Book Review: The Queen by Nick Cutter

I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.

The Queen by Nick Cutter

Mogsy’s Rating: 3 of 5 stars 

Genre: Horror

Series: Stand Alone

Publisher: Gallery Books (October 29, 2024)

Length: 384 pages

Author Information: Website

It’s been ten years since I read my first Nick Cutter book, The Troop—which I still think is one of his best. With that, I was introduced to his visceral brand of horror, and I knew when I picked up his latest novel The Queen that it would not shy from the psychological twists and grotesque imagery that has made him popular with body horror fans. The good news is, the book did not disappoint in these areas. However, it also didn’t quite hit the mark in the ways I’ve come to expect from the author.

In The Queen, we follow Margaret, a teen who one day finds an iPhone left for her on the porch. On it, she finds a text message from Charity, her friend who has been missing for more than a month. But even though the two girls were close, what Margaret soon learns about Charity is beyond anything she could imagine. Sent down a path of no return, Margaret discovers her friend has been the subject of a secret, long-standing experiment under Project Athena, a controversial gene manipulation initiative headed by tech mogul Rudyard Crate. Charity, designated Subject Six, has been closely monitored by the organization, just waiting for the inevitable day her genetically modifications would be activated.

And activate they did, following a traumatic event, as Margaret learns. Charity wants someone to know the real story, leaving Margaret a trail of clues to follow that would reveal everything that has happened to her. Along for the ride is Margaret’s friend Harry, as the two of them are drawn deeper into the mystery surrounding Project Athen, which will eventually lead to the dark truth behind Charity’s disappearance.

First, the good: The Queen delivers a solid mix of unsettling sci-fi elements and the author’s signature brand of visceral horror. Reminiscent of The Fly, the novel explores the idea of pushing human limits with insectile themes. It’s a combination I’ve always found disturbing and, of course, leave it to Cutter to tap into our primal fears by doing it with lots of gross imagery related to bugs and parasites. Like The Troop, there’s also something extra shocking and creepy about it when children are involved, the way this story subjects its teenage characters to the most horrific scenarios on top of experiencing traumatic coming-of-age drama.

Now, the not so good: My main issue with The Queen was how confusing and disjointed the story felt. I think the plot tried to do too much, trying to tell a sci-fi, horror, and psychological suspense story all at once, but doesn’t quite manage to balance all the parts. This left little time to dive deeply into the characters, and as a result, I was constantly questioning the plausibility of Margaret and Charity’s so-called friendship since both girls were underdeveloped. While attempting to keep the mystery under wraps for as long as possible, the narrative also felt frustratingly vague and slow at offering up satisfactory answers.

These issues almost made me give up on the book early on, especially because Margaret’s voice grated on me. After all, without a strong connection to the protagonist or her motivations, all the horror and gore is just superficial shock value.  And yet, despite the obstacles, I pressed on because I was still curious enough to see where the story was headed. So even though it took me a long time to feel invested, to the novel’s credit, my interest was piqued.

All told, while this was not one of Nick Cutter’s strongest works, it does feature some fascinating ideas and insect-based horror that’s undeniably brutal and disturbing. Character development could have been better, but if you’re a fan of the author and have an interest in his style of writing of the type of themes he uses in this book, The Queen is a suitably hair-raising read this spooky season.