Review of Waking Up Dead by Emma Shortt

[Barbara Ann RS]

I really enjoyed reading Waking Up Dead, a post-apocalyptic zombie novel that provides a morbidly fascinating look at the stark reality and morality issues that survivors continue to face even two years after an outbreak that decimated society. The book successfully blends horror and romance together into an adrenaline-packed narrative that grabbed my attention from the start and kept me enthralled until the final sentence. 

The protagonist of the book is Jackson Hart, a symbolically fitting name for her character. “Jackson” is a name most often given to males, and throughout the book, over and over, Jackson defies traditional female stereotypes and there’s no doubt, this gal’s got a lot of heart, even though she tries to conceal it behind her tough façade.  She is a resilient, capable, skilled fighter in contrast to her petite physical frame.  With her trusty best friend, Mandy, the Machete, at her side, she has become adept at compartmentalizing her feelings and turning into a “death machine” when she must.  It doesn’t take Luke, her new traveling companion, long to realize she’s a “bad ass” who can take care of herself and doesn’t’ need a man to protect her. Jackson’s character really makes you ponder the long-term effects of living in fear and having to kill on a daily basis and a central question raised is whether a person can ever really return from it to live a “normal” life.

When Jackson and Luke meet while trying to escape zombies, there is an instant attraction and growing spark between these two seemingly different people, who in the pre-zombie world, would probably have never taken the time to get to know each other. Luke is a gorgeous man whose natural instincts are to protect, and he struggles with his overriding desire to protect Jackson when she clearly doesn’t need or want it. Luke has been lucky. He’s had a secure bunker to hole up in for the past year and he hasn’t been in the trenches like Jackson facing death around every corner. In their journey to reach a survival camp in Texas, Luke realizes that Jackson is much more experienced than he is in knowing how to survive with minimal resources and he has to check his ego every now because he doesn’t get to take on the traditional male role of caretaker and protector.

The romance between Jackson and Luke develops over time, and it never overshadows the other dynamics of the story.  The deep emotional connection between them is so strong and it gives them the strength they need to keep going in the direst of situations. Their love story is a ray of sunshine in an otherwise bleak world. Their first love scene together is hot as they pour all of their unfulfilled desires and needs into one another, longing to escape, just for a moment, the loneliness and desperation that have become ingrained in their day-to-day existence. However, after that, their physical relationship moves into the background as the larger plot continues to unfold. 

One intriguing aspect of the story is the subtle evolvement of the zombies as Jackson and Luke come to the horrifying realization that not all of the zombies are the mindless, animalistic creatures they’ve been killing for the past two years.  The waking dead’s actions, behaviors, and calculating expressions indicate they are becoming more intelligent over time.  Concerns about the morality of killing these questionable beings are raised as the survivors observe and learn more about them.

I loved how the author pulled me into the story, made me feel on edge about the constant looming danger of the waking dead. The climax of the book was extremely intense and brought out so many emotions in me. I’m not one to get easily teary-eyed, but I couldn’t help but get caught up in the deep emotional anguish, anger, pain, and sadness that engulf the characters, and the heartbreaking decisions they must make.

I received a copy of this book from the author for an honest review.

Full Review:

http://sunmountainreviews.wordpress.com/2013/11/18/book-tour-review...