My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Plain and simple, the most horrific book I’ve ever read. There, now go buy it.
In, I, Zombie, Hugh Howey, breakout author of Wool Omnibus, displays his acute observations on the spectrum of humanity’s sins, desires and failures in the most horrifying and genuinely personal zombie book I’ve read. If this book doesn’t move you to live a better, more appreciative life, than you might already be a zombie. This modern day Dante’s Inferno illustrates slavery to sin through minds awakened to their sin after and while it is too late to change… so that we can.
I won’t lie, I put the book down a few times. This wasn’t the page burner that Wool Omnibus was, but it isn’t meant to be. It’s meant to make you feel, and he does such a great job of evoking sympathy and empathy that it is sometimes hard to move on without giving the experience time to take root. The book is split into six parts, each taking three or so characters and laying out the most painful experiences of their “lives,” in probably the most grotesque book I’ve read. It is sad because these people are realizing where they failed in life, and how it is too late to change. Darnell and Lewis, I think in Part V, really put the book over the top for me. While Hugh does a tremendous job painting vastly different portraits of humility and remorse, theirs hit me the hardest. Without spoiling the best part of the book, I’ll just say this couple wishes they had another chance to make their marriage what it should have been. I left reading this book glad I still have the chance to continue shaping mine the right way.
Thank you, Hugh.
Click (here) to get your copy of I, Zombie signed by Hugh Howey in “blood.”
Other reviews of Hugh’s work:
Wool Omnibus
The Plagiarist
Podcasts with Hugh:
AudioTim 32: Hugh Howey (spoiler free) discusses Wool Omnibus
AudioTim 33: Independent Publishing Panel with Hugh Howey and Robin Sullivan
View all my reviews
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I’m glad you read this book and it got to you as well. This book threw me for a loop it was so powerful. The horror of this book wasn’t in is groteguesness of zombie gore put so descriptively, but in it’s discovery of human failure. And like you, I’m glad to have the chance to make changes.
That’s right. Any book that inspires us to take advantage of the time we have is a good book indeed. I look forward to rereading this one for sure. Thanks for stopping by and commenting, Scott!
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