Review: Dennis Does it Again
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 02 2, 2014
I read the first book in the Raven Falconer series a few months ago, having been blessed with a free copy, and I was immediately hooked, which is saying something because I DO NOT READ zombie books. Ever. I'm am a person who does not like gore, even entertaining gore. Well, I was a person who didn't like entertaining gore. I am that person no more. Larsen has changed that with this series.Larsen is very knowledgeable about what to do in this book. This second installment is much more disturbing than the first, which set up the back story of the heroine and her group of friends well enough that I really cared what happened to them in this book and was truly invested in their lives and struggles, emotional and physical. We get to see the girls in their weakest and strongest moments in this book, which draws some complexity into them and endears them more to me.Because I like the girls so much and love their personalities, I wanted more of them in the book. The story focuses on three different P.O.Vs, and they were done very well with perfect cross-over, but I wanted more of the friendship from the girls because I'm a dramatist at heart. I would not take off for that, however, as the story is well paced and kept me reading, engaged and intrigued. The only reason the book is a 4.7 in my book (a rating not applicable for Amazon) is because I felt that the Native struggle played upon some Cowboy vs. Indian themes that make the Native "other" something not as good, as virtuous, as the protagonist. I think Larsen was actually very careful in handling the struggle, though, and did show that there were, indeed some virtuous people on both sides, some scared people on both sides, people on both sides that struggled with something unfathomable. I have a feeling complexity will be integrated into this relationship, however, and am eager to see how it goes. The struggle certainly adds a dimension of suspense and fear that would not be present with a simple zombie vs. human novel.I also really appreciate, from this novel, the complexity of the huskers. We get to see the undead point of view and it's not as easy as it seems to be in the stale themes we see on the tv and read in so many zombie books. I love that Larsen added these other elements to bring the zombie novel up to par. This author is a must read in thriller, suspense, drama and adult fiction. I highly recommend this book and all books by Larsen. I read this book in a matter of hours, and I read the first book just as quickly. And now, I have to wait for the third book, which is agonizing.