When I started reading “Mass Hysteria” by Michael Patrick Hicks initially I had a sinking feeling abandonment would arrive after twenty or thirty pages, when you have as many books stacked on your Kindle as I do one has to be ruthless… However, I was pleasantly surprised by this very violent, equally dumb, but pulsating horror science fiction crossover which hit top gear from page one and hurtled into car crash territory. It was a pretty brief read, but that’s a compliment, as I sped through it in no time.

I got the impression the author was a fan of trashy straight-to-video films which were popular in the 1980s, everything from “Night of the Creeps”, to “Killer Klowns from Outer Space” and even the much older “The Birds” by Alfred Hitchcock. At one point “Critters” is mentioned in the novel, so I reckon I was on the right track. You know the sort of movie scene I am talking about; small town isolated from the outside world and suddenly lots of weird stuff starts to happen. Throw in a few randy teenagers, random violence, a confused sheriff and you’re good to go! “Mass Hysteria” was far from original, but more than made up for it in wild set pieces, sex, blood and general craziness.

The book hits the ground running from page one when poor Melisa is savaged and killed by her pet dog Buckley in pretty graphic fashion. At the same time the local area has been enjoying an amazing meteor storm over the previous few nights, with a few landing close to the town where the entire novel never strays from. That’s all the back story you need, as there is obviously something weird about the meteors which quickly make all pets and animals go bat-shit crazy.

And I mean CRAZY. Within a few pages you have deer smashing into cars, pit bulls savaging babies, labrador’s mauling volleyball players and killer cats hunting in packs. Basically the natural order of things has changed and humans quickly become the prey over a few brief hours. I enjoyed the inventive and entertaining ways various humans are despatched including some gleefully nasty scenes. Hector the cat was a particular favourite, after trying to kill a baby and being thrown out of the family home, he so immune to pain the bone was visible from his skull after he repeatedly throwing himself at the window to get back inside to his owner. Ouch.

The characters are pretty sketchily drawn, undoubtedly similar to those B-movies I mentioned earlier in the review. Lauren is the main girl lead, and when she is introduced is more interested in getting hot and sweaty with her older boyfriend, before quickly showing some girl-power and morphing into a spunky and engaging heroine. Hendrix was another fun character, a deputy policewoman, who has a big part to play particularly in the second half of the book. Lauren’s father is the local policeman who is instantly overwhelmed by the local disaster, other characters die horribly and I got the impression the author enjoyed writing this fine piece of trash tremendously.

So by about 25% into this short novel we head into full apocalypse mode, but a tad later the author takes us into a clever new direction. I am not going to reveal what this is, except to say it was dumb yucky fun and gave the novel a certain level of originality it previously lacked and raises it above the pack. A word of warning – the novel finished a bit prematurely for me, my Kindle was saying 80%, so I was waiting for the big finale, only to find out that the ‘other’ 20% was a short-story. I really liked the final sequence, and I did not expect the story to finish so abruptly, and it irritated me somewhat. The author should be pleased with that irritation though as I wanted the other 20%! Overall though, by no means a classic of the genre, this was a very solid and well written slice of horror science fiction which was fun, horrible, fun from start to finish.

3.5 out of 5

Mass Hysteria by Michael Patrick Hicks was received direct from the publisher. I had never heard of this author prior to reading this book, though it seems he has written a lot that has been published. It has been a while since I read a "it came from space" and caused things to act crazy horror novel but this was one of the funnest horror novels I have read in a while. it never got wrapped up in its own seriousness, the dialogue moved the story along and I am searching out more by this author as soon as I post this review.

5 Stars.

After a meteor shower one summer night all seems well, that is until the next day... Planes fall from the sky, dogs and cats attack their owners, bird come from the sky to peck beach goers to death, the world is going vial, and will the people be next? No one knows what is going on.

This story is not for the faint of heart, but if you like good old fashion horror with a updated twist, than Falls Breath is the town for you. This little beach, touristy town is now a lawless everything for itself spot on the map, what they don't know is if it is this way everywhere else in the USA. With all the communication and most of the transportation knocked out it doesn't look like they will find out either. It leaves every person for themselves and that gets messy.

This action packed, suspenseful book will leave you surprised more than once, and that will keep you on your toes, no figuring out the ending in this book, so just read and enjoy. It is a lot of fun, I wonder if there will be more to see what happens later, or if this was it, either or it was still awesome.

Michael Patrick Hicks’ Mass Hysteria is a headlong dive into a disgusting, gore-splattered future that will either delight or dismay readers. Though the book starts out with animal attacks, it transitions fairly swiftly to humans attacking other humans as well. The tone for carnage is set early on, and it ratchets up relentlessly. There’s enough ‘long pig’ feasting in this book to make the mythical rugaru feel right at home.

Mass Hysteria is heavy on language, violence, and sexual situations. It is not a book for horror fans that find their stomachs easily turned. There were scenes that made me cringe (and mentally applaud the author). If you are someone who hates to see a dog (or cat) die in a book, you’d best not go past the front cover. I’m normally one of those people, but given that the book promises animals going crazy, I was prepared for it going in. It’s a straightforward look at a world where the rules humanity have lived by since the dawn of civilization are cast aside. It’s fast paced, action-packed, and bloody. Really, almost everything a horror gore-hound could want.

While it is very competently written for the most part, Mass Hysteria does contain two instances of child death that annoyed me. These deaths are undeniably in place to add to the horror of the situation, and are entirely unnecessary. The author’s writing is strong enough to stand up on its own without relying on these tried and true but nevertheless weak writing props. (Normally I would list the animal deaths a weak prop as well, but it’s a game changer when you know it’s going to happen up front.) However, to his credit, only a few lines are spent on the first child’s death, and it is not witnessed as much as heard. For the second, it happens entirely ‘off screen’. So, they were well done for what they were.

Undeniably talented, Michael Patrick Hicks shows evidence of a rather deliciously depraved mind in this book. This is an author that can easily hold his own against some of the biggest names in the business. There is some improvement to be had, but mainly in areas of confidence than technical skill. While he isn’t on my ‘must-read’ list yet, I would have no problems recommending his work to fellow gore-hounds out there.

Mass Hysteria was a brutal horror novel, which reminded me of the horror being written in the late 70's and, (all of the), 80's. Books like James Herbert's The Rats or Guy N. Smith's The Night of the Crabs. There are a lot of similarities to those classics here-the fast paced action going from scene to scene-with many gory deaths and other sick events. In fact, I think Mass Hysteria beats out those books in its sheer horrific brutality.

I'm not going to go into the plot very much-it's there in the synopsis for you. As a set up for the savage action to come, meteor showers are as good as anything else. The fact that the sickness hits the animals first and turns them from wonderful pets, police dogs, etc...and turns them into violent killing machines was heartbreaking. I felt more sympathy for the animals in this book than I did for most of the humans. Almost all of the people in this book were not likable. In fact, many of them were abhorrent, promiscuous or just plain stupid. That was okay though, because they got exactly what they deserved.

There was a good amount of sex here, interspersed with the horror, and the word "empurpled" was used a few times. (It made me chuckle every time!) Be prepared though, as the sex was not always with live humans.

Which brings me to my next point, this book is not for the easily offended. It's not for the horror novice who is new to the genre and all its various offerings. I think Mass Hysteria is best enjoyed by the experienced horror fan. Humans and animals alike are killed in all kinds of nasty ways. There is necrophilia, there is bestiality...are you seeing my point here? If even the very thought of these things disgusts you, this is not the book for you.

My last thought to share with you is about the ending: LOVED. IT. !! Keeping in tone with the style of the book up that point, Mr. Hicks did not shy away from the, (what I thought was), inevitable finish. I like and respect that!

If the subjects I mentioned above tend to make you shy away from a story, this one is probably not for you. However, if these subjects and the brutal kills and gore ARE your cuppa, then you should head over to Amazon right now and one-click this bad boy.

Recommended for hard core fans of the genre!

You can get your copy here: https://www.amazon.com/Mass-Hysteria-...

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.*

Mass Hysteria was a gruesome read from beginning to end. Like the other reviewer has stated this is not for the faint hearted.
Extremely violent and descriptive. I highly recommend this title and look forward to reading more by the author.

Great read!! A truly horrifying book. Fast paced and never a dull moment. Really could not put this down. Highly recommended to all fans of horror.

Mass Hysteria is great! I think it's Michael Patrick Hicks best work so far. I didn't know what to expect before diving into this book, but I flew through the pages quickly. I needed to know how it would all play out. Michael doesn't disappoint! The characters are great, even the villains. You can't really tell who the villains are, which makes the book that much more enjoyable.

One night, a freak meteor shower carried an alien virus to Earth. The alien virus quickly spreads, infecting animals and humans. Pets and wildlife have turned rabid and they start attacking people without warning. Animals begin stalking and killing humans. The natural order has been turned on its head. Lauren searches for her boyfriend. Her father is a policeman and he tries to restore order in town. The town is thrown into mass hysteria. Humans have to fight. They have to survive. Falls Breath will never be the same.

This book is filled with blood, gore, sex, and violence! I'm telling you now, this book isn't for readers with weak stomachs. It is brutal in all the right ways. There is one character that you will come across in these pages that you will dislike or maybe even hate. The character creeped me out and made my skin crawl.

The characters are developed well and the scenes are very vivid. The story unfolds perfectly and it keeps getting better and better with each turn of the page. That ending is crazy!

I highly recommend this book to fans of horror!

5/5 savage stars!

It’s a lovely night in rural Falls Breath, Michigan when the meteor showers begin and create a spectacular show in the sky. Lauren is a teenager hanging out with her boyfriend Jacob, who’s knowledgeable about astronomy, as they take it all in. Soon after, a strange thing happens with the animals in the area, they start to attack and kill the humans! In the meantime, Lauren’s father, deputy Matthew Scott, is trying to keep order downtown when a plane crash decimates it. With the crash comes the breakdown of order and it becomes a battle of survival as animals attack and the entire town struggles to find a way to survive even as the drastic body count rises. But will they?

This book lives up to its title in spades as the full impact of this event is felt in all areas of the town. Each death and each animal assault takes whatever reality you felt safe in and punctures it violently. A police officer’s K-9 partner who attacks his handler? A house cat gone feral, clawing a baby to death? A flock of birds bringing down a jet plane? Coyotes on the prowl? Deer on a rampage smashing into your car to kill you? Chipmunks running up your arm and pecking your eyes out? Packs of dogs hunting you down the street? Deer goring people with their antlers? It’s all here in a story that takes all your favorite Disney animals and makes them murderous. It’s Disney gone dark. You will never look at any animal, whether domesticated or otherwise and feel one hundred percent safe ever again, as this novel eviscerates your sense of safety and replaces it all with a strong fearfulness.

Each death is hideously detailed as throats are ripped out, skin is torn to shreds, entrails are feasted upon, organs are disemboweled, blood copiously pumps out of your body in newly created wounds, eyes are plucked from skulls and heads are bashed into a bloody pulp. It’s an assault on all five of your senses like a train wreck you can’t turn away from. Not because the prose or the writing is bad. Quite the opposite. It’s so hideous and graphic, you can’t help but have your imagination ignited in such a detailed way that the image created in your mind’s eye is nothing short of frightening. I felt distinctly uncomfortable as I read this novel, if only because my body felt each of the wounds these characters felt in such a visceral way because the prose is just that good, despite the bad feelings it caused. I read part of this book on the beach and in those beach scenes of birds dropping out of the sky and attacking, I looked up, spooked at the thought this would happen to me as I was reading. Thankfully, it didn’t.

While all this ferociousness is happening, do you care about the people it’s happening to? The answer is a resounding yes. Lauren is a teenager in love who has a tragic family history with her mother. As a result, her father struggled to bring her up the best way possible in spite of that history. Deputy Shay Hendrix is given some startling background that informs her tenaciousness when she encounters the unthinkable in City Hall. Even the mayor, Harbin, is given a disgusting and repugnant history. All of these characters are thrown into the crucible of chaos that this situation becomes and are reduced to their baser survival instincts of the fittest.

The plot itself is something straight out of a horror movie given a science fiction twist. It’s given some strong and scientific plausibility, giving it an explanation that most horror movies don’t spend a lot of time on. There are some of the standard horror movie tropes, like teenagers having sex in an isolated location. Other times, it definitely recognizes it’s inspired by those horror movies. It effortlessly takes a standard horror movie plot and elevates it to the next level while also infusing it with a sense of horrific fun.

But make no mistake, if this was a movie filmed as written, it would be rated “R” and some scenes would be rated “X”. Why? Let’s just say some scenes will make you wince at the macabre lengths it will go to as the plot escalated towards its end. That library scene, in particular, was particularly violent and savage. I did not see where this novel was going to go at all and part of the fun is guessing who was going to survive. I didn’t win that guessing game, as that was just one more surprise woven into this novel. It even concluded with one final “gotcha” moment inserted in there like a great horror movie is supposed to do. But this moment is not one you will expect.

As society erodes in one small town, we witness the next iteration of humanity during this animal apocalypse. Where it goes will thrill and truly shock you with its fast pace, swift scenes, dreadful deaths and heartbreaking events. The epic scope of this catastrophe as society unravels in this town is surprising, intense and unpredictable. So much so that it was extremely difficult to put down.

This is the first full-length horror novel I’ve read by the author. I’ve read a couple of his science fiction short stories and horror novellas and definitely enjoyed those. I don’t read a lot of horror and decided to read this book based on the strength of the author’s previous work that I have read. My trust was definitely not misplaced, as this was an excellent novel that both delighted me with its storyline and tested the limits of my gag reflex with its gore.

As if one horror story wasn’t enough, this novel also includes a bonus novella by the author, “Consumption”. This story was one of the ones I had read previously that made me want to read this book. In this story, six men and women are gathered together in a Swiss manor, invited by celebrity chef Schauer for an exquisite ten-course meal. As Schauer creates each course, we’re delighted with decadence and detail as he prepares each one. But like the food, this is no ordinary meal. As more courses are consumed, something unexpected and strange starts to occur, but what is it? This tale revels in its gustatory sensations that are a feast for readers and their five senses. My stomach did somersaults which each course that was served. It also has a central mystery that suspensefully builds the tension and culminates into a shocking and disturbing conclusion that dropped my jaw in awe at its majesty and power.