Xombies

I really enjoyed this book. I am a zombie fan all the way. The main character was a quiet introvert who found inner strength that only surfaced during a typical "zombie" crisis. I am in the Navy, so I really enjoyed the way the author captured some of the Navy terminology. Of course, there were politics involved the whole way, which is to be expected. The ending was a big surprise, which I always enjoy with a zombie book. I found it hard to keep up with all of the characters and some of the character development could have been better, but I did find myself waking up early on Saturday morning to catch a little reading time before the family woke up. I never do that anymore, so that just goes to show that this book was really good in my opinion. I am looking forward to the second book. I am going to buy it this weekend.

If you are looking for a zombie book this is not something you should pick up. Xombies, with an X for the virus "Agent X" that has attacked the world, are only present for about the first fourth of the book. The author created some pretty good cliffhanging chapter endings so I did want to keep reading but I'm not sure if it's because I was totally gripped by the book or just because I had no idea where the book was going to go next. The book does take a very sci fi turn for the last 3rd which I'm very hung up on if I like it or not. It wouldn't have been a problem for me if the first two-thirds were so different. This book is sort of a mixed bad for me. It was better than I expected but I'm really not sure where the author is/was going with the story either. Still haven't decided if I will pick up the second book when it comes out just because it was such a story change at the end.

Right from the initial reference to Sleeping Beauty you learn this book is going to be a kind of fairytale, and it is - a fairytale not with knights and dragons, but with contemporary elements like submariners and zombies, and with the sly sense of humor to carry it off. If you get the joke, this book is highly recommended.

I really really enjoyed this book, it's simple as that. Great job by the author. I was thrilled and grew rather attached to the stories central heroine. Here's hoping to a follow up. I've a new fav author.

After seeing the cheesy cover and the title, I was prepared for disappointment. Maybe that's why I was so pleasantly surprised when it turned out not to be a hastily banged-out take off on the Living Dead movies. It IS a Living Dead type story, but the writing is so precise and the story so well-crafted and perfectly paced, that it almost defies the genre with its non-cheesiness. From the first few pages I was impressed by the sophisticated prose style and evocative descriptions, things I didn't think to find in a zombie horror novel. Even better is the way each chapter is an edge-of-your-seat type of experience, so that you just can't put the book down. I even had to restrain myself from sneaking peeks ahead to see what was going to happen. The plot starts out simple enough - infectious homicidal corpses run rampant and survivors search for safety. You follow one survivor through her ordeal, as she witnesses horrible things involving maniacal dead people and gets involved with other survivors. The book takes a twist on the zombie genre here, and gets even better as it looks as what happens when the world order crumbles. Zombies are just one of many obstacles that Lulu, the heroine, faces as she tries to find a place in a terribly transformed world. The author's unique vision of this post-apocalyptic world offers a combination of zombie horror, military conspiracy, and futuristic consumerism of the Snow Crash variety. It's impossible to say more without giving away any of the many surprises of this very suspenseful book. One of the most enjoyable features of the book is the heroine, who defies all stereotypes and never appears weak or "girly." This was refreshing. Overall, this is a unique book, not just for fans of zombie flicks or horror novels. The writing is a notch above the average thriller and the apocalyptic vision is original. It's like Dawn of the Dead meets Apocalypse Now, and you get the best (or perhaps worst) of both worlds.