First off, I love Karina Halle's Experiment in Terror series so hard. She does scary very, very well. ThouI just got horror fix and it was oh-so-good!
First off, I love Karina Halle's Experiment in Terror series so hard. She does scary very, very well. Though she's become immensely popular for her contemporary new adult Artist Trilogy, I honestly believe her voice excels when it comes to horror. Red Morning Sky (#3 in Experiment in Terror)is one of my all-time favorite horror novels. It scared the ever loving life out of me.
Therefore, when I heard she was doing a standalone horror novel and it would have zombies, I was thrilled.
Donners of the Dead takes a true life event, mixes in some Native American folklore, old West flavorin', and a heap of terror to deliver one of my favorite zombie reads in a long while. The whole story has a very nice Old West meets Night of the Living Dead feel to it. It's like a John Wayne movie directed by George Romero. You have the young, pretty half-Native girl, the rogue with a heart of gold, villains with secret agendas, a dash of romance, and plenty of monsters.
To our modern sensibilities, there will be some aspects of the story people won't like, but are true to the time period. The racism and sexism the main character faces throughout the book is unsettling. She's not only in danger because there are undead creatures stalking her party, but also because of her heritage and her gender. Our "cold-hearted" rogue tosses some pretty unseemly comments her way. Even when he starts to show there is more to him than a snarl, he continues to make comments that tend to reinforce their gender roles. It really did remind me a lot of John Wayne movies in that regard. Yet, it adds to the conflict of the story because Eve doesn't have an easy time of it. She really is set apart and alone in the world.
I've heard some criticism from others about the romance, but I didn't have a problem with it. Considering the time period, circumstances, etc...I could see emotions developing at an accelerated pace. Besides, most of the couples I know were instantly attracted to each other and that's why they started to date. In the time period the book was set, people courted with the intention of marriage, and young women often were married off in their teens to much older men. Eve acknowledges that her life is ruled by her uncle and that she'd even have any sort of say who she married wouldn't be expected.
Would I want to get hot and bothered if being stalked by zombies? Who's to say? If facing an inevitable death, I may just grab what little joy has left to offer.
I gobbled the book up and really enjoyed it a lot. Yes, there were a few things that made me scratch my head, but it was nothing that distracted from the story as a whole. Because we're locked into the first person perspective of the female protagonist, we are dependent on a narrator who does not have all the facts. This also applies to our lead male character. She misinterprets a lot of his actions in the beginning of the book because of her limited world view.
All in all a solid zombie book with plenty of chills and thrills.
P.S. I wrote this while in the throes of a migraine. I hope it makes sense!
What can I say? Jessica Meigs is an awesome writer! She really hits it out of the park with this debut novel. The writing isThis is a 4.5 star review.
What can I say? Jessica Meigs is an awesome writer! She really hits it out of the park with this debut novel. The writing is crisp, exciting, dynamic, and freakin' scary! Her characters are well-defined, make sense, and interact with each other very realistically. Her zombie mythos has a slight new twist to it, which I found to be fun, and there were some seriously intense scenes that had me gripping my tablet with both hands.
I read this book in ONE sitting, curled up on my bed, in the dark, with my cats and hubby, unable to go to sleep until I was DONE.
This book rocks it!
What I truly love about this book is that Jessica makes the story fresh though there are a few tropes that are now zombie standards (zombie kid-check, stop at gun store-check, military badass-check, tormented cop-check, badass chick with anger issues-check). Her writing is so deft, so spot-on, that even if you guess what is about to happen, you're still scared for the characters. That is GOOD writing. I love it when an author can take something that people declare as "over" or "worn out" and knocks it out of the park. The characters felt real to me and I was more emotionally invested in them than I thought I would be.
Honestly, this book should be a must-read for anyone who loves zombies, post apocalyptic fiction, or likes kickass heroines.
Jessica Meigs is one of the best new authors I've read in the last year....more
**spoiler alert** I really enjoyed HOLLOWLAND, so heading into the sequel I was very excited to find out what happens to Remy.
I give this novel 3.5 st**spoiler alert** I really enjoyed HOLLOWLAND, so heading into the sequel I was very excited to find out what happens to Remy.
I give this novel 3.5 stars.
Though I did enjoy this novel as well, I was disappointed in a few things. Namely the entire cast of the first book is either dead or missing (or soon to be dead) when the book begins. All the characters I had grown to care about in the first book are replaced by characters I really never get to know. It was difficult for me to accept that Lazlo had left without Remy and their brief conversation via a radio was stilted and odd. I was really sad to see Blue as a zombie and Harlow dies off screen.
Though the action scenes were awesome as always, Remy was very unlikable in this novel and pretty stupid. I'm starting to wonder if she's not totally human either. She rarely eats, is very emaciated and suffers some grievous wounds, but somehow keeps living and kicking zombie butt.
I did end up liking Boden and Dr. Daniels, but the rest of the characters felt rather lifeless. I wish Remy had grown more in this book, but she came across as an anti-social bitch most of the time. I found it difficult to have an emotional connection to most of the characters.
The zombie action was very good (as usual) and Amanda Hocking is very good at action scenes. I enjoyed the pacing of the book and the overall story.
I'm looking forward to the third book and hopefully the return of Lazlo....more
I had mixed feelings upon finishing the Forest of Hands and Teeth. I loved the world building, the mythos and the plot, but had trouble liking the proI had mixed feelings upon finishing the Forest of Hands and Teeth. I loved the world building, the mythos and the plot, but had trouble liking the protagonist. But I did enjoy the book overall and had no hesitation ordering the second novel in the series.
The second book features Mary's daughter, Gabry. Gabry is definitely a more sympathetic character than her mother and I enjoyed her journey a lot more than that of her mother. I was able to connect with the character and empathize with her pathos in a way I never could with Mary.
The world of the dead is fleshed out even more than in the first book and it is an intriguing world at that! There are good action scenes, excellent character development and spectacular world-building. I am thoroughly intrigued by the world the author has created. I enjoyed this book a lot more than the first one. The weaknesses of the first one are absent in the second.
Since both books are written in first person and from the perspective of a teenage girl, I'm not sure this book is for everyone. As an adult woman, I often had to think back to my own teenage years and the emotions and uncertainty that haunted them in order to connect with Gabry.
I definitely think the books add to the zombie genre and I look forward to her next novel....more
I loved this book. It was funny, sick, twisted, exciting, and horrific. I burst out laughing more than once when reading this book. I tried to not devI loved this book. It was funny, sick, twisted, exciting, and horrific. I burst out laughing more than once when reading this book. I tried to not devour it in big chunks, but I couldn't help myself. When I finished, I was mad at myself for not savoring it. I will definitely be rereading it....more
I absolutely loved this book and devoured it within days. First off, the plot is not only realistic (a man trying to get to his family), but full of nI absolutely loved this book and devoured it within days. First off, the plot is not only realistic (a man trying to get to his family), but full of non-stop action, kick ass zombie gore, and fantastic characterization. It was very hard to put this book down and get some sleep at night. I was so hooked it was hard not to keep reading to find out what came next.
Joe McKinney is a real life police officer (he is a homicide detective) and fellow Texan. He brings the flavor of Texas to the novel and gives great insight into the world of a police officer. I also liked the fact that his main character reacted like a normal person to the zombie outbreak. The emotions Eddie is overwhelmed with at times were gut-wrenching. I was really glad that despite his training and desire to survive, the character never devolves into a Rambo-type alpha male with grandiose posturing.
This zombie novel has definitely jumped to the top of my list of personal favorites in the genre.
**spoiler alert** Lakewood Memorial is a fast and enjoyable read. I gobbled it up in just a few hours and had a great time doing so. Robert R. Best ma**spoiler alert** Lakewood Memorial is a fast and enjoyable read. I gobbled it up in just a few hours and had a great time doing so. Robert R. Best may be my sworn enemy (we're both zombie genre writers and love to tease each other), but the man with the big head wrote a story with a big heart. I found myself rooting for both our lead and her two kids.
The plot is simple. Zombie outbreak occurs. Nurse on duty at the hospital ends up in a whole lot of trouble. Nurse's kids are home with the babysitter and end up in a whole lot of trouble. The rest of the book is all about the family trying to reunite while fighting off zombies and dealing with some truly horrifying deaths.
The zombies in this novel are persistent and terrifying. They also appear to be EVERYWHERE. But considering these zombies crawled out of their graves and began making more of the undead, this makes sense even though the outbreak has just happened.
The action is swift, the gore icky, and the characters likable.
My only gripe (and I said this to his face at the Horror Realm convention) was that I felt the book ended on a cliffhanger. This surprised him. He felt he had resolved his main storyline, but I disagreed. Strongly.
I want the sequel NOW.
I need to know what happened NOW.
Robert R. Best better be writing the sequel or I am gonna smack his big ol' head the next time I see him.
Though it pains me to admit it, my archenemy has written a very good book.
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