aly36's review
5.0
I am not all that into Zombies books. I like them sometimes but I feel I have to be ready for them to read them. This book was a treat for me! It kept me interested in what was happening and I didn't feel like I wanted to put the book down and read something else. Some Zombie books I read make me feel like I'd rather read something else. I liked most of the characters even though I really didn't like the drug addicts because of the heroin addiction. I grew to understand them a little better than I thought. The ending was very surprising to me. I enjoyed this book very much. If you like to read Zombie books, you need to check this one out! * I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review*
ashleynestlermsw's review
5.0
I rarely say that a book or story is brilliant, but when I do, I mean it wholeheartedly. That being said, this short story was BRILLIANT. I was not expecting it to be as good as it was based on the title, but by the time I got to the end of the story I realized how important the title was to the overall story. This may have been a short story, but it was an insanely strong piece of writing. I found it both horrific and intriguing all at the same time. Riley Westbrook knows what he is doing.
I read this book in about a day since it was only 87 pages, but I was unable to read it at night because of how scary it was. Many times horror stories can become too grotesque, but Westbrook's writing was poetic. He knew what he was doing with both stories that he intertwined, and didn't leave the reader wondering what had happened to certain characters. I would even dare to say that he has the talent of Stephen King. Based on his biography, he states that he began writing after being unable to work anymore and used writing as an outlet. This passion that he put behind his writing showed significantly. It was clear that he knew every aspect to his story and didn't leave any loose ends. I was not expecting the surprise ending, and I would gladly read this story again.
If you are intrigued by horror stories that pack a punch, then this story is the one for you. I must admit that Westbrook is clearly a talented writer in the way that he was able to pack a punch in such a short piece of writing. He has the talent of a professional and I will gladly read any work that he writes. Westbrook is sure to go far.
I read this book in about a day since it was only 87 pages, but I was unable to read it at night because of how scary it was. Many times horror stories can become too grotesque, but Westbrook's writing was poetic. He knew what he was doing with both stories that he intertwined, and didn't leave the reader wondering what had happened to certain characters. I would even dare to say that he has the talent of Stephen King. Based on his biography, he states that he began writing after being unable to work anymore and used writing as an outlet. This passion that he put behind his writing showed significantly. It was clear that he knew every aspect to his story and didn't leave any loose ends. I was not expecting the surprise ending, and I would gladly read this story again.
If you are intrigued by horror stories that pack a punch, then this story is the one for you. I must admit that Westbrook is clearly a talented writer in the way that he was able to pack a punch in such a short piece of writing. He has the talent of a professional and I will gladly read any work that he writes. Westbrook is sure to go far.
intorilex's review
2.0
Find this and other Reviews at InToriLex
Actual Rating 1.5
This was a disappointing read, because I simply didn't care about any of the characters in the story. There was a good amount of action and gore, but it didn't amount to much because there were no likeable characters. Earl makes decisions that don't make alot of sense in the long run, and the family described were never developed enough to make me care about their lives. While the plot is fast paced it all seemed very random and a way for the author to get from one Zombie scene to the next.
There were times when I thought that we would find out more about the characters. But the hints of a surprising past with Sara one of the main characters described was quickly glossed over. The family itself seemed way too calm to be trying to survive a zombie outbreak. There was no sense of urgency because through solar power and a well stocked garden they carried on with most of the comforts of before, for most of the book. I don't think you can have a book that readers can care about if you don't develop the characters or the world around them.
The book had episodes instead of chapters, but I never thought this distinguished itself as if it was a show in book form. I was able to finish the short read and there was some memorable senses but everything could have been improved. The ending was meant to be surprising but it came off as cliche, and a cheap way to deal with the missing elements of a good story I described above. If you enjoy zombie fiction maybe you could find more to love in this then I did, but I just could not get into this.
This ebook was provided to me from the author in exchange for a honest review.
Actual Rating 1.5
This was a disappointing read, because I simply didn't care about any of the characters in the story. There was a good amount of action and gore, but it didn't amount to much because there were no likeable characters. Earl makes decisions that don't make alot of sense in the long run, and the family described were never developed enough to make me care about their lives. While the plot is fast paced it all seemed very random and a way for the author to get from one Zombie scene to the next.
There were times when I thought that we would find out more about the characters. But the hints of a surprising past with Sara one of the main characters described was quickly glossed over. The family itself seemed way too calm to be trying to survive a zombie outbreak. There was no sense of urgency because through solar power and a well stocked garden they carried on with most of the comforts of before, for most of the book. I don't think you can have a book that readers can care about if you don't develop the characters or the world around them.
The book had episodes instead of chapters, but I never thought this distinguished itself as if it was a show in book form. I was able to finish the short read and there was some memorable senses but everything could have been improved. The ending was meant to be surprising but it came off as cliche, and a cheap way to deal with the missing elements of a good story I described above. If you enjoy zombie fiction maybe you could find more to love in this then I did, but I just could not get into this.
This ebook was provided to me from the author in exchange for a honest review.
rincondejoss's review
5.0
I received this book from the author for an honest review.
I have to admit the book is absolutely fantastic, I think I have a new favorite author and all.
The book begins and you're already hook up in it, I think it was very well written, the characters are ones you will live with, you will laugh, awesome yourself and feel for them all the way and it's so interesting the way everything it's depicted and all the scenarios they went through.
And that ending damn I never have will have imagined something like that jajaja, it was interesting even masterful if you ask me because believe you will never believe that it ends like that.
I recommend it very much to everyone. you will all love the ending as much as me i'm sure.
More reviews: www.bookwormiespot.com
I have to admit the book is absolutely fantastic, I think I have a new favorite author and all.
The book begins and you're already hook up in it, I think it was very well written, the characters are ones you will live with, you will laugh, awesome yourself and feel for them all the way and it's so interesting the way everything it's depicted and all the scenarios they went through.
And that ending damn I never have will have imagined something like that jajaja, it was interesting even masterful if you ask me because believe you will never believe that it ends like that.
I recommend it very much to everyone. you will all love the ending as much as me i'm sure.
More reviews: www.bookwormiespot.com
abookishworld's review
5.0
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I love supernatural stories and this one was really good. I immediately fell in love with this book and the characters. I thought this was a really unique book that keeps you entertained through the end. I wish it could of been longer but it was still good and I enjoyed reading this book. The ending was pretty shocking to me, I would of never thought that would happen as the ending. I recommend this book to anyone who loves supernatural books and who has the stomach for it. Overall I absolutely love this book and I will be reading more from these authors.
I love supernatural stories and this one was really good. I immediately fell in love with this book and the characters. I thought this was a really unique book that keeps you entertained through the end. I wish it could of been longer but it was still good and I enjoyed reading this book. The ending was pretty shocking to me, I would of never thought that would happen as the ending. I recommend this book to anyone who loves supernatural books and who has the stomach for it. Overall I absolutely love this book and I will be reading more from these authors.
peachykeenreviews's review
5.0
I rarely say that a book or story is brilliant, but when I do, I mean it wholeheartedly. That being said, this short story was BRILLIANT. I was not expecting it to be as good as it was based on the title, but by the time I got to the end of the story I realized how important the title was to the overall story. This may have been a short story, but it was an insanely strong piece of writing. I found it both horrific and intriguing all at the same time. Riley Westbrook knows what he is doing.
I read this book in about a day since it was only 87 pages, but I was unable to read it at night because of how scary it was. Many times horror stories can become too grotesque, but Westbrook's writing was poetic. He knew what he was doing with both stories that he intertwined, and didn't leave the reader wondering what had happened to certain characters. I would even dare to say that he has the talent of Stephen King. Based on his biography, he states that he began writing after being unable to work anymore and used writing as an outlet. This passion that he put behind his writing showed significantly. It was clear that he knew every aspect to his story and didn't leave any loose ends. I was not expecting the surprise ending, and I would gladly read this story again.
If you are intrigued by horror stories that pack a punch, then this story is the one for you. I must admit that Westbrook is clearly a talented writer in the way that he was able to pack a punch in such a short piece of writing. He has the talent of a professional and I will gladly read any work that he writes. Westbrook is sure to go far.
I read this book in about a day since it was only 87 pages, but I was unable to read it at night because of how scary it was. Many times horror stories can become too grotesque, but Westbrook's writing was poetic. He knew what he was doing with both stories that he intertwined, and didn't leave the reader wondering what had happened to certain characters. I would even dare to say that he has the talent of Stephen King. Based on his biography, he states that he began writing after being unable to work anymore and used writing as an outlet. This passion that he put behind his writing showed significantly. It was clear that he knew every aspect to his story and didn't leave any loose ends. I was not expecting the surprise ending, and I would gladly read this story again.
If you are intrigued by horror stories that pack a punch, then this story is the one for you. I must admit that Westbrook is clearly a talented writer in the way that he was able to pack a punch in such a short piece of writing. He has the talent of a professional and I will gladly read any work that he writes. Westbrook is sure to go far.
bindingthepages's review
4.0
I received this book from the author through LoP in exchange for an honest review.
I am a sucker for all things zombies. If I hear there are zombies, there’s a good chance I’ll be there. Everyone Dies at the End jumps straight into the action. I knew that it was going to be fast paced because of the length, and Westbrook did not disappoint. The characters had a surprising amount of depth for the short amount of time we spent with some of them. I’m always interested in seeing the different kinds of zombie’s people come up with, and mold induced mushroom zombies is definitely a new one. The story has a great twist at the very end that I probably should’ve seen coming, but I didn’t. All in all, I would recommend this story to others.
I am a sucker for all things zombies. If I hear there are zombies, there’s a good chance I’ll be there. Everyone Dies at the End jumps straight into the action. I knew that it was going to be fast paced because of the length, and Westbrook did not disappoint. The characters had a surprising amount of depth for the short amount of time we spent with some of them. I’m always interested in seeing the different kinds of zombie’s people come up with, and mold induced mushroom zombies is definitely a new one. The story has a great twist at the very end that I probably should’ve seen coming, but I didn’t. All in all, I would recommend this story to others.
lilyn_g's review
3.0
"Everyone dies at the end” definitely has potential. No doubt about it. I would love to read a version of this story that has been professionally edited. That, more than anything else, is my main issue with this story. It could be very, very good, but until the wording and descriptive issues are fixed, it borders on being annoying.
There were certain places where the writing just didn’t make sense. If the author says that x slammed their pistol into someone’s head, I assume they pistol-whipped them. Not that they jammed the barrel against the person’s forehead. So when the author immediately says that they pulled the trigger then, and blew the person’s brain out, my brain skittered to a halt and went “What? Wait…what?”
Another weakness of the author is the tendency to get stuck in a rut with descriptions. One character’s drug addiction is always referred to as his demon (which, even if it is actually a demon, the descriptions still need switched up a bit. A heavyset male is always, always called the fat man.
The ending was definitely a surprise, and as I tend to write reviews while I read, it made me go back and erase portions of what I’d written down. Ultimately, though, i think the base of my review stands. The author needs to work on some basic wording as well as try to avoid over-using the same descriptors. I look forward to reading more from her in the future once she gets the kinks ironed out of her writing.
Visit Scifi and Scary's Book Reviews for many other Science Fiction, Horror, Thriller, and Kids' Books reviews.
There were certain places where the writing just didn’t make sense. If the author says that x slammed their pistol into someone’s head, I assume they pistol-whipped them. Not that they jammed the barrel against the person’s forehead. So when the author immediately says that they pulled the trigger then, and blew the person’s brain out, my brain skittered to a halt and went “What? Wait…what?”
Another weakness of the author is the tendency to get stuck in a rut with descriptions. One character’s drug addiction is always referred to as his demon (which, even if it is actually a demon, the descriptions still need switched up a bit. A heavyset male is always, always called the fat man.
The ending was definitely a surprise, and as I tend to write reviews while I read, it made me go back and erase portions of what I’d written down. Ultimately, though, i think the base of my review stands. The author needs to work on some basic wording as well as try to avoid over-using the same descriptors. I look forward to reading more from her in the future once she gets the kinks ironed out of her writing.
Visit Scifi and Scary's Book Reviews for many other Science Fiction, Horror, Thriller, and Kids' Books reviews.
eyed's review
2.0
I received this book in exchange for an honest review.
This is a zombie story but they are definitely not your average zombies. Nothing about them is familiar. they way they began the way they look. This was very original and I enjoyed that. Other than some minor descriptions about their appearance you really don't get much info about the zombies though. I know it is a short story but I would have liked to know more about how they function. I had some difficulty following the time frame that this story covered. It would be nice if the episodes were labeled with dates for some sort of reference.
There are two story lines here, one following a junkie named Earl who created the first zombie and one about a group of friends and their families.
I found the group of friends to be both unmemorable and extremely inconsistent. Because of this it was very hard to care about any of them. One character is very fat is repeatedly referred to as the fat man. I found this a little off putting as no other real information is given about him other than being prepared for an upcoming apocalypse. He is not described in any other way besides being extremely prepared for the end of the world.
I found Earl's story to be more interesting as he was more mobile. It followed his adventures as he was constantly in need of drugs to keep his demon away. I feel like there was a little confusion about how things happened to him. One was the amount of drugs he used. He had a five gallon bucket of heroin and finished it all. My confusion in this goes back to my time line issue though.
The originality of the zombies is really the only thing that stood out for me. The ending was very unexpected as well.The pace of the story was the only thing that really made me keep reading.
This is a zombie story but they are definitely not your average zombies. Nothing about them is familiar. they way they began the way they look. This was very original and I enjoyed that. Other than some minor descriptions about their appearance you really don't get much info about the zombies though. I know it is a short story but I would have liked to know more about how they function. I had some difficulty following the time frame that this story covered. It would be nice if the episodes were labeled with dates for some sort of reference.
There are two story lines here, one following a junkie named Earl who created the first zombie and one about a group of friends and their families.
I found the group of friends to be both unmemorable and extremely inconsistent. Because of this it was very hard to care about any of them. One character is very fat is repeatedly referred to as the fat man. I found this a little off putting as no other real information is given about him other than being prepared for an upcoming apocalypse. He is not described in any other way besides being extremely prepared for the end of the world.
I found Earl's story to be more interesting as he was more mobile. It followed his adventures as he was constantly in need of drugs to keep his demon away. I feel like there was a little confusion about how things happened to him. One was the amount of drugs he used. He had a five gallon bucket of heroin and finished it all. My confusion in this goes back to my time line issue though.
The originality of the zombies is really the only thing that stood out for me. The ending was very unexpected as well.The pace of the story was the only thing that really made me keep reading.
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