The Final Phase

END OF THE ROAD by C. Dulaney is supposed to be the final book in the Roads Less Traveled series, and I'm sincerely hoping I can convince the author to write one more full-length novel. (There is also the possibility fans may be able to read some short stories set in the RLT world.) There is a form of conclusion in this novel, which amounts to the main characters learning to accept the new world order. However, readers are never offered a POV from Isabel or Sam, both supporting characters with extremely significant roles in the series, who could possibly offer a true completion to this apocalyptic saga.

Compared to the previous four books, many more lives are lost in some of the most devastating battle scenes ever written, while the few survivors left have formed a new family of sorts. The characters have learned to put quality of life over quantity of life span, but Kasey's group are making a living doing some truly dark deeds in exchange for supplies, becoming anti-heroes in the process. Essentially, they get their hands very dirty, so everyone else can pretend they're still "good" people.

Brad's group can barely keep their heads above the blood pooling around them. Wherever they go, people are slaughtered, and they feel responsible for the body count. After suffering an agonizing humiliation at the hands of deviant bandits, the tiny group of PSIs decide to seek out Kasey's group to join forces, but it's too little, far too late.

The story arc is amazing and unlike any other end-of-the-world scenario I've ever read, but the evolution of the characters is what really stands out. So often, I read apocalypse series where the survivors remain basically the same, no matter what they go through, which is BS, even in the horror genre. Dulaney digs into her creations, tears them into pieces and scatters their remains across each novel, much like her "terminators," resulting in an absolute genocide of epic proportions.

I encourage fans of the series to show their support for Roads Less Traveled by leaving reviews. As for those who haven't yet begun this series, I highly recommend you join the rest of us in Dulaney's apocalypse.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Changing Lanes In Roads Less Traveled

In PHOENIX, the Roads Less Traveled universe is expanded in unexpected ways, the events of which take place parallel to the events of Books One, Two, and Three. We will follow a new cast of characters, led by Brad Lincoln... though you may receive a visit from some old, familiar faces. Those of you who have followed the series will recognize our protagonist, Brad, from the ending of SHADES OF GRAY. It is his story we will see, and how his team fought to the very end to save us all.

PHOENIX by C. Dulaney is the fourth book in the series, but is more or less a new storyline set in the Roads Less Traveled apocalypse. When I first began reading this one, I thought, "Oh for crying out loud! Psychics?! Really?! Way to ruin a great zombie series..." I am not normally a fan of the supernatural being mixed with the undead. I felt certain I would be put off Dulaney's writing forever. WRONG!

First of all, and this is very important, do NOT read Phoenix until AFTER you read the other three books in the series. It will make a huge difference in what you get out of this novel. As a fan, I became really excited when I recognized characters from Kasey's story making cameos.

There is not as much character development as the first three novels, but Book 4 adds an incredible depth to the series as a whole. It is quite heart-wrenching, and I am eagerly awaiting the final book in the series, with this new insight into Dulaney's zombie apocalypse.

I will warn readers the setup is a bit slow, and the zombie action doesn't really get under way until much later in the book. However, I feel this is a must-read for fans of the series.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Kasey Continues Down Roads Less Traveled

SHADES OF GRAY (Roads Less Traveled Book 3) by C. Dulaney combines zombies and science, creating a mind-blowing addition to the ongoing story. The author introduces scientists who have created antibodies to fight the undead, in a shocking way...certain to entertain zombiephiles. I don't dare say anything more, to avoid spoilers.

The characters and their relationships are much more complicated, as they should be by this point in their apocalyptic journey. I find myself reacting to the people as much as the action in this installment. For example, I'm disgusted with Mia's attitude towards Kasey...as a matter of fact, I'm real fed up with the way the survivors are taking Kasey for granted (ex: treating her like she is part of the problem), while Kasey remains the main reason most of these folks are still alive. This book also features the greatest test of Kasey's will to survive. As far as Jake goes, I wonder if he will still be the jester of the group, considering everything which happens to them at Winchester.

Fans of this series absolutely need to continue on to PHOENIX, but only AFTER reading the first three books. The insight the fourth book provides to the series is quite compelling, to say the least.

When I first began this series, I never read anything by Dulaney before, but she has made quite a name for herself in the zombie genre, and I can't wait for the final book in the series!

As always,
AstraDaemon

Action-Packed Sequel to The Plan

MURPHY'S LAW (Roads Less Traveled Book 2) by C. Dulaney is a great follow-up to Roads Less Traveled: The Plan. Just as the first book is divided into parts, so is the sequel. The best part is far more zombie action, including a brutal carnage scene, which had me wondering if there will be any characters left to write another book in this series.

Kasey, the young woman with the "Z-plan," has grown up quite a bit since the first story. She faced tremendous losses, mainly due to the problems caused by Kyra (who I am sure is hated by fans of Book 1), and Kasey has finally exceeded her crap tolerance level.

The POV is mainly Kasey's throughout the second installment, with brief perspectives from members of her group, as well as Kyra - now a prisoner of some escaped convicts. The group decides to pursue the convicts, although the survivors have different reasons for hunting the cons down. While en route, Kasey and her friends make some startling discoveries about the undead, which kept me screaming, "Game over, man!"

A few more characters are introduced into the series (from a third group), but it isn't difficult keeping track of who is who, and a few well-placed flashbacks help to recall what happened in THE PLAN. Even though Dulaney continues to place emphasis on the relationships of the survivors (which is often heart-breaking), there is no lack of gore in this sequel.

Thankfully, there is no cliff-hanger, but the ending hints at what is sure to be a thrilling third installment.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Gear Up For Dulaney's Zombie Series

ROADS LESS TRAVELED: THE PLAN by C. Dulaney is the first installment of a five book series (all available). Part One, Down The Road, begins on October 1st. A young woman named Kasey actually has a "Z-plan" in place before the zombie outbreak in the story. She and her friends are apparently huge zombiephiles.

"Sure it might sound crazy, but who's alive right now and who's not?"~Kasey

Ben and Jake are Kasey's two friends who agree to the Z-plan, but the three of them are joined by Jake's grandmother, Nancy, and some fellow college students who are caught up with the main trio, during their escape to the Appalachian Mountains. The POV switches between Ben and Kasey throughout Part One, until their storylines merge on October 6th.

Part Two, The Road Home, begins on October 7th, and the POV switches to a friend of Kasey's named Mia, who is briefly included in a phone call with Kasey in Part One. Mia runs out of supplies in her home, and tries to escape to Kasey's safe haven. Along the way, she meets a little boy named Ashton at a rest area, which further complicates Mia's dire situation. The POV switches temporarily to Kyra, who is abrasive towards Kasey, and causes one problem after another for her group. Instead of eliciting sympathy, Kyra's thoughts and actions only justify the hatred readers are sure to feel towards her character. When the storylines of Mia and Kyra finally merge, the cast of characters find themselves in a downward spiral, despite their carefully laid out survival plan.

Part Three, Road To Nowhere, which begins on October 20th, was emotionally devastating. The horrors that Kasey and her group face had me in tears. In Part Two, another survivor group is momentarily mentioned in passing, and they predictably clash towards the end of Part Three, but, even so, the fates of the main characters are surprising. (I like the fact there are only a handful of characters to keep track of, eliciting more empathy.)

The Plan is a great start to a series, but the beginning of the book requires a little patience. The zombie action doesn't happen right away, and there is more focus on the relationships between characters than killing the undead. However, the depth of the characters makes up for the lack of gore. I think it's safe to assume we will see more conflicts with the undead in the sequel, and I can't wait to read what else Dulaney has in store for Kasey's group.

As always,
AstraDaemon

My Eyes Hurt

MISSISSIPPI DEAD by Shawn Weaver is the worst piece I've read by this author. Throughout the story, I assumed the undead were mindless zombies, especially when they're falling into the water, but the ending takes the dead into a very different direction, inconsistent with previous scenes.

The lack of editing is atrocious. This is not the first time I've taken issue with Weaver's rough writing, but publishing something in this condition is just ridiculous, especially with all the promos added on. Who in their right mind is going to read more by this author, after this wreck?

This is the ninth story I've read by this author, and I don't see myself reading any more of his work, if he isn't going to improve the editing. I'm so disappointed.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Deadly Fertilizer

IN THE GROUND by Shawn Weaver is a short story I originally read in 2015, before I became hooked on the author's work. I decided to revisit this piece, since I didn't post the review in the Lair, after the first time.

A janitor at the University of Wisconsin is being interviewed about illegally disposing the lab's waste and being paid to keep quiet. He thought the students were studying the anatomy of dogs, and the waste appeared to fertilize the nearby garden. Over time, he discovers the professor's horrific secret.

While the ending is somewhat predictable, the interview format is fantastic. This is definitely one of my favorite Shawn Weaver stories.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Cold and Lonely

SALEM by Shawn Weaver is not like anything else I've read by the author. While there is nothing wrong with the writing itself, I found this love story quite dull. It would be better off in a collection of some sort, rather than a stand alone short.


As always,
AstraDaemon

No Time To Eat

DEVLIN'S DINER by Shawn Weaver follows the near-death experience of a man who has just been in a serious car accident. Kyle has a difficult time accepting what has happened, even when someone at the diner tries to help him. As he struggles to accept the information given to him, Kyle is running out of time to decide where he wants to go.

There's not a lot of details to the story, but I did enjoy the lawyer joke. I also found the afterlife description about 9/11 rather fascinating. Some moments are sad, others are amusing, but the ending is a nail-biter. Will Kyle decide for himself or will someone else decide his fate?

As always,
AstraDaemon

When The Dead Take Over

CHICAGO UNDEAD 4: FIELD TRIP by Shawn Weaver is a story I've been looking forward to since October 2017. On The Eleventh Floor, the first story set in the world of Chicago Undead, is a great glimpse into a zombie outbreak set downtown in the city. The story is told from Robin's POV. Deep Freeze follows a teenage girl’s outbreak experience, which has nothing to do with Robin. Unlike the first two installments, A Bad Way To Start Your Day is told from the perspective of a dead Chicago man who doesn't seem to grasp that he is deceased.

Field Trip revisits the funeral home from the third story, and emphasizes how, despite being surrounded by chaos, people cling to their denial of what is happening in Chicago. Knowing what the characters don't know will have readers screaming at every page, as the undead begin to invade the various levels of the building.

Weaver could easily write a few more stories for the Chicago Undead series, most likely following the group of survivors attempting to reach the police station. I'd be thrilled if the author went full circle and revisited the two children from the very beginning. I think as long as Weaver keeps changing the POV and stays focused on his characters, the series will keep going strong.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Nothing Will Quite Be The Same

Alex and Steve leave home together to begin their courses but in less than a week Alex goes missing when some hunk called Tarquin steps onto the scene. Just when everything was going so well, suddenly it wasn't…

After completing their studies and passing yet more exams, the other Kilkorne chums, Rachel, Maisie and Fred prepare for college by going shopping, unaware that the screaming may be about to start all over again.

BRITISH ZOMBIE BREAKOUT, PART FOUR: LAST GASP by Peter Salisbury begins with a time jump. The teens are moving on with their lives, while Rachel continues to milk her celebrity status, even at the expense of her relationships with the others. With no explanation, Alex and Steve are taken into military custody, just in time to bear witness to a new outbreak.

I enjoyed this installment far more than the second and third stories. The events taking place on the army base are more in line with what zombie fans would expect from an undead threat to survival. The teens locked up in the tower offers a great perspective of the unfolding events. I'm hoping the author might consider continuing the series, especially since some of the characters were finally developing their personalities.

As always,
AstraDaemon

The Demon You Disrupted

British Zombie Breakout – Part Three: Zombies Go Global. The Minister's plots deepen, the virus goes AWOL, and Alex and Steve are on the run again. Where will zombies turn up next and can they be stopped from infecting the world? Will Rachel ever appear on TV or will Steve beat her to it?

BRITISH ZOMBIE BREAKOUT, PART THREE: ZOMBIES GO GLOBAL by Peter Salisbury continues with political intrigue and bio-terrorists. While there's no lack of suspense or action, the characters have never really been developed beyond their initial introductions in The Castle. Very little has ever been revealed about their lives prior to the Kilkorne outbreak, and their personalities are very basic, despite the chaos surrounding them. As such, I have been losing interest in the series.


I thought this would become a great YA fiction mini-series, but I think the second and third installments need an overhaul. There isn't much incentive to move on to the fourth and final story, unless the characters are given some serious depth.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Turns A Boy Into A Fightin' Man

British Zombie Breakout Part 2: Escape From Kilkorne. Zombies are still on the rampage, killing and infecting anyone in their path. A close-knit band of ten uninfected fugitives must prove they are clean by escaping the stricken village where they are trapped by the army. A quarantine cordon surrounds the whole area, with an entire army camp between the village and freedom.

What chance of survival do the fugitives have while zombies are still at large in the English countryside and when a corrupt politician and the Chief Scientist at the Breathedeep Biological Research Facility are intent on their capture, dead or alive? Who will prove to be the more ingenious, the authorities, the fugitives or the zombies?

BRITISH ZOMBIE BREAKOUT, PART TWO: ESCAPE FROM KILKORNE by Peter Salisbury is the second installment in his zombie mini-series. Steve, one of the students, proves yet again to be the most resourceful of the group. Not only is he responsible for saving the other kids in The Castle, but he's found a way to detect infection without a blood test, as well as avoiding anything contaminated.

The military continues to be manipulated by the politicians, and Steve's survivor group, which includes the adults, are struggling to stay ahead of the ongoing battle between the undead and the soldiers. While not much has been revealed about the exact nature of the zombies, there is reason to believe they are capable of predatory thinking.

The ending suggests the story will continue in a new direction with the third installment...

As always,
AstraDaemon

They've Got The Kingdom Locked Up

The authorities should have been more careful after the first zombie breakout infected half of England and disrupted lives right across the country. Unfortunately, either someone got careless, again, or the disease was far more virulent than anyone expected. The remote fishing village of Kilkorne with its picturesque castle and harbour was the last place to expect an attack, despite its proximity to the experimental facility where the disease was invented. Once the second outbreak had been officially announced by the Ministry, anyone resisting capture was to be shot as being infected with zombieism. Alternatively you could surrender and be kept in a quarantine camp, where last time the survival rate was zero.

Refusing to accept either option, five teenagers and five adults separately begin journeys from opposite sides of the village. They attempt to stay one step ahead of an insane horde of highly infectious, half dead creatures, the army's orders to shoot on sight, and the Ministry's instructions to burn down the village. Furthermore, the endeavour was not exactly helped by a suspected case of haunting.

BRITISH ZOMBIE BREAKOUT, PART ONE: THE CASTLE by Peter Salisbury is a strong start to a series that would definitely appeal to YA fiction readers. I love how the author immediately establishes that this is not the first zombie outbreak that the characters have had to deal with. However, the characters do not seem to fare much better, apparently having gotten too comfortable living somewhat normal lives again. Therefore, it's no surprise when their evacuate-by-boat plan falls through. The two groups of survivors, some adults and some students, then decide to make for the village's nearby castle.

The POV switches back and forth from the adults to the children, until the groups merge onto the same location, which kept the action flowing, but I would have liked a third POV from the soldiers who appear to be shooting anything on two legs.

Check back for reviews of each installment!

As always,
AstraDaemon

Outbreak Finale: Invitation Revoked

Follow Wilder and Butsko in the third chapter of the Outbreak series as they continue to fight the ever-evolving zombies while attempting to save humanity. The remaining humans thought they saw the worst the zombies had to offer, but one final mutation unveils the true face of the enemy and what their true intent is. 

After failing to destroy the zombies in Outbreak: The Mutation, and after discovering the secret behind the zombie’s mutations, Wilder and Butsko switch gears and decide to bring the fight to the deadly horde. This is their last shot at saving the world. Will they be able to thwart the zombie’s endplay, or is the world doomed by the ravenous horde?

OUTBREAK: ENDPLAY by horror author Scott Shoyer is the third installment in the series. THE HUNGER followed two groups, soldiers attempting containment and families visiting the zoo. THE MUTATION followed three storylines, with a variety of twists, as well as many new characters. ENDPLAY reveals the true source of the virus, and discover a secret hidden for decades from the human race.

While the series most certainly began as a horror story about a zombie apocalypse, by the third book, Shoyer has created a rather elaborate science fiction nightmare. Everything that befalls the survivors in ENDPLAY makes everything in the first two books look like a cake walk. Cheryl's growth as a character is inspirational, and the bond between soldiers Wilder and Butsko highlights the inner strength of humans. The family forged-by-fire becomes the key to saving the species...the one thing the virus couldn't destroy.

At first, the big reveal seems rather over the top, considering how small scale THE HUNGER is, but the survivors aren't willing to go gently. As a result, Shoyer delivers battle after battle with a highly explosive ending. While I'm fine with the trilogy as is, I wouldn't say no to a story set among the post-apocalyptic rubble.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Kill or Be Killed

Seven months after the events in 900 Miles, we pick up with John and Kyle who are bunkered down with their newfound community back at Avalon.


Unexpectedly thrust outside the protection of Avalon’s walls, they’re forced back into the world of the dead on a scavenging run that should be routine. However, they quickly learn that there are forces at play making this journey anything but…


In a race against time to get home, they quickly find themselves being hunted by a madman intent on stripping away the tiny slice of life they’ve fought so hard to hold together – ultimately forcing John to learn just how far he’s willing to adapt to the rules of this new world. A world where most men are willing to do whatever it takes to survive. A world where Man is the real plague.

900 Minutes by S. Johnathan Davis is the sequel to 900 Miles. The follow-up not only reveals the fate of Avalon, but also emphasizes the living are the worst kind of monsters. The surviving groups fight each other for supplies, for territory...for revenge. Almost a year has passed by, but John, Kyle and the others are still struggling to live from one day to the next.

Some readers will consider the zombie virus the worst thing that happens in this series. After all, it's the catalyst for everything that follows. Right? Others will consider the rapists and murderers, the ones exploiting the weak, as the ones who really brought about the downfall of society, not the undead. Just think about how many bad things happen without the zombies even being present.

However, I think the most devastating part of this story is the change in the people who were generally "good" before all hell broke loose, and the revelation at the end of 900 Minutes will shake readers to the core. Watching the events leading up to the moment when a person chooses to become a killer is the true horror.

I'm still hoping I can talk Davis into writing a third 900 novel.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Sarcasm and Survival

John is a killer, but that wasn't his day job before the Apocalypse.

In a harrowing 900 mile race against time to get to his wife just as the dead begin to rise, John, a business man trapped in New York, soon learns that the zombies are the least of his worries, as he sees first-hand the horror of what man is capable of with no rules, no consequences and death at every turn.

Teaming up with an ex-army pilot named Kyle, they escape New York only to stumble across a man who says that he has the key to a rumored underground stronghold called Avalon...

900 Miles by S. Johnathan Davis won me over from the very beginning: instead of a long set-up, or several pages without any undead action, Davis gets down to business right away. The main character, John, is attending a meeting in New York when a viral outbreak occurs. Of course, no one believes it - until everything falls apart outside of their office building. Even then, the survivors don't realize just how bad the situation is, until the infected find a way in. The storyline follows John's attempt to get back to his wife, and doesn't try to explain anything about the undead or the source of the infection, which I found to be a more realistic view of a global epidemic.

I really like the characters John and Kyle. It's been a long time since I actually cared what happened to the people in a zombie story. One reason is that I appreciated the dry humor that appeared from time to time...I know I shouldn't laugh when someone is getting their finger cut off, but the victim's reaction to his captor made me laugh out loud. I also laughed at the way the characters viewed their situations - nothing like sarcasm to get a person through a crisis with his sanity still intact.

Davis definitely knows how to entertain the zombiephiles.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Zombie Kids With Brains

In a world overrun by the living dead, one band of survivors built a community with a strange sort of peace with the undead. The dead were contained, but not exterminated.

Now they’ve exiled four people—two undead, two alive—into the wilderness outside the city walls. Lucy, a beautiful zombie overwhelmed by her desire to kill and feed, keeps herself just barely under control around her living companions. Truman, a gentler and more reasonable zombie, looks at the living with something close to disinterest. Rachel and Will have trouble understanding and trusting one another—let alone their undead companions.

Dying to Live: Last Rites by Kim Paffenroth introduces a new dilemma into the zombie survival mindset. Instead of the typical “kill me before I turn” decision, the characters realize it’s possible that they could turn into one of the thinking undead…so, getting infected doesn’t necessarily mean the end of life after all.

Unlike the traditional zombie novels, this is a story about the undead trying to escape the living…the living who are no longer the only “survivors” of the zombie apocalypse. Many authors/directors have tried to humanize zombies, but no one has come close to what Paffenroth has accomplished with Last Rites.

Not only do we see the development of Rachel and Will’s relationship, but we are given intimate details of the relationship between the zombies, Truman and Lucy. We watch as the group is pulled apart when faced with survivors who are rebuilding a society that exploits the thinking undead.

Paffenroth also brings in zombie children. Not the ankle-biting kind; these zombie kids can think too, and they aren’t as innocent as their human counterparts. Everyone suffers in this novel.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Throwback Thursday: The King of Clayfield

The King of Clayfield by Shane Gregory is told from the POV of a guy who works at a museum, seemingly out of touch with what’s going in the world, thus getting caught off guard by an outbreak in his town of Clayfield, Kentucky. Not really having a life, the main character decides to wait for the government to come to his rescue, rather than make a run for it, as he tries to gather enough supplies to last long enough to be saved.

First of all, let me just say that I didn’t think this was a bad survival story (although I have no idea why the guy is called “King,” especially with all the pouting and whining he does – “Princess of Clayfield” would have been more fitting)…that being said, I hated the main character, and his group of survivors. I hated them so much, I’m not sure I will bother to read the sequel. I think it’s safe to say I hated all of the characters. I would have been much happier if they were all dead by the end of the book. The author did a great job making his characters realistic, but they all happened to either have personalities that I couldn’t stand, and/or they did some of the dumbest stuff that I’ve ever read in a zombie outbreak story.

For example, the main character, who was telling the story, kept going on and on about his ex-wife. Thankfully, he kept his ex-wife thoughts to himself because I’m pretty sure one of the women in his group would have smacked him upside his head eventually. As for an example of the stupidity, one of the women in the group apparently considers herself the morality police of the infected, and is constantly shooting at them, when she could be doing something more productive with her time – like getting away from the approaching hordes. It also seems to take the survivors FOREVER to figure out the dead were reanimating…in fact, some of them never seemed to fully catch on. Even if there weren’t zombies everywhere in Clayfield, I’m surprised a group like that could survive ANYTHING.

Even with all my criticisms of the story, there were a few things that I did enjoy. I thought it was an original idea to have the survivors stay put in Clayfield, instead of trying to get out of town. I thought the behavior of the infected was fairly creative as well; to begin with, the infected Living go mad with the virus, resorting to very basic, animalistic instincts, including alpha males and forced copulation. Once they actually die, the infected rise up as the undead. Last, but not least, was the “treatment” for infection: getting drunk. (No shit. You read it right. All the straight-edge people were the first to go.) However, the premise poses an interesting dilemma: how to get rid of infection and not get so wasted that you can’t fight the zombies…and what happens when you run out of alcohol?!

Some technical issues: the POV starts with present time, and then the rest of the book serves as one major flashback, only the POV never goes back to present time. Also, the ending seemed kind of abrupt, with a few loose ends – even with a sequel available, there’s no excuse for ending a story like that.

I think I would have enjoyed the story more if there was at least one character that I could root for, instead of wishing death on them all. In any case, I was entertained, just not as much as I had hoped for…but that’s just me; other zombiephiles might not mind the characters and their personality flaws.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Friday Feature: Rhiannon Frater's Living Dead Boy [review]

Rhiannon Frater made an impression on me years ago with her As The World Dies series, so, even though I'm not a fan of stories told from a child's POV, I was willing to give The Living Dead Boy a chance. I'm so glad I did...there's a depth to the characters and their struggle to survive which pleasantly surprised me.

Normally, I have serious doubts about younger characters rising to the occasion...I mean, a lot of kids can't seem to keep their rooms clean - how can they be expected to handle a zombie outbreak? However, Frater does a fantastic job orchestrating a believable outbreak at a school in Texas, and the kids, with all their hang-ups, prove that age has nothing to do with using common sense. The contrast between the children and the adults adds the right amount of drama to the setting as well.

In the first book, The Living Dead Boy, Josh and his friends are trying to get from their school to their neighborhood, but they soon realize the fresher the zombies, the faster they run. The children try to remember their "zombie fight training," but the horrifying discoveries they make on their way home is too much for some to handle. Faced with watching his friends crack under the overwhelming pressure of trying to survive, Josh is determined to take whatever risks are necessary to keep going, until his dad returns with his Army connections to relocate the survivors.

In the second book, Lost In Texas, Josh, the Living Dead Boy, and his group of Zombie Hunters, have made it to an evacuation convoy. They've lost some of their original members, and gained several new friends, but their fight for survival is far from over. Their new goal is to make it to a an airlift point and find their missing loved ones. It doesn't help some of the other survivors are less than friendly, particularly a bully named Chad, and many of the adult survivors view the children as a burden.

Despite being preteens and young teenagers, Josh and his friends have been through far more than most adults in this Texas outbreak...they are no longer the children they once were, and they are struggling with their new identities. Chad's obsession with taking over Josh's group complicates the already deadly situation, and delays the group from rejoining the evacuation process. The Zombie Hunters face some extremely difficult choices, such as whether or not to take an uninfected life, even in self-defense.

In Journey Across Zombie Texas, the third installment, Frater does a great job of creating terror through her young characters, without getting graphic or obscene...kind of like classic horror, with suspenseful build-up and shocking twists. Josh and his Zombie Hunters face a new threat: adults who are clueless about how bad the outbreak has become. These adults insist that Josh and his friends will be safe with them, but it soon becomes clear the adults can't even help themselves. As if the lack of proper preparations wasn't bad enough, the adults underestimate the threat that Chad has become. The adults only see a group of injured kids, not the people they've become during their journey through Texas.

Even if you're not into the zombie genre, I recommend this series. It's not just a story about survival, it's also a coming of age story about the key relationships that transform each child. While this series is written with young readers in mind, there is no reason adult zombiephiles won't enjoy following Josh and his friends through their Texas nightmare. This series has all the elements that true horror fans will love, but it's also something younger readers can get into as well. Definitely a series for the whole family.

There are some loose endings when Book 3 concludes. In real life, we don't always know what happens to people after we parted ways with them...sometimes people just disappear during a crisis. Maybe Frater will use the loose ends to continue the series, maybe not. I don't feel like she left readers with a cliff-hanger, but this series is so awesome on so many levels, I'd hate to see the author set it aside. No matter what, Josh is definitely a hero, to both my son and me.

As always,
AstraDaemon