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Big Rock #1
Ravenous
When the residents of the coastal California town of Big Rock are plagued by a curse that is spread through sex, Sheriff Arlin Hurley and his men must stop the growing terror and discover that many of the old werewolf legends are just myths--the reality is far worse. Original.
342 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2008
65 people are currently reading
1818 people want to read
About the author
Ray Garton
180 books563 followersRay Garton is the author of several books, including horror novels such as LIVE GIRLS (which has a movie in the works), CRUCIFAX, E4 AUTUMN, and THE FOLKS; thrillers like TRADE SECRETS and SHACKLED; and numerous short stories and novellas. He's also written a number of movie and television tie-ins for young readers. He lives with his wife, Dawn, in California.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 135 reviews
May 3, 2023
Werewolf Horror! 🐺
This book was a wonderful werewolf book! Full of suspense, mystery and surprises! This is old school werewolf horror at its best!
Not that milky and soppy, lovey-dovey mess that’s been cluttering up tv and the movies lately.
Well, let’s move on...A woman is raped by what appears to be a man and a wolf! She manages to kill her attacker, but somehow, he disappears from the town’s morgue.
More people are attacked, someone thinks it’s a wolf! But things are a lot worse. 😱☹️😳😱
A wonderful four stars. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This book was a wonderful werewolf book! Full of suspense, mystery and surprises! This is old school werewolf horror at its best!
Not that milky and soppy, lovey-dovey mess that’s been cluttering up tv and the movies lately.
Well, let’s move on...A woman is raped by what appears to be a man and a wolf! She manages to kill her attacker, but somehow, he disappears from the town’s morgue.
More people are attacked, someone thinks it’s a wolf! But things are a lot worse. 😱☹️😳😱
A wonderful four stars. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
May 28, 2025
Wow! What a bloody-romping-roaring-gore fest this story turned out to be! I discovered a new author to pursue as well as this was my first book by author, Ray Garton. Let the fun times begin!
Small backstory:
In Big Rock, California which is a small town near the coast becomes infested with werewolves which go on a rampage through the town. The werewolves are lethal and ferocious as they make the town their hunting grounds! Who lives and who dies?
No spoilers here as if you want to know more then go read this book!
Thoughts:
This was my first time reading this book and my introduction to the work of author, Ray Garton. Loved this story as it was fast paced and had tons of werewolf stuff happening almost right away! The pace of the story moves super fast and as the bodies pile up it seems that the book goes into overdrive!
There are quite a bit of extreme situations within this book as well and when the blood starts to fly I had to grab my gore suit as with tearing fangs and fur the story has ripping gore all the way through the book! There are twists and turns in this story as well which kept my interest piqued and kept me on the edge of my seat! There are tons of characters in this book so make sure you do not get attached to anyone as they might end up on the "die list".
If you are in the mood for werewolves with fangs and fur then go check out this book! Just grab a gore suit as you will need it!
Trigger Warnings: This book does contain graphic details and situations throughout the book as some people might not be able to handle the content within, but for you horror fans that have the motto "anything goes" then by all means pick up this book and add Ray Garton to your list of horror authors!
Small backstory:
In Big Rock, California which is a small town near the coast becomes infested with werewolves which go on a rampage through the town. The werewolves are lethal and ferocious as they make the town their hunting grounds! Who lives and who dies?
No spoilers here as if you want to know more then go read this book!
Thoughts:
This was my first time reading this book and my introduction to the work of author, Ray Garton. Loved this story as it was fast paced and had tons of werewolf stuff happening almost right away! The pace of the story moves super fast and as the bodies pile up it seems that the book goes into overdrive!
There are quite a bit of extreme situations within this book as well and when the blood starts to fly I had to grab my gore suit as with tearing fangs and fur the story has ripping gore all the way through the book! There are twists and turns in this story as well which kept my interest piqued and kept me on the edge of my seat! There are tons of characters in this book so make sure you do not get attached to anyone as they might end up on the "die list".
If you are in the mood for werewolves with fangs and fur then go check out this book! Just grab a gore suit as you will need it!
Trigger Warnings: This book does contain graphic details and situations throughout the book as some people might not be able to handle the content within, but for you horror fans that have the motto "anything goes" then by all means pick up this book and add Ray Garton to your list of horror authors!
September 22, 2015
A woman is brutally raped and her attacker is taken to the morgue. When the sheriff goes to the morgue to see if he can identify the dead assailant, the body isn't there. Soon a naked man is spotted running out of the hospital's ER doors. The sheriff sends his deputy after the man and the deputy ends up brutally murdered in a disemboweling that is determined was done by a large, unseen, wolf-like animal. At the scene of one killing, a mysterious man shoots a "killer" leaving a mysterious, half-changed body that resembles both a human and a wolf. The strangers informs the sheriff that "he's got a werewolf infestation" in his small Northern California town of Big Rock and that its spread as a STD.
I have to give Garton an A for creativity. I love how he updates the lycanthrope mythology and interweaves it in a tightly written thrill fest. The main characters are distinctive and no one is above being the next victim.The blood pours from the pages as the carnage piles up. The werewolves are vicious and show no mercy. This is my first read of Garton's work and I highly recommend it.
4 1/2 silver bullets out of 5
You can also follow my reviews at the following links:
https://kenmckinley.wordpress.com
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/5...
http://www.amazon.com/gp/profile/A2J1...
I have to give Garton an A for creativity. I love how he updates the lycanthrope mythology and interweaves it in a tightly written thrill fest. The main characters are distinctive and no one is above being the next victim.The blood pours from the pages as the carnage piles up. The werewolves are vicious and show no mercy. This is my first read of Garton's work and I highly recommend it.
4 1/2 silver bullets out of 5
You can also follow my reviews at the following links:
https://kenmckinley.wordpress.com
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/5...
http://www.amazon.com/gp/profile/A2J1...
July 25, 2013
First experience with Ray Garton.
I don't usually read werewolf fiction; in fact, I can say Cycle of The Werewolf and Wolf's Hour may be the only ones I have read. And those were 20 years ago, easily.
This book was extreme, much more so than I at first anticipated.
Explosive violence and hardcore sex predominated, but were not gratuitous, but essential to driving the plot forward.
I enjoyed the array of interesting characters, although there were a few I would have liked to have gotten to know better.
This is the first book in a series, followed by Bestial, and that one is definitely on my TBR pile now.
Garton writes with a deftness akin to that of Richard Laymon. He doesn't waste words, and the sense of dread throughout the book was palpable.
My only complaint was there was some repetition as people were changed into werewolves. It was the same scenario each time. That's really a minor complaint because it is a short book and took me only a couple of days to read after I got into it. Recommended for fans of Richard Laymon and extreme horror in general. Also a damn fine example of what a werewolf novel should be like, in my opinion. These creatures were evil all the way.
July 29, 2015
Leave it to Garton to treat Lycanthropy like a STD. Abuse, Rape, Fat Shaming, Adultery, and plenty mo’ raping to go around. Good times.
June 10, 2008
I'm not sure why this book is categorized as Romance because, while there is plenty of sex in the book, it is quite horrific, gory, about werewolves who hunger and feed ravenously, grotesquely, spreading their disease through sex. I loved it, great character development, fantastic ending, my first Ray Garton, can't wait to read Live Girls, as the movie is coming soon! While I did find a few minor editing errors, I would highly recommend this book, a different take on the 'ole werewolf tale.
October 7, 2023
You can tell Garton had fun writing Ravenous. From the cover, you know this will be a werewolf novel, but Garton put quite a unique spin on this old trope. Garton's werewolves are mean, hungry, and very horny; the later being key as it is not surviving a bite that turns one into a werewolf, but some sort of STD. Further, the STD works very fast, turning people in only a few days.
Ravenous starts with a bang, literally, as the prologue has a scarred man crashing a seedy hotel room and blowing away some werewolves with silver bullets. The 'allergy' to silver is about the only thing 'true' about these werewolves as they can change shape at will (e.g., no full moon needed). Once 'turned', the new werewolves need to feed, and fuck, not necessarily in that order.
Our main protagonist, Arlin Hurley, works at the sheriff in the sleepy California town of Big Rock. Ravenous starts a little slowly after the prologue, with Garton introducing a broad cast of characters. One of them, Emily, works as a receptionist at the Sheriff's office, and on her way home from her weight watcher's meeting, her car breaks down and she is attacked and raped by some smelly guy in tattered clothes. While attempted to fend him off, she managed to grab an old, rusty corkscrew and plunged it into his eye, killing him. Later, Hurley visits her at the hospital-- maybe she luckily managed to kill the serial rapist that has been plaguing the county.
When Hurley goes to inspect the body of the rapist, however, he seems to be missing. in fact, he managed to escape, walking out of the hospital buck naked. While Hurley is down in the morgue, one of his deputies spots the naked man and gives chase. Hurley finds the dead and partially eaten deputy shortly thereafter; the official tale is that he was killed by some large animal. As the victims start to pile up, Hurley knows something odd is going on, but werewolves? Come on!
I definitely put this down as one of Garton's better efforts. I have read several of his novels and when he hits all cylinders, you are in for a good time. I am not much into the werewolf genre, but I loved with Garton did with it here. The pacing is excellent after a bit of a slow start and this just builds and builds until the striking denouement. If you are a Garton fan, this is a must; if not and you like a gory, fast paced horror tale, give it a go. 4.5 howling stars!
Ravenous starts with a bang, literally, as the prologue has a scarred man crashing a seedy hotel room and blowing away some werewolves with silver bullets. The 'allergy' to silver is about the only thing 'true' about these werewolves as they can change shape at will (e.g., no full moon needed). Once 'turned', the new werewolves need to feed, and fuck, not necessarily in that order.
Our main protagonist, Arlin Hurley, works at the sheriff in the sleepy California town of Big Rock. Ravenous starts a little slowly after the prologue, with Garton introducing a broad cast of characters. One of them, Emily, works as a receptionist at the Sheriff's office, and on her way home from her weight watcher's meeting, her car breaks down and she is attacked and raped by some smelly guy in tattered clothes. While attempted to fend him off, she managed to grab an old, rusty corkscrew and plunged it into his eye, killing him. Later, Hurley visits her at the hospital-- maybe she luckily managed to kill the serial rapist that has been plaguing the county.
When Hurley goes to inspect the body of the rapist, however, he seems to be missing. in fact, he managed to escape, walking out of the hospital buck naked. While Hurley is down in the morgue, one of his deputies spots the naked man and gives chase. Hurley finds the dead and partially eaten deputy shortly thereafter; the official tale is that he was killed by some large animal. As the victims start to pile up, Hurley knows something odd is going on, but werewolves? Come on!
I definitely put this down as one of Garton's better efforts. I have read several of his novels and when he hits all cylinders, you are in for a good time. I am not much into the werewolf genre, but I loved with Garton did with it here. The pacing is excellent after a bit of a slow start and this just builds and builds until the striking denouement. If you are a Garton fan, this is a must; if not and you like a gory, fast paced horror tale, give it a go. 4.5 howling stars!
January 17, 2015
Garton managed to tell an original vampire story with Live Girls and here he does it again with werewolves. Both novels were excellent.
August 30, 2019
5 out of 5 Fangs
Mmaaannnnn, this was roller coaster ride of gore, mayhem and don't give a f***k.... No one was spared; mom, aunty, gramma or the neighbors cat. Everybody got ate up!! Bwahahhaha… I loved it!
I swear, that ending took me out. I am so done.
Mmaaannnnn, this was roller coaster ride of gore, mayhem and don't give a f***k.... No one was spared; mom, aunty, gramma or the neighbors cat. Everybody got ate up!! Bwahahhaha… I loved it!
I swear, that ending took me out. I am so done.
September 11, 2016
She came forward again and placed large hairy clawed hands on his chest, hunching him over with much more size and muscle than she'd had just a moment ago, and those claws sliced into his skin.
Finally - a not too awful horror book! I was seriously close to giving up on the genre after a not-too-spectacular Halloween-reading season.
Welcome to Big Rock, California, a small coastal town currently suffering from an outbreak of lupus venereus. Yeah. That's sexually transmitted lycanthropy. See, if a werewolf bites you, you're basically toast . . . or Spam, anyway; you'll be eaten. But if the werewolf has sex with you, well . . . be prepared to sprout hair in places it shouldn't be, grow long fangs, and develop a ravenous appetite for all things raw, bloody and pulsing. And the unpleasant STD is spreading like wildfire through this seedy little Peyton Place.
Obviously - this is not for everyone. There is quite a bit of nastiness - explicit violence and rape. Bad things happen to a whole lot of undeserving people. This is what horror novels are all about, folks. While Garton's writing is okay - at first I was thrilled when he used the word eviscerated - how often do you see that one. By the fifth time the word popped up, I was getting annoyed - it kept me turning the pages. His characters were interesting and for the most part, likable enough, that for once I wasn't rooting for them all to die. (Well, okay. I did want some of them to die.)
But then again, I've always been a werewolf fan . . .
Finally - a not too awful horror book! I was seriously close to giving up on the genre after a not-too-spectacular Halloween-reading season.
Welcome to Big Rock, California, a small coastal town currently suffering from an outbreak of lupus venereus. Yeah. That's sexually transmitted lycanthropy. See, if a werewolf bites you, you're basically toast . . . or Spam, anyway; you'll be eaten. But if the werewolf has sex with you, well . . . be prepared to sprout hair in places it shouldn't be, grow long fangs, and develop a ravenous appetite for all things raw, bloody and pulsing. And the unpleasant STD is spreading like wildfire through this seedy little Peyton Place.
Obviously - this is not for everyone. There is quite a bit of nastiness - explicit violence and rape. Bad things happen to a whole lot of undeserving people. This is what horror novels are all about, folks. While Garton's writing is okay - at first I was thrilled when he used the word eviscerated - how often do you see that one. By the fifth time the word popped up, I was getting annoyed - it kept me turning the pages. His characters were interesting and for the most part, likable enough, that for once I wasn't rooting for them all to die. (Well, okay. I did want some of them to die.)
But then again, I've always been a werewolf fan . . .
July 4, 2016
I was on the look out for a werewolf book, a proper werewolf book where they are actually scary, like they should be. I really can't stand this modern day concept of a werewolf turning up on your doorstep with a bouquet of flowers and wagging his tail.
I came across this book and decided to give it a go as it promised me violent, bloodthirsty Lycans and that's exactly what I got.
The plot and design of the book is pretty traditional horror, nothing spectacular but enough to keep you reading till the end. It also had some nice twists on the werewolf mythology which made it stand out slightly more.
In terms of the violence it really wasn't that drastic - not saying it was all flowers and unicorn farts but it certainly was light weight in comparison to other reads.
Don't buy this expecting a masterpiece but if you want an enjoyable, quick horror read i would say go for it.
I came across this book and decided to give it a go as it promised me violent, bloodthirsty Lycans and that's exactly what I got.
The plot and design of the book is pretty traditional horror, nothing spectacular but enough to keep you reading till the end. It also had some nice twists on the werewolf mythology which made it stand out slightly more.
In terms of the violence it really wasn't that drastic - not saying it was all flowers and unicorn farts but it certainly was light weight in comparison to other reads.
Don't buy this expecting a masterpiece but if you want an enjoyable, quick horror read i would say go for it.
April 14, 2020
The Werewolf has been with us in myth and legend, since its first appearance in "The Epic of Gilgamesh" - where Gilgamesh rejected a potential suitor due to her changing a previous mate into a wolf....the Greeks gave us the myth of King Lycon, who attempted to trick the gods into eating cooked human flesh....for his deceit, Zeus changed him into a wolf....
Leitch Ritchie gave us "The Man-Wolf" in 1831, set in the 11th century, and Catherine Crowe wrote the first werewolf story by a woman in 1846 - "A Story of A Weir-Wolf".....
Despite the long literary history of were beings, I don't think there has ever been a "breakout" novel in werewolfery in the sense that "Dracula" popularized vampires in Victorian England....the werewolf has enjoyed a more robust life in the movies, beginning in 1913 with "The Werewolf"...and leading up to the classic "The Wolfman" from Universal Studios.
At any rate, I digress.....Ray Garton has written a pulp style, very readable werewolf novel in "Ravenous"....where the curse of werewolves is no longer transmitted thru a bite, but rather by sexual contact....and werewolves are not only hungry for human flesh, but also for S E X. "Ravenous" can be read alone, but is part of a two book set, the other title being "Bestial" - which I haven't read yet....
"Ravenous" would make a nice companion to king's "Cycle of the Werewolf"....
Leitch Ritchie gave us "The Man-Wolf" in 1831, set in the 11th century, and Catherine Crowe wrote the first werewolf story by a woman in 1846 - "A Story of A Weir-Wolf".....
Despite the long literary history of were beings, I don't think there has ever been a "breakout" novel in werewolfery in the sense that "Dracula" popularized vampires in Victorian England....the werewolf has enjoyed a more robust life in the movies, beginning in 1913 with "The Werewolf"...and leading up to the classic "The Wolfman" from Universal Studios.
At any rate, I digress.....Ray Garton has written a pulp style, very readable werewolf novel in "Ravenous"....where the curse of werewolves is no longer transmitted thru a bite, but rather by sexual contact....and werewolves are not only hungry for human flesh, but also for S E X. "Ravenous" can be read alone, but is part of a two book set, the other title being "Bestial" - which I haven't read yet....
"Ravenous" would make a nice companion to king's "Cycle of the Werewolf"....
August 2, 2012
Ray Garton is one of those authors that snuck his way onto my favorite authors list. Some authors I end up actively searching out their works: Tom Piccirilli, Brian Keene, Jack Ketchum. Garton is one that I've picked up because I always remember liking his stuff and it looks interesting. And fortunately I remember right and have never been displeased with one of his books. RAVENOUS is his chance to enter the werewolf mythos and provide his vision of it.
Farrell Hurley is sheriff of a small, sleepy California town of Big Rock. Unfortunately his secretary is the latest victim of a serial rapist. While she ends up killing her attacker, the dead body gets up and walks out of the morgue. Coming to save the day, Daniel Fargo is the Van Helsing of the tale and has the answers. The rapist is a werewolf who is actually spreading the lycanthropy via sexual contact, a perverted from of a STD. Sheriff Hurley naturally is skeptical until he realizes that the evidence is too much and then must deal with the problem head-on.
While the story and plot is a new take on an old theme, the characters are maybe a tad shallow. You feel for some of them but at the same time, you know from the start that others are not going to make it. That doesn't stop you from enjoying the novel though. The story is still engaging and keeps you involved. There is more than enough of anything you might be looking for: scares, violence and sex. All in the traditional Ray Garton style. But be careful. You might one day realize that your bookshelf has more books by Ray Garton than you realized and he is a favorite author of you too.
Farrell Hurley is sheriff of a small, sleepy California town of Big Rock. Unfortunately his secretary is the latest victim of a serial rapist. While she ends up killing her attacker, the dead body gets up and walks out of the morgue. Coming to save the day, Daniel Fargo is the Van Helsing of the tale and has the answers. The rapist is a werewolf who is actually spreading the lycanthropy via sexual contact, a perverted from of a STD. Sheriff Hurley naturally is skeptical until he realizes that the evidence is too much and then must deal with the problem head-on.
While the story and plot is a new take on an old theme, the characters are maybe a tad shallow. You feel for some of them but at the same time, you know from the start that others are not going to make it. That doesn't stop you from enjoying the novel though. The story is still engaging and keeps you involved. There is more than enough of anything you might be looking for: scares, violence and sex. All in the traditional Ray Garton style. But be careful. You might one day realize that your bookshelf has more books by Ray Garton than you realized and he is a favorite author of you too.
July 30, 2012
Big Rock is a Californian town with normal people leading ordinary lives . . . and an infestation of werewolves. The nightmare begins when Emily Crane is brutally raped on her way home one night. She manages to kill her attacker, yet while she recuperates at home the rapist she murdered steps down from the gurney and walks out of the hospital. The attacks start in earnest, the virus is spreading, and Sheriff Hurley must face the reality of ravenous werewolves if he has any hope of saving his town.
Ravenous is a great read, loaded with pace, sex, and brutal violence. The characters are solid and lend life to the story. But, while the characters were believable and strong, the constant need to introduce each cast member with a paragraph of detailed description of what they look like, how they have their hair styled, what color it is, etc., became very irksome after the second instance. The slant on having the lycanthrope virus transmitted by sexual intercourse rather than being bitten is a nice touch, but this just sets up scenes of rape (which is not particularly bad in this instance as they are done tastefully and not gratuitously).
The ending came too soon, and it came abruptly. More could have been done with it, a huge battle between werewolves and deputies that just didn’t play out in a satisfying manner. One can easily predict the ending, and while this does lend an air of disappointment to its conclusion, the novel is still a winner in spite of this.
Ravenous is a great read, loaded with pace, sex, and brutal violence. The characters are solid and lend life to the story. But, while the characters were believable and strong, the constant need to introduce each cast member with a paragraph of detailed description of what they look like, how they have their hair styled, what color it is, etc., became very irksome after the second instance. The slant on having the lycanthrope virus transmitted by sexual intercourse rather than being bitten is a nice touch, but this just sets up scenes of rape (which is not particularly bad in this instance as they are done tastefully and not gratuitously).
The ending came too soon, and it came abruptly. More could have been done with it, a huge battle between werewolves and deputies that just didn’t play out in a satisfying manner. One can easily predict the ending, and while this does lend an air of disappointment to its conclusion, the novel is still a winner in spite of this.
July 24, 2013
A howling good good adult read
Author Garton brings his own special twist to werewolves in "Ravenous" just as he did to vampires in Live Girls.
In this snapping good look at "lupus verenus," don't worry about turning into a werewolf from scratches and bites. No - it takes sexual contact. So be warned that this isn't your kids' horror book. This is definitely the grown-up version.
Affairs, spousal abuse and all the intrigues of a small town plague Big Rock, California but it's the plague of werewolves that is killing that small town ambiance.
Fast paced, great character development, an author that doesn't shy away from killing off his characters (any of them) - all go into the best werewolf book I've read. I'm now looking forward to reading the sequel "Bestial."
Author Garton brings his own special twist to werewolves in "Ravenous" just as he did to vampires in Live Girls.
In this snapping good look at "lupus verenus," don't worry about turning into a werewolf from scratches and bites. No - it takes sexual contact. So be warned that this isn't your kids' horror book. This is definitely the grown-up version.
Affairs, spousal abuse and all the intrigues of a small town plague Big Rock, California but it's the plague of werewolves that is killing that small town ambiance.
Fast paced, great character development, an author that doesn't shy away from killing off his characters (any of them) - all go into the best werewolf book I've read. I'm now looking forward to reading the sequel "Bestial."
January 9, 2009
Well about half way through this truly terrifying and brutal portrayal of werewolves, I realized that while I discovered a writer who isn't afraid of gore and horror, my dreams of a fulfilling novel were not going to be realized. I give it kudos though for not romanticizing werewolves in the least and for making them into beings that would scary any vampire shitless. The sex in the book (the way that the lycanthropy virus is transmitted) was not meant for arousal and is far away from paranormal erotica as Winnie the Pooh is from Hellraiser...I even liked the almost mandatory, lone hunter in the book...what I didn't like though was the stupidity. I'm talking, straight from 'Friday the 13th' don't make out in the woods kinda stupidity-- Did I mention that I don't want to hang out with anyone that can't identify on sight a zombie, werewolf, vampire, Cthullu etc!
Now I'm not faulting the book on a whole or the writer, I'm just a greedy reader and a backstory whore. The book has a label on it about how most of the legends about werewolves were wrong...and without giving anything away, such is the case even to werewolf hunter!
Alas this was a good, gripping read and I blew right through it. Perhaps in hindsight the true horror is that after finishing the novel, I was sure that if such an outbreak of werewolves ever occurred then the human race would be extinct in less than a month.
If I'm lucky, Garton will write another book giving some origin info and some hard core solutions for dealing with growing packs.
Now I'm not faulting the book on a whole or the writer, I'm just a greedy reader and a backstory whore. The book has a label on it about how most of the legends about werewolves were wrong...and without giving anything away, such is the case even to werewolf hunter!
Alas this was a good, gripping read and I blew right through it. Perhaps in hindsight the true horror is that after finishing the novel, I was sure that if such an outbreak of werewolves ever occurred then the human race would be extinct in less than a month.
If I'm lucky, Garton will write another book giving some origin info and some hard core solutions for dealing with growing packs.
July 31, 2014
"Her knees, Farrell-they bend the-are you looking at them? They bend the wrong f-ing way!" (I edited the f-bomb.) No. Just, no. No no no no no! Personal pet-peeve that's really got to me. But, really, NO!
See? The "knee" does NOT bend backward. What sometimes gets thought of as the "knee" is the equivalent of an "ankle." I know that's a wolf and not a werewolf, but the bones are the same orientation. Lengths different, sure, but they don't bend in the opposite direction. Why, why, why would a creature mixed between human and wolf have a completely different bone structure than either of those two creatures? There is no logical reason. None. At all.
Other than that, this book was pretty good. It gave me the chills.
See? The "knee" does NOT bend backward. What sometimes gets thought of as the "knee" is the equivalent of an "ankle." I know that's a wolf and not a werewolf, but the bones are the same orientation. Lengths different, sure, but they don't bend in the opposite direction. Why, why, why would a creature mixed between human and wolf have a completely different bone structure than either of those two creatures? There is no logical reason. None. At all.
Other than that, this book was pretty good. It gave me the chills.
October 27, 2009
Definitely a different take on werewolves, I really liked this book. It was fairly fast paced, full of creepy imagery, and some parts of the story absolutely horrified me. Garton holds no prisoners when it comes to wrenching your heart out and disgusting you at the same time. I can't wait to read the sequel!
November 6, 2013
This book was brilliant, eagerly going to start the sequel bestial, if you like werewolf stories you should try this one, its so different to any other werewolf story i've read, pick it up its really good
October 15, 2018
Had to stop at chapter 5. This writer fat shames constantly. Ridiculous. 🌟
January 13, 2022
Ravenous
I really enjoyed this book. It pulls you into the story almost immediately and is fast paced. If you haven't read Garton you're missing something good and should really give him a try
I really enjoyed this book. It pulls you into the story almost immediately and is fast paced. If you haven't read Garton you're missing something good and should really give him a try
August 12, 2023
I think Werewolves are my favourite horror creature. What's yours?
You can keep your Zombies, Vampires, Aliens, Giant Preying Mantis, Giant Japanese Monsters and Giant Apes. They're okay, but for me, werewolves are the schitz when it comes to scary creatures. There's something about them that's just more ... hmm ... "horrorfying". It's just personal preference.
A body is found, with it's throat ripped out and guts eaten, and a loud howling is heard in an area where no large creatures exist. A victim describes fur, fangs, and silver eyes. Gee! I wonder what it could be. IT'S A WEREWOLF YOU DUMBASS. It wasn't until 60% into the story before folks start realising the truth. I guess it's the same old premise where the readers know something the characters don't. Adds tension. Not that any extra tension is needed. Ray Garton's style is gripping right from the start. He has a "vintage horror" style of writing that I love.
If you like a bit of blood and guts mixed in with some spicy sex, you'll like this one. I appreciated it, but wasn't totally satisfied with the "lead-into-my-next-book" ending. 1/2 star off for that.
Sometimes, vintage is best.
You can keep your Zombies, Vampires, Aliens, Giant Preying Mantis, Giant Japanese Monsters and Giant Apes. They're okay, but for me, werewolves are the schitz when it comes to scary creatures. There's something about them that's just more ... hmm ... "horrorfying". It's just personal preference.
A body is found, with it's throat ripped out and guts eaten, and a loud howling is heard in an area where no large creatures exist. A victim describes fur, fangs, and silver eyes. Gee! I wonder what it could be. IT'S A WEREWOLF YOU DUMBASS. It wasn't until 60% into the story before folks start realising the truth. I guess it's the same old premise where the readers know something the characters don't. Adds tension. Not that any extra tension is needed. Ray Garton's style is gripping right from the start. He has a "vintage horror" style of writing that I love.
If you like a bit of blood and guts mixed in with some spicy sex, you'll like this one. I appreciated it, but wasn't totally satisfied with the "lead-into-my-next-book" ending. 1/2 star off for that.
Sometimes, vintage is best.
August 29, 2023
Pretty good werewolf tale with a good amount of blood and gore.
June 2, 2008
It isn’t easy to find a good werewolf book in this post Whedon/Rice world, most of the books involving vampires and werewolves are laced with romantic bullshit these days. So when a book like Ravenous hits the shelf, it is truly a treat. Ray Garton’s Ravenous is relatively new book but the story will remind some horror enthusiasts of what was rather than what is. It brings back memories of classics like The Howling and American Werewolf in London. But it is a lot more graphic than those two movies because in Ravenous, the curse is not passed on by being bitten, and the werewolves hunger for more than food.
The story starts off simple enough, a woman, who Ray describes as being somewhat fat, is driving home late one night when she encounters what she thinks is a homeless man, he rapes her and during the struggle, she kills him, or so she thinks. But things only get worse for her as well as the town she lives in. There’s another rapist running around town and some of the victims begin to develop a hunger, a type of a hunger a big mac won’t solve.
Garton does a marvelous job describing each characters physical characteristic, so it’s easy to get a mental image of each character. He isn’t as descriptive when it comes to the environment around the characters, which is something Stephen King is a master of. But character description comes first; it’s easy to picture a lawn without having it described. Garton also seems to have been influenced by 80’s slasher flicks, there’s strong moral metaphors floating around in the book. Now they may be unintentional, but they are there.
So for those who love good ol horror and werewolves that are just totally barbaric, Ravenous is a must get. However, if reading a story that involves rape and small children being eaten sounds disturbing and not up your alley, you’ll want to avoid Ravenous. Especially since the kill bits are described very vividly.
The story starts off simple enough, a woman, who Ray describes as being somewhat fat, is driving home late one night when she encounters what she thinks is a homeless man, he rapes her and during the struggle, she kills him, or so she thinks. But things only get worse for her as well as the town she lives in. There’s another rapist running around town and some of the victims begin to develop a hunger, a type of a hunger a big mac won’t solve.
Garton does a marvelous job describing each characters physical characteristic, so it’s easy to get a mental image of each character. He isn’t as descriptive when it comes to the environment around the characters, which is something Stephen King is a master of. But character description comes first; it’s easy to picture a lawn without having it described. Garton also seems to have been influenced by 80’s slasher flicks, there’s strong moral metaphors floating around in the book. Now they may be unintentional, but they are there.
So for those who love good ol horror and werewolves that are just totally barbaric, Ravenous is a must get. However, if reading a story that involves rape and small children being eaten sounds disturbing and not up your alley, you’ll want to avoid Ravenous. Especially since the kill bits are described very vividly.
June 7, 2014
I am always on the look out for fabulous finds. So, imagine my surprise when I came across an older book by Ray Garton titled, “Ravenous.” How I totally missed this when it was originally published in 2008 is totally beyond me. But thanks to my trusty Kindle, I found it.
“Ravenous” started out unassuming, like many novels do. However, after reading just a few pages the action kicks in and we wind up on a rollercoaster ride of emotions for the duration of the book. Initially, I started out reading two additional books and I would rotate between the three of them. But “Ravenous” was so enthralling, I had to put the other two aside until I finished reading it. Scary, fast paced and complete with memorable, likable and asinine characters, “Ravenous” is a true page-turner that is about vicious and feral werewolves who will kill any and everyone they can get their claws on. It’s what horror USED to be.
I have to warn you though, this book is EXTREMELY GORY, has a lot of sexual activity going on including brutal rape, and children are killed and eaten, which was new for even me. There are many parts of the books that are very unsettling and will leave you utterly shocked. This is DEFINITELY NOT for the faint of heart. I am a seasoned horror fan and “Ravenous” not only frightened me, it completely shook me up. I have been looking for something every bit as scary as this for quite some time now.
As you will see below I did not give “Ravenous” a 5 book rating and that is because the kids being eaten went a little too far for me. I cannot think of one horror fan who would be okay with that. Other than that it was the best horror book I have read all year. If you are in the mood for a great werewolf story, then I highly recommend “Ravenous.” However, if you scare easily or you’re looking for Jacob and the pack of wolves from the Twilight saga, this IS NOT the book for you. This book is ONLY FOR THE Strong.
“Ravenous” started out unassuming, like many novels do. However, after reading just a few pages the action kicks in and we wind up on a rollercoaster ride of emotions for the duration of the book. Initially, I started out reading two additional books and I would rotate between the three of them. But “Ravenous” was so enthralling, I had to put the other two aside until I finished reading it. Scary, fast paced and complete with memorable, likable and asinine characters, “Ravenous” is a true page-turner that is about vicious and feral werewolves who will kill any and everyone they can get their claws on. It’s what horror USED to be.
I have to warn you though, this book is EXTREMELY GORY, has a lot of sexual activity going on including brutal rape, and children are killed and eaten, which was new for even me. There are many parts of the books that are very unsettling and will leave you utterly shocked. This is DEFINITELY NOT for the faint of heart. I am a seasoned horror fan and “Ravenous” not only frightened me, it completely shook me up. I have been looking for something every bit as scary as this for quite some time now.
As you will see below I did not give “Ravenous” a 5 book rating and that is because the kids being eaten went a little too far for me. I cannot think of one horror fan who would be okay with that. Other than that it was the best horror book I have read all year. If you are in the mood for a great werewolf story, then I highly recommend “Ravenous.” However, if you scare easily or you’re looking for Jacob and the pack of wolves from the Twilight saga, this IS NOT the book for you. This book is ONLY FOR THE Strong.
December 11, 2018
When you really want a horror novel with the classic monsters--vampires, werewolves, etc.--but you DON'T want sparkling emos and Native American dogs, when you want it to be intense, in your face, visceral, and mean, Ray Garton is the man to go to. Every time.
I read his classic novel LIVE GIRLS some time back and was so enamored with it, it instantly became my all-time favorite vampire book. RAVENOUS has done the same thing for werewolves with me. These beasts are real monsters, and they don't subscribe to any of the standard tropes, save one: the thing with silver. But Garton, as he did with LIVE GIRLS with the allergy to garlic, uses the silver as an allergic reaction that results in death. It was just enough to root us in the old mythos of the lycanthropes, to make us feel at home, but then tossed out the rest and gave us something wholly unique and a lot of fun.
Lycanthropy in RAVENOUS is a virus that changes those who are infected. But it isn't passed on through scratches or bites. It's SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED! You read that right! The virus that causes folks to turn into werewolves in this novel is an STD, and it opened up a path to this original werewolf story that was perfect for Garton's style. And man is it good.
I won't give away any more, you need to go and read this book, and yesterday. It never lags in the action, the characters are likable (or hateable, depending), and the suspense continues to build all the way to the fever-pitch ending, with a one-two-three knockout punch for the finale. Seriously, this needs to be on your TBR right away, and you'll be doing yourself a favor to let it cut right to the front of the line. This is one NOT to be missed.
So, go ahead...take a bite.
I read his classic novel LIVE GIRLS some time back and was so enamored with it, it instantly became my all-time favorite vampire book. RAVENOUS has done the same thing for werewolves with me. These beasts are real monsters, and they don't subscribe to any of the standard tropes, save one: the thing with silver. But Garton, as he did with LIVE GIRLS with the allergy to garlic, uses the silver as an allergic reaction that results in death. It was just enough to root us in the old mythos of the lycanthropes, to make us feel at home, but then tossed out the rest and gave us something wholly unique and a lot of fun.
Lycanthropy in RAVENOUS is a virus that changes those who are infected. But it isn't passed on through scratches or bites. It's SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED! You read that right! The virus that causes folks to turn into werewolves in this novel is an STD, and it opened up a path to this original werewolf story that was perfect for Garton's style. And man is it good.
I won't give away any more, you need to go and read this book, and yesterday. It never lags in the action, the characters are likable (or hateable, depending), and the suspense continues to build all the way to the fever-pitch ending, with a one-two-three knockout punch for the finale. Seriously, this needs to be on your TBR right away, and you'll be doing yourself a favor to let it cut right to the front of the line. This is one NOT to be missed.
So, go ahead...take a bite.
July 29, 2022
This was a solid book that I enjoyed despite a couple of caveats. I'm not big on stories with lots of povs, but this one managed to keep my interest. I would say the plot advanced at a methodical pace until the last 20% when all the shit hits the fan and everything goes into overdrive.
So this might not be for some people, namely because lycanthropy in this story is a sexually transmitted disease and there is a lot of rape. A lot of rape. With only female victims.
Really, none of the female characters have a great time in this story. This is something that I noticed but wasn't bothered too much by in the heat of the moment. Maybe because the story didn't seem to go out of its way to get there. Except once, which I won't detail because it happens late and is spoilerish, but that's the one in particular that really made me feel a need to type this paragraph. So I guess mileage may vary by the reader for this topic.
Otherwise, I liked this book in a grungy way, similar to how I liked Live Girls, which is the only other book I've read by this author. His stories remind me of a working-class version of Christopher Buehlman in that they both aren't trying to romanticize their supernatural creatures and instead explore the grittier sides of them. Buehlman's prose has a poetic feel with some great turns of phrase while Garton is more focused on functionally getting the job done. Personally, I like both and it's nice to have another reliable horror author I can turn to.
So this might not be for some people, namely because lycanthropy in this story is a sexually transmitted disease and there is a lot of rape. A lot of rape. With only female victims.
Really, none of the female characters have a great time in this story. This is something that I noticed but wasn't bothered too much by in the heat of the moment. Maybe because the story didn't seem to go out of its way to get there. Except once, which I won't detail because it happens late and is spoilerish, but that's the one in particular that really made me feel a need to type this paragraph. So I guess mileage may vary by the reader for this topic.
Otherwise, I liked this book in a grungy way, similar to how I liked Live Girls, which is the only other book I've read by this author. His stories remind me of a working-class version of Christopher Buehlman in that they both aren't trying to romanticize their supernatural creatures and instead explore the grittier sides of them. Buehlman's prose has a poetic feel with some great turns of phrase while Garton is more focused on functionally getting the job done. Personally, I like both and it's nice to have another reliable horror author I can turn to.
January 23, 2021
The concept behind Ravenous is a clever one-lycanthropy is a disease transmitted not by a bite but by sexual contact. (This is not a spoiler! This info can be found literally on the back cover of the book.) Plus the novel has a semi-clever twist ending. However in the end I still have to give it an anemic two stars. That's because Ray Garton's prose is stultifying and he substitutes gore for fear. Shock value only gets you so far and in the case of Ravenous it fails to carry the ball all the way across the goal line. Graphic does not always equal good-if it did I'd have found myself holding a much better book in my hands. Once you get over the brilliance of the idea behind Ravenous you are left with a mediocre book.
August 28, 2021
Quite possibly the most original werewolf novel I've ever read, if the not the best. At 360 pages it's still a pretty quick read. The action is pretty much constant. The violence is graphic and visceral as are the sex scenes. If any of you are familiar with Garton then you already know this. If your a lover of werewolves and Garton, as I am of both, then you're gonna love this book. Garton kind of gives away the twist in his prologue. I didn't know this and went into the story with eyes wide open and it didn't lessen the story for me at all. However, I would recommend skipping it if you you're not up to speed. I don't give a love of 5 star reviews but this one more than earned it.
May 12, 2011
Now, THIS is a werewolf novel. Garton manages to create his own version of the werewolf legend and it makes for an exhilerating read. This book is impossible to put down once it gets going. I'm very impressed with Garton's characterizations, his plotting, his observations on familial and spousal abuse and much more. This is what horror fiction should be. Sure, its a guilty pleasure, but its done so well it surpasses its genre confines and becomes just pure, excellent storytelling. Highly recommended.
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