Official Review: 23 Hours by Kevin Riley

[gatorgirl_823]

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "23 Hours" by Kevin Riley.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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“23 Hours” by Kevin Riley is a short but powerful zombie apocalypse book. The story follows a desperate man living in the aftermath of a zombie-type outbreak. People contract the disease via bite and after 23 hours rise again as a mindless, homicidal, steroid-raging zombie creatures. And these are not your typical zombies; they are calculating (eventually hunting in packs with a lookout), abnormally large in size and terrifyingly eyeless - the stuff of nightmares basically.

The main character – a man whom we never learn his real name, besides a nickname of “Mac” – has been bitten and plans to drink himself into a stupor and end his own life before changing into one of the creatures. However, his plans change when he encounters a small boy – around 3 years old – and decides to use his last hours to attempt to get the boy to a nearby safe zone.

The book summary sums up the story and the main character’s thoughts perfectly: I was even looking forward to the freedom that death would bring. Then I found that damn kid.

In this zombie world, if you are bitten, you turn in 23 hours. The main character keeps track of time throughout the story by looking at his watch – which gives a sense of urgency to the story as it progresses. And of course, things are never easy (especially in this type of genre) and many obstacles – including zombie and human threats – stand in the way of the goal. The book follows the character all the way to his final hour and (no spoilers here!) you will have to read it to find out if he gets the little boy to safety or not before turning into a mindless zombie himself.

I really enjoyed this book. I rate the book 4 out of 4 stars. I would highly recommend "23 Hours" by Kevin Riley to zombie fans everywhere. The book was exciting and suspenseful, not only because of the zombies, but also because time was ticking down for the main character. Even though we never learn his real name, I really felt a connection to him and his mission and was rooting for him to achieve it before it was too late. And of course, having a young child myself, it made the journey of saving the little boy all the more urgent in my mind. After reading “23 Hours” by Kevin Riley, I look forward to seeing more from this author.

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23 Hours
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[bookowlie]

Great review! You make the book sound so interesting. I like scary books better than scary movies; I wind up covering my eyes too much during the movies. Your description of the zombies is awesome!

[Lisalovecraft]

I love a good zombie book!! However I generally don't like when horror writers put children in danger...I think it's a cheap play on our emotions! Nice review.

[gatorgirl_823]

Yeah, I have a young son myself, so I think that made the story more intense for me!

-- 08 Apr 2015, 08:08 --

I also forgot to mention (sorry!) that this book is a short story, only about 50 something pages. So perfect for a lunchtime or afternoon read....well, on second thought, not sure you want to read a zombie book while eating lunch! haha

[CloudedRune]

I really enjoyed the review! Definitely got to read this book at some point.