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thebookhaze's review against another edition
2.0
I'm about 80 pages in, and while it's not bad, it's not good enough to keep my interest right now. There are too many other books I want to read. I might come back to this in the future, we'll see.
shannon_reidwheat's review against another edition
1.0
This book started good, but got stupider and stupider as it went. I wanted to stop several times, but continued, just hoping it would get better, but no. Hard to believe there actually is two more books in this series.
kristinetp's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
I don’t think I liked the writing style? Idk. I did like the perspective switches, that was kinda fun. I liked the gross descriptions a lot too, tbh. Painted a really gross picture that I kinda enjoyed. It was a super fast and easy read and that’s something I’ve been needing after the last couple of books I read, so I’m grateful for that. However, I will not be finishing the Monster Island trilogy haha
Honestly, you would not catch me trying to survive in a zombie apocalypse. Imma be the first to go on my own accord. Peace ✌🏼
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror and Gore
mamarabbit87's review against another edition
5.0
LOVED!!! It was a great read! Little bit different then your standard zombie storyline.
jrobles76's review against another edition
4.0
great zombie series. Kinda of a new take on the genre, like the idea that the reason zombies are "mindless" is because when they die the brain is getting any oxygen. Keep yourself on a respirator at the moment you turn and you get to keep your mental faculties. ...and a few surprises.
clarks_dad's review against another edition
3.0
Acceptable zombie novel. I had a bit of a problem with the narrative style, which flipped back and forth between first and third person (there's a reason for it that I found rather quaint). I guess, like the star wars genre, I'm just a sucker for zombie stories, and this one, is ok.
There were certain moments however, where I felt that this was Wellington's expression of pure adolescent male fantasy. The story begins in Africa, where Dekalb and his daughter Sarah are white refugees in a Somali country (HA! look, Wellington knows how to do irony) run by a female warlord and her band of dedicated Muslim school girl soldiers (complete with plaid skirts and head wraps....yeah). Anyway, Dekalb has a problem, he worked for the UN before the epidemic, and the warlord has AIDS. So she makes a proposition: drugs for safety. There are no more drugs to be had in Africa, in fact, the only place Dekalb knows there are drugs is in the UN building in New York (a huge stretch in my opinion - what there were no drug manufacturers left in Europe?? and really, at the UN Secretariat building where they have high profile international meetings they just happen to keep a stock of AIDS fighting drugs??) SOOOOO, Dekalb sets off for the Big Apple with an army of 16 year old school girls with AK-47 assault rifles to find the drugs and fight the evil Gary (yes GARY) a sentient undead who is very, very hungry. So far my description reeks of male fantasy and you may wonder where the extra two stars comes from.
The answer is relatively simple, and maybe not all that justified, I liked the source of the epidemic. For once, it wasn't a virus or something government engineered. In fact, there's an air of unresolved mystery that Wellington doesn't even bother clarifying, confident in his ability to tell the story of the characters just placed in that situation (as unlikely as that may be). He does mention though, that the epidemic may be magical in origin, and Monster Island abounds with mystical forces connecting the undead, mummies, and Celtic druids, making for an interesting twist on the genre that I found kind of refreshing (like writing waaaaaayyyyy too many asides in parentheses). Anyway, it's acceptable enough that I'm kind of interested in the sequels (because, as if the genre isn't cliche enough, Wellington made his story a trilogy).
There were certain moments however, where I felt that this was Wellington's expression of pure adolescent male fantasy. The story begins in Africa, where Dekalb and his daughter Sarah are white refugees in a Somali country (HA! look, Wellington knows how to do irony) run by a female warlord and her band of dedicated Muslim school girl soldiers (complete with plaid skirts and head wraps....yeah). Anyway, Dekalb has a problem, he worked for the UN before the epidemic, and the warlord has AIDS. So she makes a proposition: drugs for safety. There are no more drugs to be had in Africa, in fact, the only place Dekalb knows there are drugs is in the UN building in New York (a huge stretch in my opinion - what there were no drug manufacturers left in Europe?? and really, at the UN Secretariat building where they have high profile international meetings they just happen to keep a stock of AIDS fighting drugs??) SOOOOO, Dekalb sets off for the Big Apple with an army of 16 year old school girls with AK-47 assault rifles to find the drugs and fight the evil Gary (yes GARY) a sentient undead who is very, very hungry. So far my description reeks of male fantasy and you may wonder where the extra two stars comes from.
The answer is relatively simple, and maybe not all that justified, I liked the source of the epidemic. For once, it wasn't a virus or something government engineered. In fact, there's an air of unresolved mystery that Wellington doesn't even bother clarifying, confident in his ability to tell the story of the characters just placed in that situation (as unlikely as that may be). He does mention though, that the epidemic may be magical in origin, and Monster Island abounds with mystical forces connecting the undead, mummies, and Celtic druids, making for an interesting twist on the genre that I found kind of refreshing (like writing waaaaaayyyyy too many asides in parentheses). Anyway, it's acceptable enough that I'm kind of interested in the sequels (because, as if the genre isn't cliche enough, Wellington made his story a trilogy).
athenaevarinya's review against another edition
3.0
While the story was well-written, I have mixed feelings about smart zombies, let alone magical connections that let the smart ones control the dumb hungry ones. Also the idea that a higher power created the zombie apocalypse as punishment on man for not acting well doesn't sit right. I mean, no matter what you do or don't believe, I find it hard to believe that the gods would punish everyone, since some people (especially the children) are innocents who are trying their best. Now if they were saying it was deity that's main purpose was evil....
caitmarie24's review against another edition
4.0
Definitely a completely different take on the zombie idea. I enjoyed this book, not so much for the writing style, as for the unique viewpoint. A must-read for anyone tired of the hands-out, slow-shuffling, zombies of the Romero world.
madiemayhem's review against another edition
5.0
Holy crap.... What a read. Never read something so different from the mainstream zombie. It was fantastic and I couldn't put it down. I sat in silence for so long after finishing it.
aaron_j136's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars.
Really good book. I really enjoy the zombie chase scene. But then the mummices came in with religion and stuff so that is why it ain’t a 5
Really good book. I really enjoy the zombie chase scene. But then the mummices came in with religion and stuff so that is why it ain’t a 5