Series: Standalone
Author: FJR Titchenell
Published: May 6, 2014 - Jolly Fish Press
Format: Ebook received for review
The world is Cassie Fremont’s playground. Her face is on the cover of every newspaper, she has no homework, no curfew, and no credit limit, and she spends her days traveling the country with her friends, including a boy who would flirt with death just to turn her head. Life is just about perfect—except that those newspaper headlines are about her bludgeoning her crush to death with a paintball gun, she has to fight ravenous walking corpses every time she steps outside, and one of her friends is still missing, trapped somewhere in the distant, practically impassable wreckage of Manhattan. Still, Cassie’s an optimist. More prone to hysterical laughter than hysterical tears, she’d rather fight a corpse than be one, and she won’t leave a friend stranded when she can simply take her road trip to impossible new places to find her, even if getting there means admitting to that boy that she might just love him, too. Skillfully blending effective horror with unexpected humor, this diary-format novel is a fast-paced and heartwarming read.
Confessions Of The Very First Zombie Slayer (that I know of). Yeah, it's a mouthful. I wasn't sure of what to expect with this book. The blurb sounds awesome, right? Well, no worries, the book followed suit!
The book starts innocuously enough. It's a co-ed Scouts camping trip. Lot's of boy-girl drama, and Cassie long ago figured out she liked hanging with the boys more. She's not a frilly girly girl, she gets down and plays paintball with her buddies. And it's a rousing game of paintball that starts this story. You wouldn't think a paintball could kill someone, but it depends on where they're shot, right? And somehow, that person comes back. Cassie is right there, and she kills them... again. Yeah, that all seemed a little odd for me. In fact, if I'm honest, the first 100 pages or so weren't my favorite. The book is written in first person, which I have no problem with. But it took me a while to get a handle on the fact that the book takes place three years in the past, and Cassie is writing in her journal, basically speaking to the reader. There are some really traumatic things that happen right away, and I just didn't feel the emotion from them. But no worries, my apocalypse loving friends, that changes.
The majority of the book is a cross country trip. It goes fast, the book and the the trip. You get to know the characters, and yes - you lose some. Pretty serious characters, too. Hey, this is the apocalypse - we aren't all going to live!! Friends are made, old friendships are renewed, pacts are reinforced. And well, the group size dwindles. But there is a bright spot in all of that, aside from Cassie. And that bright spot is named Norman. Norman... he's a tough nut to crack. I had to wonder, is he insane, or pretending to be insane? Is he on the verge of cracking, or is this how he normally is? Either way, he has a wicked sense of humor at times, and he really serves well in the purpose of lightening up some of the more tense moments. But Normal also has a more sensitive side. He's not unaffected by everything. I mean, these are fifteen and sixteen year old kids, after all.
I watched the human-shaped figures that had been pacing around that end of the city (all of them already dead, I hope) life off of the ground and scatter against the houses' walls like a flocl of pigeons that all have either inner ear infections or massive depression.
*snort*
There are some really exciting moments, not everyone is undead, ya know. And some of the characters just have to die, you know they do. And it's absolutely heartbreaking. But through it all, Cassie keeps a firm head about herself. She's no superhero, but she's recognized as killing the first zombie. You also get some great one-liners in the book, something that's always appreciated by me!
So yep, I really enjoyed this book. By the time it ended, I wasn't ready - I wanted more. Isn't that the way it goes with books you love? But for a zombie apocalypse, I'd have to say it was pretty damn good. A bit on the young side, which was a bit refreshing. It was different from any I'd read before - and that's always appreciated. Like for instance, it's not about guns and cross-bows, just some regular things you can find anywhere and a trusty bat named Suprbat! And hey, there are even some tender and romantic moments, and those were awesome too!
Find FJR Titchenell Online
Confessions on Goodreads
FJR Titchenell on Goodreads
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