Review: Quick, fascinating read that's worth your time
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 01 15, 2014
This is my first foray into the land of Lori L. Lopez, and what an unexpectedly wonderful trip it has been. Not one paragraph into the first short story and I was hooked. "Sacrifice. That's what it's all about. Giving your pound of flesh to get ahead in this world, this modern megalopolis we have wrought with hammers and sweat and steel. Plenty of concrete."Starting off, there's no zombies, no gore, no life-threatening moments, yet from the first paragraph, I pulled in by her simple yet profound way of stating things. Each of the three stories has a different feel to it, a different flavor, yet each is well-written and striking in its own right. If someone had shown me these stories separately, I probably would not have guessed they were by the same author, though I would still maintain that each was written by someone with an unusual way with words. It points to a great talent on Lopez's part to keep things 'fresh'.So to break each story in 3-Z down:"A Pound of Flesh"- 5 stars, hands down. Situating a zombie outbreak in the middle of an Halloween Zombie Walk is simply ingenius. As the story unfolds, we find the biggest horror is not the main character's sitituation in those harrowing moments captured in the majority of the story, but rather her fears about what may be happening elsewhere to a loved one. My favorite of the three, without a doubt."A Big Problem"- 3 stars. Lopez's character developement of the main character was simply outstanding. She folds enough minute details into the situation to tell you all about the character without 'telling' you anything at all. As much as I adored this aspect of the story, the plot itself was a bit of a disappointment. There were too many questions unaswered as the story unfolded. Instead of feeling satisfied at the story's conclusion, I felt a bit let down that so much was left 'up in the air' for the reader in terms of the story's 'world'. Fabulous main character, but an odd story that didn't grab me."Knock, Knock"- 4 stars. There's something delightful about having a front row seat when someone's unknowingly come face-to-face with a zombie. It's even better when they're an agorophobic cat lady. Once again, Lopez manages to weave together a fascinating character whose actions and reactions 'work' in this one because of her backstory. Any other character, it wouldn't have pulled together, but it does here. My only gripe with this one is that it's left a bit open-ended, and I would have preferred to have a solid ending to hang my hat on.4 stars average, making this quick read one to pick up. As I loved the author's style and the way she builds the characters in her stories, I wouldn't hesitate to read more from her.If you enjoy my zombie reviews, please check my profile to find my zombie book review blog, where I weigh in on off-the-beaten path, lesser known zombie books.