Dead (A Lot) by Howard Odentz & Dark Willy’s Morning of the Zombie Apocalypse Breakfast Blend Coffee

Title: Dead (A Lot)
Author: Howard Odentz
Publisher: Bell Bridge Books
Publication date: July 31st 2013
Page Count: 272 pages
Age Rating: Young Adult (blood, gore, and violence)
How I got my hot little hands on it: Received a free copy to review

Last Friday night, the world changed—and not for the better.

Zombies are among us. School’s out for the foreseeable future, and with Mom and Dad at the lake house, my twin and I are on our own in this mess. Which is fine as long as we can avoid being on the menu.

Tripp Light’s teenage world is suddenly filled with “poxers”—the infected ones, the ones that have the Necropoxy virus. In an entire world gone mad and bad, Tripp’s only hope of survival is to clear a path through zombie land with his sister and head for the hills (aka his aunt’s farm) to rendezvous with his parents.

Success clearly favors the fittest and the fastest. Survival demands the twins make hard, ruthless decisions, but that all changes when Tripp and his twin hear a distress call via the radio. Prianka Patel, a girl Tripp loves to hate, is trapped and surrounded in a bakery. Soon, the twins have quite a collection of misfits and survivors and miles to go before anyone can sleep safely again.

No matter where Tripp looks, everyone everywhere is dead.

Like really dead . . . a lot.

My Review

I was initially drawn in by the cover of this book. The bad news is the cover has very little to do with the actual book. The good news is it’s still a really good book.

Dead (A Lot) follows the Light twins, Tripp and Trina, as they maneuver through a world overrun with Necropoxy, a virus that turns people into zombies, and make their way to their aunt’s farm in the country, picking up stray survivors along the way.

The story is told in the first person POV of Tripp Light. I’m not going to lie, he’s not perfect. He’s a bit selfish, a bit self-centered, and a bit lacking in the tact and sensitivity departments. All in all, he’s your average teenage boy. The voice and characterization is spot on and I loved it for that.

Right out of the gate, the plot is fast-paced and action packed (like any good zombie book should be) and infused with some great humor. It’s a fun and entertaining ride and I was sad when it can to the end. Over the course of the book, I really came to care about the motley cast of characters and enjoyed reading their interactions.

The gore level is HIGH in this book; more so than I was expecting based on the cover. There were a few parts that made me a bit squeamish, so if you’re sensitive to that kind of thing, be forewarned.

I would definitely recommend adding this book to your shelf if you’re a fan of zombies. And even if you’re not a fan, I still think you should give this book a try, it will make a great introduction to the genre.

Tripp and Trina never expected the zombie apocalypse to come knocking at their door. For them, and people who like to be prepared, I recommend Dark Willy’s Morning of the Zombie Apocalypse Breakfast Blend Coffee – a nice, strong coffee to keep you alert and on your toes as you struggle to survive your day.