Title: Carnivorous Lunar Activities
Author: Max Booth III
Carnivorous Lunar Activities was my first book by Max Booth III, and after reading this action-packed, dark comedic were-plot, I’ll definitely be back for more. This story follows the arcs of two characters, Ted and Justin, who are long-time friends and have a Punch-and-Judy rapport with one another. What I liked most about their relationship throughout the book was that it never felt forced, and instead was always natural, blunt, and honestly, it felt like I was eavesdropping on their conversation at times, which made me feel the need to hide behind the freezer, which has its own irony, I suppose.
The first half of the book essentially takes place in one room, so it gave me a bit of a Tarantino vibe, which is by no means a bad thing. I quite like when stories are confined to a room because it gives a threatening air of suffocation and claustrophobia to the scene that you don’t get unless you’re trapped and anxious—something that definitely describes the mindset of both of our characters. As the story progresses, Justin confesses to Ted that he has fallen in with a rough crowd and has developed a taste for dog fighting, which eventually lead to even shadier encounters, one of which resulted in the infected, pulsating wound on his leg. Armed with silver bullets and chained to an anchor, the two drink PBRs, make a pact, and talk through what their lives have become: a mix of hunger and guilt.
In the vein of John Dies at the End and Shaun of the Dead, Carnivorous Lunar Activities is a bloody werewolf romp of humor, body parts, and overturned cop cars. If you like a shot of comedy with your horror, I recommend grabbing 10 burgers, a pack of PBR, and buying this book to read under a full moon.
With a fully belly and a long howl, I give it four stars.
