I came to the decision to feature this latest author next after reading her hilarious and very well-written character interview in the Block Party.

N_D_Iverson

This Would Be Paradise

Ever wondered what would happen if you woke up with a hangover and found out that a zombie apocalypse had started while you were sleeping it off? Ha, can't say I have, but as it turns out, it's a darn fun question to answer!

This Would Be Paradise (TWBP) stars Bailey, one half of a hapless twosome celebrating their college graduation at Mardi Gras in New Orleans. She can't afford to stay clueless for long, though, because it's either learn quick, or die quicker.

As she makes her way along the learning curve, becoming more familiar with weapons, tactics, and the general survival knowledge needed to survive, she's lucky enough to find companions a little - - or a lot - - more capable than herself. There's no resting on her laurels, though. Even with her relative inexperience, she's always expected to make herself as useful as she can manage - - and then some. She doesn't get to be a sidekick; she has to be a main player, as messy as that process may sometimes be.

Fortunately, she isn't the worst sport about it, and has a sort of grudging grace about learning to cope with a completely new reality.

One of my favorite things about this book is how smart and believably it's written. The way the author writes about the difficulties of coping with issues like medical care, injuries, fatigue, weapons proficiency (or lack of the same), transportation, and general lack of supplies makes you feel like you could actually learn some useful information for real-life crises - - whether or not they involve cannibalistic, disease-ridden antagonists with mushy skulls.

The sensory details are another great aspect of this story. Whether gruesome, beautiful, or melancholic, they help bring a depth and realism that really makes the book feel like it was written by someone who's gone through the same journey as the character.

This is definitely a strong PG-13 because of the gore factor, and some of the descriptions made me feel mildly nauseated when reading while eating - -
which is saying a lot, since that generally isn't an issue for me.

Even though there are some depressing and heartbreaking moments in this story, I would describe the overall mood as tense rather than dark. The sarcastic wit and constant threat of danger make this book fun in an uneasy sort of way.

If you enjoy nail-biters and aren't averse to finding out just how unpleasant zombies really are, then this is the book for you. (I imagine it'll also be a great read if you're a crawfish; nice to see those brain-sucking humans finally getting their comeuppance....)

Ps. Having seen the author vent a little frustration as I was reading my fellow readers' comments, I feel like I should give you a special caveat here. I know there are a lot of people out there who watch "The Walking Dead," or have played various zombie-related games, like "The Last Of Us." However, as someone attempting to create an original piece of work, TWBP's author has admitted to feeling frustrated by the tendency to compare and parallel every single scene and character with one from TWD or another source.

As someone who constantly finds connections between things I see or experience, I understand the tendency to do this. In fact, I might well have done the same if I were a TWD fan. However, I'm asking that you try to appreciate this story in its own right, and focus on the things that make it unique and original.

Pps. For anyone not getting the crawfish reference, just Google "how to eat a crawfish."