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22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Not Just a Zombie Novel, Its Far Much More, August 18, 2004
This review is from: Xombies (Paperback)
Although the cover likens this story to a cross between 28 Days and Lord of the Flies, it is not that simple. 17-year-old Lulu (Louise) is with her mom looking for her father. Just as they seem to be at their destination, a plague sweeps the globe. Victims become crazed with a desire to infect others. There is also a side effect that reanimates the dead.
It is a much changed world that Lulu must navigate looking for some shred of sanity. Lulu suffers from a rare genetic disorder and it seems to have made her immune. Lulu teams up with her supposed father and joins a refugee effort on an old submarine.
Lulu's trek leads her to truths both shocking and unpleasant. We learn more of the plague and how it works. Conspiracies, greed, lust for power, and Lulu herself are all brought together in a very original story that is not just a zombie story. This is more of a cautionary tale that takes the reader into new and original directions. Part horror story, part cautionary tale, and part utopian tale this is a wonderful book that starts fast and just keeps going taking surprise turns all over the place. Check it out.
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14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Writer delivers...the writing is great, the story not bad, August 11, 2004
This review is from: Xombies (Paperback)
Xombies is kind of a mish-mash of lots of different ideas already out there. Its Romero-esque zombie apocalypse running 28-Days-Later stylewith Ginger Snaps female hormones wrapped up with Max Max and (of all things) Below.
After all the women of the world go Xombie, also turning the men, a girl who is immune manages to escape aboard an Ohio-class submarine looking for safe haven.
If the writing wasn't so good (its very good) I'd call the novel too derivative to stand on its own but it zips along and you keep turning the pages and surprise...when its done, you're sorry.
Its a worthy read and the end was a pleasant surprise.
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10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Dawn of the Dead meets Apocalypse Now, August 19, 2004
This review is from: Xombies (Paperback)
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.
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