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Big Rock #2
Bestial
Something very strange is happening in the coastal California town of Big Rock. Several residents have died in unexplained, particularly brutal ways, many torn apart in animal attacks. And there's always that eerie howling late at night....
You might think there's a werewolf in town. But you'd be wrong. It's not just one werewolf, but the whole town that's gradually transforming. Bit by bit, as the infection spreads, the werewolves are becoming more and more powerful. In fact, humans may soon be the minority, mere prey for their hungry neighbors. Is it too late for the humans to fight back? Did they ever have a chance from the start?
You might think there's a werewolf in town. But you'd be wrong. It's not just one werewolf, but the whole town that's gradually transforming. Bit by bit, as the infection spreads, the werewolves are becoming more and more powerful. In fact, humans may soon be the minority, mere prey for their hungry neighbors. Is it too late for the humans to fight back? Did they ever have a chance from the start?
339 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published April 1, 2009
33 people are currently reading
912 people want to read
About the author
Ray Garton
180 books563 followersRay Garton is the author of several books, including horror novels such as LIVE GIRLS (which has a movie in the works), CRUCIFAX, E4 AUTUMN, and THE FOLKS; thrillers like TRADE SECRETS and SHACKLED; and numerous short stories and novellas. He's also written a number of movie and television tie-ins for young readers. He lives with his wife, Dawn, in California.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
January 25, 2023
Not Ravenous!
I really enjoyed reading Ravenous. Bestial is a follow-up to Ravenous. Much longer but not as good. Too much talking, not a lot of action.
But I persevered.
The action was sporadic. There were a few good moments in the hospital scene, but most action waited until the last three chapters.
Two investigators are hired by a rich philanthropist to go to Big Rock, a small town in California to locate the philanthropist missing friend.
He hasn’t been seen since he went looking for werewolves.
The investigators get there and quickly discover that they are in danger.
Three stars. 💫💫💫
I really enjoyed reading Ravenous. Bestial is a follow-up to Ravenous. Much longer but not as good. Too much talking, not a lot of action.
But I persevered.
The action was sporadic. There were a few good moments in the hospital scene, but most action waited until the last three chapters.
Two investigators are hired by a rich philanthropist to go to Big Rock, a small town in California to locate the philanthropist missing friend.
He hasn’t been seen since he went looking for werewolves.
The investigators get there and quickly discover that they are in danger.
Three stars. 💫💫💫
December 15, 2017
Ray Garton let’s the fur fly in this one for sure. There’s plenty of saliva, gore and doggie spew dripping all over the pages. Eeeww. Gross. Yep. That’s Garton.
Something lupine is running amok in the small coastal California town of Big Rock. It has friends. It wants to have lots of friends. Perhaps, the entire town if it can. It’s sure gonna try.
This didn’t waste any time getting right to it. It picks up in Big Rock sometime after the events of Ravenous. The besties are back, getting stronger and are multiplying. It’s up to a small group of concerned citizens and a few others to see if they put a spade to these here doggies. Neuter the threat to the town, so to speak.
Per Garton usual, if you have delicate sensibilities, then you may want to go read some John Green and have yourself a healing little cry instead. If you want a lycan baby murderous rampage, church-house puppy pounding and have some soapy bath time fun with Momma, then by all means, proceed. You have been warned.
3.5 Stars for some good time bloody werewolf fun.
Something lupine is running amok in the small coastal California town of Big Rock. It has friends. It wants to have lots of friends. Perhaps, the entire town if it can. It’s sure gonna try.
This didn’t waste any time getting right to it. It picks up in Big Rock sometime after the events of Ravenous. The besties are back, getting stronger and are multiplying. It’s up to a small group of concerned citizens and a few others to see if they put a spade to these here doggies. Neuter the threat to the town, so to speak.
Per Garton usual, if you have delicate sensibilities, then you may want to go read some John Green and have yourself a healing little cry instead. If you want a lycan baby murderous rampage, church-house puppy pounding and have some soapy bath time fun with Momma, then by all means, proceed. You have been warned.
3.5 Stars for some good time bloody werewolf fun.
August 23, 2015
In this sequel to RAVENOUS, Ray Garton returns to the seaside town of Big Rock, California, where things have changed. There's a new sheriff in town, and he's got big plans for the idyllic and quaint place. And those that oppose him will get certain death, or a fate worse than it.
But there's a few who stand in his way: an ER doctor, a pair of private investigators, and a thirty-eight year old man still living with his Seventh Day Adventist mother and grandmother. And then there's the wife of the former slain sheriff, who's been changed, and she alone may be their biggest weapon.
While a sequel, BESTIAL was a lot of fun, and one of my favorites by Garton. His unique spin on how werewolves are made is both erotic and horrifying. The book ends with some loose ends, definitely open for a third book. This book was first published several years ago, or more, but hopefully we'll see another concluding book.
Howlingly recommended! ;-)
But there's a few who stand in his way: an ER doctor, a pair of private investigators, and a thirty-eight year old man still living with his Seventh Day Adventist mother and grandmother. And then there's the wife of the former slain sheriff, who's been changed, and she alone may be their biggest weapon.
While a sequel, BESTIAL was a lot of fun, and one of my favorites by Garton. His unique spin on how werewolves are made is both erotic and horrifying. The book ends with some loose ends, definitely open for a third book. This book was first published several years ago, or more, but hopefully we'll see another concluding book.
Howlingly recommended! ;-)
October 13, 2021
Story 3/5
Narration 1/5
The story had potential, but It was disappointing.
Narration 1/5
The story had potential, but It was disappointing.
April 7, 2009
I had to snatch this book up after reading the prequel "Ravenous," because the first book was gripping, original, hard-core werewolf intensity! Sure, I was feigning for more back story in the first book and wanted to know how it was that the werewolves in the book were so feral and how the werewolves originated. I had soo many questions that I was expecting to have answered in the sequel.
Well, "Bestial" is a different type of book, let me say. It answers some questions I had and introduces even more. There's also some changes. The werewolves have more control over themselves, the sex is less seedy and is instead more raunchy and... bestial. As with the other works by Garton that I have read, there are some tragic deaths and lots of insane happenings. But for folk who like "Ravenous," and I find it to be the better novel, "Bestial" has several main characters, none of whom I cared much for and it's more of an action novel with lots of religious references, rather than the lone-wolf, crazed but charismatic werewolf hunter in the first book. Overall though, it was a good read and not every one is a manic werewolf enthusiast with a hunger for back story. Was it wrong that the most interesting person in the book is the villan...Oh well, I highly await the next Garton monster tale.
Well, "Bestial" is a different type of book, let me say. It answers some questions I had and introduces even more. There's also some changes. The werewolves have more control over themselves, the sex is less seedy and is instead more raunchy and... bestial. As with the other works by Garton that I have read, there are some tragic deaths and lots of insane happenings. But for folk who like "Ravenous," and I find it to be the better novel, "Bestial" has several main characters, none of whom I cared much for and it's more of an action novel with lots of religious references, rather than the lone-wolf, crazed but charismatic werewolf hunter in the first book. Overall though, it was a good read and not every one is a manic werewolf enthusiast with a hunger for back story. Was it wrong that the most interesting person in the book is the villan...Oh well, I highly await the next Garton monster tale.
June 23, 2009
As much as I enjoyed 'Ravenous' it was just the appetizer for Bestial. What a great read. I so enjoy Garton's writing and his take on the supernatural. This book was less about the blood and gore and more about the story of what happens to Big Rock when it is invaded by werewolves. Loved the fact that some of the main characters from this book are the Private Investigators from 'Night Life' I am looking forward to more of their adventures in future books (at least that is where I hope that Garton is going with them.)
Excellent read and highly recommended!
Excellent read and highly recommended!
June 15, 2009
Bestial follows up Garton's first werewolf novel, Ravenous, and, while not as strong as Ravenous, it’s still a good werewolf story. Garton also pulls in characters from one of his vampire books, Night Life- private investigators Gavin Keoph and Karen Moffett. Gavin and Karen are sent to investigate numerous animal attacks popping up all over Big Rock. Werewolves are suspected in the area. Gavin and Karen discover that the attacks are werewolf attacks, and also that the werewolves have already set in motion a plan for the town of Big Rock. More and more people are turning into werewolves via the sexually transmitted virus, and the PI’s may be in over their heads.
Garton’s inclusion of characters from his vampire series leaves the reader wondering if he is going to proceed further with this series and possibly combine the vampire and werewolf stories. It could make for an interesting battle down the road if he does! This would be a good addition for libraries, but be aware that Garton does have a lot of sexual content within his book including some rape and incest scenes.
Contains: violence, gore, incest, rape, strong sexual content, adult language
(Review also posted on MonsterLibrarian.Com)
Garton’s inclusion of characters from his vampire series leaves the reader wondering if he is going to proceed further with this series and possibly combine the vampire and werewolf stories. It could make for an interesting battle down the road if he does! This would be a good addition for libraries, but be aware that Garton does have a lot of sexual content within his book including some rape and incest scenes.
Contains: violence, gore, incest, rape, strong sexual content, adult language
(Review also posted on MonsterLibrarian.Com)
April 7, 2012
I should probably start by saying that I did not read Ravenous. I bought this book without knowing it was a sequel. However, I read through it just fine, and I don't feel that you need to read Ravenous for this to make sense. However, I'm sure reading it would enhance the reading of this.
Anyways, 'Bestial' is a pretty interesting book. This is the first I've read by Garton and he has a pretty solid writing style. Some of the characters seem a bit flimsy and a couple of times I felt confused as to how the book progressed. But eventually things picked themselves back up and it turned back into an interesting story.
A few [minor] complaints, though. For one, this author seemed to have a vendetta against the Seventh Day Adventists. Now, I'm an atheist, so it's not because I'm offended or anything like that. But this guy just seemed to have it out for them, taking potshots directed toward them at every chance he got. For the most part, it was completely irrelevant to the plot. It just seemed like the author had to get it off his chest. There are books that have correctly tied in anti-religious themes into a novel, and done so well. In this book, however, they just seemed to be strung up arbitrarily anywhere possible. It distracted from the rest of the novel and got old pretty quickly when it became obvious it was just the author's personal views seeping in through the facade of a character's dialogue.
Also, the two main characters were supposed to be "private investigators." I would only call them investigators due to the sheer number of people they announced that to. Is there anyone in town they hadn't told they were private investigators? Doesn't that somewhat defeat the purpose of being a 'private investigator'? There was nothing covert about what they did, especially since everyone in town seemed to know from the moment they arrived. Again, a minor complaint, but still it seemed ridiculous, and I almost started playing shots every time it happened.
Overall, this was a pretty solid book. It wasn't anything great, but it was worth the read. A pretty unique take on the werewolf franchise.
Anyways, 'Bestial' is a pretty interesting book. This is the first I've read by Garton and he has a pretty solid writing style. Some of the characters seem a bit flimsy and a couple of times I felt confused as to how the book progressed. But eventually things picked themselves back up and it turned back into an interesting story.
A few [minor] complaints, though. For one, this author seemed to have a vendetta against the Seventh Day Adventists. Now, I'm an atheist, so it's not because I'm offended or anything like that. But this guy just seemed to have it out for them, taking potshots directed toward them at every chance he got. For the most part, it was completely irrelevant to the plot. It just seemed like the author had to get it off his chest. There are books that have correctly tied in anti-religious themes into a novel, and done so well. In this book, however, they just seemed to be strung up arbitrarily anywhere possible. It distracted from the rest of the novel and got old pretty quickly when it became obvious it was just the author's personal views seeping in through the facade of a character's dialogue.
Also, the two main characters were supposed to be "private investigators." I would only call them investigators due to the sheer number of people they announced that to. Is there anyone in town they hadn't told they were private investigators? Doesn't that somewhat defeat the purpose of being a 'private investigator'? There was nothing covert about what they did, especially since everyone in town seemed to know from the moment they arrived. Again, a minor complaint, but still it seemed ridiculous, and I almost started playing shots every time it happened.
Overall, this was a pretty solid book. It wasn't anything great, but it was worth the read. A pretty unique take on the werewolf franchise.
February 16, 2011
Huh. I just noticed Garton doesn’t have many reviews for his books here at GRs. I’ve only read two of his books myself, including this one (Ravenous is a prequel to Bestial ).That’s a shame because Garton does werewolves right. His creatures are feral. They’re the stink of musk, drool on your face, and ravage your body with claws kind of beast. They are also a bunch of rapists. Except they’re animals and I don’t think animals can be accused of rape. These beasties are just rutting like animals are supposed to do.
However, I do have a problem with this book and it’s one that makes me reluctant to recommend it to other readers. Garton makes some pretty scathing references to the Seventh-day Adventist Church. He claims on the jacket that he was raised SDA so he knows more than I do about their doctrine. Nonetheless, I was very uncomfortable with the negative slant the author portrayed. This is a good werewolf book but Garton seems to have taken it a step further. It’s as if he had an agenda to slam the religion. I don’t care for that, even in a fiction story.
I don’t know how much of his bias is fact or fiction but I don’t like over-generalizations in any shape or form. I do remember thinking the Bob character might have been a reference to Garton’s actual life. If so, yuck.
Bottom line, I took away a star for his portrayal of the SDA Church and I can’t recommend the book. But the story ended with a doozy of a cliffhanger and I’ll probably read the sequel. Now you know…I’m a hypocrite.
However, I do have a problem with this book and it’s one that makes me reluctant to recommend it to other readers. Garton makes some pretty scathing references to the Seventh-day Adventist Church. He claims on the jacket that he was raised SDA so he knows more than I do about their doctrine. Nonetheless, I was very uncomfortable with the negative slant the author portrayed. This is a good werewolf book but Garton seems to have taken it a step further. It’s as if he had an agenda to slam the religion. I don’t care for that, even in a fiction story.
I don’t know how much of his bias is fact or fiction but I don’t like over-generalizations in any shape or form. I do remember thinking the Bob character might have been a reference to Garton’s actual life. If so, yuck.
Bottom line, I took away a star for his portrayal of the SDA Church and I can’t recommend the book. But the story ended with a doozy of a cliffhanger and I’ll probably read the sequel. Now you know…I’m a hypocrite.
November 6, 2009
Meh, this book is okay. I enjoyed Ravenous much more than Bestial. This sequel fell short for me, I couldn't really get into the characters as I did with Ravenous. It's plenty scary, and had a few plot twists that I wasn't expecting, and is mostly written well. My general dislike for the majority of characters in this novel kept me from enjoying it, though. There are only so many times I can read how much the author doesn't like Seventh Day Adventists before it's completely run into the ground, also. After being reminded (long-winded I might add) a few times, I get the point you're trying to make. It begins to take away from the story, instead of add to it.
November 4, 2013
In this sequel to "Ravenous," we find out what happens when a group of werewolves infiltrate a small town. Ray Garton does an exceptional job (as always) with suspense and gore. I savored this book. It was absolutely amazing and I highly recommend it to all horror fans and fans of gory werewolf stories.
This was the best book I've read in a long time!
This was the best book I've read in a long time!
March 20, 2011
The follow up to RAVENOUS packed a bloody, furry punch. The new sheriff in town is a werewolf, and he's setting down roots, grooming his pack, and creating a strategy to expand slowly and carefully before the non-werewolf believers have reason to change their minds.
When an everything-paranormal fanatic hires two private investigators to look into the animal attacks and other oddities in one small town, they can't help but remember the vampires their benefactor sent them to find on their first assignment. Other jobs hadn't panned out, but could werewolves be real too?
Top this off with Garton's Adventist church family and it was difficult to put down this book.
When is the next one Ray? Of course, that ending left an opening for another one!
When an everything-paranormal fanatic hires two private investigators to look into the animal attacks and other oddities in one small town, they can't help but remember the vampires their benefactor sent them to find on their first assignment. Other jobs hadn't panned out, but could werewolves be real too?
Top this off with Garton's Adventist church family and it was difficult to put down this book.
When is the next one Ray? Of course, that ending left an opening for another one!
March 3, 2014
Supermarket-grade horror novel about a gang of werewolves that infiltrates and attempts to overrun a small California town. Typical characters, predictable situations, repetitive prose - but possibly even more annoying is the constant harping on Seventh-Day Adventists. I hate religion as much as the next person but the more the subject came up, the more it felt like the author indulging a personal grudge than an actual part of the story. Tiresome.
February 26, 2010
Though I’ve never read him until this past week I’ve heard a lot of good things about Ray Garton’s work; a quick look online shows that he’s written over 50 books in the horror and related genres, to include several movie novelizations and television tie-ins. So receiving his new book, Bestial, in the mail right before flying out was definitely squee-worthy.
Bestial’s the sequel to Ravenous, which is described on various sites as telling the story of the werewolves’ initial takeover of the town of Big Rock, the setting of both of these novels. Garton’s lycanthropy is an STD, a novel approach and one that sets up plenty of opportunity for naughty action. Bestial’s not short on gore, either; there’s a particulary painful scene right from the get-go as a matter of fact. It’s a fast-paced read ending in a huge battle and Garton doesn’t kill off any of the characters I really cared about. That’s refreshing, actually, after some of the books I’ve read this year. He does, however, put a couple of the more interesting characters in situations that I’d look forward to reading more about in a possible third book. I was able to enjoy Bestial without knowing anything that came before, too; definitely a point in the book’s favor.
My biggest peeve about this book is Garton’s constant anti-Adventist message throughout the book. Half of the novel involves how shitty the Adventist religion is; one character’s whole backstory involves being part of the church and being shit upon by his holy-roller grandma and mother, the werewolves use the local Adventist church as part of their takeover of Big Rock and that’s just scratching the surface. The whole time I was reading Bestial I was thinking, Wow, Garton’s really got it in for this religion. Sure enough, in the bio at the end of the book, Garton writes that he was raised Adventist and it was horrible. Sounds like he has some issues to work through, and I can sympathize with that personally. I get a sermon every Sunday at my own church, though, and Garton’s outright soapboxing is definitely a mark against Bestial. 7/10.
Bestial’s the sequel to Ravenous, which is described on various sites as telling the story of the werewolves’ initial takeover of the town of Big Rock, the setting of both of these novels. Garton’s lycanthropy is an STD, a novel approach and one that sets up plenty of opportunity for naughty action. Bestial’s not short on gore, either; there’s a particulary painful scene right from the get-go as a matter of fact. It’s a fast-paced read ending in a huge battle and Garton doesn’t kill off any of the characters I really cared about. That’s refreshing, actually, after some of the books I’ve read this year. He does, however, put a couple of the more interesting characters in situations that I’d look forward to reading more about in a possible third book. I was able to enjoy Bestial without knowing anything that came before, too; definitely a point in the book’s favor.
My biggest peeve about this book is Garton’s constant anti-Adventist message throughout the book. Half of the novel involves how shitty the Adventist religion is; one character’s whole backstory involves being part of the church and being shit upon by his holy-roller grandma and mother, the werewolves use the local Adventist church as part of their takeover of Big Rock and that’s just scratching the surface. The whole time I was reading Bestial I was thinking, Wow, Garton’s really got it in for this religion. Sure enough, in the bio at the end of the book, Garton writes that he was raised Adventist and it was horrible. Sounds like he has some issues to work through, and I can sympathize with that personally. I get a sermon every Sunday at my own church, though, and Garton’s outright soapboxing is definitely a mark against Bestial. 7/10.
February 8, 2012
Upon writing this review I discovered that this was a direct sequel to another book entitled Ravenous. Which would make a whole lot of sense considering I felt like I was jumping right into the middle of some already created plotline. Anyways I will give it my best based on just this novel.
Basically this book takes place in Big Rock a town that has obviously been taken over by werewolf’s. I am assuming that it was somewhat visited in the first novel. Though don’t take my word on it because I haven’t read it. So your wondering am I going to take the time to go back and read the first novel. No…. back to this novel.
This is like one of those novels where there are split stories going on everywhere. Unfortunatley, none of these stories seemed to be doing anything for me at any particular time. In fact I found myself wanting to just throw the book in the trash. I feel it was just overly done. The whole story could have been fitted in half the pages, cutting out most of the nonsense that seemed to fill the page.
Also if you’re a Seventh Day Adventist, chances are you are not going to enjoy how the author puts down the religion. It is a main part of the story. Let’s just say nothing is really said nice about them.
So if your looking for werewolf’s who are overly sexual…a baby werewolf, yep that’s right a baby werewolf, which you get to witness the birth of, a distaste for Seventh Day Adventists, and some unlike able characters in my opinion then this book is for you…..
I could go into the plot line of the book and such but I don’t really see any reason to, I didn’t enjoy it then so why rehash unwanted memories….
Basically this book takes place in Big Rock a town that has obviously been taken over by werewolf’s. I am assuming that it was somewhat visited in the first novel. Though don’t take my word on it because I haven’t read it. So your wondering am I going to take the time to go back and read the first novel. No…. back to this novel.
This is like one of those novels where there are split stories going on everywhere. Unfortunatley, none of these stories seemed to be doing anything for me at any particular time. In fact I found myself wanting to just throw the book in the trash. I feel it was just overly done. The whole story could have been fitted in half the pages, cutting out most of the nonsense that seemed to fill the page.
Also if you’re a Seventh Day Adventist, chances are you are not going to enjoy how the author puts down the religion. It is a main part of the story. Let’s just say nothing is really said nice about them.
So if your looking for werewolf’s who are overly sexual…a baby werewolf, yep that’s right a baby werewolf, which you get to witness the birth of, a distaste for Seventh Day Adventists, and some unlike able characters in my opinion then this book is for you…..
I could go into the plot line of the book and such but I don’t really see any reason to, I didn’t enjoy it then so why rehash unwanted memories….
March 22, 2019
not a big fan of werewolves but this one was pretty good and held my attention. I felt really felt for many of the characters, but Bob was my favorite. poor guy.
October 4, 2020
Apparently this book is a sequel to a work called Ravenous, which is set in the same fictional town of Big Rock, California. However, I didn't notice any issues in understanding what was going on so I don't think you have to read Ravenous first.
This is the first book I've read by Garton but I enjoyed it a lot and will be looking for more. Interesting and well developed characters. Maybe there were a few too many characters as I occasionally had to page back a bit to make sure I knew who was on stage. The writing is really fine and kept me engaged. The writer has a nice style but his prose doesn't get in the way of the tale, which moves fast. There's quite a bit of gore and sex, as one might expect of a horror novel. I enjoyed the book and am going to snag another couple of Garton books with my next order.
This is the first book I've read by Garton but I enjoyed it a lot and will be looking for more. Interesting and well developed characters. Maybe there were a few too many characters as I occasionally had to page back a bit to make sure I knew who was on stage. The writing is really fine and kept me engaged. The writer has a nice style but his prose doesn't get in the way of the tale, which moves fast. There's quite a bit of gore and sex, as one might expect of a horror novel. I enjoyed the book and am going to snag another couple of Garton books with my next order.
October 3, 2019
Another awesome book from Mr Garton. Superb follow up to ravenous. Love the story and the action. The book is well written and very easy to read and as with all his books the are very moreish... And a quick read.
May 13, 2020
A sequel to the book Ravenous. I liked the unique take on werewolves, where people become werewolves through sex, not biting. These werewolves are not nice or fluffy, they are aggressive and vicious. Private investigators Gavin and Karen are hired to investigate a series of animal attacks in a small town. I loved these characters, and would be open to more books featuring them. This book doesn't wrap up all the loose ends so there is room for a sequel or two.
February 4, 2023
I love me some horror, and I love me some vicious, man eating monsters. So, what makes this book only a 2 star read? TOO MUCH of the raping, sexual situations, and just general horniness. “Is that even possible?” you ask. For me, apparently it is.
My first sense of foreboding, came when I realized that within the first 25 pages there was (count 'em) one rape scene, and 3 other flashbacks, or mentions of rape.
I found the blatant agenda against The Seventh Day Adventist Church a little much as well. Now, I don’t normally like to beat up on authors in this way, but the way that the Seventh Day Adventist church is treated in this book...It’s like if somebody had been a closet gay, and then they decided to write a horror novel. So they go about writing said horror novel, whilst using it to get out all of their pent-up frustrations about being gay and having to hide it. So, they make all of the monsters gay bashers (who are actually gay themselves and just can’t admit it), and then they make all of the good guys at the very least bisexual. Why am I making such an odd comparison? It was the best one I could think of without completely spoiling the book.
Needless to say, there are a bunch of Seventh Day Adventists in this book, the only “Good” Seventh Day Adventist is a man who is constantly beat down by everyone else who is of the religion. Even the scary monsters of the book begin to take over the church. Oh, and nearly all of the “Bad” Seventh Day Adventist people, who beat up on the poor SOB who’s been raised in the religion, are hypocrites. There is one point in the book where the lead monster man states that they’re taking over the church, because he knows the religion, and they F*** like rabbits...essentially.
You may not heed my warning, I certainly didn’t when reading the reviews, but I hope for your sake that you do. This book really is just a sex filled, religious bashing waste in my opinion. This coming from an agnostic horror junky!
As a final note, and probably the least of the reasons not to read this book, but still something that bothered me...I was excited when I realized this book took place in North-Western California, but there's an inaccuracy to be had here. The author has one of the characters fly into Eureka...you can't actually fly into Eureka. The airport around there is called the Arcata-Eureka Airport, but it's actually located just north of Eureka in Mckinleyville. Just sayin'.
My first sense of foreboding, came when I realized that within the first 25 pages there was (count 'em) one rape scene, and 3 other flashbacks, or mentions of rape.
I found the blatant agenda against The Seventh Day Adventist Church a little much as well. Now, I don’t normally like to beat up on authors in this way, but the way that the Seventh Day Adventist church is treated in this book...It’s like if somebody had been a closet gay, and then they decided to write a horror novel. So they go about writing said horror novel, whilst using it to get out all of their pent-up frustrations about being gay and having to hide it. So, they make all of the monsters gay bashers (who are actually gay themselves and just can’t admit it), and then they make all of the good guys at the very least bisexual. Why am I making such an odd comparison? It was the best one I could think of without completely spoiling the book.
Needless to say, there are a bunch of Seventh Day Adventists in this book, the only “Good” Seventh Day Adventist is a man who is constantly beat down by everyone else who is of the religion. Even the scary monsters of the book begin to take over the church. Oh, and nearly all of the “Bad” Seventh Day Adventist people, who beat up on the poor SOB who’s been raised in the religion, are hypocrites. There is one point in the book where the lead monster man states that they’re taking over the church, because he knows the religion, and they F*** like rabbits...essentially.
You may not heed my warning, I certainly didn’t when reading the reviews, but I hope for your sake that you do. This book really is just a sex filled, religious bashing waste in my opinion. This coming from an agnostic horror junky!
As a final note, and probably the least of the reasons not to read this book, but still something that bothered me...I was excited when I realized this book took place in North-Western California, but there's an inaccuracy to be had here. The author has one of the characters fly into Eureka...you can't actually fly into Eureka. The airport around there is called the Arcata-Eureka Airport, but it's actually located just north of Eureka in Mckinleyville. Just sayin'.
December 20, 2018
Even more fun than RAVENOUS, BESTIAL shows that in the right author's hands, a sequel really can surpass the original, and this one does it in spades.
Set only a few months after the events of RAVENOUS, the town of Big Rock is being slowly taken over by werewolves as they spread their STD to others. They've dug into the Seventh Day Adventist church to take over, and they own the Sherriff's Department.
Gavin Kioff and Karen Moffet from NIGHT LIFE are once again tasked by Martin Burgess to investigate some strange goings-on, and are soon caught up in the whirlwind of horny and deadly werewolves. But it seems the creatures are starting to evolve, as they have successfully bred with a pair of humans, creating something more powerful and monstrous than they already are.
This book had some scenes which will stay with me for a very long time. Especially the terrifying werewolf orgy in the SDA church and the fantastically orchestrated finale after. The monsters seem meaner this time (if that's possible) and the pacing was just perfect. No one does it quite like Garton, and this is him in his very best form. I couldn't stop reading, and I didn't want the story to end. I wanted more. And, if we're lucky, we'll get more.
I very much liked the crossover from the LIVE GIRLS and NIGHT LIFE books into this series. It wasn't forced at all. It felt natural. If you like the classic monsters but want something fresh and original, look no further. If you've read RAVENOUS, you NEED to read this, which is even better than that masterpiece. If you haven't read either, I suggest doing yourself the favor of diving in. In fact, read the vampire books too, first even, and then get these. They're loosely connected, but they ARE connected, and it's a fun ride to take.
Horror lovers need look no further than Mr. Garton. The man is a master.
Set only a few months after the events of RAVENOUS, the town of Big Rock is being slowly taken over by werewolves as they spread their STD to others. They've dug into the Seventh Day Adventist church to take over, and they own the Sherriff's Department.
Gavin Kioff and Karen Moffet from NIGHT LIFE are once again tasked by Martin Burgess to investigate some strange goings-on, and are soon caught up in the whirlwind of horny and deadly werewolves. But it seems the creatures are starting to evolve, as they have successfully bred with a pair of humans, creating something more powerful and monstrous than they already are.
This book had some scenes which will stay with me for a very long time. Especially the terrifying werewolf orgy in the SDA church and the fantastically orchestrated finale after. The monsters seem meaner this time (if that's possible) and the pacing was just perfect. No one does it quite like Garton, and this is him in his very best form. I couldn't stop reading, and I didn't want the story to end. I wanted more. And, if we're lucky, we'll get more.
I very much liked the crossover from the LIVE GIRLS and NIGHT LIFE books into this series. It wasn't forced at all. It felt natural. If you like the classic monsters but want something fresh and original, look no further. If you've read RAVENOUS, you NEED to read this, which is even better than that masterpiece. If you haven't read either, I suggest doing yourself the favor of diving in. In fact, read the vampire books too, first even, and then get these. They're loosely connected, but they ARE connected, and it's a fun ride to take.
Horror lovers need look no further than Mr. Garton. The man is a master.
July 3, 2018
Not His Best
Not as good as the first one. A little too preachy against the 7th Day Adventists (not that I care, but I don't want to be beaten over the head with it). And _desperately_ in need of a good editor (or even a bad editor would be an improvement). Still, its Garton, so... worth the price of admission.
Not as good as the first one. A little too preachy against the 7th Day Adventists (not that I care, but I don't want to be beaten over the head with it). And _desperately_ in need of a good editor (or even a bad editor would be an improvement). Still, its Garton, so... worth the price of admission.
May 23, 2010
Good gory fun!
About as far from "high lit" as you can get, which is exactly how it should be. I literally read it in one sitting...hey, it was a rainy day.
About as far from "high lit" as you can get, which is exactly how it should be. I literally read it in one sitting...hey, it was a rainy day.
November 2, 2010
Not quite as good as Ravenous but still pretty darn good. Although the ending was abrupt.... Will there be more?
March 28, 2014
i personally enjoyed the 1st book in this series (ravenous) much better than this one, it was a good story but i was not as absorbed in this one, As i said thats just my view
Want to read
October 8, 2021whoever "edited" this book should be fired.
October 16, 2022
Two words: WEREWOLF ORGY.
Oh, you wanted more of a review? Personally, those two words together would have done it for me. OK, let's talk about the book. Ever wonder what happens after Night Life and Ravenous? Look no further. Gavin and Karen are hired to investigate the possibility of a werewolf outbreak in a small California town. Since it's the same outbreak from Ravenous, of course it's real. Too bad their arsenal of Uzis with silver bullets are taken from them pretty early on.
(And outbreak is the correct word for this. Remember, in Garton's world lycanthropy is a sexually transmitted disease.)
The part that really connected with me is poor Bob. I had a similar upbringing, at least after I escaped my abusive stepfather. The problem is, my grandmother didn't have the excuse of being a Seventh-day Adventist for treating me like a child even as I approached the age of twenty. She expected me to live my life according to her whims. I wasn't even allowed to watch PG-13 movies, not even if I was a day away from turning 13. So Bob hit home with me, and I felt really bad for him. I liked Royce a bit more even though he had a chip on his shoulder. More like a concrete block, really, and I try not to live my life that way. I never really thought of Seventh-day Adventists much at all, but I see why they're such a big part of this horror book.
So even though I said "werewolf orgy" at the top of this, it's also symbolic of my bottom line here. Blood, guts and sex are the engine that drives this book, and I'm a big fan of that, especially if it means something like it does here. If that's the, er, lube that gets you excited, then you'll love this book.
Oh, you wanted more of a review? Personally, those two words together would have done it for me. OK, let's talk about the book. Ever wonder what happens after Night Life and Ravenous? Look no further. Gavin and Karen are hired to investigate the possibility of a werewolf outbreak in a small California town. Since it's the same outbreak from Ravenous, of course it's real. Too bad their arsenal of Uzis with silver bullets are taken from them pretty early on.
(And outbreak is the correct word for this. Remember, in Garton's world lycanthropy is a sexually transmitted disease.)
The part that really connected with me is poor Bob. I had a similar upbringing, at least after I escaped my abusive stepfather. The problem is, my grandmother didn't have the excuse of being a Seventh-day Adventist for treating me like a child even as I approached the age of twenty. She expected me to live my life according to her whims. I wasn't even allowed to watch PG-13 movies, not even if I was a day away from turning 13. So Bob hit home with me, and I felt really bad for him. I liked Royce a bit more even though he had a chip on his shoulder. More like a concrete block, really, and I try not to live my life that way. I never really thought of Seventh-day Adventists much at all, but I see why they're such a big part of this horror book.
So even though I said "werewolf orgy" at the top of this, it's also symbolic of my bottom line here. Blood, guts and sex are the engine that drives this book, and I'm a big fan of that, especially if it means something like it does here. If that's the, er, lube that gets you excited, then you'll love this book.
May 18, 2024
I thought Ravenous was alright, but Bestial was quite a step-up. Mr. Garton (RIP) has a much more interesting stable of characters in this outing, including a sheltered man hounded by his Seventh-day Adventist mother and grandmother, who are basically straight from hell. There's also a pair of likable private investigators who appear in other Garton books, as well as "heroic" werewolves, and a doctor who slowly watches the hospital crumble as it is infested with both victims and monsters. A slew of outrageous moments in Bestial would be hard to forget -- particularly an evil baby terrorizing the hospital and an insane werewolf orgy in a Church. Gory and over-the-top, the late Ray Garton's werewolf sequel scratches a certain kind of itch.
May 2, 2021
A well done horror novel, but the ending was rather abrupt. Since this was a sequel, I’m guessing the author was intending to create a series. So far, though, there’s been nothing new. I will be reading the previous tale, RAVENOUS.
Garton has a gift for characterization. You do care about his people. He also has a way with sexual horror, or would that be horrible sex? Also, I wouldn’t recommend this book to Seventh Day Adventists.
Garton has a gift for characterization. You do care about his people. He also has a way with sexual horror, or would that be horrible sex? Also, I wouldn’t recommend this book to Seventh Day Adventists.
June 14, 2023
I really love this sequel to 'Ravenous". Characters from "Live Girls" and "Night Life" cross over into this story. This book really has characters you care about surviving. They work together to go against the lead werewolf Irving Taggert and his pack. Something new is happening. A live birth of a werewolf has happened and it is evolving. The detectives working on the case have to stop the werewolf, before the whole town is taken over. Will they be in time?
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