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Frenzy
14-year-old Heath Lambert is spending his summer at Camp Harmony in the picturesque Cascade Mountain Valley. It's the perfect place to enjoy the soothing calm of nature as he weighs a heavy decision. The camp offers distractions: his friends, Cricket and Dunbar, always up for trouble; his reluctant crush on Emily, one half of the beautiful Em & Em Twins; and hulking bullies Thumper and Floaties, who are determined to make him their punching bag for the summer. But no one rattles Heath like his creepy cabin mate, Will Stringer. Brilliant, cold and calculating, Will views the world as one big chess game, and he's always three moves ahead of everyone else.
Heath soon learns there's a much bigger threat to contend with. Something's wrong with the animals in the surrounding forest. A darkness is spreading, driving them mad with rage. Wolves, bears, mountain lions-even the chipmunks are infected, spurred on in droves by one horrific goal: hunt and kill every human they find.
Heath and a ragtag band of campers are faced with a choice: follow Will's lead and possibly survive, or follow the camp staff and die. But how do you trust a leader when you suspect he's more dangerous than the animals you're running from?
Heath came to Camp Harmony to be surrounded by nature. He's about to get his wish.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published April 8, 2014
32 people are currently reading
400 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews
May 26, 2014
When I was a wee one, one of my nightmares was being chased by animals - their teeth and fangs bared, their mouths covered with foam, their hair and fur on end. There was something about being the prey by such creatures (small and big ones alike) that was traumatizing. Imagine being chased by an aggressive squirrel, or by a hate-filled cat, or by hissing porcupines, or by crazy deers, or by mad beavers. They're supposedly friendly, amiable creatures - harmless to mankind - and to have their behavior turn a complete 180 degree turn, and start becoming the predator... I don't know, guys, but that thought just sends chills down to my spine.
So that's why when I read the blurb of this book, I knew I wanted to have it. I'm not saying this because I want to be a sadist or anything of that sort, but merely because I was curious of such a scenario, given I've (kinda) lived through it, too (in my dreams, of course). So we're in a camp with more than a hundred kids, and every mammal in the vicinity are diseased, and one bite is enough to infect and kill you in mere seconds.
How could this situation be any worse?
I loved this book. I'm lamenting how it took me a while to start reading it. I admit I requested it on Netgalley because I wanted to see my dream play out in book form, but at the same time, I was quite wary because this was officially labeled as Middle Grade. I'm sure it doesn't speak for every book out there, but MG is usually considered milder when it comes to dark themes such as this. Sure, there may be blood, but expect it to not have much. Sure, there may be death, but don't worry, everyone will likely survive. Sure, there may be rabid animals who try their 110% to bite a chunk of your flesh, but this will surely end in a happily ever after.
But, man.
I was wrong.
Wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong.
If I could sum this book up in one word, it would be brutal. Like, wow, after you read this, you'll be questioning whether the powers that be were drunk when they were categorizing it. But seriously speaking? I'm not complaining. This book has a no-nonsense motto, guys. It obtains an idea, it doesn't only grasp it, but also squeezes it too until the last juice has been gathered. I was so surprised when it went all out.
* Angry squirrels jumping out and chattering among themselves which one to bite first? Check.
* Fearsome wolves not letting their rabid eyes off of you, eager to feast on your flesh? Check.
* Crazy horses baring their fucking large teeth, wanting to trample you to smithereens under their hooves? Check.
* Freaking bats uniting as one super-colony, blacking out the daylight, screeching their hearts out? Check.
* DAMN BEAVERS WHO BECAME THE DEVIL'S EVIL PETS?! FUCKING. CHECK.
This book has officially made me want to stay away from parks, ever. Good thing we don't have squirrels here in the Philippines (are there?). But then again, there are other rodents to be afraid of...
The fact that this book was full of kids made the situation even graver. Adults? Teenagers? I can take. They have experience and are more confident and are stronger and faster, but these are simply young kids who went to a summer camp to have fun! They're vulnerable, they depend on adults. To think the have to face such a heavy and scary situation by themselves made it far creepier, and I shit you not that I was so scared for their safety. All I wanted was for all of them to be brave and to hold it out for a while longer and get to safety.
And because it was so easy to form an emotional bond with them, the deaths that happen (yes, they do happen. Damn it, Lettrick!) later in the book punches you so hard in the gut. There were times my jaw would drop and then I would go in full denial (why...? Why, Lettrick...? Why...? They're just kids!), and then I would space out and pause for 10 full minutes. It was so hard to let certain characters go. But I guess that's the beauty of this book.
Intense, emotional, brutal all in one... so much craziness in one book, and who knew it only had to take a couple of cute-animals-turned-crazy?
Not only was it such a roller coaster of emotions, but this book was super informational, too. If you love watching Discovery Channel or National Geographic or the History Channel and all those educational documentaries about nature and wildlife, you'll love this one, too. It was so full of information about certain animals and their habitats. The best thing about it? It neither felt forced nor like an info-dump. They served a huge part of the overall storyline and I appreciated these moments so much.
All in all, this was a spectacular read. It was fun, intense, savage, cruel, educational, heartbreaking, and heartwarming, all at the same time. I wouldn't recommend this book to squeamish kids, because seriously, they might come out slightly traumatised. But for others? Please, please, please read this. There's so much to love, so much to hate (the animals, mostly), and so much to learn (not only from the informational tidbits but from the friendships and bonds that were made as well). Don't miss this out, folks!
Recommendation: Read with the lights open and not in a zoo. Please. For your sanity.
So that's why when I read the blurb of this book, I knew I wanted to have it. I'm not saying this because I want to be a sadist or anything of that sort, but merely because I was curious of such a scenario, given I've (kinda) lived through it, too (in my dreams, of course). So we're in a camp with more than a hundred kids, and every mammal in the vicinity are diseased, and one bite is enough to infect and kill you in mere seconds.
How could this situation be any worse?
I loved this book. I'm lamenting how it took me a while to start reading it. I admit I requested it on Netgalley because I wanted to see my dream play out in book form, but at the same time, I was quite wary because this was officially labeled as Middle Grade. I'm sure it doesn't speak for every book out there, but MG is usually considered milder when it comes to dark themes such as this. Sure, there may be blood, but expect it to not have much. Sure, there may be death, but don't worry, everyone will likely survive. Sure, there may be rabid animals who try their 110% to bite a chunk of your flesh, but this will surely end in a happily ever after.
But, man.
I was wrong.
Wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong.
If I could sum this book up in one word, it would be brutal. Like, wow, after you read this, you'll be questioning whether the powers that be were drunk when they were categorizing it. But seriously speaking? I'm not complaining. This book has a no-nonsense motto, guys. It obtains an idea, it doesn't only grasp it, but also squeezes it too until the last juice has been gathered. I was so surprised when it went all out.
* Angry squirrels jumping out and chattering among themselves which one to bite first? Check.
* Fearsome wolves not letting their rabid eyes off of you, eager to feast on your flesh? Check.
* Crazy horses baring their fucking large teeth, wanting to trample you to smithereens under their hooves? Check.
* Freaking bats uniting as one super-colony, blacking out the daylight, screeching their hearts out? Check.
* DAMN BEAVERS WHO BECAME THE DEVIL'S EVIL PETS?! FUCKING. CHECK.
This book has officially made me want to stay away from parks, ever. Good thing we don't have squirrels here in the Philippines (are there?). But then again, there are other rodents to be afraid of...
The fact that this book was full of kids made the situation even graver. Adults? Teenagers? I can take. They have experience and are more confident and are stronger and faster, but these are simply young kids who went to a summer camp to have fun! They're vulnerable, they depend on adults. To think the have to face such a heavy and scary situation by themselves made it far creepier, and I shit you not that I was so scared for their safety. All I wanted was for all of them to be brave and to hold it out for a while longer and get to safety.
And because it was so easy to form an emotional bond with them, the deaths that happen (yes, they do happen. Damn it, Lettrick!) later in the book punches you so hard in the gut. There were times my jaw would drop and then I would go in full denial (why...? Why, Lettrick...? Why...? They're just kids!), and then I would space out and pause for 10 full minutes. It was so hard to let certain characters go. But I guess that's the beauty of this book.
Intense, emotional, brutal all in one... so much craziness in one book, and who knew it only had to take a couple of cute-animals-turned-crazy?
Not only was it such a roller coaster of emotions, but this book was super informational, too. If you love watching Discovery Channel or National Geographic or the History Channel and all those educational documentaries about nature and wildlife, you'll love this one, too. It was so full of information about certain animals and their habitats. The best thing about it? It neither felt forced nor like an info-dump. They served a huge part of the overall storyline and I appreciated these moments so much.
All in all, this was a spectacular read. It was fun, intense, savage, cruel, educational, heartbreaking, and heartwarming, all at the same time. I wouldn't recommend this book to squeamish kids, because seriously, they might come out slightly traumatised. But for others? Please, please, please read this. There's so much to love, so much to hate (the animals, mostly), and so much to learn (not only from the informational tidbits but from the friendships and bonds that were made as well). Don't miss this out, folks!
Recommendation: Read with the lights open and not in a zoo. Please. For your sanity.
January 21, 2022
Solid 9 out of 10
Frenzy is a summer camp gone wrong story. We follow a fourteen-year-old named Heath who was previously diagnosed with cancer. He has three other cabinmates named Will, Dunbar, and Cricket.
After an encounter with a rabid porcupine, they discover that every animal surrounding the summer camp has rabies, and is trying to kill them. After seeing what happens after someone gets bitten, (you turn blue and you die) people decide that they need to get out of the camp.
A bunch of people run into a shed to take shelter from the chaos. Heath and others theorize that the animals would be afraid of water. A group of 21 of them make a mad dash to the lake, and more than half die. And the book continues on from there.
This book is intense, dark, and has great character writing. I was very immersed in this world, and every moment is bursting with tension. There is a lot of drama, and the author is not afraid to skimp on the characters' deaths. This is the most compelling middle-grade horror book I've ever read. My older sister was a big fan of this one as well. I definitely recommend it, if you're at all intrigued by the concept.
Frenzy is a summer camp gone wrong story. We follow a fourteen-year-old named Heath who was previously diagnosed with cancer. He has three other cabinmates named Will, Dunbar, and Cricket.
After an encounter with a rabid porcupine, they discover that every animal surrounding the summer camp has rabies, and is trying to kill them. After seeing what happens after someone gets bitten, (you turn blue and you die) people decide that they need to get out of the camp.
A bunch of people run into a shed to take shelter from the chaos. Heath and others theorize that the animals would be afraid of water. A group of 21 of them make a mad dash to the lake, and more than half die. And the book continues on from there.
This book is intense, dark, and has great character writing. I was very immersed in this world, and every moment is bursting with tension. There is a lot of drama, and the author is not afraid to skimp on the characters' deaths. This is the most compelling middle-grade horror book I've ever read. My older sister was a big fan of this one as well. I definitely recommend it, if you're at all intrigued by the concept.
April 3, 2014
Initial reaction: A solid 5-star read from my first experience with Robert Lettrick. "Frenzy" is equal parts enthralling for adventure, survival and horror after an outbreak at a camp turns the animals wild, and equal parts humor and engaging for the characters presented and how they take it upon themselves to survive. I was really impressed with this middle-grade work and would highly recommend it.
Full review:
I have enough reactions about Robert Lettrick's middle grade horror book "Frenzy" to talk about it for days. I didn't expect to be blindsided by this read at all, but I remembered seeing it on NetGalley and the blurb intrigued me enough to pick it up. I used to read a ton of middle grade horror and thought "Oooh, camp survival horror story oriented towards middle grade/YA readers? I'm there. I'm definitely there."
I didn't expect it to connect with me like this though. Heath is the primary perspective character, but the way it's written is in third person, so it toggles between a group of kids who are all spending their time trying to adjust to the ins and outs of summer camp. The amount of characters may seem like a bit to swallow at first, but they're easy to get to know.
And it becomes easier when the body count starts rising after the scheme of events in this novel. Yeah, this book does not skimp on character deaths, and some of them *hurt*. Dude, they hurt.
The way the characters are developed is refreshing compared to most because you get an idea of their motivations and they have more dimension than even most YA books I've picked up (and are PROACTIVE characters, I can't stress that enough).
Heath is a boy who believes in doing the right thing, playing peacemaker, but at the same time he has his own mischievous streaks. Floaters (or Miles) appears to be a brash bully who can't swim, but he's really someone who's been given a hard time in his life and tries to redeem himself where he can. Will is a boy who believes in approaching everything from the perspective of chess, and makes no apologies about using people to his own ends in the same way as set pieces. Emily and Emma are twins who enjoy horses and riding, but don't quite bargain for going on the run with a group of boys. Molly is young, but while she might be a little on the fearful side, she knows how to step up to the plate when she needs to. Cricket's a good sidekick and willing to take chances if he needs to; he's loyal to Heath and the boys share a friendship that comes through on a number of occasions. And there are other characters in the supporting roles that define this rather colorful ragtag bunch. The story starts, at least with their account of going to camp, but as the story progresses forward - not everything is harmonious about Camp Harmony.
Especially when the creatures start to go crazy. It starts with wolves, moves to a furious porcupine who appears to have what people think is rabies, and then all heck breaks loose. Suffice to say, the kids end up trapped. No adults, very little supplies, Very little time to figure out what to do.
"Frenzy" does an excellent job of keeping the harrowing encounters coming fast among the group as they clash with the animals keeping them on the run. It manages to do so not just with heavy costs in the mix, but also by building a good rapport with the characters and even giving humor in spot on points through the narrative. Granted, some of the humor may be cheese, but I was surprised by how fun the narrative came across, even through its darker moments. It builds upon the place details well to set the stage for the story and ultimately each place where the characters move through goal-wise. I thought there were parts where the pacing struggled a little, but usually it would pick up after a time and then bulldoze its way to more harrowing moments and revelations with the characters.
I was also surprised by how well the character development/definition came across. Even as there were moments that I wanted to throttle the characters (I.e. Will, but judging from the way the other characters reacted around him, I wasn't the only one!), I still ended up understanding their motivations, even sympathizing with them as they adapted to their respective situations and each other. Not very much romance to speak of in this novel either - it mostly focuses on the rolling action, the suspense/thriller/chase of the group fleeing the animals and deciding what to do when they hit a group that doesn't agree with them.
I'll admit I didn't see the revelation over Heath's decision/condition until it hit, and that gutted me - making it more amazing that he was able to do all these things in the group in the heat of the moment and also speaking towards his push for survival. He stepped up in many ways through the story from beginning to end, and it was cool that he was as self aware as he was to be able to act and react when one challenge presented itself after another.
And character deaths? As I mentioned, some of the ones featured in here hit hard for emotional impact. When the story starts, there are some that go in passing, but aren't unrecognized, but as the group becomes more centralized and there are fewer to follow, they have more considerable weight. The kids really go through a lot, and you can get that impression through the novel as they push towards what they believe is the route to safety, and also discover more than they bargained for in terms of the cause of the animals turning towards what they dub the "Flash."
Overall, this is a novel that really impressed me and kept me on my toes the whole time I read it, and I really enjoyed not just the eerie and harrowing aspects, but I also had a good laugh in many places in the narrative - with the rapport of the characters, the bit humor, and even some of the twisted camp songs that peppered through the chapters of the work. I think Lettrick hits the genre and appeal of it spot on, and I can't wait to read more of what he has to offer if "Frenzy" is any indication.
Overall score: 5/5 stars
Note: I received this as an ARC from NetGalley, from the publisher Disney-Hyperion.
Full review:
I have enough reactions about Robert Lettrick's middle grade horror book "Frenzy" to talk about it for days. I didn't expect to be blindsided by this read at all, but I remembered seeing it on NetGalley and the blurb intrigued me enough to pick it up. I used to read a ton of middle grade horror and thought "Oooh, camp survival horror story oriented towards middle grade/YA readers? I'm there. I'm definitely there."
I didn't expect it to connect with me like this though. Heath is the primary perspective character, but the way it's written is in third person, so it toggles between a group of kids who are all spending their time trying to adjust to the ins and outs of summer camp. The amount of characters may seem like a bit to swallow at first, but they're easy to get to know.
And it becomes easier when the body count starts rising after the scheme of events in this novel. Yeah, this book does not skimp on character deaths, and some of them *hurt*. Dude, they hurt.
The way the characters are developed is refreshing compared to most because you get an idea of their motivations and they have more dimension than even most YA books I've picked up (and are PROACTIVE characters, I can't stress that enough).
Heath is a boy who believes in doing the right thing, playing peacemaker, but at the same time he has his own mischievous streaks. Floaters (or Miles) appears to be a brash bully who can't swim, but he's really someone who's been given a hard time in his life and tries to redeem himself where he can. Will is a boy who believes in approaching everything from the perspective of chess, and makes no apologies about using people to his own ends in the same way as set pieces. Emily and Emma are twins who enjoy horses and riding, but don't quite bargain for going on the run with a group of boys. Molly is young, but while she might be a little on the fearful side, she knows how to step up to the plate when she needs to. Cricket's a good sidekick and willing to take chances if he needs to; he's loyal to Heath and the boys share a friendship that comes through on a number of occasions. And there are other characters in the supporting roles that define this rather colorful ragtag bunch. The story starts, at least with their account of going to camp, but as the story progresses forward - not everything is harmonious about Camp Harmony.
Especially when the creatures start to go crazy. It starts with wolves, moves to a furious porcupine who appears to have what people think is rabies, and then all heck breaks loose. Suffice to say, the kids end up trapped. No adults, very little supplies, Very little time to figure out what to do.
"Frenzy" does an excellent job of keeping the harrowing encounters coming fast among the group as they clash with the animals keeping them on the run. It manages to do so not just with heavy costs in the mix, but also by building a good rapport with the characters and even giving humor in spot on points through the narrative. Granted, some of the humor may be cheese, but I was surprised by how fun the narrative came across, even through its darker moments. It builds upon the place details well to set the stage for the story and ultimately each place where the characters move through goal-wise. I thought there were parts where the pacing struggled a little, but usually it would pick up after a time and then bulldoze its way to more harrowing moments and revelations with the characters.
I was also surprised by how well the character development/definition came across. Even as there were moments that I wanted to throttle the characters (I.e. Will, but judging from the way the other characters reacted around him, I wasn't the only one!), I still ended up understanding their motivations, even sympathizing with them as they adapted to their respective situations and each other. Not very much romance to speak of in this novel either - it mostly focuses on the rolling action, the suspense/thriller/chase of the group fleeing the animals and deciding what to do when they hit a group that doesn't agree with them.
I'll admit I didn't see the revelation over Heath's decision/condition until it hit, and that gutted me - making it more amazing that he was able to do all these things in the group in the heat of the moment and also speaking towards his push for survival. He stepped up in many ways through the story from beginning to end, and it was cool that he was as self aware as he was to be able to act and react when one challenge presented itself after another.
And character deaths? As I mentioned, some of the ones featured in here hit hard for emotional impact. When the story starts, there are some that go in passing, but aren't unrecognized, but as the group becomes more centralized and there are fewer to follow, they have more considerable weight. The kids really go through a lot, and you can get that impression through the novel as they push towards what they believe is the route to safety, and also discover more than they bargained for in terms of the cause of the animals turning towards what they dub the "Flash."
Overall, this is a novel that really impressed me and kept me on my toes the whole time I read it, and I really enjoyed not just the eerie and harrowing aspects, but I also had a good laugh in many places in the narrative - with the rapport of the characters, the bit humor, and even some of the twisted camp songs that peppered through the chapters of the work. I think Lettrick hits the genre and appeal of it spot on, and I can't wait to read more of what he has to offer if "Frenzy" is any indication.
Overall score: 5/5 stars
Note: I received this as an ARC from NetGalley, from the publisher Disney-Hyperion.
January 25, 2014
I really enjoyed this one!
14-y-o Heath goes to this camp in the woods, where there's no cell phones allowed. He has some friends like Cricket, who gained his nickname because he knows a lot of bug-related things. And then there's his cabin-mate Will, who is this very clever boy who always has hidden agendas. And then, all the wood animals start to go crazy, with this mutated virus and they start killing people, even boys and girls. So this group of friends (and sort of enemies) have to escape to save themselves. It's nature versus them, and, as the book says, "Better be safe than dead."
I loved the characters in this book. Will, the clever boy who thinks life is kind of like a chess game, hooked me. Because, at first he was mysterious, and then you're wondering what's his next hidden agenda. He's egoistic, wants to save himself over the others, but while that's not likeable, I found myself wanting to read more about this character.
Then obviously there's Heath. He's a very lovable main character who is always putting the others before him. We love him right from the get-go.
Then there's this kind of bully, but who doesn't know how to swim, and they have dubbed him "Floaties" but there's way more to him than his bullying side, and in the end you love him too.
There's a lot of action--the kind kids love. Now my 12yo is reading the book and he's loving it.
Another thing that I loved is that I learned so many fun facts about bugs. Like in Thailand there's a species of fungus that invades the bodies of carpenter ants and they act all crazy. And that porcupines can float in the water without even swimming because their quills have some air inside. And that bears can smell the carcass of a dead deer twenty miles away. I could go on and on... but yeah, I did enjoy learning those facts while I read!
Overall, this was an awesome book!
14-y-o Heath goes to this camp in the woods, where there's no cell phones allowed. He has some friends like Cricket, who gained his nickname because he knows a lot of bug-related things. And then there's his cabin-mate Will, who is this very clever boy who always has hidden agendas. And then, all the wood animals start to go crazy, with this mutated virus and they start killing people, even boys and girls. So this group of friends (and sort of enemies) have to escape to save themselves. It's nature versus them, and, as the book says, "Better be safe than dead."
I loved the characters in this book. Will, the clever boy who thinks life is kind of like a chess game, hooked me. Because, at first he was mysterious, and then you're wondering what's his next hidden agenda. He's egoistic, wants to save himself over the others, but while that's not likeable, I found myself wanting to read more about this character.
Then obviously there's Heath. He's a very lovable main character who is always putting the others before him. We love him right from the get-go.
Then there's this kind of bully, but who doesn't know how to swim, and they have dubbed him "Floaties" but there's way more to him than his bullying side, and in the end you love him too.
There's a lot of action--the kind kids love. Now my 12yo is reading the book and he's loving it.
Another thing that I loved is that I learned so many fun facts about bugs. Like in Thailand there's a species of fungus that invades the bodies of carpenter ants and they act all crazy. And that porcupines can float in the water without even swimming because their quills have some air inside. And that bears can smell the carcass of a dead deer twenty miles away. I could go on and on... but yeah, I did enjoy learning those facts while I read!
Overall, this was an awesome book!
March 1, 2014
If When Animals Attack and When Good Pets Go Bad had a lovechild, it would be Frenzy. Forget about a zombie apocalypse, you need to be more worried about Bambi and Rover chomping at your jugular.
Heath is spending the summer at Camp Harmony. Hanging out with his pals, avoiding the camp bullies, trying to ignore crushing feels for a girl, all seems pretty normal at good old camp. Until the porcupine incident.
Suddenly, an apparently rabid porcupine attacks one of the campers. It doesn't stop there. The chipmunks and squirrels are in on it too. Plus the dogs, horses, and deer. Actually, every woodland creature is out for blood.
Heath and a small group of campers manage to escape camp only to be pursued by the animals. It becomes a fight for survival, and not everyone will live to tell the tale. There is also someone who is only concerned about number one, and doesn't really care who dies in their stead.
Frenzy definitely has a few shortcomings. Some things are a bit farfetched. It kind of reads like a Saturday SyFy channel movie. Cheesy but good. Pure gory mindless fun.
If you decide to grab this one, I have a few words of advice:
1) Do not read this while camping in the woods.
2) Always keep an eye on the squirrels.
3 Ninja-Bunnehs-Attack!!
Heath is spending the summer at Camp Harmony. Hanging out with his pals, avoiding the camp bullies, trying to ignore crushing feels for a girl, all seems pretty normal at good old camp. Until the porcupine incident.
Suddenly, an apparently rabid porcupine attacks one of the campers. It doesn't stop there. The chipmunks and squirrels are in on it too. Plus the dogs, horses, and deer. Actually, every woodland creature is out for blood.
Heath and a small group of campers manage to escape camp only to be pursued by the animals. It becomes a fight for survival, and not everyone will live to tell the tale. There is also someone who is only concerned about number one, and doesn't really care who dies in their stead.
Frenzy definitely has a few shortcomings. Some things are a bit farfetched. It kind of reads like a Saturday SyFy channel movie. Cheesy but good. Pure gory mindless fun.
If you decide to grab this one, I have a few words of advice:
1) Do not read this while camping in the woods.
2) Always keep an eye on the squirrels.
3 Ninja-Bunnehs-Attack!!
May 20, 2020
"You know that delicious aroma when your neighbor is having a barbeque, and it makes you want to hop the fence? Well, someone pass the A.1. Steak Sauce, because that's how good we must smell to them."
Also, this book review is complete spoilers, so don't read this I you want to read the book!!
Frenzy is a really good book about friendship and survival. Mostly survival. The main character is Heath Lambert. Heath, who has cancer, goes to Camp Harmony to live a good life after not accepting treatment for his cancer. When Camp harmony is attacked by rabid animals, Heath and fellow campers go to the livery. There, twenty-one campers make a daring escape to the Dray, or the river. The rabid animals have hydrophobia and they die whenever they touch water. Of the twenty-one campers who left the livery, only ten make it to the Dray.
Together, the ten campers wade down the river to Granite Falls, the nearest town. Of the ten campers, there is Will Stringer, who a mysterious boy who plays life like chess, is always prepared, and cares only about the safety of himself. There is Dunbar Frye, a chunky boy and a true friend. Cricket Simms, who loves talking and learning about bugs. Molly, the youngest in the group with the highest spirit, but she is also the most scared. The Em and Em twins (Emma and Emily Barnes), who are total numbskulls and horse lovers. Theo, who I didn't really learn much about, actually. Floaties (Miles), who can't swim and was a mean bully with a shameful past. Sylvestor, popular boy, a good archer, and a kid who had it all. And of course Heath made it to the Dray.
With animals wanting to kill them on either side of the Dray, the ten kids can only stay in the water. Facing bat attacks, swim lessons for Floaties, squirrel attacks, rabid beavers, and more, the kids quickly realize that survival is NOT easy. While in the midst of trying to get to Granite Falls, they lose Sylvestor and Floaties, and take the wrong turn at the fork leading to town. Their journey isn't easy and they have to stick together. They send Theo and Molly to Granite Falls on a kayak, Cricket gets sick, they find a laboratory where the virus was made, and Will dies. This book is full of unexpected twists and turns.
Warning! Some parts of this book were gruesome and violent. A lot of my questions about the book weren't answered. I feel like the author left out details and explanations. WHY DID FLOATIES HAVE TO DIE?? Anyways, a good read nonetheless.
Also, this book review is complete spoilers, so don't read this I you want to read the book!!
Frenzy is a really good book about friendship and survival. Mostly survival. The main character is Heath Lambert. Heath, who has cancer, goes to Camp Harmony to live a good life after not accepting treatment for his cancer. When Camp harmony is attacked by rabid animals, Heath and fellow campers go to the livery. There, twenty-one campers make a daring escape to the Dray, or the river. The rabid animals have hydrophobia and they die whenever they touch water. Of the twenty-one campers who left the livery, only ten make it to the Dray.
Together, the ten campers wade down the river to Granite Falls, the nearest town. Of the ten campers, there is Will Stringer, who a mysterious boy who plays life like chess, is always prepared, and cares only about the safety of himself. There is Dunbar Frye, a chunky boy and a true friend. Cricket Simms, who loves talking and learning about bugs. Molly, the youngest in the group with the highest spirit, but she is also the most scared. The Em and Em twins (Emma and Emily Barnes), who are total numbskulls and horse lovers. Theo, who I didn't really learn much about, actually. Floaties (Miles), who can't swim and was a mean bully with a shameful past. Sylvestor, popular boy, a good archer, and a kid who had it all. And of course Heath made it to the Dray.
With animals wanting to kill them on either side of the Dray, the ten kids can only stay in the water. Facing bat attacks, swim lessons for Floaties, squirrel attacks, rabid beavers, and more, the kids quickly realize that survival is NOT easy. While in the midst of trying to get to Granite Falls, they lose Sylvestor and Floaties, and take the wrong turn at the fork leading to town. Their journey isn't easy and they have to stick together. They send Theo and Molly to Granite Falls on a kayak, Cricket gets sick, they find a laboratory where the virus was made, and Will dies. This book is full of unexpected twists and turns.
Warning! Some parts of this book were gruesome and violent. A lot of my questions about the book weren't answered. I feel like the author left out details and explanations. WHY DID FLOATIES HAVE TO DIE?? Anyways, a good read nonetheless.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 19, 2014
Gr 5-12 -- Good old Camp Harmony. Horseback riding, archery, crafts, and waterskiing on the crystal-clear Dray River. But the card games and squirt gun battles screech to a halt when campers are attacked by an apparently rabid porcupine, followed by a pack of wolves, the camp horses, and every mammal in the vicinity. A small group of kids takes to the river to escape the deadly critters, and each character’s strengths and weaknesses are revealed as the group struggles to survive.
Sloppy writing ("protectoral" isn't a word; animals move "timidly" not "TEPIDLY"; it’s spelled “rappel” and by the way raccoons can’t do it) contributes to the lowbrow, B-movie atmosphere, as do the stock characters: there’s a untrustworthy brainiac, a brawny meathead, a tough girl and a shallow girl, a heroic African-American boy who dies early, and our hero, a quiet, slightly tortured fellow who discovers his natural leadership qualities. Readers who have chewed through the Goosebumps books and are hungry for more will appreciate the gruesome horror of Frenzy - with a body count of well over a hundred, it’s like Holes meets The Island of Dr. Moreau. It's camp, after all.
Now, this is ridiculously violent, riddled with cliche, and written as if the author's hands were swaddled in gauze. On the other hand, I know for a fact that tweens (certain tweens - one of my sons but not the other) will enjoy reading it.
I try not to be a prude, but crap like this is just giving in to violent popular culture. "He just loves The Walking Dead, so what are we going to do?" says the parent. And I'll tell you what you are going to do: you're going to let him or her watch The Walking Dead, or you're going to let your 12-year-old son read Frenzy, but you are going to balance that with A LOT of more realistic input.
Adapted from my review for Booklist online
Sloppy writing ("protectoral" isn't a word; animals move "timidly" not "TEPIDLY"; it’s spelled “rappel” and by the way raccoons can’t do it) contributes to the lowbrow, B-movie atmosphere, as do the stock characters: there’s a untrustworthy brainiac, a brawny meathead, a tough girl and a shallow girl, a heroic African-American boy who dies early, and our hero, a quiet, slightly tortured fellow who discovers his natural leadership qualities. Readers who have chewed through the Goosebumps books and are hungry for more will appreciate the gruesome horror of Frenzy - with a body count of well over a hundred, it’s like Holes meets The Island of Dr. Moreau. It's camp, after all.
Now, this is ridiculously violent, riddled with cliche, and written as if the author's hands were swaddled in gauze. On the other hand, I know for a fact that tweens (certain tweens - one of my sons but not the other) will enjoy reading it.
I try not to be a prude, but crap like this is just giving in to violent popular culture. "He just loves The Walking Dead, so what are we going to do?" says the parent. And I'll tell you what you are going to do: you're going to let him or her watch The Walking Dead, or you're going to let your 12-year-old son read Frenzy, but you are going to balance that with A LOT of more realistic input.
Adapted from my review for Booklist online
July 1, 2014
To see my full review:
http://abookvacation.com/2014/04/04/a...
What would happen if the landdwelling animals of the world suddenly lost their fear or ever their love of humans and began outright attacking us? It would be like a zombie apocalypse, but with animals... and that's exactly what Lettrick pens in his exciting novel, Frenzy.
With an airborne virus that spreads an altered version of rabies, animals of all shapes and sizes are infected, shedding their fears and lusting for blood--mainly, the blood of humans.
Enter Heath, a young man who's already staring death in the face due to a resurgence of cancer, and the prospects don't look good. But at least he has this last summer pretending everything is okay. That is, until a brood of animals begins slaughtering his campmates.
With the river as their only respite from the hoards of animals intent on obliterating their existence, Heath and his "friends," Cricket, the Ems, Will, Dunbar, Miles, and a handful of others find themselves trapped and running out of options fast.
This is a fast paced read that I highly enjoyed, and I think most MG and YA readers will feel the same. There is a lot of death within the novel--animals are quick, as it is, but even so, it's a believable and enticing enough read--and thankfully it's not too graphic.
While there are a lot of characters, Lettrick makes it easy to tell them apart and their plights are believable. It's awesome.
http://abookvacation.com/2014/04/04/a...
What would happen if the landdwelling animals of the world suddenly lost their fear or ever their love of humans and began outright attacking us? It would be like a zombie apocalypse, but with animals... and that's exactly what Lettrick pens in his exciting novel, Frenzy.
With an airborne virus that spreads an altered version of rabies, animals of all shapes and sizes are infected, shedding their fears and lusting for blood--mainly, the blood of humans.
Enter Heath, a young man who's already staring death in the face due to a resurgence of cancer, and the prospects don't look good. But at least he has this last summer pretending everything is okay. That is, until a brood of animals begins slaughtering his campmates.
With the river as their only respite from the hoards of animals intent on obliterating their existence, Heath and his "friends," Cricket, the Ems, Will, Dunbar, Miles, and a handful of others find themselves trapped and running out of options fast.
This is a fast paced read that I highly enjoyed, and I think most MG and YA readers will feel the same. There is a lot of death within the novel--animals are quick, as it is, but even so, it's a believable and enticing enough read--and thankfully it's not too graphic.
While there are a lot of characters, Lettrick makes it easy to tell them apart and their plights are believable. It's awesome.
December 4, 2014
In the book Frenzy is about a fourteen year old boy Heath Lambert at a summer camp called Camp Harmony with his friends Cricket and Dunbar. Heath is going to get bullied by two bully named Thumper and Floaties but his cabin mate Will step up and tells them not to. Heath and his friends go up to the ranch where the two girls Dunbar and Cricket have a crush on Emily and Emma they ride on their horses but the horses are acting wild. Heath goes back to the campsite and he hears howling from wolves the next day they are out in a water gun fight and they find a rabid porcupine that dies from the fright of water they go back to the campsite and they see Emma and Emily running back with a rabid wolf pack and run away trying to survive from all the animals with the sickness.
I gave this book five stars because it is the type of book five stars because it is a book you don't want to put down because every chapter it has something new and you want to read on because the chapters are mysteries would recommend this book to anyone whole likes bloody and action types of books.
I gave this book five stars because it is the type of book five stars because it is a book you don't want to put down because every chapter it has something new and you want to read on because the chapters are mysteries would recommend this book to anyone whole likes bloody and action types of books.
March 2, 2014
This is the book to put in the hands of a reluctant reader for sure. Intense, fast paced, creepy, packed with animal facts and humor, this scary book is heart warming all at the same time. I'll be looking at squirrels in a whole new way from now on.
August 12, 2024
Wow was this a wild ride!
(14-year-old Heath Lambert is spending his summer at Camp Harmony in the picturesque Cascade Mountain Valley. It's the perfect place to enjoy the soothing calm of nature as he weighs a heavy decision. The camp offers distractions: his friends, Cricket and Dunbar, always up for trouble; his reluctant crush on Emily, one half of the beautiful Em & Em Twins; and hulking bullies Thumper and Floaties, who are determined to make him their punching bag for the summer. But no one rattles Heath like his creepy cabin mate, Will Stringer. Brilliant, cold and calculating, Will views the world as one big chess game, and he's always three moves ahead of everyone else.
Heath soon learns there's a much bigger threat to contend with. Something's wrong with the animals in the surrounding forest. A darkness is spreading, driving them mad with rage. Wolves, bears, mountain lions-even the chipmunks are infected, spurred on in droves by one horrific goal: hunt and kill every human they find.
Heath and a ragtag band of campers are faced with a choice: follow Will's lead and possibly survive, or follow the camp staff and die. But how do you trust a leader when you suspect he's more dangerous than the animals you're running from?
Heath came to Camp Harmony to be surrounded by nature. He's about to get his wish.) ~ Blurb from Goodreads
The way that it sets things up is rather clever. So on the surface, the novel seems like it takes forever to get to the main conflict. However, it actually plants subtle seeds that something is wrong very early on. For example, in chapter one, a squirrel almost accepts a piece of Heath's chicken sandwich, but then bails at the last second. Then in chapter two, there's a bunch of chickens sitting on tires for no reason and the horses at the stables are acting up.
Speaking of the main conflict, the novel does not shy away from showing just how dangerous and terrifying it truly is. Any animal will attack you, any animal can kill you. Any character can die, named or unnamed, developed or not so developed. There's next to no safe places either. Not gonna lie. I genuinely wasn't expecting the main conflict to be presented this way, but I'm so glad that it was because it really sells just how high the stakes are and creates a ton of tension and suspense.
Will was a pretty compelling character. So he is a stereotypical nerd. He's a chess prodigy and he's not a physically strong kid. However, he's not afraid to stand up for himself and others and is able to take his chess skills and successfully apply them in other areas of life. Though, Heath seems rather uncomfortable around him and even has a nightmare in chapter three where Will tries to drown him and while he was correct about Through a combination of Will's actions and the way other characters view him intentionally makes the reader question whether Will is a good guy or a bad guy.
Heath was also a pretty cool character. So Heath loves nature and Through this experience and his love of nature, he's able to unintentionally slip into the role as the leader of the survivors, often breaking up fights and not shying away from making tough decisions, towards the end of the novel, I love how he's able to despite how harrowing the whole ordeal is. I also love how he becomes the leader because he just does what comes naturally to him rather than actively choosing to do so or being pushed into it by other people.
The character arc of Floaties (a.k.a ) was rather interesting too. So he starts out as a stock bully character, but gradually
At points however, the novel was rather dated. For example, in chapter six, Cricket says this, "So there's a virus in the air that makes animals go crazier than Justin Bieber fans." There's also this from the epilogue, "There would be no pining for her love or stalking her on Facebook. [...] Heath visited Cricket in the hospital during his long recovery from the virus, and occasionally Skyped with Dunbar..." Seriously, what kid still uses Facebook and Skype these days? Is Justin Bieber even still relevant? Granted it isn't the worst I've seen of this type of thing, but it still distracted from the moment every time and I really wished these elements were either cut or replaced with something that got the same point across without being super susceptible to aging badly.
Overall, Frenzy was a novel that did not mess around when it came to delivering compelling characters and all around boldness.
Overall Grade: A
(14-year-old Heath Lambert is spending his summer at Camp Harmony in the picturesque Cascade Mountain Valley. It's the perfect place to enjoy the soothing calm of nature as he weighs a heavy decision. The camp offers distractions: his friends, Cricket and Dunbar, always up for trouble; his reluctant crush on Emily, one half of the beautiful Em & Em Twins; and hulking bullies Thumper and Floaties, who are determined to make him their punching bag for the summer. But no one rattles Heath like his creepy cabin mate, Will Stringer. Brilliant, cold and calculating, Will views the world as one big chess game, and he's always three moves ahead of everyone else.
Heath soon learns there's a much bigger threat to contend with. Something's wrong with the animals in the surrounding forest. A darkness is spreading, driving them mad with rage. Wolves, bears, mountain lions-even the chipmunks are infected, spurred on in droves by one horrific goal: hunt and kill every human they find.
Heath and a ragtag band of campers are faced with a choice: follow Will's lead and possibly survive, or follow the camp staff and die. But how do you trust a leader when you suspect he's more dangerous than the animals you're running from?
Heath came to Camp Harmony to be surrounded by nature. He's about to get his wish.) ~ Blurb from Goodreads
The way that it sets things up is rather clever. So on the surface, the novel seems like it takes forever to get to the main conflict. However, it actually plants subtle seeds that something is wrong very early on. For example, in chapter one, a squirrel almost accepts a piece of Heath's chicken sandwich, but then bails at the last second. Then in chapter two, there's a bunch of chickens sitting on tires for no reason and the horses at the stables are acting up.
Speaking of the main conflict, the novel does not shy away from showing just how dangerous and terrifying it truly is. Any animal will attack you, any animal can kill you. Any character can die, named or unnamed, developed or not so developed. There's next to no safe places either. Not gonna lie. I genuinely wasn't expecting the main conflict to be presented this way, but I'm so glad that it was because it really sells just how high the stakes are and creates a ton of tension and suspense.
Will was a pretty compelling character. So he is a stereotypical nerd. He's a chess prodigy and he's not a physically strong kid. However, he's not afraid to stand up for himself and others and is able to take his chess skills and successfully apply them in other areas of life. Though, Heath seems rather uncomfortable around him and even has a nightmare in chapter three where Will tries to drown him and while he was correct about Through a combination of Will's actions and the way other characters view him intentionally makes the reader question whether Will is a good guy or a bad guy.
Heath was also a pretty cool character. So Heath loves nature and Through this experience and his love of nature, he's able to unintentionally slip into the role as the leader of the survivors, often breaking up fights and not shying away from making tough decisions, towards the end of the novel, I love how he's able to despite how harrowing the whole ordeal is. I also love how he becomes the leader because he just does what comes naturally to him rather than actively choosing to do so or being pushed into it by other people.
The character arc of Floaties (a.k.a ) was rather interesting too. So he starts out as a stock bully character, but gradually
At points however, the novel was rather dated. For example, in chapter six, Cricket says this, "So there's a virus in the air that makes animals go crazier than Justin Bieber fans." There's also this from the epilogue, "There would be no pining for her love or stalking her on Facebook. [...] Heath visited Cricket in the hospital during his long recovery from the virus, and occasionally Skyped with Dunbar..." Seriously, what kid still uses Facebook and Skype these days? Is Justin Bieber even still relevant? Granted it isn't the worst I've seen of this type of thing, but it still distracted from the moment every time and I really wished these elements were either cut or replaced with something that got the same point across without being super susceptible to aging badly.
Overall, Frenzy was a novel that did not mess around when it came to delivering compelling characters and all around boldness.
Overall Grade: A
November 13, 2017
I really loved this book because it was my type of book and it was very suspensful and their were lots of places were it left you with a cliff hanger and I wanted to read more this book was one of those books that was good for me and I loved this book I would provide this book for other people to read
August 5, 2016
Scary Squirrels at Summer Camp Wow. I honestly did not expect to like this as much as I did. This book is scary, nail-biting, compassionate and somewhat realistic. But I am glad that my summer camp experiences were never this intense.
I don't want to give anything away, but I will say this is not for the faint of heart. There is a lot of death. There are a lot of crazy "rabid" animals. There are good kids and bad, brave kids and cowards, and there are a lot of slow revelations about the kids' backgrounds.
This book is fantastic if you like a realistic story with a heavy dose of fright.
This is on the 2016-2017 Sunshine State Nomination list of books for grades 6-8. And it is good for those grades and above, but I will suggest to our elementary librarian that we leave it out of our collection. As I always say, you know your kids. This book is intense, but if you have a budding horror fan (as I was as a preteen), they will probably love it.
Think:
Cujo (King) + Zoo (Patterson) + summer camp - adults = a fantasticly frightening experience
Recommended to:
Budding horror fans in grades 6 and up. (Avoid if you are sensitive to animal death or are squeamish in general).
I don't want to give anything away, but I will say this is not for the faint of heart. There is a lot of death. There are a lot of crazy "rabid" animals. There are good kids and bad, brave kids and cowards, and there are a lot of slow revelations about the kids' backgrounds.
This book is fantastic if you like a realistic story with a heavy dose of fright.
This is on the 2016-2017 Sunshine State Nomination list of books for grades 6-8. And it is good for those grades and above, but I will suggest to our elementary librarian that we leave it out of our collection. As I always say, you know your kids. This book is intense, but if you have a budding horror fan (as I was as a preteen), they will probably love it.
Think:
Cujo (King) + Zoo (Patterson) + summer camp - adults = a fantasticly frightening experience
Recommended to:
Budding horror fans in grades 6 and up. (Avoid if you are sensitive to animal death or are squeamish in general).
January 30, 2020
Imagine if the rabies went airborne, and all animals who get even a whiff of the infected oxygen, would get infected. Well that is the premise of this intruging read. Frenzy is meant for the YA audience, and takes them to a summer camp in which Heath and his friends are camping at summer camp. All is well until a bloody porquipine runs across the campsite foaming at the mouth and bites one of the kids there. They fall into the lake never to be seen again. Shortly after a rabid deer attacks the campers, who are forced to go on lockdown. This is when the gore starts. Animals start pouring into the campsite, killing campers left and right. Camp counselors are dying as well. A band of campers find themselves locked in a cabin. They realize that they need to work together in order to live, and as rabid feral animals are clawing their way into the cabin, one of them realizes that these animals are deathly afraid of water. It kills the animals. This discovery proves immensly important to them, as it is the key to their survival… This book is an insanely good read and I reccomend it to all.
May 26, 2015
Heath and a Group of friends, Cricket, Dunbar, Will the 2 Em's and others, wanted to get out of the forest. A few days after coming to a camp they are attacked by all the animals in the whole surrounding forest which means thousands. The animals have a much more lethal form of rabies that kills with one bite in seconds. As they leave the camp they have to wade through a deep river for miles. They found out that there was a swarm of tens of thousands of bats heading their way and the only way to avoid them was to go underwater and use the straws Will, a supper smart and amazing chess player who always thought 3 moves ahead. When they survive they then continue on their suicidal journey of hope. . .
This book makes me just feel so lucky that I have never had to feel so scared and terrified for my life and that things can become real bad real fast.
This book makes me just feel so lucky that I have never had to feel so scared and terrified for my life and that things can become real bad real fast.
April 28, 2014
Frenzy by Robert Lettrick is one of the freshest young-adult novels I've read in a very long time. Not dedicated to vampires or teenage sex, but rabid animals vs. humans and the survival of the fittest. I would suggest this to any fan of R. L. Stine, as a growing up horror novel. Terrifying in a good way.
December 5, 2017
My thoughts on this book were that I did not really like as much as I thought I would, and the reason for that was because I could not really find a main topic on what the story was about and that it also switched certain settings and topics quickly. Some reason on why I liked this book were because of how the characters interact with each other and how they react when something happens.
January 15, 2015
Fantastic action....Wouldn't be surprised if Disney made a movie out of this.
November 17, 2014
So bad. Things spelled wrong. Weird plot twists. Just bad.
April 19, 2023
Heath just wanted to get away for the summer, enjoy some time in the great outdoors, and leave his problems at home. He nearly got his wish. Unfortunately Camp Harmony had troubles all it's own. Something is wrong with the animals in the Skagit valley. They've suddenly become vicious, aggressive, frenzied.
I will never be able to look at squirrels the same way again. Frenzy is listed as middle grade fiction, but it's a far cry from the middle grade horror I grew up reading. Lettrick wracks up an impressive body count in his first foray into the genre. While the deaths were mostly quick and painless, they were final and grim. Lettrick didn't back down from heavier topics either, digging into real issues ranging from childhood illness to homelessness and divorce. I found it all a little poignant for a 'kid's book' but kids these days are having to grow up and face a harsher reality than any generation in a long time. Overall I was impressed by Frenzy and I already have Lettrick's second MG book locked and loaded.
I will never be able to look at squirrels the same way again. Frenzy is listed as middle grade fiction, but it's a far cry from the middle grade horror I grew up reading. Lettrick wracks up an impressive body count in his first foray into the genre. While the deaths were mostly quick and painless, they were final and grim. Lettrick didn't back down from heavier topics either, digging into real issues ranging from childhood illness to homelessness and divorce. I found it all a little poignant for a 'kid's book' but kids these days are having to grow up and face a harsher reality than any generation in a long time. Overall I was impressed by Frenzy and I already have Lettrick's second MG book locked and loaded.
November 8, 2017
Heath is an ordinary kid. his parents sent him to a camp called, Camp Harmony. it was all fun and games until a porcupine came chasing after one of the kids. to kill the porcupine Heath sprayed water on it, they thought that it just had rabies, but it was much, much worse. read this book to find out if Heath and his friends can get out of the frenzy.
A theme for this book is, "sometimes it takes sacrifices to live. " It is a little creepy but is perfect for this book. Because a lot of people- i'm not going to say who-take sacrifices to save the group. and most of those sacrifices make the group die, one by one.
I really liked this book because i like gruesome stories. and this is a good one about friends and camps. Also they have to face there fears at one point in the book. I feel if you like creepy stories and deadly viruses you would really like this book
A theme for this book is, "sometimes it takes sacrifices to live. " It is a little creepy but is perfect for this book. Because a lot of people- i'm not going to say who-take sacrifices to save the group. and most of those sacrifices make the group die, one by one.
I really liked this book because i like gruesome stories. and this is a good one about friends and camps. Also they have to face there fears at one point in the book. I feel if you like creepy stories and deadly viruses you would really like this book
Want to read
December 11, 2020Re-reading this book was almost like a new experience for me. It's been a few years since I last read this book. But this time I took thought of how the people actually got infected in the book. I noticed how there were weird purple stripes that grew along their body after they got bit by an animal. I would say that I sympathize for the characters the same way as I did the first time I read this book. It's much like some of the books I read today and how I sympathize for the characters. I also took thought in the personalities of the characters and it made a lot more sense for why they acted the way they acted. It was cool re-reading this book again after so long. Maybe I'll read it again in another few years to see if I notice anything different then.
January 31, 2020
This book was 100% a 5-star book; once I picked the book up, I could not stop reading. The story revolves around a young boy named Heath at a camp at a summer camp called camp harmony. And while he wants to. Get into a relationship at the start, things take an unexpected turn for the worst when the animals began uniting against the campers, and suddenly, Heath has to learn to trust his camper Will, who was proven to be anything BUT trustworthy. In total, I like how the book played around with Will's character so much and built up the suspense for what was going to happen at the end. I do have one complaint, though, and that is that the book's characters were a little bit too cliche for my taste. The fact that most of the characters could be replaced by stereotypical teen "coming of age" movie characters was a bit bland and personally left me wanting more complexity just past Will. But besides that fault, I did not see much wrong with the book in totality. I was readily engaged the whole time, and the story behind the rabid animals was a fun twist on the standard zombie narrative that is often overused today. The book also ended on a good note that was very satisfying personally. In conclusion, I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to take some time off and are into realistic fictional stories.
April 17, 2025
I'm kinda surprised, but I liked this book ... to the extent that I kept returning to it, curious to know how it'd end. Perhaps the intended audience is middle-school boys, but the author did not talk down to that level.
I learned a bit about rabies I didn't know, so whether intentionally or no, the author educated me. I especially appreciated that he delved into some of the characters' lives to engender our empathy for them. He didn't paint the kids as all good or all evil.
Heath was great as the protag. He had depth in terms of emotional maturity and concern for others that really resonated with me.
Good job!
I learned a bit about rabies I didn't know, so whether intentionally or no, the author educated me. I especially appreciated that he delved into some of the characters' lives to engender our empathy for them. He didn't paint the kids as all good or all evil.
Heath was great as the protag. He had depth in terms of emotional maturity and concern for others that really resonated with me.
Good job!
March 27, 2014
When a 14 year old boy named Heath heads to Camp Harmony for a relaxing summer he expects lazy days filled with friends, swimming in the lake and staying up late telling ghost stories. Unfortunately for Heath all that's about to change when the Animals suddenly start attacking everyone killing off most of the campers in mere minutes. Now Heath and his friends must race to the safety of a town miles away before they succumb to the deadly swarm. Only time is running out and the infection is spreading.
Frenzy is a book that reminded me greatly of old school Goosebumps or late night episodes of the Crypt Keeper that I used to sneak out of bed and watch as a child. The story and it's premise were cheesy enough to not be taken as seriously as say Stephen King or Clive Barker in terms of it's Horror filled moments but on the other hand it's scary enough to appease those younger readers looking for something along the lines of The Walking Dead without actually being The Walking Dead. Basically, Frenzy is Horror at the PG-13 level yet knows not to go beyond it for fear of being censored.
What I really liked about Frenzy were the characters. There was a nice mix of personality and ages amongst the small group the story follows. I liked Heath because he wasn't this natural born leader who accepted the role from the start and kept everyone alive. Instead he was just a real kid reacting to the turn of events the best he knew how. He did a lot of growing up in the short time span given to him. I also really liked the Bully called Floaties. He had a great story Arc and I found his growth really reflected the insecurities he had at the beginning to his newly found sense of purpose at the end. Of course then we have little Molly and she was like the Jedi Master of the group. She was wise beyond her years and also due to her being the youngest kept the older boys in control of themselves since without them she surely would've perished along with everyone else.
Speaking of the body count, Wow this one was high. I think in total some 100+ kids died. Of course this is a Middle Grade novel after all so we didn't see them all. The ones we did though they died pretty brutally. Some were maimed, others drowned and yet some were just crushed in the Frenzy. I know it sounds weird but I appreciated the Author showing some of the carnage even if a good chunk of it happened out of view.
Lastly, I think the writing was great. It felt like smart horror instead of something ripped from some low budget B-Movie. The characters were written in an age appropriate mindset and their decisions reflected that. Yet, the science behind the infection was explained nicely without having to simplify terms for a younger audience. It did of course help that some of the characters were more scientifically minded than others so they could help translate what was going on and break it down in layman's terms. Also we didn't have characters just running off doing incredibly stupid things just to make the body count rise. As a Horror fan I can appreciate that. It can get tiring seeing people die these horrible yet easily avoidable deaths to the point you can pick up the redshirts of the story right away. I actually was able to connect with these characters and when one died I felt sadness instead of snark.
Now even though I really enjoyed Frenzy the reason I didn't rate the story higher was because I hated the ending. It was the one downside to the entire story.
I don't like feeling rushed while reading and that is the exact way I felt after finishing the book. Everything is rushed to the point where we miss crucial elements of the story such as the destruction of all these rabid animals, the immediate rescue of the campers, the media swarming around the camp and the search for survivors. Sure we see a bunch and learn stuff in the process but for me personally it wasn't satisfying. Also the whole militarized bio weapons plot really could've benefited from some kind of scene from their perspective like watching the news and ordering someone on the phone to salt the earth where the facility existed or even picking out another location to use it since the trial had been a success. Just give me something to say it isn't over! My only consolation is that things were open ended enough for a sequel to be written. I know I for one would love to see more that's for sure.
Final Thoughts
While I thoroughly enjoyed Frenzy I can't help think what might have been had it been written for a Young Adult audience instead of Middle Grade. Sure it was a solidly written story and the plot fantastic but you could tell where the edits were made and the gore held back to make the story suitable for Middle Grade readers. Now if the Author ever writes an uncensored edition for an older audience I'll be the first in line to read it, you can count on that. However, as it stands, Did I enjoy Frenzy? Yes. Would I recommend it? Absolutely. I'd have no problem buying this for my kids or even adding it to the shelves for myself. With that being said, I'll be rating Frenzy by Robert Lettrick ★★★★.
Reviewed originally@Blood,Sweat and Books
*Copy reviewed provided by Netgalley. All opinions are my own and I was not compensated in an which way for providing them.
Frenzy is a book that reminded me greatly of old school Goosebumps or late night episodes of the Crypt Keeper that I used to sneak out of bed and watch as a child. The story and it's premise were cheesy enough to not be taken as seriously as say Stephen King or Clive Barker in terms of it's Horror filled moments but on the other hand it's scary enough to appease those younger readers looking for something along the lines of The Walking Dead without actually being The Walking Dead. Basically, Frenzy is Horror at the PG-13 level yet knows not to go beyond it for fear of being censored.
What I really liked about Frenzy were the characters. There was a nice mix of personality and ages amongst the small group the story follows. I liked Heath because he wasn't this natural born leader who accepted the role from the start and kept everyone alive. Instead he was just a real kid reacting to the turn of events the best he knew how. He did a lot of growing up in the short time span given to him. I also really liked the Bully called Floaties. He had a great story Arc and I found his growth really reflected the insecurities he had at the beginning to his newly found sense of purpose at the end. Of course then we have little Molly and she was like the Jedi Master of the group. She was wise beyond her years and also due to her being the youngest kept the older boys in control of themselves since without them she surely would've perished along with everyone else.
Speaking of the body count, Wow this one was high. I think in total some 100+ kids died. Of course this is a Middle Grade novel after all so we didn't see them all. The ones we did though they died pretty brutally. Some were maimed, others drowned and yet some were just crushed in the Frenzy. I know it sounds weird but I appreciated the Author showing some of the carnage even if a good chunk of it happened out of view.
Lastly, I think the writing was great. It felt like smart horror instead of something ripped from some low budget B-Movie. The characters were written in an age appropriate mindset and their decisions reflected that. Yet, the science behind the infection was explained nicely without having to simplify terms for a younger audience. It did of course help that some of the characters were more scientifically minded than others so they could help translate what was going on and break it down in layman's terms. Also we didn't have characters just running off doing incredibly stupid things just to make the body count rise. As a Horror fan I can appreciate that. It can get tiring seeing people die these horrible yet easily avoidable deaths to the point you can pick up the redshirts of the story right away. I actually was able to connect with these characters and when one died I felt sadness instead of snark.
Now even though I really enjoyed Frenzy the reason I didn't rate the story higher was because I hated the ending. It was the one downside to the entire story.
I don't like feeling rushed while reading and that is the exact way I felt after finishing the book. Everything is rushed to the point where we miss crucial elements of the story such as the destruction of all these rabid animals, the immediate rescue of the campers, the media swarming around the camp and the search for survivors. Sure we see a bunch and learn stuff in the process but for me personally it wasn't satisfying. Also the whole militarized bio weapons plot really could've benefited from some kind of scene from their perspective like watching the news and ordering someone on the phone to salt the earth where the facility existed or even picking out another location to use it since the trial had been a success. Just give me something to say it isn't over! My only consolation is that things were open ended enough for a sequel to be written. I know I for one would love to see more that's for sure.
Final Thoughts
While I thoroughly enjoyed Frenzy I can't help think what might have been had it been written for a Young Adult audience instead of Middle Grade. Sure it was a solidly written story and the plot fantastic but you could tell where the edits were made and the gore held back to make the story suitable for Middle Grade readers. Now if the Author ever writes an uncensored edition for an older audience I'll be the first in line to read it, you can count on that. However, as it stands, Did I enjoy Frenzy? Yes. Would I recommend it? Absolutely. I'd have no problem buying this for my kids or even adding it to the shelves for myself. With that being said, I'll be rating Frenzy by Robert Lettrick ★★★★.
Reviewed originally@Blood,Sweat and Books
*Copy reviewed provided by Netgalley. All opinions are my own and I was not compensated in an which way for providing them.
July 23, 2018
This was a fun, crazy, sad, uplifting, depressing story. Yep there were a roller coaster of emotions as what was to be a soothing summer camp experience goes horribly wrong. A government experiment gone wrong has the group running for their lives and their friends dying around them. Will they make it to safety or with they fall to the sick animals. Definitely worth the read to find out.
May 26, 2020
I got my son to do a little book club with me and a few other books, and at first he hated it. He had been asking to read this book for awhile, so when I finally let them read it, he was so excited. At first I thought there would be a lot of death in it, and it did. There were lots of unanswered questions and misspelled things. Overall, the book was interesting, I guess.
March 5, 2017
This was a fun, scary, creepy adventure story that is perfect for a middle grade audience who likes horror. It also carries some great themes regarding helping others through dire circumstances vs saving only yourself.
December 31, 2017
This is the THIRD time I've read a book mentioning the Zombie Ants---the first time I ever heard of them was in a classroom, and I science teacher told us about it.At first we didn't believe him...but now? I still kinda want to see a zombie ant (-:
November 5, 2018
I actually liked this one a lot! I haven't read many zombie-esque books simply because I'd never thought that could be really written well. Boy was I wrong! The ending was a bit unsatisfying and there are holes I've been trying to fix after the fact but I would definitely recommend it to anyone!
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