What do you think?
Rate this book
Wildlife #1
Wildlife
In the Everglades, some sights aren't meant to be seen... Deep in the Florida Everglades, a horrific accident ignites a deadly feud between two families. Meanwhile, a vacationing family takes a boat ride into the isolated wilds of the Everglades, only to become unwitting witnesses to a brutal crime. Now, as night falls, forced to travel on foot, they must flee through the treacherous wilderness while avoiding the dangerous wildlife...and the far more lethal human predators that are hunting them. From the award-winning author of the bestselling Bad Games series comes a heart-stopping new foray into terror like nothing you've ever read.
206 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 7, 2015
1641 people are currently reading
1389 people want to read
About the author
Jeff Menapace
42 books707 followersA native of the Philadelphia area, Jeff has published multiple works in both fiction and non-fiction. In 2011 he was the recipient of the Red Adept Reviews Indie Award for Horror.
In March of 2014, his novel BAD GAMES was a #1 Kindle bestseller and is now being optioned as a feature film.
Free time for Jeff is spent watching horror movies, The Three Stooges, and mixed martial arts. He loves steak and more steak, thinks the original 1974 Texas Chainsaw Massacre is the greatest movie ever, wants to pet a lion some day, and hates spiders.
In March of 2014, his novel BAD GAMES was a #1 Kindle bestseller and is now being optioned as a feature film.
Free time for Jeff is spent watching horror movies, The Three Stooges, and mixed martial arts. He loves steak and more steak, thinks the original 1974 Texas Chainsaw Massacre is the greatest movie ever, wants to pet a lion some day, and hates spiders.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 275 reviews
November 2, 2018
Better than I hoped!
You get two kinds of people in this world:
(Just say Ned Beatty...)
The first will say "Who?"
The second will say "DELIVERANCE!"
Gather round, children, this is a movie reference you probably won't know, unless you're a certain age...
Ahem, yes, let's leave it at that for now.
In the early 70's, there was a movie called DELIVERANCE, which starred Burt Reynolds (I swear I will slap you if you ask me who that is, just nod and fake it!), Jon Voigt and Ned Beatty - I can't remember the others.
Anyway, this movie was very shocking (for the time) because of a certain scene.
(Those who don't know the movie might recognize the music of "Dueling Banjo's".)
I was much too young when I watched this movie, putting me in my early teens. I didn't understand that specific scene at all. Having only learned about sex recently, my best friend had to explain it to me. Of course, his word was not enough to convince me that one dude would do that to another dude, and he had to call in reinforcements in the form of another friend who was a year older than us, which meant he had a world of experience we could only dream about. And, yes, he convinced me that it was not only possible, but it actually happened a time or two in the past decade.
So...
This book is not a rehashing of that story, don't worry. But, ask anyone who has seen the movie and they will tell you, the atmosphere in that film becomes so heavy that it feels like you find yourself with those actors in the heat and humidity.
That is exactly what I felt in this book.
The pace is absolutely relentless, and things just doesn't let up throughout the story. I loved it and think this might be the best book I've read by Menapace since BAD GAMES. If you are a thriller fan, I can recommend this one!
You get two kinds of people in this world:
(Just say Ned Beatty...)
The first will say "Who?"
The second will say "DELIVERANCE!"
Gather round, children, this is a movie reference you probably won't know, unless you're a certain age...
Ahem, yes, let's leave it at that for now.
In the early 70's, there was a movie called DELIVERANCE, which starred Burt Reynolds (I swear I will slap you if you ask me who that is, just nod and fake it!), Jon Voigt and Ned Beatty - I can't remember the others.
Anyway, this movie was very shocking (for the time) because of a certain scene.
(Those who don't know the movie might recognize the music of "Dueling Banjo's".)
I was much too young when I watched this movie, putting me in my early teens. I didn't understand that specific scene at all. Having only learned about sex recently, my best friend had to explain it to me. Of course, his word was not enough to convince me that one dude would do that to another dude, and he had to call in reinforcements in the form of another friend who was a year older than us, which meant he had a world of experience we could only dream about. And, yes, he convinced me that it was not only possible, but it actually happened a time or two in the past decade.
So...
This book is not a rehashing of that story, don't worry. But, ask anyone who has seen the movie and they will tell you, the atmosphere in that film becomes so heavy that it feels like you find yourself with those actors in the heat and humidity.
That is exactly what I felt in this book.
The pace is absolutely relentless, and things just doesn't let up throughout the story. I loved it and think this might be the best book I've read by Menapace since BAD GAMES. If you are a thriller fan, I can recommend this one!
March 18, 2017
You don't want to tangle with old lady Ida Roy or her boys, Harlon and Tucker. Living deep in the swamp of the Everglades, they are more lethal than the crocodiles and the pythons who lurk in the darkness. The reptiles are hungry, but these swamp folk are crazed. You might want to save that Everglades boat tour for another time . . . . like NEVER.
Gruesome and gory, this book had its moments. I almost gave it 3 stars, but the weak ending queered the pitch for me.
Gruesome and gory, this book had its moments. I almost gave it 3 stars, but the weak ending queered the pitch for me.
July 11, 2016
**** 4 "Was it Fair" Stars ****
This is my 7th book Jeff Menapace and this one did not fail in the holy shit department. His books are entertaining with a whole bunch of crazy.
Dan and Liz are happy and newly in love. It is time for Dan to meet Liz's parents. What better way to get to know the parents than a family boat trip into the Everglades.
Russ and Vicky love their daughter Liz and are really beginning to like Dan and his sense of humor. Things are going so well for the foursome that they schedule an Everglades boat tour. This is perfect since Dan is an author and this will be great information for his new book.
Their tour she be nothing more than fun, relaxing and knowledgeable.
Until they run into The Roy's.....
The Roy's are you ideal picture of a redneck, swamp living family. A family that takes an eye for an eye when an injustice is tossed upon their family.
The fun boat tour has now idea it is coasting into a Swamp World War and lives are about to tested beyond the thinkable.
This story is fast paced and entertaining.
The ending...well....that left me disappointed and unfulfilled.
This is my 7th book Jeff Menapace and this one did not fail in the holy shit department. His books are entertaining with a whole bunch of crazy.
Dan and Liz are happy and newly in love. It is time for Dan to meet Liz's parents. What better way to get to know the parents than a family boat trip into the Everglades.
Russ and Vicky love their daughter Liz and are really beginning to like Dan and his sense of humor. Things are going so well for the foursome that they schedule an Everglades boat tour. This is perfect since Dan is an author and this will be great information for his new book.
Their tour she be nothing more than fun, relaxing and knowledgeable.
Until they run into The Roy's.....
The Roy's are you ideal picture of a redneck, swamp living family. A family that takes an eye for an eye when an injustice is tossed upon their family.
The fun boat tour has now idea it is coasting into a Swamp World War and lives are about to tested beyond the thinkable.
This story is fast paced and entertaining.
The ending...well....that left me disappointed and unfulfilled.
July 28, 2015
~4.5 stars~
A great suspenseful read about a group of people not only battling the gators, giant pythons and other swamp creatures of the Everglades, but some seriously fucked up people...........
Suspense and/or horror is not my normal go to genre, but I was in the mood for something different and this book certainly fit that bill. It was an intense plot from the beginning to end. Disturbing at times, and yet addicting. It was fast paced, and enjoyable throughout. I look forward to checking out more of this writers work.
A great suspenseful read about a group of people not only battling the gators, giant pythons and other swamp creatures of the Everglades, but some seriously fucked up people...........
Suspense and/or horror is not my normal go to genre, but I was in the mood for something different and this book certainly fit that bill. It was an intense plot from the beginning to end. Disturbing at times, and yet addicting. It was fast paced, and enjoyable throughout. I look forward to checking out more of this writers work.
January 29, 2019
Audio - 3.5 stars not because of the narrator's performance but because of the annoying sound effects and the a lot of the dialogue portion of the story sounded pre-recorded. If it was just the narrator, it would have been a solid 5 stars.
Story - 3.5 stars
Story - 3.5 stars
August 24, 2020
Kennt ihr noch den Film Am wilden Fluss mit Meryl Streep und Kevin Bacon? Ich habe diesen Film geliebt und genau so eine Atmosphäre habe ich mir von durch Schlamm und Blut erhofft und auch bekommen. Natürlich mit ein bisschen mehr Blut, Sümpfen und Alligatoren ;-)
In dem Buch gibt es zunächst 2 Handlungsstränge. Wir haben 2 Familien die in den tiefsten Sümpfen leben und in einen Streit geraten, dieser hat einen tödlichen Ausgang. Und dann wäre da noch ein harmloser Familienausflug in die Everglades, alles läuft gut, bis die beiden Handlungsstränge aufeinander treffen. Denn auch wenn die Roys nicht auf dem College waren, so wissen sie, Zeugen müssen beseitigt werden.
Ich mochte das Setting total, die Everglades mit den Sümpfen, tief und undurchsichtig, man weiß nicht was sich unter der Oberfläche verbirgt. Doch geht die Gefahr nicht nur von den Alligatoren und Pythons aus, wie so oft, ist der Mensch die viel bedrohlichere Gefahr. Doch waren die "Rednecks" nicht zu oberflächlich dargestellt fand ich, klar, sie waren erbarmungslos zum Teil, aber nun nicht völlig ohne Gehirn. Der Autor bedient sich hier nicht stumpfsinnig aller Klischees.
Allgemein nimmt sich der Autor auch Zeit, die Charaktere vorzustellen bzw. zu charakterisieren, sodass sie nicht zu blass bleiben und man sie sich gut vorstellen kann. Doch geht dabei nicht die Dynamik der Geschichte verloren, es bleibt konstant spannend. Man weiß nie, was als Nächstes passieren wird, ob ein Mensch oder vielleicht doch ein Tier zuschlägt. Wobei die Tiere hier realistisch dargestellt werden und man als LeserIn auch noch etwas über sie lernen kann.
Was die Brutalität angeht, würde ich sagen, es ist absolut erträglich. Nicht besonders eklig und sexuelle Gewalt kommt keine vor. Natürlich wird es blutig, wie der Titel schon sagt, aber nicht in eine übertriebene Splatter Richtung.
Es ist ein eher kurzweiliger Thriller, der aber gerade durch seine verhältnismäßig wenigen Seiten und vielen Dialogen zu überzeugen weiß. Da so die Spannung sehr gut gehalten wird und man nur so durch die Seiten fliegt.
In dem Buch gibt es zunächst 2 Handlungsstränge. Wir haben 2 Familien die in den tiefsten Sümpfen leben und in einen Streit geraten, dieser hat einen tödlichen Ausgang. Und dann wäre da noch ein harmloser Familienausflug in die Everglades, alles läuft gut, bis die beiden Handlungsstränge aufeinander treffen. Denn auch wenn die Roys nicht auf dem College waren, so wissen sie, Zeugen müssen beseitigt werden.
Ich mochte das Setting total, die Everglades mit den Sümpfen, tief und undurchsichtig, man weiß nicht was sich unter der Oberfläche verbirgt. Doch geht die Gefahr nicht nur von den Alligatoren und Pythons aus, wie so oft, ist der Mensch die viel bedrohlichere Gefahr. Doch waren die "Rednecks" nicht zu oberflächlich dargestellt fand ich, klar, sie waren erbarmungslos zum Teil, aber nun nicht völlig ohne Gehirn. Der Autor bedient sich hier nicht stumpfsinnig aller Klischees.
Allgemein nimmt sich der Autor auch Zeit, die Charaktere vorzustellen bzw. zu charakterisieren, sodass sie nicht zu blass bleiben und man sie sich gut vorstellen kann. Doch geht dabei nicht die Dynamik der Geschichte verloren, es bleibt konstant spannend. Man weiß nie, was als Nächstes passieren wird, ob ein Mensch oder vielleicht doch ein Tier zuschlägt. Wobei die Tiere hier realistisch dargestellt werden und man als LeserIn auch noch etwas über sie lernen kann.
Was die Brutalität angeht, würde ich sagen, es ist absolut erträglich. Nicht besonders eklig und sexuelle Gewalt kommt keine vor. Natürlich wird es blutig, wie der Titel schon sagt, aber nicht in eine übertriebene Splatter Richtung.
Es ist ein eher kurzweiliger Thriller, der aber gerade durch seine verhältnismäßig wenigen Seiten und vielen Dialogen zu überzeugen weiß. Da so die Spannung sehr gut gehalten wird und man nur so durch die Seiten fliegt.
July 11, 2015
Thanks Mark for this recommendation.
My second book by this author, equally fun and terrifying.
Again it's about some psychos that I wouldn't like to meet in real life. I find this type of horror books more scary than the ones with monsters since it's all very possible. Humans can be some really bad monsters.
My second book by this author, equally fun and terrifying.
Again it's about some psychos that I wouldn't like to meet in real life. I find this type of horror books more scary than the ones with monsters since it's all very possible. Humans can be some really bad monsters.
April 12, 2017
Wildlife
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes suspense. I read it in one sitting because I had to know what happened to anyone everybody.
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes suspense. I read it in one sitting because I had to know what happened to anyone everybody.
March 5, 2019
4 stars audio
4 stars story
4 stars story
November 18, 2022
Good Survival horror story that takes place in the Florida Everglades. It was dark, thrilling, and suspenseful, but if I have compliment, it's that I thought one of the main antagonists got off way to easy.
December 29, 2018
Everyone knows better than to mess with the Roy family, a violent bunch of psychopaths that live out in the swamps, so things look bad when a young boy is accused of an unfair attack on young Travis Roy, and the Roys declare war on their new enemies and set out for revenge. The row escalates into murder and a group of innocent tourists are about to be caught up in the carnage.
Ida Roy is the head of the family with her sons Harlon and Tucker, Tucker's wife Jolene and their son Travis. She rules the family and nobody wants to get on her bad side. When Travis picks a fight with Noah and loses, Travis is too scared to admit it and lies that he was set on by Noah and his brother Ethan, which outrages the furious Roys. Jolene is sent to seek vengeance against the boys who hit her son but the dispute gets worse when Noah hotly denies what Travis said and an accident provokes the Roys to declare war on the terrified Daigle family. They know exactly what the clan are capable of and they anxiously wait for the attack to come.
Elizabeth is introducing her new boyfriend Dan to her parents Russ and Vicky. Dan is a horror writing who is writing a new book with a scene with a snake eating someone and wants to do some reearch on it while in Florida. The family arrange for Dan to join them on a boat trip in the Everglades where boat owner Sam is able to give him some answers. Sam decides to take the boat to the Roy's house to see the alligators that they keep on the property but he arrives at the wrong moment and witnesses the result of the fued, exposing his tourists to the very worst of human nature.
This was my first book by the author and I read it during a good reading spell in the summer where I was getting through some really good reads. I can never resist a story with the redneck killer family from hell torturing and causing terror for their victims so I was pretty keen to read this and the sequel, both of which I really enjoyed (review of sequel to follow). The story is typical of the type in the genre but it was exactly what I expected and wanted so I crtainly have no complaints. The plot moves along at good speed with just enough information to give the characters enough personality for the reader to care about.
There isn't a lot that I can say about the plot without saying what happens in it and ruining it. The Roy family are just plain evil in their behaviour but I can at least see why they are angry over the alleged unfair events. The chain of events that happens because of one lie makes me want to just strangle Travis for being a whiny, pathetic little git! I did actually quite like his father Tucker, who is not as keen on the violence and revenge as the rest of his family, and struggles over what to do with the captives they have. The rest of the Roys are a nightmare. The book cover features alligators and they do have a cameo role in the plot though the main focus is the Roy family.
I liked the writing of the author and the way he told the story. It's the kind of horror that I enjoy with no messing about in the plot and getting straight to the story. I'm looking forward to trying another series of the author next year and I hope I enjoy it the way I did with Wildlife.
Ida Roy is the head of the family with her sons Harlon and Tucker, Tucker's wife Jolene and their son Travis. She rules the family and nobody wants to get on her bad side. When Travis picks a fight with Noah and loses, Travis is too scared to admit it and lies that he was set on by Noah and his brother Ethan, which outrages the furious Roys. Jolene is sent to seek vengeance against the boys who hit her son but the dispute gets worse when Noah hotly denies what Travis said and an accident provokes the Roys to declare war on the terrified Daigle family. They know exactly what the clan are capable of and they anxiously wait for the attack to come.
Elizabeth is introducing her new boyfriend Dan to her parents Russ and Vicky. Dan is a horror writing who is writing a new book with a scene with a snake eating someone and wants to do some reearch on it while in Florida. The family arrange for Dan to join them on a boat trip in the Everglades where boat owner Sam is able to give him some answers. Sam decides to take the boat to the Roy's house to see the alligators that they keep on the property but he arrives at the wrong moment and witnesses the result of the fued, exposing his tourists to the very worst of human nature.
This was my first book by the author and I read it during a good reading spell in the summer where I was getting through some really good reads. I can never resist a story with the redneck killer family from hell torturing and causing terror for their victims so I was pretty keen to read this and the sequel, both of which I really enjoyed (review of sequel to follow). The story is typical of the type in the genre but it was exactly what I expected and wanted so I crtainly have no complaints. The plot moves along at good speed with just enough information to give the characters enough personality for the reader to care about.
There isn't a lot that I can say about the plot without saying what happens in it and ruining it. The Roy family are just plain evil in their behaviour but I can at least see why they are angry over the alleged unfair events. The chain of events that happens because of one lie makes me want to just strangle Travis for being a whiny, pathetic little git! I did actually quite like his father Tucker, who is not as keen on the violence and revenge as the rest of his family, and struggles over what to do with the captives they have. The rest of the Roys are a nightmare. The book cover features alligators and they do have a cameo role in the plot though the main focus is the Roy family.
I liked the writing of the author and the way he told the story. It's the kind of horror that I enjoy with no messing about in the plot and getting straight to the story. I'm looking forward to trying another series of the author next year and I hope I enjoy it the way I did with Wildlife.
June 29, 2020
By far best extreme horror I read this year 2020. Finally Wild Life give me the joy of satisfaction of horror reading. Totally worth reading book that was...
Never mind the gore but ecstasy of this tale was more than anything. Didn't expect it actually. Mind blowing book to read obviously. The tale from the first to end kept the tense in dull motion. There's just no way I could put it down. Though because of the busy office schedule it took me 2 days to finish it , but apart from that it was as I said already worth my time...
There's two fsmily and a misfortunes collusion between two boys from these family. Tucker's family was violent like hell and they are not going to put the collusion matter as easily as Ethan's family want. The result was unthinkable. On the other side a group of people Dan, Liz, Russ, Sam, Vicky they all are in ride with a boat in that wild circumstances and soon they will meet Tucker's brother Harlon and after that the consciousness of this meeting gonna give them the nightmare they will ever think of in there life. Don't want to give more of the tale as it would spoil the story more. But have to say it was hell of a journey to me. So far best book and say series. Need to continue the next part, no doubt of that...
Never mind the gore but ecstasy of this tale was more than anything. Didn't expect it actually. Mind blowing book to read obviously. The tale from the first to end kept the tense in dull motion. There's just no way I could put it down. Though because of the busy office schedule it took me 2 days to finish it , but apart from that it was as I said already worth my time...
There's two fsmily and a misfortunes collusion between two boys from these family. Tucker's family was violent like hell and they are not going to put the collusion matter as easily as Ethan's family want. The result was unthinkable. On the other side a group of people Dan, Liz, Russ, Sam, Vicky they all are in ride with a boat in that wild circumstances and soon they will meet Tucker's brother Harlon and after that the consciousness of this meeting gonna give them the nightmare they will ever think of in there life. Don't want to give more of the tale as it would spoil the story more. But have to say it was hell of a journey to me. So far best book and say series. Need to continue the next part, no doubt of that...
October 24, 2018
Wildlife is a dark thriller that defines the term, "dark thriller." Full of surprises and well developed, consistent characters, this book walks the line between thriller and horror, and steps across on occasion.
Just read it!
Just read it!
March 8, 2016
Great read
First time reader of this author. Really enjoyed it. Being a Florida resident and swamp dweller myself his scenes were pretty decent.
First time reader of this author. Really enjoyed it. Being a Florida resident and swamp dweller myself his scenes were pretty decent.
March 27, 2016
Not his best work
This book started out fast and exciting and immediately drew me in. Unfortunately towards the middle of the book, seemed to run out of story and just got boring.
This book started out fast and exciting and immediately drew me in. Unfortunately towards the middle of the book, seemed to run out of story and just got boring.
September 16, 2016
I think I was expecting much more so it fell flat. However it's a quick read.
August 27, 2018
No Messing Around
I thought the story was good. It go right to the story. Not a lot of needless information that you get with some stories. Planning on reading the sequel.
I thought the story was good. It go right to the story. Not a lot of needless information that you get with some stories. Planning on reading the sequel.
June 23, 2020
After reading WILDLIFE again and enjoying it as much as the first time, I realized I had given the book a 5-star rating but didn’t leave an actual review! So, here it is without spoilers.
WILDLIFE is a suspense-thriller that takes an author, his girlfriend, and her parents into the swamp of the Florida Everglades on what started out as a fun, day-trip but turns into a nightmare and fight for survival! The tour guide planned to take the small group to meet Harlon Roy and see his gator farm as he did with many of his tours. Unfortunately, this time Harlon and the rest of the Roy family had taken care of some “family business” the previous night and were not expecting visitors. The tour group unknowingly interrupts Harlon as he is finishing up his business and quickly realizes they have stumbled into a dangerous situation. Without giving away anything, I’ll just say I can’t see myself EVER going on a tour into the swamp!
I have read ALL of Jeff’s books so far and I love that each story, as crazy as it is, isn’t so far-fetched that it couldn’t actually happen. He creates some characters that you like and some that you love to hate. There are always plenty of WTF moments with enough humor thrown in to the mix to make the short chapters fly by, putting off real life until it’s over!
WILDLIFE is a suspense-thriller that takes an author, his girlfriend, and her parents into the swamp of the Florida Everglades on what started out as a fun, day-trip but turns into a nightmare and fight for survival! The tour guide planned to take the small group to meet Harlon Roy and see his gator farm as he did with many of his tours. Unfortunately, this time Harlon and the rest of the Roy family had taken care of some “family business” the previous night and were not expecting visitors. The tour group unknowingly interrupts Harlon as he is finishing up his business and quickly realizes they have stumbled into a dangerous situation. Without giving away anything, I’ll just say I can’t see myself EVER going on a tour into the swamp!
I have read ALL of Jeff’s books so far and I love that each story, as crazy as it is, isn’t so far-fetched that it couldn’t actually happen. He creates some characters that you like and some that you love to hate. There are always plenty of WTF moments with enough humor thrown in to the mix to make the short chapters fly by, putting off real life until it’s over!
January 8, 2016
Great idea for a story, not so great writing.
The story was intriguing, the setting chilling, the action somewhat believable, the tension and pace excellent; however, I gave Menapace's Wildlife only three stars due to the lack of thorough editing and his tendency to try to sound "writerly." Some sentences didn't make sense, even with a dictionary at hand. Also, there wasn't enough character development for me to really care who died or who lived - except perhaps for the two young Daigles brothers - I rooted for them. Some of the story arc was farfetched, such as when Russ, after having witnessed incomprehensible brutality against his family, starts discussing college funds for the two young heroes, even before they're out of the swamp. As some of the story felt rushed, so too did the ending. If you enjoy gory, dark thrillers and don't mind a bunch of four-letter words mixed with twenty-dollar words, you might like this fast, easy read.
The story was intriguing, the setting chilling, the action somewhat believable, the tension and pace excellent; however, I gave Menapace's Wildlife only three stars due to the lack of thorough editing and his tendency to try to sound "writerly." Some sentences didn't make sense, even with a dictionary at hand. Also, there wasn't enough character development for me to really care who died or who lived - except perhaps for the two young Daigles brothers - I rooted for them. Some of the story arc was farfetched, such as when Russ, after having witnessed incomprehensible brutality against his family, starts discussing college funds for the two young heroes, even before they're out of the swamp. As some of the story felt rushed, so too did the ending. If you enjoy gory, dark thrillers and don't mind a bunch of four-letter words mixed with twenty-dollar words, you might like this fast, easy read.
March 2, 2019
Very fast paced, got right to the point. Very good book!
December 28, 2019
Should be a movie
August 2, 2020
Good page turner.
May 4, 2022
Holy crap what a ride. First of all, as a Floridian, I had high hopes but no expectations on the deep Everglades setting. Ah-mazing. Such a great job.
This is a sucker punch of a book. Thrilling and at times shocking, and a pretty decent amount of violence and brutality - aaaaand I highly recommend it if the blurb appeals to you- you won’t be disappointed.
This is a sucker punch of a book. Thrilling and at times shocking, and a pretty decent amount of violence and brutality - aaaaand I highly recommend it if the blurb appeals to you- you won’t be disappointed.
May 17, 2022
This book was so so dark and twisted and yet I finished it and am starting the sequel. I am totally disgusted with myself.
June 8, 2020
I did enjoy this, I just thought the ending was very bad, almost like he couldn’t be bothered to write anymore and got bored. Looking forward to reading the next one.
June 25, 2020
Wildlife is great. One of the things I liked about this book was how abruptly some of the characters were killed off. Those death were sudden, out of the blue, and shocking. The Florida everglades was the perfect setting for this novel. Snakes, gators and of course, the Roy family. You do not want to mess with the Roy family. They are all types of crazy. Lots of people referenced Deliverance in their reviews. It feels more like the movie, but it is not as literate as the novel. That's not necessarily a bad thing. Menapace knows his strengths and they are a plot that moves at a breakneck pace and some grisly, shocking deaths. That's true of Wildlife. I'm interested to see what happens in the sequel since this book didn't really leave room for a sequel, nor seem to need one.
December 13, 2017
"Gore" should be a stand-alone literary genre, because too often a book is billed as being in the "horror" genre when, really, it's only just plain gory. I consider "horror" to be something that scares the living crap out of me; detailed descriptions of blood and maiming do not scare me. This book has been billed as horror, but by my definition it's not.
Having said that, I will give it this: it moves right along. Mercifully, it's pretty short so even though I really didn't have any desire to finish it, I didn't have to make that choice because I got to the end before I knew it.
The story line is interesting, the plot is intriguing and pretty plausible, and the author has pretty good descriptive abilities; I could visualize the scenes he was describing pretty well. His characters fall pretty well (and immediately) into the "good guy" or "bad guy" category; no subtlety there. But, there isn't time for subtlety in this book; there are just too many people who need killing to spend time on narrative.
It wasn't a waste of time to read this, but if it had been much longer it might have been. I was interested just enough in how it was all going to play out to keep reading.
Finally, it could use another edit; there some misspellings, etc., that could be quickly cleaned up and make the reading a bit smoother. Also, the author can't seem to decide whether his Everglades characters - especially the kids - are hicks or not; sometimes they talk like stereotypical rednecks, but other times they sound like anyone one might find sitting at corner table in Starbucks sipping a latte.
Having said that, I will give it this: it moves right along. Mercifully, it's pretty short so even though I really didn't have any desire to finish it, I didn't have to make that choice because I got to the end before I knew it.
The story line is interesting, the plot is intriguing and pretty plausible, and the author has pretty good descriptive abilities; I could visualize the scenes he was describing pretty well. His characters fall pretty well (and immediately) into the "good guy" or "bad guy" category; no subtlety there. But, there isn't time for subtlety in this book; there are just too many people who need killing to spend time on narrative.
It wasn't a waste of time to read this, but if it had been much longer it might have been. I was interested just enough in how it was all going to play out to keep reading.
Finally, it could use another edit; there some misspellings, etc., that could be quickly cleaned up and make the reading a bit smoother. Also, the author can't seem to decide whether his Everglades characters - especially the kids - are hicks or not; sometimes they talk like stereotypical rednecks, but other times they sound like anyone one might find sitting at corner table in Starbucks sipping a latte.
January 21, 2019
Record speed
Certainly enthralling. It was read in record time and I think I was out of breath by the last page.
Certainly enthralling. It was read in record time and I think I was out of breath by the last page.
February 11, 2018
Pythons, crocs, and Roys.... oh, my!
Although not my favourite Menapace novel (be aware that this is also because this author wrote Numb and Bad Games so the standard is high), it was still a fun read. Menapace has this uncanny ability to create engaging characters, both good and bad. His pacing is excellent and you will always have a great time with his stories. I think the main reason I rated this novel a bit lower was that it lacked the originality of his other books. It felt like it lacked a little “oomph”. Let me put it this way, for those if you who have never read a Menapace story, this is a terrific first book. For those of you that have, try to read this book with less expectations.
Although not my favourite Menapace novel (be aware that this is also because this author wrote Numb and Bad Games so the standard is high), it was still a fun read. Menapace has this uncanny ability to create engaging characters, both good and bad. His pacing is excellent and you will always have a great time with his stories. I think the main reason I rated this novel a bit lower was that it lacked the originality of his other books. It felt like it lacked a little “oomph”. Let me put it this way, for those if you who have never read a Menapace story, this is a terrific first book. For those of you that have, try to read this book with less expectations.
May 15, 2017
Frantic and fun to read
I've read nearly everything Jeff has written and I enjoy all his books. This one was a nice take on an everglade nightmare, and I greatly enjoyed the cast of characters he created. It was a nice change of pace to have a strong female lead that was not evil as compared to the bad games series, and I loved seeing Liz overcome the obstacles in the book. Anything Jeff writes, I will read, and I strongly suggest this title if you want to enjoy something new and very creative. Also, I would recommend the audible recording to accompany you as it provided a great sense of realness to the story Jeff was telling. Give it a go, and you wont be disappointed!
I've read nearly everything Jeff has written and I enjoy all his books. This one was a nice take on an everglade nightmare, and I greatly enjoyed the cast of characters he created. It was a nice change of pace to have a strong female lead that was not evil as compared to the bad games series, and I loved seeing Liz overcome the obstacles in the book. Anything Jeff writes, I will read, and I strongly suggest this title if you want to enjoy something new and very creative. Also, I would recommend the audible recording to accompany you as it provided a great sense of realness to the story Jeff was telling. Give it a go, and you wont be disappointed!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 275 reviews