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Rabid Growth
People change all the time. But Chris Corin is noticing some pretty extreme changes in the people around him. His best friend is suffering from a strange fever and acting in ways that just don't make sense. And some oddly familiar people in town have started stalking Chris, threatening him, blaming him for bizarre changes they've noticed in themselves.
Things get worse when the changes become physical. Blisters start to form on people. Hideous mutations appear around town. Can these changes somehow be responsible for the violent murders that have occurred -- murders that point directly at Chris? Something definitely wants Chris dead, something very powerful. Something beyond his imagination.
Things get worse when the changes become physical. Blisters start to form on people. Hideous mutations appear around town. Can these changes somehow be responsible for the violent murders that have occurred -- murders that point directly at Chris? Something definitely wants Chris dead, something very powerful. Something beyond his imagination.
323 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published April 5, 2005
2 people are currently reading
75 people want to read
About the author
James A. Moore
230 books766 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
James A. Moore was the award winning author of over forty novels, thrillers, dark fantasy and horror alike, including the critically acclaimed Fireworks, Under The Overtree, Blood Red, the Serenity Falls trilogy (featuring his recurring anti-hero, Jonathan Crowley) and his most recent novels, seven Forges, The Blasted Lands, City of Wonders , The Silent Army and the forthcoming The Gates of The Dead (Book Three in the Tides of War Series) and A Hell Within, co-authored with Charles R. Rutledge.
James A. Moore was the award winning author of over forty novels, thrillers, dark fantasy and horror alike, including the critically acclaimed Fireworks, Under The Overtree, Blood Red, the Serenity Falls trilogy (featuring his recurring anti-hero, Jonathan Crowley) and his most recent novels, seven Forges, The Blasted Lands, City of Wonders , The Silent Army and the forthcoming The Gates of The Dead (Book Three in the Tides of War Series) and A Hell Within, co-authored with Charles R. Rutledge.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
July 27, 2023
God awful. I found myself skimming through it so I could start something else...anything....
Terrible writing, boring characters, oh and by the way to top it off it's a a sequel to another book and you wouldn't know that cuz it doesn't state it ANYWHERE!One those sequels where if u didn't read the previous novel you’d be lost.
I need to be cleansed...time to read a good author...
(I read this because this author for some reason gets mentioned in the same sentence as King, Koontz and McCammon. These statements are clearly coming from people who have never read King, Koontz or McCammon)
Terrible writing, boring characters, oh and by the way to top it off it's a a sequel to another book and you wouldn't know that cuz it doesn't state it ANYWHERE!One those sequels where if u didn't read the previous novel you’d be lost.
I need to be cleansed...time to read a good author...
(I read this because this author for some reason gets mentioned in the same sentence as King, Koontz and McCammon. These statements are clearly coming from people who have never read King, Koontz or McCammon)
August 6, 2019
I didn't think this book was as bad as some of the other reviews made it out to be but i definitely understand their point of view. I was unaware this novel was a sequel and was still able to make
some sense of the storyline, although reading the previous novel (Possessions?) would have helped tremendously.
The characters were a bit juvenile and somewhat overly concerned with thoughts of the opposite sex
considering the horrific things they were going through and had apparently already experienced. There were also several plot elements not explained, perhaps developed in the other novel? (What was the Western key? What were in Brittany's photographs? If the creature in the pit in the burned house
was dead then what came out and chased Brittany and the detective? Isn't there a whole other group of the things? etc)
I was also disappointed in the ending. It was brief and unsatisfying. I'm guessing there is, or will
be another book.
On the other hand, it was a quick read with some good gross out stuff. Lots of body horror and kind of
cthulu ish stuff in it if you like that. I liked the rapport and loyalty of the characters. I liked the definitive good vs. evil with the reader obviously supposed to rooting for the good guys. Too many books these days are too bleak and the line between morality too thin.
So if you're into a fun, quick gross out I'd recommend this one. But you will probably enjoy it more
if you read Possessions first.
some sense of the storyline, although reading the previous novel (Possessions?) would have helped tremendously.
The characters were a bit juvenile and somewhat overly concerned with thoughts of the opposite sex
considering the horrific things they were going through and had apparently already experienced. There were also several plot elements not explained, perhaps developed in the other novel? (What was the Western key? What were in Brittany's photographs? If the creature in the pit in the burned house
was dead then what came out and chased Brittany and the detective? Isn't there a whole other group of the things? etc)
I was also disappointed in the ending. It was brief and unsatisfying. I'm guessing there is, or will
be another book.
On the other hand, it was a quick read with some good gross out stuff. Lots of body horror and kind of
cthulu ish stuff in it if you like that. I liked the rapport and loyalty of the characters. I liked the definitive good vs. evil with the reader obviously supposed to rooting for the good guys. Too many books these days are too bleak and the line between morality too thin.
So if you're into a fun, quick gross out I'd recommend this one. But you will probably enjoy it more
if you read Possessions first.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 23, 2017
Seemed more like a sequel than a stand alone book. Lots of things not really explained.
January 24, 2013
This book has all the fun of a vasectomy without the anesthesia. I...I don’t even know where to begin. After 323 pages of bad editing, asinine characters, offensively boring and boringly offensive plot & sub-plots, an immature protagonist, and more continuity issues than I thought was even possible, I ran screaming to my well-hidden emergency stock of aspirin.
Now, before we even begin, this book is a sequel to Possessions. Though it’s not stated anywhere on the book or in the book, I am here to tell you – it is. It is absolutely vital to read Possessions before you read this book; otherwise you’ll be up a creek without a paddle. Lucky for you, dear readers, I read Possessions first. Oh and one more warning, whatever you do – Do Not read Newbies before this book. It’s a Young Adult follow-up to this book set two years later, but is accessible now. I read it before reading RG and it made my brain hurt. Someone, hold me.
Vague and ever-changing, the plot is a complete mess. At first I thought it was about crazy bums, and then I thought it was about the mysterious lesions/scars on Chris’ friend, Jerry’s body. But, wait, it looks like it might be about grandma trying to get custody of Chris’ little sister Brittany. See the dilemma? Add in to all those possible storylines these other choices Mr. Moore threw my way: mysterious necklace, mysterious/evil bookstore owner, Chris’ sex life or lack of it, and crazy monsters that aren’t really nailed down to a set purpose or reasoning, but who want to kill Chris. Oy! Feel that? It’s called indecisive plot overload!!!! Sweet mercy, make it stop.
With more repetitive descriptions and redundant words than my sanity could take, Moore’s writing style is long-winded and painful. The character’s dialog switches so much between has-been slang and a thesaurus that it immediately takes you out of the story, straight to the medicine cabinet. And to top it all off, the character’s narratives contradict each other from chapter to chapter. In one chapter Chris declares that he should have a talk with his fourteen yr. old sister Brittany about sex because pretty soon she's going to be exploring the opposite sex. Two chapters later, he recounts discovering her on the couch with a much older boy exploring third base a year ago. Eh?
Speaking of the characters, I have just one word for you – Gross! I understand Mr. Moore was trying to establish the teenager’s frame of mind and convey their constant struggle with adjusting to being adults, but it didn’t work. Instead of showing how Chris must deal with being an 18 yr. old boy with a man’s responsibilities, he came off as a slacker 16 yr. old. Rather than displaying the inner torment the male characters must deal with now that they are sexual adults, he has them commenting and fantasizing about 14 yr. old girl's bodies a little too much. Not only did it detract from the story and the character’s credibility, but it made me extremely uncomfortable.
While the pace is fast and the action relentless, there’s no depth to it. Okay, so there are quite a few cool fights and some visceral battles do occur, but you never truly get the impact of it. Why are the monsters fighting? Is it because they’re pissed at Chris? Is it because the devil is making them do it? Is it because of some evil power to be has decided to attempt to once again rise from the depth of hell or some other netherworld? We shall never know, because the reasoning lies somewhere between the heaps of descriptions and one of the storylines. For anyone that can find it, I offer you my admiration. If you can find the atmosphere as well, I’ll love you for life.
My rating? I give it a 1. Need I give you any more reasons not to buy this book?? Treat Rabid Growth like the foul abomination it is and Shun It!!
-As reviewed for Horror-Web.com
Now, before we even begin, this book is a sequel to Possessions. Though it’s not stated anywhere on the book or in the book, I am here to tell you – it is. It is absolutely vital to read Possessions before you read this book; otherwise you’ll be up a creek without a paddle. Lucky for you, dear readers, I read Possessions first. Oh and one more warning, whatever you do – Do Not read Newbies before this book. It’s a Young Adult follow-up to this book set two years later, but is accessible now. I read it before reading RG and it made my brain hurt. Someone, hold me.
Vague and ever-changing, the plot is a complete mess. At first I thought it was about crazy bums, and then I thought it was about the mysterious lesions/scars on Chris’ friend, Jerry’s body. But, wait, it looks like it might be about grandma trying to get custody of Chris’ little sister Brittany. See the dilemma? Add in to all those possible storylines these other choices Mr. Moore threw my way: mysterious necklace, mysterious/evil bookstore owner, Chris’ sex life or lack of it, and crazy monsters that aren’t really nailed down to a set purpose or reasoning, but who want to kill Chris. Oy! Feel that? It’s called indecisive plot overload!!!! Sweet mercy, make it stop.
With more repetitive descriptions and redundant words than my sanity could take, Moore’s writing style is long-winded and painful. The character’s dialog switches so much between has-been slang and a thesaurus that it immediately takes you out of the story, straight to the medicine cabinet. And to top it all off, the character’s narratives contradict each other from chapter to chapter. In one chapter Chris declares that he should have a talk with his fourteen yr. old sister Brittany about sex because pretty soon she's going to be exploring the opposite sex. Two chapters later, he recounts discovering her on the couch with a much older boy exploring third base a year ago. Eh?
Speaking of the characters, I have just one word for you – Gross! I understand Mr. Moore was trying to establish the teenager’s frame of mind and convey their constant struggle with adjusting to being adults, but it didn’t work. Instead of showing how Chris must deal with being an 18 yr. old boy with a man’s responsibilities, he came off as a slacker 16 yr. old. Rather than displaying the inner torment the male characters must deal with now that they are sexual adults, he has them commenting and fantasizing about 14 yr. old girl's bodies a little too much. Not only did it detract from the story and the character’s credibility, but it made me extremely uncomfortable.
While the pace is fast and the action relentless, there’s no depth to it. Okay, so there are quite a few cool fights and some visceral battles do occur, but you never truly get the impact of it. Why are the monsters fighting? Is it because they’re pissed at Chris? Is it because the devil is making them do it? Is it because of some evil power to be has decided to attempt to once again rise from the depth of hell or some other netherworld? We shall never know, because the reasoning lies somewhere between the heaps of descriptions and one of the storylines. For anyone that can find it, I offer you my admiration. If you can find the atmosphere as well, I’ll love you for life.
My rating? I give it a 1. Need I give you any more reasons not to buy this book?? Treat Rabid Growth like the foul abomination it is and Shun It!!
-As reviewed for Horror-Web.com
January 27, 2016
Having enjoyed the hell out of possessions, Rabid Growth wasn't something I put off. This book follows the actions of Chris and his rather annoying sister, Brittany, months after the fiasco that erupted in Possessions. His pals from before are still hanging around, although I never warmed up to them the same. They seem a bit different here, less three dimensional, with less personality, and were more predictable.
The pace was fine, tension was there, but the plot itself had a few flaws. It read like an old B science fiction story, which is cool if you're in the mood, but a few things were overdone - namely teenage male hormones. It's reasonable to conclude an adolescent male wouldn't be thinking monk thoughts, but if overdone it loses humor and appeal and interferes with the plot (for another example of this, see my review of Laymons' Body Rides; suffers from nearly the same syndrome)
Because of this 'sexual syndrome', the believability of Chris's plight is diminished. While he's enduring some serious screwy situations, being hassled by a grandmother he's never known that wants to nab his sister, and battling suspicious police offers, deranged friends, and possible world domination - he keeps getting sidetracked. None of it feels that real as a result, and therefore the suspense that should be there isn't. The reader has a hard time caring about the characters fate and future if they themselves can't focus strongly on it.
Back story is given so the reader isn't lost, but a bit too much. Too many reminders is redundant, even if you've never tread on this ground. Dialogue was humorous as before, yet a few key phrases stuck out as awkward.
There are still some winning points here - such as the basic characterization (their good flaws anyway), a neat B story mojo going on, and Moore's basic creative writing style, but overall it just doesn't hold water. Sadly I'm disappointed, but I'm sure in the future Moore will redeem himself.
The pace was fine, tension was there, but the plot itself had a few flaws. It read like an old B science fiction story, which is cool if you're in the mood, but a few things were overdone - namely teenage male hormones. It's reasonable to conclude an adolescent male wouldn't be thinking monk thoughts, but if overdone it loses humor and appeal and interferes with the plot (for another example of this, see my review of Laymons' Body Rides; suffers from nearly the same syndrome)
Because of this 'sexual syndrome', the believability of Chris's plight is diminished. While he's enduring some serious screwy situations, being hassled by a grandmother he's never known that wants to nab his sister, and battling suspicious police offers, deranged friends, and possible world domination - he keeps getting sidetracked. None of it feels that real as a result, and therefore the suspense that should be there isn't. The reader has a hard time caring about the characters fate and future if they themselves can't focus strongly on it.
Back story is given so the reader isn't lost, but a bit too much. Too many reminders is redundant, even if you've never tread on this ground. Dialogue was humorous as before, yet a few key phrases stuck out as awkward.
There are still some winning points here - such as the basic characterization (their good flaws anyway), a neat B story mojo going on, and Moore's basic creative writing style, but overall it just doesn't hold water. Sadly I'm disappointed, but I'm sure in the future Moore will redeem himself.
January 28, 2014
At first, I was really disappointed with this book because it turns out that it is the sequel to Possessions. No where on the book's cover, or inside flaps is this pivotal fact mentioned. I had to look it up online to figure out why something felt missing... And since the ending of Possessions is definitively given away in this sequel, I am not really in any rush to go back and read it. Maybe someday...
That aside, I did enjoy this book quite a bit. The narration was refreshing and the characters were likable. The end also seems pretty open-ended, so I will keep an eye out for a third book in this series. There were a lot of gaps in the plot, but it didn't bother me too much, since this book was mostly all about excitement.
That aside, I did enjoy this book quite a bit. The narration was refreshing and the characters were likable. The end also seems pretty open-ended, so I will keep an eye out for a third book in this series. There were a lot of gaps in the plot, but it didn't bother me too much, since this book was mostly all about excitement.
July 15, 2015
Honestly, I didn't think the world needed a sequel to POSSESSIONS. I was satisfied with the conclusion and couldn't envision wanting to read about the continuing adventures of Chris Corin and his friends. And yet . . . I liked the one just as much as the first one. The mystery is different this time, but it's just as intriguing as the previous one. It would seem that something is growing inside of Jerry Murphy. No one knows what it is, and it's great fun finding out what's happening. It looks like there's room for a third book, and this time I'd be interested in reading it.
May 27, 2008
Not nearly as bad as the other reviews make it out to be, but Rabid Growth isn't all that great, either. Moore could have done without all of the "cool" teenage slang he threw around in this novel. It would have made it creepier and less silly-sounding.
Read
April 14, 2008Horror
November 25, 2008
I don't know how this book got published. Not very scary or entertaining. I will stay away from other works by Mr. Moore.
March 24, 2010
Wish I had known there was a prequel of sorts to this book, but even still I thought it took a bit long to get moving, action-wise. I did enjoy the ending.
Want to read
December 6, 2012Change of plans. Have to read its prequel first.
April 24, 2017
pretty good story
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews