A review by sheilaokeefe
The Ghoul Archipelago by Stephen Kozeniewski
4.0
I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the narrator.
I love a good zombie apocalypse, and this is a good one. The characters are well-drawn and the plot involves more than just the "run, scavenge and survive" present in all zombie tales. There's social, political, and religious commentary/snark. It is irreverent, crude and gory. I largely enjoyed the social, political, and religious commentary/snark, although some is bit stereotypical. The gore didn't bother me, but this book is probably not for the really squeamish. I did find a few of the sexual depictions verged on offensive, particularly those involving Rand and his VR collar. Definitely written from a male point of view, but luckily these scenes weren't too prevalent or lengthy. The presence of strong female characters with agency redeemed the author.
There is a large cast of characters. The novel jumps around from character group to character group. All interact in the end, but you do need to pay attention to keep track of them all and follow the action, particularly in the beginning when the jumps can be a little confusing.
The narration is very well-done. I'd recommend the audio - this is the type of tale I like to listen to while gardening, doing dishes, etc. Because of some of the gory and/or explicit sexual scenes, watch out if listening while driving with the windows down. I had one awkward moment while stopped at a red light.
I love a good zombie apocalypse, and this is a good one. The characters are well-drawn and the plot involves more than just the "run, scavenge and survive" present in all zombie tales. There's social, political, and religious commentary/snark. It is irreverent, crude and gory. I largely enjoyed the social, political, and religious commentary/snark, although some is bit stereotypical. The gore didn't bother me, but this book is probably not for the really squeamish. I did find a few of the sexual depictions verged on offensive, particularly those involving Rand and his VR collar. Definitely written from a male point of view, but luckily these scenes weren't too prevalent or lengthy. The presence of strong female characters with agency redeemed the author.
There is a large cast of characters. The novel jumps around from character group to character group. All interact in the end, but you do need to pay attention to keep track of them all and follow the action, particularly in the beginning when the jumps can be a little confusing.
The narration is very well-done. I'd recommend the audio - this is the type of tale I like to listen to while gardening, doing dishes, etc. Because of some of the gory and/or explicit sexual scenes, watch out if listening while driving with the windows down. I had one awkward moment while stopped at a red light.