Scan barcode
mrschy's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
I expected more humor given the blurb on the front of the book and the cow puns. There was some humor just didn't feel like it was enough to be a big part of the marketing for the book. I did not expect rapey smart zombies , which I hated. I really don't like smart zombies let alone adding in rape. The pre-dinner sex comment is NOT on the actual book . The book description also sells you on 3 people but there's 5 for most of the book and the end there's 4 survivors so that was just a weird decision. Given the ending, and the type of zombies that were created I won't be reading the next book. I do think the writing style is fine, the story is just not for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Death of parent
Moderate: Rape and Sexual violence
Minor: Suicide attempt
juicey's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
shadoweyes26's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
autumndynasty's review against another edition
2.0
The set-up for Apocalypse Cow is brilliant - zombie cows, a very reluctant vegan, a journalist and an unfortunate abattoir worker. As others have said here, it's very B-Movie Horror.
The thing is I like B-Movie horror. It's cheesy and schlocky and yet entertaining as hell. Apocalypse Cow just couldn't quite manage that last one for me. I'll be fair to it - the novel is good at absurd comedy and to some extent, childishly gross comedy. I just didn't feel like laughing at any point, just moved to smile occasionally. Most of the time I just cringed.
There was one scene of(essentially necrophiliac) beastiality rape that I took months to get past. I put the book down and couldn't pick it up again until I just wanted to finish the book and get it out of the way. I'm hard to put off when it comes to book gore/violence but that scene wasn't funny or particularly necessary, just a bit disturbing and caught me totally by surprise.
Once I was past that bit, it was an okay novel. Entertaining to a point, certainly will be many people's taste in humour. If you like zombie books or B-movie horror then those are big plusses. It's a book very aware of itself and the genre but I wouldn't really class it as satire. If you like that, then again a big plus there. My rating is because two stars is, according to Goodreads, 'ok'. And that's all it was to me.
The thing is I like B-Movie horror. It's cheesy and schlocky and yet entertaining as hell. Apocalypse Cow just couldn't quite manage that last one for me. I'll be fair to it - the novel is good at absurd comedy and to some extent, childishly gross comedy. I just didn't feel like laughing at any point, just moved to smile occasionally. Most of the time I just cringed.
There was one scene of(essentially necrophiliac) beastiality rape that I took months to get past. I put the book down and couldn't pick it up again until I just wanted to finish the book and get it out of the way. I'm hard to put off when it comes to book gore/violence but that scene wasn't funny or particularly necessary, just a bit disturbing and caught me totally by surprise.
Once I was past that bit, it was an okay novel. Entertaining to a point, certainly will be many people's taste in humour. If you like zombie books or B-movie horror then those are big plusses. It's a book very aware of itself and the genre but I wouldn't really class it as satire. If you like that, then again a big plus there. My rating is because two stars is, according to Goodreads, 'ok'. And that's all it was to me.
lucyfp222's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
jennrocca's review
2.0
Hated it. I dragged myself through the whole thing but there was little about it I liked. It’s a juvenile kind of humor that doesn’t appeal to me. Mixed in with that are some gruesome deaths and subsequent grieving that is decidedly not comedy. The forced jumps between potty humor, grief, and devastation did not work for me.
kaleymph's review
5.0
Funny title, funny concept. BUT, hear me out! I would not change anything about this book. This is one of my new favorites! I was giggling the entire time, there was also so much suspense and I kept wondering what was going to happen next!
patchworkbunny's review
5.0
The news reports says it was a stampede that sadly resulted in the abattoir burning to the ground. But one cow didn't die and soon a virus has been unleashed which turns Scotland's cattle into slobbering, sneezing, flesh-craving and horny beasts.
Not only did a cow survive, but abattoir worker, Terry also made it through the massacre but is now being held hostage in what looks suspiciously like a secret government research facility. The tip-off of the government's involvement falls into the lap of the worst reporter at the Glasgow Tribune, who's just lost her job. Geldof is a miserable teenage boy, ginger hair, English, vegan parents that force him to wear hemp and won't allow him to even have a sniff of meat. Their neighbours include Terry's meat loving cousin who also has anger issues. Can this motley bunch save the day? Or is Britain doomed to be nuked by the French?
There are some of you that will shy away from this because it has zombies in it. Yet the death is never the subject of the jokes. The characters mourn their losses and feel regret at leaving people behind. The humour is in the things that people do under stress and their reactions. Middle class suburbanites trying to hoist their Samsonite cases onto evacuation trucks. The vegan who is convinced her meat-free life will ultimately save her. The things that teenage boys do that could possibly be mistaken for a zombie attack. The squirrels! The kitten! Go on, read it and you'll see.
Humour is often under-appreciated in the book world. People want books that make them feel something but often dismiss books that will make them laugh out loud. It's hard to say in a review what I thought was funny because I can easily ruin the jokes for you but I can say that after chapter 18 I had to put the down for a few minutes because I was laughing so much. The kind the bubbles up when you think you're done.
Not only did a cow survive, but abattoir worker, Terry also made it through the massacre but is now being held hostage in what looks suspiciously like a secret government research facility. The tip-off of the government's involvement falls into the lap of the worst reporter at the Glasgow Tribune, who's just lost her job. Geldof is a miserable teenage boy, ginger hair, English, vegan parents that force him to wear hemp and won't allow him to even have a sniff of meat. Their neighbours include Terry's meat loving cousin who also has anger issues. Can this motley bunch save the day? Or is Britain doomed to be nuked by the French?
There are some of you that will shy away from this because it has zombies in it. Yet the death is never the subject of the jokes. The characters mourn their losses and feel regret at leaving people behind. The humour is in the things that people do under stress and their reactions. Middle class suburbanites trying to hoist their Samsonite cases onto evacuation trucks. The vegan who is convinced her meat-free life will ultimately save her. The things that teenage boys do that could possibly be mistaken for a zombie attack. The squirrels! The kitten! Go on, read it and you'll see.
Humour is often under-appreciated in the book world. People want books that make them feel something but often dismiss books that will make them laugh out loud. It's hard to say in a review what I thought was funny because I can easily ruin the jokes for you but I can say that after chapter 18 I had to put the down for a few minutes because I was laughing so much. The kind the bubbles up when you think you're done.