Malcolm Devlin

An interesting twist on the zombie apocalypse trope, and certainly a commentary on current politics, this short novel postulates a world where people's perceptions form a narrative that becomes their "truth" even in defiance of objective reality--in this case, that the dead are coming back to life and will eat them. What would happen if a signficant portion of the populace started behaving as if it were [The Walking Dead] in real life and believing the other people trying to go about their show more business were actually brain-munching zombies? I was with it for a while, but instead of exploring its premise and the nature of reality as deeply as I hoped it would, and perhaps commenting more insightfully on the current climate of deep fakes and no more facts, I think it fizzled out as it went on. show less

“the problem with the truth was that it was so poorly written”

I know this book will not be for everyone. I know people will go into it wanting bloody gore and horror and this isn't it. It's horror, no doubt, but it's subtle and deep and has profoundly moved me.

I loved this story. I loved this story because I'm so deeply upset about the world right now. The last few years, the manic pulse we see people believing in weird, unbelievable things. I keep struggling to understand. I've shaken show more my head and wondered at the madness that keeps moving goalposts that I just. . .don't understand.

The story is written as Spence, a man in a facility, telling a story. Think of him as sitting down to group for a confession or a chat. It's a powerful way to tell the story and it's hard to not like Spence just for his honesty at the things he's lying about. The workings of his world and his POV painted a world like my own. I loved the pink room, the stashes no one questioned, and the horror of last moments with loved ones not touched by the sickness.

"tap your heels together and say "I want to wake up."

I'm glad I bought this. I will keep it and definitely read it again. show less

A pandemic story, but with a twist. To begin with at least, the disease seems to be turning people into monsters: its victims look, and smell, like something out of a horror movie—walking corpses, cannibalistic. Banding together in desperation, the uninfected have been arming themselves and fighting back … except that this disease affects the mind and alters the way you see the world; in particular, it changes the way you see other people. So who exactly are “the infected” show more here?
    There are flashbacks to contend with, changing POVs, and also, perhaps, a less than reliable narrator. These events are being described by Spence (Lewis Spencer) to a group of fellow inmates in the day-room of an institution which could be a hospital, or something more sinister, but on the surface appears to be a rehabilitation centre for people who have been successfully treated. Spence has been through the whole nightmare himself—infection, madness, recovery—and now (so he says) is telling his story.
    This is a short review for a short read (164 pages), but it’s impossible to say much more without committing spoilers. The subject here though is truth and lies, including lies you tell yourself, and I think there’s a lot more to Spence’s story and the book’s “disease”. show less

"And Then I Woke Up" left me utterly disappointed and frustrated. It felt like an interminable 167-page slog through a narrative that had all the subtlety of a sledgehammer. As a lover of horror literature, what I cherish most are the intricate themes and nuances that require thoughtful analysis to uncover. However, this book seemed to assume that its readers were incapable of grasping even the most basic concepts, relentlessly pounding its heavy-handed "theme" into our heads.

The premise had show more so much potential - a world plagued by a mysterious disease that distorts reality, with monsters lurking in the streets and survivors struggling to make sense of it all. Unfortunately, the execution fell far short of expectations. The characters lacked depth, and the storyline failed to engage or provoke any real sense of intrigue.

Comparing this book to the works of authors like Stephen Graham Jones is an insult to the genre. Jones' storytelling is a masterclass in subtlety and layered meaning, while "And Then I Woke Up" feels like a crude imitation. It's a genuine shame to see such a promising premise wasted on a book that treats its readers as if they have no capacity for critical thinking.

In short, this book was a chore to finish, and the more distance I put between myself and its pages, the lower my opinion of it becomes. It's a regrettable example of a missed opportunity to explore a captivating concept in a meaningful and thought-provoking way. show less