Synopsis
It took
less than 24 hours for a virulent disease to annihilate billions of
people. Every second thousands more take their place amongst the dead.
Infection is immediate and provides no symptoms. It simply manifests
itself via the agonised suffering of the infected before leading them to a violent and painful death.
A
few survivors remain to cope within a world they hardly recognise. Then
the virus morphs and that’s when they start to realise what a living
nightmare really is...if living is the right word...
Review
I’m
going to put you in the picture straight from the off. If you’re
looking for a Zombie ‘all the brains you can eat’ munch fest...this book
isn’t for you. If you’re looking for a ‘cause of the outbreak including
detailed bio-descriptions of viral escapees oozing forth from a Top
Secret Techno-Lab in some mad scientists underground environ’...(and
breathe)...this book isn’t for you. BUT!...if you want to feel
thoroughly chilled (and not in a good way) by the notion of a future
battling for survival in a world mostly populated by the fetid,
shuffling corpses of the re-animated dead whose evolving putridity is
merely a sideline of the post-apocalyptic brutality and chaos which
increasingly surrounds you.....then Wey Hey!...it’s your lucky day!!!
Now,
as you carry on reading, don’t forget this review is entirely based
upon my own opinion and you are each very much entitled to your
own...just don’t be too easily swayed by other reviews which slate this
book for not depicting the Zombie in the more flesh foraging style we’ve
become accustomed to over the years. On my part I feel we should
applaud this book for removing itself from such Zombatic stereo-typing!
Allow
me to elaborate....(pulls chair up..leans closer...elbows on
table...fingers clasped)...Regarding the fear factor...once a Zombie
with a flesh fetish has you in it’s cadaverous grasp it’s just a case of
…’Bite/Slurp/Chomp/Burp’....ok and maybe some discomfort...but after
that...that’s it!...All gone! Yes, that’s a pretty frightening
notion...but when it’s over so is your fear! What Moody does is surround
you with the ever present threat of such happening whilst concentrating
on other more prevalent issues such as...how the hell a small group of
ordinary people can possibly hope to survive in a world which is
ejaculating a tsunami of the walking dead every day! Now come
on...that’s chilling stuff...that’s ‘fear factor’...that’s nightmare
inducing...that’s...how to make the reader too damn scared to go to the
loo in the middle of the night!
The
three main survivors are Emma, Michael and Carl and it’s through
characters such as these that Moody is able to convey the very human
aspect of struggling to continue to stay alive. The characters use
straightforward language which is not only fitting but extremely
illustrative of their situation. It’s also superbly refreshing to find
that not one of these characters is a ‘Special Ops’ soldier...or
‘Expert’ of any kind...they’re just like you or me...See! Terrifying
eh???...Put yourself in their position. Imagine the horror of losing
everything you have taken for granted all of your life. The
omnipresence of the walking dead is your new landscape. You need to find
shelter/food/warmth/safety...if the word ‘safety’ exists anymore. Could
you too suffer the same fate as the infected ones? What exactly is your
future?...
To
conclude...This book began well...maintained, indeed, accelerated
interest throughout...and provided a powerful ending that left this
particular reader not only eager for the next book in the series...but
with a bit of a nervous twitch...(always a good sign).
Rating 5 out of 5 stars
Trust me if it wasn’t worth it I wouldn’t award it such.
By The Grumbling Gargoyle
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