Posted by Brian on Monday, Jul 22, 2013
Michael and his brother Patrick have been on the run from zombies, called "Bellows," for weeks in rural West Virginia. Michael has been protecting the emotionally fragile Patrick from the reality of their situation by telling him that it's all part of a game, and that he receives instructions nightly (after Patrick has fallen asleep) from the "Game Master." The game is complete with points for downing zombies and scavenging for food and ammo. They'll "win" once they find the Safe Zone and are reunited with their mom. Michael's carefully constructed game begins to fall apart when they encounter other survivors: An insane cult that worships the Bellows, and a small, but well-armed, group led by the mysterious Captain Jopek.
The novel's main strength is Michael's stream-of-consciousness voice that's littered with video game references and lingo. This may turn-off some readers, but I loved it! Martin, a debut author, is great at writing action and grisly descriptions of the undead. There's a lot of both. I highly recommend it to big brothers, gamers and zombie enthusiasts.
About the Author
Brian works as the Senior Adult Services Librarian at the Iowa City Public Library.
We get 15 separate stories that, when you read them all, feel like an adventure or journey with old friends. The stories are told roughly in chronological order and flow into each other well. He begins with the creation myth which was my least favorite. I need characters and relationships. Once those were introduced, there wasn't a single tale that was a miss. The stories culminate in Ragnarok: The end of all things, but there's beauty in the destruction. There's rebirth and hope and the promise of new tales. I listened to half of the book as a Book on Disc. Gaiman reads it himself, and his voice adds magic. One of my favorite reads of the year. -Brian