Book Review — Bird Box

Title:  Bird Box
Author:  Josh Malerman
Genre:  Horror, thriller, post-apocalyptic
Pages:  Kindle, 211
Publisher:  Harper Voyage
ISBN: 978-0-06-225965-3
Opening Lines:  "Malorie stands in the kitchen thinking.  Her hands are damp.  She is trembling.  She taps her toe nervously on the cracked tile floor."

Rating

"Something is out there . . .

"Something terrifying that must not be seen. One glimpse and a person is driven to deadly violence. No one knows what it is or where it came from.

"Five years after it began, a handful of scattered survivors remain, including Malorie and her two young children. Living in an abandoned house near the river, she has dreamed of fleeing to a place where they might be safe. Now, that the boy and girl are four, it is time to go. But the journey ahead will be terrifying: twenty miles downriver in a rowboat—blindfolded—with nothing to rely on but her wits and the children’s trained ears. One wrong choice and they will die. And something is following them. But is it man, animal, or monster?

"Engulfed in darkness, surrounded by sounds both familiar and frightening, Malorie embarks on a harrowing odyssey—a trip that takes her into an unseen world and back into the past, to the companions who once saved her. Under the guidance of the stalwart Tom, a motely group of strangers banded together against the unseen terror, creating order from the chaos. But when supplies ran low, they were forced to venture outside—and confront the ultimate question: in a world gone mad, who can really be trusted?

"Interweaving past and present, Josh Malerman’s breathtaking debut is a horrific and gripping snapshot of a world unraveled that will have you racing to the final page."

~ Jacket copy

Lately, it has been hard to find a book that will fully catch my attention.  Whether it was due to the combination of classes and work or something else, it has been an issue for several months.  In an endeavor to correct the problem, I spend hours scouring Pinterest for new bool suggestions.  Many of the pins I looked at dealt with horror.  Usually, I save the horror for the fall, colder weather, and longer nights; however, it has been ever-present in my mind lately.  On all of the pins, this book kept coming up over and over and over again.  I decided to give it a chance.  Luckily, my local library had it available as an electronic rental!

(Yes, yes, as many of you will remember, I vowed never to become a Kindle user.  However, my wonderful Viking gifted me with a Kindle a few months ago.  Knowing that my textbooks would be approximately $50 cheaper in electronic format, he found a wonderful Kindle Fire . . . USED!  Since then, I have decided to embrace the idea of ebooks a bit more . . . )

This book is extremely hard to describe without giving it away completely.  As suggested by the jacket copy, this book is a post-apocalyptic horror/thriller.  After strange occurrences in Russia, people are starting to seemingly go insane and kill themselves/others after seeing something.  While there are many theories circulating about the nature of the thing, no one truly knows what or why people are losing their minds.  They only know that people are dying and no one is safe.

After several years living alone in a house, Malorie has decided to take matters into her own hands and try to give her children a future beyond the four walls.  However, with sight being dangerous, she must find safety using her other senses.  

Close your eyes and think about walking to your mailbox blindfolded.  Now consider preforming other mundane tasks with a blindfold over your eyes and taking away your sight.  If you take the blindfold off and open your eyes . . . Insanity . . . Death.  Yet, you do not know from what.

Malorie is the mother of two four-year-old children who live in a house with covered windows, locked doors, and old blood stains on the walls and floors.  When they leave the house to collect water from the well or empty the "shit bucket", it is all done with blindfolds covering their eyes.  Malorie lives under the constant fear that she might see something that will cause her to go insane and ultimately kill herself.  This is a fear she has been living with for approximately five years when the first people died in Russia.

After living alone with the children for four and a half years, Malorie has decided that she is willing to risk their safety in order to find a future for her children.  She has trained them to be acute listeners and not rely on their vision.  With blindfolds on and strict instructions not to open their eyes, Malorie embarks on a 20 mile trip up the river to find possible salvation.  However, the trip could prove to be harrowing, as well as life threatening.

The story is told mostly in flashbacks with occasional jaunts to the book's present-day on the river.  The most terrifying thing about this book is the unknown.  Like the characters, "sight" is taken from the reader.  Using limited third-person POV, Malerman is able to build the growing fear in the readers.  Like the characters, the audience has no idea what the novel's antagonist truly is, what it looks like, or why it is causing people to go insane.

There were many times throughout this novel that I found myself jumping at known noises in my house.  The novel was able to bring back the idea that, if I just closed by eyes, I would be safe.  It was engaging a played on the fear of the unknown, as well as adding an element of human nature/survival.

This was an excellent story and a rather unique idea.

Book Review — Partials

Title:  Partials
Author:  Dan Wells
Genre:  Post-apocalyptics
Pages:  Hardback, 468
Published:  February 2012
Publisher:  Balzer + Bray
ISBN:  978-0-06-207104-0
Opening Lines:  "Newborn #485GA18M died on June 20, 2076, at 6:07 in the morning.  She was three days old."
Rating:

"The human race is all but extinct after a war with Partials—engineered organic beings identical to humans—has decimated the population. Reduced to only tens of thousands by RM, a weaponized virus to which only a fraction of humanity is immune, the survivors in North America have huddled together on Long Island while the Partials have mysteriously retreated. The threat of the Partials is still imminent, but, worse, no baby has been born immune to RM in more than a decade. our time is running out.

"Kira, a sixteen-year-old medic-in-training, is on the front lines of the battle, seeing RM ravage the community while mandatory pregnancy laws have pushed what's left of humanity to the brink of civil war, and she's not content to stand by and watch. But as she makes a desperate decision to save the last of her race, she will find that the survival of humans and Partials alike rests in her attempts to uncover the connections between them—connections that humanity has forgotten, or perhaps never even knew where there."

~Jacket copy

Thoughts:  This was one of those treasures I found while cleaning my house!  This book has been sitting on my wishlist since I first saw it advertised.  First of all, post-apocalyptic books are a weakness of mine.  Second, I loved the whole concept behind the book.

Eleven years ago, a biological weapon was released on the human race that killed nearly everyone.  The primary suspect was the government engineered cyborgs, Partials.  The Partials were created to fight a war with China and Iran.  However, when RM was released, it was feared that they finally decided to turn on their human creators.  Now, after the majority of the human race has died, the survivors are still struggling with the effects of  RM: every baby dies after a few days.  In order to save the human race, the Senate, the ruling body, enacts the Hope Act—a law the forces all women eighteen years and older to have as many babies as possible.  However, even while the Senate is trying to save the human race, the Hope Act threatens to split the people in half and cause a civil war.  After witnessing the death of several infants—and fearing that the Senate will lower the required age on the Hope Act—medical intern, Kira, decides that she needs to try and find the elusive cure for RM.  This sends her on a journey to find a Partial and reveals secrets that nobody is willing to accept, including her.

From the first lines in this book, I was hooked!  After reading many young adult books with insipid heroines who are completely overcome with sexual angst, Kira was refreshing.  She was smart, on an amazing career path in the medical field, and had depth.  Even though she was in a relationship with Marcus, they had a casual ease about them.  There was no sexual tension or angst in their interactions.  It was obvious that they have been together for a long time and had the relationship of adults.  It was nice not to read the angsty drivel that is usually found in young adult books.

In addition, I felt that most of the main characters in the book had a lot more depth than is typically seen.  Granted, I wished the author had spent a little more time with specific characters.  That being said, it was obvious that they all had a back story that helped to create who they were in the present.  Even if the author never gives the back story, as long as he knows what it is, it will come out in the writing.

The world building was simply amazing!  I was totally engrossed in the Long Island of the future and the Partial inhabited Manhattan.  The little touches the author used (clothes, iPods, and so on) helped develop the world further.  Honestly, when the teens came across the panthers and antelope, I was instantly reminded of I Am Legend.  In some ways, that was able to lend credence to the story. 

The author tackled some hard issues in this book.  I felt that he didn't make the subject matter easy or dumb it down for young adults.  The whole concept behind creating the Partials and then forcing them to live in pseudo ghettos, limited their jobs, cutting their wages, and that they could only shop at certain stores reminded me of the Jews in Nazi Germany and how the former slaves were treated in the United States.  Further, the forced pregnancy and experimentation on the babies is another big issue.  These concepts are heavy hitters!  They force the reader to sit down and think about the world they are in.  Also, Kira's willingness to die for the cure asks people how far will they go for something that they know is right.

It was rather interesting to see that most, if not all, of the adults in the book were all about control and rather dimwitted.  Honestly, this didn't bother me too much.  First of all, the adults were still stuck in the old world.  Change was hard for them; however, it was forced upon them with the onset of RM.  They were afraid to look at other possible solutions.  For me, the fact that they called all of the teens plague babies was very poignant.  Sometimes it takes an outside prospective to find the solution.  Granted, I found it hard to believe that some of the adults weren't a little more understanding or ready to think outside of the box.  That being said, it wasn't too far outside of a possible reality.

This book was an amazing read!  It was one of those books that you never want to end.  I found myself slowing my reading down while struggling at the bit to read faster.  Honestly, when the new book comes out later this month, I will have to scrape together enough money to buy it. 

Current Pages: 2273
Current Progress:

7/50 books

Book Review — Taking on the Dead

Title:  Taking on the Dead
Author:  Annie Walls
Genre:  Post-apocalyptic with zombies
Format:  E-book
ASIN: B009EB4YDU
Opening Lines:  "Some people say you can't change overnight.  I'm sure this is true."
Author Links: Website   ♠   Twitter   ♠   Facebook
Rating:

"Life for Kansas was perfect until the day the world changed.

"She has been hiding out for four years in solitude. It's the only way to survive. The only way not to draw the living dead. Helping a small group of people, she learns the new world might not be what she assumes. Venturing out of her refuge and comfort zone, she meets Rudy, who helps her find a greater purpose. She realizes that the world has moved on without her. Only it's not what she expects. Her knowledge of the living dead grows and only makes her more curious as humanity continues to hang on by a thread. While on her search for answers she finds comfort in new friendships and love, but her past seems as if it will haunt her forever.

"Kansas takes it upon herself to help other survivors, which would be easy if the famished were the only obstacles.

"In a trilogy plot thick with twists and turns, this adult dark fantasy is emotional as much as it is horrifyingly gripping."

~ Goodreads

Thoughts: Sometime on Tuesday or Wednesday of last week, I finally finished this book. Since then, I have been trying to figure out how best to approach and write this review. The first time I saw this novel was on an ad for a book tour. Being a zombie apocalypse book, I was very quick to jump at the opportunity to read it. Unfortunately, despite my love, I really did not enjoy the book. The reason is because this book completely failed. And it failed spectacularly!

At first, I had high hopes for this book. Reading through the prologue, I was fairly impressed. It was very powerful, gave a wonderful opening for the story, and did a good job of showing how the zombie apocalypse can seemingly come out of nowhere to disrupt a perfect life. At this point, I started to notice a few extraneous commas, improper placement of punctuation, etc. However, since it could be easily explained as a typo, I didn’t think too much of it. That is not to say that it didn’t put me on alert. As the book progressed, I started to have issues with the voice. It can be very hard to write in first person present active; however, the author manages to pull it off. That being said, something about Kan’s voice was very troubling. Unfortunately, I still cannot quite put my finger on it. And, while the narration was bothering me, I started to notice that the grammar issues continued to get worse. It evolved from a few mishaps into the author’s haphazard attempt at throwing in punctuation because it seemed appropriate. She started doing clause fragments. (Keep in mind, this is not a technical term; it is one I coined to describe her errors.) Further into the book, I started to wonder whether she understood what adjectives, series, and multiple adjectives to describe a noun really were. It is hard to describe fully what she did; however, if I had not known what she was doing, this book would have been hard to understand. Unfortunately, comma misusage can seriously change the meaning of a sentence.

Aside from the author’s haphazard and willy-nilly approach to grammar, she had grievous issues with consistency. On one page, she would oscillate between “t-shirt” and “T-shirt.” Unless the author was trying to write within a certain style, I do not care how she chose to spell T-shirt. My issue stems from lack of consistency. Decide how you want to spell the word and keep to it. Even if the word was misspelled, if she consistently used the same spelling, I would not be as annoyed.

While the author’s grammatical errors were egregious, this book also suffered from an obvious lack of content editing. I felt there were a lot of things that Kan did in the later part of the book that were completely out of character with the original girl the audience met. In most books, this can be explained by character development; however, there was no true character development. Further, at one point, Rudy makes it clear that he worked as a contractor before the zombie outbreak. If the reader continues reading, Kan makes a comment that helping at the greenhouse made sense due to his carpentry background. Where did Rudy ever say he had a carpentry background? Working construction does not guarantee you have that as a background. In addition, I cannot fully grasp Kan’s need to carry around a computer. Granted, her computer used to connect via satellite; however, it might not be able to connect at other locations outside of her home base. Further, if some person manages to get the Internet up and running, why would she suddenly have access to wireless? This makes no sense to me. Even my husband, who has worked as a systems administrator for over a decade, could not understand the rationale behind this.

If the author had mentioned “arrow holster” one more time, I would have broken my husband’s Kindle. Anything that is used to hold arrows is considered a quiver. The fact that her quiver is larger than others and made out of a gift container for a bottle of wine does not automatically make it something other than a quiver. This really got on my nerves. Another thing was her explanation of bows. Yes, long bows are fairly old; however, a recurve bow predates them by more than a millennium. In addition, a recurve bow was desired for its power and the energy it put into the arrow. Long bows were more desired for range and the fact that they worked well en mass.

Along with the bows, the author really needed to do her homework when it came to guns. Yes, a grip is one of the most important things in determining the correct gun. However, her comment about making sure the person could use the slide very fast isn’t accurate. You need to be able to move the slide smoothly and have a good grip. Further, the weight of the gun also needs to be considered when finding the right weapon. And Kan’s adventure with the sawed off shotgun was fully inside the realm of fiction. Yes, because of the shortened barrel length, a sawed off shotgun will have a nasty recoil—and will more than likely bruise your shoulder. However, it will not knock you off your feet and send you several feet in the air. Well, I guess it will if you’re on the receiving end of the spray.

When talking to Reece about her book collection, Kan pooh-poohs The Jolly Roger’s Cookbook by stating that it wouldn’t be able to teach them how to make things like pipe bombs because it is too old. This could have changed in the last decade; however, when I was still a teenager, the book was not static; people kept adding to it. And, at the time, it had recipes for making pipe bombs. Further, Kan tells Reece that they can get better books by looting bookstores. So, by the author’s logic, I can walk into a Barnes & Noble and purchase a book on advanced bomb making (and, of course, making a simple pipe bomb is extremely advanced bomb making).

It stuck out to me that Reece—in a time period where infection is easy, antibiotics are not easy to come by, and an open wound could possibly mean zombie infection—doesn’t take the time to cover his new tattoo. Yes, the ointment is important; however, a fresh tattoo is still an open wound and susceptible to infection. This really upset me because I have multiple tattoos. It seems to me that a tattoo artist would be extremely vigilant about that, especially during a zombie apocalypse.

Honestly, Kan is zombie bait. The only reason she has survived is because she was alone and then surrounded by men that would take care of her. She can only handle a pistol crossbow and her few blades. She talks about not being overly accurate with a full-sized crossbow, she is not able to handle a regular bow (a compound bow), and cannot find the safety on a gun. I honestly wondered why she was put in charge of a group. Further, aside from the few she dealt with on her way to the survivor camp, she had no experience with the famished. Someone like Reece would have made far more sense. I cannot stand a heroine who has to rely on male characters to keep her alive. If the characters acted as partners and relied on each other, I could easily accept that. However, I am sick and tired of seeing these supposedly strong female leads that cannot take care of themselves. Half of the things Kan does to get herself in trouble are simply because she lacks common sense or forethought. Her use of the Molotov in Wal-Mart is a perfect example of this. It would not have taken her two seconds to figure out it was an extremely stupid idea.

I do not understand why Kan was so hell bent on bringing Julie with her. It made no sense. Further, how would a woman who is eight months pregnant be able to fit on the back of a Ducati? If she was able to (which I sincerely doubt), how would Kan keep her from getting off the bike? It would have made more sense to leave Julie, reunite with the gang, tell them the information she learned from the doctor, and then plan another strategy to gain entrance into the base. In addition, since the doctor knew about the impending attack (because Kan was too stupid not to tell Julie next to the playground), I don’t understand why extra security measures were not taken. Further, I am not sure how a few pipe bombs were able to breach the walls. I have to wonder whether the author really knows what pipe bombs are for. Using them against zombies is a pretty good idea. They are shrapnel bombs meant to inflict as much damage to a person as possible.

The author’s constant obsession with the “happy trail” was enough to make me gag. I understand being in isolation for four years will cause a girl’s libido to spike when they’re around a sexy man; however, it was over the top.

There is a lot more I could address in this review, but it has gotten to be quite long. Needless to say, when I finished this book, I was very disappointed. To me, it is the perfect example of why I dislike self published pieces. Granted, there are some wonderful things out there! Unfortunately, a lot of people are in a rush to get their novels published because they think it is good and they completely forego editing. I’m sorry, but there is a reason for the process. I will give the author a little credit, she has the bare bones of something that could potentially be a good story. However, she needs to go through several revisions and rewrites. Honestly, by just having some friends and/or family read it to see if it made sense, a lot of her issues would not have appeared in the final book. Further, if she decided to completely turn her nose up at the editing process, I wish she would have spent a little time researching things and rereading her story before it was made available to the public. As it stands, this book is a long way from a polished work of fiction. That being stated, I will end up reading the other books in the series. However, I hope for her benefit—as well as that of her audience—she will seriously look into getting her next books edited.

Current Pages: 13,343
Current Progress:

43/50 books

Book Review — Fighting to Survive

Title:  Fighting to Survive
Author:  Rhiannon Frater
Genre:  Post-apocalyptic with zombies
Published:  November 2011
Publisher:  Tor Books
Author Links:  Website  ♠  Twitter
Rating:

"The hundred or so survivors in the fortified heart of Ashley Oaks are running out of food and room. The newly-renovated historic hotel seems a perfect sanctuary—if can be emptied of zombies.

"A pitched battle in the banquet room is the start of a harrowing, room-by-room struggle from Reception to roof. The connection between beauty and death has never been more apparent to Katie, Travis, Jenni, and Juan than when they celebrate and mourn in the hotel’s lovely rooftop gazebo.

"As search-and-rescue teams bring food, supplies—and more survivors—back to town, they draw unwanted attention. Bandits see the fort’s citizens as competition for dwindling stocks of unspoiled provisions . . . and as a ready source of women to be used and abused. The bandits’ first few attacks are minor skirmishes, but Travis and Juan, unofficial leaders of the community, know there is worse to come.

"Outside threats are not the fort’s only concern. The mayor’s failing health spurs a battle for power erupts. Travis’s vow never to kill faces its greatest test. A vicious assault on Katie leads to vigilante action that shatters the rule of law. Jenni’s tenuous hold on sanity begins to slip. Juan is accused of murder.

"And beyond the fort’s walls, the zombies shamble, moaning, eyes fastened hungrily upon the living."

~ Author's website

Thoughts:  I loved the first book, so we got it for my dad as an audio book.  Since I never got around to buying the second book, he talked me into listening to it.  While I can go through periods of listening to a lot of audio books, I really do not devour them the way he does.  Needless to say, this took me awhile to get through.  Unfortunately, my thoughts are not completely coherent and fully formulated.  Please hang with me on this one!

I was happy to see continued character developments in our favorite heroines, Katie and Jenni.  It was also nice to see how the relationship between Juan and Jenni was progressing and helping her move past her pre-zombies life.  However, as a few people have pointed out, I don't really like the descriptions Frater always relies on.  For example, Nerit is always seen as being cold, Jenni is always loca, and Katie is the one who likes girls.  Granted, it changes for Katie as the story moves along.  But, for me, that took a little away from the story.  After the first book, I would have liked to see Frater branch out a little more with the characterizations, especially since the audience already had some time to get to know them.

Nerit's involvement in this book was stellar!  Since Katie and Jenni first met her on their flight from the city, I have loved the character.  It was nice to get some of her back story.  Being a sharpshooter for the Israeli army really wets the reader's appetite, and I was not disappointed!  However, I would still like to know more.

By biggest beef with the story was the climax and antagonists.  While the zombies appear to be the most visible antagonists, Frater talks about a roaming group of bandits in the first book.  It was rather obvious that she was bringing them back for an encore in this book.  However, it took too longer for the conflict to finally happen.  She dealt with getting the residents of the fort into the hotel, politics, and rescuing survivors for various reasons.  Some of those reasons were the bandits.  They did keep an eye on them and, eventually, lured them out into the open.  But the final conflict was over too quickly and ended to easily.  Yes, life was lost, but it was wrapped up too nicely.

Frater does think a lot about the logistics of a zombie apocalypse.  Even though the bandits did not stay in the picture very long, it made sense that the fort would have to end up dealing with psychopaths.  Not everyone is going to think about banding together and trying to survive.  I also liked that she was very thoughtful about the fact of internal politics in the fort.  People want leadership.  (Although that also ended a little too easily for my tastes.)  Further, I liked her addition of the crazy, conspiracy chaser.  When he asked Nerit out/for sex, I nearly choked!

I enjoyed this book!  At first, the narrator got of my nerves, but she grew on me.  With the ending, I am glad I had the third one ready to go!  There are so many interesting things coming up, and I am curious to see how Frater lets them play them out.

Current Pages: 12,113
Current Progress:

39/50 books

Zombie Month Book Review -- Eat, Slay, Love

Title:  Eat, Slay, Love
Author:  Jesse Petersen
Genre:  Post-apocalyptic
Pages:  Paperback 261
Published:  2011
Opening Lines:  "Have you ever felt like you were on a treadmill, but no matter how fast or far you ran, you never dropped those pesky last fifteen pounds?"

"Sarah and David have survived the zombie apocalypse.  They stood side by side and fought the undead, mad scientists, and even bionic monsters . . . until the unthinkable happened.  A zombie bite.  But no even that could stop them.

"Now, with a possible cure in hand, they're headed east, looking for a safe zone behind the rumored 'Wall.'  They're feeling pretty optimistic

~Jacket copy

Thoughts:  I am still waiting for Dave to stop sleeping.

Honestly, the back doesn't really give the book justice.  However, I'm not sure how it could without giving everything away.  That being said, I as really curious how the bite would affect David in the future.  Something like that isn't just miraculously cured without a result.  I felt that was a major win.  Since the book is written from Sarah's POV, I was glad the author didn't try to fully explain it.  I get really tired of stupid, campy explanations by characters.  Sarah had my response—you don't walk away from something like that without leaving lasting results.

This book picks up about a month or more after Sarah and Dave leave the Kid.  They are on their way to the Wall with the cure nestled safely between Sarah's breasts.  After fighting hoards of zombies, clearing road ways, and picking up supplies, they find themselves with a 'stalkerazzi' reporter in tow.

The majority of the book is spent with Sarah, Dave, Nicole, and McCray trying to survive, determine the nature of Dave's alterations, and finding the Wall.  Parts of this book were definitely worth and eye roll and others left me roaring!  At times, I felt that Petersen is over-the-top with Sarah's cheesy and snarky response to the apocalypse.  It gets to a point that it feels to contrived and distracts from the story.  However, in a weird way, that is what makes Sarah so endearing!

The ending of the book demands a sequel!  Even though I would love to spend a long time talking about the book, I feel that I would be in danger of giving everything away.  As with the other books, it is well written, has a good plot, is enjoyable, and a quick read.  When I need something light, I would definitely turn to her books.  That is not to say, however, that they lack in plot and character development.

Honestly, if you've enjoyed the previous books or just looking for a laugh-out-loud zombie book, this series needs to be at the top of your list!   

Rating:
Currently: Dearly Departed: A Zombie Novel by Lia Habel
Current Pages: 4420
Current Progress:

13/50 books

Zombie Month Book Review -- Warm Bodies

Title:  Warm Bodies
Author:  Isaac Marion
Genre:  Post-apocalyptic
Pages:  Hardback 239
Published:  2011
Opening Lines:  I am dead, but it's not so bad.  I've learned to live with it."

"R is a young man with an existential crisis—he is a zombie.  He shuffles through an America destroyed by war, social collapse, and the mindless hunger of his undead comrades, but he craves something more than blood and brains.  He can speak just a few grunted syllables, but his inner life is deep, full of wonder and longing.  He has not memories, no identity, and no pulse, but he has dreams.

"After experiencing a teenage boy's memories while consuming his brain, R makes an unexpected choice that begins a tense, awkward, and strangely sweet relationship with the victim's human girlfriend.  Julie is a blast of color in the dreary and pray landscape that surrounds R.  His decision to protect her will transform not only R but also his fellow Dead, and perhaps their whole lifeless word."

~ Jacket copy

Thoughts:  While I love the nitty-gritty zombie novel with people trying to survive the reanimated corpse that plague the world, I also enjoy reading a book that makes a zombie a sympathetic character.  It is easier to see the zombie as abject and pull away from it.  The zombie forces us to look at our most basic level in an extremely personal way.  It is easy for us to push the id down and block it out.  It is easier to look at it and kill it rather than dealing with it.  This book is able to show the evils on both sides—man trying to kill that which is too real and the zombie trying to distance themselves from their perceived evil.

This book follows R.  While we wouldn't equate zombies with actual life and focused thought.  However, R is deep and thoughtful.  Even though his language skills have been reduced to one or two syllable words, he is able to look at his life and think about it.  In addition, on his outings into the city to look for food, he brings back souvenirs of the Fleshies.  He loves to sit in his home and listen to Frank Sinatra records.  Through the brains that he eats, he is able to take part in the life of his victim.  All of their memories fill him and become a pseudo movie picture of a life he has forgotten.

During hunting excursion, they happen upon a group of people in an apartment building.  When R eats the brains of their leader, he is skyrocketed into the memories and life of Perry.  Through those memories, he falls in love with Julie.  He decides to save her, cover her with zombie-goo, and bring her back to his home at the airport.  Realizing that she cannot stay there forever, he goes on an adventure to bring her home.  On this adventure he will end up finding life again.

I did not expect the outcome of this book when I read the synopsis on Amazon.  I felt that the author did a good job fleshing—no pun intended—both the society of the living and dead.  The concept of the Boneys and a governing force behind the dead community.  Also, the fact that even though they look like stumbling, thoughtless, and hungry reanimated dead, this book shows them to be more.  Further, he did a good job with group of people living in the big stadium.  Both societies were written with an awesome depth and visually was amazing!

The author also did an excellent job with character development.  All of the characters were different and added their own element to the story.  Honestly, I felt the scenery and characters made the book.

This book was wonderful!  Even though it took me awhile to get through it due to the new job, I always looked forward to reading it on my lunch break.  The story is rich and skillfully written.  If you're looking for another take on zombies, I would suggest this book.


Rating:
Currently: Zombie Queen of Newbury High by Amanda Ashby
Current Pages: 3960
Current Progress:

11/50 books

Zombie Month Book Review -- First Days

Title:  First Days: As the World Dies
Author:  Rhiannon Frater
Genre:  Post-apocalyptic
Pages:  Oversize paperback, 331
Published:  2008, 2011
Opening Lines:  "So small.  So very, very small."

"It begins on a peaceful, beautiful morning.  Katie, a prosecutor, is driving to work when a dead man jumps into her car and tries to eat her.  Elsewhere in the city, Jenni, a housewife opens a bedroom door to find her husband devouring their infant son.


"Fate puts Katie outside Jenni's door when the younger woman flees her zombified family.  Fate—and Katie's quick reflexes behind the wheel—see them safely out of the city while most of the living are quickly chased down by the undead.


"The two women begin a cross-Texas odyssey to rescue Jenni's oldest sin and hopefully find safety . . . somewhere . . . Jenni discovers the great joy of watching a zombie's head explode when she shoots its brains out.  Katie learns that her analytical mind is perfect for planning the best attacks and escape routes.


"A small, isolated, fortified town is their only hope.  Fewer than one hundred people have gathered there, clinging to civilization and to hope.  They all know the zombies will come for them.  But until that day, they will live, and love, and maybe even laugh."

~ Jacket copy

Thoughts:  I first ran across this book back in 2008.  I'm not sure if I found it during a casual zombie search of Amazon or if I saw it mentioned somewhere.  One way or the other, I was completely and utterly drawn to this book.  However, for various reasons mostly focusing on forgetfulness, I never ended up buying it.  So, when I decided to host Zombie Month, it was the first book on my list!

First Days follows the story of Jenni and Katie—two women thrown together through unfortunate circumstances.  Katie is a prosecutor and Jenni is a battered housewife.  Both women are from completely different walks of life; however, they find solace and resolve in each others company.  After fleeing the city, they decide to rescue Jenni's remaining son.  Camping up in the National Park, Jenni hopes that he has escaped the dangers of the city.  On the way, the meet Narit, an ex-Israeli sharpshooter, and her husband Ralph at a small hunting store.  The four form a quick bond.  With Ralph and Narit's help, the girls now have a plan—and guns—to rescue Jason.  While everything seems to be going good, the women are chased by a horde of zombies and find they are far away from the safety of the hunting store with a dangerously low fuel line.  Through Ralph, Narit, a small town sheriff, and a CB, the women are led to a safe area in a small town.  Even with such a crazy and action packed beginning, their story has barely started!

Throughout the book, the POV shifts between Jenni, Katie, and sometimes other characters.  This can be problematic for some authors; however, Rhiannon does an amazing job of keeping each voice unique while supporting the integrity of the story.  It also gives the reader a well-rounded view of the zombie situation and the characters.  To me, this really added to the reading experience.

Even though Jenni had her short-comings and desperately needed to get over her victimization at the hands of a abusive husband, it was refreshing to read a novel with strong female leads.  In fact, I found Jenni's abuse was a wonderful vehicle to show character development and the realities of fighting for survival.  Along those lines, I felt that she put a lot of thought into her characters and their reactions to the situation.  The unknown vigilante and the renegades at the end really show that.  Also, the whole controversy surrounding the views of Richie, Shane's response to Katie, and so on goes a long way to show the tenuous nature of their small society.  As Juan said, in-fighting tends to make the zombies win.   

The scenery of the book was amazing!  I never felt bogged down by descriptions.  On the contrary, I felt Rhiannon gave enough details to allow me to form a mental picture.  It was obvious that she knew he way around Texas.  That lends an authority to the novel.  Further, she does an amazing job turning the zombies into background scenery.

My only misgiving about the book is editing.  On the whole, the book has very good editing; however, there are occasional mistypes and sentences to be reworded.  A few times, I had to reread sentences.  It kind of slowed down the reading and broke illusion.  But, as stated above, this was not all the time.

Honestly, this book was worth the wait!  I found myself intentionally slowing down, so I could make the book last longer.  It is action packed, but has a very deep plot.  Rhiannon definitely put a lot of thought into the book.  If you love zombie books, I highly recommend this one!

Stay Tuned for a Guest Post by Rhiannon Frater!

Rating:
Currently: Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry
Current Pages: 2788
Current Progress:

8/50 books

Book Review -- Flip This Zombie

Title:  Flip This Zombie
Author:  Jesse Petersen
Genre:  Post-apocalyptic with zombies
Pages:  Paperback, 247
Published:  2011
Opening Lines:  "When the zombie plague struck, I was just an office schlub.  You know the type."

"The zombie apocalypse has been good to Sarah and David.  Their marriage is better than ever.  They communicate well, share responsibilities, and now, they're starting a business, ZombieBusters—for all your zombie extermination needs.

"There are lots of zombies and that means lots of customers . . . Except one of them doesn't want the zombie dead, he wants them alive and ready for experimentation.  Mad scientists make for difficult clients, and this time Sarah and David might have bitten off for than they can chew."

~ Jacket copy

Thoughts:  After the first book, I was really looking forward to the next two in the series.  However, I wondered whether the author would be able to keep up with Sarah's snarky humor.  And, in that regard, the author does not disappoint.

This book picks up a few months after the ending of the last book.  The Government has bombed major cities in an attempted to control the zombie population. While getting rid of a few, it has left shells of buildings for zombies to hide in and killed survivors.  However, the remaining survivors are finding a way to make the best of a bad situation.  They have started making tent settlements, a trade system, and so on. After the adventures of the last book, Sarah and Dave decide to go into business as for-hire zombie killers.  And it seems as though business is booming.  That is until they get a rather strange client wanting them to capture "live" zombies for medical testing.  And, if that fiasco isn't enough, they are hearing rumors of a newer, faster, and smart zombie—bionic zombies.  As you can imagine, Sarah and Dave have differing opinions concerning both issues and are stretched to the limit.

I found it hilarious that Sarah and Dave started a zombie killing business.  Even though she was a little timid about picking up a gun, after the first book Sarah took to killing quite easily.  And that doesn't even take into account Dave's mad-Halo-skills!  So, to me, it seemed natural.  The concept of the bionic zombies was interesting.  It stands to reason that there might be a different mutation.  I really liked how it played into the book and the story line.  I wonder how this new mutation will play into the next book.

Dr. Barnes was an interesting character.  From the onset, I was distrustful of him.  He seemed too good to be true, and he gave me a weird vibe.  However, I found Sarah's blind faith to be a little too naive, especially considering everything they had already been through.

The ending was a little too campy for me.  Without giving anything away, The Kid's ability seemed a little Deus ex machina.  Granted, we are kind of led into it by the comment that he is a genius, but . . . It was just too neat and out of the blue for me to appreciate.

While this book is very much in the spirit of the other, I felt that it didn't live up to the awesomeness of the first book.  Even though they snarky humor was still present, I felt it was too pushed.  Further, the book relied too heavily on Sarah's little quips and asides.  It ended up just being too over the top and forced.  The first one had something special, and it felt as though the author wasn't willing to give this book something uniquely it's own. Even though it was a fast and fun read, I am a little concerned about the next book.


Rating:
Currently: The Isle of Blood by Rick Yancey
Current Pages: 1988
Current Progress:

6/50 books

Book Review -- The Dead-Tossed Waves

Title: The Dead-Tossed Waves
Author: Carrie Ryan
Genre: YA post-apocalyptic
Pages: Oversize paperback, 404
Published: 2010
Opening Lines: "The story goes that even after the Return they tried to keep the roller coasters going. They said it reminded them of before the time."

"Gabry lives a quiet life, secure in her town near the sea and behind the Barrier. She's content to let her friends dream of the Dark City up on the hill while she warches from the top of her lighthouse. Home is all she's every known, and all she needs for happiness.

"But life after the Return is never sae, and there are threats even the Barrier can't hold back.

"Gabry's mother thought she left her secrets behind in the Forest of Hands and Teeth, but like the dead in their world, secrets don't stay buried. And now, Gabry's world is crumbling.

"One night beyond the Barrier . . .

"One boy Gabry's known forever and one veiled in mystery . . .

"One reckless moment, and half of Gabry's generation is dead, the other half imprisoned.

"Gabry knows only one thing: if she is the have any hope of a future, she must face the forest of her mother's past."

~Jacket copy

Thoughts: After reading The Forest of Hands and Teeth, I rushed to my computer to hold the next two books at the library. Even though I loved The Enemy, I think Ryan's books are the best YA zombie novels I've ever read! However, since I didn't read the back before I started it (I knew it had to be good!!), I was not ready for the book to start with Mary's daughter. I loved Mary from the previous book, but I really liked how Ryan decided to follow her teenage daughter. It gave a different element of the book.

After a late night adventure with friends beyond the Barrier, Gabry's whole life is changed in a way she could never imagine. While the teenagers race to the roller coaster, a Breaker attacks them. Several of the teens are bitten, including Gabry's crush. And if the children being bitten is bad enough, the teens that do survive are forced into a ranks of the Recruiters. Without giving anything away, Gabry is forced onto the trails that leads into the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Mary's book of Shakespeare's sonnets help guide her and her companions.

The first lines of the book drew me into the book in a different way. I felt fully immersed in this book! The talk about the roller coaster made me think of Zombieland. At first, I wasn't sure whether I liked Gabry/ Mary was spunky and always yearned for something more. She had a wild spirit that could not be sated. Gabry, however, is drastically different. Where Mary desired for freedom, Gabry was content to live out her life in Vista and the lighthouse. I wasn't sure whether I would like Gabry as the narrator; however, I couldn't imagine the story any other way! It helped the reader grow along with her.

Even though I adored the first book, this one is my favorite . . . So far! The characters are engaging, and I loved the element of the zombie cult. As disturbing as it was, it was nice to show that people reacting differently to the Return. Also, the history behind the villages in the forest and on the coast added a nice history. I am really curious to see how Ryan plays on this in the next book.

If you enjoyed the first book, I would definitely recommend this one! It is a fast paced, engaging, and action packed read.


Rating:
Currently: The Dead and Hollow Places by Carrie Ryan
Current Pages: 26703
Current Progress:

74/50 books

Book Review -- The Forest of Hands and Teeth

Title: The Forest of Hands and Teeth
Author: Carrie Ryan
Genre: YA post-apocalyptic
Pages: Oversize paperback, 308
Published: 2009
Opening Lines: "My mother used to tell me about the ocean. She said there was a place where there was nothing but water as far as you could see and that it was always moving, rushing toward you and then away."

"In Mary's world, there are simple truths.

"The Sisterhood always knows best.

"The Guardians will protect and serve.
The Unconsecrated will never relent.

"And you must always mind the fences that surrounds the village. The fence that protects the village from the Forest of Hands and Teeth.

"But slowly, Mary's truths are failing her. She's learning things she never wanted to know about the Sisterhood and its secrets, and the Guardians and their power. and, when the fence is breached and her world is thrown into chaos, about the Unconsecrated and their relentlessness.

"Now she must choose between her village and her future, between the one she loves and the one who loves her. And she must face the truth about the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Could there be life outside a world surrounded by so much death?"

~ Jacket copy

Thoughts: I have been picking this book up since it was published. I still am unsure why it never ended up in my bag of books I purchased from the book store. However, after seeing it popping up all over the book blogging community, I decided to check out our local library. As I'm sure it is the same for all of you, nearing Christmas cash is a little tight, so no more book book purchases for a bit . . . :'(

Anyways . . . Reading the back, I never suspected that the Unconsecrated referred to zombies. The book struck me as a something akin to The Village. Boy was I wrong! Instead of escaping from society and forming a pseudo-utopia, the people in this book are just a little community of people left after the zombie apocalypse (what the book calls the Return). Even though the isolation is similar to The Village, that is where the similarities end. From what I gathered, the Sisterhood knows that it is possible for other communities to exist; however, they are unsure. And all Mary knows is that a fenced-off path that leads into the Forest is forbidden, which she never really questioned until she sees footprints . . .

The story follows this group of young people coming of age in this small community. After her mother dies, Mary is thrown into a life in the Sisterhood. However, after the fence is breached, the young people are forced to find a safe haven along the forbidden path. The book really questions our desires and drive, and what we consider to be enough.

While zombies are a devise to move the plot forward, I felt they offered a good antagonist without making any one character "bad." Further, the scenery in the story is well described and allows the reader to picture it for themselves without getting bogged down in details. Even though Mary is the central character, through Mary the reader is given a good picture of the supporting characters. However, in some ways I cannot understand the full 180 change in Cass. I wonder whether it was meant that way. Since it is a first person narrative from Mary's perspective, the author might want the reader in the dark and learn along with Mary.

My favorite part of the book was in the three-story house. Finding the chests full of clothing and pictures was exquisitely written.

However, because I pointed it out in the previous book I reviewed, there was an inconsistency I noticed. While Travis is confessing to Mary in the tree, he kneels in front of her and takes her hands in his. However, the next comment about him is that he flexes his hands on the windowsill. Hmm . . . What was he doing during his monologue? When did her drop her hands?

This book was hard to put down. I found myself wanting to read all night; however, my eyes refused to stay open! It is a fast paced novel, but doesn't lack in plot or substance. Rather, the pacing is a reflection of the urgency and anxiety the characters are feeling. So far, this my favorite YA zombie book! Needless to say, I just placed the next two books on hold at the library *squee*

Rating:
Currently: Pale Demon by Kim Harrison
Current Pages: 25178
Current Progress:

70/50 books