APOCALIPSTICK

A young woman tries to survive in a post-pandemic world of zombies and mutants in this first installment of a horror series.

After a mysterious pandemic kills most of humankind, Jenna and other survivors band together to fight off attacks from Streakers—the flesh-eaters who have come back from the dead. Safety in numbers is the order of the day, and Jenna’s goal is to lead her group to High Point, an isolated inn, where the gang hopes to stay alive and create a community. In her diverse band are humans whose reaction to the virus was something completely different and unexpected. They became faster and stronger than regular humans but ended up severely sensitive to the sun. They also started feeding on blood—animal and human. While some call them vampires, they favor the term New Race. And Jenna has a push-and-pull relationship with one of them—the impossibly attractive and incredibly infuriating Caleb—as well as a budding friendship with hotheaded human Quentin. But as the group settles into its new home, Jenna and her friends find that there are worse things than the Streakers out there, and some of them are inside the inn. Acerbo’s zombie novel fuses elements of horror, fantasy, and romance to tell a familiar tale of survival that includes a love triangle involving Jenna, Caleb, and Quentin. The author also offers the trope of humans fighting one another. The combatants soon realize that humans can be just as evil as the mindless zombies searching for prey. Unfortunately, the narrative skims over deeper topics, such as Jenna’s PTSD and her survivor’s guilt. Still, Jenna and Caleb are appealing characters in this fast-paced story. In addition, the evolving dynamics between the humans and the members of the New Race—who start to see themselves as the superior beings—and the witty banter spouted by Jenna and her fellow survivors are nice touches. A cliffhanger deftly sets up the sequel.

A lively and engaging, if uneven, post-apocalyptic romp.