Max Brallier

If you're going to stick the word 'Zombie' into a title, and then leave it up to the (let's face it, confused and unfortunate) masses to save themselves, don't make the endings wimptastic.

The basic endings breakdown in this:
30 Bad Ends: meaning you either die or become a zombie
10 Good Ends: You somehow manage to live relatively content
8 Questionable Ends: You survive, possibly, but the future looks bad
1 The End: The 'True' ending to the book

This book is gruesome, a little horrifying and almost stomach turning. But if you're reading this to begin with I'm assuming you're not looking for gilded flowery writing. Brallier writes tongue-in-cheek. A few of the questionable endings are him berating you for making the 'stupid' choice (leaving the kids to die, telling the hottest girl ever to go away) to save yourself. Personally I think it would make more sense not to trust a situation you have no control over. My sister and I were discussing some of the decisions and consequences Brallier has in his book and were doubted the wisdom more often than not.

Interesting things can occur--you have a chance to join the Hell's Angels New York Chapter at one point in fact, but its very easy to let these things suddenly distract you. There is only one path to take to reach the 'true' ending and navigating the treacherous waters of the choices isn't as easy as it may sound. It took me twenty tries to finally nail down how to puzzle out the path to the end, though it was worth it. If you are serious about finding it I suggest taking notes. Make a note for each decision you make and the choice you could have made.

Sounds like a lot of work, but heck those old Choose Your Own Adventure novels were a lot of work too!

Inside jokes abound, especially when our lead character runs into a crowd dressed for the 'Undead Walk'. Their bad luck that their Zombie Walk was pre-empted by the undead. There's several arguments about this or that zombie mythos versus each other. Standard trivia things, but still amusing for a Zombie Enthusiast.

Is this a book for everyone? Heck no. Those with weak stomachs when watching horror films should never touch this book. Kids under the age of 14 should not touch this book. This does seem like something that would be a fun party game or dinner discussion--pop out the book and then discuss with friends and loved ones whether preemptively killing your friend is a wise choice or will ultimately lead to your death.… (more)