If the only problem with this book was the excruciatingly drawn-out storytelling style, I'd be enticed to give this book 2 stars. But the stupid premise of the story and the relentless description of disgusting deaths, told in the style of pre-teens trying to out-gross each other at horror stories around a camp fire really pushed this book into the trash heap. It was dumb and pointless. Find something else better with which to waste your time.

This book seriously pissed me the hell off. I loved A Simple Plan and I love Stephen King too, so having seen his review I was looking forward to the book even more. Too bad it turned out to be crap. The way it ends basically means that the story has no redemptive value whatsoever. It's a geek show. I love horror but this was just too much for me. If Scott Smith actually gets off his butt and writes another novel sometime in the next decade, I'll still try it out, but I'll be reading the reviews very very carefully before I do.

I gave this book a single star only because there is no zero. Six people find themselves trapped in the jungle by intelligent killer vines and armed Mayan villagers. I kept slogging along hoping that there would be more to this story, no such luck. Vapid characters, most of whom seem so shallow that I couldn't even muster sympathy for their plight. Tedious, predictable and way too long. After the first 100 pages I started rooting, no pun intended, for killer vines to save me from the other 200+ pages.

by Mr. King. What a stupid, horrible piece of fiction. I am two thirds through and have no desire to finish. This, after having spent the better part of the last 75 pages just skimming paragraphs. Killer vines imitating chirping cells phones with characters dumb enough to take the bait? Characters stupid enough to get drunk on tequila when they are without water or food in a hot climate? With the sun relentlessly beating down on them? And the constant sweating? Jeez, I kind of wished the characters just died from dehydration. Actually, it would probably have made for a better storyline.Ugh, please take my advice and do not get duped by King's review. Do not spend your hard-earned money on this paper waste.

This is not the worst book I have ever read but it's right toward the top of the list: slow-moving, predictable, full of unappealing characters with muddy motivations and ho-hum suspense - it's a terrific relief when the flora eats the fauna.

Don't let the premise fool you. I thought this sounded like an awesome story - people getting lost in the jungle, trying to survive off the land. First off, I am okay with the "supernatural," but this is simply absurd. This is 15+ hours listening to (or reading) a story about people who have no chance. As bored as I was, I couldn't help but anxiously anticipate finding out how the story would end. I was disappointed.Let me put it to you this way. The story got dumber dumber as it went on. Just when I thought I had heard the stupidest thing, the author thought of something else to trump it. Really, this is really that bad. The only reason I gave it two stars instead of one is because nothing is as bad as a John Saul novel (see my other reviews). This story is very farfetched, dragged out, not far from boring and more than anything, very, very depressing.