Book Review: MEAT EATERS (2022)

What happens if velociraptors had the metabolism of hummingbirds and get loose in cattle country? Problems happen, that's what.

On the advice of a friend long ago, I got a Kindle Unlimited subscription and found that for $10/month, I could borrow and return near-endless books, including a lot of the schlocky monster stuff I enjoy. Not only would this save me money, but would also keep my Kindle relatively uncluttered.

So here comes my latest read, the mutant-dinosaur saga Meat Eaters by Michael Cole.

The Plot

Out in cattle country, something is hunting and killing off first the wildlife, then the livestock, and finally the people. It’s a swarm of raptor-like creatures that have the appetites of hummingbirds—if they don’t eat multiples of their body weight every day, they’ll starve to death.

And did I mention the only thing they can eat is meat? Hence the title.

The Good

*The book is absorbing and never dull. It got me through a couple elliptical sessions without checking the clock. The descriptions are vivid and it’s action-packed.

*Modern horror fiction suffers from “the cell phone problem.” If people have cell phones, it is much easier for them to call for help if they’re trapped in a house with a serial killer, attacked by monsters, etc. An isolated back-country setting solves that problem, plus even if you can reach help, there aren’t many people and it’ll take awhile for them to get there.

*The creature concept is interesting and draws heavily from real-life science. They make for a dementedly dangerous group of antagonists.

The Bad

*The book could have used some stronger editing. There are some typos and usage errors here and there.

*One shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but the cover looks like an image collage. It certainly shows the reader what they’ll get (a dinosaur in a livestock barn), but it looks kind of cheap.

*As a Kindle Unlimited read it’s great. As far as a full-blown purchase is concerned, $5 for an e-book this short is a bit much.

*Toward the end I started getting serious Xenomorph vibes off the critters.

The Verdict

This would make for an entertaining, albeit extremely gory, movie. A few flaws, but entertaining. 8.5/10