Norman Reedus may have gained cult status as an actor in films like The Boondock Saints, but he has elevated himself to global supernova status for playing Daryl Dixon in the long-running series “The Walking Dead.”

With all that swagger attached to his name, all Reedus had to do was pretty much put his name on the spine of a book, and he was practically guaranteed success. With the release of THE RAVAGED, co-written by Frank Bill, he has done just that. I am pleased to report, though, that he doesn’t just “phone it in.” Here we have an enjoyable novel that reads exactly as you would expect something written by Reedus to read --- gritty, realistic, violent, fast-moving and fun.

"Here we have an enjoyable novel that reads exactly as you would expect something written by Reedus to read --- gritty, realistic, violent, fast-moving and fun."

THE RAVAGED tells us three different stories, each of which features a character who must go on a journey and is running either towards or away from something. First, we have Hunter, a huge animal lover who won me over immediately. Walking into the garage where he works, he finds his dirtbag of a boss, Ox, beating on Ox’s pet dog, Ruby. Hunter does what any self-respecting dog lover would do: he kicks him in the chin with his steel-toed boot, effectively quits his job, and takes Ruby with him. Shortly thereafter, Hunter learns that his father has died in a mysterious house fire.

Accompanied by Ruby, Hunter takes a couple of his old biker buddies, Nugget and Itch, for a cross-country road trip from North Carolina to California. In the Golden State, he is to claim what his father has left behind for him. More importantly, though, is what Hunter will experience as he prepares for his role as executor of his father’s estate. He must go through many towns along the way, as well as take plenty of trips down memory lane, which I think are the best parts of the book.

The second person in the trio is Jack, who I found to be the least accessible of the three. This isn’t because, at 65, he is so much older than the other two, but possibly due to the fact that his mind is so drug-addled that his memories and dreams are more skewed as a result. Jack is in South America, where he chases the ghosts of his past as he is literally ravaged by loss --- his wife succumbed to cancer, his daughter died by suicide, and his son is a drug addict. He is hoping to find his own answers in Chile but realizes it may not be that easy ever again.

Lastly, we have 17-year-old Anne. Her older brother brutally attacks her, forcing her to defend herself by hitting him with a skillet and fleeing the only home she has ever known to hop on the first freight train heading out of town. There she will meet Cinnamon, a young-looking 25-year-old who has been on the road for a while. It’s just fortunate that Anne happened to land on Cinnamon’s train. She is like the physical embodiment of a gateway drug, introducing her to a new life of runaways and poor families living on the road, which has become Anne’s new home.

THE RAVAGED is a decent first effort for Norman Reedus and a solid read. Frank Bill also penned the novel DONNYBROOK, which was turned into a good independent film of the same name. It’s nice to know that Daryl Dixon isn’t just a friendly redneck with a crossbow!