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76th out of 411 books
—
554 voters
Ravenous
by
Ray Garton (Goodreads Author)
When Emily Crane's car breaks down on a dark, lonely road at night, she is attacked and raped by a man she kills in self defense. That night, the dead rapist walks out of the morgue. Later, Emily begins to experience strange cravings and her body undergoes terrifying changes.
When brutal killings leave victims partially eaten in the northern California coastal town of Big
...moreMass Market Paperback, 342 pages
Published
April 10th 2008
by Leisure Books
(first published 2008)
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Rant coming...
There is a SPOILER WARNING.
Ravenous is bad. It gets zero stars, which is a first for me. I had high hopes for this book, which was on a Halloween list put out by my library consortium. “Live Girls,” by the same author, is supposed to be a minor classic. And I am a horror fan.
Full disclosure: I did not finish this book (less than 75 pages), but I did skim the remaining chapters and read the ending.
What exists of the story is a combination of gore, clichés and unremitting bleakness....more
There is a SPOILER WARNING.
Ravenous is bad. It gets zero stars, which is a first for me. I had high hopes for this book, which was on a Halloween list put out by my library consortium. “Live Girls,” by the same author, is supposed to be a minor classic. And I am a horror fan.
Full disclosure: I did not finish this book (less than 75 pages), but I did skim the remaining chapters and read the ending.
What exists of the story is a combination of gore, clichés and unremitting bleakness....more
Ray Garton is one of those authors that snuck his way onto my favorite authors list. Some authors I end up actively searching out their works: Tom Piccirilli, Brian Keene, Jack Ketchum. Garton is one that I've picked up because I always remember liking his stuff and it looks interesting. And fortunately I remember right and have never been displeased with one of his books. RAVENOUS is his chance to enter the werewolf mythos and provide his vision of it.
Farrell Hurley is sheriff of a small, sleep...more
Farrell Hurley is sheriff of a small, sleep...more
Big Rock is a Californian town with normal people leading ordinary lives . . . and an infestation of werewolves. The nightmare begins when Emily Crane is brutally raped on her way home one night. She manages to kill her attacker, yet while she recuperates at home the rapist she murdered steps down from the gurney and walks out of the hospital. The attacks start in earnest, the virus is spreading, and Sheriff Hurley must face the reality of ravenous werewolves if he has any hope of saving his tow...more
I was disappointed with this book as I had heard what a great horror writer Garton is. I would classify as Horror Light, as there was some disturbing scenes within the book, but I found that it lacked the suspense, and there seemed to be large part focused on rape.
The book is based in the small town of Big Rock, and there are strange happenings around the town. There is not only a serial rapist but there is also a strange creature that is not only raping some individuals but also mangling and de...more
The book is based in the small town of Big Rock, and there are strange happenings around the town. There is not only a serial rapist but there is also a strange creature that is not only raping some individuals but also mangling and de...more
Well about half way through this truly terrifying and brutal portrayal of werewolves, I realized that while I discovered a writer who isn't afraid of gore and horror, my dreams of a fulfilling novel were not going to be realized. I give it kudos though for not romanticizing werewolves in the least and for making them into beings that would scary any vampire shitless. The sex in the book (the way that the lycanthropy virus is transmitted) was not meant for arousal and is far away from paranormal...more
I burned through this book in three days, and I have to say it got off to a slow start, but even the slow parts were enthralling because Ray has has a deep insight into the psychology of real-world problems and scenarios. I felt for his characters, I empathized with them, and saw parts of myself in there. That's what made it so good, because there's a variety of good characters that are all fleshed out in detail, they're real. They grow on you, you care for them, and then he offs one and you're...more
Though Garton posits an interesting twist on lycanthropy (it's an STD here), his small Californian town of Big Rock comes across as Stephen King-lite. The characters are all fairly stock, and the main baddie, a werewolf named Irving Taggart (credit for a great name, in all seriousness) shares a fairly bizarre, somewhat lazy history with the werewolf hunter, Daniel Fargo (complete with an eyepatch that matches Taggart's).
All in all, it's not the best werewolf novel I've ever read, though the ide...more
All in all, it's not the best werewolf novel I've ever read, though the ide...more
For some who would come across Ravenous, they would read the story and think it was just a exceptionally written, yet classic werewolf tale with a new twist on the myth. But there is so much more going on in this book. In an amazing way, the twist of turning lycanthropy paves the way for metaphors of the human condition in today's society that would feel didactic in a regular werewolf tale.
They all come out in the excellent characterizations and character developments in the book as each of memb...more
They all come out in the excellent characterizations and character developments in the book as each of memb...more
It isn’t easy to find a good werewolf book in this post Whedon/Rice world, most of the books involving vampires and werewolves are laced with romantic bullshit these days. So when a book like Ravenous hits the shelf, it is truly a treat. Ray Garton’s Ravenous is relatively new book but the story will remind some horror enthusiasts of what was rather than what is. It brings back memories of classics like The Howling and American Werewolf in London. But it is a lot more graphic than those two movi...more
Now, THIS is a werewolf novel. Garton manages to create his own version of the werewolf legend and it makes for an exhilerating read. This book is impossible to put down once it gets going. I'm very impressed with Garton's characterizations, his plotting, his observations on familial and spousal abuse and much more. This is what horror fiction should be. Sure, its a guilty pleasure, but its done so well it surpasses its genre confines and becomes just pure, excellent storytelling. Highly recomme...more
Very bummed about the death of a particular character, but pretty good overall. I liked the suspense in the beginning when pieces are being brought together but a little less interested at the way the situation progresses (trying to be vague so I don't give anything away). Also a little heavy on coincidences helping to move the plot along, though I guess most "outbreak" type scenarios are pretty dependent on coincidence in real life, so I can forgive that.
A well-written and entertaining new approach to an old horror story grind. "Forget everything you think you know about werewolves....". The book is heavy on sex, (but it's central to the story), which may not be to everyone's liking. There's just enough grossness and gore to make it a horror story, the characters well selected, clearly defined, and highly believable, the narrative smooth and well crafted,(with lots of excellent, small visual details), and the setting is perfect for an old-fashio...more
Entertaining enough for what it is..."scary" summer fluff reading. Finished it in about 3 days, and will be looking for the follow-up on BookMooch.
While it never made me want to leave the lights on, at least the werewolves aren't uber-buff shirtless 20somethings who are arch-rivals with sparkly vampires. (to be fair, having grown up with a mother who was a horror fan---I saw The Howling when I was about 7 or 8---I have quite high "scare levels.")
While it never made me want to leave the lights on, at least the werewolves aren't uber-buff shirtless 20somethings who are arch-rivals with sparkly vampires. (to be fair, having grown up with a mother who was a horror fan---I saw The Howling when I was about 7 or 8---I have quite high "scare levels.")
What a page-turner! I devoured this book in a few meaty, satisfying gulps. Mr. Garton sure knows how to keep a reader in suspense.
There were memorable characters; dark, sexy, juicy descriptions; a sly ending!
See how incoherent I am? That's what reading Ravenous does to a horror-lover. It's the perfect novel to enjoy when you just want to escape from reality and let your imagination run wild.
There were memorable characters; dark, sexy, juicy descriptions; a sly ending!
See how incoherent I am? That's what reading Ravenous does to a horror-lover. It's the perfect novel to enjoy when you just want to escape from reality and let your imagination run wild.
Have you ever opened a book where the writing style rubs you up the wrong way after reading the first few sentences?
This is one of those. I then went to a random chapter in the middle and read that, just in case I was judging to soon. But no.
It has that easy semi-cool American street-slick tone and it's horribly immature.
I love the concept of lycanthropy and so will try most anything for the discovery of a hidden gem. This was not.
This is one of those. I then went to a random chapter in the middle and read that, just in case I was judging to soon. But no.
It has that easy semi-cool American street-slick tone and it's horribly immature.
I love the concept of lycanthropy and so will try most anything for the discovery of a hidden gem. This was not.
Definitely a different take on werewolves, I really liked this book. It was fairly fast paced, full of creepy imagery, and some parts of the story absolutely horrified me. Garton holds no prisoners when it comes to wrenching your heart out and disgusting you at the same time. I can't wait to read the sequel!
If you like werewolves and fast reads then this is the book for you. I like his modern take on lycanthropy and the characters are believable.
What I didn't like was the ending. It was rushed, but I see he has a sequel to the book which is probably why.
What I didn't like was the ending. It was rushed, but I see he has a sequel to the book which is probably why.
I love Ray Garton. He's so over the top in horror. This is one of his more restrained offerings featuring werewolf sex (lycanthropism is an STD!) and plenty of gory killings. It's mindless escapism in a good but very gory way.
I'm not much of a fan of Werewolf (or Vampire) stories, but I love a good horror, and this isn't really a run of the mill werewolf tale. Garton writes in the style of 70s horror movies; blood and gore, sex and violence. It makes for an entertaining read, and I'll certainly be checking Garton's other books out.
It sounded kind of interesting and has an interesting cover so I figured I'd give it a shot. However, I only got through the first few chapters, got bored, and moved on to another book.
This book had been sitting on my bookshelf for a few yrs. This ranks high on my list of 'most scariest' books. This was my first Garton book but likely not my last.
Feb 21, 2013
Pete Krolczyk
added it
The (in my opinion) resurrection of the werewolf genre in new horror fiction. Give it a shot. The book moves fast and you read it in one sitting. Good stuff.
Werewolf story, a little different twist, if you are into horror it fits the bill. I keep wishing for a really creepy one and I'm still looking.
This was a good old fashioned horror story about werewolves and I enjoyed it! Ray is always sure to please if you are looking for a good 'old horror story!
This book would make a good b grade werewolf movie. It is easy to read, but it is quite disgusting at times. Interesting to read a book where werewolves are actually bad.
I do enjoy horror stories and this book was no exception! It moved at a good clip without sacrificing character development which resulted in an enjoyable read for me.
Surprisingly good werewolf book. Not a literary gem, but well written. Feels like a tie-in to a good John Carpenter movie.
Very interesting story line. Author needs to not let his prejudice against overweight people be so blatant. Too bad as otherwise I enjoyed the book. There are several unexpected twists.
Second best werewolf novel I've read. Right behind "Kiss of Death" if only for nostalgic purposes.
A blood flowing meat and potatoes werewolf tale with a twist. The werewolf virus isn't spread with a bite. It's a good old-fashioned STD. Well, why not? The exchange of bodily fluids is an effective means of spreading disease.
Lock your doors, don't go out after dark and wear a condom.
Lock your doors, don't go out after dark and wear a condom.
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Ray Garton is the author of several books, including horror novels such as LIVE GIRLS (which has a movie in the works), CRUCIFAX, E4 AUTUMN, and THE FOLKS; thrillers like TRADE SECRETS and SHACKLED; and numerous short stories and novellas. He's also written a number of movie and television tie-ins for young readers. He lives with his wife, Dawn, in California.
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