Review: This Is Not a Test by Courtney Summers

Synopsis:
It’s the end of the world. Six students have taken cover in Cortege High but shelter is little comfort when the dead outside won’t stop pounding on the doors. One bite is all it takes to kill a person and bring them back as a monstrous version of their former self.

To Sloane Price, that doesn’t sound so bad. Six months ago, her world collapsed and since then, she’s failed to find a reason to keep going. Now seems like the perfect time to give up. As Sloane eagerly waits for the barricades to fall, she’s forced to witness the apocalypse through the eyes of five people who actually want to live.

But as the days crawl by, the motivations for survival change in startling ways and soon the group’s fate is determined less and less by what’s happening outside and more and more by the unpredictable and violent bids for life—and death—inside.

When everything is gone, what do you hold on to?

Publication Date: June 19, 2012
Genre: Young Adult, Post-Apocalyptic, Zombie
Source: My own Tower of Books


Review:
Not since I read The Book Thief over four years ago have I been so in awe of somebody's writing. I'm not saying the writing is the same as in that book, but it is so totally different from any other style/approach to a story and it is freaking amazing. The words 'verbal vomit' come to mind. BUT not in a bad way at all.  It's as if the author can harness the insane way our own brains work and think through things in our heads, where only we can hear, and that's how she writes for the MC in this book, Sloane. The emotions in it are so truthfully deep. Purely genius and fan-frickin-tastic to read.

Sloane (wishing I could have a fourth child to use this name on :) is living with her father when the world goes to hell. And it all goes wrong on the day she was planning to kill herself to be free from her abusive father and also to be free from the ache and betrayal of her sister leaving her there with her dad to basically suffer his abuse alone.

The progression of her character in this book is beautiful and poetic to read. She finds herself in a group of survivors inside of her old school. The problem being that she has never wanted to survive, the zombie outbreak hasn't shattered her world like it has all the others because she's never felt like she had something to live for anyway. As she's narrating the story I noticed that at first she's always talking about everyone else, narrating what's going on while she watches. She doesn't really get involved but as she starts trying to come to terms with the things warring within her she gradually becomes more present in her first person narrative. If that makes sense :) I was seriously in awe of Courtney Summers writing in this, like it was blowing my mind as to how someone could even write something so amazing.

I should definitely mention that this book will be appealing to absolutely everyone. Yes, I'm going to stand by that blanket statement. You don't like zombies? Cool, because this book isn't about zombies. You love zombies? Great, because this book has those. It's a book about people and emotions and motivations and so many other things...that just so happens to have zombies in it as the catalyst for all those other things to be revealed.

I want to also bring up how much I love the cover and title of this book.  The cover is just straight up awesome.  And I should point out that you'll be seeing some more blood spattering on the pages within the book as you go along. Now that title. Before reading the book I just assumed that it was playing into the fact that they were trapped in a school and it's not a test, get it? More literally it's taken from a radio broadcast in the book that repeats 'This Is Not a Test' over and over. But once you've read the whole thing it takes on such a new meaning in regards to Sloane and how she deals with the entire situation.

Obviously I loved this book and I think everyone should read it and love it too :)

Review: The Weepers: The Other Life by Susanne Winnacker

Synopsis:
3 years, 1 month, 1 week and 6 days since I’d seen daylight. One-fifth of my life.

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.

Publication Date: May 15, 2012
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal, Post Apocalyptic, Zombie
Source: Thanks to Marshall Cavendish for making this title available through Netgalley.


Review:
I have to say I agree with alot of the reviews I read about this book. A decently entertaining read that really gets interesting the last 20 pgs or so. I liked the book alright, but never had any 'wow' moments. The plot is interesting, especially once you find out the history behind the virus that has changed so many people and how it has affected the rest of the world.

I know alot of people could go either way as far as romance is concerned in their books. But I find that I will like a book exponentially more if it does have romance at least threaded throughout. There is some of that in The Weepers but it's not the focus of the book. Like I said, that's not a problem for some people.

There were only a few things that really stood out to me that I disliked. First, the MC's name is mentioned so few times that I had to look it up to even write it out in this review. (It's Sherry btw) The second thing is just all the counting of days. Sherry lived in a bunker with her family for years and the total days is something like 1,141. For me, when I see a number written like that I have to say it all out. One thousand, one hundred forty-one. It kept jumping me out of the book. That might not bother anybody else but me...

I really liked the story of how The Weepers came to be. I think it's pretty unique as far as zombie-esque stories go. I liked the fact that these infected humans still have some sort of intelligence which makes them a bit more daunting to face down. I really liked Tyler's character but wished there was more of him in it...which is a distinct possibility for the next book.

All in all, this is an entertaining and quick read. I can see the series getting more and more interesting as it goes.

Review: Latter-Day of the Dead by Kevin Krohn

Synopsis:
Harrowing cries escaped the contorted faces of our flock. End of Days was a known truth but never a faced reality. Once the madness broke...we feared it would never subside.

Publication Date: March 10, 2012
Genre: Adult, Zombie, Horror
Source: Thanks so much to the Author, Kevin Krohn, for my review copy!


Review:
I've been reading a lot of Zombie genre stuff lately. Some have been amazing and others have fallen short of what I had hoped they would be. Latter-Day of the Dead has a very unique premise and delivered on my (high) expectations for this genre.

If I could describe this book in two words I'd use: realistic and...er...um, realistic :) I know some people just can't get into the whole zombie thing, but I can easily dive into the story and believe that part of it (if done well). So to me even that part is realistic, but just assuming you are on board with zombie-ness I'm talking about the realism in the setting and how the characters react to the situation.

A zombie outbreak occurs in a secluded, polygamist community. All of the minute details are there without over-powering the story. It really makes the story what it is. I can't even imagine the amount of research that went into this novel, but it makes a huge impact on the reader.

There is plenty of gore and craziness (loved it), but I really liked the story going on with the community and their leader. I'm excited to see this continue into the next book. The only negative thing I have to say is that it was shorter than I expected. But that just means I loved it and wanted to keep going even after it ended :)


Find out more about this book on Amazon or Goodreads.

Review: Aftereffects - Zombie Therapy (From the Case Files of Dr. Victor Frenzel) by Zane Bradey

Synopsis:
One day you are an average citizen, carrying on with everyday mundane tasks, the next, you are a fiendish zombie looking to tear off, and eat the flesh of every family member, friend, neighbor, and stranger you come in contact with. That's where your story ends, right? You're destined to live out your remaining days as a blood-thirsty zombie until deprivation or some un-infected vigilante lays you to rest?

Wrong. The government creates a cure for your cannibalistic condition. Unfortunately, you remember every gory detail of your killing sprees. Can you cope with the fact that you ingested your fellow human beings? Good news: psychiatrist Dr. Victor Frenzel has devoted himself to treating the psychological aspects of living life after being a flesh-eating zombie. He's accepting new clients and wants to help you get on with your life. Unless, he suspects that you are one of the infected cannibalistic fiends who ate his lovely young wife, Barbara. In that case you might be a particularly prime candidate for one of his more cutting-edge treatments. Either way you will be cured...

Publication Date: February 26, 2012
Genre: Zombie, Horror, Adult Fiction
Source: My own Tower of Books

Review:
I found this book via Twitter and decided it sounded pretty awesome and worth a shot for the small price of $.99. How could I possibly resist?

This is a little gem of a zombie book that must be read! The premise is that the masses are infected and zombies are roaming and eating whoever they can lay hands on . . . BUT then a cure is administered and these individuals are 'cured' and sent on their merry way. We learn the stories of a few of these people as they are going to zombie therapy with Dr. Victor Frenzel. But this is no ordinary therapist and he's got his own agenda while 'helping' his patients. Each individual story that we hear from Dr. Frenzel's patients will pull you in and make your heart race and maybe make you go 'Eww' at some point too. I read it in one sitting and couldn't put it down.

Aftereffects was a gorey, thought-provoking, zombie-y, heart-pounding adrenaline rush. And pure genius. I loved it from start to finish. It's not a very long read and that would be my only complaint. This first book ends with the door wide open for a sequel which will hopefully be out sometime this year. You zombie fans should give this one a try!

Review: Patient Zero by Jim Beck

Synopsis:
Bob has a brain tumor.

Not to worry, though. He's the prime subject for a new procedure involving nanotechnology. Microscopic robots are introduced into his body and effectively destroy the tumor. Job well done.

But there's a catch. A virus lying dormant for years inside him is manipulated by the tiny machines and causes Bob to die and then be brought back to life as a zombie.

His transformation into one of the living dead is slow, first appearing as a skin rash and advanced arthritis. And if that wasn't bad enough, the virus has mutated and Bob is slowly losing control. Now, no one is safe -- not the neighborhood pets, his co-workers, even his son.

Told from the point of view of the zombie virus itself, this story of a single father, his son, and a zombie outbreak is a cautionary tale of advanced medical science and where it might lead us.

Review:
First off, let me just say . . . Read this book . . . Read it! If you like zombie books, you will love it.  If you hate zombie books, you will see why everybody else likes zombie books and why you should too :) Seriously though, it approaches the matter of 'could it really happen?' in a way that will convince even you skeptics out there *aggressively points at people that are skeptical . . . of zombie fiction*

The idea of writing it from the virus's point of view is genius.  It is such a new way to approach the whole zombie thing.  And seriously, the virus is telling you how this all happened in a scientific (and entertaining) way that is totally believable.  I loved it from start to finish.  And speaking of the end of the book, it is brilliant.  My mouth was hanging open :)

As far as the writing goes, it's engaging and entertaining.  It deals with the gruesome aspects in an almost light-hearted way.  Probably because the virus is feeling pretty proud of his successful endeavor.  There are some pop-culture references thrown in that fit perfectly with the tone of the writing (and kind of reminds me of another horror writer that seamlessly throws those into his own well-known novels).

Catch the fever.  Zombie fiction fever, that is :) Check this one out!

Publication Date:
Genre: Adult, Fiction, Zombie, Apocalypse
Source: Thanks to the author Jim Beck for my review copy.



You can find out more about Jim and his book Patient Zero on his Website or Author Page.
Also, find his book on Amazon and Smashwords