on the Watchers lore & continues the story of book 1 solidified my dislike of the reimagined ending of the movie.
Sean, the professor’s son, is determined to continue & prove his father’s life-long work. He is in THE FOREST with his own research team, trying to open the sealed Watchers tomb. But that is a huge mistake. We’re given more information about the Watchers from Sean & his team. Learning the rest of the lore as the team labors its mission. Ignoring all of the warnings etched into the structure & opening the tomb the research team makes its way underground only to be met with horror & death. Once Pandora’s box has been opened, well it’s kind of hard to close again. The queen of the Watchers has been let out of her imprisonment & she’s not friendly. Able to telepathically connect with all of the Watchers, inside & outside of THE FOREST, she calls to them ready to regain her throne.
Minas days continue to be filled with worry & dread. She is determined to save humanity but how when those who knew are gone & the story she has to tell is a hard one to believe. Even Minas own sister doubts the things she tells her. She believes Mina is having some kind of mental breakdown brought on by stress & the over consumption of alcohol. After escaping THE FOREST & realizing she was still being watched Mina of course ran. Finding a small secluded cabin to stay in, limiting her contact with the outside but it wasn’t enough. Mina couldn’t feel safe knowing there were Watchers outside. Remembering all the things she’d seen, mourning people she couldn’t even talk about with anyone. THE FOREST continued to haunt her everyday. Spotting eerie strangers that she knew to be anything but normal only for them to disappear a moment later. She knew how to spot the differences in their features. Eyes that lacked light, the human spark. Mouths that couldn’t express emotion. While Mina is constantly fearful & looking over her shoulder there are very few times she’s actually being watched, which adds to the eerieness of the whole thing. The Watchers aren’t tripping over each other to get to her. They seemingly aren’t even keeping daily surveillance on her. Yet, they know exactly where she is.
Just like book 1, book 2 ends in a way that could be the end or could be a lead up to a 3rd book maybe? Personally, I’d love a 3rd book because I really want to know ultimately what are the Watchers intentions with humanity! Particularly, are we screwed?! Haha
Thank you for joining me for another review, as always happy reading!
Hasta la próxima – V
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