The Last of Us Video Game Review

Released June 14, 2013
Rated M for Mature
Genre Action/Adventure, Survival Horror
Developed by Naughty Dog
Published by Sony Computer Entertainment, Playstation 3 exclusive

The Last of Us was one of the most hyped games of 2013 and after a solid week of playing at every free moment, I can report that the hype was most certainly deserved.  I actually bought a PS3 just so I could play The Last of Us and it is well worth it.  Even though I finished the game yesterday I already started a second play through, which I don't think I've ever done with a game.

Game Play

The game play of The Last of Us is simple yet efficient, with every weapon and skill usable throughout the entirety of the game.  I never found myself only using one weapon or tactic (which I often do as I get further into a game); I was constantly switching it up to best fit the situation.  There are many different ways of approaching a situation, and while the game is linear it still feels expansive. I also really appreciated the NPCs in this game.  They never were a burden and I never felt like I was doing a painful escort mission.  Much like Elizabeth in Bioshock Infinite, they were an asset, alerting me to danger and hidden supplies.

The pacing of the game was great.  There would be a scene of intense action or drama followed by a more mellow scene that allowed you to appreciate the beautiful world building and connect with Ellie.  I loved exploring the world because there was no compass showing you which way to go, I had to just pick a direction and start walking.  This type of free form exploration lead me to discovering a lot of wonderful hidden details in the game.  The collectibles are also really well done, they aren't just hidden items throughout the game, they are little bits of story that add to the ambiance. 

Another aspect that really adds to the overall feel of the game is the sound and music.  They knew exactly when to use background music to add emotional effect and when to strip it away.  Also the sounds the infected made were absolutely terrifying.  More so than the infected that were screaming and moaning, it was the infected standing in a corner just sobbing that would really get to me.

Story

To put it simply, the story of The Last of Us is amazing.  I won't post any spoilers, don't worry, but all I can say is wow.  I don't think a video game has ever made me question my own morals and ethics as much as The Last of Us.  None of the characters are all good or all evil, they're a mix of the two and that makes it feel so real. Ellie and Joel are great characters and I really enjoyed watching their relationship grow. 

In addition to the more personal relationships of the game I really enjoyed the apocalyptic scenario.  I thought it was a very interesting play on the zombie genre.  In The Last of Us the zombies are actually people infected with a parasite-like spore that takes over all motor functions (which is based on a real life fungus which is terrifying).  So the idea that the zombies you are fighting still have some amount of human consciousness is pretty horrific.  I also really liked how the government reacted to the infection and the resulting rebellion against the marshal law.  Whenever I read apocalyptic fiction I really want a firm world building, even if the focus is on the personal relationships between a few people, and The Last of Us really delivers on both fronts.

In conclusion, The Last of Us is one of the strongest video games to come out in the past five years.  The story, graphics, and game play all lend to an immersive and emotionally impacting experience.  The characters are all relatable, the world building on point, and an overall message that will stick with you long after you put the controller down.

10/10 - A standout game that will last the test of time.

A Month Off!? Run for Your Lives 5k Experiences!

Hi blog followers!  Long time no see!  Sorry I took a bit of an impromptu vacation, but I needed a break.  Everyone experiences burn out, and I got hit hard.  I also haven't made any youtube videos, so don't feel too neglected. 

Anyway, I'm back, refreshed, and ready to blog!

Today I wanted to talk about the 5k I did last Saturday.  I participated in Run For Your Lives, a zombie themed obstacle 5k and it had to have been one of the most exhilarating and difficult things I have ever done. 

The basic premise of the 5k is simple.  Run away from the zombies!  When you register they give you a belt with three red flags on it. This belt represents your life and if the zombies snag all 3 flags then you are infected!  I love the combination of flag football and an obstacle course, it adds a lot of tension and excitement to a basic 5k.

We ran the 10:30am heat so we had to get up at 6:30 which was no fun.  The closest race location was still 1 hour 45 minutes away (we live in Ohio but actually went to the Indiana race) and they recommended we get there 2 hours early.  Well, we showed up at 8:30 and got through registration in about 15 minutes, so we had some time to kill lol.  However the registration queue did get longer as the day went on, but I do think the 2 hours early recommendation is a bit excessive, at least for the earlier race times.

At the start of the race we ran straight into an open field full of zombies.  It was mass chaos!  I lost 2 of my flags in that first batch of zombies!  After that we were funneled into a much more narrow path through a wooded area.  There were less zombies here, but the close quarters made it very hard to dodge them.  Most of the zombies were shamblers, but a couple of them would full on sprint after people. 

After a while we started running into obstacles along with zombies.  There was a series of walls we had to climb over or under, a set of monkey bars over a giant mud pit (yeah I fell in the mud ugh), a dark house with dangling electrified wires, a wooden tunnel set up in in a creek we had to crawl through (this sucked because there were a ton of rocks), balance beams over mud pits, plus steep hills, creeks, rocky terrain, and oh yeah, zombies! 

I made it really far with my one flag.  I "played opossum" where I would put my flag behind me when there were zombies and jog up to them and act sad, like I had already lost my flags, then sprint past them.   It worked well until I got stuck in a crowd and a zombie grabbed my flag.  Erik made it a lot further but eventually got all of his flags snagged as well.

But, right before the last obstacle there was an employee of the race handing out "health kits" so I got a bonus flag for the final gauntlet.  The final obstacle was a huge slide that ended in a pool of water colored like blood, a horde of zombies, and a belly crawl under an electrified fence (which felt like getting punched if you touched it, ouch!).  It was scary and awesome.  I made it to the slide with my flag but in between the pool and the finish line was a crowd of sprinting zombies.  I waited for a runner ahead of me to take off and distract a few zombies and I just went for it.  I dodged, dipped, dived, ducked, and dodged and made it to the finish line!  I had avoided the zombies with my flag intact!  (Erik on the other hand, slipped in the wet grass and got eaten.  It was very sad).

I got a medal!  My first race medal in fact.

Very proud!

After the race there's an "apocalypse" party, but Erik and I were so knackered we just rinsed off and left.  I thought the people who organized the Indiana race were very efficient and professional.  We didn't have any issues with parking, registration, or security.  The course was also well designed with enough space in between obstacles so there was very little bottle necking.  Overall a very smooth operation, I was impressed!

I would highly recommend this 5k it's a ton of fun.  However, I would really recommend strength training and practicing sprinting before hand.  This isn't a distance race, it's a run like hell then walk kind of race.   Some tips for surviving the zombie apocalypse are:

• Travel in packs.  The zombies get more confused and there's a greater chance they will get distracted by other people, not you.
• Wear shoes that are good for rough terrain but aren't too heavy.  They will get water logged!
• Pace yourself.  Don't run if you don't have to and take advantage of the zombie free zones to catch your breath.
• Do some strength and agility training in the couple of months before the event.  The more quick and nimble you are, the better.
• Don't be a dick and try and hide your flags under your clothes or in a pocket.  That's cheating and takes the fun out of the race!
• If you decide to be a zombie, don't break character!  There were a few zombies that gave me sympathy high-fives when I was flag-less which didn't bother me, but there were a few others that were just heckling runners and being general douche bags.  Not fun.

So what do you think?  Have you participated in Run for Your Lives or another obstacle race?  What were your experiences?  Let me know in the comments below!

Zombies, Run! 5k app Week 8

This is it.  The FINAL WEEK!  8 weeks of training have come down to this.  I was equal parts excited and afraid for week 8, largely because it started off with the longest free form run yet.

Each day had a different program, so day 1 was as follows:

• 5 minute walk
• 5 minute free form run
• 2 minute stretch
• 20 minute free form run
• 5 minute stretch
• 5 minute free form run
• 3 minute stretch
• 5 minute free form run

That 20 minute free form run scared me like no other.  I have NEVER run for 20 minutes consecutively, not even close.  Well, I didn't quite make it the full 20 minutes, but I ran a total of 33 minutes out of the 35, so I think that's pretty admirable.  I did 3.45 miles in 50 minutes (40 minutes if you count out the stretching time) which I think is pretty damn good!

Day 2 turned out to be a much longer run than I anticipated, with training as below:

• 10 minute walk (even though the task lists say 5 minutes, it was 10)
• 10 minute free form run
• 3 minute stretch
• 2 sets of 10 minute free form run 5 minute walk
• 5 minute run

I ended up doubling past my apartment twice lol.  One thing that I was very proud of myself for was I ran every free form run without stopping.  I ended up running 4.3 miles in 58 minutes (or 55 minutes) which was pretty awesome.

And then came the final day.  I decided that I would try and run 3.1 miles (or a full 5k) as quickly as I could and then I would walk for the rest of the mission as a reward.  Well, not only did I run 3.1 miles, I did it without stopping.  O.O  I know!  I couldn't believe it.  AND get this...3.1 miles in 37 MINUTES.  37!!!!  That's only 7 minutes away from my ultimate goal and I still have 2.5 months until my race.

Overall I think the Zombies, Run! 5k app is really great.  I have never found a running app that had me motivated to run 3-5 times a week.  I am excited to finish the main app and to start new missions on April 16th!

Zombies, Run! 5k app Week 7

Only one week left!  I'm so proud of myself for completing this challenge so far.  I can't believe I'm almost done!  Week 7 was in some ways easier than week 6 and in some ways more difficult.  The training was as follows:

• 10 minute warm up walk
• 5 minute free form run
• 5 sets 1 minute walking 15 seconds skipping
• 5 minute free form run
• 2 sets 3 minute stretch 5 minute free form run

Let me just say that skipping is HARD.  This week was difficult because there wasn't any walking breaks during the interval training.  I will admit that I didn't skip every time.  However I did run during all of the free form runs.  Each day I ran right around 3 miles in around 45 minutes, but if you take out the time spent stretching that's around 37-40 minutes, so my 5k time is improving. 

Only one week left!  I think at the end of my training I'll try and run a 5k just straight and see what my final time is.  I'm shooting for around 35 minutes, I CAN DO IT!!!!

 

Zombies, Run! 5k app Week 6

Hi everyone!  Sorry I haven't posted all week, I've been fully engrossed in a little video game called Bioshock Infinite (maybe you've heard of it?) and have barely had free time to eat food, let alone blog.  But now that I've beaten the game (amazing btw) I can go back to normal life, like blogging.  Also showering.

Week 6 was one of my best weeks yet.  The weather started off cold, but I not only ran some of the longest distances of the program, but I also ran at a really good pace.  Week 6's training consists of:

• 5 minute walk warm up 
• 10 minute free form run 
• 10 squats 
• 2 sets 30 seconds stretching 10 squats 
• 5 minute fast walk 
• 7 minute free form run 
• 2 sets 2 minute stretch 7 minute free form run

My first day was really cold and windy but I managed to do 4.2 miles in 58 minutes.  By day 2 the weather had warmed up considerably and I ran 4.12 miles in 55 minutes, setting my best pace for the past month.  Day 3 I followed the exact same route and did 4.12 miles in 55 minutes.  

I do have a new problem with the app.  When the audio logs for the story play the don't pause the music, just kind of turn it down into background noise.  Usually that isn't a problem but if the character is whispering or supposed to be further away their recording is muffled and with the music it's practically impossible to hear.  That is really frustrating for me because I have no way of controlling the volume or pausing the music myself. 

Other than audio issues I really think this was one of the best weeks ever for my training.  I'm very proud of myself and I really think I'm improving :)

Zombies, Run! 5k app Week 5

 



Sorry this post is kind of late, I've been super busy and haven't had the opportunity to summarize last week's progress until now.

 

I'm officially past the half way mark!  Week 5 started off very poorly but then got a lot better by the end.  For the training I did the following:

 

5 minute walking warm up

5 minute free form run

8 reps of 30 seconds walking, 1 minute running, 8 heel lifts

10 minute free form run

5 minute stretch

10 minute free form run

The time spent running is really increasing!  I did the first day on Tuesday but pretty much walked the whole thing because I hurt my foot somehow and was in too much pain to run.  I basically just hobbled home.  After that incident I took a couple days off and didn't run until Friday.  I had some soreness, but nothing like Tuesday and managed to do 3.5 miles in 52 minutes.  I went out on Saturday to wrap up the week and did 3.6 miles in 52 minutes, so I got a little faster!  That's exciting.

I also really enjoyed Week 5 Day 3's story.  I really like runner 4 and thought that whole mission was really funny and really cool.  What's really neat about the 5k program is you meet characters and experience events that are mentioned in the main app.  There's a lot of story tie in between the two and you get to see the set up for some of the missions in the main app.

Week 6 looks to be quite a challenge (and the terrible weather is not helping!) but I'm excited to see how much further I can go!

Zombies, Run! 5k app Week 4

I am officially half way finished with the 5k program!  HOLLA!  I am really proud of myself for making it this far, and while I know I still have a lot of work to do, it feels great to see progress. 

Week 4 consisted of the following:

• 5 minute walking warm up
• 5 minute free form run warm up
• 5 reps of 10 knee lifts, 1 minute slow walk, 1 minute fast walk
• 5 reps 1 minute walk, 30 seconds run
• 15 minute free form run

The first thing I noticed about this week is that the training sessions are getting very long!  Each mission took 50-60 minutes to finish, as opposed to week 1 which was around 30.  However I really enjoyed the long runs because I've been dealing with some anxiety and the runs have really been helping.

The weather this week was really weird.  At the beginning of the week we had a really intense snow storm (My area got around 8 inches I think) but by the end of the week it was up in the mid 60s.  Ohio weather is weird.  However I really enjoyed the snow running.  I didn't feel that cold and it was very peaceful in my little neighborhood.

Day 1 I didn't plan my route well (the snow prevented me from running on sidewalks and I didn't want to run on a busy road) so I ended up doing 3.8 miles in 52 minutes.  Day 2's route was planned almost perfectly and I did 3.4 miles in 47 minutes.  However day 3 was a really off day for me (I eneded up walking most of the route I just had no energy) and I only did 3.2 miles in 49 minutes. 

Even with my one weak day I am still really proud of my progress.  Also the story this week was full of feels OMG.  I'm so excited for week 5!

Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion Book and Movie Review

Published November 1, 2011 by Atria/Emily Bestler Books

#1 in the Warm Bodies series
4 stars

Goodreads Review
R is a young man with an existential crisis--he is a zombie. He shuffles through an America destroyed by war, social collapse, and the mindless hunger of his undead comrades, but he craves something more than blood and brains. He can speak just a few grunted syllables, but his inner life is deep, full of wonder and longing. He has no memories, no identity, and no pulse, but he has dreams.After experiencing a teenage boy's memories while consuming his brain, R makes an unexpected choice that begins a tense, awkward, and strangely sweet relationship with the victim's human girlfriend. Julie is a blast of color in the otherwise dreary and gray landscape that surrounds R. His decision to protect her will transform not only R, but his fellow Dead, and perhaps their whole lifeless world.

Scary, funny, and surprisingly poignant, Warm Bodies is about being alive, being dead, and the blurry line in between.

Review:  Warm Bodies is a really fun mashup of Shakespeare and zombies, two of my favorite things.  I really liked the re-imagining of zombies and how Warm Bodies examines what makes a person human and if you have nothing to live for are you really living?  I didn't expect a zombie novel to make me think as much as Warm Bodies did. 

R was a really great character, and one I could really relate to.  He's a great narrator and reading his inner monologue is hilarious and touching.  I really loved how he had all of these eloquent thoughts and ideas but due to his zombie self he can't actually express these ideas to other people.  There's a quote from the book where R says “In my mind I am eloquent; I can climb intricate scaffolds of words to reach the highest cathedral ceilings and paint my thoughts. But when I open my mouth, everything collapses.”  I love that.

I really liked the theme of living your life to the fullest and how it applies to not only the zombies but also the surviving humans.  As R and Julie begin to get to know each other they help each other heal.  They both help each other find their humanity, because both of them have been wandering and not really living (R literally). 

There were a few things that I didn't really like about Warm Bodies.  I didn't like how heavy handed the Romeo and Juliet stuff got at some parts.  In particular the balcony scene was just too obvious and I found myself rolling my eyes.  I also didn't like how Perry's death was glossed over.  Julie and Perry had been having problems, but I still think I would have been a lot more upset if my boyfriend had been eaten by a zombie.  Just saying.  It's not even that Julie's reason for not being that upset was bad (I can understand in an apocalyptic situation preparing for everyone you love to be killed at any moment) but I wish R had tried to talk to her more about it.  I wish there had been more of an ethical conflict.

Overall I enjoyed Warm Bodies quite a bit, but due to the sometimes obvious re-telling elements and some disappointing author behavior Warm Bodies fell just short of the 5 star rating.  It's still a really adorable and fun read that will also make you think!

 

Warm Bodies Movie Review

Released February 1, 2013
Rated PG-13
Directed by Jonathan Levine
Starring Nicholas Hoult, Teresa Palmer, Rob Corddry
I absolutely LOVED the Warm Bodies movie adaptation.  I thought it was very faithful to the novel but really worked on screen as well.  I thought the movie was a little more light hearted than the novel and cut out some of the darker aspects of the characters, but I think it very successfully kept the core feeling of the novel.  I really loved the use of voice over to help express some of the themes from the novel. 

 

What makes this movie so charming is the fantastic performance of Nicholas Hoult (X-Men: First Class) who plays R.  He is able to convey so much emotion through his facial expressions and body language that he really makes R come to life....well, sort of.  I also loved his interaction with Teresa Palmer (I am Number Four) who plays Julie.  They interact really well together and I really believed their relationship's growth; from fear, to wonder, to hope.

 

Both the novel and movie adaptation of Warm Bodies are fantastic.  This story goes a lot deeper than most zombie fare and I think it will appeal to a wide audience.  It has romance, humor, action, and a touching story of hope and redemption.



Zombies, Run! 5k app Week 3

You all might remember that last week I really hurt my back.  I could barely stand, let alone train for a 5k.  So after a week and a half off (with lots of drugs, not gonna lie) I was ready to try Week 3 of the program.  Week 3 really just follows the natural progression so I wasn't too surprised by the schedule.

• 5 minutes walking warm up
• 5 minute free form run warm up
• 5 reps of 1 minute running, 1 minute walking, and 10 seconds of knee lifts (jogging while bringing your knees up to your waist)
• 8 minute free form run
• 2 minutes stretching
• 8 minute free form run

I waited until Wednesday to do day one and I have to admit I pretty much walked everything.  I only ran during the interval training and by the last one I was starting to feel pain in my back as well as my left calf.  I took it slow and went 2.6 miles in 44 minutes, which is pretty good for walking so much.

Because I was still experiencing pain (and because I had to work really late on Friday) I didn't do day 2 until Saturday.  This run though was AWESOME.  I had zero pain and did 3.2 miles in 47 minutes (and 2 of those minutes were spent stretching). 

I did the final day of the week on Sunday even though I don't like doing 2 days in a row because I really wanted to get back on schedule.  I was a little more tired and sore during this run so I only did 3 miles in 43 minutes (which is still really good).

I'm really starting to see some results and improvements thanks to this training.  I'm also starting to have more confidence in myself, which is really awesome.  Also the story is getting really great, I'm really getting attached to the characters.  This is great for me because I actually want to do the next mission.  I can't wait to see what happens in week 4!

Zombies, Run! 5k app Week 2

Week 2 started off with a bang and ended with a whimper :(  I managed to really injure myself last weekend so while I managed to complete week 2, I haven't been able to start week 3.  My back is absolutely killing me, I can't bend down, sit down, walk around, or lay flat.  I went to the doctor a few days ago and the medicine he gave me has been helping, but I'm still really hurting.  Hopefully I'll be ok by next Monday so I can get back to training.

Week 2 consists of:

• 10 minute warm up walk
• 5 reps of 30 seconds running, 5 heel lifts (basically going up on releve), 1 minute walking
• 10 minute free run

I did the first mission on Monday and felt great.  I didn't have too many problems other than I went out too late and it was super dark when I came home. 

Mission 2 on Tuesday had quite a few problems though.  I was running through my neighborhood and noticed a couple walking their HUGE dog and talking up the entire sidewalk. I was going to pass them so I hopped down on the street. As I approached them on the left the dog lunged at me barking really aggressively. He was on the right of his owner so as he ran at me his owner span around and fell to the ground. I stopped and wanted to help but the dog was still barking and lunging at me! They told me to just go on so I did because I was afraid of that dog. I feel really bad that this guy fell but seriously, if you're going to be walking your GIANT ASS DOG through a residential area you need to train it not to run at people! What if I had been a 10 year old kid? That guy would have a lot more to worry about than a busted ass.

So, I wonder if there is some sort of etiquette when you're running past someone walking their dog? I've never had this issue before, normally I just run on by and the dog doesn't care.

I took Wednesday off and decided to do a main app mission on Thursday.  However I decided to do this late in the day and it was too dark to run outside so I tried to do it on the treadmill.  Mistake.   I think I run differently when I'm on the treadmill because my left leg was just killing me.  I could hardly run for more than a few seconds before there would be shooting pain. I noticed that when I run outside I step more in the middle of my foot and have a lot less pain but when I run on the treadmill I lead with my heel more. I think it has to do with keeping my balance, I don't know. All I know is my left shin and hip would really hurt if I tried to run.

Saturday is when I finished week 2 of the 5k app and running wise I felt fine, but the weather was super cold and my left leg was still a tiny bit sore so I didn't do as well as I wanted to, but not a big deal.

My back pain started later that night.  I was sitting on the couch and simply stood up and WHAM.  Luckily the doctor said it is just a strained muscle not a spine or bone problem, so that's good.  I think I will be able to pick training back up next week so look forward to another summary soon!

Zombies, Run! 5k app Week 1

So today I wanted to talk about something a little different, but still very "bookish" in my opinion.  A few months ago I discovered a fantastic app called Zombies, Run!  This app takes a standard workout running tracker and combines it with an audio book like story.  In between songs that you upload as a playlist you hear radio transmissions from people in a township called Abel, a community trying to survive during the zombie apocalypse. 

This app is absolutely perfect for someone like me, who enjoys books and video games far more than exercising.  I get so incredibly bored on the treadmill or just lifting weights over and over.  I love that Zombies, Run! gives me not only missions and goals, but a captivating story and intriguing characters.  I'm actually sad when I complete a mission and have to wait a day before I can do the next one!  I'm excited to go running....which is extremely weird!

I've had a goal for a few years now of running a 5k without stopping.  I participated in my first one ever last year (The Color Run!  Such a blast) but didn't run the entire thing.  I decided this year I would up the ante and I have signed up for Run for Your Lives, a zombie themed 5k obstacle course.  The race is June 22, so I have 130 days to train. 

I started my training last week by doing the first week of the spin off app, Zombies, Run! 5k.  This app is set in between missions 1 and 2 of the main app and lets runner 5 get to know some of the people in Abel while they train up to prepare for longer missions.  This is a great premise and so far  I've really enjoyed it.

My Zombies, Run! uniform, courtesy of my mom at Christmas.  I love my mom.

Week 1 consists of:

• 10 minute walk for a warm up
• 10 reps of walk 1 minute, run 15 seconds
• 10 minute free run, which means you can walk the whole thing, run the whole thing, or do a combination of the two based on your fitness level.

This first week wasn't that difficult. I can't quite run for the full 10 minute free run, but I would guess I ran about 8 minutes each time, so that's pretty good.  For the first day I tried to run on the treadmill and I learned very quickly that it's a lot more fun to face the cold then it is to slog it out inside. 

Running outside is a lot better; it makes the intervals easier, later on you have to stop and do some strength exercises that would be a lot easier off a treadmill, and the app works better with the GPS.  I did have some problems with the app not recording my workouts, misjudging the distances I ran (I know I didn't run 9.5 miles in 36 minutes!), and randomly stop playing music half way through.  The app hasn't synced any workout to the website since Friday.  However they did just change the entire layout of their site, so I'm not surprised there are still a few bugs.

Technical kinks aside I really love this app.  I love it for the atmosphere it brings and the story it tells.  I am really invested in these character and am excited every day to go on my run.  This is a big deal for me because I have never been a runner, ever. 

My Life as a White Trash Zombie by Diana Rowland

#1 in the White Trash Zombies series
Published July 5, 2011 by DAW books
5 Stars

Goodreads Review
Angel Crawford is a loser.

Living with her alcoholic deadbeat dad in the swamps of southern Louisiana, she's a high school dropout with a pill habit and a criminal record who's been fired from more crap jobs than she can count. Now on probation for a felony, it seems that Angel will never pull herself out of the downward spiral her life has taken.

That is, until the day she wakes up in the ER after overdosing on painkillers. Angel remembers being in an horrible car crash, but she doesn't have a mark on her. To add to the weirdness, she receives an anonymous letter telling her there's a job waiting for her at the parish morgue—and that it's an offer she doesn't dare refuse.

Before she knows it she's dealing with a huge crush on a certain hunky deputy and a brand new addiction: an overpowering craving for brains. Plus, her morgue is filling up with the victims of a serial killer who decapitates his prey—just when she's hungriest!

Angel's going to have to grow up fast if she wants to keep this job and stay in one piece. Because if she doesn't, she's dead meat.

Literally.

Review:  I found out about My Life as a White Trash Zombie from Felicia Day's Vaginal Fantasy Book Club.  This was my first read for the club and I have to say that while I don't think it was a vaginal fantasy MLasWTZ was a thoroughly enjoyable read. 

The zombies in MLasWTZ aren't standard zombies in that they retain their humanity as long as they consume brains on a regular basis, as opposed to the usual mindless re-animated corpse.  In this way Angel is more like a vampire, especially like the vampires in the Daybreakers movie (with Ethan Hawke and Sam Neil, am I the only person who's seen this movie?).  As long as she has brains she can pass off as human.  This didn't bother me at all but some people were squicked out by the eating brains and the idea of undead sexy times (even though physical romance is very light), so be warned if you're squeamish.

I have to say that my most favorite part of MLasWTZ was Angel and her inner monologue, which is hilarious and sarcastic and awesome.  She also goes through so much transformation, both physically, emotionally, and mentally.  Angel starts off as an unambitious pill head with a dead beat boyfriend and an abusive father.  Throughout the book though she really comes into her own.  She starts to care about her situation and she realizes that she is not only capable of more, she is worthy.  The Vaginal Fantasy Book Club usually reads romance novels, but as one commenter so aptly put it, this is a story about Angel finding love for herself. 

Ultimately I don't think that Angel is white trash.  I think that just because you're living in poverty or have an addiction problem doesn't automatically make you white trash.  I think that white trash is a state of complacency, a willingness to stay in your current situation and not work to try and change it. 

Overall I really loved My Life as a White Trash Zombie.  It was quirky mystery and a great introduction to The Vaginal Fantasy Book Club.  I'm really looking forward to the second book in the series and to reading more VFBC selections.

Deadline by Mira Grant

#2 in the Newsflesh trilogy
Published June 1, 2011 by Orbit
3 stars

Goodreads Review
Shaun Mason is a man without a mission. Not even running the news organization he built with his sister has the same urgency as it used to. Playing with dead things just doesn't seem as fun when you've lost as much as he has.

But when a CDC researcher fakes her own death and appears on his doorstep with a ravenous pack of zombies in tow, Shaun has a newfound interest in life. Because she brings news-he may have put down the monster who attacked them, but the conspiracy is far from dead.

Now, Shaun hits the road to find what truth can be found at the end of a shotgun.

Review:  This review will not contain any spoilers for Deadline OR Feed because I could never ruin such an amazing book for you!

OK guys, you know how much I loved Feed.  Seriously, Feed is probaby one of my favourite books of all time.  I could not put that book down, and I was still thinking about the plot and the characters months after finishing the book.  So I think it's pretty obvious I had monstrously huge expectations for Deadline, and while the book was enjoyable, it fell far short of the ridiculously high bar it's predecessor has set.

One of my biggest problems with this "zombie" book was it's distinct LACK of zombies!  There's some running away from zombies, but they only actually encounter zombies like, two times.  I wanted a little more suspense and action!  Lots of Deadline was spent in conversation.  The characters spent way too much time talking about what they were going to do, rather than actually doing it.  These conversations wouldn't have been too bad, but we switch narrators from Georgia to Shaun, and his inner monologue is very repetitive and gets rather annoying after a while. 

I also am missing the love that I had for the supporting characters.  I loved Buffy and Mahir in Feed, but I didn't feel the same love for Becks, Alaric, and Maggie.  In general I just wasn't nearly as committed to Deadline as I was to Feed, which I think is pretty apparent considering it took me almost 6 months to read!

Deadline is a good follow up, but is missing a lot of the magic of feed, which is one of the best books I've ever read. I'm not as big a fan of Shaun as I was of Georgia, and none of the big plot twists seemed that shocking. I am still very excited for Blackout, and I think it will be awesome based on the ending of Deadline.

Bad Taste in Boys by Carrie Harris

#1 in Kate Grable series
Published July 12, 2011 by Delacorte Press
4 Stars - DAC 2011


Goodreads Review
Someone's been a very bad zombie.

Kate Grable is horrified to find out that the football coach has given the team steroids. Worse yet, the steroids are having an unexpected effect, turning hot gridiron hunks into mindless flesh-eating zombies. No one is safe--not her cute crush Aaron, not her dorky brother, Jonah . . . not even Kate!

She's got to find an antidote--before her entire high school ends up eating each other. So Kate, her best girlfriend, Rocky, and Aaron stage a frantic battle to save their town. . . and stay hormonally human.

Review:  Let me start off by saying I freaking LOVE zombies.  They're my favorite horror genre, and I am very protective of them.  I'll pretty much read or watch anything that has to do with zombies, but I'm also extremely critical.  With that said, Bad Taste in Boys is a super cute zombie read (how often do you get to say that?).  I'd say it's more of a middle grade book that is great for kids who want to read a zombie book but don't want to read anything too scary. 

There are lots of cliches and over-the-top dramatics, but I still really enjoyed this book.  I think if you go into Bad Taste in Boys wanting a serious and scientific book you will be sadly disappointed.  I'm surprised I liked it as much as I did because I am usually a huge stickler for proper science in a zombie novel.  I would recommend taking this book for what it is, fun and light hearted.  Don't try and read too much into it or think too hard about how ridiculous the science is.  Just go with it.

Overall Bad Taste in boys is a silly little zombie romp.  Definitely more Shaun of the Dead then Dawn of the Dead.  There are some great quotes from the book, and one of my favorites is “Excuse me if I feel skeptical,' I said. 'Coach's foot fell off. How exactly do you propose to cure that? Superglue?”.  LOL! 

Bad Taste in Boys is the first in a series, with the second book Bad Hair Day set to come out November 2012.  I will definitely be reading the next one!

Zombies vs. Unicorns by Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier

Published in 2010 by Margaret K. McElderry

4 stars

Goodreads Review

It's a question as old as time itself: which is better, the zombie or the unicorn? In this anthology, edited by Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier (unicorn and zombie, respectively), strong arguments are made for both sides in the form of short stories. Half of the stories portray the strengths—for good and evil—of unicorns and half show the good (and really, really bad-ass) side of zombies. Contributors include many bestselling teen authors, including Cassandra Clare, Libba Bray, Maureen Johnson, Meg Cabot, Scott Westerfeld, and Margo Lanagan. This anthology will have everyone asking: Team Zombie or Team Unicorn?

Review:  Zombies vs. Unicorns is an awesome anthology that has a great mix of stories. Some are action, some are humorous, and some are romantic, but they are all awesome (ok a few are kind of weird but whatever). There is great banter between the two teams, captained by editors Holly Black (unicorns) and Justine Larbalestier (zombies) that ties the stories together and makes it both an anthology and a novel.

For this review I want to go through each of the stories because each one was very unique and at the end we'll see where my loyalties lie (though if you watch my youtube channel you probably already know lol).

The Highest Justice by Garth Nix - ok let me start by saying I FREAKING LOVE GARTH NIX. When I read this book Garth Nix was the only author I'd already read. I absolutely love his Keys to the Kingdom series, Sabriel series, and The Ragwitch. So needless to say I was really excited to read this story. However, I thought The Highest Justice missed the mark as a short story. Don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed it but I wanted more. It felt incomplete, like a selection from a novel, not it's own story. I really don't like it when a short story doesn't feel complete (that happens a lot in this book) but this was still good, just not standout. It does get points for having a zombie even though it's a unicorn story.

zombies:1 +1 for sneaking into a unicorn story
unicorns:1 +1 for being written by Garth Nix

Love Will Tear Us Apart by Alaya Dawn Johnson - This story was a little rude for my taste, but if you can get past the crassness it's an awesome gay zombie story. Yup, gay zombie romance. I really liked the explainationsuprisingly deep and had many different layers for a short story. It never felt incomplete either. Everything was well thought out.
zombies:2 +1 for standing up to your crazy Dad for being gay...and a zombie
unicorns:1

Purity Test by Naomi Novik - This was a more humorous and modern take on the unicorn myth. That was the strongest point of this story. There are some really great virgin and dragon jokes. I also really loved the baby unicorns (SO CUTE! lol). It's wasn't too serious, but it had a good complete feeling to the story.
zombies: 2
unicorns: 2 +1 for the baby unicorns that don't eat people! And Harry Potter.

Bougainvillea by Carrie Ryan. - This was a really good zombie story that told another facet of her Forest of Hand and Teeth world. People who have read that book will enjoy this story because it tells more about the orgins of the zombie outbreak. For those of you who don't know, I really didn't like The Forest of Hands and Teeth and I had pretty much written the series off. Until I read this story. Bougainvillea gave me hope that the series would pick up for me, so I went out and got The Dead Tossed Waves. I haven't read it yet, but I want to, which is entirely due to this story.
zombies: 3 +1 for saving a series for me
unicorns: 2

A Thousand Flowers by Margo Lanagan - This was weird. I didn't like this story very much at all. I guess I could see where it was trying to take the whole unicorns and virgins thing in a new way but it ended up being kind of boring then really gross. The ending was also very anti-climactic and a little bit confusing too.
zombies: 3
unicorns: 1 -1 for bestiality. Never a good thing.

The Children of the Revolution by Maureen Johnson - Probably my favorite zombie story. It's got a good satirical feel to it by making not too subtle comments on crazy celebrity antics. My favorite part of the story though was the freaking creepy ass zombie children. The pacing and buildup in this story is fantastic. I had serious aprehension about the narriator's choices and had to know what was going to happen next. Very well done with a pretty funny ending too.
zombies:4 +1 for everything. I loved this story
unicorns: 1

The Care and Feeding of your Killer Baby Unicorn by Diana Peterfreund - This story is from her Rampant series world, but since I haven't read those books, I only have this story to go on. I really liked the beginning of the story which has the unicorn as a side show attraction. However because it's a story about saving a baby unicorn, it felt like the introduction to a bigger book. The ending was really bad, because it was like Peterfreund literally just stopped writing. Almost mid-sentence. Maybe if I had read some of the Rampant books I wouldn't have minded, but as a stand alone the story wasn't developed enough.
zombies: 4
unicorns: 0 -1 for complete lack of an ending.

Inoculata by Scott Westerfeld - The idea behind the book is cool, but I wish the sience behind the zombies had been developed more. I love intersting reasons for the existance of zombies, and this story wasn't explained enough for me. Also the characters in this story are complete idiots. Seriously, I hate it when people in zombies stories made dumb decision that get other people or themselves killed. The ending was really bad too, because again it just stopped. It was like the story was just getting started and then bam! over. Loathe.
zombies: 3 -1 for sheer stupidity
unicorns: 0

Princess Prettypants by Meg Cabot - This is the Lisa Frank of unicorns. Rainbows and glitter galore. This is the most "teen" of the stories and is all about girl power. It doesn't have huge literary merit, but It's just a great story about girls getting back at boys that treat them like shit. With unicorns.
zombies: 3
unicorns: 1 +1 for rainbow farts. I'm not kidding.

Cold Hands by Cassandra Clare - First of all, what the heck time period are we in? There was medevial system of government but cars and cd and stuff. This story had a lot of potential, but didn't quite hit the mark with me as a complete short story. I liked the underlying message of accepting those who are different from you but I just couldn't get over the inconsistency's of setting. If that had been explained a little better I think I could have gotten on board with this story.
zombies: 2 -1 for being confusing as hell
unicorns: 1

The Third Virgin by Kathleen Duey - Probably the best unicorn story out of the bunch. I loved that the unicorn was the narriator and that he isn't perfect. I loved the morality brought up in this story with the unicorn's healing powers being both good and bad and how immortality isn't such a great thing. I thought this story had a lot of potential and therefore made the ending really frustrating. I wanted so much more,
zombies: 2
unicorns: 1 +1 for interesting unicorn perspective, -1 for the MAJORLY disappointing ending

Prom Night by Libba Bray - The premise of this story is that only the adults have turned into zombies and the teens and children are left to try and carry on society as best they can. The teens are looking for some sense of normalcy so they decide to throw a prom. I wish there had been more about the zombies in this story. Instead this was more about how a group of people survive in an apocalyptic setting. I really liked the sense that their relatively normal life wasn't going to last forever. There were allusions to their defences being slowly broken down by the zombie hoard.
zombies: 3 +1 for being little like Lord of the Flies with zombies (I like it)
unicorns: 1

So yes, I am on team zombie! Was there really any doubt? I love science fiction and I love nothing more than a well thought out zombie story. I tend to be a traditionalist though. Zombies are mindless killing machines, they don't have feelings, silly.

I like unicorns, but I guess I'm a 3 year old at heart when it comes down to what kind of unicorn I like. I like them girly, rainbowy, and sparkley. Like they should be.

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

#1 in The Forest of Hands and Teeth Series
Published in 2009 by Delacorte Books for Young Readers
2 Stars

Goodreads Review
In Mary's world there are simple truths. 

The Sisterhood always knows best. 
The Guardians will protect and serve. 
The Unconsecrated will never relent. 
And you must always mind the fence that surrounds the village; the fence that protects the village from the Forest of Hands and Teeth. 

But, slowly, Mary's truths are failing her. She's learning things she never wanted to know about the Sisterhood and its secrets, and the Guardians and their power, and about the Unconsecrated and their relentlessness. When the fence is breached and her world is thrown into chaos, she must choose between her village and her future-between the one she loves and the one who loves her. 

And she must face the truth about the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Could there be life outside a world surrounded in so much death?

Review:  The Forest of Hand and Teeth gets one star for the description of the zombies (though not their explanation) and one star for the awesome title.  That's about it for the positive aspects of this book.

1. There needs to be an explanation for why the zombies exist, and the science has to make sense.  I am a stickler about there being science in science fiction and that science is based on fact.  If a virus causes the zombies I need to know how the virus is spread, where it originated, if it had an intended purpose or if it was just an accident, how it works in the body, ect.  I also need to know how the zombies specifically act in this story.  Are they fast or slow?  Are they thinking and planning zombies or mindless one?  Do they live until their bodies wear out or do they have to feed to survive?  I need to understand the cause of the zombies and how they act and why they act the way they do. 
2. There needs to be an explanation for the way society deals with the virus.  How do they adapt and what strategies have they developed to protect themselves from the zombies?  If there is a government still in place, why does it work, why do the citizens live the way they do, and what are the motivations of the governments decisions?
3. The heroes/heroines need to be smart.  They need to have an understanding of their enemy and survival needs to be their main focus.  They have to be imaginative, determined, and ready to fight.  That's the only way to survive a zombie apocalypse. 

The Forest of Hands and Teeth had none of these elements.  There was no explanation for the existence of zombies, just that they existed.  There seemed to be some knowledge hidden by the "government" of the village, but it was never revealed even though there were many opportunities for the main character to do some sleuthing.  There was almost no history about the zombie outbreak and how the village came to exist.  I got absolutely no understanding about how the zombies worked and how to best defeat them.

The Forest of Hands and Teeth was way too focused on the completely illogical romantic drama.  If the villagers believed that they were the last of humanity in the entire world, why would they force women into becoming nuns?  Shouldn't every viable womb be used to keep the population up?  I can understand forcing teens to marry in order for this to happen, but if a girl cannot find a match when she is 16 it made no sense for her to be forced into a life of celibacy.  Polygamy would have been a more logical system.  The particulars of Mary's relationship were also similarly mind boggling.  The teens involved inflicted a lot of unnecessary stress upon themselves.  They should have all just gotten together and talked about it.  A round table would have saved them all a LOT of problems.

I also really hated the attitude taken towards the zombies.  There seemed to be absolutely no protection and preparation beyond a few vaulted platforms and a chain link fence.  And where did all of the technology go?  This book read more like historical fiction than science fiction.  If it were me, people would be training every day in combat and survival skills, and they would all have the knowledge about zombies that was available. 
I'm surprised that these people lasted as long as they did because there was no preparation for a breach in their defenses.  They always seemed to be taken by surprise by a zombie attack, even though they had weeks to prepare.  The characters needed to get their priorities straight.

Overall I think this author had too many ideas and couldn't wrap them up.  None of my questions were answered or even hinted at having answers.  The Forest of Hands and Teeth focused too much on creating a complicated love square and didn't focus on the more pressing issue at hand, the fact that zombies were trying to eat some brains.  The zombies seemed like an afterthought added in to make a romance story more marketable. 

Feed by Mira Grant

#1 in Newsflesh Series
Published in 2010 by Orbit
5 Stars

Goodreads Review
In 2014, two experimental viruses—a genetically engineered flu strain designed by Dr. Alexander Kellis, intended to act as a cure for the common cold, and a cancer-killing strain of Marburg, known as "Marburg Amberlee"—escaped the lab and combined to form a single airborne pathogen that swept around the world in a matter of days. It cured cancer. It stopped a thousand cold and flu viruses in their tracks.

It raised the dead. 

Millions died in the chaos that followed. The summer of 2014 was dubbed "The Rising," and only the lessons learned from a thousand zombie movies allowed mankind to survive. Even then, the world was changed forever. The mainstream media fell, Internet news acquired an undeniable new legitimacy, and the CDC rose to a new level of power. 

Set twenty years after the Rising, the Newsflesh trilogy follows a team of bloggers, led by Georgia and Shaun Mason, as they search for the brutal truths behind the infection. Danger, deceit, and betrayal lurk around every corner, as does the hardest question of them all: 

When will you rise?


Review:   Feed is a fantastic book about how the American economic and political system would rebound from a viral outbreak that reanimated the dead.  It looks at how people would adapt and what would become the highest priority to the government.  Feed is an epic first book that I cannot get out of my mind.  Even months after reading it I am still mulling over the points of the plot, character motivations, and the emotional roller coaster of a perfectly fashioned ending.

The story follows twins Shaun and Georgia and their friend and tech guru Buffy who work together as bloggers.  Georgia is a hard hitting news reporter who is focused on the facts and getting to the bottom of the true story; Shaun is an action packed stunt man who puts himself in danger for his readers entertainment; and Buffy writes romanticized fiction and poetry as well as providing some kick ass security and secret agent spy material.  Feed does a wonderful job with the blogging world, fully explaining how the system rose in the wake of the epidemic.  It also does a great job with the technology aspects fully describing hidden cameras an microphones as well as virus test apparatuses and procedures which really immerse the reader in the lifestyles in the book. 

While there is no major romantic relationship in this book, there is emotion on every page.  I became extremely attached to this trio and Grant does this so subtly that at times I was bawling without really knowing how I got there.  Feed expertly uses the camaraderie that develops from surviving near death situations, the love that siblings can share, and telling experts from their very different blogs to create characters that leave lasting impressions. 

Overall Feed is a well researched, planned, and executed zombie novel that fully explains the science behind the epidemic while still creating a world where the reader feels true emotional investment with the characters.  An instant classic for all fans of the genre. 

Sidenote: I also LOVE the pun of the title.  Not only is it referencing and blog RSS feed, but it also (obviously) references zombies feeding on brains.  Awesome.