TITLE: Everyone Dies at the End
AUTHOR: Riley Westbrook
PUBLISHED: March 16th, 2015 by BigWorldNetwork.com
FORMAT: E-Book (87 pages)
SOURCE: Received a free copy in exchange for an honest review! (thanks Riley!)
AUTHOR: Riley Westbrook
PUBLISHED: March 16th, 2015 by BigWorldNetwork.com
FORMAT: E-Book (87 pages)
SOURCE: Received a free copy in exchange for an honest review! (thanks Riley!)
This book.. Hmmm.... I was kinda pleasantly surprised! I haven't really ever read any zombie books or end of the world books before. For some reason I kind of thought I wouldn't really like it. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE the Walking Dead - (only got up to season 3.. Have to binge watch it and catch up!) I just didn't think I'd enjoy reading about it. It seems to me that zombie movies and books are kind of too trendy and I tend to steer away from trends.. However once I started reading this book I was intrigued..
PLOT/SYNOPSIS: (from Goodreads)
Who knew the zombie apocalypse would be caused by something we all know is deadly...but that is also all around us? Two stories intersect as the world delves into chaos - Earl, a drugged out heroin addict constantly in search of his next fix, and a family struggling with the dramas of everyday life, get no reprieve during this zombie outbreak. Can any of them survive the deadliest game of all - survival against undead, each other, and the world around them?
Who knew the zombie apocalypse would be caused by something we all know is deadly...but that is also all around us? Two stories intersect as the world delves into chaos - Earl, a drugged out heroin addict constantly in search of his next fix, and a family struggling with the dramas of everyday life, get no reprieve during this zombie outbreak. Can any of them survive the deadliest game of all - survival against undead, each other, and the world around them?
CHARACTERS:
There is a handful of quirky characters in this book. The three I liked best were Earl, Joey and Sara. Earl is, I would say, the main character, and we meet him in the beginning. He's a heroin junkie and I would steer clear of him if I ever were around. He's constantly fighting his "demon" - the need for his next fix. There's Joey and Sara - a married couple who are so totally in love with each other - I loved their characters! They were so physically opposite - Joey was an enormous 500 pound man with a generous heart.. and Sara was a small petite woman with a temper and very protective of her man.
There is a handful of quirky characters in this book. The three I liked best were Earl, Joey and Sara. Earl is, I would say, the main character, and we meet him in the beginning. He's a heroin junkie and I would steer clear of him if I ever were around. He's constantly fighting his "demon" - the need for his next fix. There's Joey and Sara - a married couple who are so totally in love with each other - I loved their characters! They were so physically opposite - Joey was an enormous 500 pound man with a generous heart.. and Sara was a small petite woman with a temper and very protective of her man.
WRITING STYLE:
I thought his descriptions of the people affected with the virus were excellent! I got a very good picture in my head while reading. It was gross.. nasty.. but it almost made me laugh at how sick it was!
I thought his descriptions of the people affected with the virus were excellent! I got a very good picture in my head while reading. It was gross.. nasty.. but it almost made me laugh at how sick it was!
(She) was still strapped to the bed. A large mushroom sprouted from her head, looking like a Portobello.
Earl and his demon: Westbrook writes of this demon almost as if it's visible to Earl and us as readers. I liked that metaphor - addicts are at the mercy of their addictions and this was a very descriptive way of sharing that idea. Here's an example:
His demon walked beside him, egging him on. "When are you going to pay your toll? It's almost time for the fun to begin." "Shut up!" Earl yelled before he remembered he was alone.
PROS:
It was very fast paced and easy to read. I liked the characters. It was gross, but I found it almost comical - for this type of zombie novel I think it was a good fit here.
It was very fast paced and easy to read. I liked the characters. It was gross, but I found it almost comical - for this type of zombie novel I think it was a good fit here.
CONS:
While the writing in this story was easy to follow - I found at times I was a little put off at the way he described Joey. Joey was a big man - huge in fact - and that was made clear almost every time he referred to him.
I just thought there was a little too much emphasis on it. It really stood out to me every time he would mention him:
I just thought there was a little too much emphasis on it. It really stood out to me every time he would mention him:
"Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on her," Peter told his fat friend before he charged outside after her.
Similarly, he described Joey's wife Sara as very petite, and always felt the need to point this out to the reader as well. But aside from the overuse of those repetitive adjectives, I did enjoy his writing. I quite enjoyed reading about these people.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
For my first zombie/apocalypse novel I was happily surprised. It was a short novella, so it was easy to get through and it held my attention. I will be more open to these types of books in the future!
For my first zombie/apocalypse novel I was happily surprised. It was a short novella, so it was easy to get through and it held my attention. I will be more open to these types of books in the future!
RATING:
Everyone Dies at the End: Goodreads page
You can find out more about Riley on his blog: https://rileyamoswestbrook.wordpress.com/
He also runs the Goodreads group Support for Indie Authors.
Riley Westbrook on Goodreads
You can find out more about Riley on his blog: https://rileyamoswestbrook.wordpress.com/
He also runs the Goodreads group Support for Indie Authors.
Riley Westbrook on Goodreads