The Dark and Hollow Places by Carrie Ryan

Title:  The Dark and Hollow Places
Author:  Carrie Ryan
Pages:  384

Genre:  YA/ Teen Horror
Source:  Purchased

In the third and final installment in her Forest of Hands and Teeth series, Carrie Ryan, introduces you to Annah.  Annah has been living on her own in the Dark City since Elias left to join the protectorate.  With scars that mar her face and body, Annah is more of a recluse.  She uses her street smarts - bowing her head, not making eye contact and blending into the shadows as a weapon.  Without any friends or family she has used these skills as a way to survive the dangers of the Dark City.  Waiting for Elias, her life has become as lifeless as that of the Unconsecrated but then she meets Catcher.  Catcher who brings with him memories of a past that she has longed to forget.

Out of the three leading ladies you will find in this series, Annah was hands down my favorite.  She wasn't a whiner like Mary, and Gabry annoyed me with all her boy drama... but Annah was phenomenal.  She was tough as nails, brave, strong and courageous.  Her will to live was a breath of fresh air.  Even though she's scarred, feels alone and even broken at times - she still was not willing to give up.  

Out of the three books I believe this was the darkest one.  Their struggle for survival was the most intense.  I went through a slew of emotions from sadness, hopelessness, and even found myself choked up more than once.  I can't even imagine a life this bleak where the unconsecrated are a threat but humans can be just as dangerous.   

Yet through it all I found myself hopeful.  I found myself waiting for and really savoring the moments that weren't as dark... moments of light.  Especially when those moments dealt with Annah and Catcher's relationship.  The fact that they are both so broken and flawed really makes you hope that they can find a way to make it work in a world infested by the living dead.  Originally, I was worried that I wouldn't like this final installment since I was so focused on Gabry and Elias's story (The Dead-Tossed Waves) but I think Ms. Ryan did a wonderful job in connecting everything together. 

Overall this book was incredible.  The whole series is amazing.  Full of tension, suspense, nail-biting action and Unconsecrated... lots and lots of Unconsecrated.  I can't recommend it enough!

My Rating:

Feed by Mira Grant

Title:   Feed

Author:  Mira Grant

Pages: 608

Genre: Horror

Source:  Netgalley 

In 2014, two experimental viruses—a genetically engineered flu strain designed by Dr. Alexander Kellis, intended to act as a cure for the common cold, and a cancer-killing strain of Marburg, known as "Marburg Amberlee"—escaped the lab and combined to form a single airborne pathogen that swept around the world in a matter of days. It cured cancer. It stopped a thousand cold and flu viruses in their tracks.

It raised the dead.

Millions died in the chaos that followed. The summer of 2014 was dubbed "The Rising," and only the lessons learned from a thousand zombie movies allowed mankind to survive. Even then, the world was changed forever. The mainstream media fell, Internet news acquired an undeniable new legitimacy, and the CDC rose to a new level of power.

Set twenty years after the Rising, the Newsflesh trilogy follows a team of bloggers, led by Georgia and Shaun Mason, as they search for the brutal truths behind the infection. Danger, deceit, and betrayal lurk around every corner, as does the hardest question of them all:

When will you rise?  [via GoodReads]

Mira Grant (a pseudonym for Seanan McGuire) has written about two of my favorite things... blogging and zombies.  Put them together and you have a winner - at least with me.  In Feed, Bloggers are seen almost as heroes.  If it weren't for them and their blog posts humanity would have had a lot more casualties during "The Rising".  Thanks to their posts giving pointers on how to kill a zombie humanity survived.  

It's been 20 years since the initial "Rising" and, bloggers/sister and brother team, Georgia and Shawn Mason along with their sidekick and all-knowing technological guru Buffy, have been selected to follow Senator Ryman throughout his presidential campaign.  As part of the Senator's press team, their mission is to bring the truth to the people.  To those people who remain indoors most of the time (obviously as part of their survival tactics), to see and learn of the man that may one day be their President.   They were hoping that their honest reporting might get them new followers and increase their blog ratings... they were definitely not thinking that their lives might be in danger - zombies being the least of their problems.

This book was excellent!  At a little over 600 pages it was a little intimidating at first and although it did have a slow start (there was a lot of explaining taking place in the beginning) about 100 or so pages in when conspiracies start flying, it really picks up.  I had a tough time putting it down actually.  I must confess that what initially made me want to read the book were the zombies, but I found that I was more captivated by the characters - Georgia, Shawn, Buffy, their blogs, the Senator, his campaign and the iminent danger caused by humans than I was by the actual brain munchers.

Told mostly in the first person through Georgia Mason's perspective and scattered blog entries (including Shawn and  Buffy's) you get a full scope of what's going through each of their minds.  Using these methods you are really able to connect with these characters.  Ms. Grant has a sense of humor since you can see it shine brightly in her characters.  You can also tell she did her research since there are a lot of pop culture references, George Romero idolizing... I'm sure many zombie flicks were watched in the making.

Now if you're looking for a zombie book full of blood and guts... this is definitely not the one.  The zombies are more like background noise.  You know they are there, you are even scared of what you might find just around the next corner, but they are not at the forefront of the story.  This story is about the characters, about a world that was changed by this zombie epidemic, a world left scarred but that survived nonetheless.  

I loved it!  There was action, adventure, betrayal,  political intrigue, even weapons of mass destruction... and through it all the possibility of becoming a zombie's main dish.  Needless to say, I have no complaints about this one.  I've been ranting and raving to anyone that will stop and listen.  So yes, read it!

My Rating:

Can You Survive the Zombie Apocalypse? by Max Brallier

Title:  Can You Survive the Zombie Apocalypse?

Author:  Max Brallier

Pages: 304

Genre: Horror

Source: Simon & Schuster

This was awesome!  Although, I must confess that I am just way too neurotic for this type of book.  But aside from that, and I'll actually show you what I mean by being TOO neurotic a little later, this was awesome!  (I'm being repetitive, I know.)  All right, well if you're anything like me I'm sure you've always wondered whether or not you'd survive a zombie apocalypse.  I know I have and I've always come to the same conclusion... NO!  I'm too clumsy, too OCD and way too neurotic to survive.  I admit it (bows head in shame).  Well, this is the book that may just help you come to terms with whether or not you'd survive or become a brain muncher like most every one else.

You, the reader, are the main character in this book (although ladies, you are a male)... but whatevah.  I digress.  You realize that Manhattan has had a zombie outbreak and you need to get the heck out of Dodge... what do you do?  Do you take the next subway train outta there?  Catch a cab?  Or go home and hideout?  Oh yes, these are the types of questions you will be asked in order to move on to the next chapter in the story.  You will face moral dilemmas, strategic decisions, become a hero or die a gruesome death.  The outcome will be based on your decisions.

Thus my problem!  I died in about every way you can think of!  I'm too much of a girl... or a wuss.  I tried to run away... a lot, and that never worked out.   Needless to say, I became a brainless brain muncher or was blown up to smithereens a few times.  But, I still enjoyed it!  This was so fun.  I loved how each choice you made took you down a different path with your very own ending... some hopeful, some deadly and others inspiring.  It was definitely different from anything else I've ever read (I was never into those "Choose Your Own Adventure" books growing up).  Full of laughs, loads of action and just the right amount of zombie gore.  A treat for zombie lovers!  I'll say it again... it was awesome!

My Rating:

This is what my book looked like when I got through with it.  I know....  those aren't yellow pages you are seeing there.  Those are sticky's that I used to indicate bad paths, right choices and the best endings (aside from the ones that got me eaten or blown up).  Do you see what I mean about being TOO neurotic?  My friends are still making fun of me to this day because of it.  haha

Zombies Reading Challenge 2011

Challenge Rules & Info:

- Challenge STARTS January 1, 2011 and ENDS December 31, 2011

- Read at least 10 Zombie books this year. They don't have to be ALL about Zombies, just have Zombies in them. Remember, the more the merrier! Here's a LIST of zombie books that may help :)

- The books can be print, ebooks, and audio books.

-Reread books ARE allowed, BUT, the review must be rewritten. You cannot use old reviews.

Hooray for zombies!  You know I can't stand the thought of not reading a zombie book.  This is awesome!