Review: A little gem of a story - highly recommended
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 05 30, 2013
Although this book lacks the raw grit of a hardcore zombie action novel, I found it to be a neatly crafted and very likable work.  Audience-wise it probably best targets the young adult (T Rating) demographic, however I'm well beyond that class in age and still enjoyed the time I spent absorbing this engaging yarn.What I particularly approved of was the author's discipline in controlling the central characters.  There's one central heroine who, unless I'm very much mistaken, aptly channels the ever-adorable Zoey from the Left 4 Dead computer game.  Bravo mate!  That wins ya One Star right out of the box.Supporting Nicole is a refreshingly limited number of side-casters each of whom has an engaging relatability with enough back story to bring them to life. Agreed, two of them [Walt and Ruby] are a tad cartoonish, but the others more than compensate. [Another Star = Two so far.]Quirky escapades and snarky dialog are a delight and win another Star.  [Up to Three now.] Nicole's lines and personality conflicts could have be tuned up even more, but that's just me quibbling and responding to those she's been gifted with already. [Spoiler alert: Despite the provocative dustjacket illustration, there's not the faintest hint of any sexual chemistry in Nicole's make-up.]A final star to get to Four was awarded for originality, pace, balance and all round entertainment value.The only flies in the ointment and why I didn't give it a perfect Five is on account of the predictable ending and examples of quirky mis-spelling [e.g. brakes = breaks, taut = taught].  I was expecting an acidic twist in the tail, like the survivors being the real zombies, but no - that didn't happen.All in all a lovely book that bottle rockets in a very different arc from other examples in the genre.