I feel so conflicted, because I loved this unrepentantly cheesy horror story about a mutant rat colony swarming up from the depths and taking over the city on so many levels, and yet the slightest critical scrutiny makes the whole thing fall apart. It’s a classic case of good storytelling over structure and substance. As an eventually very accomplished author’s first attempt at a novel, it’s very good, and I forgive it most of its flaws. I mean, how can I give a book fewer than four stars when it prompted me to talk about it to my dogs as I read, saying things like, “Oh, good, here’s a new character, is he going to be rat-food or rat-conqueror?”, and “A train! Are they going to eat a whole train-full of people!?!”.

I read this book for the Booklikes Halloween Bingo 2019, for the square Creepy Crawlies: Books with bugs, snakes, spiders, worms and other things that slither, scuttle or crawl, includes viruses and other parasites.
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I don't know if I'll ever be able to look at a rat the same way again. ( )

This author has always had talent and I would be a liar if I said he didn't. The Rats is a novel that starts out really strong, better than any other rat book probably does. It is enjoyable in many ways and I found it deeply unsettling how often the rats actually succeeded. It seems like they're building an immunity to the poison as this book goes on and I wonder if that'll factor into the next book.

I happily enjoyed this book focuses more on the rats than on the people. A lot of books focus on the people to the point that it's not about the rats it's not about the monster it's about these humans that I don't care about. I don't care if the people survive or die I want to see them fight the rats. So it is very refreshing to see a book focus on the rats and their relationship. Extremely good choice in what POV we should be following.

I didn't really find myself pulled into an emotional connection with these rats. I wasn't led to believe that I should love the rats nor love the humans. In a way they are both equally themselves and I enjoy that. This book does not force me to side with human or rodent kind it lets me choose my own prerogative and continue enjoying the book without feeling guilted for having an opinion one way or another.

Both rat kind and humankind are constantly slaughtered in this book, and both of their species deaths are played in an empathetic light. I can feel bad for the rats, and I can feel bad for the humans, and neither one is the wrong feeling to have.

It's refreshing, monster books always want you to fight against the monsters instead of just providing them as opportunist who went too far. James knew what he was doing.

4.5 stars. ( )

Great book, easy read, very gory and will definitely keep you wary of any kind of rat in the future.

Written and set in 1970's London, it reminds me of early Stephen King when he wrote the Late Shift.

A monster story about extra large, extra vicious, rats who work together to swarm and eat anyone in their path. Many deaths in the book. It has a main story, and a lot of small sub-stories that take a couple of pages. These sub-stories are about the people who become the victims of these rats.

The depictions of the kills are very detailed. No one is spared, babies, kids, older folks, even dogs.

The race to kill these rats is on, because if only one is left, they will come back, and be even more pissed off. They are smarter and have much more strength and seem to be more blood thirsty than the everyday rat. They work together and just mow through anyone and anything in their path. They can scale walls, and eat through doors. Oh, and apparently if you manage to get away with only a bite or two, you die within 24 hours because no one actually survives the rats.

Obviously they aren't native to the area, but where did they come from? ( )

a good horror read, and the first of a trilogy, an easy read and a gripping take on rats the ( )