Javan Bonds

The ridiculous fun continues! I think this series really indulges my immature side, in a totally good way. It’s hard to not make fun of blue nudist cannibals, as Mo can attest to. The weenie jokes are everywhere in this book and I did snort-giggle a time or two. Book 2 left us with a little cliffhanger as Mo, Hammer, and Smokes got on a small plane to go see if Mo’s college-attending brother survived the apocalypse. This book picks up right where 2 left us.

I am happy to report that the show more ladies finally have a say in the plot. Hammer gets a lot of stuff done even when she’s injured. Sally plays a big role in how the plot unfolds back home for Zombie Island. Sarah still wants Mo, though Mo is still an idiot for not seeing it. Mo’s brother (Easy) has a fiance, Aka. She’s from Zambia and is an engineer of sorts. For some reason, Aka never gets to talk. Instead, we always hear from other characters about how Aka did this or said that. So, yes, the ladies could use a little more page time, but we are much closer to gender equality, which I’m sure Mo would applaud.

Speaking of Mo, yes, he’s still being used by the story to poke fun at racism, sexism, homophobia, etc. Whatever hangup you can think of, Mo probably has it. His commentary on gun rights often has me snort laughing.

Let’s chat about the zombies (a.k.a. peevies). I think they are evolving, and so does the doc. He’s been running experiments and gathering data. Also, people have spotted peevies in family groups, and a few making the two-backed beast! Ugh! Zombie sex! yuck! But, overall, I like this aspect to the story. What could happen next? A war with the peevies? Will they start driving cars and demanding takeout?

Oh, and that doc. He has friends! Specially trained warriors from India. This was awesome. I totally wasn’t expecting it and it’s a cool little plot twist that changes the game, especially for those idiots thinking they can just stroll into Zombie Island and take things over. ha!

As with Book 2, Book 3 leaves us on a cliff hanger. I’m really looking forward to Salzman completing his narration of the next book. 4.75/5 stars.

The Narration: S. W. Salzman has really got that Alabama accent down now. Mo sure does sound like a redneck! Salzman continues his great narration with distinct voices for all the characters and his female voices are feminine. I especially liked his Morgan Freeman voice for the janitor Tychus. The pacing was perfect and there were no technical issues with this recording. 5/5 stars.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. show less

Book 1 was fun but Book 2 is better. Mo is still a likable guy despite all his hangups, and as he encounters more people in this zombie world, the hangups multiply. I especially like his interactions with Bradley, who is in a wheelchair. Brad is a completely capable guy and a real addition to the surviving humans. Yet Mo can’t figure out if he should open the door for the guy in the wheel chair or not.

The humor is a mix of slapstick, sarcasm, and poking fun at racism, sexism, homophobia, show more etc. When I tired of the slapstick, a bit of sarcasm stepped in, and when I tired of that, Mo was again proclaiming he’s not sexist even while he ogled some woman. It’s a good thing Mo is a good guy in general, and that he’s working on broadening his horizons.

The ladies in Book 1 didn’t get much page time. Here in Book 2, they get even less page time and this is the one weakness of the story. Now admittedly, the bulk of the story is told through Mo’s eyes and he doesn’t hang out with the women much. Still, I wanted more Hammer, and I wanted to know more about Crow. I would love a story featuring Hammer, Crow, and Bradley. The zombies would be vanquished! Mary, Bradley’s service monkey, had the most page time out of all the female characters (and she’s a humorous addition).

Throughout the tale, there some nods to other zombie story tellers like Nicholas Sansbury Smith, Mark Tufo, and George Romero. I loved these mentions along with all the nerd references to Star Trek and Star Wars. The tale does end on a cliff hanger. Good thing Book 3 is just a click away! (4.5/5 stars).

The Narration: S. W. Salzman did a great job with this story. His Alabama accent is better than in Book 1 and sounds quite believable. All his character voices are distinct and his female characters sound feminine. There were no technical issues with this recording. 5/5 stars. show less

If you love zombies, juvenile humor, naked blue people, and gratuitous violence, this is the series for you! There are poop jokes and anatomy jokes to last you for days! I am 44 years old, and this is my third time listening to this series. Yes, I admit to having the humor of a teenaged boy. There. I said it. Fight me. Or, probably don't, since I would lose. But seriously, if you love to laugh at inappropriate jokes, appreciate the code of rednecks, and don't have a weak stomach, you should show more grab this bundle! Thank me later. show less

This is such a ridiculous and fun story. Mo is engaging and the zombies are nudists. Luckily, there’s this pirate ship where Mo can hangout with his few friends. The story had me laughing, sometimes at inappropriate moments. Being gnawed on by zombie nudists isn’t funny…. or is it?

Mo cusses, a lot. Hence, I felt right at home with this character from the beginning. Now Mo also is a bit of an idiot and he’s got some ‘isms’ to deal with, like his casual racism, homophobia, and show more sexist ways. At first, I wasn’t too sure what the story was going to do with this aspect but as the plot develops, I could see the author was using Mo’s hangups as a way to poke fun at such aspects of society. In this way, Zombie Lake reminded me a bit of True Blood and how it pokes fun at racism, etc.

The side characters could use a little more fleshing out. The ladies don’t get to do much, other than Hammer who is a badass. I really liked her character. Crow, the cook on the pirate ship, and another lady are treated as potential romantic interests and not much else. I hope the rest of the series gives us more for the ladies to do.

Smokes was fun but sometimes over the top. I liked how he did his best to map out their situation, comparing it to basic zombie storylines. He, himself, is the Oracle and Mo comes to rely on him when making big choices for the group. Bradley and his service monkey Mary are an awesome addition. I think he and Hammer are my two favorite characters. The pirate ship is coming along magnificently!

The plot has enough action to keep me engaged without wearing me out. The humor was fun, tho there were a few moments where it was over the top or I just needed a little break with something serious, like a zombie streaking through the scene. The tale leaves us at a the start of something bigger so be ready to pick up the next in the series. 4/5 stars.

The Narration: S. W. Salzman is pretty good for this book. The setting is Alabama so sometimes the accent was there and sometimes it was just a bit off. Not bad, but not spot on. My brother-in-law is from there, and we’ve visited the state a few times, but it weren’t for that, I probably wouldn’t have noticed. In other ways, he did a great job. He had distinct voices for all the characters and his female voices were feminine. I especially like his voice for Hammer and for Mo’s mom. The pacing was perfect and there were no technical issues with this recording. 4.5/5 stars. show less