Guest review with Yolanda Sfetsos- Zombie: An Anthology of the Undead

ZOMBIE: An Anthology of the Undead

Let me start with this: I'm a huge zombie fan. I love all-things zombie. So, as soon as I saw the cover for this book online, I knew it was a book that I desperately wanted to read. Don't you just love that creepy, cool, and gross cover? It certainly captures the essence of this wonderful collection of stories.

LAZARUS by John Connolly is a zombie short of biblical proportions. It's a quick, well-written, and totally engrossing tale that I found to be a nice nibble-bite introduction for this very cool anthology.

WHAT MAISIE KNEW by David Liss: Wow, what an amazingly haunting story! This is the tale of a man who keeps a secret reanimate stashed away. Sounds pretty simple, right? Well, it's not. But it is a page-turner. I hung on every word and didn't want it to end. But when I got to the end, OMG... what an amazing way to end it. I should've seen it coming. The hints were there--amongst all that gross, intense awesomeness.

I LOVED it! Utterly brilliant.

COPPER by Stephen R. Bissette is a fragmented story told through the eyes of a very confused man. As the story progresses, he reveals enough for the reader to put the story together. But what actually happens isn't something I expected.

IN THE DUST by Tim Lebbon: Here's another amazing story. Toby, Jamie and Bindy are trapped inside their town. High fences keep them inside their dying town as the military and scientists keep an eye on them, to make sure they can keep the plague contained, as well as figure out how it started. Of course, they hate being trapped inside. After all, they haven't done anything wrong.

What I loved the most about this story--asides from the excellent writing and storytelling--was that their entrapment ends up being their salvation. Another brilliant tale!

LIFE SENTENCE by Kelley Armstrong is an awesome addition! I love Kelley's Otherworld series, and it was great to see that this story is set in the same world. I love how she does that. Anyway, this story's about a very powerful but sick man who is trying to cheat death and will do whatever it takes to do it. Another story with twists, turns, and an ending that satisfied my wicked side.

DELICE by Holly Newstein: Happens to be another delightful tale. I knew there had to be a voodoo zombi in this anthology and this one didn't disappoint. It's a revenge story. Even if that revenge is taken by someone else, but on behalf of tortured slaves.

THE WIND CRIES MARY by Brian Keene is a short and wonderful story with a twist ending. I enjoyed how quick, yet sharp it was. It captured the emotion of a powerful love that defied death. Great story.

FAMILY BUSINESS by Jonathan Maberry is an outstanding, well-written, and very sad story about a young boy and his older brother. A brother who people say is a killer in a world where zombies live outside the fences surrounding the town. When it's time for Benny to find his own job, he finds he has no other option but to go out with his brother to learn the business, and finds out the truth. A truth that leads to a very sad ending. This story made me cry. I loved it!

THE ZOMBIE WHO FELL FROM THE SKY by M.B. Homler: A hilarious tale that weaves an intricate tale where everything that happens is connected. Of course, you don't realise that at the beginning, but by the time you're reading the last word you just can't help but stare at the page in amazement. A story that starts with a zombie falling from the sky and getting stuck on the town's spire turns into one loser's struggle to survive with a chihuahua by his side. I did a lot of LOLing with this one.

MY DOLLY by Derek Nikitas. I don't know what to say about this one. I enjoyed the writing and couldn't wait to see where it was going... but in the end, I didn't like it as much as I thought I would. It was pretty average, to be honest.

SECOND WIND by Mike Carey: Oh, I loved this one! Nick's tale was an awesome adventure, and a totally different look at the zombie genre. Who would think to become a zombie by choice? And go through everything he does. I loved that in the end, he might be totally alone, but manages to hold onto some of his humanity.

CLOSURE, LTD by Max Brooks: I don't know if it's because I haven't read any stories in the World War Z world, but I just couldn't get into this one. The writing style kept jolting me out of the story. :/ Maybe the novel's better. I don't know.

AMONG US by Aimee Bender isn't really a story, but a collection of observations, really. I didn't enjoy this one. I'm glad it was short, because I was getting ready to skip ahead. :(

GHOST TRAP by Rick Hautala is a very interesting tale about a man who thinks he's helping to rescue someone he finds beneath the water, but actually turns into a nightmare. A nightmare that the residents of this town were positive had been buried beneath the water years ago. I particularly enjoyed that a zombie outbreak had already happened in the past, and had been cleaned up. Awesomely gruesome ending.

THE STORM DOOR by Tad Williams is another one that made it onto my favourite list. Instantly. I got caught up in the story as soon as I started it. What an amazing tale Tad manages to weave with this character, which I was hoping we'd get to read more stories about. But, um, I don't think so... not after what happens. Still, brilliant!

KIDS AND THEIR TOYS by James A. Moore: This is another excellent story. It's actually quite horrific. It's gross, and I found myself feeling sorry for the poor zombie that this group of boys find and decide to torture. And the ending, I'm still thinking about it. Poor Jack. :(

SHOOTING POOL by Joe R. Lansdale: Uh, next story.

WEAPONIZED by David Wellington is a story set in the near future, when the army has found a new solution to save lives and money on the frontline. A journalist initially sent to investigate one thing, winds up stumbling on these new soldiers--zombies. I'm usually not a fan of war stories, but I really enjoyed this one!

TWITTERING FROM THE CIRCUS OF THE DEAD by Joe Hill: While I enjoyed the uniqueness of this... story. Can I really call it a story? lol. I think it's great in a way that all of us who love to spend time on Twitter can appreciate. It was a fun, quick read.

Zombie: An Anthology of the Undead offers a fantastic mix of zombie stories that will satisfy any zombie lover. I think this is one of the best anthologies I've ever read, simply because I absolutely LOVED so many of the stories. There were only a handful that didn't satisfy my zombie itch, but that didn't matter because the other fourteen did! And that's an amazing accomplishment.

I think Christopher Golden did a great job at selecting and editing this gem of a book. This one's a definite keeper. I know I'll be picking it up again to re-read a bunch of these stories. :)

Zombie: An Anthology of the Undead, March 2010, ISBN 978-074-995293-8, Piatkus Fiction Paperback

Yolanda Sfetsos is a writer who loves reading and writing about the supernatural. She also loves to read, and collects books. Feel free to visit her website: www.yolandasfetsos.com

 

Guest review with Yolanda Sfetsos: The Dead Tossed Waves

THE DEAD-TOSSED WAVES 

Last year, I read and absolutely loved The Forest of Hands & Teeth, so when I found out there would be another story set in this world, I was very excited. I've been waiting almost a year to read this, so you can imagine how awesome it was when I got started and absolutely lost myself in Gabry's bleak world.

Gabry lives in the seaside town of Vista with her mother. They live inside the lighthouse and patrol the beach, ready to deal with the dead bodies of the Mudo that continually wash up bloated and ready to infect. Her life has always been filled with security and safety, but the night she ventures past the town's Barrier and into the abandoned amusement park with her friends, her world comes crashing down around her.

The night she shares her first kiss with the boy she likes and finds out that he feels the same way about her was supposed to be a memorable one, not end in horror. But that's exactly what happens when a Breaker appears out of nowhere and starts to attack, infecting as many teenagers as it can.

After Gabry runs, leaving everyone else behind and lying about being there with them, her life is changed forever. Some of the teenagers are infected, others are imprisoned by the Militia, and the boy she likes--Catcher--is missing. The night she sneaks back into the ruins to find out the truth about what happened to him is also the night she meets the mysterious Elias.

The emotional rollercoaster ride that Gabry goes through in this book is amazing. Her life is once again turned upside down when her mother reveals a truth she's been keeping from her. But the secrets of her origins don't stop there. And when she's forced to run from the relative safety of Vista, she finds herself in the same paths that Mary travelled in the Forest, but heading the other way.

This book is as beautiful as the first. As shocking and sad, yet wonderfully vivid. This dead world is frightening but Carrie Ryan is able to deliver such a beauty with her tormented characters that I was consumed by every word. Gabry was a tortured soul who often did selfless things that wound up coming out the opposite way. I also enjoyed learning more about the Mudo/Unconsecrated situation, and how there is so much more to the world--like the Dark City, Soulers, and Recruiters, and why Mary's village had no idea there were other humans out there.

The Dead-Tossed Waves is every bit as brilliant as The Forest of Hands & Teeth, yet stands on it's own as a horrifyingly, haunting tale of survival in a dead world. I loved every minute of it and only have one question now: when's the next out going to be released?

The Dead-Tossed Waves, April 2010, ISBN 978-057-509090-3, Gollancz Paperback

Yolanda Sfetsos is a writer who loves reading and writing about the supernatural. She also loves to read, and collects books. Feel free to visit her website: www.yolandasfetsos.com

 

Guest Reviewer: Yolanda Sfetsos and The Forest of hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

THE FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH

Carrie Ryan's post-apocalyptic debut novel is brilliant--from the story, to the characters, the bleak world it illustrates, as well as the wonderful way it was written.

Mary lives in a village surrounded by fences. Behind these fences lurks the Forest of Hands and Teeth. This is where the Unconsecrated exist. A horde of undead who surround the village. It seems a macabre way of surviving, but since the Return swept through the planet, the survivors had no choice but to close themselves off like this. So, they continue to live, survive and breed, living under the rules that the Sisterhood have established. But they have their own dark secrets to help keep order within the village.

Death faces the villagers at every turn, the moans of the Unconsecrated the soundtrack of their survival and always reminding them of their mortality.

Mary's mother told her stories of how the world used to be, and she cherishes them. Especially the story of the ocean, something that consumes her very existence. In spite of her love towards a boy called Travis, she still wishes to know what's out there and refuses to believe that the village is all there is left.

The day the fences are breached, Mary and a handful of others are forced to leave the village. And so begins her physical and inner journey of getting the one thing she most desires - no matter what the cost.

The Forest of Hands and Teeth is a coming of age story. A story of survival in a dead world. A heartbreaking tale of love, of following your heart no matter what the obstacles are. And the obstacles Mary faces along the way are not only dangerous, but scary and unavoidable. With death all around her, she still manages to find the strength from within to keep going.

I found this book intriguing and all-consuming. Mary's narration was intoxicating and brutally honest. I hated to put it down for too long, and ended up reading it within 24 hours. If I didn't have other responsibilities as well as the need to eat and sleep, I'm sure I could have read it in one sitting. The tension grabbed me so tight that I was pulled into the story, every heart-stopping moment made me feel the events and had me on the edge of my seat.

When you pick up this beautiful book - and I think every reader owes it to themselves to experience this fantastic tale - be prepared to be captivated until the very last word. And even then, you'll wish there was more. I know I did.

The Forest of Hands & Teeth, April 2009, ISBN 0575090855, Gollancz Paperback

 

 

Yolanda Sfetsos is a writer who loves reading and writing about the supernatural. She also loves to read, and collects books. Feel free to visit her website: www.yolandasfetsos.com

*A note from Anna: I haven't read this book (yet), and zombie titles usually scare me(as in nightmares for weeks), but Yolanda's review has intrigued me enough that I am going to add The Forest of Hands and Teeth to my TBR. Tune in next month for her review of Book 2, The Dead Tossed Waves.

Review: FEED by Mira Grant

Hey, Biters! We're pleased to spotlight a guest reviewer today. Yolanda Sfetsos is an author who writes paranormal romance, so do stop by her website and show her some love. Now on to Yolanda's review:

I'm a huge zombie fan, so I couldn't wait to get stuck into this very 'meaty' book. Seriously, it's a long book. :) Feed by Mira Grant

The story takes place twenty years after the Rising. That's when everything went wrong, and the dead started rising. When scientists found a cure for the cold, and others were perfecting a cure for cancer, something worse struck the world. Now, people no longer get either of those, but they do become zombies as soon as they die and/or are infected with Kellis-Amberlee.

Georgia and Shaun Mason are a brother and sister team of bloggers living in this uncertain world, where you have to constantly get tested to make sure you're not infected. Georgia's what they call a Newsie, which is a journalist who states the facts. Shaun's an Irwin, which is a daredevil-type who likes to do things for the thrill. There's also a third member in the team, Buffy Meissonier. She's what they call a Fictional, and writes poetry and fantasy but is also a techie.

The story starts out pretty action-packed with Georgia and Shaun in the wild. While Shaun's busy poking a zombie with a stick, a hoard of zombies appear out of nowhere and give chase.

After that incident, things slow down. A lot. Especially when they get accepted into the Ryman presidential campaign. It's an awesome opportunity for them, and they're looking forward to doing it because it will propel their blogging ratings sky-high. So they head out with Senator Peter Ryman and his people across the country, campaigning in a lot of different places. This introduces the Masons into a world of danger, mystery, backstabbing, conspiracy, and politics that gets them into a lot of trouble. Things become so serious that they might just end up paying with their lives.

Although I enjoyed this book a lot, because of it's original take on the zombie outbreak, I also found it a little frustrating at times. For me, the politics seemed to outweigh the zombies. And I'm one of those zombie fans that needs more zombie, not less. lol. Like I said before, it's a really 'meaty' book, which in some places felt weighed down by facts and politics. I kept hoping to see zombies on the page. And that's what kept me going. Sure, there were some great zombie scenes in this book, but they were more background noise than anything. Though I suppose that makes sense. After all, twenty years have passed, right? People have adapted to having them there.

One of my favourite scenes takes place in Eakly, Oklahoma. It was awesome. I didn't expect any zombie action here, but got plenty of it.

I had a few issues with the characters, too. Although I found Georgia and Shaun interesting, I also found them to be a little annoying, and never really felt close to either of them. And I just can't put my finger on why that was. All through this book, I kept changing my opinion of it. One minute I loved it and couldn't wait to sit down to read some more. The next I had to put it down and didn't like it anymore. Then I would get stuck into it again. I found the blog excerpts at the end of each chapter refreshing. I really enjoyed reading them. Very cool.

At the end of the day, I'm glad I read this book. Because any story that makes me go through so many ups and downs while reading it--excited, enthralled, disappointed, frustrated, sad--is worth spending time with. The social commentary of how the world has changed and how bloggers have taken over the news media is fascinating. And I got a kick out of the George Romero references.

FEED is an interesting, clever, and engrossing book that kept me reading to the very end. Sure, it took a little extra time to get there, but I was glad that I stuck with it. Because what happens in the end was unexpected and very risky for a writer to do. Yet, I think Mira Grant pulled it off very well. It's also well-written, and the worldbuilding very detailed.

If you're a huge zombie fan, you might be a little disappointed with this book. If you like policitics, you'll love this book because it's full of twists, turns and controversy. Also, if you're looking for a different angle in the zombie world, then this one's for you.


Yolanda Sfetsos is a writer who loves reading and writing about the supernatural. She also loves to read, and collects books. Feel free to visit her website: www.yolandasfetsos.com