Shivers remains a series that I'm super interested in getting deeper in. And the reason is for a handful of books I've seen over the years but never read until this blog came to be. One of them is our book today. Now, there's a reason to worry about this one because it's a cover I really like, so I'm willing to guess this book is going to be a dud somehow. Let's hope that's not the case as we witness The Animal Rebellion.
COVER STORY
STORY
Our protagonist Winston starts the story on the way to his cousin Brad and Uncle Bob's farm for two weeks. He's upset because he's far from his home in Chicago and this probably means he'll be nowhere near a computer because it's established quickly that this kid really loves computers. As they drive to Uncle Bob's farm deep in Vermont, Winston hears a strange thumping noise. Uncle Bob and Brad claim it's an animal ghost haunting the truck, but it's all just a joke to screw with him. Surely just a loose wire or something. But despite the joke, Winston's cool with Brad and the two cousins get along. He gets along more with Brad when he sees that Brad does indeed have a computer with 16 RAM, a CD-ROM and a 28.8 modem. Just in case you needed that reminder that this was published in 1996.
Brad then mentions the guest bedroom where Winston will be sleeping, then tells Winston that there's some history with that bedroom. As in someone was hacked to death in there, kind of like how chickens are killed. Possibly the cause of some rebellion led by animals, we aren't aware of just yet. But Brad tells Winston that it's just another one of his jokes. Maybe it's more Winston's fault for being such an easy mark. They mess around a bit before Brad tries to tackle Winston into the "Death Room" but misses and smashes his head into the wall. And dies. As in stone cold dea-oh of course it's another one of Brad's japes. Please don't be the whole book, please.
After that incident, the two boys check out Brad's computer. Winston tries to set it up but gets electrocuted. Brad panics, but this time it's Winston who played the trick. So at least some payback. But it's enough for them to call a truce for now before there really is a death room in the house. They look around the farm and Winston notices both a brand new barn and an old ramshackle barn where the horses and bulls are kept in. The bulls for slaughter obviously as the farm uses a lot of animals for slaughter or for stuff like wool. Brad then shows Winston a gray horse named Demon, who then attacks Brad, trying to bite his arm off. Winston thinks this is another joke, but sure enough, Brad's arm is dripping blood.
Brad is spooked by this, given that Demon has never done this before. And despite the wound on his arm, things seem to settle down. That night, Winston sees Brad looking at a computer game box. One he never installed onto the computer. It's called "Animal Killers" and it's about animals who kill people. Too late in time to make a Jack Thompson reference, because this would totally be a game he'd chase an ambulance over. One of the animals on the cover looks exactly like Demon and is also chomping on a limb. So either this is a super long con, a coincidence, or a haunted computer game? I'm still intrigued at least, so that's a good sign.
The boys chalk it up as coincidence for now. Could have been that Demon was spooked is all. But that becomes less so when Zeke, one of the farmhands, shows up and has also been attacked by one of the horses. This time a similar horse named Tornado. Not only did Zeke also get his arm nearly bitten off, but he reveals a giant wound on his leg shaped like the hoof of a horse. The boys are confused, but think again, strange coincidences. Brad then jokes that maybe one of the horses could break into the house and kill them. But that couldn't happen, could it? They then hear the sounds of a horse rushing into the "Death Room", but it's just Zeke with the jokes. Because even with the loss of blood and possible infections to come, we're still a bunch of jokers on this funny farm.
Zeke and Uncle Bob leave to the hospital while the boys are sent to bed. Winston then learns he has chores on the farm. He's unhappy because he does computers, but he doesn't do Chickens. Well we can confirm this kid isn't Gonzo at least. But Winston decides to look around out side and finds an Axe Murder-oh wait, it's just a bush and a backhoe. He enters the barn and sees the animals in the shadows, staring at him like he's fresh meat. And then he gets attacked by a rooster who starts attacking him like he's Link who attacked one too many cuccos. That's enough for Winston who runs back to the house and back to bed. But as he looks outside, he sees the animals outside staring back at him, seemingly plotting something sinister. Well, there's your problem kid, you're in Animal Farm.
Winston wakes up Brad and tries to show him the animals, but they disappear. Brad doesn't believe him because despite everything so far he's in skeptic stage still, but Winston shows him the claw marks on his face from the rooster attack. However, the bigger concern is that Winston left the barn door open and now the animals are on the loose. Made evident as Tornado and Demon rush at the boys who manage to escape just in time. The boys are shaken, still not knowing what to do, when Winston checks the Animal Killers game again. And sure enough, it goes like this:
In the game, you have to survive wave after wave of ravenous farm animals, who much like the title of this book, have waged a rebellion on the farm. Your only available option is to survive without injuring or killing any of the animals. If you do, then more animals will take their place, making the situation more harder. So the player is more than screwed in multiple ways unless they can pull a Hail Mary and escape unscathed. I mean, I know this game is evil and everything, but it would have one hell of a speed running community. It even mentions horses in the game called Devil and Twister, which would be one hell of a coincidence. As the boys try to read about the game, they hear noises. The horses got into the house. And this time it's not Zeke coming back for round two.
The boys realize they have to get out now and they can't injure any of the farm animals. But as they try to escape, they see the horses along with goats, cows, bulls, hens, roosters, geese, ganders, everyone else loves Ned Flanders (Not me!). Brad is still confused. Is it because they slaughter animals for food? Is this somehow some nature flipping things on its head situation? But as they try to escape, Winston trips and falls, just as more chickens come to attack him. The boys escape into the bathroom, but the chickens and goats try to break the door down. Tornado even at one point breaking through Brad's bedroom. I just imagine Mr. Ed saying "Here's Johnny" and for that image alone this book rules.
Just as it seems the animals are going to get in, Brad pulls down a cord which opens a hidden passage to the attic. Why he waited so long, we don't elaborate. I guess even in near-death Brad has a flair for the dramatics. They can't stay there for long as there's also evil rats that start to attack them as well. They get out through the attic window and to the ground below. But before they make a run for it, Winston thinks the answer is in the computer game back at the house. That maybe the object of the game isn't to escape, but to capture the animals. Oh man, either the timing is weirdly synced or Shivers predicted Pokémon.
Brad distracts the animals while Winston checks the game info again. Turns out that there's no end to this game. It will keep going regardless if they survive or not. Just then a rooster attacks Winston. He grabs the game box, but the chicken gets afraid. He returns to Brad then realizes that the way to end the game is to destroy it. So he burns the box. But when the horses are still attacking, he then uninstalls the game from the computer and destroys it. Sure enough, everything pops back to normal just as Zeke and Uncle Bob arrive, confused about the big mess. The kids swear to never go near a weird computer game ever again, unless there's some hot chicks in it. They laugh as I assume the Beavis and Butthead episode ending music plays.
CONCLUSION
Holy cow, great cover, great book! For once the darkest fears have subsided. I loved this one a lot. Aside from maybe the slow start with the pranks, once we hit the ground running on the attacking farm animals this one just became one of the more intense kids horror books I've ever read. From the hungry horses to the killer roosters. The book ensures that you're going to get a ton of rebelling animals just like the cover predicted. And some decent gore as well with two arm injuries and that hoof-shaped wound on Zeke. After reading a few gore-free Shivers books lately it's so good to get that blood rush once again. Shivers continues to surprise me in positive ways.
Winston and Brad are decent protagonists. While the joker stuff wears thin, as does their nicknames of "Geekhead", "Jockhead", "Add any word and add head in it", they still carry the story well and you do actually want them to survive this encounter. And what an encounter it was. I even don't mind the computer game angle to this as it does feel very fresh, especially for its time. And it not just ending like some Harvester-esque game within a game, or just a commentary on violent video games, really solidified this as one of my favorite reads in quite some time.
So, while there's not too much to really discuss with this one, it's still a strong recommend. Shave a bit of the first few chapters and besides that, you have a book that delivers on the horror and suspense in ways that not even R.L. Stine could do in any of his book series. Shivers continues to be the pleasant, yet surprisingly gory, surprise that makes me love to look at the Goosebumps-likes. And with plenty of more left for me to look at, hopefully it means more insanity to come. Lemme have it. The Animal Rebellion gets an A.
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