Review: The experiment continues..and it's fast and frenetic
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 03 13, 2013
Seven months have passed since the uncertain conclusion of Cure.  The infected have broken past the confines of the remote town of Strandville and the once cozy town has become the epicenter of the nationwide epidemic known as 'The Collapse'.  Dr. Nixon still continues his experiments in a secluded cabin in the woods while the rest of the survivors are scattered.  But that doesn't last long.  All roads lead back to Strandville.  Will Zach and Allison be reunited?  Can Scott and Miranda patch up their relationship in a post apocalyptic world filled with the living dead?  What of Max Reid, who's now surviving on his own in the derelict Nixon center, not only fighting hoards of the undead but constant death squads sent by a revenge minded Dr. Nixon?  The experiment continues.The Zombie Apocalypse.  It's the natural progression of the storyline.  There was no way the disease would stay in Strandville.  Part of what I liked so much about Cure was how claustrophobic it felt; the remote setting, the creepy hospital, never knowing what would happen during the close quarters combat.  For the blink of an eye, I was worried that Afterbirth would lose that since the zombie problem had broken nationwide.  Turns out, I was worried over nothing.  Afterbirth loses none of what made the first installment different and fun to read.  It's a microcosm of the larger problem.  The survivors are scattered and it takes the reader on a journey from parts outside and away from the Nixon center and leads them right back to where it all started...whether the characters like it or not.This sequel is much more action packed than the first installment.  Zombies are everywhere and  something so simple as going out for supplies could spell doom at any given time.  But, it's not all about action.  This book, like Cure, is about the characters and how they react, adapt, and fight in order to survive.  They just don't get a lot of down time to chew the fat ;)  Frisch barely gives her characters a chance to breath before the blood flies from skeletal mouths.  But, zombies aren't the only conflict here.  As previously stated, this is a character driven book and the various players have to survive each other as well as evil doctors, crazed henchmen, and the flesh eating dead.  While there's a great amount of action involving gore, gun play and improvised weaponry, it's a backdrop for the characters' interplay.  The action doesn't TAKE OVER the story.  It SERVES the story.  Well done.The plot is tight and moves at a breakneck pace thanks to the author's fast and fluid style that features well told action, great dialogue and rapid fire chapters.  The story starts with a widely cast net; a net that contains many subplots but gets tighter and tighter with each chapter until everyone is back where they least want to go.  It was impressive how Frisch took the scattered locations at the outset and drew all the players together without even so much as a hiccup or a plot hole.  Every motivation and every reason for the characters to come together again made sense and felt plausible.  The ending is satisfying, makes sense, and left me wanting more.  Very well done.So, tempted to delve into the world of zombies for the first time?  Maybe want to try a change of pace from the standard zombie novel?  If you haven't already, give The Strandville Zombie series a shot and see what the experiment is all about.  And hey, it's got zombie babies and chainsaws.  What's not to like about that?