Succulent Prey

by Wrath James White

Could serial killers be the victims of a communicable disease? Fifteen years ago Joseph Miles was attacked by a serial child murder. He was the only victim to survive. Now he himself is slowly turning into a killer. Can he be cured before he kills the woman he loves?

Genres: Horror, Splatterpunk, Fiction, Thriller, Horror Thriller, Dark, Novels

307 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

Wrath James White is a badass motherfucker who writes baddasss books for other badass motherfuckers. He is a J.F. Gonzalez Lifetime Achievement Award winner and a Bram Stoker Award nominee with over two dozen books in print.

Wrath is the author of RABBIT HUNT, THE BUG COLLECTOR, and such extreme horror classics as THE RESURRECTIONIST (now a major motion picture titled "Come Back To Me") SUCCULENT PREY, it's sequel PREY DRIVE, 400 DAYS OF OPPRESSION, and many others.

To follow his Substack, purchase books, get the latest updates about upcoming releases, signed books, merchandise, and more, go to:

https://linktr.ee/wrathjameswhite

Reviews

[⛤ · Rating 4 out of 5]

THIS is for you "Cannibalism is a metaphor for love" people and let's see if you survive.

Loved how this was one of the few extreme horror stories which have an actual plot to follow.

[Kenneth McKinley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Succulent Prey should come with a warning on the cover: WARNING - Not for the faint of heart, weak stomachs or if your idea of horror is Stephen King and Dean Koontz. If you like your horror to be serial killers, cannabalism, and graphic page after page drenched in blood, Succulent Prey might be for you. This is my first forray into Wrath James White's writing and yes, it's brutal, but White isn't a one-trick pony. The guy can flat out write. In the hands of a less talented author, this story easily gets lost. But White breathes life into it...well...right before he rips open a chest and yanks our a heart and eats it. Okay, I'm regressing. Joey is an 11-year-old kid that gets abducted by a serial killer who gets his kicks by slicing his victims and drinking his blood. Joey was the first victim and for some unknown reason, the killer lets him go. The subsequent victims aren't so lucky. They're brutally sliced apart, blood drank and flesh consumed. The killer, Trent, is finally apprehended and sent away to a mental institution. Flash forward to present day where Joey is a sophomore in college and he's a big boy, and when I say big, I mean football player/body builder big. Top it off that he look like Superman from the comics and you can see why he has no problem picking up women. Unfortunately, the scars of his past have made his sex life and desires slide to the extreme. And when I say extreme, I'm not talking a little light bondage S&M. No, Joey dreams of sinking his teeth into their flesh and consuming them in one bloody bite after another.

I'll stop here on the story's details and say that this story could've easily went off the rails into the rediculous many times, but Wrath gives us a compelling tale that pulls you in. Joey is a complex character that you can't decide how you feel about him. His victims are the sad sacks with no self esteem that society typically exploits. At times, you think, "who'd do that?", then you realize that yes, there are people out there like that. At times, the story walks the razor's edge of suspension of disbelief, but White delivers a blood-soaked thrill ride with your hair on fire. If you like your stories to be extreme splatterpunk, grab your raincoat and try to avoid the splatters.

4 1/2 Chewed-Off Nipples out of 5


You can also follow my reviews at the following links:

https://intothemacabre.com

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[MadameD · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wrath James White's Succulent Prey is everything I was looking for. This story is very brutal, depraved, gruesome and captivating. All the characters have well-developed complex personalities, which is important to me.
I loved it!
This story is about Joe, a deranged young man who seeks a cure for his "curse". Suffice to say that his journey will not be easy, far from it. There will be many temptations and his hunger will increase and consume him.
I highly recommend it!

[Nina The Wandering Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading this book was such a strange experience for me, mainly because I never thought I'd find myself diving head first into cannibal erotica. I definitely consider myself a reader who likes a shock to the senses, but THIS was....a lot....but in a good way?? I don't know. My thoughts are all over the place.

For anyone curious, this story follows Joseph Miles, a young man who was mercilessly tortured as a child by a blood-drinking serial killer. In spite of Joe being the only survivor of the killer's violence, it has left a terrible mark on the boy emotionally and mentally. Now a college psychology student who's built like Superman, Joe is addicted to sex and craves human flesh. In spite of his carnal habits making him feel alive, he rightfully considers himself a monster. Joe starts to believe that perhaps the serial killer who tortured him as a child has somehow passed on his masochism in the form of a cannibal disease, and he is on the hunt for a cure. Because every day he goes uncured, a victim becomes his meal.

I specifically wanted to dive into this book because I don't know of any other Black authors who write in the Splatterpunk genre, and I actually really enjoyed Wrath James White's horror erotic poetry collection “If You Died Tomorrow, I Would Eat Your Corpse” (highly recommend if that's your kink.) I enjoy White's writing and this book was definitely an instance where I wanted to close my eyes but was unable to look away from the carnage (something I love and look for in my horror novels).

I will warn, however, that this book comes with ALL the trigger warnings. Too many to name. Whatever gets you triggered, it's in this book. So if you have a weak stomach or feel this book might offend or emotionally harm you as a reader, skip this one. But, if you are a seasoned horror fan who enjoys dabbling in extreme horror, Splatterpunk and/or horror erotica, this will be your cup of tea.

[Lisa Lynch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even if he wasn't actually turning into a werewolf or a vampire he was becoming a monster. He was not human in any recognizable sense of the word. Whatever was happening to him, he could feel himself changing more and more with each kill. He looked down at the orderly's broken body and at his own blood-soaked palms. His lifeline was a river of red. He could feel the hunger gaining momentum, gaining ever-increasing control. Reason was slowly becoming little more than a tool of his appetite. (p.248)

So I've been feeling a bit desensitized to everything lately and decided it was finally time to try some extreme horror. I picked Succulent Prey by Wrath James White because, honestly, it was the only extreme horror book I could get from the library.

I thought I would hate this book. Mostly because I don't really care to read anything with any sort of sexual stuff in it. And I knew this book would be not only graphically sexual, but violently graphically sexual. I was pretty sure I would read a couple chapters then DNF it. But at least then I could say I gave it a try anyway.

And let me tell you... I'm so glad I gave this book a shot! I actually really enjoyed Succulent Prey!

Ok so. The reason the sexual violence didn't bother me in this book is because it is absolutely absurd. It never felt like something that could ever happen or would ever happen. I mean, our protagonist chews a woman's nipples right off her body and she proceeds to live without treatment for a fairly extended period of time.

Also, I'm pretty good at compartmentalizing and the graphic sex scenes in this book got immediately filed away into one of my black hole drawers where it fell into a void and was erased from my consciousness. Kind of. I mean... it's pretty hard to forget reading about a man literally eating a woman out.

Succulent Prey is about Joe, a guy who thinks he is turning into a cannibalistic serial killer because he contracted a communicable disease from a man who raped and brutalized him as a child. Joe feels like he is losing control over himself (and he is right about that) and, therefore, must seek a cure for his disease.

What I was the most surprised about in this book was the quality of Wrath James White's writing. Because I've assumed the appeal of graphic horror is the sex and violence, I assumed those aspects of the book would be really well done and the writing would be... sub par. That is not the case with Succulent Prey. Wrath James White can fuckin write.

And not only was the writing really good, but this book explored some pretty mature and meaningful themes like: identity, human nature, willpower, desire, destiny, the fine line between humanity and monstrosity, the power of a choice, and accepting yourself for who you are.

One of my favorite things to read about is that line between humanity and monstrosity and Succulent Prey does an excellent job of showing Joe struggle with this. Joe is constantly reflecting on his behavior and his inability to control himself. He disgusts himself despite how much sexual gratification he gets from eating people. He wants to change, which makes him likable and relatable. I was definitely rooting for the guy.

And that ending!! I really enjoyed the end of this book. I also recently learned there is a sequel which, unfortunately, my library doesn't have. So I gotta get my hands on that somehow. Like, asap.

I rated Wrath James White's Succulent Prey 5 out of 5 stars.

You might like this if you like: graphic violence, reflections on human nature, and sympathizing with the bad guy.

[Misty Marie Harms · Rating 4 out of 5]

Joseph Miles was attacked by a serial killer as a child. Now, as an adult, he feels the urge to kill and consume his victims. He believes he was infected by a communicable disease by the serial killer and he wants to find a cure to make his urges stop. Let's just say the Warning label slapped on this novel was well earned. This was one insane journey White takes you on. You are locked in a struggle of hating the main character and then feeling empathy for his tortured mind. This book is made purely for the splatterpunk fans and we love White for it.

🐱🐱🐱🐱🐱

[Bill · Rating 3 out of 5]

I need a shower.

Seriously.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a 100% total gross out...the "human spit roast" part will stay within my brain for a very very long time...and that's all I'm saying!!This book is definitely NOT for those with weak stomachs. WJW has a talent like no other extreme horror writer, I love his books and the way he can pull me right into them and then I find it hard to climb out as I want to read more and more of it. This book ticked ALL the boxes for me... I loved it. There are NO warnings within this book...so tread carefully if you don't normally read books by this author. GROSS OUT SCORE 10/10

5+ 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟's

[Uptown Horror Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

After hearing a bunch of praise for this book and deciding to finally read it I can honestly say that I don't see what the big deal is.

The story is a bit generic: A young man who has an insatiable hunger for human flesh theorizes that his unusual appetite isn't a mental defect, but moreso a virus or a contagion that was passed down to him as a child. Now this man must travel the country in search of a cure.

I hated the main character and I hated the Jennifer Lopez look-a-like that he kept hostage throughout the book. One is a cannibalistic dude-bro who manipulates everyone around him and the other is a woman who falls in insta-love with a man who is constantly committing atrocities against her and slowly destroying her body beyond repair, but all he has to do is fulfill her sexual desires one time and all is forgiven.

I hated the main characters and I thought the plot was pretty dull, but the book DID have a few good scenes. This book isn't the best I've ever read, but its far from being the worst.

Im giving this book 3 out of 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐

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[Phil · Rating 4 out of 5]

From start to finish, I still have a hard time believing that a mainstream publisher put this brutal novel out in 2008. I know Leisure Books published several Ed Lee novels, along with Brian Keene among others, but WJW may have set a new benchmark for madness, mayhem and outrageous sex scenes in one book. We first meet our main protagonist, Joe, when he is being tortured, raped and partially eaten in a basement at age 12 or so. Turns out he was the first victim of a sexual predator/child molester and the only to live; they caught the guy several children later and his now serving time in a WA mental hospital.

The real story starts off with Joe in his sophomore year at college in California. Joe is a huge guy, all muscle and stands around 6 and half feet tall and people keep telling him he looks like superman. He is also a sex addict and lately he has been intermingling sexual fantasies with cannibalism; not really a healthy perversion! We follow Joe along his school routines where he is taking a class on murderers and a sociology class on myths, legends and werebeasts. You see, Joe has an idea that he somehow got infected with something during his abduction as a child and that infection is now causing him to desire human flesh. One day Frank, another character from the Sex Addicts class Joe attends finds out about Joe's desires and offers up a little of himself; so Joe cuts off a slice of his ass and has multiple orgasms eating it. Shortly thereafter, Joe picks up a gal at a sex club and things start to go off the rail...

Expect lots and lots of gore, steamy cannibal sex and more here, for WJW just does not let up. The idea of a virus or something inducing a desire to 'thin the human herd' in people is novel, and WJW runs with this in a very interesting way. You almost feel sorry for Joe as he slips into madness, eating his way through various people, some of whom he really cares about. WJW really puts you into the mind of Joe, and it is a nasty place to be; imagine walking into a room and sizing up everyone's body not for sex, but how the various parts would taste. I was not expecting puppies and rainbows here, but the over the top graphic violence and sex made even my jaded skin crawl a little bit. As Jack Ketchum noted on the cover blurb, "If Wrath James White doesn't make you cringe, you must be riding in the wrong end of a hearse." Totally agree. Recommended for only hard core horror fans. 4 succulent stars!!

[Vicky K22 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was fantastic, wow just wow ,I definitely need a shower with holy water now . such a fantastic read nothing like I’ve read before

[Albert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well this was definitely one of the most shocking, graphic, disturbing books that I've read, and I loved it. I found it very entertaining and um, enlightening. Would be an interesting book to read in a book club or when snuggled up next to your partner, until you started wondering what kind of sauce or wine would go best with...

Oh well, on to the sequel, then maybe a visit to church or a hospital

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

After abandoning White’s Book of A Thousand Sins, I decided I was shirking my duties as a reviewer and gleefully accepted his latest release. It was time to face my fears. I mean, so what White’s fiction has been rumored to be so heinous and despicable that only a madman would read them. I could do it. I, people, am a strong female with an iron stomach…or so I thought. Welcome, one and all, to the first and last review that I will ever do for Wrath James White.

There is a thin line between love and hate, and White did the robot all over it! I’m not a big fan of extreme horror. I know that, you know that, and as soon as this review is seen – so will Wrath James White. But what I do enjoy is original storylines with good characters. See the dilemma?

To say the plot is repugnant is like saying The Rolling Stones are aged. This story is so abhorrent, so revolting, that I had to actually leave the book and my house several times to distance myself from it. There are some things one should never learn, such as: how a serial killer thinks, what gets him off and brings him to orgasm, and how to cook a human being. In fact, relapsed catholic girl that I am, I discovered that I remembered every prayer I had learned in school, and I said them all for White. Here’s hoping, for all of you, that it helped!

You know that old saying, “Write what you know”? I know, I shuddered, too. Pulling off what I can only hope is a magnificent talent, White manages not only to climb into the mind of a serial killer, but can mimic his every movement. A sexual sadist, a traumatized boy, a lost cause -- Joseph Miles is perhaps one of the most memorable characters I have ever read. And it’s not because of his actions throughout the book or his scarred past, but because he’s real. His rationale, his torture, his hunger was completely believable. His tale, though stretched to the limit, has been told more times than any person would like to acknowledge. And his outcome, their outcome, will haunt us all.

With evident research performed and studied, White’s style is a bit unusual for me. Though I was granted a glimpse here and there of the author, for the most part White’s style of writing is removed and related from an observatory point of view. It’s clinical, matter of fact and lacks any emotion. I didn’t like it. Maybe it’s because I’d like to hope the author felt…something, anything, when he wrote it. But if he did, it didn't show.

And what didn't help, or perhaps it did, was the speed of the book. Calculated and intentional, the pace moves like it has a mind of its own. In fact, coupled with an atmosphere that is so palpable you could taste each character’s fear, this book feels sacrilegious. Everything about it, down to the cover, feels wrong. And with every turn of the page you feel yourself becoming more contaminated. And by the end you’ll be begging for a scalding hot shower and a priest.

My rating? I give it a 4. I promise you this: the constant barrage of gore, sexual deviancy, and madness will wear you down, weigh on you, and eventually overcome you. Think you can handle it? I double dog dare you to try! Grab it today!


-As posted on Horror-Web.com

[Kasia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh this is an ooey gooey and completely unsavory gore fest that barely takes a break. I think they idea was to take people's breath away and their appetite apparently went with it, I think I would have like it little more if the blatant cannibalism didn't take the front row seat, the things that happen in this book smack the reader in the face and make for a heavy and intense read. It was sometimes hard to read but my curiosity prevailed and I finally got to the end, which I must say was interesting but the very bumpy ride made me feel exhausted by the time it was over.

Young Joseph Miles gets abducted by an older boy and tortured in his basement for three days. Somehow the kidnapper releases the scarred child, unleashing the beginning of the end. Nothing is ever the same as Joe grows up to be deeply obsessed with serial killers and grows frustrated as his own unhealthy habits of destructive obsessions building up. When he can no longer keep the blood hungry beast tamed inside he unleashes his hunger and lust for flesh, blood and sex. People get in his way and feelings of love and confusion and inability to fight back keep them from reaching safety, and once the predator starts to feed he isn't so sure that he wants to be stopped. Joseph begins to feel certain that the only way to cure his contracted serial killer disease is to kill the root of his problems, only he doesn't know that the original captor somehow feels a connection to him and is hungrily awaiting his arrival. With plenty of sick and twisted scenarios and a really heavy and over the top sex filled pages that take over the tale this isn't for everyone. In fact if Jack Ketchum and Edward Lee had a child, it would somehow write like White, and those men have some imagination.

This had substance but it was scary substance and the book had so many disgusting and unmentionable things happen that half the time I felt a little detached from the story, fearing that if I thought of it too much it would drive me bonkers. So read it but proceed with caution, its one heck of a story.

[Paul Nelson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Succulent Prey is an insanely fast paced gruesome killfest, containing some of the most graphic descriptions of a cannibalistic killer I’ve read, all the killings go hand in hand with a sexual appetite that well … it just ain’t right.

There’s obviously a market for this sort of stuff but this just purely concentrates on shock value and raising that bar as high as the author can get it. It’s bloody, gory, stomach-churning at times and more than just a little sick & twisted.
Tongue in cheek extreme horror this may well be but it’s the relationship between sex and the cannibalistic side of the story that was a touch worrying.

[Sarah · Rating 1 out of 5]

1. one does not simply walk out of a maximum security hospital for the criminally insane, especially when one is covered with blood and a body has just been found.

2. A woman who has her nipples bitten off by an abductor generally does not fall in love with him, no matter how hot he is

3. It is impossible for a man, even a strong one, to decapitate and dismember a victim with his bare hands.

4. This book was utter and complete garbage with no redeeming qualities.

[Eve L. Fell · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5 🍒

Joe, Joe, Joe. What a wild and just downright nipple loving psycho he is. He was kidnapped as a child by a serial killer and was the only victim who wasn’t killed. That night after being let go something inside him ignited. A sickness.

As he gets older he realizes he wants to eat someone. I don’t mean buy some meat off the dark web. I mean he wants to bite into someone’s skin while they’re alive and screaming. This begins a descent into a madness, where he believes consuming his kidnapper will cure his “disease”.

Alicia enters the picture during his descent and Joe is enamored. But on top of feeling as though he loves her all he can think about is consuming her. He brings her along his spree. Not being able to leave her behind. Her situation turning from scary to dire.

As Joe begins killing people to get his hands bloody and his stomach full. The kills are BRUTAL. There is one in particular I will NEVER forget involving a spit. My butthole clinched so hard during this scene. During these he tries to convert Alicia who he loves, into cannibalism with him. We ride along with Joe and Alicia all the way through his spree and get to read every gruesome detail.

As the book comes to an end will Joe be caught? Will him and Alicia living happily ever after? Or will he self destruct?

This book was bonkers but in the best way possible. It also explores the nature vs nurture argument. Are killers born or made? Or a little bit of both. This was my very first book from Wrath James White and it will definitely not be my last. I’ve also read The Bug Collector by him as well. Just as in that book, this book is DESCRIPTIVE. If you have a weak stomach or a good amount of triggers steer clear. Otherwise please enjoy your own descent into madness.

[Kate Victoria RescueandReading · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wow, I should probably check Goodreads before I purchase my next books, because I didn’t get “Cannibal Erotica” from the cover description, but that is definitely what this was. Not my thing at all, but I did like the author’s writing style as it did flow…. Despite the torn nipples 🙈🙉🙊

Haha all jokes aside, this is certainly a unique and fascinating story about a man whose trauma and compulsions lead him on a bloody journey!

[Wren Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are looking for an introspective and deeply disturbing look into the mind of a cannibalistic serial killer, this one might be for you.

Joseph Miles is a college student studying psychology and philosophy. But he also suffers from an insatiable hunger fed by desire…. And forbidden meat. And he’s hoping that his professors can help him to prove that he’s not a monster.

He believes that his erotic urges to consume the flesh of his lovers is a virus that he contracted when he was kidnapped, SA’d and tortured as a young child. He likens the illness to that of vampirism and lycanthropy.

As we all know, common vampire mythology states that the best way to cure vampirism is to take down the original vampire, thusly destroying the curse, and returning all the turned vampires back to their mortal forms. Joseph’s theory is that if he takes down Damon, the teen that kidnapped him, he would no longer have these urges that have his psyche slowly cracking open with each encounter and subsequent meal.

This story had me feeling bad for the monster. It had me questioning my sanity. Joseph’s character is so multifaceted that you will catch yourself rooting for him to be right about his theory of sexualized cannibalism being a virus.

I truly enjoyed the level of depth to this story. It had a great balance of palpable violence vs character development, and introspection. This is a main character I won’t be forgetting for a long while.

[Lincoln · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished reading this book last year and I still haven't stopped thinking about it. I'd been hearing about Wrath and his work on and off over the last year or so, read his blog a few times and have been meaning to read his work. You know how that one goes. Luckily, the fine folks at Leisure made this one a Featured Book for December, saving me from at least a few hours of peaceful sleep.

Succulent Prey is Wrath's first release through Leisure books, though it made its debut through Bloodletting Press. Joe Miles was victimized by a serial sex killer as a child and was the sole survivor of the madman's crimes. He himself develops deviant tendencies and, as a college student, develops a theory that the predatory nature of serial killers is transmitted like a virus. During his search for the source of his `infection' he becomes a blood-crazed, insane cannibal. And that description doesn't even begin to give an idea of what this the book's about.

Succulent Prey made me SQUIRM. There are only two other books that have made me do this. I read horror for FUN. Most of it doesn't scare me one bit; it's just entertaining to read about monsters and killers and such. Makes me feel better about my peaceful, easy life of year-long deployments, time-consuming children, demanding wife and such. This book was entertaining, but at a price. Succulent Prey grabbed me by the throat and squeezed. I wanted to skip through parts. I didn't, but I wanted to. Instead, I just read through them as fast as I could while still getting the effect. And then for some wierd reason, I read over those parts again. I can think about them now and still feel queasy.

Other parts broke my heart. I'm not being hyperbolic about this. The things Wrath's cannibal killer does to a lonely librarian who takes a chance on a younger guy that creeps her out a bit are just awful and couldn't have happened to a more undeserving victim. The relationship between Joe Miles and Alicia is just plain twisted, and how it ends... well, that's the part that kinda hurt a bit to read.

Find a picture of Wrath on his website, MySpace or whatnot. The guy's a pro fighter and HUGE. I have this theory that the best horror books are written about things that might actually scare the writer (this is also why I haven't written a novel yet; I'm still trying to find that subject). If this is true, and Succulent Prey is about what makes Wrath squirm, I wouldn't want to piss this guy off.

Because I have this compulsion towards being fair and balanced in my reviews, I'll point out the only thing that occasionally pulled me out of the twisted environment of Wrath's story: his tendency to switch POV in an instant, during the same scene. As an editor, I can't stand it when writers do that and hopefully Wrath's next release will be as hard-hitting without that one (perceived by myself, at any rate) flaw. But it's definitely not a reason to pass up the book.

If you're jaded by most horror and actually want to feel horrified again from reading a book, pick this one up. Immediately. Without delay. And if you can finish it on Monday without still thinking about it on Friday... check your pulse.

[Carley Lightfoot · Rating 4 out of 5]

Welp, if you like cannibal erotica, you’ll probably like this. WJW’s writing in this book brought me endless joy, but next time maybe let’s not give him completely unfettered access to a thesaurus while he’s writing.

[Leo Robertson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not turned off by violence necessarily—even if there isn't a tangible need for it in a story, which I know is often the dealbreaker for others! I mean, what is there to enjoy about necessary violence? That's my least favourite kind! (I'm still talking about in fiction.) But repetitive violence gets stale. Prose is clean enough but repetitive. Characters flat and often stereotypical.

A lot of chapters are pretty meandering and episodic also. It's like, look at what a freak this guy acts like in THIS scenario, or THIS one, or THIS one. Wow is he ever freaky! But it doesn't go anywhere and most of it could've been cut. I don't think any of this is unusual for the genre of this book, or for books directed to audiences looking for this type of material, but still.

That said, did I not just see that this guy had something in Cemetery Dance? There's every chance a decade-plus has improved him as a writer. Gotta admire that tenacity and I will probably check out something newer of his one day :)

[Sarah Stevens · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was fantastic! It is so dark and morbid, but you can tell it was written by a very smart man. It was very well written and the author obviously knows his shit. I’m glad I bought a physical copy of this book, I’m sure I will want to read it again… ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Lostaccount · Rating 1 out of 5]

Another really trashy poorly-written load of rubbish by a bad "writer" who needs to go get a job doing something else.

[Tara Losacano · Rating 5 out of 5]

Badass bloody fun! Wrath James White is not afraid to go dark and everything he writes is disturbing in the best way possible

[William M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a fan of Wrath James White, but even he might have gone too far with this one. I can definitively say that this is the most graphic horror novel I've ever read - more so than even Jack Ketchum's Off Season or White's collaboration with Edward Lee on The Teratologist. However, with the characters in this story being so unlikable, I didn't find this nearly as effective as those other books.

White's writing is strong and he always gives the reader a good portion of philosophical theories to think about from many different viewpoints, and Succulent Prey is no exception. I think this would have worked better as a novella, because I think the story somewhat overstayed its welcome. It's a fascinating, but fairly simple concept that didn't need 300+ pages to tell it. While most of the characters were consistent, I found a few decisions they made seem to be forced and out of character. More atmosphere would have been nice to improve on the story's terribly creepy premise. Also, the pace was awkward at times; some scenes felt rushed while others dragged on a bit too long.

However, the incredibly graphic descriptions that occur in almost every chapter should have you ripping through this book very quickly. There are images from this book that will be stuck in my head for a long time, and if you are looking for something very, very hardcore in the horror genre, this will surely fill that appetite. I have mixed feelings on this book, but I am glad to see that Leisure Books was not afraid to publish this type of extreme horror.

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Would have been a 4 but just couldn't take the intensity of the horror scenes putting it down to a 3.5

Don't know what to say ... Still reeling from nausea from reading this gore fest. Every conceivable horrendous act inflicted on a human is suffered by some of the characters.

Excellent story line with believable characters and very insightful about the predator and prey scenario. I just found the graphic torture, sex, and gratuitous violence scenes too much to stomach.
I literally did feel sick and thought about just giving up out of disgust but then the intensity of the horror abated and then moved on to the main of the story. Then again to return to the climbing horror again. This sequence continued and I found that I just had to keep reading to find out what happened in the end.

I probably found this more disturbing after just reading a Christian teen book (SCARS) and had to question myself as to the kind of person I was wanting to continue with it. Anyway I obviously got over it!

This really isn't for everyone it really is a shock horror climatic disturbing grotesque ride.

[Claire · Rating 1 out of 5]

Honestly, with all the hype I heard surrounding this book, I can't help but be extremely disappointed. Such an interesting premise that was completely wasted.

This feels like something a super edgy 15-year-old boy would post to the Creepypasta wiki in 2014 trying to go viral. The OP main character, the janky rushed pacing, the stilted weird dialogue, the MANY typos and grammatical errors (literally spelling the same character's name two different ways within the same paragraph), the lame poorly executed attempt at a plot twist. The fact that this thing got so over-the-top and bizarre by the end that I just couldn't suspend my disbelief anymore and I wasn't even invested enough to be truly shocked by the gore and violence. The book's just not good babe.

I'm never one to completely give up on an author, and from what I've seen this is one of his earlier novels. Hopefully he's gotten better over the years because as of right now I have little interest in trying to slog through the sequel. Honestly just a big disappointment overall.

[Joseph Barber · Rating 4 out of 5]

Joseph miles was abducted as a child by a serial cannibalistic killer. The only victim to survive.

Ten years later Joseph is a collage student with the cravings of killing and cannibalism. Taking classes in collage to try to find a cure for his sadistic sex drive and hunger for human flesh. Is there a cure? Or is he more then a man with cannibalistic cravings, a virus that makes him more of a monster, like a Vampire or a Werewolf?

This is a fictional serial killer novel that takes you on a journey of a path of a killer. But also touches on if serial killers our born or made to do the things they do. Not all serial killers look the part either. What if the killer looked like Clark Kent, and women want him as bad as he wants flesh?

I really enjoyed this book and will be reading Succulent Prey II.

[Robby · Rating 3 out of 5]

(3.5) Wrath James White is known for creating some of the most disturbing works of fiction in print. So there should be no surprises here. Yes there is plenty of gore but hey, Mr. White makes it work in this gruesome (for some) tale. Joseph Miles (the only survivor of a serial child murderer some fifteen years prior) is in search for the answer to the question; "Could serial killers be victims of a communicable disease?" Because, now he himself is slowly turning into a killer or so it seems. This intriguing question was the hook for me. May be a gross-out for some but a thought-provoking, well written,interesting and riveting story for me. Not recommended for those with weak stomachs; (LOL); come on now...you'll like it. I know I shouldn't have but I did.