Giveaway and Guest Review: Can You Survive The Zombie Apocalypse?

My book was sent to my home address instead of my school address, and my dear mother got her hands on it, so she read it and sent me her review to share with you guys.

Can You Survive the Zombie Apocalypse? by Max Brallier

Genre: Zombie?
ISBN: 9781451607758
Published: February 8th 2011 by Gallery Books

(review by Shelley at Journey of an Artistic Mom)

The book arrived in the mail just in time. I had Zombies all over the house and I needed to learn something about them. Quick! But my frustration mounted as I discovered this book really didn't tell me how to survive an attack at all. Max Brallier's book Can You Survive The Zombie Apocalypse gives you a blow-by-blow description of zombies attacking New York City. You are the main character and when you finish reading a section, you are given two or more scenarios to choose from. You then go to the page number that coincides with your choice. Along the way you do learn a little about zombies. Interesting fact: they can't swim, but that doesn't matter, they just walk along the bottom of the river or ocean. At first, the idea is kind of fun. I felt as if I was sort of participating in the story by my choices and therefor identified with the main character more (who was supposed to be me anyway, right?) But after making what I thought were pretty level-headed choices and ending up dead anyway, I felt a little betrayed. So I went back to the beginning and changed my tactics; several times. It turns out that some of the stupidest choices end up being the ones that help you survive or at the very least, have fun on the way to being killed. Some of the endings were vague in that I wasn't sure whether I survived the apocalypse or not. Aside from the unsatisfying endings, there was a lack of practical help here. Are there any foods that kill zombies? I don't know. Does fire scare them? I don't know. How about wooden stakes through hearts ( a la vampires; or is it werewolves? I don't remember)? Can zombies be poisoned, reasoned with, or tricked? I don't know. I don't know. I don't know!  So much for a survival guide. 

As far as plot lines, let's just save time and explain that there really are only two plot lines, with a few variations on the details. You either live or die. Who lives or dies with you changes from choice to choice, but basically that's about it. Now what the author lacks in imaginative plot lines, he more than makes up for with lots of foul language. It's one thing to be hit in the face with the "F---" word in movies over and over again. Usually the foul-mouthed  character is the one with a less than stellar brain and you don't like him anyway. But in this case YOU are the one using the language usually reserved for high-school drop outs and acid heads, making it that much more offensive. Oh, and speaking of drugs: there are numerous references to drugs that include details that were quite educational. I am led to believe that the writer knows more about illegal drugs than he should. He definitely puts illegal drugs in a light of complete acceptability, giving yet another reason why those who are immature or exceptionally prone to suggestion should avoid this book. 

So, the question that begs to be answered: Can you survive a zombie apocalypse, indeed? The answer depends on which pages you turn to. Luckily, there are no rules about how many times you can try your luck at this little game. There are quite a few humorous moments, if you are willing to look past the language. My 13-year-old wants to read the book to find out if my review is accurate. (Huh. Good try) Although the title of this book led me to believe I would learn something about how to survive a massive zombie attack, I am still quite ill-equipped. Meanwhile, I'm keeping them happy with vast quantities of pizza, alien marathons and unlimited YouTube videos. This is hard-won wisdom that every mother with four teenagers should know. Maybe I should write the survival guide?

Thanks Shelley!! Shelley blogs her pottery, homeschool, and small business owner adventures over here at http://artisticmom.blogspot.com.

Giveaway: I have 2 copies to give away! Fill out the form below or click here to go to the same form in a new window.