Review: The story flows smoothly, it's characters are richly developed.
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 02 6, 2014
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. The opinion in this review is unbiased and reflects my honest judgment of the book.An earthquake in Japan causes the nuclear power plants to leak. An evacuation is ordered and a family takes this opportunity to visit friends in New York. Taking his pet rat along, their son is unaware it is infected with the Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis Virus. Given respite from it's cage during layovers, the rat becomes increasingly aggressive and leaves contagion bombs at each stop - a scratch here, a bite there - until he finally breaks free from his cage on the final leg. Loose in the Big Apple, the once docile pet infects New York's rat population. And inevitably, the rats go to work on the human population spreading the infection via blood and saliva."The world did not end with a bang, nor did it end with a whimper. It was more of a chomp. And a slurp."The CDC quickly identifies the origin of the virus by tracing its path of destruction. In a press conference, the director of the CDC informs the public of the details and also that the virus appears to be mutating. Only a week ago reanimation took a week to occur and now it can occur in as soon as thirty minutes depending on the severity of the injury.The Complex, aptly named, is told in first person narrative from Cali, a cardiac nurse in Southern California. Cali resides in a gated apartment complex with her husband Trent, and ten year old son Drew. Trent, a carpenter by trade, helps make their home into a stronghold with the help of other tenants. Their handiwork is put to the test by the undead and a group of marauders looking to take what Cali's group has managed to amass.A bestselling author recently told me "when you open a book, readers tend to latch onto the first character and think the character is the main one of the story". Using the Japanese family to foreshadow the plot was a nice addition to the story, but their story ends with a bite, and readers are never told of their fate. It's left to the imagination and assumption of the reader that rat bites boy, boy bites parents, and so forth. The author missed out on a great opportunity to introduce the boy somewhere along the way. Perhaps their plane could have landed in California instead of New York and at the very least the boy could have been one of the zombies described by Cali.I didn't have to read the author's bio to know she was a nurse by the way in which the clinical scenes are worded. Rudolph successful bridges the gap in medical terminology to ensure even those not in healthcare aren't bombarded by unfamiliar words or concepts. Any floor nurse reading The Complex will relate to Cali's kitchen drawer of medical supplies forgotten in her pockets during a shift. These supplies spawned the family joke of having a zombie preparedness medical kit and Cali definitely  put them to good use. My drawer just happens to be in the bathroom.The story ebbed and flowed well. The pace was consistent throughout and the tension built up smoothly to the final climax. The characters actions and reactions were realistic and their interactions had the ring of authenticity. Cali is the clear protagonist of the book, but Rudolph has written her in such a way that allows her to be an assertive woman while not undermining her husbands credibility as a character.The only characterization that felt inauthentic was the CDC director. The first half of the press conference was what one could expect from a person in that role; clipped, concise, and devoid of personality. The latter portion conveyed his personal experiences in an informal tone, and could have been edited to to be congruent throughout or removed altogether.There were a few small moments that were hard to reconcile with reality. The group only has one person on watch at any given time. So it doesn't seem practical for Trent to suggest Cali slip into a bikini and work on her tan while reading her kindle. Additionally, the decision the group makes at the close of the book was very hard to believe. I realize the door is left open intentionally for a second book, but think it showed a lack of common sense among the characters. This would have been okay had the story been full of poor decisions, but the characters were pragmatic and made responsible choices up until that point.The Complex is light on gore but rich with heart. It's characters are compassionate and brave. This reader looks forward to seeing where things go from here. Should the second book continue on it's current collision course, the survivors of The Complex will no doubt be in for a bumpy ride.