25 Days by Per Jacobsen
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
25 Days is a Winter Horror Thriller set in the month of December. The author has cleverly structured it so that it can be read like an advent calendar, as each chapter is one day leading up to Christmas.
Hence the name, 25 Days.
The story follows Adam Gray and his family. Adam and his wife have been at odds recently, and in an effort to draw everyone closer together, he rents a holiday home for them for the days leading up to Christmas.
The vacation rental is a remote cabin tucked away on a snowy mountain. Far from the outside world, the family should have zero distractions, allowing more time for good ole’ fashioned family fun.
Things quickly take a dark turn though, when someone begins leaving grotesque gifts in a Christmas stocking tacked to the barn door. Each more brings something new, and the gifts progressively escalate in threat level.
It’s clear someone is stalking their cabin, toying with them like a cat with a mouse. How will Adam be able to protect his family? He needs to get them off this mountain, but the odds are definitely stacked against them.
I don’t have a ton to say about this one. This wasn’t bad by any means, it just felt very standard to me. Glancing at other reviews, it definitely seems that other Readers enjoyed this one a lot more than me.
It does have a particular intensity to it that I can see why it would pull people in, but for me, it just never truly captured me. I was reading it and it was fine, but nothing drew me in, or made me feel invested for this family.
It was mildly entertaining in the moment, but overall I’d say fairly forgettable. It’s giving standard Winter Thriller, vacation gone bad, vibes, but maybe amping it up a bit.
I do think it could be fun to read while on your own Winter vacation. It might keep you up at night, particularly if you’re in a remote location.
In only took me a day to read, quick and easy, so that was a plus, but I probably won’t think about it again now that the review is done. If you’re looking for a Wintery Horror Thriller though, give it shot. So many Readers are having fun with it, and you may too.
Thank you to the publisher, Atria, for providing me a copy to read and review. While I appreciate the thought the author put into the structure of the story, it just wasn’t for me.
On to the next!