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Ferocious
From the Bram Stoker Award-nominated author of THE HAUNTED FOREST TOUR and WOLF HUNT comes another action-packed over-the-top creature feature!
Rusty Moss has raised his niece Mia since she was a baby. Now that she's almost eighteen, he's worried that the life he's given her—living off the grid in a cabin deep in the woods—is holding her back from her full potential. But that angst gets pushed aside when the undead forest animals arrive.
At first it's just a squirrel—shockingly violent and almost impossible to kill. Followed by a grizzly bear, also aggressive and resilient, even when point-blank shotgun blasts to the face are involved. Now the cabin is surrounded by all manner of zombie creatures.
They have no way to call for help. The truck that could take them to safety is three miles away, stuck in the mud. But Rusty and Mia have their courage. They have their wits. And, most importantly, they have an axe and a fully fueled chainsaw...
Rusty Moss has raised his niece Mia since she was a baby. Now that she's almost eighteen, he's worried that the life he's given her—living off the grid in a cabin deep in the woods—is holding her back from her full potential. But that angst gets pushed aside when the undead forest animals arrive.
At first it's just a squirrel—shockingly violent and almost impossible to kill. Followed by a grizzly bear, also aggressive and resilient, even when point-blank shotgun blasts to the face are involved. Now the cabin is surrounded by all manner of zombie creatures.
They have no way to call for help. The truck that could take them to safety is three miles away, stuck in the mud. But Rusty and Mia have their courage. They have their wits. And, most importantly, they have an axe and a fully fueled chainsaw...
255 pages, Paperback
First published February 25, 2019
292 people are currently reading
912 people want to read
About the author
Jeff Strand
229 books2,210 followersBram Stoker Award-winning author of a bunch of demented books, including PRESSURE, DWELLER, CLOWNS VS. SPIDERS, AUTUMN BLEEDS INTO WINTER, MY PRETTIES, the official novelization of ATTACK OF THE KILLER TOMATOES, and lots of others!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 198 reviews
October 18, 2020
Whose de nice wittle zombie-birdie, den?
I had to ask myself how big a fan I am of Jeff Strand before I tackled this one. I don't do animal cruelty. It may sound funny to you, especially considering all the fucked-up shit I can read and being able to detach myself most of the time. Want to make me cry? Let me do taxes or read about animal cruelty.
I've never made a secret that I love Jeff Strand's stories. But how much of a fan am I, really?
I'm a grown man in my forties, much too old to shriek like a school-girl-at-a-boyband-concert-while-a-rat-is-running-over-my-foot when I see a new book by this author. (And that right belongs solely to Karin Slaughter, who can do no wrong...ahem)
Nor am I in the number-one-fan-like-Annie-Wilkes category. I'm not claiming to be any more stable then her, but I'm not even on the same continent as Strand, it never snows here and I'm pretty sure Andrew Mayhem is still alive after the last book.
However, when I got the notice that this book is available today, I purchased it immediately and shoved my other book aside to read FEROCIOUS...
Well, I think the idea was good. A zombie story where the animals turn into zombies instead of the people...hmmmm...
Which got me thinking: This is actually a much deeper story, making a somewhat satirical comment on the geopolitical environment of the world in general, where the two humans trying to survive represent the top 1%, while the zombie animals are the commoners and poor. How do they keep their power at the top of the pyramid if the common man loses their fear of noise and weapons (money and influence)? How can they...
Ahem...okay, some people may not know me and the way I review books, so allow me to let you in on this - I don't believe a word of the shit that is "coming out of my mouth" right now.
FEROCIOUS is a good horror story with a different take on the zombie genre. Even though it was a little light (though not completely lacking) on the usual Strand humor, I will give this book a four star rating for originality.
Will I ever read it again? No, but it does have to do with the animals. It did help a bit that the animals were already dead and there was no blood (no, I'm not going to explain that one), but I can't help but to still feel sorry for these imaginary un-dead creatures.
While it was totally necessary for this story, I have to warn the sensitive people to rather read something else (preferably by Strand) if you can't handle dead animals being killed deader-than-dead.
Hmmm...while we are on the subject, I wonder if Andrew Mayhem will make another appearance in the future - this is a hint, Mr. Strand!
I had to ask myself how big a fan I am of Jeff Strand before I tackled this one. I don't do animal cruelty. It may sound funny to you, especially considering all the fucked-up shit I can read and being able to detach myself most of the time. Want to make me cry? Let me do taxes or read about animal cruelty.
I've never made a secret that I love Jeff Strand's stories. But how much of a fan am I, really?
I'm a grown man in my forties, much too old to shriek like a school-girl-at-a-boyband-concert-while-a-rat-is-running-over-my-foot when I see a new book by this author. (And that right belongs solely to Karin Slaughter, who can do no wrong...ahem)
Nor am I in the number-one-fan-like-Annie-Wilkes category. I'm not claiming to be any more stable then her, but I'm not even on the same continent as Strand, it never snows here and I'm pretty sure Andrew Mayhem is still alive after the last book.
However, when I got the notice that this book is available today, I purchased it immediately and shoved my other book aside to read FEROCIOUS...
Well, I think the idea was good. A zombie story where the animals turn into zombies instead of the people...hmmmm...
Which got me thinking: This is actually a much deeper story, making a somewhat satirical comment on the geopolitical environment of the world in general, where the two humans trying to survive represent the top 1%, while the zombie animals are the commoners and poor. How do they keep their power at the top of the pyramid if the common man loses their fear of noise and weapons (money and influence)? How can they...
Ahem...okay, some people may not know me and the way I review books, so allow me to let you in on this - I don't believe a word of the shit that is "coming out of my mouth" right now.
FEROCIOUS is a good horror story with a different take on the zombie genre. Even though it was a little light (though not completely lacking) on the usual Strand humor, I will give this book a four star rating for originality.
Will I ever read it again? No, but it does have to do with the animals. It did help a bit that the animals were already dead and there was no blood (no, I'm not going to explain that one), but I can't help but to still feel sorry for these imaginary un-dead creatures.
While it was totally necessary for this story, I have to warn the sensitive people to rather read something else (preferably by Strand) if you can't handle dead animals being killed deader-than-dead.
Hmmm...while we are on the subject, I wonder if Andrew Mayhem will make another appearance in the future - this is a hint, Mr. Strand!
February 26, 2021
He certainly wasn't worried that whatever killed the deer would get into the cabin. There were plenty of bears in the woods, but unless you did something stupid like leaving food out or getting
between a mother and her cubs, they weren't going to bother you.
He and Mia were perfectly safe.
I was expecting something much more horrorific from that cover, but my first novel from author Jeff Strand was a funny and gory read with a strong Evil Dead vibe, a sometimes hilarious and sarcasm filled original take about cabins in the woods, zombies and creature-feature genres, reminding me a lot the Zombeavers (2014) movie.
The bear scratched a third set of claw marks down the glass. The window miraculously held, though it was harder to see through now.
Okay, they couldn't just stand here cowering. They had to go on the offensive.
Rusty set down the shotgun and picked up the chainsaw.
Just imagine Ash Williams (I was reading Rusty's quotes with Bruce Campbell's voice in my mind...) and his niece surrounded in the woods by living dead animals with threat level ranging from zombie squirrels to grizzly bears and you have an idea about what's waiting for you inside these pages.
"That would be a humiliating way to die."
"Not as bad as being killed by a zombie squirrel," said Rusty.
"We need another pact. If one of us gets killed by a zombie woodpecker, we tell people that they were killed by something else, ike a zombie rhinoceros."
"I don't think the coroner would buy it."
Give it a try if you like humour and sarcasm mixed with your horror reads because it's a real good one.
Trigger warning: no living animal besides some ants was harmed in this book, but if animal cruelty offends you so much that you can't stand neither zombie ones stabbed, cleaved, eviscerated, burned, and brutally killed in every other way possible, stay away from it.
"I tried hopeless bleak despair. I didn't enjoy it. I much prefer the attitude that we're going to kick ass."
"All right," said Rusty. "Then let's kick ass."
You've been warned.
between a mother and her cubs, they weren't going to bother you.
He and Mia were perfectly safe.
I was expecting something much more horrorific from that cover, but my first novel from author Jeff Strand was a funny and gory read with a strong Evil Dead vibe, a sometimes hilarious and sarcasm filled original take about cabins in the woods, zombies and creature-feature genres, reminding me a lot the Zombeavers (2014) movie.
The bear scratched a third set of claw marks down the glass. The window miraculously held, though it was harder to see through now.
Okay, they couldn't just stand here cowering. They had to go on the offensive.
Rusty set down the shotgun and picked up the chainsaw.
Just imagine Ash Williams (I was reading Rusty's quotes with Bruce Campbell's voice in my mind...) and his niece surrounded in the woods by living dead animals with threat level ranging from zombie squirrels to grizzly bears and you have an idea about what's waiting for you inside these pages.
"That would be a humiliating way to die."
"Not as bad as being killed by a zombie squirrel," said Rusty.
"We need another pact. If one of us gets killed by a zombie woodpecker, we tell people that they were killed by something else, ike a zombie rhinoceros."
"I don't think the coroner would buy it."
Give it a try if you like humour and sarcasm mixed with your horror reads because it's a real good one.
Trigger warning: no living animal besides some ants was harmed in this book, but if animal cruelty offends you so much that you can't stand neither zombie ones stabbed, cleaved, eviscerated, burned, and brutally killed in every other way possible, stay away from it.
"I tried hopeless bleak despair. I didn't enjoy it. I much prefer the attitude that we're going to kick ass."
"All right," said Rusty. "Then let's kick ass."
You've been warned.
October 11, 2023
Jeff Strand writes popcorn horror books. They’re entertaining, easy to read, and fun. There’s more of a focus on gore/banter/cornball comedy than there is plot or character development, and I love that. I can turn my brain off and have a good time.
Just a disclaimer, this has pretty much non-stop violence against animals. Zombie animals, but still, it was a little upsetting to read at times. Overall, it managed to be entertaining and ridiculous the majority of the time!
Just a disclaimer, this has pretty much non-stop violence against animals. Zombie animals, but still, it was a little upsetting to read at times. Overall, it managed to be entertaining and ridiculous the majority of the time!
February 25, 2022
Not Jeff Strand's best work, but it was still a fun read. This is a book that might actually work better on film, assuming you had the budget to do it right. Who doesn't want to see a zombie grizzly bear. It is absolutely some popcorn fiction, but good popcorn fiction.
I really liked the characters and their relationship. I found myself actively rooting for Rusty and Mia throughout the book. The humor seemed a bit out of place at times, but it still mostly worked for me; about what you'd expect from a Strand novel. I wish a few of the "oh shit" moments would have felt a bit more suspenseful, but that's a fairly minor gripe.
My biggest issue was the ending; I wasn't a fan of the "final boss" at all. I'm still struggling to see how it could have been much of a threat and not just a bumbling mess. Most of what comes after that just felt like a cop out. Zombie stories end without any explanation for the zombies all the time, so the book would have been better without the half assed explanation for the outbreak. In my head, I had the book for 4 stars throughout most of it. I think the final 25 pages or so knocked it down to 3.
I really liked the characters and their relationship. I found myself actively rooting for Rusty and Mia throughout the book. The humor seemed a bit out of place at times, but it still mostly worked for me; about what you'd expect from a Strand novel. I wish a few of the "oh shit" moments would have felt a bit more suspenseful, but that's a fairly minor gripe.
My biggest issue was the ending; I wasn't a fan of the "final boss" at all. I'm still struggling to see how it could have been much of a threat and not just a bumbling mess. Most of what comes after that just felt like a cop out. Zombie stories end without any explanation for the zombies all the time, so the book would have been better without the half assed explanation for the outbreak. In my head, I had the book for 4 stars throughout most of it. I think the final 25 pages or so knocked it down to 3.
April 25, 2019
FEROCIOUS, by Jeff Strand, is a novel that instantly put me in mind of the character "Ash" in the Evil Dead movies--albeit without the human zombies. This was an unapologetic gore fest of severed limbs and decapitated bodies, full of inappropriate dark humor.
In short, it was just the sort of novel I love.
For readers familiar with Jeff Strand's work, his sarcasm and twisted humor are a given, present in even his more "serious-toned" books. This novel doesn't disappoint.
We have Rusty, a young man living alone in his cabin, surrounded by woods for miles. He makes a living selling handmade furniture and interacting with other humans as little as possible. At least he did, until the day a lawyer pulled up with tragic news, and Rusty's infant niece.
". . . Even with the bandage, she was way less ugly than most of the babies he'd seen."
Then we have Uncle Rusty and a grown up--and just as sarcastic--Mia. I love the banter between them, with even the most common of topics carrying a comedic thread that never wanes.
Things start out slowly enough, but keep in mind two things: One they live in a cabin miles away from the nearest road, and Two, Jeff Strand is the author.
". . . It would have been easier to stab it, like somebody picking up litter in a park, but that seemed oddly disrespectful, even though the squirrel already had a hole in it . . . "
The entire time I read this, I had no problems visualizing it as a movie. We have the over-the-top actors, the forest acting as a natural barrier between them and the rest of the world, and of course, my mind was conjuring up all the different types of wildlife that call that area home. (Living in the middle of the country, being brought up on horror movies as a child, helped my imagination tremendously).
"Though it was difficult to gauge homicidal intent in the gaze of a squirrel, this thing really did give the impression of wanting to kill him."
Is this the novel of the century that's going to challenge your rational thinking?
Most probably not.
However, it is an extremely action-packed novel that will likely get you laughing at inappropriate comments and scenes. That alone makes reading it worthwhile, in my opinion.
"What could possibly have happened in this forest to make the inhabitants not care if their nose got sawed off?"
Overall, I could read just about any kind of book this author puts out, and enjoy it immensely--regardless of the subject matter. It's his unique style that pulls me into his characters' lives, the situation they're in, and whatever adversary they encounter. In this case, it happens to be undead forest creatures. How could you not enjoy a book like that?
". . . Rusty could tell that she was leaning much more toward 'the entire forest is full of undead horrors'."
There were a few places in the novel where the dialog and action felt a bit repetitive, but it didn't take long for the situation to alter, and for some new, darkly horrific--yet somehow still comedic--event to stir things up a bit. If you've read anything by Jeff Strand in the past, or enjoy sarcasm mixed with your horror, then you'll want to check FEROCIOUS out. (Of course, if you were foolish enough to buy you OWN house in the middle of the country, surrounded by squirrels, deer, fox, coyote, turkey, and dozens of other animals in place of humans, you may finding yourself cursing the author every time you have to go take your mini-doodle for a walk at night....)
"Fuck mud."
You may also want to avoid the mud . . .
*Review up on website: http://www.horrorafterdark.com/2019/0...*
Recommended.
In short, it was just the sort of novel I love.
For readers familiar with Jeff Strand's work, his sarcasm and twisted humor are a given, present in even his more "serious-toned" books. This novel doesn't disappoint.
We have Rusty, a young man living alone in his cabin, surrounded by woods for miles. He makes a living selling handmade furniture and interacting with other humans as little as possible. At least he did, until the day a lawyer pulled up with tragic news, and Rusty's infant niece.
". . . Even with the bandage, she was way less ugly than most of the babies he'd seen."
Then we have Uncle Rusty and a grown up--and just as sarcastic--Mia. I love the banter between them, with even the most common of topics carrying a comedic thread that never wanes.
Things start out slowly enough, but keep in mind two things: One they live in a cabin miles away from the nearest road, and Two, Jeff Strand is the author.
". . . It would have been easier to stab it, like somebody picking up litter in a park, but that seemed oddly disrespectful, even though the squirrel already had a hole in it . . . "
The entire time I read this, I had no problems visualizing it as a movie. We have the over-the-top actors, the forest acting as a natural barrier between them and the rest of the world, and of course, my mind was conjuring up all the different types of wildlife that call that area home. (Living in the middle of the country, being brought up on horror movies as a child, helped my imagination tremendously).
"Though it was difficult to gauge homicidal intent in the gaze of a squirrel, this thing really did give the impression of wanting to kill him."
Is this the novel of the century that's going to challenge your rational thinking?
Most probably not.
However, it is an extremely action-packed novel that will likely get you laughing at inappropriate comments and scenes. That alone makes reading it worthwhile, in my opinion.
"What could possibly have happened in this forest to make the inhabitants not care if their nose got sawed off?"
Overall, I could read just about any kind of book this author puts out, and enjoy it immensely--regardless of the subject matter. It's his unique style that pulls me into his characters' lives, the situation they're in, and whatever adversary they encounter. In this case, it happens to be undead forest creatures. How could you not enjoy a book like that?
". . . Rusty could tell that she was leaning much more toward 'the entire forest is full of undead horrors'."
There were a few places in the novel where the dialog and action felt a bit repetitive, but it didn't take long for the situation to alter, and for some new, darkly horrific--yet somehow still comedic--event to stir things up a bit. If you've read anything by Jeff Strand in the past, or enjoy sarcasm mixed with your horror, then you'll want to check FEROCIOUS out. (Of course, if you were foolish enough to buy you OWN house in the middle of the country, surrounded by squirrels, deer, fox, coyote, turkey, and dozens of other animals in place of humans, you may finding yourself cursing the author every time you have to go take your mini-doodle for a walk at night....)
"Fuck mud."
You may also want to avoid the mud . . .
*Review up on website: http://www.horrorafterdark.com/2019/0...*
Recommended.
September 26, 2020
Sometimes books like this are a breath of fresh air.
You know, a dash of humor and a whole forest full of undead animals, scary squirrels, and riding bronco bears. *yes, I know that ain't a thing*
It's all about the dismemberments, man. It's all about the dismemberments.
And THIS is why I can never have a normal conversation again.
This is a great start to spooky October. But since this is 2020, we all know that everything is out of whack. That's why October starts in September... so fake horror can replace real horror to make us all feel comfortable and secure in a totally fake world.
Be sure to wave bye-bye to all the undead animals, ya'll! ;)
You know, a dash of humor and a whole forest full of undead animals, scary squirrels, and riding bronco bears. *yes, I know that ain't a thing*
It's all about the dismemberments, man. It's all about the dismemberments.
And THIS is why I can never have a normal conversation again.
This is a great start to spooky October. But since this is 2020, we all know that everything is out of whack. That's why October starts in September... so fake horror can replace real horror to make us all feel comfortable and secure in a totally fake world.
Be sure to wave bye-bye to all the undead animals, ya'll! ;)
November 17, 2025
Jeff Strand is a great writer. I'm still in the beginning stages of conquering his entire set of offerings and am excited to be on the journey. This was much lighter fare than I expected, which was a nice change of pace. The playful dynamics between Rusty and Mia were the highlight here, despite lots of entertaining and theatrical action sequences with zombie animals. You felt the love, respect, and admiration they had for one another and that was written so well. Now, I didn't love how one-note this whole experience was. It played out like a video game with our leads just going from one type of animal to another, which comprised a strong majority of the story. It got old after a while and just felt like the author went on cruise control. The monotony of this approach really diminished the big finale with the big bad, which should have been very exciting. The ending, beyond that, also felt rushed and incomplete, leaving some of that initial magic between our lead characters in the dust with all those dead animals. This needed to keep them as the primary focus, as their relationship continued to evolve, and really reduce the volume of the action. Still a fun read, but just a little off-kilter in a lot of ways.
September 30, 2020
This is what happens when I finish a horror short story until almost 3am - I forget to write and post the corresponding review! *lol*
So what you see on the cover is what you get: zombie forest animals.
Mia lives in a cabin in the woods with her uncle Rusty but their idyllic life is interrupted when animals start acting weird. What seems funny in a ridiculous kind of way at first soon becomes a full-blown nightmare and run for their lives. Thank goodness they are both tough and have a lot of tools at their disposal.
No, this is not any form of high literature just like a monster b-movie will never win an Oscar. But that's also not what you're looking for when picking this up, right?
You get what you're looking for: popcorn fun that makes you chuckle evilly a lot of times.
So what you see on the cover is what you get: zombie forest animals.
Mia lives in a cabin in the woods with her uncle Rusty but their idyllic life is interrupted when animals start acting weird. What seems funny in a ridiculous kind of way at first soon becomes a full-blown nightmare and run for their lives. Thank goodness they are both tough and have a lot of tools at their disposal.
No, this is not any form of high literature just like a monster b-movie will never win an Oscar. But that's also not what you're looking for when picking this up, right?
You get what you're looking for: popcorn fun that makes you chuckle evilly a lot of times.
July 2, 2019
Jeff Strand should wear an eye patch. He’s that big of a bad ass. Kind of like a Laird Barron’s eye patch, but maybe with rhinestones on it or something so he’s not a total Laird copycat.
Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
Maybe he could just paint an eyeball on it with glow in the dark paint or bedazzle it with semiprecious gemstones. Yep. Strand could pull it off…
…probably.
As a matter of fact, maybe Scott Thomas, the narrator should wear an eye patch too. As long as they don’t go hanging around with Laird. Three dudes with eye patches would be creepy.
Creepy freaking cool, that is!!
Scott nailed this one. The narration was perfect. I was completely immersed in the story. It must be interesting to narrate a Strand and try and get thru the bloody carnage and quick-witted dialog, but Scott didn’t miss a beat.
Fast, bloody, violent, funny. Just as you would expect from the talented and twisted, two-eyed, Mr. Strand.
"I was given a free review copy of this audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this honest review."
Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
Maybe he could just paint an eyeball on it with glow in the dark paint or bedazzle it with semiprecious gemstones. Yep. Strand could pull it off…
…probably.
As a matter of fact, maybe Scott Thomas, the narrator should wear an eye patch too. As long as they don’t go hanging around with Laird. Three dudes with eye patches would be creepy.
Creepy freaking cool, that is!!
Scott nailed this one. The narration was perfect. I was completely immersed in the story. It must be interesting to narrate a Strand and try and get thru the bloody carnage and quick-witted dialog, but Scott didn’t miss a beat.
Fast, bloody, violent, funny. Just as you would expect from the talented and twisted, two-eyed, Mr. Strand.
"I was given a free review copy of this audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this honest review."
December 27, 2019
4.0 Stars
This was a good creature feature that was made great by the fantastic relationship between Rusty and his teenage niece. Full of action, this was a fast read with some great character work.
This was a good creature feature that was made great by the fantastic relationship between Rusty and his teenage niece. Full of action, this was a fast read with some great character work.
December 24, 2025
This was my first time reading Strand, and honestly, I wasn't that impressed. From pretty early on in the book I had to suspend my belief. I wasn't mad at that, though. Rusty and Mia had great banter. Their conversations were funny, and I really appreciated the blend of horror and comedy.
I also liked the overall concept of the book. It was a different and unique take on a very popular subgenre in horror. I am terrified of all wild life, bears especially. So, zombie bears that don't die are pure nightmare fuel for me. Yeah, you're gonna have a bad time with that one.
The book did feel very, very, very repetitive at times. Being only two major characters, a lot of the scenes felt the same. I mean how often do I need to read about Rusty sawing off the head of some animal before I get bored...and get bored I did. The book has lots of potential, but I think it would've worked better as a short story. It went on far longer than it should. Especially with no known origin of how the animals came to be infected. What makes a zombie read/watch better for me, is knowing where it all began. We did get a little hint at the end, but not enough.
Also, the end was a little too perfect for me. I wasn't a fan of the ending at all. Nonetheless, I am still curious about what else this author has written. Hopefully, my next choice is better.
I also liked the overall concept of the book. It was a different and unique take on a very popular subgenre in horror. I am terrified of all wild life, bears especially. So, zombie bears that don't die are pure nightmare fuel for me. Yeah, you're gonna have a bad time with that one.
The book did feel very, very, very repetitive at times. Being only two major characters, a lot of the scenes felt the same. I mean how often do I need to read about Rusty sawing off the head of some animal before I get bored...and get bored I did. The book has lots of potential, but I think it would've worked better as a short story. It went on far longer than it should. Especially with no known origin of how the animals came to be infected. What makes a zombie read/watch better for me, is knowing where it all began. We did get a little hint at the end, but not enough.
Also, the end was a little too perfect for me. I wasn't a fan of the ending at all. Nonetheless, I am still curious about what else this author has written. Hopefully, my next choice is better.
May 27, 2024
Let me preface this review by saying I typically enjoy Jeff Strand’s writing. He always has these goofy, snarky characters that snap the sharp wit back and forth, like you and your brother used to do when snapping each other with wet bath towels until someone went howling to mom with an angry red mark on your bare skin.
As much as I enjoy that, it pains me to say that Ferocious wasn’t for me. Right off the bat, self-imposed recluse, Rusty, “inherits” his baby niece, Mia, when his sister and her husband are killed in an accident. This whole set up — him being a hermit, the lawyer showing up with baby Mia out of the blue to drop her off, the lack of genuine remorse for losing his sister, and then we immediately fast forward to Mia as a teen. I just couldn’t suspend my disbelief. The rest of the story is one long journey for our duo to walk three miles to their pickup truck while trying to kill every zombie animal the woods have mysteriously unleashed on them. It felt like Strand was trying to make a Zombieland-type of tale where the uncle and niece kill undead woodland creatures instead of humans while throwing zingers and one-liners back at each other. Instead, Ferocious was more like watching someone play a video game than reading a story. Tedious to the point where I stopped caring about what happened and simply wanted it to end.
2 Temperamental Chainsaws out of 5
As much as I enjoy that, it pains me to say that Ferocious wasn’t for me. Right off the bat, self-imposed recluse, Rusty, “inherits” his baby niece, Mia, when his sister and her husband are killed in an accident. This whole set up — him being a hermit, the lawyer showing up with baby Mia out of the blue to drop her off, the lack of genuine remorse for losing his sister, and then we immediately fast forward to Mia as a teen. I just couldn’t suspend my disbelief. The rest of the story is one long journey for our duo to walk three miles to their pickup truck while trying to kill every zombie animal the woods have mysteriously unleashed on them. It felt like Strand was trying to make a Zombieland-type of tale where the uncle and niece kill undead woodland creatures instead of humans while throwing zingers and one-liners back at each other. Instead, Ferocious was more like watching someone play a video game than reading a story. Tedious to the point where I stopped caring about what happened and simply wanted it to end.
2 Temperamental Chainsaws out of 5
February 27, 2019
Strand never fails to effortlessly combine sheer horror and humor into a nail-biting tail, and Ferocious is a testament to that skill. Living remotely in the woods, a man and his niece face a battle against what seem to be zombie animals - bringing terror and attacks from animals both large and small. Peppered with iconic horror movie references (enhanced only by the fact that the man's niece has no concept of pop culture or its references), Ferocious gives the reader all of the things that make a horror story truly great: terror, suspense, the unknown, survival, and realism. Come for the horror, stay for the zombie porcupines.
March 11, 2024
Hysterical! Jeff Strand is exceptionally entertaining and clever. Nice spin to the normal books in the zombie genre. Lions, tigers and bears - Oh My!
August 9, 2020
Didn't really work for me all that well. Seemed to go on far too long.
Probably would have been a great short story.
Probably would have been a great short story.
March 6, 2021
Not his best.
This one was little more than the first draft of Haunted Forest Tour, only with the lazy ending and video-game like plot progression.
Skip it unless you've got nothing better to read.
This one was little more than the first draft of Haunted Forest Tour, only with the lazy ending and video-game like plot progression.
Skip it unless you've got nothing better to read.
October 7, 2022
I was worried. I'm beyond tired of zombie stories. FEROCIOUS by Jeff Strand is basically a zombie story. But, it's a different kind of zombie story and that makes all the difference
Instead of the reanimated corpses of hand, our heroic duo mist face a forest full of reanimated critters. From bears to birds, the intrepid uncle/niece team must battle their way out of a cabin in the woods to safety and everything that creeps, crawls, slithers or flies is single-mindedly trying to kill them.
But FEROCIOUS leans into the relationship between Uncle Rusty and Neice Mia and they bludgeon adorable woodland creatures. And that makes this a human story and not a zombie story. And that made all the difference in the world.
Heartfelt, human, campy and bloody, FEROCIOUS is the type of zombie story best told by Jeff Strand. A must read for Strand fans and the uminitiated alike
I'm sure there's a zombie skunk on those woods somewhere... Poor fella.
Instead of the reanimated corpses of hand, our heroic duo mist face a forest full of reanimated critters. From bears to birds, the intrepid uncle/niece team must battle their way out of a cabin in the woods to safety and everything that creeps, crawls, slithers or flies is single-mindedly trying to kill them.
But FEROCIOUS leans into the relationship between Uncle Rusty and Neice Mia and they bludgeon adorable woodland creatures. And that makes this a human story and not a zombie story. And that made all the difference in the world.
Heartfelt, human, campy and bloody, FEROCIOUS is the type of zombie story best told by Jeff Strand. A must read for Strand fans and the uminitiated alike
I'm sure there's a zombie skunk on those woods somewhere... Poor fella.
November 30, 2019
Jeff Strand is a master of combining humor and horror, achieving exactly what is needed to entertain the heck out of the reader. Ferocious brings forth a spirited flourishing relationship like no other, and then attacks it with a animalistic zombie-ish gore and gristle storyline. Survival is indeed priority for the main characters and the reader with this enjoyable romp into beastly undead territory.
May 6, 2022
Wowza!!! Talk about a series of events getting worse and worse! Horrific, nightmare images are what you'll get from this title. Of course there's that comical chit chat between characters, that I love with Strand's books, but he really put these characters through some rough challenges. Scariest part of it is, the woods around my home have all these wonderful creatures running around.
August 31, 2022
There are few genres in which characterization is more important than the horror genre. If you don’t care about the people to whom terrible things are happening, it’s hard to care deeply about the book. When I picked up Ferocious by Jeff Strand, I was a little bit worried about his ability to pull off the characters mentioned in the blurb—a recluse raising his niece off the grid in the middle of the wilderness. It seemed quite likely the author would slip into caricatures as he wrote about a zombie apocalypse in the backwoods. I could not have been more wrong. In the very first chapter he establishes Rusty Moss as both a hard man who hates people and someone that you absolutely have to love. In the next chapter he establishes Rusty’s niece, Mia, just as credibly. And this father-daughter style team will capture your heart as they struggle to survive one of the weirdest twists on the zombie apocalypse that I have ever read.
Strand is a master at building tension—not only with the ever-growing level of danger but with the very credible mistakes that Rusty and Mia make throughout the novel. They never do anything stupid, but many of their plans and reactions go badly awry. This makes them remarkably human as they deal with a horror they can’t quite believe is really happening to them.
One of the best distinguishing features of this novel is the vast array of zombie creatures that threaten Rusty and Mia. Strand has really thought out the strengths and weaknesses of the various undead forest animals so there is never a point in which the action gets routine. Even the smallest animals are dangerous and this gives the novel a decidedly different flavor from every other zombie story I have read.
Finally, I’d like to take a moment to talk about the vocal talents of narrator Scott Thomas. It’s not an easy thing for a man to craft a believable voice for a seventeen-year-old girl, but Thomas pulled it off and without his ability to do this, the audio book would not have worked nearly as well. He also catches the humor and affection in the back and forth banter of Rusty and Mia. His narration takes an excellent story and gives it that extra touch of magic to finish bringing it to life.
I received this book from Audiobook Boom in exchange for an honest review.
If you liked this review, you can find more at www.gilbertstack.com/reviews.
Strand is a master at building tension—not only with the ever-growing level of danger but with the very credible mistakes that Rusty and Mia make throughout the novel. They never do anything stupid, but many of their plans and reactions go badly awry. This makes them remarkably human as they deal with a horror they can’t quite believe is really happening to them.
One of the best distinguishing features of this novel is the vast array of zombie creatures that threaten Rusty and Mia. Strand has really thought out the strengths and weaknesses of the various undead forest animals so there is never a point in which the action gets routine. Even the smallest animals are dangerous and this gives the novel a decidedly different flavor from every other zombie story I have read.
Finally, I’d like to take a moment to talk about the vocal talents of narrator Scott Thomas. It’s not an easy thing for a man to craft a believable voice for a seventeen-year-old girl, but Thomas pulled it off and without his ability to do this, the audio book would not have worked nearly as well. He also catches the humor and affection in the back and forth banter of Rusty and Mia. His narration takes an excellent story and gives it that extra touch of magic to finish bringing it to life.
I received this book from Audiobook Boom in exchange for an honest review.
If you liked this review, you can find more at www.gilbertstack.com/reviews.
March 1, 2019
Axe and chainsaw, cabin in the woods, then there was one, then where was two, but there will be no three bears sitting in anyone's chair, but they just may walk through your cabin door, bears with furious monstrous mutation.
The Ferocious ones of this tale have a strain of the malevolent insidious kind within, ones that metamorphosis into an undead zombie species.
From bear to snake, they are all struck with this contagion, all manner of beasts that is.
There is a dweller and he has a niece he has raised from child, one that escaped terrible death and came out alive.
Can she do it again? Escape death, that is what ultimately pulls you through to the end of this apocalyptic interlude in the woods with beasts.
A few troublesome squirrels is something a fifty-year-old man who had spent half his life in the woods be capable of dealing with swiftly but one becomes two, and more and more, escalating, all manner of beasts, with the mounting unusual occurrences, these two uncle and niece in the woods, in the cabin, are in clear and present danger from teeth and claws will be equipped with axe and chainsaw to battle through the ferocity of undead beasts.
The writing flows well and keeps you reading on, there is the usual you would expect from all that I described in this is modest undead with beast battle for survival tale, one that comes free under kindle unlimited package and the source of me reading this, and I read this title due to my own throwback reasons to do with his Dweller tale and not having read his works for years. Next up would be his story Wolf Hunt, one that I have sitting on my shelf for years now.
There is less comedy than Dweller, in that narrative, boy and beast were friends, there is no beast and human bond here, just one bond of kin, uncle and niece in the woods against all manner of beasts.
Review also @ More2Read
The Ferocious ones of this tale have a strain of the malevolent insidious kind within, ones that metamorphosis into an undead zombie species.
From bear to snake, they are all struck with this contagion, all manner of beasts that is.
There is a dweller and he has a niece he has raised from child, one that escaped terrible death and came out alive.
Can she do it again? Escape death, that is what ultimately pulls you through to the end of this apocalyptic interlude in the woods with beasts.
A few troublesome squirrels is something a fifty-year-old man who had spent half his life in the woods be capable of dealing with swiftly but one becomes two, and more and more, escalating, all manner of beasts, with the mounting unusual occurrences, these two uncle and niece in the woods, in the cabin, are in clear and present danger from teeth and claws will be equipped with axe and chainsaw to battle through the ferocity of undead beasts.
The writing flows well and keeps you reading on, there is the usual you would expect from all that I described in this is modest undead with beast battle for survival tale, one that comes free under kindle unlimited package and the source of me reading this, and I read this title due to my own throwback reasons to do with his Dweller tale and not having read his works for years. Next up would be his story Wolf Hunt, one that I have sitting on my shelf for years now.
There is less comedy than Dweller, in that narrative, boy and beast were friends, there is no beast and human bond here, just one bond of kin, uncle and niece in the woods against all manner of beasts.
Review also @ More2Read
December 1, 2019
I was binging on Strand and this one was pretty tough to resist…the cover alone…Actually, aside from being pretty epic, the cover is also very descriptive. The book delivers just that, zombie animals, an entire forest of them. A forest that was previously just a quiet place to live for someone trying to get away from the evils of civilization, such as our protagonist Rusty. Rusty’s had years of quiet life, only once interrupted by a sudden arrival of his baby niece, but all the more improved by it. Now the niece is 17 and can make furniture nearly as expertly as her uncle, but she has led a pretty sheltered life and just as Rusty and her are discussing a possibility of something like Rumspringa (a cultural coming of age rite mentioned in this book almost word by word exactly as in Strand’s Blister, guess some material recycling is inevitable), the forest critters are starting to behave really really weird. Which soon turns into aggressive, which soon turns into violent and from there on straight up murderous. And so the book becomes a fairly straight forward survival tale. Can Rusty and his niece survive the night in the forest of the undead and make it three very long miles to their truck. There’s still Strand’s customary banter and jokes and dynamic pacing, but it’s much too one note of a story to be counted among the author’s best work. It’s a fine creature feature in its own right and plenty entertaining, but if you know what Strand can do, this might seem somewhat lackluster. Still fun, though. I mean, how can it not be with a concept like that and an author like this. Just on a plainer side of Strand. If you’re new to the author, don’t formulate an opinion of his work based on this. And if you’re a fan of his work, enjoy without expecting too much. There’s plenty of fun to be had here and nature prove to be a formidable opponent as it tends to, especially when men mess with it…like they tend to. The battle for survival will be ferocious. Growl, growl, rawr.
October 8, 2024
Zombies! (Again.)
There are some great mysteries in this world, like how Emily In Paris made it past the first season, and why Ferocious hasn’t ranked higher.
So, there’s this tough woodsy bloke livin’ in a cabin in the woods with his niece. Yep, it’s a cabin-in-the-woods story again. Will this scenario ever die? No phone, no internet – enter the zombie apocalypse only this time, it affects all the local forest animals, right from the big bears down to the little mosquitoes. I reckon mosquitoes are natural zombies anyway. Little fuckers.
Our power couple must make it from the cabin to their bogged truck, a few miles down the road, without being inflicted with a fatal case of death from zombie squirrels etc. What makes this book so readable, is the humorous dialogue. I don’t want my legacy to be death by zombie woodpecker or maybe, "I think normal conversations are over for us." "You're right. How can I ask you to pass the salt after watching you ride around on a zombie bear?". It reminded me of almost any John Cena movie. In fact, since our protagonist, Rusty isn’t described (I don’t think he is, anyway), I imagined him as Mr Cena, and his niece was Karen Gillan in my “cinema of the mind”. The overall story however, has very strong connections to the movie, Evil Dead with Bruce Campbell. Yes, I watch some pretty ordinary TV and movies.
The enjoyment factor was very high for this book so I just had to give it 5 stars.
There are some great mysteries in this world, like how Emily In Paris made it past the first season, and why Ferocious hasn’t ranked higher.
So, there’s this tough woodsy bloke livin’ in a cabin in the woods with his niece. Yep, it’s a cabin-in-the-woods story again. Will this scenario ever die? No phone, no internet – enter the zombie apocalypse only this time, it affects all the local forest animals, right from the big bears down to the little mosquitoes. I reckon mosquitoes are natural zombies anyway. Little fuckers.
Our power couple must make it from the cabin to their bogged truck, a few miles down the road, without being inflicted with a fatal case of death from zombie squirrels etc. What makes this book so readable, is the humorous dialogue. I don’t want my legacy to be death by zombie woodpecker or maybe, "I think normal conversations are over for us." "You're right. How can I ask you to pass the salt after watching you ride around on a zombie bear?". It reminded me of almost any John Cena movie. In fact, since our protagonist, Rusty isn’t described (I don’t think he is, anyway), I imagined him as Mr Cena, and his niece was Karen Gillan in my “cinema of the mind”. The overall story however, has very strong connections to the movie, Evil Dead with Bruce Campbell. Yes, I watch some pretty ordinary TV and movies.
The enjoyment factor was very high for this book so I just had to give it 5 stars.
September 17, 2025
Uh - did I read the same Ferocious as everyone else? This was not entertaining in the slightest and I’m surprised this came from a talented writer like Jeff Strand…
With novels like “Dweller” and “Pressure”, Strand does such a good job at creating an immersive world with standout characters and a captivating story. Ferocious on the other hand does nothing but show zombie animals try to break in a cabin.
Thats it.
Jeff Strand’s novels usually have many layers but here there’s just 2 characters. A guy and his niece in a cabin. I felt just as isolated as these characters and the story did nothing.
Zombie animals come to the cabin
The zombie animals are stopped.
More zombie animals come to the cabin.
The zombie animals are stopped.
More zombie animals come to the cabin.
The zombie animals are stopped.
More zombie animals come to the cabin.
The zombie animals are stopped.
Literally nothing else. And I didn’t even feel any suspense because I knew both characters were going to be okay and make it out alive. Also their banter was cringe and stupid.
Eh. I guess not all Jeff Strands books can be bangers like Dweller and Pressure.
With novels like “Dweller” and “Pressure”, Strand does such a good job at creating an immersive world with standout characters and a captivating story. Ferocious on the other hand does nothing but show zombie animals try to break in a cabin.
Thats it.
Jeff Strand’s novels usually have many layers but here there’s just 2 characters. A guy and his niece in a cabin. I felt just as isolated as these characters and the story did nothing.
Zombie animals come to the cabin
The zombie animals are stopped.
More zombie animals come to the cabin.
The zombie animals are stopped.
More zombie animals come to the cabin.
The zombie animals are stopped.
More zombie animals come to the cabin.
The zombie animals are stopped.
Literally nothing else. And I didn’t even feel any suspense because I knew both characters were going to be okay and make it out alive. Also their banter was cringe and stupid.
Eh. I guess not all Jeff Strands books can be bangers like Dweller and Pressure.
January 27, 2023
“Ferocious”, by Jeff Strand, was exceptionally fun. This light hearted novel was a fresh spin on the traditional zombie tale.
“Ferocious” is about Rusty and his niece who slaughter zombie forest creatures. I mean, whoever heard of a zombie squirrel? Those cute little nut gatherers make entertaining zombies 😆 There were other creatures: birds, bears, deer and other animals that have become aggressive.
I loved the relationship between Rusty and his niece. The dialogue between them as they try to survive the chaos was on point. They also faced the dilemma of killing animals, which made them uncomfortable.
The story was gory, but it kept Strand’s flair for humor. Every time I open a Strand book, I laugh out loud. “Ferocious” was no exception.
I listened to the audiobook. The narration was great. It never detracted from Strand’s novel and was a pleasure to listen to at work. 4 ⭐️
“Ferocious” is about Rusty and his niece who slaughter zombie forest creatures. I mean, whoever heard of a zombie squirrel? Those cute little nut gatherers make entertaining zombies 😆 There were other creatures: birds, bears, deer and other animals that have become aggressive.
I loved the relationship between Rusty and his niece. The dialogue between them as they try to survive the chaos was on point. They also faced the dilemma of killing animals, which made them uncomfortable.
The story was gory, but it kept Strand’s flair for humor. Every time I open a Strand book, I laugh out loud. “Ferocious” was no exception.
I listened to the audiobook. The narration was great. It never detracted from Strand’s novel and was a pleasure to listen to at work. 4 ⭐️
July 11, 2022
Huh. Ferocious by Jeff Strand was unexpected and I may revise the rating.
To be honest I was expecting something along the lines of the movie Day of the Animals ((1977) link below.) This was like a tongue-in-cheek version steeped in satire and sarcasm. The characters of Rusty and Mia were oddly likeably unlikeable and the perils were so constant and over the top that it was more amusing than terrifying.
It was a lot of guilty fun.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detai...
To be honest I was expecting something along the lines of the movie Day of the Animals ((1977) link below.) This was like a tongue-in-cheek version steeped in satire and sarcasm. The characters of Rusty and Mia were oddly likeably unlikeable and the perils were so constant and over the top that it was more amusing than terrifying.
It was a lot of guilty fun.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detai...
October 8, 2020
The more I read of Jeff Strand, the more I wish I could write like he does. Very few authors make me laugh out loud while enjoying my horror, but Strand has that formula perfected.
Great stuff.
Great stuff.
February 27, 2020
Awesomness
Let me just start off by saying this was my first Jeff strand book that I ever read and I loved it the reason I rated it five stars is because this was such a fun and exciting book to read that I enjoyed every single page of this book I could not put it down. That's why I give this book five stars
Let me just start off by saying this was my first Jeff strand book that I ever read and I loved it the reason I rated it five stars is because this was such a fun and exciting book to read that I enjoyed every single page of this book I could not put it down. That's why I give this book five stars
May 6, 2019
Hell Yes.
I love reading Jeff Stand. I know going in I'm not going to find a single dull moment and it's going to be a great ride. This is no exception to that rule. Super fun and really witty. I was getting so bored with zombies until I picked this up.
I love reading Jeff Stand. I know going in I'm not going to find a single dull moment and it's going to be a great ride. This is no exception to that rule. Super fun and really witty. I was getting so bored with zombies until I picked this up.
June 5, 2022
This is just what I needed right now. I have been reading a lot of serious books lately and this was fun and crazy. Who ever thought being attacked by undead squirrels and bears could ever be such a good time. These tweaked out varmints never say die.
So Rusty is as unwelcome of a redneck as it gets, living off grid, working at home building furniture and generally staying away from people as much as possible. Then one day he discovers that he is the only one left to take care of his baby niece, Mia. Without changing his ways too much he raises Mia by himself and even homeschools her. She has grown up to be smart, funny, and a better craftsman than Rusty, not that he would tell her that.
Everything is fine and dandy until the animal kingdom goes freaking berserk and critters start looking to mess up the neighborhood and all its inhabitants. Trapped miles from town, Mia and Rusty have to load up with what they need to defend themselves, and make like a tree and leave their self sufficient life for town, just hoping that the people are not as messed up as the animals. You know, beyond the normal messed up that people are.
So Rusty is as unwelcome of a redneck as it gets, living off grid, working at home building furniture and generally staying away from people as much as possible. Then one day he discovers that he is the only one left to take care of his baby niece, Mia. Without changing his ways too much he raises Mia by himself and even homeschools her. She has grown up to be smart, funny, and a better craftsman than Rusty, not that he would tell her that.
Everything is fine and dandy until the animal kingdom goes freaking berserk and critters start looking to mess up the neighborhood and all its inhabitants. Trapped miles from town, Mia and Rusty have to load up with what they need to defend themselves, and make like a tree and leave their self sufficient life for town, just hoping that the people are not as messed up as the animals. You know, beyond the normal messed up that people are.
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