Tamer Animals

By: Justin M. Woodward

Narrated by: Ryan Drean

Length: 5 hrs and 3 mins

Publisher's summary

It was just a camping trip.

Down by the old Coheelee Creek Covered Bridge, four high school friends only wanted to kick back, smoke some weed, and forget about their problems for a day or two. Sure, there were stories that the area was haunted, but there was no way they were true.

It was just a local legend.

Decades earlier, an old goat farmer had been murdered by the Klan, hung from a tree near the bridge solely because of the color of his skin. His body was never found. Since then, numerous sightings of a strange creature - half-man and half-goat - had been reported in the surrounding woods. He was called the Goatman.

It was just the worst night of their lives.

From the moment they arrived, strange noises echoed around them.... A sense they were being watched pervaded the campsite...and that was just the beginning. When one of them vanishes and a horned monstrosity pursues the others, it becomes clear that the legends are real...and the truth is so much more horrific than they could ever have imagined.

©2018 Bloodshot Books (P)2018 Justin M. Woodward

Critic reviews

"Justin M. Woodward isn't playing around - this is a terrifying descent into depravity." (Jeff Strand, author of Sick House)

“Dark, twisted, and full of surprises.” (Duncan Ralston, author of WOOM and Salvage)

“Woodward is the kind of dick who invites himself into your nightmares, and Tamer Animals is the key he uses to open the door.” (J. Z. Foster, author of The Wicked Ones and Witch Hunter)

Great story, short on details

The premise for this book is solid. The narration is top notch. However, it feels rushed.

The book is definitely worth a listen but don’t expect major character development.

I really liked it!!

Ghost story and realism makes this kinda horrifying. I’m usually pretty good at guessing what will happen but he got me a couple of times. If you like dark fiction this is definitely one to read.

Never sleep again!

An adventure is to be had near the old Coheelee Creek covered bridge but only for those who are strong at heart and fearless. Seeking to escape their parents for a weekend, explore the urban myth and be teenage boys, Patrick, John, Tim, and Dean set out for the haunted bridge. Unbeknownst to them, Patrick’s young brother, Sam, is a stowaway.

A masterful storyteller, Justin Woodward sets out to grab the reader’s heartstrings and their own experiences to bind them to the characters in the story. Taking the boys home lives, their personalities and exposing them for all to see, the listener cannot help but connect to the boys.

Woodward paralyzes his readers with the gore, the ensuing and horrendous terror as well as the feeling of losing someone close. Long after the last breath is spoken, the listener will be haunted by the story for days afterward.

Fast moving and gory, Woodward spins his tale. He is very adept at keeping the listener off-keel as he throws in several twists. This is a horrifying story (cannot be said enough!). The number of different nightmares that are far reaching is amazing! Parents wondering if their kid is going to sneak off somewhere dangerous, their car is smashed, someone dies, someone goes missing, lies are told, trust is broken and if that’s not enough … guilt. Most of the instances in Woodward’s book is based on realistic situations which result in a horrifying conclusion and could saddle any parent with tons of guilt.

It should be noted that the book itself is short; 5 hours 3 minutes long. However, the amount of horror captured in this coming of age story is amazing!

The narrator, Ryan Drean, was very good. He injected levels of emotion that moved the book and listeners to the right place. He brought the characters to life through his talented voices. Very well done!

There were no issues with the quality or production of this audiobook. However, there were some issues with my sleep patterns after hearing this book!

Audiobook was provided for review by the author/narrator/publisher.
Please find this complete review and many others at my review blog.
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Truly Horrific

I kept describing this book to my husband as "The Body" meets "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" and I see I'm not alone in my thinking. This is a truly horrific read yet it's not gratuitous and the characters are all well developed, relatable and very real. Ryan Drean does an excellent job of bringing each person to life.

It's hard to describe the story without spoilers so I'll just say that I wanted to keep listening even if it meant losing sleep because the book pulled me in and kept me enthralled. The writing is so good and the performance on audio only enhances the story. Don't miss out on this great "read".

I received a free copy for my honest opinion and I'm so glad I was one of the lucky ones chosen to experience this wonderful five hour journey.

It just keeps clawing you in!

Mr. Woodward has done an outstanding job this time!! This story throws you into the life of relatable teens doing things we all did, then twists that world into some of the deepest, darkest scenes we could never imagine. This high paced thriller keeps you on the edge of your seat until the very end, then leaves you thirsting for more!

Exciting and adventurous coming of age story.

Tamer Animals was very well written and well paced. Creepy and haunting, the story takes us through the last days of a small group of friends who encounter something haunting the woods where they are camping. the story premise may sound simple, but the writing is superb and the characters leap off the pages (or out of the speakers in this case). we learn about each character and their individual reasoning for wanting to go on this camping trip through a series of vignette style pieces. They all come together and the story just builds from there. the forest and the Goatman are very creepy and vividly laid out. Not a slow moment in the story. Highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys coming of age stories and good haunting horror stories.

Ryan Drean's narration was superb as well. The characters come alive and you can feel for the anguish and the horror they are going through.

no spoilers

Honestly I had no idea what this book was about when I started listening.. was not expecting to be scared out of my wits.

Great book short and sweet I just finished with the outsiders from King and this books gives me some king vibes

wow

Great plot with a few unexpected turns. The ending is different to what you expect early on in the story. Having already read The Variant by Justin Woodward this shows how much he's grown as a writer. I will be reading Candy at some point soon.

Well done but scary

Unusual story and very scary. The Narration is superb with many characters to represent and no indication of what is coming.

Brutal and Creepy

So this story has a pretty interesting arc where you're given a little more of the puzzle as things go along. The whole way you're with the main characters and the author carries it from little school drama to life-wide drama to life or death drama and each step of the way the tension ratchets up leaving the listeners rapt at attention as they barrel full speed into a frenetic ending you won't see coming, but there's a decent amount of foreshadowing that it's also not entirely out of nowhere.

I found this really exciting and nail-biting. I received the code for the audiobook at my request and am voluntarily leaving this honest review. Recommended!