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Feeding Ground
London streets that were once filled with pedestrians, tourists and shoppers are now clogged with thick webs and dead bodies. Spidery creatures straight out of a nightmare have infested the city, skittering after their human prey, spinning sticky traps to catch their food…
A few desperate survivors have banded together, realizing their only hope for survival is to flee the dying city. Their route will take them through wrecked streets, into an underground train station. Only too late will they discover their deadly mistake: their chosen tunnel is home to the hungry creatures' food cache, filled with cocooned but still living victims. Instead of escape, the group has run straight into the heart of a… Feeding Ground.
A few desperate survivors have banded together, realizing their only hope for survival is to flee the dying city. Their route will take them through wrecked streets, into an underground train station. Only too late will they discover their deadly mistake: their chosen tunnel is home to the hungry creatures' food cache, filled with cocooned but still living victims. Instead of escape, the group has run straight into the heart of a… Feeding Ground.
310 pages, Paperback
First published September 29, 2009
2 people are currently reading
550 people want to read
About the author
Sarah Pinborough
81 books7,967 followersSarah Pinborough is a New York Times bestselling and Sunday Times Number one and Internationally bestselling author who is published in over 30 territories worldwide. Having published more than 25 novels across various genres, her recent books include Behind Her Eyes, now a smash hit Netflix limited series, Dead To Her, now in development with Amazon Studios, and 13 Minutes and The Death House in development with Compelling Pictures. Sarah lives in the historic town of Stony Stratford, the home of the Cock and Bull story, with her dog Ted. Her next novel, Insomnia, is out in 2022. You can follow Sarah on Twitter at @sarahpinborough.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
March 22, 2013
Not really a sequel to Breeding Ground, but the events happening in the city of London at the same time. I felt the characterization was better in this one, but was a little disappointed in the overall direction it took. I was hoping that it would answer a few questions, instead of remaining firmly anchored in the lives of a select few, without delving much into the larger picture.
March 21, 2013
"The spider creatures from Breeding Ground have begun to take over London. A small group of survivors decide to barricade themselves in an unused Underground Station, only to realize-too late-that it's right next to a storehouse for the spiders' food."
That paragraph above is supposedly the synopsis. Anyone who has ever read any of my reviews will know that I never write plot summaries, but this time I have to because that isn't what happens in the story at all.
Feeding Ground is sort of a second part to the story started in Breeding Ground but doesn't advance what happened in the first story at all. As we find out in the first installment almost all women on the planet have become hosts for creatures that turn into huge white spiders that kill and eat everything that they encounter. Those they don't kill they wrap up and store in gossamer webs for later snacking.
While Breeding Ground follows a group of intrepid folks running away from a small town and into a government facility, Feeding Grounds takes place in the projects (or at least what we in the states call the projects or "the hood") of London.
First spoiler
That paragraph above is supposedly the synopsis. Anyone who has ever read any of my reviews will know that I never write plot summaries, but this time I have to because that isn't what happens in the story at all.
Feeding Ground is sort of a second part to the story started in Breeding Ground but doesn't advance what happened in the first story at all. As we find out in the first installment almost all women on the planet have become hosts for creatures that turn into huge white spiders that kill and eat everything that they encounter. Those they don't kill they wrap up and store in gossamer webs for later snacking.
While Breeding Ground follows a group of intrepid folks running away from a small town and into a government facility, Feeding Grounds takes place in the projects (or at least what we in the states call the projects or "the hood") of London.
First spoiler
June 9, 2011
Another winner from Pinborough. I was expecting a direct sequel to Breeding Ground, but instead this book has all different (only momentarily vaguely mentioned) characters, but is set during the same events as the Breeding Ground. Pinborough's strength is in her writing, the characters come off as believable likeable real, the dialogue flows, the suspense keeps you turning the pages and the horror is very well depicted, terrifyingly so. I very much hope to see a continuation of this series (though I'm not much of a series person), but at this point I'll read any horror by Pinborough, she's such a great writer. I highly recommend this one to post-apocalyptic fans and horror fans in general.
March 9, 2013
Fans of Pinborough's "Breeding Ground", which preceded this novel by a couple of years, may find themselves wallowing in the same pool of disappointment that I found myself after finishing ""Feeding Ground". Not willing to pick up on the group of survivors left behind in the first novel, Pinborough instead introduces the reader to an entirely new group of characters in this book. These characters, though faced with the same issue of trying to survive a London filled with super-sized spiders, just don't display the same panache' as those in the first novel. As a matter of opinion, this reviewer found very little to like or appreciate regarding the new characters. I found myself not caring if they survived the spider attacks or not. I hate when I have to read a book with that mindset.
There's no doubt that Pinborough's established herself as a fine writer as evidenced by the cluster of solid reviews on earlier books like, "The Reckoning", "The Taken", and "Tower Hill". In this case, however, I think she dropped the ball by not rekindling the relationship that readers built with the characters she developed in "Breeding Ground". Even the spiders take a lesser role in this novel.
The die is cast for a third novel in the series, let's just hope Pinborough finds the magic again that she displayed in "Breeding Ground". For this reviewer, it will take some convincing to get me to dig into that third book, if it does indeed materialize.
There's no doubt that Pinborough's established herself as a fine writer as evidenced by the cluster of solid reviews on earlier books like, "The Reckoning", "The Taken", and "Tower Hill". In this case, however, I think she dropped the ball by not rekindling the relationship that readers built with the characters she developed in "Breeding Ground". Even the spiders take a lesser role in this novel.
The die is cast for a third novel in the series, let's just hope Pinborough finds the magic again that she displayed in "Breeding Ground". For this reviewer, it will take some convincing to get me to dig into that third book, if it does indeed materialize.
March 16, 2016
I really enjoyed Breeding Ground and was so looking forward to reading this book, set in the same disaster but following a new group of people trapped in a city. Sounded so good but sadly this was a huge let down, due to the cast of characters.
What made the first book work was that you actually cared what happened to the people and even the bad characters were interesting and added something to the story. Here, I hated all the characters and didn't care from page one if any of them lived or died. It focused on a run down housing estate run by drug lord, pimp and murderer Blane, whose crew bribe his way out of prison when the spider things impregnate the women. So we get all about Blane and his criminal empire, his right hand man Charlie, his crew and his string of junkie hookers who have been locked up inside the flats for the safety of the men. Then we have our second group hiding there, with Leke, the kid who saw Blane kill someone and grassed him to the police, plus his two thieving friends. next we meet the drug addicts. And so on. I didn't give a damn about any of them and decided not to bother continuing.
So disappointed!
What made the first book work was that you actually cared what happened to the people and even the bad characters were interesting and added something to the story. Here, I hated all the characters and didn't care from page one if any of them lived or died. It focused on a run down housing estate run by drug lord, pimp and murderer Blane, whose crew bribe his way out of prison when the spider things impregnate the women. So we get all about Blane and his criminal empire, his right hand man Charlie, his crew and his string of junkie hookers who have been locked up inside the flats for the safety of the men. Then we have our second group hiding there, with Leke, the kid who saw Blane kill someone and grassed him to the police, plus his two thieving friends. next we meet the drug addicts. And so on. I didn't give a damn about any of them and decided not to bother continuing.
So disappointed!
July 31, 2014
Don't read if you suffer from arachnophobia!
Feeding Ground is another example for an entertaining mean little creature feature, this time with a creepy kind of spiders invading earth. While the action was always fast-paced, there was still enough room to flesh out the protagonists.
I appreciated that the author did not just describe another alien invasion, but put in a nice twist by placing it in the territory of a mad drug lord, which added some interesting variety.
Thinking of a movie version, I had pictures from Attack the Block in mind several times.
Nice.
Feeding Ground is another example for an entertaining mean little creature feature, this time with a creepy kind of spiders invading earth. While the action was always fast-paced, there was still enough room to flesh out the protagonists.
I appreciated that the author did not just describe another alien invasion, but put in a nice twist by placing it in the territory of a mad drug lord, which added some interesting variety.
Thinking of a movie version, I had pictures from Attack the Block in mind several times.
Nice.
October 6, 2020
Spooktober 2020 Book 6
A decent look at destructive, drug addled spiders borne from the loins of women versus English gangbangers and helpless teenagers.
Feeding Ground is actually quite well written and Pinborough definitely has the chops and talent to craft a story that had a ton of potential to be better than the average creature feature horror that Leisure pumped out in the mid 2000’s.
The problem for me, however, is that the story felt incomplete and just kinda of...there. There’s very little explanation for the arrival of the spiders other than basically just mentioning it happens. There is little to no backstory, though this book’s pseudo-prequel, Breeding Ground supposedly does a better job at giving more exposition. However I’ve been led to believe FG should be a standalone novel. It works, but I feel not reading the first novel left me a bit out of the loop and asking “so what?”
Regardless, FG was still enjoyable and nice change of pace from the cheap, gore infused, badly written schlock I tend to gravitate towards at this time of the year.
A decent look at destructive, drug addled spiders borne from the loins of women versus English gangbangers and helpless teenagers.
Feeding Ground is actually quite well written and Pinborough definitely has the chops and talent to craft a story that had a ton of potential to be better than the average creature feature horror that Leisure pumped out in the mid 2000’s.
The problem for me, however, is that the story felt incomplete and just kinda of...there. There’s very little explanation for the arrival of the spiders other than basically just mentioning it happens. There is little to no backstory, though this book’s pseudo-prequel, Breeding Ground supposedly does a better job at giving more exposition. However I’ve been led to believe FG should be a standalone novel. It works, but I feel not reading the first novel left me a bit out of the loop and asking “so what?”
Regardless, FG was still enjoyable and nice change of pace from the cheap, gore infused, badly written schlock I tend to gravitate towards at this time of the year.
May 11, 2013
Giant spiders? How could you go wrong?
Apparently, fairly easily.
This is the second in a series from what I can tell, and I have not had the pleasure of reading the first, having picked this off a shelf at a local used book store. The back painted a very interesting idea of what should be contained within. However, once I started reading, the tale soon spiralled down to the point where I was struggling to finish the tale.
There are a fair bit of good points for this novel. The characters were interesting and believeable for the most part, if partially unrelatable. You ended up caring for some of them, but others quickly became easy to disregard and forget all together.
The horror aspect of the story, the birth of the spiders for example, are beautifully creepy and grotesque in every sense of those words. However, once the birthing process has been finished, the actual horror of the spiders themselves becomes non-existant as no actual tension is presented in regards to them. Think of it like comparing Alien vs Aliens. The first movie was chalk full of horrific moments, lots of suspense, and terror. Much how I assume (and hope) the first book to this series was. The second movie was more action orientated, shoving aside the horror aspect except for a couple moments. This book is like that, only with less action.
In the end, I don't recommend this book. Despite the characters that were memorable and that I cared about, the rest of the story dragged me down and mired me in a spidersweb of uninteresting writing.
Apparently, fairly easily.
This is the second in a series from what I can tell, and I have not had the pleasure of reading the first, having picked this off a shelf at a local used book store. The back painted a very interesting idea of what should be contained within. However, once I started reading, the tale soon spiralled down to the point where I was struggling to finish the tale.
There are a fair bit of good points for this novel. The characters were interesting and believeable for the most part, if partially unrelatable. You ended up caring for some of them, but others quickly became easy to disregard and forget all together.
The horror aspect of the story, the birth of the spiders for example, are beautifully creepy and grotesque in every sense of those words. However, once the birthing process has been finished, the actual horror of the spiders themselves becomes non-existant as no actual tension is presented in regards to them. Think of it like comparing Alien vs Aliens. The first movie was chalk full of horrific moments, lots of suspense, and terror. Much how I assume (and hope) the first book to this series was. The second movie was more action orientated, shoving aside the horror aspect except for a couple moments. This book is like that, only with less action.
In the end, I don't recommend this book. Despite the characters that were memorable and that I cared about, the rest of the story dragged me down and mired me in a spidersweb of uninteresting writing.
January 14, 2010
Watch out: it's another gruesome creature-feature from the pen of Sarah Pinborough.
Though generally billed as a sequel to the earlier Breeding Ground , Feeding Ground is more of a parallel apocalyptic tale, following the trials and perils facing a group of survivors living in London, whose experiences were occurring at roughly the same time as those of the characters in Breeding Ground.
Overall, I enjoyed this book about as much as Breeding Ground. While I liked the characters in the previous book more than those in Feeding Ground, I found Pinborough's storytelling more engaging in this more recent effort.
I'm hoping that the author has one more book coming in this series; both Breeding Ground and Feeding Ground had open-ended conclusions, and it would be nice if Pinborough told a final tale to tie up the remaining loose ends and to let the readers know what became of the surviving characters from both books.
Though generally billed as a sequel to the earlier Breeding Ground , Feeding Ground is more of a parallel apocalyptic tale, following the trials and perils facing a group of survivors living in London, whose experiences were occurring at roughly the same time as those of the characters in Breeding Ground.
Overall, I enjoyed this book about as much as Breeding Ground. While I liked the characters in the previous book more than those in Feeding Ground, I found Pinborough's storytelling more engaging in this more recent effort.
I'm hoping that the author has one more book coming in this series; both Breeding Ground and Feeding Ground had open-ended conclusions, and it would be nice if Pinborough told a final tale to tie up the remaining loose ends and to let the readers know what became of the surviving characters from both books.
June 12, 2012
Although I would recommend reating Breeding Ground first, this is a contemporaneous account of Sarah Pinborough's apocalyptic horror world from another perspective. Where the first novel took place in a small town environment, this novel replays the same events in the heart of London.
The characterization was stellar for a genre which can sometimes treat characters as fodder. My opinion of each person must have changed three times through the course of reading, as new facets of their character were revealed. That was a rare treat in such a short and "non-literary" book.
I enjoyed both of these books enough to have several more of this author's books in my reading queue. Recommended for anyone looking for escapist entertainment that isn't totally mindless.
The characterization was stellar for a genre which can sometimes treat characters as fodder. My opinion of each person must have changed three times through the course of reading, as new facets of their character were revealed. That was a rare treat in such a short and "non-literary" book.
I enjoyed both of these books enough to have several more of this author's books in my reading queue. Recommended for anyone looking for escapist entertainment that isn't totally mindless.
July 5, 2019
Feeding Ground is a fun creepy read. The characters here come from three separate groups. Group A are gangbangers looking to take over London in the apocalypse. Group B are teengers from the hood, one of which is the witness that got the head gangbanger locked up. Group C are posh teenagers that were on a school trip when things went south fast.
I don't believe I have seen an apocalypse from the perspective of a gang before. I really enjoyed watching Bane and Charlie's relationship unfold. Charlie is especially interesting to me. I like the stoic neutral way he sees the world.
I also don't believe I've seen an autistic character in an apocalypse, either. Nathan is another fun plus. He is well written and I wanted him to succeed.
I docked a star for the lack of women or lgbta characters. Every single female in London birthed an alien spider? What about the ones too young to have children? Where were the crying neglected four year olds in the abandoned apartments? Assuming the spiders only grew within people with uteruses, what about transgender women? On top of that, all the characters were grossed out by gay men and all of them professed to be straight. Because that's how humanity works.
Oh, there was a woman that lived for a short time on screen. She was described as plain average boring looking and yet still gave the teenaged boy a halfie before watching her die.
"She wasn't young or slim or pretty. Even from the distance Hqrry couls see the lines carved into her neck where the skin was no longer firm. She was blandly ordinary abd reaching out for middle age; maybe in her thirties, perhaps even older. The kind of woman his own mother would call 'attractive when she smiled,' which Harry had long ago figured out she said when she didn't want to use the word 'ugly.'"
Then again, maybe I'll dock two stars...
I don't believe I have seen an apocalypse from the perspective of a gang before. I really enjoyed watching Bane and Charlie's relationship unfold. Charlie is especially interesting to me. I like the stoic neutral way he sees the world.
I also don't believe I've seen an autistic character in an apocalypse, either. Nathan is another fun plus. He is well written and I wanted him to succeed.
I docked a star for the lack of women or lgbta characters. Every single female in London birthed an alien spider? What about the ones too young to have children? Where were the crying neglected four year olds in the abandoned apartments? Assuming the spiders only grew within people with uteruses, what about transgender women? On top of that, all the characters were grossed out by gay men and all of them professed to be straight. Because that's how humanity works.
Oh, there was a woman that lived for a short time on screen. She was described as plain average boring looking and yet still gave the teenaged boy a halfie before watching her die.
"She wasn't young or slim or pretty. Even from the distance Hqrry couls see the lines carved into her neck where the skin was no longer firm. She was blandly ordinary abd reaching out for middle age; maybe in her thirties, perhaps even older. The kind of woman his own mother would call 'attractive when she smiled,' which Harry had long ago figured out she said when she didn't want to use the word 'ugly.'"
Then again, maybe I'll dock two stars...
May 29, 2023
This one is a lot of fun. It's a kinda-sorta sequel to Breeding Ground, meaning it's the same situation but with different characters. This time it's in the heart of London, in what we Americans would call the hood. Most interestingly enough, it begins with a prison break of sorts, because who really thinks about prisoners during an apocalypse? Stephen King did in The Stand, but I'm hard pressed to think of anyone else. My favorite part is the spiders that are different from the others because they birthed themselves from crackheads. And they're still addicted to said crack! The heroes are two groups of boys, one from the hood and one from a good school, and they join forces to escape London with a very unlikely (and interesting) ally. I've seen this book compared to The Midwich Cuckoos, but I think it has a lot more in common with James Herbert's The Rats. I think Pinborough wears this influence on her sleeve because, you know, there are also giant rats in this one. Highly recommended.
January 6, 2022
Even though most people seem to like Sarah Pinborough for Tower Hill, I decided to follow up my first novel of hers (Breeding Ground) with its somewhat maligned sequel. Thankfully, I went in knowing that it was not a continuation of the first book, which had a disappointing ending. This is an entirely different set of characters, living through the same events of Breeding Ground, but in a different part of England. I found the characters in Feeding Ground to be much more engaging than the characters in its predecessor. The premise is still extremely fun and terrifying, so I must say that I enjoyed this book a lot and think it's the better of the two!
February 12, 2024
A page-turner with a cool concept that never quite hits its stride fully. It had some interesting characters but didn’t fully flesh them out, creative ideas and creatures though. Definitely worth checking out for a quick and fun read.
July 21, 2019
After reading this book I have decided that if I see a spider in my house I am gonna leave IMMEDIATELY. Never to return.
January 25, 2022
Oh this is very good.
Beautifully drawn characters and location. Great storyline. Gosh you are clever Sarah :-)
Beautifully drawn characters and location. Great storyline. Gosh you are clever Sarah :-)
October 20, 2025
Thumping great read!! Caught up in the story from the first page … if you like a great story with characters you care about … and a good scare … this is for you!
August 15, 2025
“This is the start of a new world, Charlie. And we’re going to start a New World Order. I’ve got a plan, bro. I’ve got a fucking plan.”
Set in an apocalyptic London; we follow several extremely disparate groups of men who are just trying to get by in the same cataclysm that occurred during Breeding Ground. Gritty and dark, this novel is like book one’s sexy, dangerous, bad boy of an older brother.
Blane Gentle-King, 29, is mixed race: half white and half Jamaican. Charlie Nash is Blane’s Irish right-hand man and best friend since childhood. Blane is a drug and crime kingpin. He and Charlie run their estate and the surrounding neighborhoods.
So it’s no surprise that Blane and Charlie head up our first faction of survivors, along with their Merry Band of Thugs, including Skate, Brownie, and Jude.
The younger boys in the estate housing: Craig Goldsworthy, Nathan Pelham, Leke Kudaisi, and Courtney.
The boarding school squad: Harry Parker, Josh, Mr. Green, Peter, and James Mildrew.
SP is The Damn Master. She writes these diverse and distinct individuals and groups of men so well. Her atmospheric prose remains a strength. As disturbing, if not more so, than book one of the duology.
Blane’s plans…Charlie’s doubts…appeasing the Squealers…avoiding the Whites…the giant rats…the crack… Blane in Janine’s mind is absolutely bonkers.
Exquisite turn. Villain/anti-hero turned Hero You Can Root For.
He was fucking beginning to like these kids. What the fuck was that about?
Two groups meet and merge. New alliances. Escape. Blackwell Tunnel. Janine and the Squealers…her and Blane’s symmetry… the photo at the end…bittersweet.
Startlingly emotional. The divergent character arcs of Charlie and Blane are excellent and moving.
The call-backs to book one—as usual with Sarah, always hidden (deeply) but still in plain sight—are top-notch, but mostly especially the ending. It all comes full circle in a scintillating way.
The entire novel is an unusual and captivating read, but the last third is unputdownable. Wildly unique. And unexpectedly brilliant.
He stared at the desolation around him for a moment longer, before, with an empty heart, he forced his legs to jog down to the waiting boat.
He was glad. Those days were gone. It was a new dawn.
Set in an apocalyptic London; we follow several extremely disparate groups of men who are just trying to get by in the same cataclysm that occurred during Breeding Ground. Gritty and dark, this novel is like book one’s sexy, dangerous, bad boy of an older brother.
Blane Gentle-King, 29, is mixed race: half white and half Jamaican. Charlie Nash is Blane’s Irish right-hand man and best friend since childhood. Blane is a drug and crime kingpin. He and Charlie run their estate and the surrounding neighborhoods.
So it’s no surprise that Blane and Charlie head up our first faction of survivors, along with their Merry Band of Thugs, including Skate, Brownie, and Jude.
The younger boys in the estate housing: Craig Goldsworthy, Nathan Pelham, Leke Kudaisi, and Courtney.
The boarding school squad: Harry Parker, Josh, Mr. Green, Peter, and James Mildrew.
SP is The Damn Master. She writes these diverse and distinct individuals and groups of men so well. Her atmospheric prose remains a strength. As disturbing, if not more so, than book one of the duology.
Blane’s plans…Charlie’s doubts…appeasing the Squealers…avoiding the Whites…the giant rats…the crack… Blane in Janine’s mind is absolutely bonkers.
Exquisite turn. Villain/anti-hero turned Hero You Can Root For.
He was fucking beginning to like these kids. What the fuck was that about?
Two groups meet and merge. New alliances. Escape. Blackwell Tunnel. Janine and the Squealers…her and Blane’s symmetry… the photo at the end…bittersweet.
Startlingly emotional. The divergent character arcs of Charlie and Blane are excellent and moving.
The call-backs to book one—as usual with Sarah, always hidden (deeply) but still in plain sight—are top-notch, but mostly especially the ending. It all comes full circle in a scintillating way.
The entire novel is an unusual and captivating read, but the last third is unputdownable. Wildly unique. And unexpectedly brilliant.
He stared at the desolation around him for a moment longer, before, with an empty heart, he forced his legs to jog down to the waiting boat.
He was glad. Those days were gone. It was a new dawn.
August 20, 2019
I always feel bad giving a book like this a negative review. I know this is considered the early work for this author and there was a lot of effort put toward this novel. This is considered the sequel to Breeding Ground, however it has none of the reoccurring characters from the first novel. This is more of a side story taking place in a different part of the United Kingdom. I am totally fine with all of this, I anticipated the new cast of characters when I first picked up the book. However it’s the main characters themselves that I have a problem with, there’s just too many of them and almost all of them are extremely unlikable. It was an absolute chore to get through this book and I almost considered giving up several times. The main characters are pretty much common place thugs, and the other group of characters that are introduced later on are just a bunch of blank slates that are easily forgettable. I can’t really remember any of the main protagonist names to be honest.
I give the author credit for trying something new, most stories probably don’t have the balls to do this kind of narrative storytelling. However if we’re going to have the main characters be morally questionable assholes, then they should be somewhat likable or charming. Perhaps that is the problem with these somewhat evil characters, they are just not that intriguing or compelling. Which is weird for me because I love post apocalyptic settings and I love stories about the shit hitting the fan, however I had a really hard time paying attention or having the story hold my attention for that long. I ended up finishing this book on audiobook format, and the narrator’s voice was kind of boring. It felt like he was mumbling most of the time and I found myself daydreaming when he was talking more than once.
I give the author credit for trying something new, most stories probably don’t have the balls to do this kind of narrative storytelling. However if we’re going to have the main characters be morally questionable assholes, then they should be somewhat likable or charming. Perhaps that is the problem with these somewhat evil characters, they are just not that intriguing or compelling. Which is weird for me because I love post apocalyptic settings and I love stories about the shit hitting the fan, however I had a really hard time paying attention or having the story hold my attention for that long. I ended up finishing this book on audiobook format, and the narrator’s voice was kind of boring. It felt like he was mumbling most of the time and I found myself daydreaming when he was talking more than once.
February 9, 2010
Pinborough's strengths come from her vivid description of a world that's gone completely to hell in just a few days. From the humid air to the hot rain, eerily quiet streets, and overturned buses, she paints a picture that is easily visualized, even by those who've never been to England. She builds every abandoned flat and weaves every blood-stained carpet to complete a picture perfect image. Similarly, she pays particular attention to her characters, giving them all real identities. From the megalomaniacal Blane Gentle-King to his right-hand man Charlie, readers are given access to their thoughts and feelings, no matter how twisted and addled they are. Readers find a great deal to sympathize with in all of her characters, some of whom are just trying to survive, others who are only too eager to usher in the new world order.
In a normal review this would be the point where the reviewer would talk about weaknesses in the novel, just to give a balanced point of view. In the case of Feeding Ground, however, there are no weaknesses. Every page holds something to make readers cringe and feel the tension of the characters. Pinborough deftly navigates the waters between rage and sympathy, all the while leaving what is truly tragic on the table like an open wound. Books like this are few and far between. If you haven't read Pinborough's work yet, do yourself a favor and start now.
In a normal review this would be the point where the reviewer would talk about weaknesses in the novel, just to give a balanced point of view. In the case of Feeding Ground, however, there are no weaknesses. Every page holds something to make readers cringe and feel the tension of the characters. Pinborough deftly navigates the waters between rage and sympathy, all the while leaving what is truly tragic on the table like an open wound. Books like this are few and far between. If you haven't read Pinborough's work yet, do yourself a favor and start now.
September 19, 2012
This was a fun sequel that doesn't require the reader to have read the previous book. The author was a much more skilled writer this time around, and that skill was reflected in stronger characters and a less predictable plot. I even found myself creeped out a few times.
Briefly, nearly all women in the world one day become 'pregnant' with giant spiders. The birthing process kills the women, and the men are left to survive as best they can as prey for the new carnivorous beings. This time around, the action takes place in London, largely in the territory of a local drug kingpin who figures out how to 'control' a handful of the spiders.
My only quibbles are these: After starting with some strong characters and a fresh scenario, the last quarter of the book devolves into standard movie fare. Moreover, the author chose to reveal only slightly more than was learned in the previous book about what's happening.
I feel that there is an inevitable third book coming to bring the characters of the first two books together and come to some sort of resolution. I will read it as soon as I hear of it!
Briefly, nearly all women in the world one day become 'pregnant' with giant spiders. The birthing process kills the women, and the men are left to survive as best they can as prey for the new carnivorous beings. This time around, the action takes place in London, largely in the territory of a local drug kingpin who figures out how to 'control' a handful of the spiders.
My only quibbles are these: After starting with some strong characters and a fresh scenario, the last quarter of the book devolves into standard movie fare. Moreover, the author chose to reveal only slightly more than was learned in the previous book about what's happening.
I feel that there is an inevitable third book coming to bring the characters of the first two books together and come to some sort of resolution. I will read it as soon as I hear of it!
November 19, 2012
On the surface, this is a good old-fashioned horror in the vein of James Herbert's early stuff . However, as you'd expect from Sarah Pinborough, there are a few deft touches which lift this cracking tale over & above your bog-standard horror.
Rather than go into detailed explanations about the situation & what happened to set this up, it is just covered in a few words to Blane Gentle-King when he's been sprung from jail by his crew - & this works; you just accept it & get on with the story. I also particularly like the way the autistic lad Nathan is used ; the treatment of him isn't patronising , & he is the eyes of the audience for one of the most shocking scenes. Seeing this scene through the eyes of someone with Asperger's Syndrome really enforced for me the horror of what was actually happening.
This is a classic horror tale. Well worthy of your consideration.
Rather than go into detailed explanations about the situation & what happened to set this up, it is just covered in a few words to Blane Gentle-King when he's been sprung from jail by his crew - & this works; you just accept it & get on with the story. I also particularly like the way the autistic lad Nathan is used ; the treatment of him isn't patronising , & he is the eyes of the audience for one of the most shocking scenes. Seeing this scene through the eyes of someone with Asperger's Syndrome really enforced for me the horror of what was actually happening.
This is a classic horror tale. Well worthy of your consideration.
March 18, 2012
I initially thought Feeding Ground would be a sequel to Breeding Ground. Not quite, it's indeed the same events (big mean spiders taking over Great Britain) but unfolding in a different location with different characters. I imagine that a third novel is/was planned to tie everything up but seeing as Leisure Fiction has gone bust that may never come to fruition. Anyway, given the similarities between the two books, everything was a bit too familiar and predictable. I did however enjoy the well-fleshed out characters and the author's brand of writing.
December 8, 2009
In this sequel to Breeding Ground we discover more about the giant spiders that have taken over England. Better written than the prequel, Pinborough's latest book is slowly building an intriguing post-apocalyptic world filled with warring spider tribes and giant rats. I keep waiting for King Cockroach to claim his sovereignty. Maybe he'll show up in the third book.
March 20, 2019
I re-read this book every few years. I was extremely excited to hear this was getting released. Though not a direct sequel, it does give us a bit more insight into this horrifying new world. I am terrified of spiders, and this book had me at the edge of my seat.
March 5, 2010
this was the first book i read of this author and i will be watching out for more of her books.the characters are well drawn and the action is believable.i love end of the world books.
December 21, 2010
This one is genuinely creepy and effective. I wondered if she'd succeed with the giant spider thing as most people are disappointed by the ending of It, but she pulled it off. A genius author.
January 4, 2010
Couldn't finish reading this book. It was terrible. Didn't care for any of the characters, whether they lived or died.
August 3, 2010
Superb follow up to Breeding ground , shades of James Herberts The Rats about it, now one of my favourite authors .
February 20, 2011
it was so good did not think it was going to be that good thanks pinborough
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