Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
174th out of 2,448 books
—
5,806 voters
Rampant (Killer Unicorns #1)
by
Diana Peterfreund (Goodreads Author)
Forget everything you ever knew about unicorns...
Real unicorns are venomous, man-eating monsters with huge fangs and razor-sharp horns. Fortunately, they've been extinct for a hundred and fifty years.
Or not.
Astrid had always scoffed at her eccentric mother's stories about killer unicorns. But when one of the monsters attacks her boyfriend—thereby ruining any chance of him...more
Real unicorns are venomous, man-eating monsters with huge fangs and razor-sharp horns. Fortunately, they've been extinct for a hundred and fifty years.
Or not.
Astrid had always scoffed at her eccentric mother's stories about killer unicorns. But when one of the monsters attacks her boyfriend—thereby ruining any chance of him...more
Hardcover, 402 pages
Published
August 25th 2009
by Harper Teen
(first published July 1st 2009)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
3,000)
May 10, 2011
Joel
marked it as to-not-read-ever
Recommends it for:
generic teen girls
Recommended to Joel by:
certainly not the art department
Shelves:
ya,
vote-getters
This book is about giant killer unicorns. GIANT KILLER UNICORNS!
So why does it have a generic picture of a teen girl on the cover? Is it really and truly the case that today's generic teen girl will only read a book with a generic teen girl on the front, because that is how she identifies that it is indeed a book for generic teen girls to read?
Because if I was a generic teen girl and I wanted to read a book about GIANT KILLER UNICORNS, I wouldn't look for the one with me on the cover. I would lo...more
So why does it have a generic picture of a teen girl on the cover? Is it really and truly the case that today's generic teen girl will only read a book with a generic teen girl on the front, because that is how she identifies that it is indeed a book for generic teen girls to read?
Because if I was a generic teen girl and I wanted to read a book about GIANT KILLER UNICORNS, I wouldn't look for the one with me on the cover. I would lo...more
This book had such great plot potential!
A group of teen virgin huntresses in a secret Italian society hunting poison-horned, razor-toothed, merciless unicorns. What could be cooler than this!? Unfortunately, the book did not live up to its potential. As in, it wasn't a good book AT ALL. Unicorn hunting came second to lame romance. There seems to be more paragraphs talking about the huntresses’ nonexistent sex lives than their actual training for killing unicorns. The main characters of the book...more
A group of teen virgin huntresses in a secret Italian society hunting poison-horned, razor-toothed, merciless unicorns. What could be cooler than this!? Unfortunately, the book did not live up to its potential. As in, it wasn't a good book AT ALL. Unicorn hunting came second to lame romance. There seems to be more paragraphs talking about the huntresses’ nonexistent sex lives than their actual training for killing unicorns. The main characters of the book...more
23 likes · like · see review
Reviewed by Joan Stradling for TeensReadToo.com
Think unicorns are sweet, magical horse-like creatures? Think again!
Diana Peterfreund introduces us to the darker side of unicorns in her novel RAMPANT. Peterfreund's unicorns are man-eating monsters. They can kill with poison in their horns, rip someone apart with their sharp teeth, and some have breath that can kill (literally).
Astrid Llewelyn has listened to her mother's crazy stories about extinct man-eating unicorns for years. Astrid never be...more
Think unicorns are sweet, magical horse-like creatures? Think again!
Diana Peterfreund introduces us to the darker side of unicorns in her novel RAMPANT. Peterfreund's unicorns are man-eating monsters. They can kill with poison in their horns, rip someone apart with their sharp teeth, and some have breath that can kill (literally).
Astrid Llewelyn has listened to her mother's crazy stories about extinct man-eating unicorns for years. Astrid never be...more
I'll start by saying this is a fantastic premise. It's about as high-concept as you get: "Killer unicorns!" The only basic book idea to hook you in fewer words is Jurassic Park, with, "Dinosaurs!"
The author also set up a lot of compelling dilemnas for Astrid, the protagonist. She has the special powers of a unicorn hunter thanks to being a female virgin descended from Alexander the Great. No one knows why for sure, but that's the way it goes. But does she want to hunt unicorns? If so, she has to...more
The author also set up a lot of compelling dilemnas for Astrid, the protagonist. She has the special powers of a unicorn hunter thanks to being a female virgin descended from Alexander the Great. No one knows why for sure, but that's the way it goes. But does she want to hunt unicorns? If so, she has to...more
26 likes · like · see review
I never thought I'd be giving the book about killer unicorns five starts, but I am because this shit was off the chain.
Rampant is truly a gem of a book. The premise is very silly and it takes a while to sort of get into the idea of "evil" unicorns, but I think being a Magic is Friendship fan I could handle it.
This book has a really strong cast of characters, really good romance and great messages about sex and slut-shaming in the book. Astrid is practically a genius in comparison to a lot of th...more
Rampant is truly a gem of a book. The premise is very silly and it takes a while to sort of get into the idea of "evil" unicorns, but I think being a Magic is Friendship fan I could handle it.
This book has a really strong cast of characters, really good romance and great messages about sex and slut-shaming in the book. Astrid is practically a genius in comparison to a lot of th...more
5 likes · like · see review
Go Team Unicorn!
I've always been a fan of unicorns, stemming from the days of Legend starring Tom Cruise. I guess I've always been mesmerized by magic and mythology. Things that aren't "real" but.... could they be?
Rampant has revived my love for mythology and magic, in the form of flesh eating unicorns!
Plain and simply this book was awesome. Unique and action-packed, not to mention a little bit of romance thrown in... I could not put it down. I loved the mythology surrounding this novel and won...more
I've always been a fan of unicorns, stemming from the days of Legend starring Tom Cruise. I guess I've always been mesmerized by magic and mythology. Things that aren't "real" but.... could they be?
Rampant has revived my love for mythology and magic, in the form of flesh eating unicorns!
Plain and simply this book was awesome. Unique and action-packed, not to mention a little bit of romance thrown in... I could not put it down. I loved the mythology surrounding this novel and won...more
One of my favorite books of the year. Astrid is the new Buffy! I couldn't put this book down!!
4 likes · like · see review
When Astrid's potential prom date is attacked by a unicorn not only is her social life in ruins but she realizes her eccentric mother has been right all along. Unicorns do exist and they aren't the happy my little ponies we have been led to believe they are. They are man eating monsters with poisonous sharp horns. Astrid's mother said they were extinct and is ecstatic to find out they aren't. Now Astrid can embrace her heritage as a unicorn hunter.
Astrid is a descendent of a famous unicorn hunte...more
Astrid is a descendent of a famous unicorn hunte...more
I had plagued this book with prejudices from the beginning, so I probably had no business reading it in the first place, which makes this an unfair rating and review. I actually wanted to stop reading it at least ten times and never pick it up again, that would be a first for me, because I can never not finish a book even if I hated it.
I hated this book with a fiery passion. If it wasn't for my policy of finishing a book I started, then I never would have gotten to the ending, which redeemed it...more
I hated this book with a fiery passion. If it wasn't for my policy of finishing a book I started, then I never would have gotten to the ending, which redeemed it...more
4 likes · like · see review
When I first started Rampant it was a little slow, all the history of the unicorn legends and stories and the histories of the bloodlines and all that, but at the same time I found it fascinating. I can't imagine the amount of research Peterfreund had to do for Rampant. I love stories that are centered around legend and folklore and I love the concept of virgin girls kicking major monster butt!!!
As Beth Revis' (author of Across the Universe) mentioned the feminism aspect of the story and how the...more
As Beth Revis' (author of Across the Universe) mentioned the feminism aspect of the story and how the...more
When I started this book I was a little skeptical. Killer unicorns, really? And for about the first 50 pages I wasn’t entirely sure I wanted to keep reading. But then, I don’t know what happened, all of a sudden the main character, Astrid, came alive for me. Suddenly she was brave and strong and I needed to know how her story ended. From there the rest of the book flew by and I’m desperate to know if there will be more in the series.
The premise of the book is this: unicorns are not all cuddly an...more
The premise of the book is this: unicorns are not all cuddly an...more
So this book is about teenage virgins who fight killer unicorns because it's their inherited destiny. I enjoyed the adventure well enough, and I think that the discussions of virginity, and at one point rape, were useful for the audience, but I had a bit of a problem with suspense of belief. However, it was NOT with the killer unicorns or the destiny of the young ladies in question. What I had a problem with was the actions and beliefs of a lot of the characters. The main character's mother is b...more
Fantastically surprised to how much I enjoyed this read!
1) The mythology. Oh my! I'm kind of a nerd, so when this book get's deep into the myth of the unicorns I was utterly fascinated. Yes, I'm going to be looking into these myths right after this.
2) Kick-ass females. There's a lot of them here that wield swords, bows, axes, daggers, and cross bows.
3) Unicorns are scary. No one likes to be cut, not even by a unicorn. I love how I'm terrified by them now.
4) Romance?!! WHAAA?? Some great gush-wor...more
1) The mythology. Oh my! I'm kind of a nerd, so when this book get's deep into the myth of the unicorns I was utterly fascinated. Yes, I'm going to be looking into these myths right after this.
2) Kick-ass females. There's a lot of them here that wield swords, bows, axes, daggers, and cross bows.
3) Unicorns are scary. No one likes to be cut, not even by a unicorn. I love how I'm terrified by them now.
4) Romance?!! WHAAA?? Some great gush-wor...more
5 likes · like · see review
The premise for this book is pretty damn awesome. I love the idea of unicorns being savage killers instead of sweet and innocent and cutesy.
I loved the idea of female warriors hunting them and killing them, that is awesome...my problem was that they had to be virgins.
I get that traditional unicorns are a symbol of purity but these are killer unicorns who can only be killed by a descendent of Alexander the Great. Why couldn't they just kill/want to kill anyone who wasn't a descendent of him? Why...more
I loved the idea of female warriors hunting them and killing them, that is awesome...my problem was that they had to be virgins.
I get that traditional unicorns are a symbol of purity but these are killer unicorns who can only be killed by a descendent of Alexander the Great. Why couldn't they just kill/want to kill anyone who wasn't a descendent of him? Why...more
6 likes · like · see review
First thing I have to say about Rampant is how cool is this cover. But the cover is actually not the first thing that drew me to this book. No, it was the unicorns. It is not everyday I get to read a book about unicorns. Much less killer unicorns at that. That is why I am very happy that I managed to grab a hold on Rampant and read it to the very end.
From the first couple of pages we are instantly drawn into the action with a unicorn attack and I thought it was very cool and very exciting. From...more
From the first couple of pages we are instantly drawn into the action with a unicorn attack and I thought it was very cool and very exciting. From...more
I picked up the book at 4:30pm. I read straight through until 12:30am and had only 20 pages to go when I absolutely had to go to bed so I could at least be in some acceptable shape for work the next day. In a word: RAMPANT is addictive, and like the alicorn venom that affects the body at an alarmingly fast rate, the book takes hold of the reader from the moment the first unicorn shows and doesn't let go until you've read it all the way through. Except, you know, reading the book doesn't give you...more
Astrid just wants to grow up to be a doctor, but her mother's obsession with unicorns has made it difficult. And then, in the midst of a steamy make-out session with her boyfriend, a unicorn attacks. Turns out her mother was right all along--unicorns do exist, and they're out for our blood. So instead of prom and graduation, Astrid gets shipped to Italy to a unicorn-hunting training camp.
I love the twist of turning unicorns into bloodthirsty predators, and the unicorn-hunters are enjoyably bad-...more
I love the twist of turning unicorns into bloodthirsty predators, and the unicorn-hunters are enjoyably bad-...more
6 likes · like · see review
When I heard of this book, "killer unicorns" I thought it would be pretty cool. I mean, all I've ever heard about unicorns was how beautiful and pure they were, and in this book they are nothing but sharp teeth and poisonous horns.
While the overall idea is unique, I just couldn't get a good picture of a razor sharp tooth, man eating unicorn in my head. I tried, I really did, but I just kept thinking of a beautiful white, not dangerous, horse with a horn. ;)
Astrid was a good character. She grew...more
While the overall idea is unique, I just couldn't get a good picture of a razor sharp tooth, man eating unicorn in my head. I tried, I really did, but I just kept thinking of a beautiful white, not dangerous, horse with a horn. ;)
Astrid was a good character. She grew...more
Full Review Link
First Impressions:
Thea: WOW. I had a vague idea of what to expect from Ms. Peterfreund having read her excellent Secret Society Girl – but Rampant completely blew me out of the water. Or knocked me off my horse. Or unicorn. Whatever analogy, the important thing is that Rampant surpassed all of my expectations. This is a remarkably imaginative, painstakingly researched, and impeccably written novel. Not only is the core concept fantastic with its delineations of unicorn species an...more
First Impressions:
Thea: WOW. I had a vague idea of what to expect from Ms. Peterfreund having read her excellent Secret Society Girl – but Rampant completely blew me out of the water. Or knocked me off my horse. Or unicorn. Whatever analogy, the important thing is that Rampant surpassed all of my expectations. This is a remarkably imaginative, painstakingly researched, and impeccably written novel. Not only is the core concept fantastic with its delineations of unicorn species an...more
What image comes to mind when you think of a unicorn? Rainbows and green meadows? Goodness and purity? Well these my friends, are not the unicorns we discover in the world of Rampant! These unicorns can kill you with their venomous acid breath or rip a hole in you with their poisonous horns. Yeah, not too pleasant...
I was caught up in this book from the first few pages. Astrid's adventure starts in chapter one and the roller coaster continues all the way to the last page. She is a strong willed,...more
I was caught up in this book from the first few pages. Astrid's adventure starts in chapter one and the roller coaster continues all the way to the last page. She is a strong willed,...more
16 year old Astrid has always thought her mother was nuts with all her talk of killer unicorns and how they were driven to extinction by a virgin ancestor. But when Astrid’s best chance for a prom date is mauled by a unicorn in an apparent reemergence, Astrid discovers the truth behind the legends and joins a convent of virgin warrior maidens in Rome charged with protecting mankind from the foul beasts.
Sounds kind of out there doesn’t it? But Author Peterfreund has done her research and actually...more
Sounds kind of out there doesn’t it? But Author Peterfreund has done her research and actually...more
you guys. YOU GUYS.
YOU NEED TO READ THIS BOOK. it's freaking AWESOME. of course, i am a mythology freak also, but STILL.
KILLER UNICORNS, PEOPLE! KILLER UNICORNS!!
and there are layers upon layers to this. women's rights and growing up and accepting responsibility and becoming yourself, not defined by other people.
i love this story so much. i love astrid, and phil, and cory, and bonegrinder.
and i LOVED a certain karkadann. oh, the history and how diana peterfreund works her world around it! i...more
YOU NEED TO READ THIS BOOK. it's freaking AWESOME. of course, i am a mythology freak also, but STILL.
KILLER UNICORNS, PEOPLE! KILLER UNICORNS!!
and there are layers upon layers to this. women's rights and growing up and accepting responsibility and becoming yourself, not defined by other people.
i love this story so much. i love astrid, and phil, and cory, and bonegrinder.
and i LOVED a certain karkadann. oh, the history and how diana peterfreund works her world around it! i...more
Dec 26, 2009
Nan
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Tamora Pierce fans
Recommended to Nan by:
Angie Thompson
Shelves:
young-adult,
fantasy
I hate unicorns. That is, I hate them now. As a kid, I cross-stitched two unicorn pictures to hang on my bedroom wall.
Thankfully, that phase passed pretty quickly. I grew tired of the sickly sweetness associated with unicorns, and I moved on.
This book confirmed for me that unicorn worshipping is a very bad idea. When an animal has horns, what are they for? They're usually a weapon used when fighting another animal. They're not some kind of beauty accessory.
Peterfreund's ideas about unicorns make...more
Thankfully, that phase passed pretty quickly. I grew tired of the sickly sweetness associated with unicorns, and I moved on.
This book confirmed for me that unicorn worshipping is a very bad idea. When an animal has horns, what are they for? They're usually a weapon used when fighting another animal. They're not some kind of beauty accessory.
Peterfreund's ideas about unicorns make...more
I loved this take on unicorns and I will be reading the second book in the future. It had plenty of action, angst, and the perfect amount of romance. I applaud this author for not turning the romance into a twilight-esque fail. I'd recommend this book to anyone who loves unique story lines. This was so unique and fresh and I LOVED it. I also have to mention that the cover does make this book look as if it takes place a very long time ago and it does not. It takes place in the present. Maybe they...more
Apr 25, 2009
Claire
marked it as to-read
With this glammed up cover and the unicorn mythology, I really expected to be disappointed, but I liked this book. It is light weight yet for girls (or boys) who liek the Lioness Rampant series, this is a possibility. A strong, in this case, modern girl is born into a (get this) unicorn fighting family - only virgin women of this particular descent can slay the mortal enemy of humans, the unicorn. Once thought to be extinct, the unicorns are returning and the members of this far flung family are...more
May 02, 2013
Ian Wood
added it
There's a detailed review of this on my blog, but I rated this as worthy! It was great. "…venomous, killer unicorns" and no prologue!! What’s not to like? I have read nothing of Peterfreund prior to this, but seriously: a book about virgins written by someone whose name translates, quite literally, to 'friend of Peter'? How weird is that?!
Astrid is a virgin who is invested with the power to slaughter the deadly killer unicorns, and she takes off to Rome to train for this, but as she trains and g...more
Astrid is a virgin who is invested with the power to slaughter the deadly killer unicorns, and she takes off to Rome to train for this, but as she trains and g...more
Good potential executed poorly. The idea-- while not as original as touted in many reviews-- is interesting and not thoroughly explored in many other works, so this could have been really, really interesting.
Could have been.
The protagonist is dull as dishwater and often comes off as whiny-- a product of being the standard disaffected, moody teenager, sure-- who doesn't really become interesting until the final pages. Her interest in medicine is a nice touch, but that side of her isn't explored...more
Could have been.
The protagonist is dull as dishwater and often comes off as whiny-- a product of being the standard disaffected, moody teenager, sure-- who doesn't really become interesting until the final pages. Her interest in medicine is a nice touch, but that side of her isn't explored...more
When I started this book I was a little skeptical. Killer unicorns, really? And for about the first 50 pages I wasn’t entirely sure I wanted to keep reading. But then, I don’t know what happened, all of a sudden the main character, Astrid, came alive for me. Suddenly she was brave and strong and I needed to know how her story ended. From there the rest of the book flew by and I’m desperate to know if there will be more in the series.
The premise of the book is this: unicorns are not all cuddly an...more
The premise of the book is this: unicorns are not all cuddly an...more
I wanted to like this book. And for the first bit, I did enjoy it. Killer venomous unicorns in the modern world, and a girl with special powers whose mother forces her to go to a sketchy school in Rome to learn how to fight them. But I ended up hating the book, mostly for its treatment of rape.
Trigger and spoilers abound. (view spoiler)...more
Trigger and spoilers abound. (view spoiler)...more
1 like · like · see review
Sometimes a book comes along with a premise that is so outrageous that you just have to read it. Unicorns are secretly bloodthirsty monsters, with poison horns, and the only people immune to the poison, and therefore the only people who can kill them, are the virgin descendants of Alexander the Great. Possibly it is weird that my only objection to this is that Alexander's only child, as far as I can tell, was murdered before puberty.
See, Astrid is just a normal teenage girl who thinks all her mo...more
See, Astrid is just a normal teenage girl who thinks all her mo...more
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
Diana Peterfreund has been a costume designer, a cover model, and a food critic. Her travels have taken her from the cloud forests of Costa Rica to the underground caverns of New Zealand (and as far as she’s concerned, she’s just getting started). Diana graduated from Yale University in 2001 with dual degrees in Literature and Geology, which her family claimed would only come in handy if she wrote...more
More about Diana Peterfreund...
Share This Book
5 trivia questions
1 quiz
More quizzes & trivia...
1 quiz
“Amazing how being bathed in arterial blood can wash out any lingering romantic disappointments.”
—
32 people liked it
“I found the hum of his computer rather soothing, but it was the complete lack of unicorn carcasses that really pulled the room together.”
—
19 people liked it
More quotes…
Feb 01, 2013 04:08pm
Apr 21, 2013 06:14pm