Not Just Another Zombie Apocalypse.review by Maryom
Sherry has spent the past 3 years hiding in a bunker with her family while outside the world she knew has crumbled away. When the lack of food eventually forces her and her father to venture outside, they are totally unprepared for what they find. LA has become an empty wasteground peopled only by the terrifying Weepers. So called for the milky tears that mark their faces, these are humans mutated by a strain of rabies, who are now hunting down those still unaffected. Fortunately, handsome guy Joshua is on hand to help, to take Sherry to a safe refuge, to help rescue her family and to distract her from the horrors of this new world. But he and the other survivors Sherry meets have even more horrific tales to share... Can there be any safe haven in this new life?
To be honest, I didn't expect to enjoy this book as much as I did. The 'survivors in a world of mutants' scenario is a well-used one - from Day of the Triffids to I Am Legend - and The Other Life follows the basic formulaic story-line of the genre. What matters, of course, is the way in which the story is told - and the Other Life is absolutely gripping. Susanne Winnacker certainly has a knack of capturing atmosphere - from the opening paragraphs in the bunker where everyone's nerves are at cracking point through stomach-churning encounters with the repulsive Weepers to the relative idyll of Safe Haven, the reader is dragged in and feels 'there' alongside Sherry - sometimes when the Weepers are involved, maybe just a little too much.
As to be expected, there's a lot of gore so maybe it's not a book for the squeamish.
Once started The Other Life is a book you'll find impossible to put down - the only drawback to it is the long wait for Book 2 The Life Beyond.
Maryom's review - 4.5 stars
Publisher - Usborne
Genre - teen, paranormal, thriller
Published February 2012
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