If the zombie apocalypse were to arrive tomorrow, any
Walking Dead fan probably has mused how they would react. Some may envision
themselves as heroes, rising to the challenge of fending off the hordes of
living dead. Others might fantasize about taking shelter in a deserted shopping
mall until the affair blows over. (Anyone that's seen the movie how well that goes.)
I’m fairly certain that, although I’d like to think I’d become
Sarah Connor and kick undead butt, I’d just end up a delicious snack. (Honestly, in the height of
panic at a fun house attraction, I once shoved my mother in law, a tiny 4 ft
nothing woman, directly into the path of a man in a xenomorph suit in a bid at
escape. Not my best moment. In my defense, the alien suit was very convincing.)
As it so happens, “zombies” featured in Break Away, the
first book of the Jordan Rose Duology by By Jeff Favreau are not exactly
reanimated corpses, but living hapless victims of an insidious viral infection
that’s stumped the CDC. These baddies are more like the Quarantine or 28 Days Later
variety of “zombie” and about as cuddly.
Thankfully, there some well-developed protagonists in a
small town in Maine to help steer the reader through the story with consistent
use of point of view. The style is very descriptive in terms of visualization
and engaging the reader’s senses.
Elements of the narrative did seem to slow in pacing to
accommodate some essential exposition. However, I tend to read space opera
where exposition can really lag a story if it intrudes into the narrative. So,
no problems there!
Horror stories do not usually require a great deal of
exposition/world building so it’s easy for the pacing to unfold quickly. And,
at just south of 160 pages, Break Away
is a quick read that keeps the action running.
As suggested by the title the action promises to continue
with the second in the line-up in this thrilling two-parter. I look forward to
enjoying the second installment in this series.
Check it out on Amazon. Part two of the series, Homecoming, is available as well. And I'll have a review for that up soon.
