Deadline (Newsflesh, Book 2) [Mass Market Paperback]

Mira Grant (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 2011

Shaun Mason is a man without a mission. Not even running the news organization he built with his sister has the same urgency as it used to. Playing with dead things just doesn't seem as fun when you've lost as much as he has.

But when a CDC researcher fakes her own death and appears on his doorstep with a ravenous pack of zombies in tow, Shaun has a newfound interest in life. Because she brings news-he may have put down the monster who attacked them, but the conspiracy is far from dead.

Now, Shaun hits the road to find what truth can be found at the end of a shotgun.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. Grant (pseudonymous urban fantasy author Seanan McGuire) continues her postapocalyptic zombie series with this adrenaline-packed, quick-witted tale of medicine and mayhem. It's 2041, a year after Shaun Mason's sister and co-blogger, Georgia, became infected with the zombie virus (in 2010's Feed). After nearly three decades of rampant zombiism, procedures and protocols have evolved to keep humans safe, constrained, and scared. As Shaun struggles to cope with Georgia's death, a doctor from the Centers for Disease Control sets the After the End Times blogging crew to investigating a conspiracy around people with a reservoir condition—a state in which the virus goes live in just one area of the body—and the high death rate among reputable scientists trying to study them. Deft cultural touches, intriguing science, and amped-up action will delight Grant's numerous fans. (June)

Review

'This book is fast-paced and so well written it makes you check your doors and windows are locked and peer into the dark corners looking for zombies... I really would recommend this book to anyone and everyone who likes the supernatural/fantasy gene; it's just a fantastic read that I found hard to put down with a really twisted ending leaving the reader wanting more.' DARK MATTER [An] adrenaline-packed, quick-witted tale of medicine and mayhem ... Deft cultural touches, intriguing science and amped-up action will delight Grant's numerous fans PUBLISHERS WEEKLY 'This was an absolutely excellent continuation of this series. Things that happen in this book will absolutely take your breath away; it is absolutely engaging and really makes you think... Personally, I think this is the best zombie-themed writing since World War Z' FRINGE --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 624 pages
• Publisher: Orbit; 1 edition (June 1, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 031608106X
• ISBN-13: 978-0316081061
• Product Dimensions: 4.2 x 1.5 x 7.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (135 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #77,835 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Into The Head of Shaun Mason *Spoiler Alert* August 10, 2011

By Shroud Magazine's Book Reviews VINE™ VOICE

Format:Mass Market Paperback

*Warning, this review contains spoilers for FEED, the preceding book in Mira Grant's Newsflesh trilogy read the review here ([...]), then read that book first.*

It sucks to be the second part of a trilogy. The first part is young and impetuous, the vibrant child introducing us to new worlds and people while establishing the broad conflict. The last one is older, more mature, bringing it all together and providing us with a sense of closure. All the middle kids does is get everyone into as much trouble as possible.

Boy, howdy does DEADLINE do that.

Picking up scant months after the events of FEED, we're plopped into the head of Shaun Mason as he barely holds the crew of After the End Times together. The ghost of his dead sister is in his head, an officially deceased CDC researcher is in his apartment and his city is overrun with the hungry amplified. This new addition to the group has information that someone is willing to firebomb the entirety of Oakland to keep secret. It would appear that the conspiracy behind his sister's death is alive and Shaun will stop at nothing to get at the heart of the matter.

Everything that made FEED my favorite novel of last year, as well as my second favorite zombie novel of all time, is still here: political intrigue, in-depth and honest characters that work their way into your heart and life, spot on social commentary on the way we live under the threat of a terror state and some damn fine "hold onto your britches while you fill them with poo" action. Of course, Mira continues to ratchet up the tension with the increasingly tightening noose around the necks of our intrepid newsies.... Her previously proven Whedonesque willingness to kill off any character, no matter how important they may seem, certainly kept me on my toes in that regard.

I specifically enjoyed the change in POV from FEED's supremely self-assured and driven Georgia to the increasingly apathetic and uncertain Shaun. His feelings of inadequacy and mental breakdown (he doesn't just talk to his dead sis, she argues back) provide the heavy emotional impact this go round. The world around and within him is collapsing into chaos and you'll feel every moment.

Sure, it will leave you hanging in the air once the last page is turned, but that is what middle children do. Also, there's a revelation near the end that I want to call cheap but it does fit with the information we are provided earlier and I'm curious to see how it will play out in BLACKOUT. Overall, it's a hell of a worthy followup to FEED that had me tearing through the pages and left me salivating more. What else can you ask for?

Reviewed by Shroud's Anton Cancre Read more ›

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Intensely emotional, action-packed adventure. With zombies. September 17, 2011

By Wendy Darling

Format:Mass Market Paperback

This review does not contain spoilers for either FEED or DEADLINE. One year has passed since Shaun and Georgia Mason found more than they bargained for as they investigated the truth behind the Kellis-Amberlee virus, a mutated cure for human disease that led to the uprising of the dead. The events that transpired then have an enormous impact now as the high-profile bloggers from After the End of Times uncover a conspiracy that is even bigger than they ever imagined. A CDC researcher fakes her own death in a spectacular fashion and shows up at their headquarters, and soon the whole team is battling zombies, mutant dogs, and the ever-present ghosts of their past.

When I finished this book late last night, my thoughts were "I have not a single criticism to offer. Not a single one." And this still holds true. Without exception, every question and doubt I raised with Feed (Newsflesh, Book 1) is answered here. The action is incredibly intense, the story is densely and intricately plotted, and the book is exceptionally well-paced and exciting. Readers who are leery of zombies still shouldn't have much of a problem, because although there are more tense encounters with the undead, the violence is relatively contained and there are no gross or gratuitous scenes. Most of the terror comes from heart-pounding action and chase sequences, as well as the knowledge of the overwhelming consequences if the team fails in its quest for truth and justice.

Shaun, Georgia, and Buffy all loom large in this sequel, but we also get to know the other staffers better, including the elegant Mahir, the fiercely determined Becks, the quietly steady Alaric, and the sad, tragic Maggie.... Most significantly, however, the narrator has shifted to Shaun, whose personality comes through loud and clear in his bitterly funny words, his decisive handling of his team, and his desperately emotional struggle to hang onto what he loves most. Mira Grant met and exceeded every expectation I had for this book, particularly in the devastating truth that comes to light about what might have been. I knew from Feed to expect an emotional reaction, but I could not have prepared myself for the terrible knowledge that these characters have to face. I was literally whimpering from the pain, and tears were streaming so hard that I couldn't see the page.

This is a searingly intelligent novel, with hard questions about medical ethics, government responsibility, and the nobility and folly of human nature. And just when you think the author has delivered everything she possibly could, there is a HUGE twist at the end that made me bolt upright and scream in the middle of the night. This twist has far-reaching consequences for both the characters and for society as a whole, and it also answered questions I had about the future in a crazy and unthinkable way.

It will be another year before the third book in this trilogy will be released, and I'll spend much of that time waiting in agony to find out what happens to the characters I've come to care about so much. But oh my stars, what a pleasure it is to be so incredibly excited and thrilled and moved by an author's work. Read more ›

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars A Good Sequel, But Has Its Flaws June 28, 2012

By khaleesi22

Format:Mass Market Paperback

This series frustrates me so much because it can be really, really good and then it can be really, really bad.

Good:
-Zombies are awesome and the action scenes make it impossible to put the book down.
-Very diverse characters (Latina woman, Indian man, Chinese man, etc. Not a racially exclusive novel.)
-I LOVE LOVE LOVE the backstory parts...Seanan McGuire is amazing at writing a history of an entire half century. The details are perfect. This carries into her zombie novella and short story, too.
-Lots of twists and turns, and a HUGE one at the end.
-Hot scenes that you don't expect. <3
-Really solid sequel that blends the old story with new, interesting plotlines.

Bad:
-Shaun is kind of an jerk, but he is portrayed as this awesome hero, even though he is totally unlikeable.
-As with the first novel, I had issues with the repetition of little details, like blood testing and cola vs. coffee. Could get quite boring.
-Many parts just dragged.
-I couldn't take the whole "Georgia in my head" thing seriously. It was just really unrealistic and awkward to read, but it also said a lot about what Shaun is really going through.

The writing is definitely flawed. This series isn't perfect. But it is intricate enough for me to stay interested, and all in all, this was a good read.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars excellent with some unresolved issues, i.e., sequelitis November 2, 2011

By Madame X TOP 500 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Mass Market Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

One bad thing about George dying at the end of FEED is that her death left Shaun to narrate the sequel, DEADLINE. I wasn't sure I wanted to read a book written entirely from Shaun's point of view. Especially not depressed, grief-maddened Shaun, who's not nearly as much fun as comic-relief Irwin Shaun was.

One good thing about George dying at the end of FEED is that I knew from the first page of DEADLINE that Mira Grant doesn't pull her punches. I knew I couldn't count on her to keep beloved characters safe or even safely on the "good" side of the moral line in the sand. I expected some crazy twists and turns, and I wasn't quite so gutted when they came along. Or, on the downside, quite so surprised.

And on the one hand, Deadline is seriously awesome. The main plot picks up on one of the unexplored element of FEED that I badly wanted to know more about - already a good sign - namely the reservoir conditions, like George's ocular Kellis-Amberlee. What spurs those conditions, what do they mean for the overall evolution of the virus? The answer, DEADLINE'S first really killer twist, sends Shaun on a hunt for more information that ultimately blows the conspiracy he (and George) had begun to crack in FEED wide open.

But for all that, I'm not ready to pass judgment on DEADLINE. I'm not ready to call it a success. It leaves too many questions unanswered.

For example: In DEADLINE, Georgia lives on in Shaun's mind as a figment of his imagination. She chats with him, they have conversations. Everyone, even Shaun, sees this as a sign of mental illness. He can't let go, he can't move on, so instead he has a relationship with an imaginary Georgia....

But throughout the novel, Georgia supplies ideas and information that Shaun couldn't generate on his own. She knows facts that he wouldn't remember, processes information faster than he would, and remembers character quirks about their friends and employees that he never knew. She seems like an independent entity, and Shaun doesn't seem crazy. Even his willingness to admit that he's crazy is proof that he's not crazy.

I know that the NEWSFLESH series are zombie books, so clearly there's an element of the magical or impossible, but that's why I appreciate Mira Grant's incessant discussion of virology. Aside from the fact that I find it interesting, it's kind of like a pledge. She's promising to keep her alternate reality as real as possible. She tells us about things like yellow fever and malaria to reassure us that she's basing her pseudo-science on real world phenomena.

So what's up with George in Shaun's head? There's no realism or pseudo-science to her disembodied voice. It's impossible. I hope Mira Grant has a good explanation for this, but until I hear it I'm going to be worried that there's a huge element of the book that's impossible and magical and makes no sense.

There are other examples, but that's the biggest and the safest to discuss, since it's present from the beginning.

FEED could have been a standalone novel. It felt like one to me. DEADLINE is not just a sequel, it's an obvious link in a chain. That makes it less impressive in some ways, but has the potential to make the series as a whole much stronger. By the end of the book, the post-Rising status quo is over. Add up all the revelations and all the curveballs, and there's an endgame in sight. The zombies are going to take over or they're going to lose everything. And, whoever's narrating, Grant is going to keep us in the thick of it. Read more ›