Tuesday, July 1, 2014

Review: Time of Death: Induction by Shana Festa


When no one or nowhere is safe, where do you go to escape the monsters?

In a few short days, 37 year old Emma Rossi’s hard work will finally pay off. She will don her cap and gown and graduate with a degree in nursing, but not before she loses her first patient and is confronted with a new reality. In Cape Coral, Florida, a storm approaches. The dead are coming back to life.

And they’re hungry.

Infection ravages the Eastern Seaboard with alarming speed while attempts to contain the spread of infection fail. Within days, a small pocket of panicked survivors are all that remain of civilization. Fighting to survive the zombie apocalypse alongside her husband Jake and their dog Daphne, Emma comes face-to-face with her worst nightmare.

Relying on snarky wit and sheer determination, she is forced to commit atrocious acts to protect her family and avoid joining the ranks of the undead.

Time of Death is author Shana Festa's full-length novel debut.


My Rating

5


My Review

I don't know how it happened, but I definitely was bitten, as I can't get enough of the zombie genre (at least I'm telling you upfront and not being the person who hides the bite so they can kill everyone else). Despite the sheer amount of authors joining the zombie horde, some works really manage to stand out and capture readers attention. Time of Death: Induction is definitely one of them. I loved the voice, loved the dialogue, loved  the story so much that I read it in one sitting and am still fangirling a little. Not to mention, all the lessons that can be learned from reading, including:

1. If you or a loved one gets bitten, you or a loved one needs to die immediately. This is the new golden rule.
Here is your chance to die a hero. Take it. You don't want to be a zombie, the rest of your survival team doesn't want you to be a zombie, and a bullet to the head is nice and quick. Do not, DO NOT, think you are above infection and try to save yourself. You are not special. You are not immune. You are a ticking time bomb. It almost made me angry how often this occurred, but I can't hold it against Festa, as that's probably more realistic than people doing the right thing and taking one for the team. And by one, I mean that bullet.

2.Even in the darkest of times, laughter is key.
Time of Death: Induction got me to laugh. A lot. Why? Because the characters have authentic voices and personalities that aren't completely censored. They were unique, and have good senses of humor - for the most part.

3. Women can be just as badass as men. 
Emma is a fantastic character. She is a fighter - strong and smart, but also has her heart in the right place. She never seems useless, and as a reader, I couldn't help but root for her. It's always wonderful to have a great female lead - especially in horror.

4. Jake Rossi can join my Zombie Apocalypse Survival Team any day.
Really, you just need to read and you'll understand.

5. If you like someone as a character, they're probably f**ked.
Not always. More like 80-90% of the time. Of course, you already knew that, didn't you?

6. The end of the world is not an excuse for half-ass writing.
Festa uses excellent description and imagery that really sets up the action and draws the reader in.

7. People react to shock and grief in different ways.
Of course, as readers sitting in the comfort of our homes, it annoys us when characters don't use common sense or put their emotions before logic (because we, of course, even in the most terrifying of situations, would be perfectly level-headed and kick-ass.) but as Albert Einstein once said, "two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the universe." Not everyone will act reasonably. People will do stupid, emotional things. Time of Death: Induction does an excellent job of showing different reactions to the nightmares of the outbreak that make for a more realistic story.

8. You don't know what you've got 'til it's gone.
Namely, flushing toilets.

To really learn these valuable lessons, and more, you'll just have to read Time of Death: Induction - a fast-paced, horrific zombie novel that will have you laughing, crying, and maybe even dry-heaving (for those of you who are squeamish). Nonetheless, I enjoyed the ride and am excited to read more from this author. 

1 comment:

  1. Awesome review. I love Time of Death: Induction and can't wait for Shana Festa's next book in the series! Thanks for reviewing this!

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