Allison Hewitt Is Trapped

by Madeleine Roux

Overview

From the New York Times bestselling author of ASYLUM comes one woman's story as she blogs - and fights back - the zombie apocalypse

Allison Hewitt and her five colleagues at the Brooks and Peabody Bookstore are trapped together when the zombie outbreak hits. Allison reaches out for help through her blog, writing on her laptop and utilizing the military's emergency wireless network (SNET). It may also be her only chance to reach her mother. But as the reality of their situation sinks in, Allison's blog becomes a harrowing account of her edge-of-the-seat adventures (with some witty sarcasm thrown in) as she and her companions fight their way through ravenous zombies and sometimes even more dangerous humans.

"Madeline Roux manages to answer the eternal question all of us must ask ourselves eventually: "When the zombie apocalypse comes (and it will come), how will I handle it?" For my part, I hope I manage it with as much humanity and determination as Allison. But I would like to make a request for bigger weapons."

—Christine Warren, New York Times bestselling author of The Others series

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780312658908
Publisher:	St. Martin's Publishing Group
Publication date:	01/18/2011
Edition description:	First Edition
Pages:	352
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.20(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Madeleine Roux received her BA in Creative Writing and Acting from Beloit College in 2008.  In the spring of 2009, Madeleine completed an Honors Term at Beloit College, proposing, writing and presenting a full-length historical fiction novel.  Shortly after, she began the experimental fiction blog Allison Hewitt Is Trapped.  Allison Hewitt Is Trapped quickly spread throughout the blogosphere, bringing a unique serial fiction experience to readers.

Born in Minnesota, she now lives and works in Wisconsin where she enjoys the local beer and preparing for the eventual and inevitable zombie apocalypse.

Read an Excerpt

9-19-09

Location: Brooks & Peabody Bookstore 

When I sit and watch the monitors there’s an infected creature I recognize. I recognize her for three reasons:

1) Her name is Susan. Because she was – is – a regular. She bought six copies of The Shack. Six. I shit you not.

2) She was in the Christian section when it all started. The floor to ceiling window behind her imploded, sending shards of glass the size of stalactites crashing onto the floor. I watched her try to run toward me, through Biography and Home & Garden. She didn’t get very far. A gnarled, gray thing came in the window and caught up to her. It draped itself over her neck and they fell to the floor.

3) Susan should have been dead. You don’t lose that much blood, that much of your neck and walk it off. But she just sort of shrugged off the decaying person on her back, and got to her feet. It was without a doubt the most unsettling thing I’ve ever seen. 

Susan came at me, not fast, but my brain was taking too long to compute what I had just seen. Then there was a little flash of red in the corner of my vision. It was the ax. There was a hard little hammer hanging down next to the glass case – “Break in case of emergency”. Hell, I thought, this certainly ranks.  I swung, hard, a big, overhead swing that came down at her shoulder. Susan sort of grunted as if she had dropped her purse or tripped a little.

I didn’t stop.  I kept hold of the ax and sprinted to the front of the store where Phil was ushering Matt, Janette and Hollianted to toward the break room. Phil had a bat.  He swung the bat wildly as he caught sight of me, beckoning me with a bloody hand; I never thought I’d be so happy to see that pudgy bastard waving me over.

Now I see Susan on the monitor from time to time. We don’t call her Susan anymore, we call her Lefty.

Tomorrow I’ll have to confront Lefty again. We’re running out of food. We'll have to leave the safety of the door: we don't have a choice.

Editorial Reviews

Plot gaps diminish this otherwise exciting horror adventure debut. When the zombie apocalypse breaks out, bookstore clerk Allison escapes the titular trap and finds a group of survivors at a community center, including handsome astronomy professor Collin. Complications--aside from the usual attacks by ravenous undead--include religious zealots, paramilitary survivalists, and Collin's estranged and intimidating wife. As Allison blogs about her experience on SNet, an emergency military network, commenters provide some sense of the disaster's scope, but there's little explanation for how she created the blog and why no other sites are mentioned. Likewise, a pivotal early attack by a zombified squirrel is ignored later as the heroes traipse through the woods ignoring all nonhumanoid threats. These flaws aren't enough to hide Roux's obvious talent for witty characters and gory action sequences, but they will frustrate attentive readers. (Jan.)

Publishers Weekly

Finally, a zombie apocalypse done right. ALLISON HEWITT IS TRAPPED is a smart and furious thrill-ride, touched with just the right mix of humor and romance. Madeleine Roux's stunning characters and breathless action are unforgettable.” —Ilona Andrews, New York Times bestselling author of Magic Bleeds

“Madeline Roux doesn't just offer an engaging and addictive adventure story, though she's certainly done that; she manages to answer the eternal question all of us must ask ourselves eventually: "When the zombie apocalypse comes (and it will come), how will I handle it?" For my part, I hope I manage it with as much humanity and determination as Allison. But I would like to make a request for bigger weapons.” —Christine Warren, New York Times bestselling author of The Others series

“I've never laughed so much while being so creeped out...Roux did the impossible: she made zombies funny.” —MaryJanice Davidson, New York Times bestselling author

“Roux achieved a perfect blend of humor, horror, and heartbreaking sadness.” —Reader to Reader Reviews

“...damn entertaining and fun book... The combination of humor and action really work here and it's a wonderful way to spend a few hours with a smile on your face, and all the lights on...” —Crimespree Magazine

From the Publisher

The worst has happened—Allison and her coworkers are trapped at Brooks and Peabody Bookstore. Outside their safe haven is a crowd of the infected—zombies. No one knows what has happened, but luckily the WiFi still works. Somehow the government has enabled a backup Internet system that allows communication. In a series of blog posts, Allison records her experiences and communicates with other survivors to help her small village fend off the dreaded infected. This fast-paced thrill ride offers an eye-opening look at what is more dangerous—humans or their zombie counterparts. Gory in places and certainly intense, the story features strong character development and plot movement. Some suspension of disbelief is required, as Allison's group of survivors easily acquire weaponry and sustain themselves on Doritos and SoBe for longer than the average human. VERDICT Zombies remain popular, and overall this is a great undead time for adult and YA fans of the genre.—Jennifer Zoethout, Pickering P.L., Ont.

Library Journal

A fierce young bookseller blogs the zombie apocalypse in this debut novel from Wisconsin resident Roux.

The author brings a neat concept to her tale about the end of the world—but ironically fails to land the ending. The book's heroine, Allison Hewitt, is involved in a terrifying scenario. "They are coming and I don't think we will ever get out," she blogs. "If you're reading this, please call the police. Call them now; call the cops if there are any cops left to call. Tell them to come find me." We soon learn that Allison and her crew are trapped in the back room of a Wisconsin bookstore, while the undead roam the aisles outside. It's not worth introducing her compatriots because, like in all good stories of the damned, most of them aren't long for the world. What are worth mentioning are the comments left by other survivors around the world on Allison's blog. They run the gamut from terror ("I can only hope that someone else will save my boy") to snark ("Go easy on the crazy pills?") to courage in the face of jeopardy ("Allison knows a thing or two about hopelessness. Listen to her and me, don't give up man. Fight the good fight"). There are some early moments of unnerving humor—during a run for supplies at the bookstore's entrance, Allison can't resist grabbing a little light reading—but things soon turn much darker, and her lighter side rarely surfaces during her long, circuitous journey. Between axe-wielding skirmishes, she follows the trail of her mother and flirts with a romance with a married survivor. But along the way, she also discovers the horrible capabilities of men without law.

A treat for lovers of groaners and roamers with neither enough gore nor pathos to keep casual readers engaged.

Kirkus Reviews