This is one of those books that's success is very dependent upon how it wraps up. The journey is bewildering, frustrating, and bizarre, sometimes in aThis is one of those books that's success is very dependent upon how it wraps up. The journey is bewildering, frustrating, and bizarre, sometimes in a good way, sometimes not. Confusion about our main character's lack of normal moral values (or perhaps disappointment rather than confusion) doesn't help.
Some books are so fun to read that a bad ending won't ruin them, but this wasn't that kind of book. Fortunately, I was pleased and a bit relieved by how things were explained and handled by the time the book closed, and the epilogue was even worth reading.
Overall it was a strange book that I felt uncertain about through most of, but by the completion... it was a good book.
The author can certainly write too - some very quotable passages in this one....more
This was a good story, well done, and interesting despite being essentially yet another zombie story. The nanotech angle made it more interesting and This was a good story, well done, and interesting despite being essentially yet another zombie story. The nanotech angle made it more interesting and even a bit more believable, and there is a lot of potential there to be explored.
A couple of things kept me from rating this 5 stars. First, it ends on such an incomplete note. I can see based on the story why the author ended it when she did, but it left me feeling a bit put out nonetheless. We spend a lot of time, most of the book actually, with Sam and Emily, and only very close to the end do we meet new characters. This left me feeling like the ending came up abruptly, due to having so little time in the second storyline.
My other big issue is that I wanted to see a different storyline with Sam and was very disappointed none of my expectations came to fruition.
Frankly (view spoiler)[I was heartbroken when Sam re-died. Someone who still manages to care about others while in that state is someone worth keeping around. I REALLY had hoped there wohld be some development that cured him, especially since he wasn't that far gone. It was such a let down for him to die, and to knkw we don't get to knkw him any more. (hide spoiler)]
Overall, very good and easy to recommend, even if I was disappointed it went in a different direction than I had hoped.
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GERTIE GAUGE: When I wasn't reading the book I looked forward to picking it back up, though I didn't find myself thinking about it often. Characters worth rooting for: Emily seems like a decent sort, not particularly special/overly perfect, though her illness was an interesting aspect. Likable. Suspension of disbelief: Surprisingly believable for zombie -fi, due to the nanotech angle. Emotional engagement: Yes, though that turned out to be a bad thing when what I hope would happen didn't happen. Mental engagement: Didn't really make me ponder anything. Memorability factor: 8/10 Quality of writing: Good, right balance of easy but not overly so, and not too heavy in any particular area. Elevator one-liner: It's about this girl who gets treated for cancer with nanotech, and later after they nano has left her body but a bunch of other people have it, the nanotech gets hacked so they all basically turn into zombies. Laugh/cry/reactions: I felt a bit teary-eyed during a couple of parts. Something I'd change:Sam's story, for sure! Cliffhanger: Yeah basicallym Romance good, bad, n/a?: I thought there might be some but it didn't go that route. Errors: Didn't notice any. Okay with rec'ing to a friend?: Definitely. Follow this author? Yes. ...more
I loved the music "chapter tracks"; embellishments like that really add to the fun and appeal of books Here's the .
I loved the music "chapter tracks"; embellishments like that really add to the fun and appeal of books for me.
This book was recommended to me by more than one friend who also enjoys apocalyptic fiction � I added it to my To Read list and bought the book sometime last year, but just picked it up this week. Typically I don't re-read blurbs before beginning a book, because the element of surprise always adds to the enjoyment of the reading experience. This is one of those times where it actually created a bit of confusion for me, as I got a decent way into the book before finally realizing that the story is in the glib, tongue-in-cheek style that I usually have difficulty with. Despite having read most of the Xanth series by Piers Anthony and The Freezer by The Freezer, and being a bit of a goofball, I don't really enjoy certain kinds of humor. I'd be hard pressed to articulate what works for me and what doesn't.
Having just finished reading Armada a couple of weeks ago, it probably didn't help that I was feeling a bit burnt out on pop-culture from a particular decade. Ernest Cline loves the 80's, as you can see from Ready Player One and Armada. In Apocalypse Wow, the decade being honored is the 90's. This isn't necessarily a drawback for me (I am in my 40's after all), but having seen this approach before and so recently, it wasn't a plus either.
There are zombies, vampires, pirates, the afterlife, the devil, heaven, a "pristinely beautiful" love interest, plays on names, love at first sight, pop culture, etc. It was quite a lot to process. I think this would appeal greatly to some people though, a lot of variety, a lot going on. I was never able to find it in myself to care what happened next however, partly due to not especially liking the characters. Between those that drive drunk, hook up with hookers, etc. it's actually a bit hard to like them. I don't think I'd like these guys in real life.
Speaking of the characters, the head-hopping made my own head feel a bit wobbly. When each chapter starts, you have no way of knowing who the narrator is, so the first paragraph (or more) is spent trying to figure out who it is. Names under chapter headings would have helped here.
I did encounter a dozen or so errors, though it was nothing egregious. However, if it's more than a couple it becomes more memorable. This is reparable though at least.
I'm clearly not the right audience for this book, but I do think that if you enjoy humor, some silliness, and the 90's, you might enjoy this book....more
Rather than do a full-review of this, I'm just going to quote myself from a status update.
"Whoa. I practically got a stomach ache last night this bookRather than do a full-review of this, I'm just going to quote myself from a status update.
"Whoa. I practically got a stomach ache last night this book made me so tense - could hardly put it down."
You know how people talk about "edge of your seat"? This was definitely one of those for me, a joy ride. I will probably even read the next book in the series....more
I bought this as a joke. The whole zombie craze, which I will admit I was once a part of, has become ridiculous. Seriously.
Some days it seems like evI bought this as a joke. The whole zombie craze, which I will admit I was once a part of, has become ridiculous. Seriously.
Some days it seems like every new author who has realized that anyone can write and publish a book thinks they can write a zombie book, so the market is saturated. Overflowing. Some really good books have actually come out of this movement, but I've been too inundated with them so have grown a little wearisome of zombie fiction.
(Not that I don't still read the occasional z-book, the lure is too great!)
Anyhoo, when I saw this book a couple of years ago I had to laugh because it was another sign of the zombie fervor, and also... well, EWWWW. So I got it as a joke, thinking I might give it to someone at some point.
Here's the thing though � it didn't totally suck....more
This was an enjoyable fast-paced story, and though it includes zombie-like creatures, they aren't actually zombies, so that's a nice change.
What d3.5
This was an enjoyable fast-paced story, and though it includes zombie-like creatures, they aren't actually zombies, so that's a nice change.
What didn't work for me was the romance, as it takes over the story a bit more than I'd like. Our gal Sherry spends a lot of time thinking about how good Joshua smells and the like. If he'd had a more appealing personality (something aside from angry/sulking/unhappy/serious) he might have been a bit more likable, but he seemed a bit vanilla and unpleasant to be around, which made the adolescent infatuation a bit less appealing.
NONETHELESS, before you think I didn't like the book, I will get back to the positives. I liked the author's writing style, enjoyed a couple of twists, liked the "Weepers", and found the book overall to be a pretty fun read.
Memorability Factor 6/10 Follow this author: Yes, most likely....more
I liked this a little better than most books I give 4 stars to, but I still won't go to 5.
It's a fascinating concept of people "rebooting" after a viI liked this a little better than most books I give 4 stars to, but I still won't go to 5.
It's a fascinating concept of people "rebooting" after a virus, and the main character evolves during the story, which is interesting to follow along with. The romance is nothing surprising, but that's ok here - it's not about the who so much as how her feelings affect the way she sees the world, and how it motivates her to make some changes.
Memorability factor: 10/10 Follow this author: Yes. I am listening to book 2 right now....more
It could use another round of editing and has a few moments of irritating characters, but also has a few unexpected bits in here. Decent zombie books.
It could use another round of editing and has a few moments of irritating characters, but also has a few unexpected bits in here. Those I have talked to agree that this book picks up about 1/3 in when we meet some new characters, so if you are on the fence, hang in for a bit and see what you think....more
Enjoyed this for the most part, despite the lack of a satisfactory ending (I can deal with stories that leave room to be continued, but am n3.5 stars.
Enjoyed this for the most part, despite the lack of a satisfactory ending (I can deal with stories that leave room to be continued, but am not such a fan of stories that feel more than a little incomplete).
The main character in this book, Danny, is just a regular guy - he works a shit job, he loves his family though they drive him nuts, he gets scared, he gets cranky, he doesn't always step up. In other words, he's kind of like you an me. On the other hand, it does get a little tiresome listening to him complain page after page (this is even more noticeable in the audiobook). However, by the end of the book, it's easy to be left not knowing who to root for, if anyone.
Overall a fun read (or listen, as it were).
Memorability Factor: 9/10 Follow this author: Yes, although I'm not sure about this series. Will probably try one more, see what happens......more
This was fairly entertaining - I was a little concerned when I read "he was missing the two missing fingers" on the first page (then again maybe it waThis was fairly entertaining - I was a little concerned when I read "he was missing the two missing fingers" on the first page (then again maybe it was two kinds of missing) but I didn't really notice typos after that. The secret of sorts wasn't very secret, and was maybe a bit gimmicky, although once an author has an idea like that I can hardly blame him for seeing it through.
Decent read if you're looking for a slightly different zombie tale between other books....more
I wasn't expecting much from a story called Zombie Kitten, though to be fair, I'm not the target audience here. Only 9 pages, and certainly written foI wasn't expecting much from a story called Zombie Kitten, though to be fair, I'm not the target audience here. Only 9 pages, and certainly written for (and possibly by) a teenager. Young'uns may like it better. 14 year old me may have liked it....more
Finished this in a couple of swoops last night, I liked it! This is despite being really, really tired of zombies, so that's saying something. I likedFinished this in a couple of swoops last night, I liked it! This is despite being really, really tired of zombies, so that's saying something. I liked that this one had a different setting, and I also enjoyed the pacing - starts with action pretty early, then you get a stretch of "alone time" with the main character, giving you a chance to get to know him and maybe picture yourself in his shoes. Things really pick up shortly after halfway through. I was enjoying it up to that point (at least enough to not groan inwardly when remembering I had more left to read) but after that halfway mark I was really looking forward to reading more.
Another thing worth appreciating about this book is that not everyone gets out alive - it has some surprises in who fares well and who doesn't.
A couple of negatives - I was actually confused by the last couple of sentences, which seemed a little ambiguous. Was that just how I understood it or was that intentional? Also, I was distracted by a formatting issue on Kindle (only works in one ambience) and more typos than I usually find forgivable, particularly in the 2nd half (not sure if it was me or the book). They are always a distraction. Fortunately typos are a lot easier to fix than a bad story, which this one wasn't. I'd recommend this one to zombie fans.
Memorability factor: 7/10 Follow this author? Probably...more
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