'Ferocious' – Jeff Strand

Because sometimes I need a little comfort reading and I like zombies in my comfort reading... Dude, that's a bit weird, I hear you say. Well, now I've got your attention, let me try and explain it a little better...

Some people comfort read to escape from the stresses of their life and that's cool, I get it and sometimes I'll do just that. Because I'm a little contrary though, sometimes I'll pick up something horribly apocalyptic because what better way to feel better about your situation than to read about something far worse? And we all know that the best way to do that is to pick up a horror novel about zombies, don't we? Of course we do.

The danger with this is that zombie novels can get a little repetitive, which is why I hit the 'buy' button the second I saw that Jeff Strand had written a novel about zombie animals. For a start, I don't think I've seen zombie animals in a book since Brian Keene's 'Rising' novels and Strand's mixture of horror and humour is always good for a read. Did I get what I needed? Let me tell you how it went...

Rusty Moss has raised his niece Mia since she was a baby. Now that she's almost eighteen, he's worried that the life he's given her—living off the grid in a cabin deep in the woods—is holding her back from her full potential. But that angst gets pushed aside when the undead forest animals arrive.

At first it's just a squirrel—shockingly violent and almost impossible to kill. Followed by a grizzly bear, also aggressive and resilient, even when point-blank shotgun blasts to the face are involved.

Now the cabin is surrounded by all manner of zombie creatures. They have no way to call for help. The truck that could take them to safety is three miles away, stuck in the mud.

But Rusty and Mia have their courage. They have their wits. And, most importantly, they have an axe and a fully fueled chainsaw...

I've only read a few of Jeff Strand's books but I'm starting to reach the conclusion that he couldn't write a bad book if he tried. I certainly wasn't planning on finishing 'Ferocious' in one sitting, last night, but that's how it happened. It's not as funny as his other books, that I've read, but to be fair, how many laughs can you reasonably expect to get out of your main characters traipsing through the woods trying their hardest not to be mauled by zombie wildlife? There are a few actually but the stakes are too high for this book to be all about the comedy. If you think more along the lines of an 'Evil Dead' film written by someone who really hates woodland animals (but squirrels in particular) then you're pretty much there.

For me, the beauty of 'Ferocious' is in it's simplicity; okay, the well choreographed chainsawing of all kinds of zombie animals as well but mostly the simplicity of a tightly plotted tale where Rusty and Mia must get from A to B without getting mauled to death. There's no pretension here, just a really tense affair where our heroes really take a beating in a situation where even if they make it out alive, they're pretty sure that no-one would believe what happened. It's not a perfect read, 'Ferocious' has a knack of falling into the rhythm of 'walk, fight a zombie bear, walk a bit more, fight some zombie squirrel, and repeat' that makes you feel like you're playing a video game rather than reading a book. Having said that, I would totally play 'Ferocious' if it was a video game. But anyway...

There is an element of repetition but it doesn't fall into monotony.as you're too busy wondering things like, 'is Rusty really trying to get that undead squirrel on his leg with a chainsaw?' Tense moments explode into action and are followed by animals also exploding. The relationship between Rusty and Mia adds another level to the proceedings as you can't help but root for two people who are just best friends and have each other's backs. You actually don't have enough time to worry about the plot getting a bit samey.

If the lockdown is giving you a bit of a kicking and you just want to read about someone who has it worse than you, I highly recommend giving 'Ferocious' a go. When they talk about zombie tales with 'bite', that's exactly what 'Ferocious' does.

And while you're here, have a look at my reviews for Jeff Strand's 'Mandibles', 'Benjamin's Parasite' and 'Clowns vs Spiders'.