Review: zombie rules or zombies rule
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 03 24, 2014
I am on a wicked good streak right now. I'd been reading a batch of zombie lit for the past few weeks, and, so far, it's been a run of awesome. The trend kept on with David Achord'sZombie Rulesand its sequel Z14, two books I read back to back, and there went another sleepless night. Totally worth it.Nothing like a zombie apocalypse - or any other sort of apocalypse, really - to reinvent a person. 16-year-old Zachariah Gunderson was a nerd with a nose for trivia and a near photographic memory, two traits that did him no good in the social mine field that is high school. And nothing like a zombie apocalypse to distract everyone from Zach's latest painful humiliation (which was recorded and went viral on social media). But suddenly came alarming news of a global flu pandemic that transformed the infected into unstoppable, homicidal rage machines. In Tennessee, paranoia served Zach well as he and an old survivalist friend took the precaution of holing up in a secluded, well-fortified farm. Anyway, that's the start to Zombie Rules. The book goes on to develop Zach into a hell of a resourceful leader. Loved the book.And the sequel's just as good. In Z14, Zach and his family of friends continue their fight for survival. Zach is mulling over a theory that the zombies will gradually die off, succumbing to the debilitating effects of the virus. I think you and I just shared a knowing glance, though. We know better. Wherever Zach's went, he'd been posting his zombie rules - insights he'd picked up about the undead - as a general warning for remaining survivors. Z14 refers to Zach's latest observation, his fourteenth rule about zombies, and it may be the most bloodcurdling one yet.David Achord's storytelling impresses me. To be honest, I don't know that he'd sate the common gorehound. His passages aren't near graphic enough. He's terrific at juggling the group dynamics. And when Zach encounters someone he's iffy about, the tension sometimes gets really palpable - Zach will speak his mind. The writer comes thru with one element that's always fascinated me about the zombie apocalypse: the depiction of the day-to-day routine one must observe to survive in such harrowing times. Zach is a natural at this stuff, and I love watching him do his thing, and how he's put to good use the nerdy book-learnin' he'd picked up over the years. Zach is now so badass even those much senior in age look to him for guidance and accept his leadership. It's a mostly benign Zachtatorship. I say "mostly" because Zach isn't too squeamish about laying down the law if someone gets too stupid.Zach isn't the only absorbing character. My other favorites are Julie and the reticent gunslinger Fred. Julie has had gratifying character development from Zombie Rules to Z14. She started out as this callow person, but over time she's become someone adept at surviving in a zombie world. Fred, well, Fred is like the Clint Eastwood of the bunch. He's reserved and quiet and someone you definitely want by you when the fit hits the shan. I love that there are amusing bits throughout the two books that highlight Fred's allergy to talking a lot. In Z14, a family obligation compels him to leave the confines of Tennessee for a perilous cross-country trek to California.David Achord dabbles in a bit of social engineering (Heinlein would be proud), but you can do this when your playground is set in dystopia. And I've said this ad nauseam, and now it's ad nauseam plus one: In a zombie apocalypse, the most terrifying creature is man. Zach can't be blamed for fostering a ruthless streak. Alarmingly evolving zombies notwithstanding, Zach and his group are jeopardized more by their fellow survivors, a huge chunk of whom are stone cold killers and straight-up bastards. But for our still teenaged protagonist, it probably improves on high school.Other recommended zombie books:- S. Johnathan Davis's900 Miles: A Zombie Novel- Russ Watts 'Devouring The Dead: A Zombie Novel- Glenn Bullion'sDead Living- Jason Brant'sWest of Hell Omnibus Edition (West of Hell 1-3); (Devoured (The Hunger #1)is also very good, but, really, that one's more about the vampire apocalypse)- D. Nathan Hilliard'sDead Stop