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jo_stanford's review against another edition
5.0
Absolutely loved this book
I thought it would be just another book about a post apocalyptic walk though the US. But it was really funny and the main characters were so darn likable. It's been a long time since I read a book that didn't make me want to also the main characters.
I thought it would be just another book about a post apocalyptic walk though the US. But it was really funny and the main characters were so darn likable. It's been a long time since I read a book that didn't make me want to also the main characters.
humanignorance's review
3.0
Very slow to start, but once it did the humor was pretty much nonstop, and most of it was decent. Unfortunately, character development was poor and the premise poorly explained.
cameronkc's review
5.0
Clayton Smith. Three cheers for you sir.
This book is ridiculous. I am a sucker for word-play and puns, he has them in spades. The two main characters, Ben and Patrick are perfect for eachother. Their behavior, their adventure, their vernacular - marvelous. The people they meet along the way are creative and interesting. I do not know how Smith came up with a apocalypse, with zombish types, evil people, crazy people, and there are so many good references in here.
I have not enjoyed reading a book this much in a long time.
This book is ridiculous. I am a sucker for word-play and puns, he has them in spades. The two main characters, Ben and Patrick are perfect for eachother. Their behavior, their adventure, their vernacular - marvelous. The people they meet along the way are creative and interesting. I do not know how Smith came up with a apocalypse, with zombish types, evil people, crazy people, and there are so many good references in here.
I have not enjoyed reading a book this much in a long time.
rarmknecht's review
4.0
I never felt like I got to know Ben, and Patrick was his own type of crazy, though neither him nor Ben seems to realize it. The best descriptive scenes took place when away from cities and possible landmarks. otherwise I felt the name of where they were was used as a replacement for a description, i.e. they were walking past the lyric opera house..
Lots of irrational decisions such as trying to sneak past sleeping thieves that stole their bags instead of just killing them. But I suppose that fit with the quirky nature of the duo than murder.
All in all the 338 pages disappeared quickly, the ending caused tears to form, and I want to know more about the future of those at fort doom. It's worth the read, so check it out!
Lots of irrational decisions such as trying to sneak past sleeping thieves that stole their bags instead of just killing them. But I suppose that fit with the quirky nature of the duo than murder.
All in all the 338 pages disappeared quickly, the ending caused tears to form, and I want to know more about the future of those at fort doom. It's worth the read, so check it out!
jwillis81's review
3.0
Ralph Waldo Emerson is often quoted as saying, "It's not the destination, but the journey." And while that may be true in the grand scheme of life, the issue I had with this book was that the journey wasn't half as interesting as the destination (and the characters' reasons for going there). The destination wasn't reached until the very, very, very end of the book and there were a lot of stops along the way. I bought this book based on the synopsis hinting at the possibility of a exploring a post-apocalyptic Disney World, but actual park didn't make an appearance until the final few pages of the story, which ultimately left me feeling a little disappointed.
erfenden's review
3.0
This book was better than I expected. Humor and the post apocalyptic genera are difficult to mix and I was first afraid that this book was sinking into the "trying too hard to be like Douglas Adams" trap. It did, more than once cross that line into forced wackiness, making my eyes roll. But it also contained some really solid word play backed by an engaging story and even characters with gripping motives. There were instances of genuine humor that made me chuckle. Worth reading.
tmleblanc's review
2.0
I picked up my copy of Apocalypicon by Clayton Smith at Chi-Fi this year where I had the opportunity to bond with Clayton over our shared love of Disney. You see Apocalypticon takes places in the United States in a world similar to The Walking Dead and chronicles the journey of 2 best friends as they travel from Chicago to the Happiest Place on Earth, Walt Disney World. I'll admit it, I'm a sucker for things connected to Disney. I worked at a Disney Store for 2 years before is was abruptly closed with little notice. I've been to WDW 4 times and it truly is magically. So I have a soft spot for things connected to Mickey. And I guess, if the world was ending, why not head to the Happiest Place on Earth, right?
I struggled with Apocalypticon. I struggled with the plot, the characters, and as I write this post, I have to look at the cover of the book just to spell the name of the novel. It read like a bad buddy cop movie with not enough history given about the two main characters, Ben and Pat, to understand how they hooked up and why they stay together. They had inside jokes that I didn't understand. And for most of the book, they seem to dislike each other and I wondered why they continued to stay together.
The passage of time or rather how quickly Ben and Pat travelled bothered me as well. The first part of the journey made sense as a train travels relatively quickly. However, once Ben and Pat moved to the river and then to walking, they seems to move awfully quick between adventures. It seemed to take them only a day to cross hundreds of miles. And the villain of the novel, appears briefly at the start, disappears and miraculously is back on the their tails and travels at astounding speed on foot as well.
So why did I keep reading? Pat had some really touching moments. A note from his young daughter, who died during the event that caused the apocalypse, was driving him to get to Walt Disney World. Smith craftily brings out the note, during Pat's most trying moments and I would see a glimmer of hope and humanity. Each time I was ready to put the book down and abandon it, the note would get whipped out, my heart would ache and I would continue reading. Smith waits to reveal what was in the note, and I had to know what was in the note!
There were some moments that made me laugh, too. About half way through the book, Ben and Pat are scavenging through cars trying to find supplies. They have a conversation about a scene from The Walking Dead that was very similar to their current situation.
"There was this one episode, I think it was season 2, when they needed medical supplies, so they dug through all the abandoned card on the highway. Just like we're doing. Except you know what they found? ... Everything. ... They got everything. And me? I got this bag of plastic toothpicks," he [Pat] said, holding it up.
Ben shrugged. "Fiction is bullshit. What can you do?"
"My addiction to movies and television has left me entirely unprepared for the harsh realities of post-apocalyptic life."
Overall, I wasn't a fan of Apocalypticon by Clayton Smith. The pacing was off and the story takes a lot of common zombie and apocalyptic tropes and throws them together. For me, there wasn't any thing new and ground breaking. I only read to the end because I wanted to know what was in the note driving Pat to get to Walt Disney World. Unfortunately, Apocalypticon by Clayton Smith gets a thumbs down.This review was originally posted on Second Run Reviews.
I struggled with Apocalypticon. I struggled with the plot, the characters, and as I write this post, I have to look at the cover of the book just to spell the name of the novel. It read like a bad buddy cop movie with not enough history given about the two main characters, Ben and Pat, to understand how they hooked up and why they stay together. They had inside jokes that I didn't understand. And for most of the book, they seem to dislike each other and I wondered why they continued to stay together.
The passage of time or rather how quickly Ben and Pat travelled bothered me as well. The first part of the journey made sense as a train travels relatively quickly. However, once Ben and Pat moved to the river and then to walking, they seems to move awfully quick between adventures. It seemed to take them only a day to cross hundreds of miles. And the villain of the novel, appears briefly at the start, disappears and miraculously is back on the their tails and travels at astounding speed on foot as well.
So why did I keep reading? Pat had some really touching moments. A note from his young daughter, who died during the event that caused the apocalypse, was driving him to get to Walt Disney World. Smith craftily brings out the note, during Pat's most trying moments and I would see a glimmer of hope and humanity. Each time I was ready to put the book down and abandon it, the note would get whipped out, my heart would ache and I would continue reading. Smith waits to reveal what was in the note, and I had to know what was in the note!
There were some moments that made me laugh, too. About half way through the book, Ben and Pat are scavenging through cars trying to find supplies. They have a conversation about a scene from The Walking Dead that was very similar to their current situation.
"There was this one episode, I think it was season 2, when they needed medical supplies, so they dug through all the abandoned card on the highway. Just like we're doing. Except you know what they found? ... Everything. ... They got everything. And me? I got this bag of plastic toothpicks," he [Pat] said, holding it up.
Ben shrugged. "Fiction is bullshit. What can you do?"
"My addiction to movies and television has left me entirely unprepared for the harsh realities of post-apocalyptic life."
Overall, I wasn't a fan of Apocalypticon by Clayton Smith. The pacing was off and the story takes a lot of common zombie and apocalyptic tropes and throws them together. For me, there wasn't any thing new and ground breaking. I only read to the end because I wanted to know what was in the note driving Pat to get to Walt Disney World. Unfortunately, Apocalypticon by Clayton Smith gets a thumbs down.This review was originally posted on Second Run Reviews.
imyerhero's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Religious bigotry, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, and Torture
loonyruni2's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
sad
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
2.5