Sarah Pinborough
Just wanna drop by to recommend a couple of books.
Breeding Ground and Feeding Ground by Sarah Pinborough.
In both books, the story is about a terrifying disaster that strikes England. The women are getting fat, grotesque, and their personalities nastier. As time passes with no solution in sight, the men can only watch in helpless horror as it becomes apparent that the things that are gestating in the women's bodies are not babies, but monstrous spider-like creatures that lived only to feed on humans.
I've always loved creature-horror books. I find them to be the perfect source of entertainment on a lazy afternoon. However, what really stands out for me about these two books is the perfect balance between action and characterisation. Often-times, I feel that many horror books suffer a lack of either aspect, but this is not the case for these two books. Even though the author is a female writer, she does not shy away from the gore and grit. Neither does she scrimp on the characterisation. Every single one of her characters has motive and personality.
Breeding Ground is the prequel. It follows the story of Matt, who together with his girlfriend Chloe, are a successful young couple living in the idyllic town of Stony Stratford. That is, until Chloe gets pregnant. Although jubilant at first, Matt's joy turns to fear and confusion at the physical and emotional changes in Chloe. When the spiders are finally birthed and all hell breaks loose in Stony Stratford, Matt finds himself fighting for his life, together with a motley crew of survivors.
Unlike its faster-paced sequel, Breeding Ground is actually a very personal book, I feel. We see the chaos and fear and horror all through Matt's eyes. Some parts of the book feel a little dragged down by relationship-development, while the personalities of certain characters do not feel as well-developed. But I think it's because we are following Matt's story and so we do not get first-hand access to the thoughts and emotions of the rest of the characters. It's only a minor issue and it certainly does not hinder the plot. The action is engaging and suspenseful, and you're always kept guessing at what will happen next. I also find it intriguing that the story is set in this peaceful English town. It makes the impending horror that much worse.
Feeding Ground is the sequel, but other than the fact that the main theme is the same, it is actually not a continuation of the story in Breeding Ground. Instead, the sequel follows the story of a different group of survivors in a different part of England - London this time around.
In London, criminal and druglord Blane Gentle-King is broken out of an increasingly isolated prison by his minions, only to find London in the nightmarish grip of death and carnivorous spider creatures. However, Blane will let nothing get in his way of taking over London, and eventually figures out a use for these creatures. His righthand man, Charlie Nash, can only watch in silent dread at the turn of events, slowly biding his time to make his decision to stay or flee.
Trapped in the same building as Blane and his posse, is a group of boys who are on the run from both the spiders and Blane himself. Hiding from apartment to apartment on a daily basis, the boys grow increasingly desperate as they try to protect themselves with no weapons or means of escape.
On the other side of town, another group of young survivors, students from an established all-boys secondary school and their teacher, have abandoned their unsuitable hideout and are now on a frantic search for a new shelter where they can hide from the spiders.
Feeding Ground is my favourite of the two books. Unlike the prequel, which is a personal, first-person take on the disaster, the sequel alternates between the different paths taken by different bands of survivors, until they finally meet and converge. The action is faster, more relentless, and the horror taken up a few notches. The spiders themselves are also given a different twist from the ones in the prequel. Furthermore, since the sequel covers the stories of a range of characters, the characterisation is a lot more interesting and even. I just love it. ^^
Breeding Ground and Feeding Ground by Sarah Pinborough.
In both books, the story is about a terrifying disaster that strikes England. The women are getting fat, grotesque, and their personalities nastier. As time passes with no solution in sight, the men can only watch in helpless horror as it becomes apparent that the things that are gestating in the women's bodies are not babies, but monstrous spider-like creatures that lived only to feed on humans.
I've always loved creature-horror books. I find them to be the perfect source of entertainment on a lazy afternoon. However, what really stands out for me about these two books is the perfect balance between action and characterisation. Often-times, I feel that many horror books suffer a lack of either aspect, but this is not the case for these two books. Even though the author is a female writer, she does not shy away from the gore and grit. Neither does she scrimp on the characterisation. Every single one of her characters has motive and personality.
Breeding Ground is the prequel. It follows the story of Matt, who together with his girlfriend Chloe, are a successful young couple living in the idyllic town of Stony Stratford. That is, until Chloe gets pregnant. Although jubilant at first, Matt's joy turns to fear and confusion at the physical and emotional changes in Chloe. When the spiders are finally birthed and all hell breaks loose in Stony Stratford, Matt finds himself fighting for his life, together with a motley crew of survivors.
Unlike its faster-paced sequel, Breeding Ground is actually a very personal book, I feel. We see the chaos and fear and horror all through Matt's eyes. Some parts of the book feel a little dragged down by relationship-development, while the personalities of certain characters do not feel as well-developed. But I think it's because we are following Matt's story and so we do not get first-hand access to the thoughts and emotions of the rest of the characters. It's only a minor issue and it certainly does not hinder the plot. The action is engaging and suspenseful, and you're always kept guessing at what will happen next. I also find it intriguing that the story is set in this peaceful English town. It makes the impending horror that much worse.
Feeding Ground is the sequel, but other than the fact that the main theme is the same, it is actually not a continuation of the story in Breeding Ground. Instead, the sequel follows the story of a different group of survivors in a different part of England - London this time around.
In London, criminal and druglord Blane Gentle-King is broken out of an increasingly isolated prison by his minions, only to find London in the nightmarish grip of death and carnivorous spider creatures. However, Blane will let nothing get in his way of taking over London, and eventually figures out a use for these creatures. His righthand man, Charlie Nash, can only watch in silent dread at the turn of events, slowly biding his time to make his decision to stay or flee.
Trapped in the same building as Blane and his posse, is a group of boys who are on the run from both the spiders and Blane himself. Hiding from apartment to apartment on a daily basis, the boys grow increasingly desperate as they try to protect themselves with no weapons or means of escape.
On the other side of town, another group of young survivors, students from an established all-boys secondary school and their teacher, have abandoned their unsuitable hideout and are now on a frantic search for a new shelter where they can hide from the spiders.
Feeding Ground is my favourite of the two books. Unlike the prequel, which is a personal, first-person take on the disaster, the sequel alternates between the different paths taken by different bands of survivors, until they finally meet and converge. The action is faster, more relentless, and the horror taken up a few notches. The spiders themselves are also given a different twist from the ones in the prequel. Furthermore, since the sequel covers the stories of a range of characters, the characterisation is a lot more interesting and even. I just love it. ^^