Customer Reviews

Brains: A Zombie Memoir

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Brains: A Zombie Memoir is told unique as it is told through a zombie's perspective. The book's hilarious, starting off with Geraldo Rivera interviewing a zombie and riddled with pop culture references. The humor continues throughout the novel, but lessens towards the middle of the book once the zombies have to start actively focusing on survival.

A few of the zombies, the ones primary to the story, are self-aware. One is fast, one can speak, one can perform first aid, one can shoot and the main character can write. There is also a pregnant zombie that ultimately has to give birth.

Robin Becker's book is based on a strange premise, making it rather different from other books in the genre. The reader is put into a zombie's head, thinking a zombie's thoughts. I'm a huge zombie fan, but never once did I ever consider the world through their eyes. Jack, zombie who had a Ph.D. in life, leads the self-aware zombies. He learns along the way that once people became zombies, the playing field was level. There were no class or race distinction. It was quite interesting to see the subtle message among the gore.

Brains: A Zombie Memoir is a light, quick read that allows you to shamble a mile in a zombie's shoes.

A band of zombies who, surprising even to them, can think, plan, and communicate, embarks on a journey to negotiate with their maker, the Chicago scientist who invented the virus infecting them. Along the way they must evade capture by armed citizens and militias; the virus is transmitted through biting, and the country is being overrun. They must also feed an insatiable appetite for living flesh and an epicurean taste for brains.

BRAINS is every bit as funny as its premise demands. The humor is bold, sassy, and never tires as the story proceeds. Author Robin Becker, a teacher of writing, is in complete command of the language. Numerous references to pop culture create an air of irreverence and sarcasm that lend themselves naturally to the outrageous scenario. Told from the perspective of the zombies, in particular the former college professor who leads them after first devouring his wife, BRAINS is a ground breaking contribution to the genre. I was rooting for the walking dead and couldn't wait to learn whether their mission would succeed.

Brains offers an interesting take on the zombies, or at least I think it does. I have to admit, I don't read a lot of zombie books... something about the rotting flesh that does me in. Yet, I had heard good things about this book and it was a quick read (only 182 pages) so I jumped on board the zombie train. Unfortunately, this book was just OK - it had it's moments, but overall I was left wanting more.

Jack Barnes is a well educated professor who suddenly finds himself a zombie. Yet, he isnt a mindless brain eating zombie, he has somehow retained his ability to think and to write. He sets off trying to find other zombies like himself and ends up creating his own little zombie family, ready to show the world they can co-exist with humans.

Overall Jack is an interesting guy, if you can overlook the fact he comes across as kind of a jerk before he was zombified. His, and perhaps this book's, downfall is the way he narrates the story. The narration is filled with pop culture references and one line zingers. Granted some are funny, but a lot of them felt forced just for the sake of trying to be funny and turned me off to his character. Add in that he is kind of a jerk when he talks about his wife and I soon found him to be a pretty unlikeable character. I did warm up to him as he warmed up to his new zombie family, but it was a little too late. What I enjoyed most about the story was the cast of characters he collects around him - they are a merry band of misfits and I would have love to get inside their heads and see some of the story from their perspective.

In addition to an unlikable main character, I found the story to be slow. I wanted more to happen... its only 182 pages but I found myself yawning at page 100. Even in the end, I felt the plot just kind of went pfffft. There was a small climax but it was more of a speed bump and all of a sudden the book was over.

So, I have am complaining about all of these things... why am I giving it a 3?? Well even with these faults it was a decent read. It was quick and there were some moments where I laughed out loud. Robin Becker is certainly a talented writer and the idea is one I would love to see expanded on with a bit better story line. As it is, I had some problems with it stylistically - but you may not. I can certainly see the potential for the idea and the writer behind it. The end is a bit open ended, allowing room for a sequel. If there is one I will certainly pick it up to see where it goes.

I've read several 'Zombie Books' in the last 6 months or so, and although this is no World War Z I'm giving it a very solid 4 (if not 4.5) stars. I thought the idea was pretty interesting and a much different take on zombie life than most of the other books out there. The author adds some original thought, detailing a "zombie sense" (kind of like a Spidey Sense), which attracts them to humans, and the obvious sexual overtone of zombies connecting via physical manipulation of their bite sites.

I read some reviews criticizing the the idea of zombies having cognitive ability. I find that almost laughable. You're reading a book on the Zombie Apocalypse, being written through the eyes of a ZOMBIE, and you're upset because you don't think it's possible for zombies to have the ability to read and write (or be sarcastic and witty on top of that)?!

Take this book for what's it's worth, a fresh take on zombie life. If you enjoy this genre at all, you'll definitely enjoy "Brains". There are too many good books out there to read something that sucks, so I have no shame in putting a book down 50 pages in, but by 50 pages (or I guess about 20% on the ol' Kindle) I was hooked and didn't want stop reading. I'm not going to spoil it, but there's definitely room left at the end for a sequel, which I look forward to hopefully reading one day.

I picked this book up for my 13-year-old son and couldn't put it down. While I don't normally read books about zombies, I thought this was hilarious and fun. I finished it in two days and got a real kick out of all the pop-culture references. This is an extremely creative story told from a zombie's perspective. It was completely twisted and sick, but so funny I couldn't help myself. I loved the fact that the zombies formed a "family" akin to a group of super heroes, all with a special human-like gift. It this is ever made into a B movie, I'm going opening night. [...] Stuck with Mr. Wrong?: Ten Steps to Starring in your own Life Story

Robin Becker goes all out to create a sentient zombie culture that is out-of-the-ordinary and full of spice. Loaded with humor and lots of great pop culture references that will keep you entertained from beginning to end. This is a MUST HAVE BOOK for your zombie literature collection!

Another debut author novel, another novel from the zombie perspective, another great read. Lately there are lot of debut zombie authors and a lot of new books coming from the zombie perspective, and yet I am still being surprised because each one of these novels are completely different and provide a new perspective that hasn't been done before. With her book Brains, Becker has written a funny yet heartwarming story and has managed to turn a zombie into a hero.

The book opens with college professor Jack Barnes and his wife fighting off a zombie horde attacking their house in a small Missouri town, and they're running out of luck. They retreat to the basement and lock themselves in (I know better, but they didn't) and of course things go bad. It turns out the professor has already been bitten in the fighting and now he is locked in the basement with his wife. There is a funny but sad dialogue between them as they figure out that this is not a good situation. I enjoyed the dialogue, but wish it would have ended better. The result is that zombie Jack Barnes is born and he found something to eat as soon as he turned. The amazing thing about zombie Jack is that he can still think and even write - he begins a diary of his zombie life and this is the zombie memoir mentioned in the title - a very clever premise.

Jack wanders aimlessly with other zombies, but immediately notices how he is different from the other zombies who seem not able to dodge a weapon or hide from their attackers. They provide good cover until he finds a home in a pickup bed under a tarp, and gets driven to a truck stop where he meets a pregnant girl named Eve that he had just bitten, and they head off together, walking through cornfields and roads - anywhere to get away from the truck stop. They run across an army unit, get captured and caged with some other zombies who had been captured.

It turns out that in this cage are some mindless zombies but also a few that are different like Jack. One, named Joan, was a nurse and still could think and heal the wounds of the zombies, and another named Guts could think and also had the coordination to move fast on his feet. Jack was able to draw pictures of an escape plan and relate that to the other zombies and they did manage to escape. During the escape, one of the soldiers turned into a zombie but could still manage to talk - he joined the group along with Jack. Thus began the journey by a rag-tag team of super-zombies who travel to try and find someone in authority to let them know that they are thinking, capable zombies who should not be killed.

The story is very entertaining, has a sense of humor, and is one of those books you don't want to put down. It's an easy read of 180 or so pages, and will leave you with an entirely different point of view of the coming zombie apocalypse. This is another must-read for anyone who is into the zombie thing, and a great read for anyone else. Recommended!

A pretty cool idea; zombies want equality. Jack Barnes, a former professor has turned to a zombie but can think and write (but cannot express his thoughts in voice). Together with other zombies, they take upon a journey to find the man who created the zombie virus and in turn try to live in harmony with the humans. I liked the idea, but didn't feel anything towards Jack and his crew. An average zombie read.

Stein the research scientist and his team work on creating the perfect human. However, before they achieve their goal, they activate the virus prematurely. Everything goes downhill from there as the zombie contagion spreads across the country.

Zombies attack college professor Jack Barnes and his wife; infecting them with the disease. As his body rots, he discovers a passion for dining on Brains as he can beautifully think at least for now. He recruits other special rotters like Guts, Joan, Annie, Ross and Eve to join him on a quest to find the perfect Brains; that of Stein the Creator who he believes will end the body erosion issue and rid them of the putrid smell problem that deodorant fails to hide.

Brains is a superb satirical zombie thriller as the quest to find God the Stein motivates Barnes and his cognitive thinking recruits. Lampooning societal core values, readers will enjoy the pilgrimage with stops at Wal-Mart, packaged food oasis, and religious shrines, as the team heads to "Mecca"; the lights of Chicago where the Stein (names matter) is reported to reside.

Harriet Klausner

[...]

Brains: A Zombie Memoir by Robin Becker was brilliant, to say the least. It was edgy, refreshing and totally unlike anything I have read lately. It was a quick read, at only 192 pages. I only wish it would have been longer- but the author was clever leaving it as she did. I don't know if I will get to visit the courageous and cunning Jack Barnes again- though I would be the first one in line to buy a second book if there ever was one.

A scientist, Stein, has been trying to mold the perfect person. But, just like it should- it all goes wrong when they release the virus before it is ready. This leads us to the endearing college professor, Jack Barnes, and his wife being surrounded by infectious people. Zombies. He inevitably contracts the foul zombie virus that has been eating the country. Along with his newly decaying body he has found a new passion: Brains. He says it better than anyone, "...beautiful, bountiful, bubbly, bewitching, bedazzling brains." I am in love with the way this book is written. It made me laugh, cringe and hope. Hope for zombies? Who would have thought. I was utterly torn, do I want the zombies to get slaughtered?! Do I want them to survive to brutally eat more humans!? Geesh, I still don't know. But I DO know that I loved Jack Barnes and his little entourage of special zombies. Jack goes on an adventure with his fellow zombies to find their God, their creator... the reason this all started. Stein. I mean, he must appreciate their existence, right? He'll help them survive among humans.... right?

This is what I love about Jack- when you look into his eyes, they aren't vacant and glossed over like the majority of the undead. No, he is self aware. He can read. He can write. And he is smart enough to realize there are others like him. He finds Guts, Joan, Annie, Ross and Eve. All with their own individual zombie super powers. They will fight for equality, or die (again) trying!

I highly suggest this book to anyone- if you don't mind some serious flesh eating. The book is written in first person, which is why it is so much fun. Who doesn't want to be present for the thought process of a self aware zombie? I'm going to be reading this book again, and recommending it to all my friends. Can we have another, Ms. Becker? Please ;)