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shiny_'s review
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Generously, you could call this book 28 Days Later meets Dead Space with shades of War of the Worlds. But that would be awfully generous for what is a bog standard zombie apocalypse plot where our zombies resemble Dead Space's visceral, monstrous necromorphs instead of the usual cadavers.
Close encounters with the infected are easily the highlight of this book, Hawkins lavishing the mutated antagonists of his story with the lurid, disgusting descriptions they demand. He keeps the variety way up, no two mutants ever quite the same. But there's too much of a good thing in the end here - the book wound up feeling like a literal menagerie of horrors, each paraded by just long enough to get a good look at them before they're whisked back behind the curtain so another can emerge.
There's frankly not much else to say about this book. Those familiar with the genre will find nothing surprising, and the characters are practically cardboard cut-outs. You can probably guess the entire plot right now. Like the movies and games it resembles, though, that's not what you stick around for - it's seeing what grisly horror will pop out of the dark next.
Close encounters with the infected are easily the highlight of this book, Hawkins lavishing the mutated antagonists of his story with the lurid, disgusting descriptions they demand. He keeps the variety way up, no two mutants ever quite the same. But there's too much of a good thing in the end here - the book wound up feeling like a literal menagerie of horrors, each paraded by just long enough to get a good look at them before they're whisked back behind the curtain so another can emerge.
There's frankly not much else to say about this book. Those familiar with the genre will find nothing surprising, and the characters are practically cardboard cut-outs. You can probably guess the entire plot right now. Like the movies and games it resembles, though, that's not what you stick around for - it's seeing what grisly horror will pop out of the dark next.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Child death, Death of parent, Pandemic/Epidemic, Suicide, Violence, Body horror, Cannibalism, Death, Fatphobia, and Gore
Moderate: Sexual violence and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Alcohol, Trafficking, and Vomit
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