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Apparently, the world will end by natural disaster, alien invasion, nuclear or biological war—or by an outbreak of zombies. If zombies invade, the first person I’m tracking down is the guy or gal who drives the Zombie Outbreak Response Team SUV in my home town. Then I’ll make a side trip to pick up Remy King of Hollowland to increase my odds of survival.
An outbreak of the lyssavirus genotype 8, a mutation of the rabies virus, turns people into zombies. One bite or speck of zombie fluid into an open cut causes infection—and too many of those left are being infected. When the quarantine camp where Remy King and her eight-year-old brother, Max, are staying gets overrun by zombies, they’re separated. The military gets Max out first, leaving Remy and the others to survive on their own.
Remy manages to escape with Harlow, a thirteen-year-old child who’s just going to slow down Remy’s quest to find Max. But she can’t leave her behind. Along the way, they pick up a semi-tamed lion that kills zombies, a rock star named Lazlo Durante, and medical intern Blue Adams, which means even more people for Remy to be responsible for.
As they fight their way to a quarantine post somewhere in the Northeast, they face marauders, religious cults, underground settlements, and lots of disgusting, flesh-eating zombies. But Remy is determined to get to her brother no matter what it takes.
I’m not much of a zombie fiction fan—mostly because scenes involving zombies often provoke the gag reflex in me—but I thoroughly enjoyed Hollowland. It has a well-written plot and depth of character—which, along with the totally disgusting (but still entertaining) fight scenes, make it a hard read to put down. Also, the zombie scenes aren’t just there to amp up the gross factor; they actually add purpose to the storyline.
Remy King is your basic kick-ass heroine with a good heart—and you’ll never tire of her. Though she has to be tough to make hard decisions and to survive, she’s never cruel. This is someone you’re going to want to hook up with during a zombie outbreak. Additional characters with their own one-of-a-kind personalities add flavor to an already engrossing read.
Though the ending ties up all of the loose ends, it still felt unfinished, and it left me wanting more. So I’m keeping my fingers crossed that there will be a sequel to Hollowland coming soon.
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