Review: This would make a good movie...
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 03 1, 2014
What a good book! I was completely swept up in the story. Stone has penned an outstanding and unique tale of cowboys vs. zombie-like creatures. A really neat part of the premise is that it was some sort of biological disaster that created the creatures. The USA is on its own, quarantined from other parts of the world. They,ve constructed outposts to protect the rural citizenry from the marauding creatures.There's also a clear divide among socioeconomic classes, which adds another layer to a story already brimming with things to hold the readers' interest.The book is a crazy sort of mixture of western/dystopian/zombie-horror/steam-punk/romance. Yeah...that is a mouthful, but the incredible part is how it all works. Stone has a gift when it comes to wielding a keyboard, and this book displays it quite well.The world-building is excellent. I could easily see the action and the surroundings, but it wasn't overdone to the point of tedium.Her character building is outstanding. I really liked the MCs, Abby and Jake. Thoroughly written, easy to empathize with. Lots of tension between them the whole way through the story. Abby's tough, and Jake is a hard man. Two people, sworn enemies, working together.  And the supporting characters weren't just shadows in the background. She did a great job with them as well, fleshing them out so the reader knows them.  But not so much that it takes attention away from Jake and Abby.I'd set this book on the shelf beside Sheri S Tepper's books.This would make a good movie. Hollywood, are you listening? :-)