Ellen Hale is a graduate student in library science when the zombie apocalypse begins. Things get even worse when a band of marauders kills her brother and captures Ellen. Ellen is then subjected to torture and rape by the marauders, who are keeping girls as a commodity. Ellen and her roommate, Mellissa are eventually freed by a group from a nearby compound. Ellen’s scars from her capture run deep, though and she has a difficult time recovering even within the relative safety of the compound. When a few guys from a nearby halfway house show up, Ellen begins to pull out of her funk and gets to know one of the men, Quinn. However, just as her trust in men is returning, a zombie attack takes it all away.
This was an interesting and quick zombie read, perfect for Halloween time. While the zombie threat is even present, the focus is more on the human threat and how people choose to act in times of crisis. Ellen is an interesting character who goes through a lot of trauma in a very short time. She deals with it all in a very realistic way, going through all the stages despite the zombies surrounding her. Quinn seems like just the right person to pull her out of her downward spiral. Watching their relationship grow is great. Ellen will definitely be a character that is able to grow and transform over time. What I liked best of all is that this book focused on the human aspect and not just the zombies, showing that other people can be the greatest monsters or your best allies.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
Ellen Hale is now a fighter, after surviving repeated traumas; she is now a master with a machete and can dispatch the undead with ease. She is now a fully functioning, contributing and trustworthy member of her compound. Along with her adopted sister, Mellissa, she has built up a life for herself. So, of course a threat to their way of life is not far off. However, the threat is not zombies. The compound leader has overheard that a band of marauders is looking to take over their compound next. He asks for volunteers to move to fallback positions so not all of their people and materials will be compromised. Ellen and Mellissa join up and are chosen as assets to go. On route, the fallback team picks up a stranger, Tyler, a blacksmith with skills the team could use. Some of the team is wary, but Ellen’s first instinct is to trust him. When a traitor is discovered within the ranks, Ellen’s trust will be tested.
Ellen has definitely grown by leaps and bounds in this book. Now she is a strong female fighter who is able to protect herself and be an asset to her community. I was really glad to see the logical thinking of the compound leader when trouble arrives; many times this goes by the wayside in times of panic. As the team is on the move, there is a lot more action present than in the first book. Ellen really gets to show off her new machete and survival skills. Also, the behavior of the zombies is described a little more in this book and I think that there will be some interesting things with that. Tyler is a nice addition to the team and his blacksmithing skills and a plus. I really liked how he and Ellen are moving slowly and gaining trust. I can’t wait to see where the story goes next.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.