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3.68 AVERAGE
3.68 AVERAGE
Really good read. Zombies meet the super hero genre. A great cast of original supers, interesting (if gritty) world and enough moral ambiguity to keep modern and not 4 color. I'm hoping that most of the world exposition is out of the way we're going to drill down into the characters a bit more. Not quite as good as "Super Heorine", but certainly EX-cellent. :)
I'm just so tired of zombie stuff, and this didn't really have any twists that made it stand out. I didn't really get into any of the characters - they all seemed somewhat generic. I didn't hate it, I just didn't care about it very much.
I enjoyed reading this book. I Iiked the characters, as well as the story line.
It would be great if this book was written with the least bit of irony... with some notion that Peter Clines knew he was writing a cliche ridden, sexist, clunky book and was using it to make a statement about... well... anything really. Instead, we get a superhero/zombie mash-up so full of earnestness and the wish fulfillment of the adolescent that it's almost unreadable.
And this is too bad because at times, Clines actually has some fun ideas. Like always, though, ideas are easy - execution is hard.
The basic premise, that superheroes exist (somehow - we never do find out why all of a sudden super powers are being bestowed upon seemingly ordinary, random folks) and, when our story starts, are fighting a zombie menace isn't a bad place to open. Even setting it in Los Angeles, in the Paramount lot, is nice. And when we finally do discover the secret of the zombies, it's a nice reveal. If only it had been used to some greater effect.
And this is the central problem of the book. There's almost nothing below the surface. The characters are all drawn with thick, Jack Kirby lines and have as much depth as the drawings they're based on. They are all walking stereotypes (one nice gender flip, putting a girl inside the armor suit, has one moment of external sexist conflict after which, no one thinks twice about it - great if this was the real world, but here it comes off as such a calculated ploy that again, we lose any deeper meaning this could have had). Of the main heroes, there's St. George who, naturally, is the best of the bunch and speaks in heart-warming, if over-used platitudes. Then there's Stealth, a girl so beautiful she must cover her face lest it be too distracting to the male populace and judge her based on her looks instead of her overwhelming intellect (never mind she has an incredible body which gets displayed through skintight clothing). Even then, she's still used as a sexist punchline (ironically, by George who really should know better). There's Gorgon, who can drain people by looking at them... or when they look into his eyes, or something like that. Cerberus, the aforementioned girl in the combat armor and then a few more, none of whom, despite using the Watchmen template of giving us individual back stories spaced sporadically throughout the book, never really come to life.
By the time we get to the final battle with the level boss (because, after all, this IS a video game we're reading), he has several powers (again, never explained) and a motivation based on a 13 year old's view of the world. Sure, he's the leader of a street gang, who was embarrassed by one of the heroes and his only reason for existing is to seek revenge, but that doesn't go very far in this new world. There's no growth (well, Stealth has a moment at the very end where she reveals a little bit and shows she might be able to change, but that's it) and no real acknowledgment or understanding the world isn't operating by the same rules it once did.
At the end, all I really wanted to do was re-read The Watchmen and George R. R. Martin's Wildcard series, obvious source material for this derivative work.
And this is too bad because at times, Clines actually has some fun ideas. Like always, though, ideas are easy - execution is hard.
The basic premise, that superheroes exist (somehow - we never do find out why all of a sudden super powers are being bestowed upon seemingly ordinary, random folks) and, when our story starts, are fighting a zombie menace isn't a bad place to open. Even setting it in Los Angeles, in the Paramount lot, is nice. And when we finally do discover the secret of the zombies, it's a nice reveal. If only it had been used to some greater effect.
And this is the central problem of the book. There's almost nothing below the surface. The characters are all drawn with thick, Jack Kirby lines and have as much depth as the drawings they're based on. They are all walking stereotypes (one nice gender flip, putting a girl inside the armor suit, has one moment of external sexist conflict after which, no one thinks twice about it - great if this was the real world, but here it comes off as such a calculated ploy that again, we lose any deeper meaning this could have had). Of the main heroes, there's St. George who, naturally, is the best of the bunch and speaks in heart-warming, if over-used platitudes. Then there's Stealth, a girl so beautiful she must cover her face lest it be too distracting to the male populace and judge her based on her looks instead of her overwhelming intellect (never mind she has an incredible body which gets displayed through skintight clothing). Even then, she's still used as a sexist punchline (ironically, by George who really should know better). There's Gorgon, who can drain people by looking at them... or when they look into his eyes, or something like that. Cerberus, the aforementioned girl in the combat armor and then a few more, none of whom, despite using the Watchmen template of giving us individual back stories spaced sporadically throughout the book, never really come to life.
By the time we get to the final battle with the level boss (because, after all, this IS a video game we're reading), he has several powers (again, never explained) and a motivation based on a 13 year old's view of the world. Sure, he's the leader of a street gang, who was embarrassed by one of the heroes and his only reason for existing is to seek revenge, but that doesn't go very far in this new world. There's no growth (well, Stealth has a moment at the very end where she reveals a little bit and shows she might be able to change, but that's it) and no real acknowledgment or understanding the world isn't operating by the same rules it once did.
At the end, all I really wanted to do was re-read The Watchmen and George R. R. Martin's Wildcard series, obvious source material for this derivative work.
I really wanted to like this book. The concept is cool, a zombie apocalypse in a world that has superheros. A colony of survivors working with superheros to keep civilization "alive". Facing a rival colony, who is organized by a street gang. This book has potential, the characters have are diverse and the world building is solid. However, the story is too disjointed to keep my interest. While I typically like campy or young reader dialog if the book is for young readers, this story seemed like it was written by young horny teenager.
In one word: disappointed. I really liked the other two Peter Clines books I read but this one wasn't as interesting. I realize it is the first in the series and there is a lot of setup. However, my mind kept wondering as I read. I can't quite put my finger on why. There was a lot of action and the gore didn't bother me. I think it was the lack of character development. They book included some backstory and the history of how they got there powers but the people seemed flat.
Because I enjoyed the first two I'll probably try other Clines books but I probably won't read any more of this series.
Because I enjoyed the first two I'll probably try other Clines books but I probably won't read any more of this series.
Obtained at World Fantasy Con 2013 - thank you!
Three and a half stars would be more accurate.
Three and a half stars would be more accurate.
I enjoyed this take on zombies, although the many characters and time shifts made for a slightly confusing audiobook. I still loved the narration, and I think I'll continue with the series.
Not my usual reading fare but I have liked everything I've read by Peter Clines and this did not disappoint. I look forward to the rest of the series.