Reviews

House of Lazarus by T.L. Bodine

lauriereadslohf's review

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

4.0

House of Lazarus continues the tale that started with River of Souls. You can *probably* read this one on its own but I’d recommend reading River of Souls first to get the entire backstory. It’s an excellent take on the zombie horror novel and I think you should be reading it anyway 😁

This book picks up right where the previous one ended. It follows Davin, his teen sister and Davin’s undead boyfriend Randy as they attempt to live their lives in a world turned upside down after the dead have risen. There is a lot going on here that our group is attempting to figure out at their own peril. There’s first of all the fact that the dead don’t stay dead (ahhh!) but they’re really the least of our groups worries, there’s also a whole mess going on with a drug created to supposedly keep the dead somewhat stable and non-killery but firsthand experience and reports from the media do not add up and there’s a shady corporation doing what shady corporations do so they have a lot to figure out! All of this puts a little strain on Davin and Randy’s brand new relationship as it will. You really feel for Davin in this book, just like the previous one, he’s such a decent person and has so much on his plate. 

The best thing about this story for me is that its characters are doing their best to do the right thing, even when that right thing is the hardest thing. They’re good at heart and they kept me turning the pages. There are many devious and sinister and terrible things afoot here and the end leaves on a bit of a cliffhanger but answers enough questions so I’m happy about it and will definitely be reading the next one.

ericarobyn's review

adventurous challenging emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

4.0

House of Lazarus by T.L. Bodine is a tale about a reanimation virus that the media is portraying as the media does… Only sharing some information while covering up other info that the public should hear.

Full disclosure: I was given a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my rating in any way.

As the second book, the author does an amazing job kicking this one off! She starts out with a notice and then a news article that is sure to capture readers attention! Then we dive into chapter one where our main character, Davin, is just waking up. During his slow move out of bed and into the kitchen, we get info that catches us up to speed about what’s going on. Specifically that he’s a member of the undead. 

Davin is still in pretty rough shape, but it’s no worse than the usual. However, in addition to the stress of trying to stay under the radar as an unregistered undead, Davin is also dealing with some growing pains in his relationship with Randy.

But while the personal stress bubbles over, our crew of characters still have to stay alert as they begin to get bits and pieces of information. It all seems like random things that don’t make sense until one day, some of these puzzle pieces begin to fall into place. They quickly learn that there’s something sinister going on here with a pharmaceutical company that’s up to no good, but just how far does this go?

This crew is determined to find out.

I had so much fun reading this follow up tale. The pacing was wonderful. I couldn’t help but stay totally captivated, even when my nerves kicked in over being fearful for the characters.

I love how much of the real world is added into this story. Whether it’s small things like discussing store brand cereal, or more intense items such as Davin struggling to pay the bills and relationship drama. Seeing Davin and Randy go through a rough-patch broke my heart though. I just want to see them both happy and stable!

I love all of the characters dearly, but my favorite is the sister, a teenage youtube journalist named Zoe. I love her determination and interest in all things related to the undead. Her passion for what she does and how she remains a positive force is wonderful to see in a young adult character who has had life throw lemon after lemon at her. I loved seeing her kick back at least for a moment for her birthday, even if she was right back to her research moments after the gifts were opened.

As the end of the book neared, I slowed down, trying to make it last as long as possible. I cannot wait to see where the story goes from here!

My Favorite Passages from House of Lazarus

Nobody chooses to live in a town like this. You just sort of end up here because it’s where you were born and you never got a chance to leave, or else something clawed at you to drag you back.

Whoever said money can’t buy happiness probably never had his electricity shut off.

Overhead, the sky threatens rain. The sun slides behind clouds, mid-morning light growing prematurely shaded. The temperature drops, the wind changing from crisp to bone-chilling, a cutting knife-point.

A half dozen different trains of thought run brokenly through my head, swirling and eddying together so I can’t see where one though ends and the next one picks up — just one long chain of confusing ideas.

Inaction is its own kind of choice.

They say you can lighten a burden by sharing it, but sometimes the horror just spreads and grows and replicates instead. Sometimes trauma is a virus, infinite copies in infinite hosts.

My Final Thoughts on House of Lazarus

T’s writing style is so engaging. Right from page one, the story had its teeth in me. I couldn’t stop reading until I had reached the final page. I’m so antsy to see what happens next if we get a third story! You can bet I’ll be diving in right away when it’s released!

For fans of zombies, specifically tales like Warm Bodies, this is a must read for you! Just make sure to pick up River of Souls first!