Zombie Fallout by Mark Tufo is a highly rated book which begins an 8 volume series of the same name. The series has 4.4 of 5 stars, so I went in expecting good things. This is what I found…
Book Description:
It was a flu season like no other. With the H1N1 virus running rampant throughout the country, people lined up in droves to try and attain one of the coveted vaccines. What was not known was the effect this largely untested, rushed to market, inoculation was to have on the unsuspecting throngs. Within days, feverish folk throughout the country convulsed, collapsed, and died, only to be reborn. With a taste for brains, blood, and bodies, these modern-day zombies scoured the lands for their next meal. Overnight the country became a killing ground for the hordes of zombies that ravaged the land.
This is the story of Michael Talbot, his family, and his friends: a band of ordinary people trying to get by in extraordinary times. When disaster strikes, Mike, a self-proclaimed survivalist, does his best to ensure the safety and security of those he cares for. Book one of the Zombie Fallout Trilogy follows our lead character at his self-deprecating, sarcastic best. What he encounters along the way leads him down a long dark road, always skirting the edge of insanity.
Can he keep his family safe? Can he discover the secret behind Tommy’s powers? Can he save anyone from the zombie queen? Encircled in a seemingly safe haven called Little Turtle, Mike and his family, together with the remnants of a tattered community, must fight against a relentless, ruthless, unstoppable force. This last bastion of civilization has made its final stand. God help them all.
Overall: 2/5
I’m going against the masses here, but I wasn’t a fan. The book was riddled with more grammatical errors and typos than I like to see in any book, even an independent venture. The problems with the writing were incredibly distracting, and they couldn’t be chalked up to the conversational writing style. To add to this, the main character, Mike Talbot, was fairly unlikable to begin with. The book is written as though it’s a journal, but an inconsistency of tenses across the board is grating. In addition, Tufo felt the need to make Talbot write as though he’s an open mic night comedian or Family Guy sketch that has been allowed to run too long. Joke after joke is spouted out, only to fall flat. There is a lot of energy and action in the book, but overall the distraction of the typos and my inability to relate to Talbot – even on a basic need to survive level, kept me from enjoying it.
It isn’t that I dislike crude humor or journalistic writing. My review of The Infected: Jim’s First Day and The Infected: Karen’s First Day each display a willingness to accept vulgar language and coarse humor when they are used thoughtfully and with purpose. In this case, it felt as though the author was trying too hard to write a “man’s man” and in so doing he lost the ability to appeal to readers outside of that limited demographic.
If you disagree, so be it. There are thousands who rated this book very highly and who look forward to its many sequels. Alas, I am not one of them.
As of this posting Zombie Fallout by Mark Tufo is available for free download via Amazon, just in case you want to check it out for yourselves.
