Title: Last Days
Author: Adam Nevill
Genre: Horror, Thriller
Age Group: Adult (18+)
Rating: 5 stars
Last Days by Adam Nevill is a Blair Witch style novel in which a documentary film-maker undertakes the investigation of a dangerous cult—with creepy consequencesWhen guerrilla documentary maker, Kyle Freeman, is asked to shoot a film on the notorious cult known as the Temple of the Last Days, it appears his prayers have been answered. The cult became a worldwide phenomenon in 1975 when there was a massacre including the death of its infamous leader, Sister Katherine. Kyle’s brief is to explore the paranormal myths surrounding an organization that became a testament to paranoia, murderous rage, and occult rituals. The shoot’s locations take him to the cult’s first temple in London, an abandoned farm in France, and a derelict copper mine in the Arizonan desert where The Temple of the Last Days met its bloody end. But when he interviews those involved in the case, those who haven’t broken silence in decades, a series of uncanny events plague the shoots. Troubling out-of-body experiences, nocturnal visitations, the sudden demise of their interviewees and the discovery of ghastly artifacts in their room make Kyle question what exactly it is the cult managed to awaken – and what is its interest in him?
Last Days is, hands down, one of the scariest books I’ve ever read. Considering I read about 50 horror novels a year, that’s definitely saying something. This book has it all, from scary ghosts to shadowy forms burnt into walls to ancient evil ressurrected by a frightening cult.
Kyle is a documentary film maker who has some cash issues. When he’s asked to make a documentary about a cult called “The Temple of the Last Days” that became famous in 1975 after a massacre leaded to the deaths of several members and their leader, Sister Katherine, he takes up the offer right away. Pay is great and the material sounds interesting, although the paranormal angle doesn’t entirely convince him.
He travels to one of the cult’s houses in London where he meets with a former member. But when Kyle and his friend Dan go back for some more shots at night in the house, they feel the presence of someone else, someone who shouldn’t be there. They struggle to get out of the house, chased by an entity they’re not sure is entirely human. However, in the light of day, they dismiss the occurence and go back to gather their materials, convinced it was just a homeless guy or something. But their next journey takes them to the cult’s farmhouse in France, an abandoned lot in the middle of nowhere, and what they find there makes them chance their opinion right away. Something paranormal is going on with the cult. On that faithful night in 1975, they summoned something dark and vile, something that’s been threatening all cult members ever since…
Kyle was an interesting main character, but he wasn’t the main drive. This book was primarily plot-driven, and characters weren’t that important. However, I liked Kyle. He was intelligent enough to recognize evil when it stood in front of him, yet he wasn’t paranoid enough to immediately jump to conclusions either. I thought he was rather brave, especially in the scenes in the farmhouse, which were my favorites. However, he too becomes more and more paranoid as the story progresses and went through a great deal of character development, realizing there are worse things than having to scramble for cash.
The ending was a bit of a let-down however. It was so random and over the top, I would’ve preferred a smaller, less overwhelming ending. However, even with that taken into account, I thoroughly enjoyed this read. It was downright scary and even made me glance behind my back every once in a while. An excellent read for horror fans.
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