Yep, a horror story. Quite
disturbing, but not really terrifying. Apparently I got a strong stomach. Maybe
it’s because I’m the generation that grew up with sex, drugs and violence on
television, while nowadays you have to show parental consent to even see a
chaste kiss on tv or in the movie theatre.
There is something
like overreaction. Last week I even heard that squeaky toys are apparently
harmful to a toddler’s hearing. While some years later they will probably fuck
it up themselves using head phones cranked way too high.
But Trapped didn’t pack a punch. It was
rather predictable and the stage felt too set up. Image yourself as your
business fails, which happens to be a center to rehabilitate criminal
youngsters, to take a camping trip with your wife, an infant of three years old
and six of your protégés. Not very likely to happen in real life.
But that’s the
premise, a camping trip to a remote island which is only accessible by boat.
And then things start to go wrong. Martin, the husband, tells a story about an
island of cannibals and then disappears. While being searched for, one by one
the children become hunted.
The island got a
little of everything, it got real cannibals, it got a mad doctor, a test
subject which is unpredictable, even a couple of insiders on the main land that
reveal their cards when counted on most. Yes, even a standard cameo of the
apparently very dubious American military.
Too much to make this
story stick. I read on, mostly because it was just before I went to bed and I
usually don’t like to browse for a new book when my eyes are already half
closed.
The e-book I read
contained the original content, which had to be edited before it got published.
I didn’t care to read it, because it just promised more gore and more sex and
all I wanted was a little credibility.
I’m guessing the
author wasn’t going for that and I’m sure this is a kind of novel that attracts
attention, because it isn’t main stream. But should that be reason enough?
Writing is still an art form, whether it is mainstream, or tackling the
unusual. This was in my humble opinion more food for another hack and slash
horror movie, than a novel.