Review: Dead of Night: A Zombie Novel by Jonathan Maberry

Title: Dead of Night: A Zombie Novel
Author: Jonathan Maberry | Website
Available: Now
Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Horror/Zombies
Source: Amazon Vine










Description via Goodreads:


A prison doctor injects a condemned serial killer with a formula designed to keep his consciousness awake while his body rots in the grave.  But all drugs have unforeseen side-effects.  Before he could be buried, the killer wakes up.  Hungry.  Infected.  Contagious.  This is the way the world ends.  Not with a bang…but a bite.


My thoughts:


Dead of Night takes place in a small Pennsylvania town that becomes infested with flesh eating zombies after a notorious serial killer, injected with a serum that would cause his conciousness to stay aware once he was buried, awakes in the local funeral home and starts feasting on the unsuspecting residents. The epidemic spreads quickly through the small town and soon even the police force have become one of the walking dead. 



Over the course of Dead of Night we see the chaos through the eyes of numerous characters. I found this quite difficult to follow for the the first 50-80 pages, but once I had become used to Maberry's writing style and the "voices" of his characters I was able to read the remaining 300 pages without difficulty. I liked that we not only saw the action via the villains and heroes, but from the POV of one of the infected. It was interesting to experience the thought process of a character carrying the infection. To know a little awareness still remained made this novel all the more frightening.


With so many characters weighing in, you'd think character development would be lacking. This wasn't the case. I sympathized with those fighting for the greater good and despised the bad guys. You won't believe who ends up being the bad guys in this one! Officer Dez Fox is determined to save her little town. She is a character that comes into this madness all ready emotionally damaged. It seems characters that share this quality are always more willing to put their life on the line. I liked her though and her partner J.T.


I'd most definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys a gruesome (emphasis on the gruesome) tale of zombies taking over the world one small town at a time. The ending of Dead of Night was wide open, and I wouldn't be surprised to see it turn into a series (and I definitely wouldn't complain).

My Rating:

Waiting On Wednesday - August 31st

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine. It is a chance to share books that have us readers counting down to release day.

This week I’m waiting on,

The Other Life

by Susanne Winnacker

Releases: February 2012

Synopsis via Goodreads

Sherry and her family have lived sealed in a bunker in the garden since things went wrong up above. Her grandfather has been in the freezer for the last three months, her parents are at each other’s throats and two minutes ago they ran out of food.

Sherry and her father leave the safety of the bunker and find a devastated and empty LA, smashed to pieces by bombs and haunted by ‘Weepers’ - rabid humans infected with a weaponized rabies virus.

While searching for food in a supermarket, Sherry’s father disappears and Sherry is saved by Joshua, a boy-hunter. He takes her to Safe-haven, a tumble-down vineyard in the hills outside LA, where a handful of other survivors are picking up the pieces of their ‘other lives’. As she falls in love for the first time, Sherry must save her father, stay alive and keep Joshua safe when his desire for vengeance threatens them all.

Why I’m “waiting on” The Other Life? I’m a sucker for any dystopian/post-apocalyptic tale especially if there are zombie like creatures roaming the earth. This one sounds super cool! 

What are you waiting on this week?

Review: Aftertime by Sophie Littlefield

Title: Aftertime
Series: Aftertime #1
Author: Sophie Littlefield | Author Website
Available: Now
Genre: Dystopian
Reading Level: Adult
Source: Amazon Vine












Synopsis via Goodreads:


Someone once said that all apocalypses are experienced locally. In the case of Cass Dollar, the nightmare occurred with the violent abduction of two-year-old Ruthie, which she vividly remembers. Only later is young Cass assaulted also by the vague, twisting memories of a much wider conflagration that she herself only narrowly survived. A government experiment had turned the entire California landscape into the hunting grounds of zombie Beaters, but Cass can only think of the helpless toddler she is missing.


My thoughts:


Wow, wow, wow! After reading numerous young adult dystopian tales it was refreshing to read about survival in a post-apocalyptic world from an adult's point of view. Cassandra Dollar wakes up with injuries consistent to those usually inflicted by the Beaters (AKA flesh eating zombies) that are roaming the world since a government mission gone wrong. She vaguely remembers being attacked, but knows people can't recover from the infection that ravages the body after coming in contact with an infected's saliva. At least until now she had thought it impossible. Quickly the desire to reunite with her young daughter, Ruthie, sets Cass into motion and on a long and difficult journey. The need to know her baby girl is safe is the force pushing and driving Cass to continue even when the outlook looks hopeless. She finds an ally in a man named, Smoke, who puts his faith in Cass even though she doesn't feel she deserves it. Together they search for Ruthie in a world defined by Before and After and discover along the way that the Beaters aren't the only threat to humanity. 

Cass is one of the most damaged heroines I've ever met. She has suffered a difficult life littered with addiction and abuse, but not once does her maternal instinct falter. That is what made me love her. She is an amazing woman who I felt a connection to almost immediately. This book is gritty and violent. I was concerned during the first chapter that the gruesome and gory details would be too much for me to continue, but Cass makes you want to keep reading. The author's writing teamed with a fast paced plot, and relatable characters made is painfully difficult to put Aftertime down once I started reading. 

The romantic elements involving Cass and Smoke, was a nice addition to the plot. I like that the author incorporated tender, and sometimes not so tender, moments between the two without detracting from the action and fight for survival that I've come to expect from dystopian and post-apocalyptic novels. Smoke is a man with so many layers, and I think we only saw a brief glimpse of who he is (and why) over the course of Aftertime. As far as Smoke is concerned, chivalry is not dead in Aftertime. He is always ready to sacrfice himself for the greater good. He is one of those men who it is difficult not to love. I hope we'll learn more about what he is hiding, and his life Before. 

All around Aftertime is just a great read. Not for the faint of heart as the author touches on sensitive topics and doesn't spare readers the gruesome details. This is a book that will take root in your head and leave you pining for more. I'm eager to read more from the talented author!

My Rating:

Books in this series:

Waiting On Wednesday ~ March 30th

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases we can’t wait for.

This week I’m waiting on,

Warm Bodies

by Isaac Marion

Release Date: April 26th

Synopsis via Goodreads

A zombie who yearns for a better life ends up falling in love—with a human—in this astonishingly original debut novel. 

R is a zombie. He has no memories, no identity, and no pulse, but he has dreams. He doesn’t enjoy killing people; he enjoys riding escalators and listening to Frank Sinatra. He is a little different from his fellow Dead.

Not just another zombie novel, Warm Bodies is funny, scary, and deeply moving.

Why I’m waiting on Warm Bodies? I ♥ Zombies! 

What are you waiting on?

Review: Thunder And Ashes by Z.A. Recht (Blog Tour)

Title: Thunder And Ashes
Series: Morningstar Strain #2
Author: Z.A. Recht
Available: Now
Reading Level: Adult


3.5 out of 5 Stars


**Possible spoilers for earlier books in this series below**










Description from Goodreads:


A lot can change in three months: wars can be decided, nations can be forged... or entire species can be brought to the brink of annihilation. The Morningstar Virus, an incredibly virulent disease, has swept the face of the planet, infecting billions. Its hosts rampage, attacking anything that remains uninfected. Even death can't stop the virus-its victims as cannibalistic shamblers. Scattered across the world, embattled groups have persevered. For some, surviving is the pinnacle of achievement. Others hoard goods and weapons. And still others leverage power over the remnants of humanity in the form of a mysterious cure for Morningstar. Francis Sherman and Anna Demilio want only a vaccine, but to find it, they must cross a countryside in ruins, dodging not only the infected, but also the lawless living. The bulk of the storm has passed over the world, leaving echoing thunder and softly drifting ashes. But for the survivors, the peril remains, and the search for a cure is just beginning...


My thoughts:


Thunder and Ashes follows three groups of Morningstar Virus survivors. When infected the virus causes you to become the living dead. The first set is lead by a couple of military men who are trying to get to Omaha. Over the course of their travels they find themselves helping a survivors village deal with some ruthless bandits. The second group contains the doctor who is considered an expert on The Morningstar Virus. She is attempting to get to Omaha so she can work on a vaccine. Survivor groups one and two hope to meet up at the research facility in Omaha. The final set are sailors from the USS Ramage. They’ve abandoned ship, and while exploring an abandoned town they find themselves in possession of a seriously hot commodity. 


Ok, I did it again. I read a series out of order. I didn’t realize this was a sequel to another book. I saw zombies and thought Heck Yeah! Thankfully, reading this without reading the first turned out not to be a big deal. Background info was provided, and I pieced together what had occurred in book one, Plague of the Dead. 


The husband and I are both a little zombie obsessed. We have a group of friends who we’ve planned our survival strategy with. Yes, we roll nerdy. So when I discover a new book starring the undead I have to read it. Thunder and Ashes portrayed the reanimated in a different light than I’ve seen so far. You have two types, shamblers and sprinters. The names are pretty self-explanatory. Shamblers move slowly so you can usually get away. The sprinters are the scary ones. They can catch you. Once they’ve let out their roar to alert other undead in the area you better make yourself scarce. They hunt like a pack. Zombies are scary, but the thought that they would be coordinated enough to actually hunt together and sprint after you is seriously unsettling. 


Kudos to the author for pointing out the virus is in the blood, and having character decontaminate themselves after a bloody battle with the undead. I hate when folks are out bludgeoning zombies in books or movies with little concern for blood splatter. Hello! Get some protective gear. Last thing you want is zombie blood or brain matter in your eye. Nice group of characters featured in this one. They could have been a little more developed. The pacing could have also been better. An extra 30 pages would have provided a meatier story, and maybe not such a rushed ending. Even with the minor flaws I was enthralled. This would make a fantastic movie. Seriously scary stuff, and if you’re looking for something to make you sleep with the lights on this is it. 


I plan to backtrack and read the first book in this series. While I was researching the series further, I was sad to learn the author had passed away. A ghostwriter is working on finishing the third book in this series which is titled Survivors.

On the web:

The Morningstar Saga Website

Books in this series:

Source: Publisher

Review: Rise Again by Ben Tripp (Blog Tour)

Title: Rise Again
Author: Ben Tripp
Publisher: Pocket
Number of pages: 352
Available: Now
Reading Level: Adult


5 out of 5 Stars










Description from publisher:


It’s Fourth of July in Forest Peak, California, a small town on the outskirts of Los Angeles. Sheriff Danielle Adelman, a troubled Iraq war veteran, thinks she has all the problems she can handle in this all-American town after her kid sister runs away from home. But when a disease-stricken horde of panicked refugees fleeing the fall of Los Angeles swarms her small mountain community, Danny realizes her problems have only just begun—starting with what might very well be the end of the world.  She thought she had seen humanity at its worst in Iraq, but nothing could prepare her for the remorseless struggle to survive a world overrun with reanimated dead and men turned monster. Obsessed with finding her sister at all costs, Danny’s epic and dangerous journey across the California desert will challenge her spirit, and bring her to the precipice of sanity itself.

My thoughts:

Danielle Adelman, known to most as Danny, is an ex Marine struggling with a bad case of post-traumatic stress disorder. Working as the sheriff in the small town of Forest Peak, California, and drowning her nightmares in pills and alcohol. She is also responsible for the care of her younger sister who decided the 4th of July was a good day to run away. Danny wakes up with a wicked hangover to find her sister, and beloved Ford Mustang gone. Thinking the worst thing she’d have to do that day is suffer silently through the small town’s Independence Day festivities while waiting for word Kelley has turned up. She soon discovers she’ll be fighting more than a hangover when people start behaving strangely.

Let me start by saying this book was scary as hell. I don’t read a lot of horror or watch many scary flicks, but I have a strange love of all things zombie. Rise Again was the perfect combination of flesh eating undead, and human response when things start to fall apart.

Main character Danny isn’t like any female protag you’ve met before. She isn’t beautiful, nor is she brilliant. She’s a hard ass and street smart. As the plot progresses she deals with flashbacks of her time in Iraq, while trying to cope with the zombie invasion happening in her present. She is described in the book as “the unstoppable alpha female”. I found that to be the perfect description for Danny. She’s flawed, and doesn’t realize how badly until her only family takes off leaving just a brutally honest letter behind. She’s left feeling compelled to find her missing sister, Kelley, and save the civilians who have put their faith in her as their savior from the madness taking over the country. I loved reading about Danny’s journey.

Not only does this book have a great main character, but the secondary characters are perfect additions to the story line. I loved watching them grow as characters throughout the novel. At least those lucky enough to survive ;) Parts of this novel gave me chills. Especially when they’re listening to the reports from the weather channel on the radio. Super creepy!

Gruesome and intense, but I loved every minute! I devoured this novel like the undead did their human prey. The perfect addition to my Halloween reading list!

Goodreads | Amazon

Source: Received from the publisher in exchange for my honest review and participation in the Rise Again Blog Tour

ARC Review: Dust by Joan Frances Turner

Title: Dust
Author: Joan Frances Turner
Release Date: 9/7/2010
Publisher: Ace
Number of pages: 384
Reading level: Adult


4.5 out of 5 Stars


Thanks Book it Forward Tours for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.






Description from Goodreads:

Nine years ago, Jessie had a family. Now, she has a gang.

Nine years ago, Jessie was a vegetarian. Now, she eats very fresh meat.

Nine years ago, Jessie was in a car crash and died. Nine years ago, Jessie was human.

Now, she’s not.

After she was buried, Jessie awoke and tore through the earth to arise, reborn, as a zombie. Jessie’s gang is the Fly-by-Nights. She loves the ancient, skeletal Florian and his memories of time gone by. She’s in love with Joe, a maggot-infested corpse. They fight, hunt, dance together as one—something humans can never understand. There are dark places humans have learned to avoid, lest they run into the zombie gangs.

But now, Jessie and the Fly-by-Nights have seen new creatures in the woods—things not human and not zombie. A strange new illness has flamed up out of nowhere, causing the undeads to become more alive and the living to exist on the brink of death. As bits and pieces of the truth fall around Jessie, like the flesh off her bones, she’ll have to choose between looking away or staring down the madness—and hanging onto everything she has come to know as life…

First Line:

My right arm fell off today. Lucky for me, I’m left-handed.

My thoughts:

With a first line like that I knew I was in for an interesting read. Jessie is a teen girl who was killed by a drunk driver. Her parents also perished in the accident leaving behind her two older siblings. Months later she dug her way from her grave, and joined the ranks of the undead.  

As a self-proclaimed zombie sympathizer I knew this book was a must read. FYI they prefer the term undead ;) Dust is one of those books that you can’t get out of your head. It has been days since I finished and I’m still thinking about it. 

Dust is a fresh and exciting addition to zombie culture. Jessie was an excellent narrator and seemed to embrace her new life. I love books with a strong female lead, dead or not. I was drawn in by the idea that they retain their memories and even some emotions. I loved the idea that they have the ability to understand the speech of humans as well as communicate amongst themselves. Their behavior was similar to pack animals, and the bonds they formed were fascinating. This book will make you forget everything you thought you knew about zombies. An engaging plot combined with an almost poetic writing style made for late nights of reading. I don’t want to give too much away because there is so much to be discovered in this novel. It’s about time the undead told their side of the story. 

This book does contain violence as well as adult language. The squeamish may want to proceed with caution. Lots of talk of decay and the likes. I must say I’ve never had the description of maggots and rot presented in such beautifully worded sentences. The author’s writing style drags you in and makes you feel like you’re experiencing it first hand. I’m thrilled to learn there will be a sequel.

Dust Trailer:

Joan Frances Turner on the web:

Website

Pre-order from Amazon:

Dust (Ace)