Tom Leveen

When a bizarre virus begins transforming his classmates and teachers into bloodthirsty attackers, Brian and his group of misfit friends use the skills they have routinely used to skip school to find a safe hiding place in the school theater, where everything they thought they believed is put to the test.

Sick

Amy Thomson

What did I think?

Firstly, a virus being set off making people into bloodthirsty unrecognisable 'zombies' isn't a very new concept. But Leeven seems to make it his own. He gives these characters more than just what's happening to them in this one book, we know about their pasts and what they want for the future. Because of this wonderful 3-Dimensional writing I was able to understand and not only sympathise but empathise with the diverse characters. For example, we know that in every apocalyptic story people panic, it's usually a shocking and scary plot, but so we readers ever think about those who already have existing issues? How do the people with cancer deal with zombies, or the people in wheel chairs or whose with a mental illness? Well this book briefly touches on this as Brian's ex-girlfriend Laura has an anxiety issue that is very real and very serious so it makes the whole realism of the novel more believable. (view spoiler)[ The fact his sister is a cancer patient in remisson really tugged at those heart-strings as well giving the readers one more reason to route for these characters. (hide spoiler)]
One part about the characters I didn't particular like was how many were introduced at once, I kept on getting Travis and Jamie mixed up in my head and Chad and Hollis, Jack and Dave, Cammy and Laura and so on. I found it a little confusing at first to wrap my head around.
A superb aspect was the great description. I have never been to America, or seen a real American school and so I don't know how these theatres in Ameican schools work but from this book I could very clearly see everything in my mind from the screw drivers to the huge landscape from the roof top.
Contrasting this great description I'd like to comment on how unbelievable parts of the story were; (view spoiler)[ there was the ending which was so abrupt and with little - very very little - conclusion, there was the 'coincidence' of the fact Laura had finally got her courage.. when there were hundreds of zombies after her.. and she was all alone.. with no food or medication. To me that just seemed to scream laziness on Tom Leeven's behalf. From this I was torn between the thought that this is encouraging to people with mental illness' as it proves that people can get rid of them, or that it was insulting to people with mental illness' as it makes their issue look so minimal and insignificant. (hide spoiler)]
The love story was quite realistic in my eyes...(view spoiler)[ I can see how someone with an illness can be too hard to be with, I do understand that, I don't see Brian as a selfish character because he found Laura too stressful for him and he wanted her to focus on herself, but it wasn't like he stopped being there for her, I mean they did remain friends. I liked this love story because I think Leeven look a risk doing something that makes the audience possibly hate the protagonist, and for that I admire him because it means we take the good parts of Brian and are happy and the bad parts of him - which makes him better to understand and relate to. (hide spoiler)]

Overall, I think that this book was an okay read. I did find myself flicking through the pages with the hunger for the next chapter. I had considerable amounts of gore, which was ugly but in that evil fascinating way. I loves the relationship between Chad and Brian - they were my favourite pair in the book.

I would recommend this book to people who love a bit of suspense and a set of characters who are believable. If you don't like books that (view spoiler)[ don't have a very conclusive ending (hide spoiler)] then this book isn't for you.


Characters; 4/5 starts
Narrative; 3/5 stars
Literature; 3/5 stars
Overall; 3/5 stars

jess

[review written 2013]

yes i’m here again yes i have read another book after i came home and wrote the song of achilles review and watched two episodes of reign but i kind of just burned through this book really quick

and most of it was because of the pacing and the nature of the story. i mean, the story took place in less than 12 hours and it was bam bam bam really fast, pretty much real-time for maybe a slower reader. but me? i finished in two hours

and it was okay. there was a lot of gore but what the fuck was i expecting it’s a zombie novel and it made me queasy sometimes. it was like, george r.r. martin levels of description. the characters were okay. there was a girl with a panic disorder which was kind of relieving but i didn’t like how it was handled towards the end

most of the other characters reminded me of the people you see around high school. so. um. and it was good a little unbelievable but once again it’s a zombie apolcalypse what was i expecting

Sick

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