Blackout ~ Mira Grant

Every now and again there comes along a book that leaves a huge imprint on you. It may appear subtle, or it may punch you in the gut and take away all of your air. Either way, you are going to remember it, and you will remember it well!

For me, there have been two books that fit this bill. They are of a similar nature, but so so different in every single aspect except one. They are zombie books. The first is World War Z. The second is actually a series: The Newsflesh Series by Mira Grant. (I will save my World War Z thoughts for another post since I am planning to re-read it this week.)

Newsflesh begins with Feed, then Deadline, and finishes with Blackout. Never before has a zombie book/series taken me through a wide gamut of emotions. I've laughed, I've cried, I've raged, I've cringed, I've been scared shitless, I've been so frustrated I had to either skim the next few chapters or step away. I've also become cautious.  All from a zombie book? Yes.

To set the story, Feed's premise, from GoodReads:

The year was 2014. We had cured cancer. We had beaten the common cold. But in doing so we created something new, something terrible that no one could stop. The infection spread, virus blocks taking over bodies and minds with one, unstoppable command: FEED. Now, twenty years after the Rising, bloggers Georgia and Shaun Mason are on the trail of the biggest story of their lives - the dark conspiracy behind the infected. The truth will get out, even if it kills them.

Thus begins the emotional roller coaster for me.

One thing that I should point out to you is that while this is technically a zombie book...it's not. Yes, it is about the fallout from a zombie outbreak that destroyed most of the world. But Feed, and the subsequent books are just so much more than that. Ultimately, what you have is a good ole government conspiracy/coverup, psychological thriller, and scare-the-shit-outta-you-medical horror story. The actual amount of zombie in this series declines as the series goes on.

Why?

My thoughts is because, at its core, that is not what the series is about. It is about the truth. Uncovering the truth and not dying because of it. The nation has learned to mostly live with zombies. It is fairly easy to avoid if you follow rules and procedures, so why would it be the focus of the series. We are reading about the cause, not the effect. At least in my opinion.


Sadly, I do have to admit, my love for the series was a little let down by the end of Blackout. I do not like the way it ended at all. Not gonna give anything away, but I was a little let down. 

Again, a snippet from GoodReads

With too much left to do and not much time left to do it in, the surviving staff of After the End Times must face mad scientists, zombie bears, rogue government agencies-

Zombie bears?! OH HELL YES!!!! Wait...wait...what? Seriously, an afterthought in an unpublished blog? What? No. No that can't be. Where is the story on this. I WANTED MORE ZOMBIE BEAR! Let.Down. Oh well. I got over it.

Regardless of a few let downs, fabulous book. Fabulous series. I'm kind of bummed it is over. I still devoured this book, and let schoolwork slide this week. OOPS!

But kudos to Mira Grant for not continuing a story and making it thin and ugh by the end. Our adventure with the After the End Times crew has come to an end...for now anyway....who knows what horrors the CDC has in store for the future. We just may be joining our journalists again.

For more Newsflesh fun, check out Mira Grant's website: www.http://miragrant.com And her Newsflesh novellas.

{Blog Tour} The Scourge by A.G. Henley

 




About The Scourge - Goodreads, Amazon, B&N, Smashwords

Seventeen-year-old Groundling, Fennel, is Sightless. She’s never been able to see her lush forest home, but she knows its secrets. She knows how the shadows shift when she passes under a canopy of trees. She knows how to hide in the cool, damp caves when the Scourge comes. She knows how devious and arrogant the Groundlings’ tree-dwelling neighbors, the Lofties, can be.

And she’s always known this day would come—the day she faces the Scourge alone.

The Sightless, like Fenn, are mysteriously protected from the Scourge, the gruesome creatures roaming the forests, reeking of festering flesh and consuming anything—and anyone—living. A Sightless Groundling must brave the Scourge and bring fresh water to the people of the forest. Today, that task becomes Fenn’s.

Fenn will have a Lofty Keeper, Peree, as her companion. Everyone knows the Lofties wouldn’t hesitate to shoot an arrow through the back of an unsuspecting Groundling like Fenn, but Peree seems different. A boy with warm, rough hands who smells like summer, he is surprisingly kind and thoughtful. Although Fenn knows his people are treacherous, she finds herself wanting to trust him.

As their forest community teeters on the brink of war, Fenn and Peree must learn to work together to survive the Scourge and ensure their people’s survival. But when Fenn uncovers a secret that shatters her truths, she’s forced to decide who and what to protect—her people, her growing love for Peree, or the elusive dream of lasting peace in the forest.




MY REVIEW:

 I was more than pleasantly surprised with this book! From the first page I was hooked and had to keep reading. I was fascinated with Fenn. In such a scary climate, with the Scourge, and living in a forest, she must keep brave and gather water out among the Scourge. If she lets fear win, then both the Groundlings and Lofties go without water. And with this duty comes her Lofty Keeper-the person responsible for her safety while she is gathering water.

But what begins as friendship blossoms into something more. Especially when Fenn sets out to find safer water for her people. But in order to even help her community she must get the okay from The Three. The Three are the three elders chosen to essentially rule and lead their community. And of course there is one who is a jackass. Everytime I read a scene with him, my blood pressure went up lol!

The water quest opens Fenn's eyes to a world of truths, lies, deceptions, and love. Can she go back to how it was before after learning what she has? Can she go back to living in the forest floor with Peree up above?

 I really enjoyed the characters, and their development, and in some cases their un-development. I liked how Fennel and Peree developed a friendship under not so great circumstances. But is there a love triangle you ask. Why yes, yes there is a love triangle. But guess what? The Scourge wins my Love Triangle Stamp of Approval. yay!

The entire time I read the book, I kept trying to place it in our known world. And for the life of me, I cannot do it! So kudos to A.G. Henley for completely transcending at least MY geographic recollection and making a whole new world in which to toss her characters! :D

Ugh I just loved this book! And I cannot wait for the next one in the series.I am so anxious to see where the characters go from here. And where their community goes after the first. I'd love to write up more in regards to the community, but without spoiling something, I'm just gonna leave it! I love me some 'zombie' books and The Scourge took it to a whole new level. Love it! 

About A.G. Henley - website, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads

A.G. Henley is the author of the young adult novel, THE SCOURGE. She is also a clinical psychologist, which means people either tell her their life stories on airplanes, or avoid her at parties when they’ve had too much to drink. Neither of which she minds. When she’s not writing fiction or shrinking heads, she can be found herding her children and their scruffy dog, Guapo, to various activities while trying to remember whatever she’s inevitably forgotten to tell her husband. She lives in Denver, Colorado. Learn more at www.aghenley.com

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Something Strange and Deadly ~ Susan Dennard

Pub Date: July 24
Publisher: HarperTEEN
Pages: 400
Author website: http://susandennard.com/
Review copy provided by: Edelweiss & publisher

Top 3 Reasons I was a goner for Something Strange and Deadly.

1. The first sentence
2. There was a "Dead Alarm"
3. Coffin bells. But instead of the bells alerting the public to accidental living persons being buried, they warn against the awakening of the dead!

And this was all on the first page of the digital ARC!

Okay, so the story picks up with Eleanor's brother, who was supposed to be on a train coming home to Philadelphia. But he never showed up. Instead, the Dead did. Now, enlisting the help of the Spirit-Hunters, Eleanor is determined to find her brother, who must somehow be mixed up with a Necromancer. The Necromancer who is bringing all of these dead to life. And while we're at it, a mean spirit is chasing Eleanor!

On top of this, the year is 1876 and Eleanor is a woman. Unfortunately for her, she is expected to act a certain way. Her mother expects her to woo eligible bachelor Clarence Wilcox. Her friends expect her to have money and keep up with the latest fads. Eleanor knows that she doesn't want to rescue her family financially by marriage. Even the Spirit-Hunters treat her differently because she is a female in society. Everyone except Jie. Jie opens Eleanor's eyes to the fact that just because she is a woman, it doesn't mean she should act or be a certain way.

One key conversation between the two compares foot-binding to wearing a corset. Both confine and conform women into an acceptable standard. Both are, as Eleanor feels, barbaric. And thus, Eleanor begins to question her role.

Back to the main story plot! They mystery continues as young men turn up dead-decapitated in fact. Eleanor's nerves are on end because they are connected to her brother, who is STILL missing. Will he turn up as the next victim? And there is something going on with Clarence, who is constantly calling on her. And something is going on with Daniel-one of the Spirit-Hunters. (Daniel = dopey smiley faces)

Gah! I just loved this book! I did not want to stop reading, even when I had to. And the ending? Holy crap. I was blown away by it, as was Scott (the husband) who exclaimed to me, "The author did X at the end of the book? Who does that?!"

"He dropped to one knee and bowed his head. He was declaring fealty to his empress."

BLOWN AWAY. Did I mention that?

Absolutely wonderful. One of my favorite 2012 debuts. The characters were fun, felt real, and easy to relate to. Each character felt different, with their own personality. From gentlemanly to prickly, to snobbish to ditzy. It was all unique. When Eleanor hurt, I hurt. When she loved, I loved. When she was shoved into a corset, thankfully I was not! 

So. Your task for July 24th is to go get a copy of Something Strange and Deadly from Susan Dennard! Then come back and tell me what you thought!

And now, for something fun and exciting...A scavenger hunt, brought to you by Susan Dennard. And once you finish the hunt you will be taken to the super fun book trailer! (The trailer will go public soon, so this is a sneak peek :P ) Something Strange and Deadly website and scavenger hunt.
And remember:       

Dearly Departed ~ Lia Habel

Title: Dearly, Departed
Series: Gone with the Respiration
Author: Lia Habel
Pub Date: September 2011
Publisher: Del Rey
Author Website: www.liahabel.com

From Good Reads:
Love conquers all, so they say. But can Cupid’s arrow pierce the hearts of the living and the dead—or rather, the undead? Can a proper young Victorian lady find true love in the arms of a dashing zombie?

The year is 2195. The place is New Victoria—a high-tech nation modeled on the manners, mores, and fashions of an antique era. A teenager in high society, Nora Dearly is far more interested in military history and her country’s political unrest than in tea parties and debutante balls. But after her beloved parents die, Nora is left at the mercy of her domineering aunt, a social-climbing spendthrift who has squandered the family fortune and now plans to marry her niece off for money. For Nora, no fate could be more horrible—until she’s nearly kidnapped by an army of walking corpses.

But fate is just getting started with Nora. Catapulted from her world of drawing-room civility, she’s suddenly gunning down ravenous zombies alongside mysterious black-clad commandos and confronting “The Laz,” a fatal virus that raises the dead—and hell along with them. Hardly ideal circumstances. Then Nora meets Bram Griswold, a young soldier who is brave, handsome, noble . . . and dead. But as is the case with the rest of his special undead unit, luck and modern science have enabled Bram to hold on to his mind, his manners, and his body parts. And when his bond of trust with Nora turns to tenderness, there’s no turning back. Eventually, they know, the disease will win, separating the star-crossed lovers forever. But until then, beating or not, their hearts will have what they desire.

In Dearly, Departed, romance meets walking-dead thriller, spawning a madly imaginative novel of rip-roaring adventure, spine-tingling suspense, and macabre comedy that forever redefines the concept of undying love.


DEARLY
Dearly, Departed starts off with a young man, Bram, running from a mob of the dead. He ends up trapped with a friend who is bleeding to death. Hm...Doesn't bode well.Skip to Nora Dearly. She is just ending her mourning period for her late father. And now she is an orphan living with her greedy, money mis-management, social climbing aunt. 

At this point, it be explained that Dearly, Departed is a mix of dystopia, steampunk, and Victoriana. I don't want to go into too much detail because Nora does a beautiful job explaining how this arrangement came to be in the year of 2190something or another. She explains via a school assignment. This turned out to be a great way to introduce readers to a new world. It does two things. First-It doesn't assume you know what happened, and second, it doesn't feed the knowledge to you in a boring way. (Can you think of books that do this? I sure can...)


So, in the New Victorian world, there is advanced technology, but there is also what made the Victorian era what it was: the social customs, class breakdowns, clothing, manners, etc.  Dearly, Departed was truly something new and different. 


DEPARTED
Onto zombies. There are two types. The first, the Grays, are your classic zombies. They are NOT GOOD. Then there are the others. With the help of medication and a strong sense of self preservation, they talk, function, and do just about anything they used to do while living. They are just ... dead. Nora learns all of this when there is an attempted kidnapping by the bad zombies. But then she is rescued/kidnapped by the good ones! 


And there she meets Bram. And begins to trust him and not be so scared of him. He is like her own personal bodyguard-she hides behind him. It is so cute. Through the course of the story, they begin to have feelings for each other. 




So what did I think? I enjoyed the hell out of this book! I loved the fusing of dystopia, steampunk, zombies and Victoriana. It felt fresh. My biggest issue was my squick factor. Falling in love with a zombie? Um...yeah, I just don't know about that. But I guess it's no different than falling in love with a vampire! My other issue was the points of view. There were waaaay too many. All we really needed was two, three at most. It got a bit distracting, and took me out of the story. 


The characters were quite fun. Nora's friend Pamela was hella fun! In my opinion, she deserves her own zombie hunting story! There was a scene with a parasol...but you'll have to read to know what happened! The other good zombies were entertaining as well, especially Renfield and Chas. Zombie with manners, and a sassy girl zombie who likes parties!


All in all, Dearly, Departed was greatly enjoyed. I'm curious about the sequel and where it will go next.




And for something different-the author. She is an absolute doll. And lives the Victorian life. I love when authors write something that they embody. Let's take a look shall we?

Photo credits:
WinterWolf Studios
winter@winterwolfstudios.com

Want to learn some Semi-Interesting Facts about Lia? (Taken from author's press kit page)


(Semi-)Interesting facts!
1.     I wear wigs. I lost quite a bit of my natural hair back in 2009, due to a combination of stress and mysterious medical factors. I’m a very all-or-nothing personality, so when it got to the point where I was going to have to rock a comb-over, I said, “Screw it. I’m going to buy a wig in EVERY COLOR.” And I did. I own scores now, in all shades and styles, but I don the brunette ones for professional gigs. I call it “Lia brown.”

Photo credits:
WinterWolf Studios
winter@winterwolfstudios.com

2.     Nora, Bram, and most of the (only vaguely outlined) plot for Dearly, Departed were dreamed up on an eight hour bus ride to New York City for a neo-Victorian event. Despite this promising beginning, I did little planning before beginning to write. Most characters were nothing more than a first name and a random hair color before they first hit the page. Their personalities and backgrounds came to me on the fly.
3.     I wrote the first draft of Dearly, Departed in a little over a month. During my most prolific week, I was writing upwards of 10,000 words a day. I have no idea where it all came from. (It took me three months to write the first draft of the upcoming sequel, Dearly, Beloved.)
4.     Most hilarious edit made to date: My first editor was fine with the zombie who carts around his own useless eye, the headless zombie, the jokes about human boxed lunches, the guy with his throat ripped out, and even the zombie/living kiss – but, “Can Bram not be green? Can you make him really pale instead?” I happily obliged.
5.     I’ve watched over 100 zombie movies, read tons of zombie books and comics, run through the Monroeville Mall, cuddled zombie toys, perched on a tombstone in the cemetery where the original Night of the Living Dead was filmed, and even held a real human brain in my hands – but I have never worn zombie makeup.




For more info clicky here

This is Not a Test ~ Courtney Summers

A little larger so you can see
some of the beautiful graphic work

Title: This is Not a Test
Author: Courtney Summers
Publication Date: June 19, 2012
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
326 pages
Review Courtesy of: Publisher via NetGalley

Synopsis from GoodReads:
It’s the end of the world. Six students have taken cover in Cortege High but shelter is little comfort when the dead outside won’t stop pounding on the doors. One bite is all it takes to kill a person and bring them back as a monstrous version of their former self. To Sloane Price, that doesn’t sound so bad. Six months ago, her world collapsed and since then, she’s failed to find a reason to keep going. Now seems like the perfect time to give up. As Sloane eagerly waits for the barricades to fall, she’s forced to witness the apocalypse through the eyes of five people who actually want to live. But as the days crawl by, the motivations for survival change in startling ways and soon the group’s fate is determined less and less by what’s happening outside and more and more by the unpredictable and violent bids for life—and death—inside. When everything is gone, what do you hold on to?





What can be said about Courtney Summers. Except that I will read anything and everything this woman publishes. This is Not a Test is no exception to her superb writing. The story is realistic and gritty, just like life would be.

 Zombies begin to take over your town. You're stranded in a high school with 5 other classmates. How do you think that would go over? Not well? Full of tension? Rampant hormones? Stress? Or is everything all hunky dory?

Tensions mount as one of the classmates is accused of murdering previous group members, and then someone is bitten. What is going to happen now? Meanwhile, Sloane is struggling with her own demons. Such as her sister Lily who abandoned her to their abusive father. Maybe the zombie invasion is just what Sloane needs to finish her original task.

Stylistically the e-book version of the book is stunning. I cannot wait to see what the finished printed product looks like. Blood splatters across the new chapter pages.


I have a love-hate relationship with zombies. I absolutely love zombie movies and books, but they are also the stuff of my nightmares. I don't know why, but I dream about having a zombie fall-out shelter. One of the reasons I loved this book so much is because it sat with me long after I finished it. it haunted me. It still does. Damn ending!

The Weepers ~ Susanne Winnacker

UK Cover

Series: The Other Life
Title: The Weepers
Author: Susanne Winnacker
UK published 2/28/12  by Usborne
US published 5/31/12 by Marshall Cavendish
Germany: Heyne (Random House)

Sherry and her family have been in a bunker for 3 years, 1 month, 1 week and 6 days. And today, they are on their last can of food. Not nearly enough for six people.

Sherry and her father head out of the bunker to risk hunting for food. They are not prepared for the devastation that awaits them-ash everywhere, deserted streets, dead bodies. Unfortunately, they are not the ones out hunting. In fact they are being by the Weepers.

In a dystopian future, the U.S. is over-run by a rabies mutation. The military stopped broadcasting months ago. Is there hope for anyone left in the bunkers? Or will everyone die there?


I was hooked from page two. Starting off with the family being out of food jump started this thrilling tale of survival. In a short amount of time, we see Sherry's courage as she goes off to look for her father who went missing. The small, under-played romance was not overdone. Even in such a short amount of time, the character development felt like it should be in a survival situation. No one wants to lay all their cards on the table, there would still be secrets, personal walls, etc.

I am very excited for the next book!

Bad Taste in Boys ~ Carrie Harris

2011 Debut Title

Kate Grable is her high school football team trainer. Things are going well until she notices team members taking injections and puking nasty ass black puke. Before too long, football players are chomping down on classmates and it is spreading. Will Kate be able to save her high school and town before it is too late? Or will Kate become lunch for zombies?

If books had B-Movie categories, this one would definitely be in it! But don't get me wrong, I loved this book! Everything was very tongue-in-cheek, and seriously, a high schooler cures the zombie plague? Um...YES! In fact, once word spreads, well, once the study body sees the zombies at a pep rally, the students all try to either help, or become vigilantes. Absolute craziness! And I love it!


Take all of your zombie related rules, cliches, etc and throw them out the window. Then sit back and enjoy Bad Taste in Boys.        

*Coming later this year is book 2: Bad Hair Day.
*If you like this book, try Marlene Perez's Dead Is series