Customer Reviews

Mandibles

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

by David Wilbanks

This is the best giant ant novel I've ever read!

OK. Big deal. So I've never read any other giant ant novels (are there any?). But there are giant bug movies, and that's how MANDIBLES by Jeff Strand reads, only it's much funnier and better written than the giant bug movies that I've seen. To tell the truth, I'm not a huge fan of this type of movie, but I am a fan of this novel.

Tampa, Florida has a problem: the fire ant population has decided to attack its citizens. Not only that, but these fire ants are much larger than normal, and they're all over the place. The ants carry a deadly sting and they are vicious. And, as if that wasn't perilous enough, there's also a couple psychopaths on the loose named Hack and Slash. Needless to say, this keeps things moving for our protagonists: an entomologist, a dentist, his assistant, some office workers, among others.

Author Jeff Strand has a sharp wit and knows how to pace a story. His wicked humor had me chuckling out loud several times as the book's characters think of creative ways to outwit the giant ants and killer psychos. Not that it's all joking around here; there's plenty of unsettling violence, blood, and bug guts to leave you cringing and creeping out.

So if the dark literature is getting a bit heavy for you lately, try this one for a bit of fun. Recommended.

This book rocks!!!! It was like taking Christopher Moore's humor and Brian Keene's death, doom and destruction, and squishing them together in an 80's monster flick. Who wouldn't love that? It is an incredibly fast read, with a vast cast of eclectic characters - most of whom end up as ant food. Also, on the plus side, unlike many books and movies within the horror genre, I couldn't pick out who was going to live and who was going to die within the first 20 minutes of starting the book. Some of my picks were correct, but there were plenty of surprises as well. So if you like psychopaths, giant ants, lots of gore and quirky jokes thrown in for good measure, then I would definitely recommend this book. I'm still itching with the thought of ants crawling all over me.

It is getting harder and harder to find good icky bug out there and I am glad I ran across this one. Giant ants, high body count, and a sense of humor make for a fun read. I really don't have much more to say except if you like icky bug stories, this one's for you! Highly recommended.

I used to read Stephen King. His stories held a wit which came from the mundane observations of everyday life. Jeff Strand has managed to combine the best horror elements of early (not too early) classic King with the gently goofy humor of Christopher Moore and sharper, more twisted wit of fellow Florida author Tim Dorsey. Mandibles weaves the stories of a handful of hapless everyday folk (plus two psychopaths and an unfortunate entemologist) caught in the midst of a mad scientific experiment gone awry one otherwise run of the mill summer day in Tampa. As our heroes get wittled down to a meagre few (plus two psychopaths and an entemologist), beaten, battered, bruised, and bloody, they finally come together at what they think is the nexus of their giant ant problem when Strand turns up the heat and whips everything up into a frothy bug-filled nightmare! A shade darker than his Andrew Mayhem series, the laughs still come quick in this entertaining, near cinematic-like romp. Try not to get too attached to your favorite characters--you never know who's gonna get bumped off next! Bizarre, creepy, witty fun. Strand delivers more bang for the buck than many other authors. I have yet to read a book of his I haven't liked.

First read from this author, probably because I didnt pin my hopes too high that I enjoyed this book. He's no Michael Crichton but it was entertaining and very over the top. No scientific details as to the how (there was an explanation to it, just accept it) but I did at least learn the scientific name for the RIFA (will google just make sure it wasnt made up)and considering how brief an intro the character build up was not bad at all. This would make an ideal Syfy bug movie, so don't take it too seriously and you will enjoy it.

I stumbled across Jeff Strand when Amazon recommended the Sinister Mr. Corpse to me. It was a great, rip-roaring read. I enjoyed it so much that I ordered another one of Mr. Strand's book. And since I always had a thing for giant-insect-horror, Mandibles seemed like a great fit.

Like all giant bug plots, this one is quite simple. Giant Fire Ants attack Florida. They range in size from three inches to couch size, and they are, of course, deadly. The novel does a great job with the horror aspect of this plot line. There are several very horrifying scenes. But although Mandibles was much bigger in the horror department, the humor that I enjoyed so much in SMC was far less. In SMC I was laughing outloud every other page, in Mandibles I would go stretches before chuckling. Also there a couple of staples that Mr. Strand falls back on (man in the street snippets, section breaks for one-liners from another character's POV, etc.) that are slightly less charming the second time around. Combine that with a not so skillful attempt to juggle multiple plot lines that converge into a single finale and well...eh.

Ultimately, where his other books seem to be Comedy's with Dark/Horror plots, Mandible comes off as a strange hybrid coupling of a Horror book with Comedic Plots. I love Jeff Strand and will read more of his books, I just think Mandible misses the target too many times to be anything but 3 stars.

I dont give spoilers or re-hash the story.
I did enjoy my first Jeff Strand story.
He moves the story along nicely, (even too fast? at times)
I think he could have given a bit more history to our main
characters,
but overall,
I laughed, shuddered, and bought another story.
and I look forward to reading it!
(and if you can make giant ants work, I think you must be a good story teller)
I hope he writes a SHARK story! (HINT, HINT)

Although Mr. Strands other books are a bit funnier, this one still holds up. It is my first "ants attack" book but it was fun and once again the characters were great. I gave 4 stars instead of 5, simply because I thought it was a hair shy of being as good as a few other of his books (and one of my favorite characters bit it). Unfair? Maybe. But I still really enjoyed this book. Beware though, if you have a fear of things that crawl and creep, this one will make you wonder about that itch on your foot in the middle of the night... ;-)

as a fan of the old black and white b movies about an assortment of creatures from ants to octopus, i loved this book. it was a fast read as it wasn't too detailed and was enjoyable. i couldn't put it down, as a matter of fact, and was disappointed that it had to end. i would love a sequel! while i realize everyone's taste in books is different, and of course, this ain't shakespeare, if you love the old creature features like i do, this is right up your alley. i will definitely check out anything else by this author. i don't know if he has anymore like this, but i will be watching for more.

Like you, I've searched the world 17 times over for giant ant novels.

Sadly, this genre doesn't seem to be as popular as others, like Romance, or Erotic Podiatry.

Luckily, Strand has manned up and written the ultimate (and perhaps only) giant ant book.

This book has everything.

Giant ants? Check.

Ants that are bigger than normal but not quite giant? Check.

Regular ants? Check.

My Aunt Betsy? No. But she's a jerk, so that's okay.

Bottom line: giant ants are cool, Strand is a good writer, and this is well worth your money. Trust me. I'm your friend.