Welcome to Deadland
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- $9.99
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
“An intricately woven, fresh take on the zombie genre that keeps you guessing until the very end. Genre fans will absolutely love this thrilling tale of survival, and what it means to be human." —Rachel Heine, Editor-in-Chief, Nerdist
In a thrilling debut from Nerdist, a ragtag group of survivors struggles to hold onto hope.
A widespread disease has ravaged humanity—symptoms include: animalistic rage, violent outbursts, and a ravenous hunger for human flesh. The few people left are thrust together to fight for their lives, before the world becomes overrun by the infected. Asher, Wendy, and Rico try to reach an abandoned theme park, hoping for sanctuary. Although fear of the infected is ever-present, the group finds themselves facing some very human concerns, as well as new adversaries.
Asher is Wendy’s only friend, and she fears that she’ll lose him if he ever discovers the dark secret she’s been harboring. Reeling from heartbreak, Asher clings to Wendy as he struggles to heal. Rico is a seventeen-year-old rebel used to ditching school and partying all night—but can he outgrow his debauched behavior in order to protect a six-year-old boy who has suddenly fallen under his care? These three will have to overcome their own demons in order to save not only themselves, but the last vestiges of humanity.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Debut author Linville, whose manuscript for this novel won a publishing contest jointly sponsored by crowdfunded publishing platform Inkshares and all-things-nerd media company Nerdist, embraces the tropes of the undead apocalypse while exploring a new storytelling format for the genre. Asher is a college student on the run from the undead, heading to an unlikely refuge with a woman he barely knows. Rico is a high school dropout making a desperate escape from Miami while trying to protect his little brother as the world burns. The events of the story deliver all the action expected for this genre, and it cleverly alternates between postapocalyptic survival and events pre-plague. Linville twists the timeline so that the ending is the beginning. By unraveling parallel stories that threaten to destroy his protagonists by methods both mundane and zombie, Linville creates a horrifying tale of human inhumanity. The bravery of his characters becomes more admirable as their separate stories become intertwined. Though the writing has some beginner notes, it is engaging, heartbreaking, and thrilling, with an expert pace that never touches the brakes.
