Living in a secure bunker designed to withstand a nuclear blast seems a pretty good deal when the Zombie Apocalypse breaks out. But what if the promisLiving in a secure bunker designed to withstand a nuclear blast seems a pretty good deal when the Zombie Apocalypse breaks out. But what if the promised five years of food for fifty people turns out to be much less, and there's the same story with fuel and other necessities?
Facing a shortage of food, fuel and meds, Vivian and company find themselves planning and executing daring trips into nearby Las Vegas to secure food, fuel and medicine. In the city they find the supplies they are looking for, more survivors and, of course, an endless horde of zombies.
I really liked the first book in the series. This one not so much. First, the book ends in a classic cliff-hanger. Without going into the details, I find this to be a cheap shot. Yes, leave some things unresolved, but don't leave someone dangling off of a cliff - which is more or less what the author did. Next, the romance aspects of the story really began to overwhelm everything else. I was tired of the tension between Vivian and Axl. (I was especially tried reading about his "stormy" eyes). There were also some real implausible things that happened in the story - especially focused on one of the survivors they pick up in Vegas. I found myself shaking my head and saying "no freaking way." It more than stretched my willingness to believe. (I probably have a greater chance of being struck right now by lightning while at the same time a shark is eating me (I live in Ohio and it's October) than what happened.)
Two and a half stars rounded down to two. Some of the fun of this series went away. Zombies good, the rest meh....more
Savage picks up somewhat on the heels of the author's earlier book, Ravage. It's the near future and, of course, the remnants of humanity struggle to Savage picks up somewhat on the heels of the author's earlier book, Ravage. It's the near future and, of course, the remnants of humanity struggle to survive a never ending tide of zombie hordes. The outbreak happened about a year ago, and the survivors are picking up the pieces and just trying to survive.
Anna, a veterinarian from the last book, has gathered a new band of about a dozen souls around her. They've found a new home on a gated pier that juts out into the ocean near a remote town. The zombies are few and far between, and those zombies that they find are mostly slow and clumsy shamblers - easily out fought and out maneuvered.
The band has a rough hierarchy. Garfield leads the foraging parties. Anna leads those at the pier. It is, of course, when the band splits that the action begins. They make contact with an armada of ships loaded with survivors. The ships are lead by the megalomania who released the virus in the first place. Conflict inevitably ensues and before you know it things are blowing up left and right - of course attracting hordes of zombies.
I have a love hate relationship with zombie books. I love the idea of stories chronicling the inevitable zombie apocalypse, but almost without fail, they disappoint. Savage is no exception. Why is that? No originality. As with innumerable other books, the worst enemies are the other survivors. Yawn. I want a spark of something different, something else. This book did not deliver.
That's not entirely true. There was Poppy; Poppy delivered. Poppy is a nine year old little blonde girl who really tugged at my heart. She kept me interested far longer than I otherwise would've been.
Two stars out of five. It was OK. Not bad, not great. A solid ZA type of book, but not something to write home to mom about unless she is really, really into zombies. (If you want to read a good Zombie book try The Girl with All the Gifts or Rot & Ruin. Both excellent.)...more
I picked this book up for free, and was in the mood for a good zombie story. It started off promising enough. DaWhat has been read may not be unread.
I picked this book up for free, and was in the mood for a good zombie story. It started off promising enough. Darlene is a young woman (mid-20s) who finds herself swept up in the imminent zombie apocalypse. Civilization is crumbling around her. Fortunately, her father taught her how to take care of herself. She has a Desert Eagle (basically a .50 cal hand cannon) and knows how to use it. This and her natural pluck and determination make her a survivor. So far so good.
If the story had stayed on the rails, we'd have a pretty good story. I like a good zombie survival story and it's good to see a strong woman as the lead character. Unfortunately, this book goes down some very dark roads.
For a strong female lead, Darlene certainly winds up clad only in her underwear, topless, or buck naked an awful lot. Seriously, do the zombies have some sort of alarm system that notifies them when our heroine is changing clothes or something?
Now you may be telling yourself as a red-blooded male with a healthy appreciation for the female form, maybe that's not so bad. A buxom half-naked young woman running around gunning down zombies; what's not to like? Rape. Rape is something not to like. Darlene finds herself repeatedly at the mercy of some nasty dudes. Sure, she kills them, but really? Plus, it's just not something that I'd prefer to read about.
But, Mr. Matt, you may be thinking, rape does happen. Imagine a post-apocalyptic world. Order has broken down. Surely bad characters would be taking all sorts of liberties with people. True. I imagine that they would. And, I guess, it might be something that could appear in stories about those post zombie worlds. Maybe I am over-reacting and being a prude?
Nope. You almost had me. I almost fell for your line of thinking and then the other shoe dropped. The other thing I just can't handle are the zombies (the male ones) sprouting ... um ... aroused ... uh ... boy parts and ... um ... doing ... stuff ... to the hapless females that they run down. You gotta draw a line somewhere and zombie rape seems over that line.
1 terribad star out of 5. Long story short, this train wreck of a novelette goes from slightly salty to highly questionable to absolutely over the line. If I could give it fewer stars, I would. ...more
Peter never thought that he'd ever be this popular. He's 13, a little over weight. He's never been the center of anyone's world - except maybe his momPeter never thought that he'd ever be this popular. He's 13, a little over weight. He's never been the center of anyone's world - except maybe his mom and dad's. Now everyone wants him - even the most popular girl is his grade. The only problem is that they want to eat him.
Peter is the only survivor of the zombie apocalypse in Rockville, a small town in the middle of nowhere. He survives by hanging out on the water tower playing video games and eating junk food. Occasionally he is forced to make trips down the ladder and into town. He needs to get more food, or clothes, and to refresh his supply of batteries and video games. It's on one of these expeditions that he discovers that there are more survivors and everything changes.
Wow. This little novella was great. I picked it up for free and, wow, it certainly delivered. For a book clearly aimed at the YA crowd, I was really impressed. Peter's expeditions into town, at times, kept me on the edge of my seat. I also enjoyed the fact that although this was a zombie book it did not fall into the obvious ruts of the genre, e.g., survivors do not always equal the enemy. Instead we had a book about a 13-year old boy who was alone, scared, missed his parents, and wanted to be rescued. Yet, despite all of this, he was also scrappy, resourceful and ready for action.
Three and a half stars rounded up to four. A quick, fun read....more
A very short story set in Brant's larger The Hunger series. This little story focuses on two characters that Lance, the main character in Devoured, enA very short story set in Brant's larger The Hunger series. This little story focuses on two characters that Lance, the main character in Devoured, encounters on an expedition into a Pittsburgh overrun with the infected.
Adam has managed to survive for months by using his wits and locking himself in a bank vault each night. One day he stumbles across a man who is ridiculously clueless. He is only vaguely familiar with the infection and has somehow managed to survive for a month while millions of more cautious, more prepared people have been wiped out. This little volume is the story of their first day together.
Two stars out of five. I was disappointed when I finished the story. This book felt incomplete to me. There was just not enough "there" there. It was mildly amusing but I had wished for more to the story. ...more
A sinister plot hatched by a secretive group in the industrial/military/government complex releases a devastating plague on the unsuspecting world. InA sinister plot hatched by a secretive group in the industrial/military/government complex releases a devastating plague on the unsuspecting world. In days, people grow sick and die. In a horrific twist, the virus somehow reanimates the dead and a wave of the hungry (and fast) dead follow.
Travis Combs, a recently returned veteran from the Middle East, misses all of this. He and a few companions are on a three week river rafting/wilderness survival trip. When they make it to their pick up point they aren't greeted by cold beers and a ride home. There is no one there at all. And once they do make contact with a park ranger, he turns out to be one of the infected dead.
The book is about Travis whipping his companions into shape and making it to some sort of semblance of security. To do so, they overcome zombies, rogue bikers and Mexican drug cartel baddies, and the wilderness itself. Overall, it is pretty good - especially for a self-published author. The survival aspects are nailed. Reading the book I could tell that the author knew his stuff. The group manages to make it by relying on survival skills - deadfall traps, knowledge of local plants and etc. It feels authentic.
Where the book struggles is the larger story. First Wave falls into some of the worst of the genre's cliches. The real enemies are the other survivors - the bikers/cartel dudes. These thugs have come up from Mexico and are wiping out other survivors to build up their power base. Why is not exactly explained, but they are. The reasons really aren't all that important as the story spends far too much time dealing with the fight against the bad guys and not nearly enough with the fight against the undead. Call me old fashioned, but in a zombie survival book I want zombies. Lots of them. Or a few with high tension. Either or.
Other, minor gripes include the lack of real character building. The characters all felt somewhat card board to me. For example, Travis' son is in Denver and he is in Arizona. If it were me, I would be a mess. If I managed to string coherent thoughts together (which I assume Travis as a combat veteran is able to do) I would be bending my every action to reuniting with my family. Through much of the story I forgot he had a kid. Finally, as a matter of taste, I was sorry to miss the outbreak itself. I enjoy reading about the collapse of civilization in Zombie survival horror.
Three brainy stars out of five. I bumped the book up to three because he is self-published. It was a good first effort, with no major typos or errors. Good for my October creepy reads....more
This book was really, really awful. Looking back on it, I truly cannot explain why I picked it up. The cover lookWhat has been read cannot be unread!
This book was really, really awful. Looking back on it, I truly cannot explain why I picked it up. The cover looked intriguing and I picked it up for basically nothing.
Sadie the Sadist is a very, very dark book. It is about a young woman (30ish) who is working at a dead end job in a grocery store. Like most of us who have had to toil away in a service industry job with a crappy boss, there are moments that she fantasizes about offing her boss. When he actually turns up dead, Sadie wonders if she might have had a hand in it. Or part of her did. Sadie has a split personality. There is Sadie - long suffering left handed Sadie - and then there is Sadie - the strong willed, confident right handed woman who has a very dark streak.
So far, so good. I was actually intrigued. The author painted an interesting story. I was thinking that the story would go from here - Sadie battling her inner demon and trying to figure out what was going on with her. Unfortunately the story took a very, very bad turn.
Where the death of Justus, her manager, had merely been hinted at, Sadie soon takes into a blood drenched turn. There is rape, forced sodomy, and other really nasty stuff. Not my thing. At all. And I think violence can be accommodated in fiction very well. (Think Glotka the Inquisitor in the First Law series). This was just violence for the shock value. Call me old fashioned, but sometimes the hint or suggestion of something is much more effective than the actual thing.
One star out of five. I think the author missed an opportunity here. The way the book started was actually pretty darn good. It then went down a very dark path....more
Books about the impending zombie apocalypse are tough. There are a lot of them out there, and some very good ones. This makes it hard to avoid the cliBooks about the impending zombie apocalypse are tough. There are a lot of them out there, and some very good ones. This makes it hard to avoid the cliches and stand out. Ravage, alas, does not stand out.
The book starts well enough. Nick Adams heads off to work and encounters a strange, sick man. One things leads to another and the very next day he is running for his life as modern Britain crumbles beneath the weight of the infected, ravenous horde. By the end of the week, Nick and a small band of survivors end up holed up together in an old amusement park/petting zoo.
It's about here that the story starts to sputter. Like most zombie stories, the real enemies are the survivors. The infected are a faceless, mindless menace lurking just over the horizon. A storm that needs to be prepared for and watched, but not necessarily a major factor (other than billions of dead and infected). The main villain is the ginger haired manager of the hotel who decides to seize the day and eliminate those who don't acknowledge his authority. He somehow forms an alliance with an ex-con and they start eliminating their enemies. It wasn't awful as a story line, it just wasn't that original. It's been done. Lots.
If you are dealing with a traditional Zombie-apocalypse story-line, you need to have characters that stand out. Believable characters that you care about. I think that I honestly cared more for the Orangutan family at the zoo than I did for these characters. Nick basically kills his own (albeit infected) son, and fights off his (infected) wife, and somehow stoically soldiers on? WTF? There is no real gap for mourning. I'll be honest. If I was in his shoes, I would be a train-wreck and probably not resist when my wife took a bite out of my neck. All the characters seemed cardboard and formulaic.
Two infected stars out of five. I was disappointed with the book. In the end I just wanted it over. Final analysis is that it was OK. Not great, but OK. Good for my creepy October reads, but I had really been hoping for something better. (On that note, a book that does stand-out by breaking the traditional zombie-apocalypse mold is The Girl With All the Gifts. Pick it up if you are in the mood for zombies.)...more
When you're reading about the end of the world, what's better than zombies? They are relentless, they spread like wildfire, and they hunger for human When you're reading about the end of the world, what's better than zombies? They are relentless, they spread like wildfire, and they hunger for human flesh. Under the weight of hordes of the undead, civilization folds in on itself and the survivors are left to fend for themselves. That's why I like a good zombie apocalypse story. And that's why I was so excited to read Brian Keene's story.
The problem with zombie apocalypse stories is that they tend to be formulaic. There is an outbreak. Civilization collapses. A small group forms and tries to survive against the undead - only to learn that the real enemies are other survivors. When reading about the coming zombie apocalypse, I really want to see something original. (Okay, something original or just damn good writing and characters).
The Rising starts off well. Jim was a bit of a survivalist, so the story opens to find him in a bunker with the undead clawing away outside. He is alone, depressed and ready to off himself when he gets a call from his son. Dropping everything Jim starts a quest to rescue his son in distant New Jersey. Okay, the author has my attention. If I thought I could save my kid, I'd take the chance too.
Further sparking my interest are the zombies themselves. Yes, they are dead and rotting, but they are also possessed of a keen and burning intelligence. They are capable of talking, of using tools, of driving, of firing guns. Worse, they set cunning traps for the unwary. And, after they gorge on their victims, the unfortunate souls rise to join their ranks. What's more, the zombies aren't limited to humans. Anything that dies joins their ranks - dogs, cats, cows, birds, etc. (Notable exception of insects, apparently). Again, the author has my interest. (The roots of the zombies is a bit corny, but still interesting).
The story, unfortunately, goes bad quickly. After a brief spark of interest I really didn't care for any of them. That's a problem when the main story arc follows a man trying to rescue his son. Worse, the author throws so many characters at you that I found it hard to really connect with any of them. It seems to me it would've been wiser to build a few solid characters before adding more to the mix. Somewhat related, was it just me or was every black character a stereotype? You have a preacher, a prostitute, gang bangers, etc. What about just a former small business owner, or cop, or teacher, or factory worker?
And, as the story progressed, the author repeatedly intervened to save characters deemed important. The worst was about halfway through when Jim and his companion are saved just in the nick of time not once but twice! Trapped by zombies on the Pennsylvania Turnpike, the undead are gunned down by a couple of country yahoos. Great! Only these guys turn out to be cannibals who want to cook these two for dinner. Fortunately the Deliverance rejects are gunned down by a kindly old man and his son who just happen to be in the area. Really?! Miraculous rescue once, sure. Twice, no way.
Piled on top of this is the really annoying descent into the standard story line. The real enemies are the other survivors, mainly Colonel Schow and his unit of National Guard troops in Gettysburg. With civilization in tatters they decide to set themselves up as petty tyrants. The male civilians are used as force labor and the ladies find themselves forced to *ahem* service the soldiers. Two huge problems with this. First, rape. Second, it's lazy. How many times have we seen this story line?
Adding to this mess of a story is the logic of the author's zombies. As any newly dead creature will rise as a zombie, the author's story runs into a major logic problem that I couldn't shake. If each zombie simply kills one living creature each day, the number of zombies will quickly reach uncontrollable levels. And I'm sure that they kill more than one a day. That means that after just a few weeks it is almost inconceivable that any living creature could avoid the decaying eyes of the almost countless undead. How then, do Jim and others somehow manage to trek across Pennsylvania?
Finally, the worst of the worst is the ending. It was a cheap, cheap ending. Let's just say that the main characters are placed in a situation (at the boy's house) where they split up. There is gunfire and shouts. And then the book ends. So (1) I never learned whether or not Jim rescues his son, and (2) I never learned what the gun play and shouting was about. Apparently to find out the answers to these questions I need to buy book #2. Really unsatisfactory. I completely understand leaving some story lines incomplete, e.g., the main zombie dude and what he is conspiring, but to take you to literally the front door of Jim's son's house and then end the book?! That is unacceptable.
One and a half stars grudgingly rounded up to two. I gave him the benefit of the positive rounding due to the intriguing premise and the unique zombies. Not a book that I could recommend other than to the most die-hard of zombie apocalypse fanatics....more
Carrie is the heart-warming story about the innate kind and gentle nature of teenage girls towards one another. Nope. Not even close. As the father ofCarrie is the heart-warming story about the innate kind and gentle nature of teenage girls towards one another. Nope. Not even close. As the father of teenage daughters I am painfully aware that the adolescent female is capable of inflicting intense psychological trauma on those around her.
With Carrie, a line was crossed. Carrie, an undeveloped telekinetic (TK), is an outcast, a misfit. She just doesn't fit in. Her mother's extreme Christian faith and strong personality has left Carrie isolated and out of place. All through school she just never fit in with her classmates. She endured grueling years as the but of every joke. She was that kid that everyone picked on. And, in this book, Carrie snaps. She lashes out at those who tormented her with her new found powers and leaves death and destruction in her wake.
The book was good, but not great. I found the narration to be a bit disjointed. King switched repeatedly between characters and time periods. His story telling involved bringing in Congressional testimony and excerpts from news articles to help the reader understand the Carrie White affair. It eliminated much of the drama and tension from the story. I knew that it was going to end in bloodbath (haha) even before I was much into the book. (This assumes, of course, I hadn't already watched the original and remake movies - which I have).
Another thing that bugged me is that I felt like King left several things undeveloped. Most notably, I thought the emergence of Carrie's powers was woefully unexplored. How did she go from being unaware (or barely aware of her powers) to destroying a small New England town? For a young woman raised as a super fundamentalist Christian, why didn't Carrie struggle with questions about where her powers came from? There didn't seem to be much of an inner struggle going on there, which was disappointing.
Still, all that being said, it was a quick, fun read. And it fit my creepy October reads plan. Three stars out of five....more
Norman Bates is a troubled man. His mother is a shrewish harridan. Nothing that Norman does is ever good enough. He wants to get out from under her thNorman Bates is a troubled man. His mother is a shrewish harridan. Nothing that Norman does is ever good enough. He wants to get out from under her thumb, but she took care of him when he was little. So how can he abandon her now when she is old and sick? Even so, Norman knows his life is incomplete, inadequate. At his age a real man would have a wife, a family of his own; especially a woman like Mary Crane.
I wish I had read this before seeing the movie! How amazing would this story have been had I not known the truth about Norman's mother? Knowing what I knew some of the tension was drained out of what would have otherwise been a mind-blowing story. It probably would've been akin to the Sixth Sense at the end when you realize the truth about Bruce Willis' character.
Despite knowing the truth of the story, Psycho was a fantastic read - especially for a creepy October read. Bloch channeled a lot of tension and drama into a short little story. He captured Norman's insanity perfectly. If I had not known better I would've been fooled by this story - in a good way.
A mortician is going about his daily business. He unzips a body bag and *powie* the stiff opens his eyes, grins and chomps into the unsuspecting mortiA mortician is going about his daily business. He unzips a body bag and *powie* the stiff opens his eyes, grins and chomps into the unsuspecting mortician. And so begins the zombie apocalypse. The dead guy goes out and kills some more people. The dead doc wakes up, kills some people. And the people they kill wake up and kill some more people. Typical zombie Armageddon stuff.
Unfortunately, based upon the excellent Rot & Ruin by the same author, I was expecting more. Don't get me wrong. It is not a bad story. It's fun. It moves quick. The characters are somewhat interesting. People are slow to catch on and the zombies find easy victims. The survivors hole up in a secure facility and hope for rescue. The government finds out and wants to firebomb everything to 'cleanse' the outbreak.
It's just very typical and, after a bit, kinda boring because I couldn't shake the sense of 'been there, done that.' How many times have I read or seen this story line play out. Yes, there are unique twists. The author does a decent job of explaining the outbreak. (It's a parasitic infection or sorts). The zombified people are actually trapped in their bodies, conscious but unable to stop themselves as they rip apart their victims - whether they are strangers or family members. There is also a strangely conscious and in-control serial killer who is also completely insane and spreading the virus. However, even this is kind of meh. I found them kind of interesting and kind of 'so-what.'
Three brains out of five. If you really, really like your zombies, not a bad book. If you just want to read one really good zombie book try Rot & Ruin (by the same author) or The Girl with All the Gifts....more
A raging viral infection breaks out in the densely populated Northeast corridor. Killing an estimated 85% of everyone infected, there is no cure. TravA raging viral infection breaks out in the densely populated Northeast corridor. Killing an estimated 85% of everyone infected, there is no cure. Travel is severely curtailed. Schools, businesses and non-essential services are shut down completely. Despite these efforts, the virus breaks out, spreading inexorably across the country.
It is in this setting, about six-seven weeks after the initial outbreak that Vivian decides to cash in her meager savings and drive across the country to California. Four years ago she gave up her newborn daughter for adoption. If she is going to die of this new plague, she wants to see her daughter one last time. With this tenuous connection to California and a certificate that guarantees that she is infection free, she hits the road.
Broken World does an excellent job of capturing the slow slide from modern civilization. Things are breaking down, fast. Some places aren't open at all, others are manned by a skeleton crew. Armed soldiers man check points carefully screening everyone. Desperate travelers, out of money and options are confronted by suspicious locals, fearful of the contagion.
Vivian makes it about half-way before things begin to go south. She passes the first body. Then her car dies. She is picked up by two red necks, Axl and Angus. The two men appear more than mildly interest in her, ahem, assets, and she isn't sure that accepting a ride with them is a good idea. Fortunately, it turns out that these two guys are actually pretty decent (if crude) guys. They, too, are headed for California and they are willing to help her out. And, unlike Vivian, they are ready for the end of the world, with loads of camping gear, food, and weapons.
Things continue to deteriorate. They pass more corpses, including, disturbingly, the bodies of soldiers at a check point. They also encounter more stragglers and, with a few more companions, they push west. By the time they make it to California the streets and highways are just about deserted. Survivors seem tentative and hesitant, somehow. Everyone is just shell-shocked. (Remember, 85% death rate).
At the half-way point, Vivian and the guys reach her daughter's house and, low and behold, Emily is alive - terrified, but alive. Her mom and dad were not so fortunate and lie rotting in their bed. It is right about here that the story begins to shift from a plague story to a zombie-plague story. While rescuing Emily, Vivian swears she saw the girl's adoptive mother (dead) move a finger. Surely she imagined that?! Then, when they make it to San Francisco, they encounter people aimlessly shambling around. These clearly ill people are also strangely aggressive, attacking Vivian and crew. The word "zombie" is used for the first time.
Holed up in a hotel, they find more survivors including Michael, a billionaire who offers them hope. He has the code to a secret bunker outside of Las Vegas that is stocked to supply 50 people with everything they could want for five years. It sounds too good to be true, but it is all they have so they hightail it out of SF and head for Vegas. The story ends (more or less) with a deadly shoot out against the undead outside the bunker as they race to escape.
I liked this book. Far too often, stories of the inevitable Zombie Apocalypse start AFTER the main event. To me, the most interesting part of the story is the outbreak itself. The fact that people don't know what they are facing. Their very human instincts to help those in need hurt them. See a guy in pain, you go to help him. Whoops! He's a zombie. Now you are zombie food. Broken World chronicles this slow descent from the pre-outbreak world into the post-outbreak world with all the confusion, misunderstanding, and fear. Well done!
A couple things did bug me about the story. First Vivian is a stripper. Nothing wrong with that, but the author really seems to accentuate that back ground and her enormous 'assets.' That, combined with her tendency to get caught partly dressed was annoying. I'm not sure the story needed it as it is a pretty good story. Next, the whole relationship between Vivian and Axl bugged the snot out of me. I'm not a fan of the whole 'I like him, but does he like me' stuff when he clearly liked her. They spend far too much time in this weird state of relationship-tension. Just do it, already. Ugh. Also, other than the nice run up to the outbreak, I'm not sure how unique this story was overall. Finally, the ending itself made me groan. It wasn't quite a cliff hanger, but it left a lot of questions unanswered.
Three and a half stars rounded down to three. I could've gone to four very easily, but I think rounding down to three is the right call....more
When the zombie apocalypse breaks out no one knows what is going on. People die because they assume it is an ordinary emergency - a fire in a club, a When the zombie apocalypse breaks out no one knows what is going on. People die because they assume it is an ordinary emergency - a fire in a club, a car accident, etc. Slowly, painfully, when the truth comes into sharp focus, groups of survivors hole up in their apartments and take stock. Swarm is the story of one small band of survivors.
There are many reasons why I shouldn't like this book. The main character, John, is generic and unmemorable. There are absurd parts of the story that make me shake my head. For example, despite the fact that the cell phones, TV, and the internet are down almost immediately, power remains online. Yes, although civilization has collapsed under the weight of the shambling undead, the lights remain on. For what feels like weeks and weeks. Long enough for the group to run out of food and have to find another place to hole up. And, fortunately, as the grocery store they hole up in still has power so there is lots of food there. Yeah. I didn't buy it.
All of that being said, I liked the book. It was fun. Not great fiction, but fun fiction. I enjoyed the book despite its flaws. I like zombie apocalypse books. I especially like the outbreak period; the period when everyone is trying to figure out what is going on and the other survivors are not yet the real enemy. Swarm did a good job there.
A solid three and a half brains rounded down to three because of the completely unbelievable parts....more
I knew next to nothing about this book other than it was lighting up Goodreads with very positive reviews. I decided to give it a shot. It is the storI knew next to nothing about this book other than it was lighting up Goodreads with very positive reviews. I decided to give it a shot. It is the story of a very special little girl, Melanie, and her flight from a government compound after it collapses. It is also my vote for best book of 2014.
This book avoids all of the zombie apocalypse ruts that make survival horror (sometimes) a bit of a chore to read. Yes, there are rogue bands of survivors who are, in many ways, worse than the infected, but for me they kind of blended in with the general menace of the infected. The real threat was close to the chest. The doctors wanted to cut open Melanie's head. They wanted to dissect her. And all this sweet little blonde girl wanted to do was be with Miss Justineau, her teacher. Her only problem is that Melanie, Miss Justineau, a couple of soldiers and the doctor are trapped together by circumstances in their escape. And this creates a delicious tension. She's trapped with them, and they, in turn, are trapped with her. I won't say more because the story is so good and I don't want to ruin it.
The book also has a bit of a mind-blower in it that reminded me of the 6th sense when Bruce Willis' character finally realizes that he is dead. Part of it is Melanie coming to terms with who she is, and who the adults are, who is important to her, and how far trust should be extended. Then, at the very end of the book, Melanie's life comes full circle - only things are reversed.
I really can't do this book justice other than to say it is a must read. Go out, pick up a copy, download it, whatever. Just read it.
Lance and Cass and the rest of the crew are back. After taking care of Ralph, the crazed militia leader, and taking over his camp, things seemed prettLance and Cass and the rest of the crew are back. After taking care of Ralph, the crazed militia leader, and taking over his camp, things seemed pretty good for the survivors. True, Pittsburgh and the rest of human civilization were overrun by ravenous hordes of the infected, but at their little compound east of the city they had carved out a little bit of security. They even had power back up! It seemed to good to be true. And, of course, it was.
The infected were continuing to change and mutate. There were increasing signs that they were more than mindless killers. They were setting traps. They were using distraction and misdirection to capture hapless survivors. Clearly something very bad was happening. And then (almost predictably) a megalomaniac major with the US army shows up. He believes bold action is needed to save the remnants of humanity. And he'll be damned if he lets anyone stand in his way. The final confrontation is loads of fun. There is a shoot out between groups of survivors, a descent into the depths of an infected warren/hive, and a final, desperate race to safety.
My knock on the story remain the same. The progression feels very formulaic. If you've read one undead/zombie/infected survivor story, you've read them all. The worst enemies are the humans, etc. The author makes this work because he's so darn good, but I would've liked to see some other twist. The infected growing intelligent was intriguing and I kind of wish this had been explored more. It could've been that thing that made this story deviate from the blueprint.
Another knock is the 'OMG I can't believe he survived' factor. The author intervenes in the story too often to save his characters. One or two of the major characters really should've been dead. Everyone gets one miraculous save, but multiple? Come on!
All in all a fun read. Four out of five stars....more
Another fantastic, gore and blood filled story about the end ... of Pittsburgh and the all of human civilization. Consumed picks up right on the heelsAnother fantastic, gore and blood filled story about the end ... of Pittsburgh and the all of human civilization. Consumed picks up right on the heels of the previous book. And that's OK. The author has spun a pretty cool end of the world story.
The plague is several weeks old. The last vestiges of the US government and organized resistance have collapsed. All that's left are Lance, Cass, Doc Borwn, and Eifort - and hordes of bloodthirsty, mutated infected. Being a quasi-undead apocalypse story, the worst enemies are your fellow survivors. The small group finds themselves dogged day and night by the nut job survivalist Minutemen led by the unsavory Ralph. The story ends with a final confrontation between Lance and Ralph on the streets of Pittsburgh.
The book was good, lots of fun, but I found myself struggling to believe at several points in the story. There were too many last minute OMG survival moments. Everyone gets one free ticket, but Lance and Cass got several. They should've died several times but they did not. Still, I liked the book. It was a load of fun. Parts of it felt like I was watching "Aliens" but that's OK. It's a great flick.
Four stars out of five. I had to take it down a notch simply because I think the author had to intervene to save his characters one or two too many times....more
I polished off this book during a long flight to San Diego. I had finished reading a much longer book, and I was looking for something short and diffeI polished off this book during a long flight to San Diego. I had finished reading a much longer book, and I was looking for something short and different. This book filled that role perfectly.
Dark Curtains is a very brief haunted house story. It had the gracious old Victorian home that hinted at mystery and something else. It had a creepy older family who sold the place at a steal. And it had a hidden past. All of which broke the hapless young couple that purchased the house.
Was it a great story? No. Was it fun? Yes. Was it creepy? Yes. All in all a good little book.
Sheol wraps up the story of McCall, Karen and the mysterious zombie apocalypse. I have to confess that just as I was growing a bit tired of more of thSheol wraps up the story of McCall, Karen and the mysterious zombie apocalypse. I have to confess that just as I was growing a bit tired of more of the same the author really surprised me with an unexpected and very cool little twist.
It turns out that there is much more going on in the story than your run of the mill cowboys versus zombies thing. I like stories that surprise me. Sheol did a great job of doing just that. In this book it dawned on me that no one had any memories of more than a few days prior - just at the out break of the zombie apocalypse. Why is that? That is the first hint that something is up. There are more hints baked into the story, but I don't want to reveal them. It'e more fun to draw the connections yourself.
I really recommend this little trilogy. The stories are quick, intelligent, funny and action packed. You won't be disappointed. My only real knock on the whole thing is that it did start to drag at points and that the actions of McCall and Karen were a tad unrealistic. Four stars....more
Lance is having what can only be considered a monumentally bad day. He's unemployed. He bombed his job interview. His wife is leaving him and he's preLance is having what can only be considered a monumentally bad day. He's unemployed. He bombed his job interview. His wife is leaving him and he's pretty sure she's also sleeping with an obnoxiously successful former co-worker. And he bumps into one of the infected. Oh, and he gets hit by a car. Lance wakes up in the hospital and all hell begins breaking loose. The Xavier virus is on the loose and the infection is spreading alarmingly. Attempts at quarantine fail and in a matter of days the city of Pittsburgh is burning.
This book was not great fiction, it was awesome fiction. I loved every page of it - from Lance's escape form the hospital, to his holing up in his apartment, to the flight to Heinz field and the ultimate cataclysmic collapse. I identified with Lance. As he struggled to survive I found myself thinking, yeah, that's what I would do. He felt real. He worried about other people. He tried to stay out of trouble. He tried to do the right thing. And Cass, wow, she is a little bit of a caricature, but how can you not like a battle-axe wielding blonde built like an Amazon? And she's got a mouth like a sailor. Bonus!
Very impressed with this book (and the author). I thought I was picking up another zombie apocalypse (yawn) and discovered a diamond in the rough. Brant has a knack for building characters, driving an action packed story and making me give a damn. I ripped through this book in pretty much two major binge reading sessions. So much fun.
My only knock against the book is the presence of the crazy "minute men" militia. They are almost a requirement in apocalypse literature. The infected are like the weather - a menace and problem that must be dealt with - but the real foe are other people. I wish that the author had found a differnet twist to drive the story, but it's fine. The book was just fun.
Five gory, blood-stained stars out of five. I'm pretty sure that my mom would not appreciate it, but it was a complete and total blast to read.
Down graded to four stars on further reflection. I liked the book but is it really five stars. I think it’s really 4 outta 5. ...more
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