Carnivorous Lunar Activities by Max Booth III #BookReview

Ted and Justin were once best friends, but over the years they’ve seen less and less of each other. Now, something’s wrong with Justin. He can’t sleep, he can’t think straight, and he certainly can’t explain why he keeps waking up naked and covered in blood. Ted might be the only person who can save him– assuming he’s okay with shooting his childhood BFF with a silver bullet. But that’s what friends are for, right?

From Max Booth III and FANGORIA comes Carnivorous Lunar Activities― the ultimate werewolf bromance. It’s a toxic cocktail of An American Werewolf in London, Old School, and Bubba Ho-Tep that dives deep into the well of childhood nostalgia, blood soaked horror, and irredeemable dick jokes to bring readers a slice of Southern Fried horror that proudly wears its heart―not to mention a few other internal organs―on its sleeve.

“Booth’s book is a breakthrough, from the conceit to the delivery. It’s funny but mean, smart but smartass, and it just might be your favorite werewolf story in the world. CARNIVOROUS LUNAR ACTIVITIES starts out like a play, Grand Guignol, a couple of very compelling characters locked in a helluva conversation, before transforming into a blood-bright explosion of horror joy. Fucked up love, fucked up friendship, and how maybe you shouldn’t live past the best night of your life. Oh, how I loved this book.” — Josh Malerman, author of Bird Box and Unbury Carol

Title: Carnivorous Lunar Activities | Author: Max Booth III | Publisher: Cinestate/Fangoria | Pub. Date: 22 February 2019 | Pages: 272 | ISBN: 9781946487131 | Genre: Horror | Language: English | Triggers:  None | Rating:  5 out 5 | Source: Self-purchased

Carnivorous Lunar Activities Review

Gerald Bringsley: “Whereas I am a victim of your carnivorous lunar activities.” – An American Werewolf in London

“Nothing remained stagnant. Everything always sank if you gave it enough time.” – Max Booth III, Carnivorous Lunar Activities

Behold! I have read my very first werewolf novel.  It’s a milestone of sorts, right? I’ve read a diverse array of horror fiction and non-fiction, but somehow missed this particular subject. Lots of werewolf movies, nary a wolfy book. And after this one, I crave more – ravenous for them you might say.

Booth captivated me as a reader from the first line – I won’t share it here, in fact besides the quote above, you’ll get no more direct quoting from me.  This book needs to be a holistic experience for the reader. I like the prose in this book. It’s clean and lean; it says what needs to be said, and carries on. This is what the story demands – realism, a building sense of tension, and incredulity, interspersed with comedy that had me howling.  Because sometimes realism means two old friends, one chained in a noxious basement, slamming Pabst Blue Ribbon.

Much of this is a convo between Ted and Justin, who have just come together again in a quite unsanitary location (again: yuck) because Justin needs Ted’s help. The reader is a fly on the wall (definitely flies on these walls) and what happens is some kind of moonlit magic.  Think of your oldest or closest friend. They’re telling a story of something that has happened, but as happens often with those we have history with, sidebar conversations are inevitable. Booth masterfully reenacts what a conversation like this might be like. The comedic timing here is sharp and we can feel the relationship between Ted and Justin.

Oh wait…this is supposed to have werewolves. Boy, does it.  One of my notes to myself when the action ramps up literally just says “holy hell!”. I love how the author handles the transformation and the ensuing carnage and break-neck paced action sequences. The last 100 pages or so flew by and I enjoyed every single moment.

Not only do I need more werewolf books, I need more Max Booth III books.  This was hands down one of the best purchases I made this year – highly recommended if this sounds like something you’d be into.

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You can find this book at many retailers via clicking on the appropriate link on Goodreads; however, in the spirit of supporting literacy programs, we would like to point out that you may be able to purchase this book through BetterWorldBooks.