I had a hard time deciding how to rate this book because I loved parts of it and hated other parts. Then I realized the parts I hated had nothing to do with the writing or the story, and had everything to do with the emotional investment I had in some of the characters. This is not your typical zombie story and if you are looking for square jawed heroes and a "Band of Brothers" attitude among the survivors, read something else. Our survivors here are pretty much cowardly, selfish and irrational, and seemed to have survived only due to luck, not any particular skill. In other words, real people.

With Julia, our viewpoint character, we have a mother who seems only concerned with finding her family and is willing to sacrifice anyone to find them. She is, however, just as reluctant to face danger as the rest, and is about as resolute as a wet noodle at times. Her hesitation, her self doubts and her annoying habit of freezing up in the face of advancing zombies makes her a liability at first, but she eventually adapts and hardens up. More than any other book I have read, this story deals with the emotional wreckage created by the sight of loved ones devoured in front of their families, and pulls few emotional punches. Also, not recommended for any readers with a weak stomach, as the gore is knee deep and you can practically smell it from the author's descriptions.

SPOILER ALERT: No Hollywood endings here, and brace yourselves for the last twenty pages. I look forward to reading more from this talented and seriously disturbed author. Sorry, I meant author of disturbing ideas.