Review: Fighting to Survive by Rhiannon Frater

Book: Fighting to Survive by Rhiannon Frater

Series: As the World Dies #2
Genre: Post-Apocalyptic / Zombies
Buy A Copy: Amazon | Book Depository
Available Formats: Ebook / Paperback
Publication Date: November 8th, 2011 (TOR)
How Did I Get This Book: From Publisher, For Review
Description: Picking up where The First Days ends, Fighting to Survive features the further zombie-killing, civilization-saving adventures of a pair of sexy, kick butt heroines and the men who love them. A hundred or so survivors of the zombie plague have found tenuous safety in the walled off center of a small Texas town. Now the hard work of survival begins—finding enough food; creating safe, weather-resistant shelter; establishing laws; and fighting off both the undead who want to eat them and the living bandits who want to rob and kill them.

Fighting to Survive won the Dead Letter Award for Best Novel from Mail Order Zombie. The first book in the As the World Dies trilogy, The First Days also won the Dead Letter Award and was named one of the Best Zombie Books of the Decade by the Harrisburg Book Examiner. Tor Books began bringing this series to a wider audience with the Spring 2011 publication of The First Days.

 

While The First Days dealt primarily with the mad scramble to get to a safe place, Fighting to Survive focuses more on living during the zombie apocalypse. The characters are forced to take a deep look at themselves and really see what they are willing to do to ensure their survival.

The town is growing – more and more survivors are being brought in and within comes a new danger. Now that people are feeling more secure with the whole zombie issue, they begin turning on one another. As the group expands, politics really start to come into play. Everyone has an opinion about how things should be run, including how crimes should be dealt with.

I still think that the characters are the best part of the series. Jenni, Katie, Travis and Juan are all easy to love. The relationships and interactions among the four are interesting and full of heart. I think that with this fab-four Frater has struck gold. I especially love Jenni & Juan. And their loca love.

I honestly enjoyed watching the characters struggle with their individual issues. I know that sounds terrible, but let me explain. It’s the zombie apocalypse – I think we all would have a few issues. Seeing the characters try and work through things makes it authentic. Katie and Jenni are both haunted by their past; Jenni still struggles with the death of her boys and abusive husband, while Katie struggles to move on after Lydia. All of the characters are plagued with nightmares and they all show moments of insanity. But, honestly, who wouldn’t?

Once again, Frater delivers in the whole suspense department. There is one section of the book in particular that constantly had my stomach in knots. I won’t give out too many details (because you all should read this book), but the group decides that they finally need to secure the hotel. You know, that one that the zombie maid fell off on in the first book. As you can probably guess, things don’t exactly work out according to plan.

There was honestly, only one thing that bothered me about the book. The word “gawd”. It’s nothing knew, Frater used it in the first book as well. Every time a character uses the word ‘god’ (as in ‘OH MY GOD. CHECK OUT THOSE ZOMBIES.’), it is written as “gawd.” That is not a word. I do not care if you chose to pronounce it like that (which, I don’t), it’s still not a word. It makes me think of teeny boppers on their cellphones saying things like, ‘oh my GAWD. He’s 2 HAWT.’ Needless it say, it gets under my skin.

But back to the main event. Basically, every element that I loved from The First Days in incorporated into Fighting to Survive. The characters are interesting, relationships are growing, boundaries are tested and limits are reached. Frater also doesn’t tip toe around things; she is pretty upfront and gruesome with things. But, come on now, it’s a book about zombies. You have to expect some gore.

Favorite Quotes:

She was his passionate little Irish-Mexican firecracker and it as hard to see her struggling with nightmares.

There mere thought of being mauled to death by one of the undead kept him sufficiently paranoid.

"I wouldn't trade my loca for the world."

"I know I'll come back alive. I've got too much to live for. Like giving you hell and eating Doritos."

Abruptly, the door to the kitchen was flung open and the waitstaff flooded into the room, ready for their breakfast.

Sometimes she thought wryly, it was as if they were playing some terrible game of cowboys and Indians, hiding in their fort made of odds and ends. Of course, in this case, if the Indians breached the walls, they would eat the cowboys.

Travis wasn't sure he knew how to breath anymore.

"Fuck the dead," she whispered. "This is our world."

Review: The First Days by Rhiannon Frater

Book: The First Days by Rhiannon Frater

Series: As the World Dies #1
Genre: Post-Apocalyptic / Zombies
Buy A Copy: Amazon | Book Depository
Available Formats: Ebook / Paperback
Publication Date: July 5th, 2011 (TOR)
First Sentence: "So small. So very, very small."
How Did I Get This Book: From Publisher, For Review
Description: The morning that the world ends, Katie is getting ready for court and housewife Jenni is taking care of her family. Less than two hours later, they are fleeing for their lives from a zombie horde.

Thrown together by circumstance, Jenni and Katie become a powerful zombie-killing partnership, mowing down zombies as they rescue Jenni’s stepson, Jason, from an infected campground.

They find sanctuary in a tiny, roughly fortified Texas town.  There Jenni and Katie find they are both attracted to Travis, leader of the survivors; and the refugees must slaughter people they know, who have returned in zombie form. 

Fast-paced and exciting, filled with characters who grab your heart, The First Days: As the World Dies is the beginning of a frightening trilogy.  

How do I even begin to describe The First Days? Well, I guess I could start with fabulous, stunning and completely kickass. How’s that?

In all seriousness, The First Days is quite possibly the best zombie book I’ve ever read. It’s got everything you could ever ask for; two complex and interesting heroines, an exciting yet terrifying plotline and a healthy (or should I say unhealthy) dose of killer zombies.

What really makes The First Days stand out from other zombie books is definitely the characters.  While Frater is great at the action parts of the story, she is phenomenal at the character development. Truthfully, most zombie books have great action. And The First Days does too – which is outstanding. But you can really tell that Frater put into a ton of effort in creating her characters. They are likable, dynamic, intelligent and just plain interesting. The story doesn’t simply rely on the zombies to sell the book; the characters do that on their own.

Like I said before, there are two main heroines – Katie and Jenni.  While they both are marvelous, I must say Jenni takes the cake for me.  Jenni is understandably a little damaged by the zombie apocalypse and it sets her a bit off kilter. She develops an incredibly aggressive side and takes up zombie killing as an official hobby. Honestly, she is just a hoot. Let’s be honest, the zombie apocalypse is not exactly a cheery topic and she adds a touch of humor to the book. At the same time though, Jenni is incredible fragile. The woman witnesses her family turn into zombies. As much as I loved her warrior woman side, I also loved seeing her breakdown. I also loved the relationship between Katie and Jenni. They think of themselves as “War-buddies” and are incredibly protective of each other.  

As the book progresses, the two meet a few different groups of people, most notably Juan and Travis. Juan and Travis are two construction workers who sort of unofficially run survival group that is holed up in a small town.  The two men befriend Katie and Jenni and the four of them together are just magic. My favorite of the guys was easily Juan. Like Jenni, he has a humorous streak and a rather sharp tongue. 

 The only aspect of the story that I did not like was the abrupt change in Katie’s sexual orientation. Katie is introduced as one thing and then switched midway through the book. It felt like the author changed her mind halfway through in order to fit a romance in for Katie. The way it was done was incredibly abrupt; it felt like the author was trying to pull the wool over my eyes. I was told one thing and then was handed a great big old “gotcha” later on.  

However, all in all, I LOVED The First Days. It was intense, interesting and undeniably entertaining. I just could not put this one down. In fact, I’ve already read the second one and now am just itching to get my hands on the third. If you are a fan of zombie books you simply must read this one!

Favorite Quotes

 Katie let the curtain fall back into place. Standing before the window, she felt herself let go of the old world and embrace the new. She would survive this. She would go on. That was all there was to it. She wouldn't give up without a fight. She would do whatever it took to survive. 

Finally they had started shooting zombies. That was much better.

"Well," Jenni said with a wry smile, "at least we live in Texas, where people actually own guns and hunt."

She'd been questioning Jenni's sanity for a while now, but then again, they were all slightly insane now, weren't they?

Juan nonchalantly drove the shovel through the head of the zombified maid, and the drama was over.

"You're a strange, strange girl in a strange strange world."

"So, basically, I'm risking my life because you pansies don't want to pick up tampons."

During the meeting, Jenni paid attention only when they talked about killing zombies.

The crux of the argument was that Jenni was a bloodthirsty psycho and would waste all of the ammo while Juan was too stupid to understand guns were made to be fired.

Wow! I'm more of a badass than I thought.

Just like that, everything was very different between them.

Review: Enclave by Ann Aguirre

Book: Enclave by Ann Aguirre
Series: Razorland #1
Pages:  259
Genre: Young Adult Dystopian

Buy A Copy: Amazon | Book Depository

Available Formats: Ebook & Hardcover
Publication Date: April 12th, 2011

How Did I Get This Book: From ARC Tours @ Dark Faerie Tales

Preview Book: Preview with Google Books

Description: New York City has been decimated by war and plague, and most of civilization has migrated to underground enclaves, where life expectancy is no more than the early 20's. When Deuce turns 15, she takes on her role as a Huntress, and is paired with Fade, a teenage Hunter who lived Topside as a young boy. When she and Fade discover that the neighboring enclave has been decimated by the tunnel monsters—or Freaks—who seem to be growing more organized, the elders refuse to listen to warnings. And when Deuce and Fade are exiled from the enclave, the girl born in darkness must survive in daylight, in the ruins of a city whose population has dwindled to a few dangerous gangs. As the two are guided by Fade’s long-ago memories, they face dangers, and feelings, unlike any they’ve ever known.

I have to admit, when I first heard about this book, I was a bit skeptical. At the time, the original cover (the one with Deuce and Fade embracing one another and looking all wild and staring of into the distance)  was still on it and it was giving me mixed messages. I wanted to believe it was a kickass adventure story, but the cover was giving off a definite cheesy love story vibe. Thankfully, they decided to go with a new cover – one that doesn’t really inspire any snap judgments. Because Enclave is in a class all it’s own. It is an adventure story, a coming-of-age story, a horror story. There is also a side of romance thrown in there, but fear not, it’s minus the cheese factor.

I honestly do not know how to adequately described the, story, setting and tone to you. The best I can manage is riveting, hypnotic, horrifying and a tad depressing. Deuce has lived her whole life underground – it’s a stark existence; everything about her life has been planned out for her. she is to be a hunter, which means she has been trained to protect the enclave and take on the creepy zombie thingies that occasionally come around. She is not a lot to form romantic connections; in fact she is banned from that sort of physical contact – that is for the breeders. Deuce is happy with this sad existence; it’s all she’s ever known. Enter Fade. Fade didn’t grow up in the enclave, which makes him an outsider. He’s dark and mysterious and this frightens the others. They accept him simply because he is the best hunter of them all. When Deuce is assigned a hunter partner, she gets Fade. Now, I am sure you can see where this is going. She begins to question the enclave.

While the beginning basic formula might be something you are familiar with (it is kind of dystopian 101), Aguirre takes it beyond that and gives us one heck of a ride. First of all, the characters, especially Deuce are extremely memorable. She is  not only an amazing huntress but she is strong and compassionate at the same time. She goes through quite a few ordeals in the course of the first book, but always manages to come out on top.  

The setting and tone are both equally as exquisite. Like I said before; there is almost a hypnotic quality to this book. It completely enchants you and physically impairs your ability to put it down. So much happens in this book – much more than I imagined would. You accompany Deuce and Fade on an insane, frightening and exciting adventure – one that rocks Deuce’s world.

Now like I said before, there are some inklings of romance. I am sure you can guess that there is a connection between Fade and Deuce. This actually turns out as a love triangle – between Deuce, Fade and a mysterious boy that I will not identify. What is different and somewhat comical about the romance in this book, is how utterly unaware of it Deuce is. You have to remember, she was not allowed to interact with boys in this capacity before. She was raised in a group setting and doesn’t remember her parents and she was not allowed to show or develop affection for males. It wasn’t her job. This leaves her in a funny state, because she doesn’t even really consider relationships. She has never seen an actual relationship and therefore doesn’t understand them. It’s an interesting perspective and often leaves you smacking your forehead. There were a number of cases, when I caught myself thinking. “what is wrong with this girl. JUMP HIM!” But then I had to remind myself, she doesn’t even know to jump him. 

The ending is one that we as readers love to hate. It literally leaves you standing with your toes on the edge of cliff, trying desperately to find where that missing page, that simply must have fallen out of your book, went. personally, I am leaning a bit more towards hate on this one, because it was just so abrupt. That being said, Enclave was truly a dystopian triumph. It’s much more Hunger Games  than Delirium – hopefully  that makes sense to everyone. If not, then you have some reading to do slackers!  Anyways, long story short – Enclave is an awesome book! 

 

Favorite Quotes:

"Here in the enclave, one didn't prosper by demonstrating too much independent thought."

"A huntress never stabbed anything she didn't want to."

"He went in, lean and deadly, and ended the creature with a lightning-fast spike of his blade. It shrieked, likely altering the rest. The death call carried like a mournful song."

"A good huntress respected her partners instincts, even if he was socially ignorant."

"He'd said the sun could burn me. It certainly looked angry enough, all orange and glowing mad."

"A curve of silver hung amid the brighter specks; it looked to me like a curved dagger, pretty but deadly, as if it might slice the sky in two."

"My heart shifted a little in my chest; it seemed to swell and beat against my bones until I couldn't hear."

Review: Hollowland by Amanda Hocking

Book: Hollowland by Amanda Hocking

Stand-Alone or Series: Series, The Hollows #1
Pages: 312

Genre: Young Adult / Science Fiction / Horror
Purchase A Copy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Smashwords
Publication Date: October 1st, 2010

How Did I Get This Book: Purchased

First line:  "This is the way the world ends – not with a bang or a whimper, but with zombies breaking down the back door."
Description:  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. 

After reading Hollowland, I have come to the following conclusion. Amanda Hocking is a rockstar. I did not know what to expect going into to Hollowland, I figured that it would be an exciting story, but I thought it would be a bit shallow. I was completely blindsided by this book; the plot was excellent, exciting and emotional and the characters were all beautifully flawed and realistic.

Remy is a truly badass heroine – she is utterly unstoppable. She spends the majority of the book kicking ass and taking names; she has no problem doing what needs to be done. The tough girl certainly isn’t a new concept in these types of stories, but Hocking does a remarkable job with Remy. There is so much going on beneath the surface with her. While she operates with a ‘take no prisoners’ attitude, in reality she is extremely protective of those she loves. It takes her a while to warm up to people – which is understandable in a world full of zombies, but once she lets you in, she won’t let go. Plus, home girl has a pet lion. How can you not love that?

I loved seeing Remy evolve over the course of the book – she starts of emotionally closed off from what’s left of the rest of humanity. The zombie apocalypse has obviously tainted her and it’s made her develop a wall around herself. The only person she really cares about is her little brother, who she gets separated from. She sets out to find him and on her journey she forms a few unexpected attachments; something she dreads. It was wonderful to see hr slowly start to accept, trust and even love these people. Out of the rest of the characters, my favorite was Lazlo. Lazlo is such a fun character and he is a great counterbalance to Remy. He was a rockstar before the whole zombie thing and he doesn’t really know how to take care of himself. As the book progresses he really comes into himself and he steps up to the plate.

Rounding out the rest of the wayward group is Harlow, a thirteen year old girl and Blue, a former med student. Both of these characters were also fleshed out beautifully. What I loved about this book is that all of the main characters were given such distinct personalities; they all brought something different to the table.

The pacing was INCREDIBLE people. Every single page packs an incredible punch – the characters are constantly being faced with a new obstacle. The entire book is basically a crazy cross country adventure where a ragtag group of misfits try to survive to see the next day. They spent time dodging bullets, escaping creepy cults and kicking a whole lot of zombie ass.

Hollowland is far and away my favorite Hocking book. It honestly blew me away; it exceeded my expectations in every way. it is obviously a horror story, but it is an extremely character driven one. The action and excitement are both expertly written, but it is the characters who make this book. They are what keep you on the edge of your seat, they are what keep you reading all night.

 

 Favorite Quotes:

 

“If anyone can survive the end of the world, it’s you, so I’m safer with you than anywhere else.”

“I don’t think I ever really lived until this. I’ve never done anything that mattered before, but now. I’m fighting to save my life, and yours. And I know it sounds really cheesy and lame, but I don’t think I ever really felt alive. Not until I met you.”

“I knew it.” He shook his head. “The second I saw you out in that field, all covered in zombie blood, fighting like a damn maniac. I knew you were trouble.”

Review: Can You Survive The Zombie Apocalypse? by Max Brallier

Book: Can You Survive the Zombie Apocalypse? (Max Brallier)
Order A Copy: Amazon | Book Depository
Pages: 288
Genre: Horror / Science Fiction / Create Your Own Adventure
How Did I Get This Book: For Review (Galley Grab)
Publication Date: February 8th, 2011
Description (From Goodreads): Inside these pages lies unspeakable horror. Bloodsplattering, brain-impaling, flesh-devouring horror. You’ve probably read your fair share of zombie stories. But this time it’s different. No longer can you sit idle as a bunch of fools make all the wrong moves. All hell is about to break loose—and YOU have a say in humanity’s survival. You have choices to make. Moral dilemmas. Strategic decisions. Weapons. Vehicles. Will you be a hero? Or will you cover your own ass at all costs? Can you withstand the coming hours, days, weeks, and months? Or will you die amidst the chaos and violence of a zombie uprising? Or, worst of all, will you become one of them?

I did not really know what to expect when I began reading Can You Survive The Zombie Apocalypse? by Max Brallier, but I was determined to keep an open mind. I have to be honest with you - I had an absolute riot on this gruesome, crazy, zombie adventure.

If you have ever read this type of book before, you know the setup. For those of you who haven't, I'll give you a brief overview on how things go down. The story starts the same for everyone, but early on in the book you are confronted with your first choice. In this book, you have to choose where to go - I believe you could take the train to Brooklyn, take a taxi out of town or return to your apartment. Once you make your decision, you flip to the given page and follow your adventure from there. This makes for a really fun and unique story - because you can actually change it. The goal of this book is of course, to survive the zombie apocalypse of Manhattan - but be warned, you may not make it out alive. Everything depends on what your decisions are.

When it came time for me to review this book, I had a difficult time assigning a rating - simply because it is not like your average, normal book. You cannot read the entire thing - you only read certain sections. Therefore, I do not know how all of the adventures turn out. I can tell you that my particular adventure was awesome. It involved some crazy marines, a zombie-awareness parade and some sort of underwater military bike.

However, I was a little disappointed with the ending to my story. I had no idea that it was over, I thought there was a typo. It ended way to abruptly - at the time I was still alive, but the zombies were closing in. So I am going to assume that help arrived in time and I lived happily ever after.

The format itself is easy enough to follow, but if you are reading it on an ereader it takes some getting used to. I read it on my nook and after a few tries I figured out that you have to add 14 pages on to the numbers given (*when you make a decision it will tell you to flip to a new page number). This was for the ARC version though, it may be fixed for the actual release.


I also want to warn you that it can get a pretty graphic at times. Now, you would think that this goes without saying, but you never know. It certainly did not bother me, but it may bother some of you.


Can Your Survive the Zombie Apocalypse by Max Brallier was a lot a fun. If you are looking for a fun, quick read - I would definitely give this a try. I would love to reread it sometime and make different decisions, just to see what happens. I know that you meet different characters in each of the story lines and I wonder if you can survive in more than one.