Review by cherryalakei -- The Ultimate Guide to Zombies

[cherryalakei]

[Following is a volunteer review of "The Ultimate Guide to Zombies" by Dave Robertson.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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It’s the end of summer, and for some that is a depressing thought. The kids are back in school, people are closing their pools, the stores are starting to bring out all the fall merchandise, and Halloween is just around the bend. While some are mourning the last few days of summer, I have been anxiously awaiting it. Why you ask? One word: Halloween. Halloween is my favorite holiday, for many reasons, but here in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania it is more than a holiday- because we are the zombie capital of the world. What better way to kick off my favorite time of year, than to read and review a book about zombies?

Dave Robertson’s The Ultimate Guide To Zombies is a short 124 pages, but it is a very fun and informative read. Robertson gives us a nicely written history of zombies, spanning decades from the roots of zombie voodoo lore in Haiti to pop culture’s obsession with zombies in shows like The Walking Dead.
The writing style and tone is a bit more informal, but very fun. I enjoyed the reflections in the history section about George Romero and the introduction of Night Of The Living Dead, as well as how movies like 28 Days Later (which is one of my all-time favorite zombie films) and Resident Evil (both the video game and the movies) changed the course of how we viewed zombies.

The chapters are set up to tell you about the topic, and recommend varied types of media to accommodate the chapter. This was a really interesting addition, although I’m not sure this is needed since some of the recommendations given at the end of the chapters are talked about in the chapter itself. Still I found myself checking over most of the recommendations and noting a few myself that I will definitely check out.

One of the most interesting chapters to me was about halfway, and it talked about zombie physiology. It broke down the difference between the different types of zombies, and how a zombie brain would be infected. For instance, the type of zombies from 28 Days Later were infected with a “rage” virus. If a person would actually be infected this way, and appear excessively violent and fast, what areas of the brain would be affected to produce this behavior? The actual research and science behind this really intrigued me, and thankfully there were recommendations in the chapter about legitimate studies and research about these things that I am going to check out. There is also a chapter that talks about how to kill a zombie in actuality- it isn’t all accurate headshots and never-ending ammo. There are chapters about how to survive a zombie apocalypse that can help you prepare for disasters. The thought that was put into these chapters and the amount of research the author must have done to get this information was something I really appreciated. You can definitely sense the passion behind the subject, and for that I give some major kudos.

There were a few chapters, primarily towards the end which I wish had a little more context, such as the chapter referencing music. We don’t get a long list of songs or anything, even in the recommendations at the end of the chapter, and honestly, I would have thought there would be more than what was mentioned. The final chapter touches on the theory that zombies have been around since biblical times, and this chapter seems more of an opinion, and looks to debunk the idea rather than inform us about the existence of the idea. This final chapter ends, and that is the end of the book. There is a note from the author afterwards on the same page, but it feels like the ending was somewhat abrupt. The all-around feel flowed so smoothly, and I wish there was a final thought or concluding thoughts as the last chapter to summarize everything we’d read. This is pretty minor, but if I have any criticism that is it.

I give this book 4 out of 4 stars. It is fun, entertaining, and a very easy read. I’m more of a casual zombie fan, but some of my friends are pretty big fans and I would definitely recommend this book to them. I actually went online about halfway through the book to see if I could order it, because I thought it would make a great Christmas gift for someone. The book is only available on Amazon as an e-book, so that should be noted. I’d love to see this book published in paperback because I do think it is the perfect book for anyone who is into the culture of zombies; casual or hardcore fan alike. I also think this would be the perfect book to read during the month of October, if you are a massive Halloween fan like I am. There are even some recommendations for zombie themed events that you could consider, and maybe plan during the Halloween season.

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The Ultimate Guide to Zombies
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Like cherryalakei's review? Post a comment saying so!

[Manang Muyang]

This seems to be a very interesting book about the walking dead.

Thanks, Cherryalakei, for daring to read and review it. I hope the zombies are pleased with their 4 stars. Otherwise, God help us! LOL

[Donatelloo]

Zombies❤❤❤❤ My ultimate love . ????
Admirable review???

Do check out my latest review and share your views. I will be very glad to see you there

[KlareAllison]

This is an interesting book about zombies. I think Dave Robertson’s The Ultimate Guide To Zombies will appeal to lovers of horror narratives.