Customer Reviews

Zombocalypse Now

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Unlike another reviewer here, I must admit that I was predisposed to not like this work. I do not care for zombies, do not like zombie movies and as to the "choose our own adventure" aspect of this work, well I read so many of these things with and to my grandsons while they were growing up that I could almost puke the things. Most of them bored me to tears...but then I am an old man and look at things differently than a preteen and younger. Of course that being said, I have to admit that I am one of those people who has never quite made the transition from childhood, to adulthood into dotage very gracefully.

I also have to admit though that I have not had as much fun reading a book in many, many years as I did this one! I found myself laughing out loud on many occasions and in an almost a perpetual state of snickering throughout this entire read. This is truly good stuff folks...it is an absolute hoot!

Our hero, which is actually you, as you are the one that guides the action through him, is in reality a pink stuffed rabbit with more than his share of human inadequacies; socially just a bit off center, not all that bold, clueless to a great extent and at times incapable of making a rational decision. The story opens with the stuffed rabbit...uh, I mean you, setting at a café waiting for your blind date...a girl you met on via the internet. When she shows up you find she does not smell very good, is possibly drunk and has a very, very odd look about her! The only two words she seems to be able to utter are "Nnnnnnnggggg" and "Brrraaaaaaaains." Your adventure begins...you battle to save yourself and indeed, civilization, from hoards of invading zombies and incidentally, save yourself from becoming one of the living dead yourself.

Now here is where this particular work separates itself from others of this particular genre. Matt Youngmark can actually write! And he can write well! He has also been blessed in a very, very quirky and wide ranging imagination and sense of humor. This combination is a true winner in ever meaning of the word.

Not only do we get an extremely interesting story, but more importantly we get some of the best comic social satire I have read in years; quite cutting at times, but so very, very much on the mark. This guy, Youngmark, is hilarious. He also seems to have the ability to see through brick walls as to the prevailing human condition we find ourselves stuck with.

Is this a horror book? Is this a book of social satire? Is this a work a product of a twisted comic? Is this book a page turner (both literally and figuratively)? Will this one hold your interest? Will this work become a classic in its genre? Well I would have to say yes to all these questions. We have been given quite an impressive bit of imaginative writing here.

Now the question comes to mind as to what age group this book targets! I can certainly not look you in the eye and tell you that this is a work suitable for the preteen crowd as the themes running throughout are quite adult in nature. On the other hand I know of no kid over the age of nine or ten that would not leap at the chance to read this one. Is it targeted for young adults or older adults? Both of these categories of reader will love them. It is just hard to say. I do know that if you mess up and tell you 11 year old he or she is not allowed to read it, that it is a sure bet he or she will lay their hands on a copy of it as quickly as possible. That is the nature of the young.

I will say that the author has taken very adult themes and not become gross or inappropriate with them, yet has left enough edge to keep even old and jaded readers quite interested. While some of the language is somewhat of an adult nature, it is far, far better than what I hear on a daily basis in Elementary and Jr. High Schools. On the other hand, some of the words used by the author are words that my wife will not allow me to utter around our younger grandsons. Personally, I never tell the younger set what to read and what not to read...but that is just me.

As has been pointed out, there are around 112 possible endings (or so the author assures us) and at least seven of them you actually get to live through! I will say that each ending is quirkier than the preceding one and the trip to each outcome is funny and you will learn a lot.

Put this one on the top of your list of books to read just for the sheer joy of having fun with the written word...you will not be sorry.

Don Blankenship
The Ozarks

"Zombocalypse Now" is a "choose your own adventure" style book that literally had me laughing out loud at the creative and often somewhat absurd imagery that Matt Youngmark skillfully painted in this very entertaining book. I should point out that I was predisposed to like the book because, 1) Zombies are cool! 2) Pick-A-Path... er..."Chooseomatic" ... books were very popular way back when I was in school, and 3) Who wouldn't want to be pink stuffed bunny with dubious morals and weak social skills?

There really isn't any way to ruin the plot of the book since there are 112 (according to the cover) different possible endings, and I experienced 6 of them on my way to hitting on one of the 7 possible (perhaps more, as also hinted on the cover) solutions that don't involve you becoming dead in one of several colorful and creative ways. Of course most of the book involves you dodging various zombies and trying to get yourself out of this mess, all the while dealing with the fact that you are indeed a pink stuffed bunny. I also really liked how you can actually use some of the information you learn on the paths that lead to death on your next trip through the book. The illustrations throughout the book are well done and are often amusing as well.

I would have tried a few more paths, choosing different options to see where that would take me, but my son took the book away because he wanted to give it try. I will likely pick this up several more times to see if the other 6 successful paths are as fun as the one I found.

Highly Recommended!

In this crazy, mixed-up world of movies about zombies, classical works re-imagined to include zombies, zombie games, zombie songs, zombie clothing, zombie rosaries, zombie cereal, zombie glassware, you might see this book and ask yourself: what the eff do I need with more zombie stuff?

Well, let ME ask you a question: have you ever felt personally endangered by that zombie cereal? Have you ever beheld it in your bowl and thought "Oh my god, man, I'm gonna die, and I forgot to pay off Columbia House!"

?

Because that's the difference, friend. Watching a zombie movie, you might be scared because you identify with the beleaguered heroes and can imagine yourself in their place, but ultimately, you're just watching it happen to somebody else.

In this book, YOU are the hero. The fate of the world is in your hands. YOUR fate is in your hands. Everyone else who you encounter on your journey is either insane, incompetent or intergalactically stupid--just like real life!

Buy it, read it, and discover the hidden depths you always knew you had: the depths of being a total badass, living and occasionally dying for the greater good. They say you never see the zombie kitten that kills you, but you will see it. Because it is illustrated!

While I am a fan of dark fiction, I have to admit that the genre has a tendency to take itself pretty seriously. I mean, for a genre of writing that focuses primarily on ghosties and ghoulies and vamps and weres and zombies, it does sometimes feel as though horror and fantasy related books and stories often seem to act as though they are above their station. So, when I was contacted by Matt Youngmark (the author of the cleverly named Zombocalypse Now, which is published by Chooseomatic Books) and offered the chance to review what he referred to as an "adult choose your own adventure" with a zombies take over the world theme, I was intrigued indeed. And then when I realized that the book is actually a parody not only of itself, but of virtually every other zombie holocaust-themed book ever written, I was hooked.

Those of you less nerdy than myself may be scratching your heads at my reference to choose your own adventure books. They were (and continue to be, actually) a series of books in which the plot plays out in numerous different ways, depending upon the order in which the book is read, which is governed by choices made by the reader. They used to be incredibly popular among bookworms the world over, and new volumes are still being released today. Generally, they plots are horror, action/adventure, or mystery-based, and the main character is you.

In Zombocalypse Now, however, you happen to be a love-starved, pink stuffed bunny just trying to get a little action.

On page one, you are sitting in a restaurant, awaiting the arrival of your most recent blind internet dating acquisition. When they arrive, something about their slack jawed demeanor seems a bit off (although it is not much more "off" than any of your other recent blind dates). Things steadily go downhill from this point, as zombie mayhem begins to ensue, as it undoubtedly will in the not so distant future.

From page three, you begin to make decisions that will shape your adventure and overall success or failure in the new, zombie-ridden reality in which you find yourself immersed. Choice one: ditch your date (whose BO has become increasingly offensive), or continue with dinner and see if the evening can be salvaged.

All in all, there are a total of 112 different possible outcomes, each one shaped by the decisions you make while facing the zombie scourge. And, as the book's cover points out, there are 7 endings that do not result in your zombie-related demise. That's about a 5% chance of surviving the zombie apocalypse, which (according to my preliminary calculations) is much better odds than you would have when the zombies really do take over the world.

Not to mention that some of the decisions that you are forced to make in the book will likely help to ensure that you are at the top of your mental game when the zombies actually do take over. That's nothing to sneeze at.

All in all, this was a fun and entertaining read. In fact, it actually became a group project at my house. My daughter and I were reading aloud and trying to find each one of the endings (we are currently up to about 30, although I have read through the book for the sake of review purposes [and possible to cheat a little.]) There were some hysterical lines and fabulous ways to die, many of which I would never have dreamed up in a million years. One of my favorite paragraphs of the entire book:

"The street in front of the restaurant where you left your date is now a chaotic mess of the living dead. Zombie shoppers attack random passers by, and many of their meals reawaken to join the growing horde. Two zombie policemen on zombie horses chase a pissed-off looking woman down the street. It's madness."

Not to mention the fact that you die a full 105 times over the course of reading this book in its entirety. Meaning that the author had to come up with some pretty creative death scenarios. They include (but are not limited to):


*Zombie polar bears.
*Zombie mackerel (you know, the fish).
*Death by humanoid zombie, only to rise again as a pink stuffed bunny zombie.
*Being eaten by zombies while burning to death. Worst. Death. Ever.
*Bludgeoning by soccer trophy.

Honestly, a review can't really do a book like this justice, simply because it is so entertaining and in so many ways. I heartily recommend that you go find yourself a copy of Zombocalypse Now, and suggest that you read it with a friend (or a group of friends). While it's billed as being intended for adults, it is really not that objectionable and IMO is appropriate for teens as well. 5 stars.

(A tip from the author himself, one that I employed: Mark off the choices that you've already made with a highlighter so you can find all of the endings without wasting too much time.)

Alas, if you prefer your zombie novels to be a little more above themselves, take the literature route and trudge through Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. You'll be sorry...

I've always been a fan of zombies, without knowing why. They just always seemed cool and well Thriller is awesome. This book helped me define why I love zombies and why everyone else does too.
In battle, a zombie is the best opponent one can ever hope for.
A) you know you are fighting pure evil, so you will always be "THE GOOD GUY" even if you're a creepy dick smack or some smarmy republican. The world wants you to win this battle. Its better than killing Nazis.
B) Anything goes. Though its in your favor to outsmart a zombie, you can never predict its next move because this thing has no smarts. complete wildcards. their love of brains is stronger than your will to survive. Plus, I have a theory that the more one "thinks" actually attracts the zombies right to you because you are literally using your brain and zombies loooove them some brains expecially working ones.
C) you get to go completely ruthless on these brain suckers. beat the living (unliving) daylights out of them. Ive always wanted to punch someone as hard as I can in the face but am too nice to do so. If I see a zombie, I am going Native on it. That means machetes, that means slicing, that means bats to the head, that means bazookas, grenades and that means HARDCORE.

So did I enjoy Zombocalypse Now?? Hell yeah I did. Considering I made some pretty bonehead choices in the beginning, I am now prepared for Armageddon. It was nice to have a few practice rounds. I hope Daryl is with me in the end. he was my favorite character. It was cleverly written and so much wit was flying around that i ended up taking some home with me. It's a great gift for all ages. I bought it for my niece AND my dad. both loved it.
I cant wait for the next adventure.

Back in the days of Yore, if you wanted to play a videogame, you had to squander your entire allowance at the local arcade one quarter at a time. If you went to the library, you could score a Choose Your Own Adventure and wrangle angry time lords/cavemen/aliens/giant ants for free! This book is not free, but it's fast, fun and funny - more than that, it's smart. If you're looking for a novel approach to the novel, and you enjoy a little zombie ass-kicking, then this is the book for you. I won't lie to you: you'll die. A lot. But that only makes the few "happy" endings all the more satisfying. Buy this book, and read it again and again. And again!

I enjoyed the Choose-Your-Own-Adventures and Find-Your-Fate books when I was young, but as an adult the books quickly showed the writers were writing down to their readers and held no interest to a reader requiring more from a story.

Zombocalypse Now is solidly and throughly written to entertain those above the pre-teen set. I explored whole branches of the story and ended up dead on well over a dozen endings and found 2 endings that did not end in death, though one of those was far from a happy ending.

The story is very engaging and imaginative and never boring. Which I found on two occasions, that this book is really not a bedtime book to fall asleep to. The story is too energetic for that, and the underlining scary doom persists long after I closed the cover on my kindle.

The bunny aspect makes for a wonderful cover and an amusing introduction, but is forgotten down some of the paths, but used for great comedy down other paths.

Highly recommended!

I bought this as a joke book for my 20yo son, but I actually read it on my Kindle before he did on his. I thought it was hilarious. How can you go wrong with a zombie blind date, Zombie fish, and a Zombie deer? Read the book and become a part of the "Cuter" humanity. After son read it, he and I spent an enjoyable lunch talking about it, he was really wound up about this book, totally loved it.
I remember the old CYoA books, and have many of them. This book takes CYOA books to the teenage level.

I received this little gem as a birthday gift, but I had never read a "choose-your-own-adventure" title before, so I was a little skeptical. However, it only took reading the first page to know that I was going to be hooked. And now, 70 deaths and 2 survivals later, I decided it was time to take a break and give some props to the author!

Mr. Youngmark's writing is sarcastic, witty, and just plain funny. The characters are relatable (everyone knows a Daryl), and the world he has created is realistic. Ok, maybe realistic is going too far. I mean, you are a stuffed bunny fighting a zombie infestation...but I promise you'll find yourself easily accepting these circumstances and all the other zany goings-on this book has to offer.

I just can't recommend this book enough. Anyone who has a sense of humor will find this adventure entertaining and addictive! Plus, it makes a great gift! =)

The crew of Monty Python, at their reunion over the ashes of Graham Chapman, mentioned that the highest comedy involved Death. I might slightly disagree, Venture Bros gets a lot of mileage out of Failure.

Zombocalypse Now has scads of both Failure and Death, which gives plenty of opportunity for great humor. Do you go for the choice reading "What's the worst that could happen?", or the one labeled "No, no! A thousand times No!" In many "choose your own adventure" books, picking a wrong choice is disappointing. But here, it's wildly entertaining.

And you play a stuffed bunny, just to add a bit of surrealist humor. The Kindle makes going back easy, which you'll do many times. I think I've gotten both the best ending (you save the day), and the worst ending (before you die, you're the last living thing on earth), with many endings in between.

The many failures are very, very funny.