In this stunning debut novel, high school freshman Jeremy Barker uses his vast knowledge of zombie films to deal with the usual minefields of adolescence: unattainable girls, demanding teachers, and mean-spirited jocks. Add in a pill-addicted mother and a father who disappears at night, returning each morning reeking of chemicals, and his life is anything but typical. Initially, Alston Brown's voice sounds too mature for the 14-year-old narrator, but gradually it seems fitting as he manages to capture both Jeremy's confidence and uncertainty. However, Brown's tone doesn't alter much from character to character. Further, as this daring coming-of-age novel reaches its violent climax, Brown's pace struggles to keep up. It’s worth noting that this production features mature themes and considerable profanity. M.D. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine
Fourteen-year-old Jeremy Barker is obsessed with zombie movies. He attends an all-boys Catholic High School where roving gangs in plaid make his days a living hell. His mother is an absentee pillhead, his older brother a self-diagnosed sex-addict, and his father an ex-Marine realtor who disappears night after night without explanation. Jeremy navigates it all with a code cobbled together from Night of the Living Dead, 28 Days Later, Planet Terror, Zombieland, and Shaun of the Dead: Avoid Contact, Keep Quiet, Forget the Past, and Lock-and-Load.
The code is put to the test when he discovers in his father's closet a bizarre homemade video of a man strapped to a bed, being prepped for some sort of surgical procedure. As Jeremy-troubled but ever-optimistic-attempts to trace the origin of the video, this remarkable debut moves from its sharp, precocious beginnings to a climax of almost unthinkable violence, testing him to the core.
Fourteen-year-old Jeremy Barker is obsessed with zombie movies. He attends an all-boys Catholic High School where roving gangs in plaid make his days a living hell. His mother is an absentee pillhead, his older brother a self-diagnosed sex-addict, and his father an ex-Marine realtor who disappears night after night without explanation. Jeremy navigates it all with a code cobbled together from Night of the Living Dead, 28 Days Later, Planet Terror, Zombieland, and Shaun of the Dead: Avoid Contact, Keep Quiet, Forget the Past, and Lock-and-Load.
The code is put to the test when he discovers in his father's closet a bizarre homemade video of a man strapped to a bed, being prepped for some sort of surgical procedure. As Jeremy-troubled but ever-optimistic-attempts to trace the origin of the video, this remarkable debut moves from its sharp, precocious beginnings to a climax of almost unthinkable violence, testing him to the core.
Editorial Reviews
Product Details
BN ID: | 2940169721751 |
---|---|
Publisher: | Blackstone Audio, Inc. |
Publication date: | 06/01/2012 |
Edition description: | Unabridged |