Into the Forest: A Novel Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy Into the Forest: A Novel? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Into the Forest: A Novel. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Into the Forest: A Novel ReviewI'm a big fan of post holocaust fiction. I've read hundreds of stories over the past 40 years about Life after Doomsday. This is absolutely one of the best. It avoids the common assumptions of the genre. There is no sudden and dramatic change in the lives of the two young protagonists. There isn't an immediate awareness on the part of the community that something awful and terrifying is occurring. People don't suddenly go berserk. Marauding gangs of psychopaths don't appear out of nowhere to prey upon the vulnerability of their fellow citizens. Every character, every behavior, every reaction is believable and easily explained within the context of known human behavior. Everyone initially clings desperately to the belief that things haven't really changed, that the situation isn't that bad, that tomorrow, things will all return to normal. It's just a matter of holding on and continuing with their daily routines.
Hegland's placing of Nell and her sister Eva in a forest, far from the nearest town, was a brilliant device on many levels. Normally, doomsday writers place their protagonists right in the thick of things. They trap them in cities or situations where they can inflict upon them every supposedly predictable terror of life after the collapse, showing us clearly frightened people in clearly frightening times.
But Nell and Eva live in a quiet forest. The forest isn't just a location here. It's not there just to show us the girls' gardening skills or how to live a self-sufficient life. The forest is a major, living, breathing protagonist. Hegland renders it's character brilliantly. It is both serene and tumultuous, comforting and menancing, fiercely protective and neglectful. Placing Nell and her sister in this quiet, slow environment creates a constant sense of dread and tension in the story - what unknowable things are going on outside this ageless, unjudgmental sanctuary? What horrors are taking place? Are cities burning? Has the law of the jungle replaced the fragile contracts between people? Is inescapable death slowing overtaking mankind? Are all the horrors imaginable about to invade this oasis of calm, and when and how will they come? The little intrusions of the outside world that do occur are more terrifying as a result. The forest doesn't protect Nell and Eva from evil. It wreaks no havoc on transgressors, it passes no judgments, it doesn't change or adapt. "Bring it on" it seems to say. "I will not be changed. I will simply out last you, neutralize you with my steadfastness, absord your impact and accept it as part of my nature."
The forest is a sort of allegory for the the human spirit. Primieval, indestructable and unchanging, it survives despite the modern mistakes of humankind.
I disagree strongly with the reviewer who says this is not an inspirational story. It is a story filled with hope and promise. Strip away the false values, the intellectualism, the materialism and the intolerance that are so much a part of the modern human's psyche, and you are left with what got us this far to begin with, and what will save us in the end - a sense of beauty, perseverance, tolerance and acceptance of the world as it is.
It's a beautiful, poetically written story, and well worth a place on anyone's bookshelf.
Into the Forest: A Novel Overview

Want to learn more information about Into the Forest: A Novel?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

Deep Winter Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy Deep Winter? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Deep Winter. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Deep Winter ReviewI really wanted to like this book. I tried so very hard to like this book. Honest, I did. I'm a dystopia/utopia, post-apocalyptic, world is collapsing literature fan like no other. So to have a book being written by someone who is actually a person who understands preparedness that is not just a how-to was an exciting prospect.
Unfortunately, there is no amount of force that can make me like this book.
The story premise is good enough to have made a great book. The Drummonds, a family of 4, are hit by a massive earthquake in the PNW. While this may seem a local disaster, it is quickly followed by the rapid crash of the United States like a large house of cards. Financial messes of the past catch up with us and bank failures domino into a lack of imports without cash, insufficient coverages on debt and personal disasters as corporations fall. The Drummonds and most of the remaining members of their small community are left essentially alone without the massive aid that our country has sent to disaster areas in the past.
Without fuel, electricity and even structurally sound homes, they make do with what they have in creative ways. The community rallies, at least the good guys do, and through much they persevere and turn lawns into farms and spare parts into power.
Sounds good, right? I thought so too. But then I read the first page and my heart sunk. The editing in this book is so bad as to be non-existent. While I understand this is a self-published book, the author is on enough of the same message boards as I am to know that he had a vast resource at his fingertips just to check grammar if he so chose. The run on sentences, bad grammar, repetitive word choice and poor writing habits are obvious and distracting. But I can forgive that, after all, it is self published and like many others in the genre, like Lights Out, there is no rule that says he can't re-write.
But then you have to deal with the brand name bonanza. One of the worst habits that post-apocalyptic or SHTF (S*.^ hit the fan) novels or stories fall into is the incessant listing of brands and model numbers. Every single thing is listed out by brand. The hero doesn't just pull on some boots to go outside. No, he pulls on his Cabela Model XYZ that he got three years ago and show only approximately 30% wear, boots to go outside. ARGH...that is such a bad habit! It is even worse in that it immediately dates the book and makes it irrelevant when models change in a year or two. Enough said about that.
There is also the problem of believability and scale. We don't find out the size of the property the Drummonds live on for over 200 pages, yet we are walked from place to place into a large number of buildings containing an infinite array of stuff. Yet we also know his place is in a subdivision where he can see his neighbors. It is a distracting gap and one that makes it seem like he didn't map out his own setting. It turns out the place is rather small and yet he has more outbuildings than I've seen on a crowded looking 10 acre farmette. And the sheer quantities he talks about of various items, from tractors to generators to large food caches, leaves a mental image of the home of a hoarder in the OCD sense of the word.
And, of course, there is the issue of the man who has everything, knows everything and even more unbelievable, knows where it all is. This might not sound like it would be a major point, but we're not talking about your home workshop here. We're talking such a vast amount of equipment and parts from big to tiny that you would need a warehouse for it all. All this is jumbled up in shaken outbuildings and a half collapsed home. Yet never once does he falter or need directions.
And then there is the attitude. In Deep Winter and Shatter I counted over 800 instances of rank sexism and non-Christian hatemongering. After a second reading, in which I took notes and did the counting, I realized that this book didn't so much remind me of a good down-home family surviving the crash of the modern world but instead a clan of Christian-Identity members relishing the crash. I know that sounds harsh, but there it is. There is no personality at all in any female in the book. And often they are just referred to as a subordinate group such as saying "the women" did this or "the females" went to do that. In this book, the idea of the Christian male who controls all activities and has the last word in all matters with the surrendered female is laid out in all its sickening splendor. This isn't to say that I disapprove of anyone's religion since I certainly don't even if I don't share it. But having it simply laid out repeatedly as established fact that anyone who isn't Christian deserves what is happening and those not sharing his religious belief simply get a lower priority in saving or helping isn't pretty.
As if all that weren't enough, there is the lack of emotion. Any person, even abnormal ones, are going to have some reaction to big traumatic happenings. In one instance just after the quake and while the world is still going along, their best friends show up. While attending a high school sports activity, the place basically collapses and kills a couple of hundred folks right in front of them and their kids. Now, if you showed up at a friend's house and relayed that story, what do you suppose the reaction would be? Shock, maybe horror and certainly concern for how those kids are, right? Nope. These folks actually sat in their car right outside the death scene, simply assuming everyone was dead, until light then drove straight over for tea and cookies with the Drummonds. And after going from sports to massacre, they immediately transition to small talk and jokes around a cozy wood stove. This is just one of a great many instances in which this story winds up as purely mechanical and has no emotional resonance with charcters that behave more like hard drives.
My bottom line on this book is that it is a great story premise with much potential. It needs a serious edit for mechanical problems. It really needs to be reconsidered in his obvious biases and intolerance for other religons and vastly improve his characterizations for all the characters he personally doesn't see himself in such as the female characters. For those who like to read about the minutiae of how to make a generator out of a spare small engine and want recommendations on which jacket lasts in adverse conditions, this might strike just the right chord.Deep Winter Overview

Want to learn more information about Deep Winter?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

Everything Is Going to Kill Everybody: The Terrifyingly Real Ways the World Wants You Dead Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy Everything Is Going to Kill Everybody: The Terrifyingly Real Ways the World Wants You Dead? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Everything Is Going to Kill Everybody: The Terrifyingly Real Ways the World Wants You Dead. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Everything Is Going to Kill Everybody: The Terrifyingly Real Ways the World Wants You Dead ReviewName 5 ways we're all going to die. Do it! Right now! Before reading this book I knew of maybe three ways: asteroid, war, or plague. Wait, four--global warming. Robert Brockway details, like, 20, and each one scares you more than the last. I've learned way more about killer volcanos, super hurricanes, and killer robots than I ever actually wanted to know, but at least all this fear-mongering put a smile on my face. So buy the book, get informed of all ways everything and everybody wants you dead, and come join me in my bunker. I have nachos!Everything Is Going to Kill Everybody: The Terrifyingly Real Ways the World Wants You Dead Overview

Want to learn more information about Everything Is Going to Kill Everybody: The Terrifyingly Real Ways the World Wants You Dead?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

The Lie: A Novel Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy The Lie: A Novel? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on The Lie: A Novel. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

The Lie: A Novel ReviewI've been reading a lot of fratire books lately and this one is definitely one of my favorites. I liked Kutgen's other book "the Average American Male" and I think this one is even better. It has the same sort of crude man humor, but it also has a much more interesting plot. Also, the story is told from the perspective of three main characters which gives you a cool look into how they see the same things differently. The Brett character is hilarious. The inhumane (this is an understatement) things he does to women is so outrageously funny that the author should consider writing another book just about Brett. I know it's only fiction, but it is darn funny to read about. Reading things from the character Heather's perspective reminds me of why I dumped my last girlfriend. She and Heather are both snobby, materialistic, sorority girls without a clue. Great job Kultgen and bring on the next one.The Lie: A Novel Overview

Want to learn more information about The Lie: A Novel?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

The Greyfriar (Vampire Empire, Book 1) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy The Greyfriar (Vampire Empire, Book 1)? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on The Greyfriar (Vampire Empire, Book 1). Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

The Greyfriar (Vampire Empire, Book 1) ReviewVampire Empire: The Greyfriar is the story of an alternate world history for humans here on Earth. Vampires roam freely, mercilessly killing, maiming, torturing, and taking hold of every inch of land available. Those few humans that did survive are either enslaved or have fled to the relative safety of the South. Now, in a world dominated by various cunning and intense Vampire Empires, the world conquests are fought between vampires, rather than men, and Adele, heir to Equatoria, is about to meet the mysterious and complex Greyfriar.
Wow! Ok, when I received The Greyfriar for review, I wasn't expecting too much because, frankly, I've never heard anything about it before, and vampires usually bore the crap heck out of me. Finally! It was so nice to read about non-glittering vampires who stay true to their nature! Using rich prose, an incredibly steampunk atmosphere and a blooming and contagious romance, husband and wife author duo, Susan and Clay Griffith have created an incredible masterpiece of a story that is intense, exhilarating, and completely delicious.
There are too many high points in The Greyfriar for me to name them all, so I'll be general. The characterization was enthralling. Adele and the Greyfriar were so clearly defined, their actions and motives so well-pronounced, that it is impossible not to fall in love with their story as their relationship blooms. The amazing mythology that creeps its way into every aspect of the story heightens the sinister nature of the vampires and makes the story all that more gripping and enticing. Honestly, I'm surprised this book was as slim as it was because the story was well-rounded and truly captivating to read.
I give The Greyfriar a 5 out of 5, hands down. In fact, I'd probably give it more if I could. I recommend that everyone buy this book as soon as it releases (I believe on November 18th) because it is a definite must-read. I would recommend this book to fans of YA and adult fiction, particularly those who enjoy steampunk, vampires, fantasy, and mythology. Due to the violence, I do think an upper YA audience is probably best.The Greyfriar (Vampire Empire, Book 1) Overview

Want to learn more information about The Greyfriar (Vampire Empire, Book 1)?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

Go-Go Girls of the Apocalypse: A Novel Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy Go-Go Girls of the Apocalypse: A Novel? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Go-Go Girls of the Apocalypse: A Novel. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Go-Go Girls of the Apocalypse: A Novel ReviewWhere to begin on a novel whose title is the barest hint of the wonderful weirdness packed inside? Gischler, best known for his excellent crime capers, here breaks new ground. And I do mean new.
Mortimer Tate has spent the end of the world hiding in a mountain cabin. He hasn't seen anyone for nine years. The first three people he does see, he kills. But really, it wasn't his fault.
Thus begins an adrenaline-soaked, wryly satiric journey through the ashes of America, a world peopled by savages and cannibals and struggling barmen, by rebel armies and mad transvestites, and by the enigmatic Joey Armageddon, whose Sassy A-Go-Go Clubs are the beacon of something a little like civilization. The prose is lean and compelling, and behind all the violence and jokes there's a Vonnegut-esque blend of both love-for and desperation-at all the madness of the world -- Mortimer's and ours.Go-Go Girls of the Apocalypse: A Novel Overview

Want to learn more information about Go-Go Girls of the Apocalypse: A Novel?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

The Reapers Are the Angels: A Novel Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy The Reapers Are the Angels: A Novel? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on The Reapers Are the Angels: A Novel. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

The Reapers Are the Angels: A Novel ReviewWell, this wasn't what I expected at all.
Having last entered the world of zombies in The Forest of Hands and Teeth, given the age of the protagonist (15) and the rather skimpy information on the review copy, I guess was expecting another young adult "message" horror novel. I like that kind of thing, so why not?
I was not expecting this work of art that caught me up and shook me and broke my heart because it is both so beautiful and so sad. Zombies: the new face of magic realism. Who knew?
The language is flawless. It is unobtrusive, but lush and almost lyrical. The pacing, too, flawless. Not a passage drags, nothing wasted. The characters are strong and believable; their motivations make sense; their voices are clear and distinct.
I will not kid you. This book is intense. Temple may be 15, but the life she lives is very adult, and the situations she encounters are gut-wrenching. The book made me cry, more than once; it isn't going to be a good fit for everyone. It's a pretty grim world, and an unflinchingly violent one, but in spite of the monsters it's *not* a conventional horror story. If you come for catharsis, you'll get it, but maybe not the kind you expect. This isn't spine tingling; it's soul twisting. I won't be surprised if reviews are highly divided; those who are looking for conventional horror or are even further afield as I was may not be universally pleased. This is a great book - a masterpiece, maybe - for the *right* reader.
The book left me thoughtful and sad and grateful for what I have. Grateful, too, to have read it. I'm still caught up in the aftermath, having finished it moments before I started writing the review, so it's really too soon to say--but I *think* I may have just found a contender for my shortlist of "favorite books."The Reapers Are the Angels: A Novel Overview

Want to learn more information about The Reapers Are the Angels: A Novel?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

Rise Again: A Zombie Thriller Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy Rise Again: A Zombie Thriller? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Rise Again: A Zombie Thriller. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Rise Again: A Zombie Thriller ReviewIf you are wanting a good zombie book for the Halloween holiday, I do suggest you get Rise Again. In some ways it does remind me of Night of the Living Dead and even references the movie in a few places. We mostly follow Danielle Adelman (Danny) who is an Iraq war vet with PTSD. On a side note: If any guys out there are worried that the protagonist is female, do not worry as Danny is hard as nails and a great heroine. You won't miss a thing. *think Sigourney Weaver in Aliens* Anyhoo... Danny loses her sister right before the zombie wave suddenly hits town. She doesn't have time to think let alone read the note full of anger and mistrust. Things quickly progress and you are in the middle of the surviving group hoping they find someplace safe.
As the story goes on Danny later strikes out on her own to try to find her sister. She quickly learns that either she has survived or hasn't but keeps hope that she is out there somewhere. Danny heads to the only place she can... back to the survivors she helped in her community. Upon returning she finds that there is more to fear than the zombies, but mercenaries who proclaim themselves the leaders of the facility they found. Things go from bad to worse and hopefully Danny can find a way to help them.
The ending is haunting and may keep you awake thinking about it. Yep, I was one who was awake thinking on the ending. Wonderful since you don't always get that in a book, horrible because I wanted to sleep! Regardless, I give this book 4 1/2 stars. It gives you exactly what it promises (lots of gore, action, and anxiety). It also gives you that bit extra in how Mr. Tripp develops the characters.Rise Again: A Zombie Thriller Overview

Want to learn more information about Rise Again: A Zombie Thriller?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

Fallout New Vegas: Prima Official Game Guide Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy Fallout New Vegas: Prima Official Game Guide? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Fallout New Vegas: Prima Official Game Guide. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Fallout New Vegas: Prima Official Game Guide ReviewFirst off, the guide is pretty good, as in it does what most previous guides have done with the expectations we generally have. There is a lot of information that is packed into it.
However, there are a couple of problems with the guide that have bothered me since buying it, and I was a big fan of the guide they created for Fallout 3. Unlike Fallout 3, the makers of this guide decided to go cheap and developed a guide that didn't have zone maps included in it. Usually, the huge map is broken up into 9 major sectors, and you have a copy of that sector in the book itself. Instead, they decided to include one large map, and you are expected to refer to the map in order to figure out where anything is. This is massively impractical for anyone who buys a strategy guide, because most people aren't going to want to keep unfolding out this huge map every time they want to figure out where something is. And if you decide to hang the map on the wall (which is a two-sided map, so you end up only able to look at one half of the included map, meaning it's impractical for hanging up unless you're a moron or have too much money and decide to buy two strategy guides just so you can look at the content by hanging it up on the wall). Usually, I like to have the strategy guide right next to me while I'm playing, but a huge fold out map is ridiculous whenever I want to look up where I am in the game. Honestly, going the cheap route was the wrong way to go with this product.
Several bits of the information are just wrong. Not sure why, unless they made changes after the strategy guide was developed, but it just feels sloppy.
With all that said, it's still a pretty extensive map. Just don't allow your in game life to rely on it because you might be looking for refuge and suddenly discover it's just not there.Fallout New Vegas: Prima Official Game Guide Overview

Want to learn more information about Fallout New Vegas: Prima Official Game Guide?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

Glow (Sky Chasers) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy Glow (Sky Chasers)? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Glow (Sky Chasers). Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Glow (Sky Chasers) ReviewGLOW was a book where the cover and synopsis had been hooked. I put other books aside to read it. They say don't judge a book on its cover, but I did anyway, and this was one of the few cases where I ended up being disappointed. This review has taken me several hours to write, something so unusual for me, because it alternated between being a great book for me and pissing me off.
Many YA books recently have tackled religion as a key plot point. GLOW's depiction of Christianity was what almost ruined this book for me. It was almost a fallacy, using Christianity as an excuse for evil actions. The antagonist of this story is the Pastor/leader of the other ship, the New Horizon. They come to the Empyrean, home of our protagonist Waverly, and kidnap all the girls to solve their fertility issues while sabotaging the ship, killing the adults, and leaving the boys to run the ship once the remaining adults sacrifice themselves to prevent a meltdown.
There is a love triangle in this book, but not so much instalove - it has been set up that Waverly and Kieran were a couple beforehand, more so out of expectation than true love. At the beginning their relationship is almost refreshing, showing Waverly's doubts about their relationship but setting up a scenario that is believable. However, Kieran becomes increasingly week and possibly a little unstable (crazy). The other love interest, Seth, is just purely insane. His methods are sadistic and his excuses are lies. He beats, tortures, imprisons, and almost kills people. Of course, it is expected that Waverly will pick one by the end, but I honestly think she shouldn't based on book one.
What saves this book? The writing. I am honestly not one for frilly, overwrought literature. I like some description and florid enhancement, but I had it beaten over my head by my lit professor that purple prose was Satan's work. This is my kind of writing - a little lyrical at times, but mostly straightforward, to the point, and eloquent. Ms. Ryan is my type of author for sure. It's just the plot that falters. Waverly is also a strong protagonist that I enjoyed. She was smart, she was a strong leader, and she knew what she was doing. She risked herself for others and had a mission. I loved her as a character while I quite hated her potential suitors.
This book needed to tone down the religion a great deal. I am not sure if I will read book two based on the fact it implies that religion will be a strong point in the second book. Also, Waverly's love interests were unlikable.
I could go on about this, but overall, this book was likable, but nowhere near as good as it could have been.
VERDICT: The overuse of religion in this book overran the interesting plot and the good writing from Ms. Ryan. If you are not big on religious bashing and/or preachiness, steer clear of this bookGlow (Sky Chasers) Overview

Want to learn more information about Glow (Sky Chasers)?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

The Dark and Hollow Places (Forest of Hands and Teeth, Book 3) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy The Dark and Hollow Places (Forest of Hands and Teeth, Book 3)? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on The Dark and Hollow Places (Forest of Hands and Teeth, Book 3). Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

The Dark and Hollow Places (Forest of Hands and Teeth, Book 3) ReviewEvery now and then you might get a bit sad when you come to the end of a series that you loved so much, this is how I felt after reading The Dark and Hollow Places. I fell in love with this series unintentionally, I started reading The Forest of Hands and Teeth thanks to the high recommendations from book friends. Of course at the time they didn't know that I had a huge phobia about anything zombie related and well by reading the synopsis I wasn't aware that it would be about zombies because they are called the Unconsecrated. After reading a few chapters and even after figuring out that there were zombies in the book I couldn't force myself to give it up, it was too late for me, I was invested in these characters because this series was about so much more than just the creepy flesh eating undead, it was about survival, hope and love and I was in it for good.
In the Dark and Hollow Places we get taken to the Dark City, and see the story unfold through the eyes of Annah, the other twin. At first I was a bit sad that we wouldn't get to see it from Gabry's point of view, I wanted to know more about her and what happened after the end of The Dead Tossed Waves but I quickly got over that once I got to know Annah and her story. I really admired Annah for her courage and will to live, I mean this girl spends most of her time and spent pretty much years on her own waiting for Elias and she's still not willing to give up. I would've been freaking out in some of these scenes in the book and locked myself in a closet shaking with fear waiting for death, yeah, I'm a wuss. Not Annah, she was willing to fight her way to survive and sacrifice herself for her loved ones if she had to, the fact that she never gives up throughout the whole book is why I admire her so much.
In The Dark and Hollow Places Gabry, Annah, Elias and Catcher come together and we get to find out what happened to Catcher and Gabry after the end of The Dead Tossed Waves and also to Elias. In this one they struggle for survival through most of the story but not only against the unconsecrated but also against the people in charge of the city that are suppose to be protecting them but have become corrupted and are pretty much worst than the zombies.
The Dark and Hollow Places gives us a bit more of a closer look at what the world may have seemed like after the return, it is chaotic through most of it. We get a huge amount of up close encounters with the unconsecrated, and it was so much creepier that I got goosebumps and was at the edge of my seat through most of the story. It was so thrilling and intense that I was chewing my nails through most of this novel without even realizing it. I loved every minute of it, even if I couldn't read it at night and I would gladly take three more of these novels. I'm not ready to say goodbye to it yet, I loved Catcher and Annah and I want more.The Dark and Hollow Places (Forest of Hands and Teeth, Book 3) Overview

Want to learn more information about The Dark and Hollow Places (Forest of Hands and Teeth, Book 3)?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

Tooth And Nail Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy Tooth And Nail? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Tooth And Nail. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Tooth And Nail ReviewI am a fan of both the military fiction and zombie tale genres and DiLouie's Tooth and Nail delivers both in spades.
Here's what is so cool about this novel:
1. Very realistic -- this may be about zombies, but it's not some supernatural gore-dripper -- it's about soldiers and a very scary what-if...
2. Non-stop action -- this book will never make Oprah's Book of the Month club, but I would like to name a roller coaster after it -- from the get-go, the action and tension are unrelenting and the doggone book feels glued to your hands. (NOTE: Thanks, Mr. DiLouie -- on my first reading, I finally finished your book at 4 am with sweaty palms and had trouble getting to work on time the next day -- on the second reading, I still couldn't take my time and finished it again in one marathon Saturday reading session.)
3. Better & better -- I've read some of DiLouie's past work and this is by far his best work -- the writing is tight, descriptive without being florid & puffy, and believable -- again, not a book that will draw people together on a Tuesday evening for white wine and canapes, but a kick-ass story that is well-written and doesn't stop til you get back in the station and the lap-bars retract as you put the book down for the final time.
Rock on, DiLouie -- hope you've got more in the pipeline!Tooth And Nail Overview

Want to learn more information about Tooth And Nail?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

Hollowland (The Hollows, #1) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy Hollowland (The Hollows, #1)? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Hollowland (The Hollows, #1). Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Hollowland (The Hollows, #1) ReviewRemy, the 19 year old protagonist is facing `the end of times'; a post-apocalyptic world where a rabies type virus has turned the majority of the population into zombies. Zombies that roam with an insatiable hunger and are particularly fond of human flesh; one bite, one splash of zombie blood or saliva in an open wound and you become infected. That is if you survive.
Remy and her 8 year old brother Max were brought to a government run quarantine by a group of soldiers who saved them during a zombie raid; Max was sick and stayed on a different floor in the medical wing. Beck, a soldier that took an interest in Remy and Max; taught her how to fight the zombies, not just with guns but with whatever was available, that along with her guts and instinct was a gift that saved her and others countless times.
Zombies overtake the quarantine, yet in all the fright, terror and pandemonium Remy manages to escape bringing along Harlow, an endearing 13 year old who refuses to stay. Amidst the chaos she finds out that only her brother Max and select government doctors and scientists were evacuated to a quarantine 'near' this one. Off into the Zombie filled wasteland they go. They'll soon find out that zombies aren't the only thing to fear.
During their travels they meet Blue, a medical intern with good insight and judgment, Lazlo, a famous recording artist who is a bit eccentric, anxious and easy on the eyes and my personal favorite; Ripley, a zombie killing lion who rocks! They make a sort of unspoken team together set out to find the quarantine, each for their own reasons. Along the way they face, among other terrifing ordeals crazy cults, Mad Max crazy wanna-be's and other 'humans' can be just as vicious as the zombies.
The horrors they face are ghastly and shocking, it'll leave your heart thumping like crazy, but the story is also heart wrenching and sad with so much depth of emotion. Every chapter takes you on a roller coaster ride of full of ups and downs; and the constant question of what's going to happen next? It's virtually impossible to put this book down.
Remy's character is strong, physically and emotionally; despite her gruff exterior and some of the harder choices and decisions she's forced to make, she is still vulnerable and compassionate. She has one main goal: Find Max! She'll risk anything to find him.
All of the main characters are believable and realistic; I've grown to care for them all. Their group dynamic is perfect and adds so much depth to the story. This is one fantastic read. Can we expect a follow up? I think the potentials there.
There are typographical errors but I could have cared less. The story was so great that it didn't stop my reading stride at all.
So, Amanda----When's the next one coming out? (I say as if she reads this, LOL) Can't hurt to ask!!!!
Hollowland (The Hollows, #1) OverviewHollowland - the first book in the young adult dystopian series The Hollows.."This is the way the world ends - not with a bang or a whimper, but with zombies breaking down the back door."Nineteen-year-old Remy King is on a mission to get across the wasteland left of America, and nothing will stand in her way - not violent marauders, a spoiled rock star, or an army of flesh-eating zombies. This is a young adult title with some language, violence, and mild sexual situations recommended for ages sixteen and up.

Want to learn more information about Hollowland (The Hollows, #1)?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

The Infection Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy The Infection? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on The Infection. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

The Infection ReviewThe Infection by Craig DiLouie tells the story of six survivors traveling in an armored vehicle, while trying to find a safe refuge, after a mysterious virus infects millions of humans. The infected people collapse into comas; when they wake up, three days later, they attack all the non-infected. After just a couple of weeks, some of the survivors discover that the Infected are mutating into something much worse than zombies. The main theme that is woven throughout the storyline is the violent transformation of humans into monsters.
"There were things in the garage, Sarge. [censored] monsters. Dark shapes that flitted around the cars, always just out of sight. Then we saw one..."
This novel made me think, "This is what happened to the rest of the world, while everyone was reading about what happened in the grocery store in The Mist by Stephen King." I know I'm not the only one who has made this comparison; some other reviewers have even mentioned The Road by Cormac McCarthy. I understand why, but I think DiLouie goes into far more detail with his characters' suffering than King or McCarthy. The story is told with third-person narration in the present tense; flashbacks provide the personal backgrounds of each of the six survivors. Their reasoning and motivation for their current behavior becomes quite understandable, after only a few chapters.
"They have all done the things one had to do to survive. They have all killed people or they would not be here."
I usually try to imagine myself in the world that I am reading about, but I wanted no part of this setting. Living infected hordes are one thing, but DiLouie describes abominations that would rival HP Lovecraft's leviathans. He goes to nightmarish extremes when pairing the brutal twists of the viral outbreak with the amorality of various people that the survivors encounter. Of course, even though I felt mentality assaulted by the end, I loved reading very moment of this traumatic horror novel.The Infection Overview

Want to learn more information about The Infection?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

Dust & Decay Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy Dust & Decay? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Dust & Decay. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Dust & Decay ReviewI absolutely loved Rot & Ruin. It was an astounding zombie YA series starter, with just the right mix of the horrors that men can do verses the zombie carnage. There was a thought-provoking focus on the fact that zombies used to be people, and therefore they should be respected for what they were as well as feared for what they now are - something a lot of zombie stories fail to take into account.
Dust & Decay keeps the theme in the same general vein, but having already established that zombies deserve respect, spends more time on thrilling action and the atrocities humans subject each other too. After month of training, Tom, Benny, Nix and Lilah are finally heading out to search for the plane they saw in Rot & Ruin. Having trouble saying goodbye, Chong heads out with them for the first leg of the journey, only to prove that he may be smart, but really isn't the outdoorsy type.
Problems abound. Life and death situations are faced. Evil men prove more dangerous than herds of zombies. Love of all kinds is found, tested, strengthened and cherished many times over.
While Dust & Decay is horrific and terrifying, thrilling and action-packed, what the reader will be surprised to find is how emotional the book - and the entire series - is. The book sucks you in, the characters get under your skin, and you won't be able to pull yourself away from the page. Dust & Decay is an emotional thrill-ride that will leave you shaken for a long time to come. Zombie perfection.Dust & Decay Overview

Want to learn more information about Dust & Decay?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

The Eleventh Plague Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy The Eleventh Plague? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on The Eleventh Plague. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

The Eleventh Plague ReviewIt was the front cover blurb from Suzanne Collins that caught my eye. I've read the Hunger Games three times and if Suzanne says this book is 'excellent' then it at least deserved a second look.
I grabbed it along with a copy of Touch of Frost by Jennifer Estep (which is super duper, btw) and found a place to sit down (which is a rare thing at Barnes and Noble nowadays) and started to read the first chapter.
From the first page I was drawn in. I don't like to make comparisons to other books, it's hard to do it well and people always squawk about it if the book compared is one they either love or hate, but Stephen, the main character reminds me a lot of Katniss from the Hunger Games. There's also a bit of Rose (from Vampire Academy), Marcus (from Little Brother and Nailer (from Shipbreaker). Like the characters from these other books, Stephen is a young person forced to deal with terrifyingly mature situations that could lead to dire situations for himself and others. How he rises to the challenge is what kept me reading through lunch then dinner without stopping.
Stephen's world is far different than the one we know now. His family are scavengers, think of the dead and rotting world in movies like Mad Max or Logan's Run and you wouldn't be far off. There was a war with China, then a plague and what's left of America lives in small settlements scattered throughout the country.
His small family are scavengers. His father, his brutish grandfather and Stephen roam what's left of the cities for tradeable items, something like a can of pears could allow them to have food and shelter for a week. But scavengers are not the only ones wandering the cities.
There are ex-military bandits, chinese troops and slavers and a whole part of the country is off limits, though his father sometimes talks about finding a place to settle down, raise crops, etc. But that would mean striking out into undiscovered country and leaving the trail with it's semblance of safety.
It is within this hopeless situation that everything turns from bad to worse, pretty much from the first page with a funeral. I wont tell you who dies, but the funeral seems to be the beginning of a chain of decisions, some good and some so completely bad, you'll wish you could step into the book to advise Stephen.
There's a lot of room for heroics, but Stephen is a reluctant hero, which is pretty much my favorite kind, kicking butt and taking names is for movies, Stephen seemed real to me, he didn't want to get involved in bad situations but sometimes you can't help it. Best of all, Stephen is an aware character, what I mean is, he knows he's making decisions that could be dreadful and he does it anyways. I guess I like that too, his decisiveness is refreshing.
My only complaint with the book is that it was kinda fast, before I knew it and was ready the book was done. I'm a fan of quick reads, but I can't help thinking there could have been a little more, more description, more worldbuilding, more story.
Oh well, guess I could read it again.The Eleventh Plague Overview

Want to learn more information about The Eleventh Plague?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

Day by Day Armageddon: Beyond Exile (Book 2) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy Day by Day Armageddon: Beyond Exile (Book 2)? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Day by Day Armageddon: Beyond Exile (Book 2). Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Day by Day Armageddon: Beyond Exile (Book 2) ReviewDay by Day Armageddon was one of the first books I read when I became interested in zombie literature, to go hand in hand with my fascination with zombie movies, almost exactly four years ago. As is the case with many people who enjoyed its personal approach to the apocalypse as told by an active officer in the military, I have waited all this time for the long hoped for sequel. Since J.L. Bourne is himself an active member of the military, my guess is that he was only able to write bits and pieces of this update of the saga between active tours of duty. While it may have been frustration for us fans of the first book to have waited this long, I have to say that the wait was well worth it.
An issue that some people had with the first book was perhaps the intentional diary approach to the book, with typos left in and even the text a bit rougher than you would get from a traditional novel. That is no longer an issue, as the format of this book is more traditional, with no errors in the text, intentional or not. I myself had no issues with that previously, but with it gone, it is one less point of criticism that someone may have with this type of storytelling. We once again get a diary of a military officer facing down the zombie apocalypse and this one picks up where the last journal ended, under ground, in the nuclear missile silo the author has dubbed Hotel 23, shortly after an attack by hostile survivors that failed to penetrate its defenses.
This is once again a personal journey of one man, with other people entering and exiting the story at different intervals. The characters in the first novel that are with the main character in Hotel 23 remain, but do not play a pivotal role here. The story has more dramatic swings to it than the previous tale, where it was mainly one man gathering who he could with him to find any place they could to survive. In this story, the military is reintroduced and play a huge role in the goings on of this tale. This allows the story to progress beyond what could have amounted to a group of people just trying to hide out underground for the duration of the apocalypse. Instead, the main character is required to make tough decisions and take on new responsibilities that will lead him away from H23 for the bulk of this tale and once again make this a intriguing saga of one man's path, out in the open, during the zombie apocalypse.
My favorite character, and one which I am gathering much more will be revealed about in a future journal, is Saien, who our main character meets during his desperate travels and appears to be equally as capable (if not more so) than the main character at surviving in zed infested territory. His background is perhaps not completely shrouded in mystery, but it is clear there is more to the man than what the diary indicates. Suffice it to say, he is an interesting addition to the characters in the book, and the only one that shared a great deal of pages with the main character.
While there is a bit of romance afoot for our hero, it is certainly not a significant part of this journal. Personal interactions like that are kept to a minimum, with some character commentary that reveals bits and pieces, but the action is what the author targets, as is natural in a journal format such as this. While there is a great deal of military terminology, the author goes to significant lengths to make the layman, like me, feel comfortable with the equipment and hardware being used in the story. This is not a story about an every day guy beating the odds and surviving, but about someone who has gone through survival training, has a great familiarity with weaponry, hand to hand combat, and battle tactics most of us are not privy to, which makes this book fairly unique among most zombie stories written.
I personally enjoyed the gritty, personal perspective that this book and the previous novel have. A journal format does have its weaknesses: minimal dialogue, limited perspective, and by necessity, we know that the person who is penning the journal is okay because they continue to write about their exploits day after day. But done well, it is a compelling format, and it is hard to say that anyone out there does it any better than J.L. Bourne.Day by Day Armageddon: Beyond Exile (Book 2) Overview

Want to learn more information about Day by Day Armageddon: Beyond Exile (Book 2)?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

Enclave Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy Enclave? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Enclave. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Enclave ReviewTake every possible terrible scenario you've ever considered for the future and throw it out the window, this book will blow you away.
I'm a huge fan of dystopian fiction, I loved Hunger Games, Shipbreaker, Z for Zachariah, World War Z, The Passage, 1984 and The Handmaid's Tale, but with Enclave, Ann Aguirre proves that there is still plenty of creative and terrifying stories to tell about society and how it will end (not with a bang, but with a growl of hunger in this case).
Girl15, that's her name, until the naming ceremony where she will learn whether the rest of her life (a very short life, the oldest person she knows is 25) will be spent as a Breeder, a Builder or a Hunter. She wants to be a Hunter and Girl15 gets her wish, her name is changed to Deuce and she is paired with Fade, a strange and mysterious figure who no one else wants to work with. I'll get back to Fade later.
Her dearest friends, Thimble (a builder) and Stone (a breeder because he's so handsome) are happy for her but worried. Hunters have the dangerous job of providing food for the College Enclave (that's the name of the enclave, College). Most hunters don't live very long, in fact, Fade's last partner died shortly after they started working together.
But Deuce is determined, as far as she's concerned, being a Hunter is one of the most important functions a person can have and she's proud to put her life in danger everyday to provide food and safety for the rest of the Enclave.
Fade, her new partner, is a strange combination of lethal skills and smartass defiance. He isn't from the enclave, he was born topside (above the tunnels where the land is dead and burning rain falls or so the elders say), but no one really believes him. They think he must be from a far away enclave and became lost in the tunnels (which is a miracle in and of itself because of the Freaks who roam around). Wherever he comes from, he is a great fighter and Deuce gradually begins to trust him and is glad he is her partner after they encounter increasingly dangerous stuff.
Now on to the scariest part of the story (as if the whole living in tunnels, eating rats and garbage weren't enough!) the Freaks. Scarred with lesions, their teeth long and animal like and their nails thick and claw'ish, the Freaks roam the tunnels looking for meat. Any kind of meat including human. After generations of fighting the mindless creatures, Fade and Deuce find that they are starting to work together, exhibiting sort of a pack mentality in their hunting of humans. The Freaks are getting smarter.
Now this is bad, super duper bad, like on a level with the end of all life as they know it and time is running out to make changes to the Enclave that will help it survive. Deuce and Fade will have to convince the elders of what is going on and that could turn out to be impossible.
Toss in a scary secret about the next nearest enclave, a scheming elder named Silk and Deuce's growing feelings for her partner, Fade and I don't know how I'm going to wait for book two.
Whoo, I feel strangely out of breath just typing all this, the book is a real adrenaline rush, I was flipping through the pages like a person who lives on Red Bull and smarties. Seriously, when the book was done I sat, frozen in place, my heart pounding, wondering how it could have gone by so fast, (I got the book last night!).
Now what will I do? It will probably be another year before Ann Aguirre finishes book two. Oh well, I guess I could read it again.
Oh
Enclave Overview

Want to learn more information about Enclave?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

Zombie, Ohio: A Tale of the Undead Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy Zombie, Ohio: A Tale of the Undead? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Zombie, Ohio: A Tale of the Undead. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Zombie, Ohio: A Tale of the Undead ReviewI've been trying to come up with the right words to describe my feelings for this book. It's not only a fantastic zombie novel with all the blood and guts a gal could want, but it's also a love story, a murder mystery, AND a comedy all rolled into one killer debut novel! Peter was killed in a car accident, but doesn't realize for a little while that he is one of the undead due to the fact that he can still think and talk. He also realizes that his car crash was no "accident", hence the murder mystery aspect! DUN DUN DUN! Now, we have a smart zombie looking for the man who murdered him and who's trying to put the pieces of his life, or what's left of it, left back together. Now the book just came out, so I don't want to give too much away. What I can say is this book is the funniest, bloodiest, best damn zombie novel I have read in a while and I would KILL to see it made into a movie! I think I've finally found the perfect phrase to sum it up...All that and a bag of chips! Oh and did I mention it takes place in my home state? O-H-I-O!Zombie, Ohio: A Tale of the Undead Overview

Want to learn more information about Zombie, Ohio: A Tale of the Undead?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

Lights Out Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy Lights Out? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Lights Out. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Lights Out ReviewThis is one of those books that sticks with you. Compels you to think about what these people are going through. His characters are vivid and well thought out. The reality that he spins is concrete and understandable. The range of reactions to this very real threat are believable and don't drift into fantasy.
The basic premise of the book is of a US plunged into chaos following an Electro-Magnetic Pulse (EMP) attack. If you aren't tracking at this point, an EMP attack is the destruction of the electronic infrastructure of the country using nuclear weapons detonated in space. These weapons create an EMP that fry anything connected to the power grid and anything with complex electronics. Cars Dead. Computers Dead. Most of the things we take for granted are just switched off. This causes a cascading failure that effects everyone in the country. Needless to say this is the end of the world as they knew it. Are you ready to fend for yourself ... and your family?
Bobby Ann Mason once said that the best stories occurred when you take ordinary people and place them in extraordinary situations. LIGHTS OUT deals with a group of ordinary people who band together and form a community in the aftermath of this national disaster. The ethics of self reliance and hard work are that are missing from some arenas of modern-life are alive in this volume. The relationships are natural, they feel organic and not forced. The level of drama never takes me out of the story and aside from some lucky pre-planning and coincidental hobbies there is nothing that I think is contrived about the setting or events. I would like to have seen some greater focus on the realities beyond the community but the outside world is addressed all be it briefly. I hope to see other stories from this "world."
Having read David's work online for years, I can tell you that this guy is a writer. He produces and he learns. This is an amazing first book and I look forward to future efforts from him. Maybe a book about two guys named DJ and Gabe will be availible on Amazon this time next year. We can only hope.Lights Out Overview

Want to learn more information about Lights Out?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...