Book Review of The Clearing, by Thomas Rydder

I've finally finished The Clearing this month, and I must say it was a good little read. I wouldn't put it at the top of thriller writing, but it Thomas Rydder has great potential moving forward in his career.

I also want to mention how great it was to cook for this book, and that's because it opened my tastebuds to some truly good American food. (A rarity since most is based off other countries.)

I also enjoyed the change of pace that this book delivered for me - it's way off what I normally read.

The Clearing
by Thomas Rydder
(Thriller)

         This was a nice reprieve from the previous book I read, and it was also a quick one. Thomas Rydder’s The Clearing is a story that is centralized on a small Pennsylvanian town’s problem in which werewolves are the culprits. Rydder focuses the majority of the book on Sheriff Frank Cutlip’s expeditions trying to repress the werewolf killings. 

         The four most prominent characters in this book are Frank Cutlip, Adam Cutlip, Beth and the werewolves. I found that some of the characters fell a bit short of fully developing, however there was still enough development to make them worthwhile. Frank Cutlip I found endearing because he reminded me of a true old-fashioned gentleman. (A rarity nowadays if I can be so blunt.) It really showed through too because of his interactions with other individuals throughout the book, which Rydder truly showed how much he was true to character. I was a tad disappointed in how Beth was sort of tossed aside from any further development, and instead reverted from strong to dependent upon Frank. In some circumstances I can understand the reasoning, but not when Rydder spent the beginning part of the book on her independence. I suppose though that the feature of the werewolves had much to do with her growing dependency. 

         In focusing on the werewolves the way Rydder did, he gave them depth without taking too much space. In a way I’m glad they were more of an object than characters when mentioned, and yet their obvious desires were clearly portrayed without being overly done. I especially love the way Rydder tied Adam Cutlip into the revolutions from himself to that of victim, and from there his character established itself well. 

         There are however some flaws in the ways that Rydder wrote The Clearing, he had moments that shone through in some passages - however in others he fell short. I find that he started this book with the intention of following Beth and then became more interested in Frank Cutlip, therefore following him without properly trying to create more of a link. Granted he did try, but I would’ve appreciated a further effort on his part to show more development between the two characters first. 

         In the end The Clearing was written well, it could’ve done with a few changes before it hit the shelves however it was a great read for the season. To be honest it reminded me of a crossbreed between Michael Crichton’s Jurassic Park and Stephen King’s Cujo. (Never quite a bad thing.) This is a book that I’m glad I read, and I’ll be likely to read it again on a blustery fall day. 

My rating: 3.5 out of 5 Stars.

I hope you all give this book a chance! It's worth the time to read, and it truly is a fun one as well.