In a sudden and worldwide outbreak, zombies are on the attack. This novel follows the stories of several groups of characters as they attempt to cope with the reality of a real-life, Romero-style zombie invasion, while struggling to survive the effects of waning resources and failed martial law.
Brown has a beautiful way with words, skillfully bringing one image to the next within the reader’s mind’s eye. What captured me the most was the brilliant juxtaposition of the undead and the slow waning of the human spirit within the living, the apathy and brutality exhibited by the survivors growing as the story progresses. I did find the sheer numbers of characters a little overwhelming, at times taking a page or two at the beginning of a new chapter to figure out whether I was reading about recurring characters or an altogether new group. I also had an issue with the choice to follow one character in first-person, especially since that character did not carry any more significant weight throughout the story than any of the other main storylines. The first-person narrative also carried some tense issues, going back and forth between present and past, which may have been a stylistic choice, but one that affected the flow of the prose just the same. There were some grammatical issues as well, and the ending, while clearly leaving room for sequels, was a bit anticlimactic. Had these minor issues been cleaned up, I would have given this book 5 stars, but as it stands, it is a very good read, one I very happily rate at a solid 4 stars.
Brown has a beautiful way with words, skillfully bringing one image to the next within the reader’s mind’s eye. What captured me the most was the brilliant juxtaposition of the undead and the slow waning of the human spirit within the living, the apathy and brutality exhibited by the survivors growing as the story progresses. I did find the sheer numbers of characters a little overwhelming, at times taking a page or two at the beginning of a new chapter to figure out whether I was reading about recurring characters or an altogether new group. I also had an issue with the choice to follow one character in first-person, especially since that character did not carry any more significant weight throughout the story than any of the other main storylines. The first-person narrative also carried some tense issues, going back and forth between present and past, which may have been a stylistic choice, but one that affected the flow of the prose just the same. There were some grammatical issues as well, and the ending, while clearly leaving room for sequels, was a bit anticlimactic. Had these minor issues been cleaned up, I would have given this book 5 stars, but as it stands, it is a very good read, one I very happily rate at a solid 4 stars.
RSS Feed
