The Infects [Review]

Stats: 
384 pages [eARC]
To Be Published 25 Sept 2012 by Candlewick Press
ISBN:  0763659479
[Amazon::Barnes&Noble]


Synopsis:
A feast for the brain, this gory and genuinely hilarious take on zombie culture simultaneously skewers, pays tribute to, and elevates the horror genre.

Seventeen-year-old Nero is stuck in the wilderness with a bunch of other juvenile delinquents on an "Inward Trek." As if that weren’t bad enough, his counselors have turned into flesh-eating maniacs overnight and are now chowing down on his fellow miscreants. As in any classic monster flick worth its salted popcorn, plentiful carnage sends survivors rabbiting into the woods while the mindless horde of "infects" shambles, moans, and drools behind. Of course, these kids have seen zombie movies. They generate "Zombie Rules" almost as quickly as cheeky remarks, but attitude alone can’t keep the biters back. Serving up a cast of irreverent, slightly twisted characters, an unexpected villain, and an ending you won’t see coming, here is a savvy tale that that’s a delight to read — whether you’re a rabid zombie fan or freshly bitten — and an incisive commentary on the evil that lurks within each of us.


My Thoughts:
I give this book 4.5/5 stars!

Think Holes meets Zombieland. The Infects follows a teenage boy, Nick Sole, who works at a chicken processing facility. One day, he finds himself accepting a promotion to work in the mysterious Blue Room, as a butcher. A little while later, he is so exhausted from butchering day after day, that he lands his knife right into his palm. Nick freaks and instead of hitting the emergency stop, he starts removing the chickens from the belt. He winds himself in juvie camp for destruction of property.

Then things start going a little funny. Enter zombies!

I really enjoyed this book. The book is told from Nick's point-of-view. I find it so easy to read the male perspective and Beaudoin really captured the spirit and humor of a teenage dude. I found myself laughing, really snorting and guffawing, at many parts in the book. I love how it started out - I was sucking up every single word of the beginning and pleasantly surprised when it was unveiled (no spoilers for you all - you'll just have to read it to see what I mean :P). It's really easy to get attached to the different characters and really want to know what happens next. You have Nick's love interest Petal, who is kind of mysterious, and then you have Swann, a total badass, crazy b@#$h, who you kind of love to hate and hate to love. There are flashback chapters to Nick's childhood, that give you so much insight on Nick's life. Not to mention, I am in love with how each chapter has a chicken and with each passing chapter, there is a blood splatter header that gets bigger and bigger. Plus the ending is just killer!

Beaudoin weaved a super awesome zombie story that I think is unlike any zombie tale I've ever seen, heard, or read! I highly recommend it to anyone who likes zombie stories or humorous books.

Thank you to NetGalley and Candlewick Press for the opportunity to read this book!


Previous Review:
House of Night: Legacy by PC Cast {here}


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