Book Review: Mortality


Mortality (The Hitchhiker Strain, #1)
Mortality
By: Kellie Sheridan
Kellie on Twitter
Published by: Snarky Books
Release date: March 19, 2013
Genre: YA dystopian
280 pages
Source: kindly provided by author

Calling all lovers of zombie stories- this one is for you! Just look at that cover. If you look at those girls and see that one is alive and one isn't, and you want to meet them, then you'll enjoy what Mortality has in store.

Savannah is one butt-kicking heroine who will keep you hooked- if for no other reason, to see what kind of mess she's going to get herself out of next. Most of her friends are guys, and she will not allow herself be thought of as weak or incapable. She takes on challenges most of the adults would avoid, and she's not afraid to do what she feels is right, even when it's not popular. I really like this girl!

This book is very easy to visualize; it reads much like a TV series, with each chapter developing an episode of the journey, and leaving you with a hook into the next chapter. I feel like the pace, even though it kept moving, lacked a true arc for the book as a whole, since the chapters all read equally in intensity and in where they were leading. For readers who like to read a bit at a time, this may be a draw; As long as you remember the basics of who the characters are, this book would be fine to read in pieces over time. Don't look for a definitive conclusion at the end of this volume, however; book two in the series is expected later this year.

 The zombie lore gets an interesting twist in Mortality. In this world, there are two kinds of zombies: the real deal, who are truly the walking dead, and the infected, who aren't dead, but aren't in control of themselves, either. The difference is that those who have been vaccinated and are subsequently bitten become infected but don't die; the vaccine wasn't as effective as first thought. I liked that the author added her own variation of the infection, which makes the book stand out among the other brain-biter books.

The dystopian world here, with post-apocalyptic neighborhoods of standing yet abandoned houses, the general lack of food, and the necessity of protecting the survivors is pretty standard for the genre. If imagining these worlds helps you be grateful that your own problems aren't any greater, as it does for me, then you'll find this book quite satisfying.

Summary from Goodreads:

After surviving a deadly plague outbreak, sixteen-year-old Savannah thought she had lived through the very worst of human history. There was no way to know that the miracle vaccine would put everyone at risk for a fate worse than un-death. 

Now, two very different kinds of infected walk the Earth, intent on nothing but feeding and destroying what little remains of civilization. When the inoculated are bitten, infection means watching on in silent horror as self-control disappears and the idea of feasting on loved ones becomes increasingly hard to ignore. 

Starving and forced to live inside of the abandoned high school, all Savannah wants is the chance to fight back. When a strange boy arrives with a plan to set everything right, she gets her chance. Meeting Cole changes everything. Mere survival will never be enough.



Comments

  1. Well, this sounds interesting. I love zombie lore, although I have not read many. But Lia Habel's version of zombies stands out the most in my mind
    GREAT review, as always
    Your reader,
    Soma
    http://insomnia-of-books.blogspot.com/

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  2. Thanks so much for taking part in the tour!
    I'm still so in love with your rating system.

    ReplyDelete

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