What I'm Reading: 3 Booklist Reviews This Month

This month's Booklist has 3 reviews by me. All three books will appeal to a wide library reading audience BUT the first one is spectacular and is going to be on a lot of year end best lists.

First, a reminder that this post contains my draft reviews with extra appeal info and my three words. 

Let's start with the STAR

STAR
Angel Down
By Daniel Kraus
July 2025. 304p. Atria, $28.99  (9781668068458); e-book (9781668068526). 
First published May 1, 2025 (Booklist).

Kraus’ latest is an unintentional sequel to Whalefall* in how it portrays its deeply emotional themes. Private Bagger has used his wits to stay alive in the trenches of WWI France as a latrine and grave digger, he and four other misfits are asked to stay behind, in order to “take care” of a suffering soldier laying in the dangerous no man's land between them and the Germans. However, it is not a soldier they find screaming, rather it is an angel fallen from heaven and stuck in barbed wire. As the men carry the angel enroute to rejoin their unit, each is mesmerized by her light and tempted by her power. She could save them all or lead to their death. Unfolding like a chant, in short paragraphs each beginning with the word “and,” readers quickly fall under Bagger’s narrative spell, as they see the visceral toll war takes on the entire planet. Is Bagger going to survive through a miracle or by luck? A brilliant novel that will encourage its readers to live their best life while alive, despite the horrors that surround them. For fans of The Militia House by Milas and thought-provoking tales which sow discomfort through story and narrative structure such as The Unworthy by Bazterrica..

*the same life affirming message also guilt and shame about his relationship with his father and survival despite it all. This statement gives away a lot of the appeal I had to leave out for word count.

Three words that describe this book: visceral, ambitious, reads like a chant. 

Further Appeal: This book is one of those that you can describe in a million different ways but until someone reads it they will not understand why everyone is gushing about it.

I need to address the word ambitious (above) first. This book is ambitious as it sets out to put the horrors of war on the page without being literal like All's Quiet on the Western Front, and it is visceral and difficult but also very readable and compelling. 

The book is able to put the horror of war on the page, but also the humans who fight in it. The horror of war from the violence to the living conditions to the lives lost to....just all of it, is center stage here.

Everything is through Bagger's eyes and he is very clear from the start that he is a con-artist, a charlatan. He has avoided fighting by offering to dig graves and latrines. He holds a lot of shame and guilt from the second he was born (killing his mother in the process) and the way he parted with his dad before his death. He grew up the son of a Bishop, in the church, but is more spiritual than religious. He is a misanthrope in many ways, but in others-- he is not. His adoration for the young Arno is the best example. The boy is like the little brother he never had.

The book is structured and reads like a chant (religious or secular). Every paragraph begins with the word "and." There are many commas and few periods. There are small horizontal bars at times, they are there for the reader to take a breath, a small pause and then keep going. (I felt that at least)

Kraus keeps this up for the entire book (except one key section that was awesome) and it works. Readers fall into the rhythm, and I for one, couldn't imagine this book any other way. The pages themselves are striking to look at. But a straight narrative would not have worked here. Kraus needs to reader to fall under his and Bagger's spell, in order to make it through the VERY visceral depictions of war (what happens to a body destroyed by weapons). Readers need to be able to get through the gore of war to fall into the story he is crafting.

Following those who come into contact with the angel, and how they react, is as mesmerizing as she is herself. It allows the reader a peek into the other character's state of mind, what is most important to them, who they are at their most essential core, without taking the POV away from Bagger. Watching them allows Bagger to find himself. 

And the overall message here is worth the trip-- yes it is about the horrors of never ending war, yes it is about the horrors of the things people do to each other, yes it is about the horrors we do to ourselves, yes it is about the horrors we humans inflict on the earth.....you could go on and on. This is not a "happy" book, but it is a book (much like Whalefall) that renews the readers faith in living their best life while alive-- despite the horrors around us.

This book is challenging-- not so much to read but to sit with. But it is also bare-naked honesty on the page.

Here is a note I took: Is Bagger's story driven by a miracle or luck? Does it matter? What does matter here is Kraus' awe-inspiring skill.

Readalikes: The two above are the ones that made it into the magazine, but I had a long list. Two nonfiction I thought of were W. Scott Poole's amazing Wasteland: the Great War and the Origins of Modern Horror, and Joe Sacco’s Graphic Novel, The Great War: July 1, 1916: The First Day of the Battle of the Somme. (I have thoughts on this book here as well)

I would put this book in a thematic series for Kraus that begins with Rotters, then Whalefall, and this one. The themes from these have grown over his career. I feel like this is part three in an unintended series.

And clearly, this book is for those who loved The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones earlier this year and want something else great. We have an embarrassment of riches this year in Horror.

And next up....

Below The Grand Hotel

By Cat Scully

May 2025. 286p. illus. CLASH, paper, $19.95  (9781960988584). 
First published May 1, 2025 (Booklist).

Mable wants nothing more than to be a Ziegfeld girl, but until her big break, she is living hand to mouth, robbing people to keep herself housed and fed. When she follows a wealthy woman wearing a diamond necklace into The Grand Hotel, Mable’s life changes forever. She is offered the chance to make all of her dreams come true. The price? Her soul. Scully convincingly re-creates the Great Gatsby-esque world of a lavish hotel in 1920s NYC. The glitz and the glamour,yes,  but also the bleak, devastating hardship of those on the outside. Readers eagerly follow Mable, as she races against time, through the constantly shifting, alluring, awe-inspiring, but extremely sinister hallways of the hotel (a character here itself), to steal back her soul and hopefully, destroy the evil force at its foundation. Suggest to those who like tales of artists making dark deals in pursuit of their craft like Roses and Rot by Howard and fans of strong women kicking demon butt like Devils Kill Devils by Compton.

Three Words That Describe This Book: strong sense of place, demons, struggle of artists.

Further Appeal: This novel is an excellent choice for Dark Fantasy readers who want to dip their toe into Horror.

The hotel is a character here. When I say strong sense of place I mean the time-- it is art deco, 1920 all the way. The way people talk even. But also, the entire book is set in The Grand Hotel. and it is not your ordinary hotel since it is run by demons, has unlimited and ever shifting floors, is filled with amusements of every kind, and began as the parents of the current owner-Frank- sold their souls to make it that way.

Mable Rose Dixon is the protagonist and narrator through this world. She is new but unwilling to accept her fate. She is a thief and a magician turned Ziegfeld girl wannabe. This is a plot driven book. The characters are interesting but bides Mabel, there art not enough pages to develop them fully. We get enough to care about them but the story is the star here. The entire things begins with a 30 day time limit as Mable needs to collect 100 souls for Frank the current owner in that time. But why he needs them exactly and her quest to escape before then takes up the bulk of the book. 

There are satisfying twists and a very good ending- one that is HORROR not Dark Fantasy.

Mable is strong and independent throughout. She is tough but also readers see her fears and concerns. 

Dark fantasy and Horror fans will like this. It is more sinter and has less romance than your average Dark Fantasy.

Scully re-creates the world of a decadent hotel in 1920s NYC- the glitz, the glamour yes, but also the hardship of those on the outside. It is also a book about artists- how they toil and often never get the glory they want or even deserve- but the book encourages all creatives who will read it to keep going.

Readalikes: The publisher says The Great Gatsby meets Clive Barker and I think that is fairly accurate, but I think more recent titles that show the appeal of this story are as listed above-- Roses and Rot by Kat Howard meets Devils Kill Devils by Johnny Compton just set in the 1920s.

And this books shares no plot points in common but the story of a strong young woman confronting Demons and making hard choices reminded me of Melinda West: Monster Gunslinger by K.C. Grifant (which I have read and reviewed)

A deep cut for people who liked the hotel as a character- try Martin Dressler by Steven Millhauser

And finally, a books that was both fun and existentially terrifying-- that dichotomy was pretty great but

the way.

My Ex, The Antichrist

By Craig DiLouie

July 2025. 416p. Run for It, paper, $19.99  (9780316578189); e-book (9780316578196). First published May 1, 2025 (Booklist).

The Shivers were one of the biggest pop punk bands of the early 2000s, but their origin story holds a dark, apocalyptic secret, one with which front woman Lily Lawless can no longer bear to live. So begins DiLouie’s latest horror novel, unfolding on the page as an oral history of the band, as told by Lily, and others, as Lily sits in prison, for murder. Readers follow The Shivers, led by Lily and her boyfriend Drake Morgan,as they quickly garner attention for their unique sound and the violence that follows in the wake of their performances. Cheekily playing off of the age-old accusation that harder edged music is satanic, DiLouie spins a story that is fresh, entertaining, and intensely unsettling. Is Drake Morgan actually the Antichrist? The answer may existentially unmoor readers. An easy handsell for fans of We Sold Our Souls by Hendrix or Silver Nitrate by Moreno- Garcia, but don’t forget those who loved the discomforting verisimilitude of The Ghost That Ate Us by Kraus.

Three Words That Describe This Book: Oral History Frame, Satanic, Intense Unease

Further Appeal: The history of a band as they rise to the top is a huge appeal here. The fact that one of their founding members was the Antichrist adds interest for Horror fans but I don't think it removes interest for music fans with no opinion about Horror.

This story is intensely uneasy more than outright terrifying and I think that is on purpose because of how the narrative is structured.

First of all the narrative unfolds through the voices of those involved in a history that already happened. This means that we know the characters who are talking to the "journalist" lived through the experience. That lessens some of the terror. Also the oral history frame keeps readers from getting too comfortable-- again, on purpose.

Second-- it is a tale we all have heard before in two ways. There is the artist selling their soul frame and the tendency for conservative forces to perpetually call out certain types of music as being the work of the devil. Readers come in thinking they know this book, but they don't. Again, keeping the reader off balance. 

Third, the conclusion of the novel is set to existentially unmoor the reader. The story we are being told is concluded. The sense that it could be real permeates throughout-- that in and of itself is uneasy. But then it lets the fear percolate out into the real world of the reader. ON PURPOSE

I really like how DiLouie doubled down on the unease, again, on purpose, but I am predicting some will be like...not scary enough. If they do that is just an instance of them not getting it or the book not being for that reader. I am not saying there are not terrifying moments. There are but the overall tone of this book is intense unease or existential unmooring.

This book accomplishes what I think DiLouie wants it to very well.

There is a huge Christian religious frame here -- as there always is in satanic horror BUT in this story other religious groups are clearly aware of and trying to stop Drake. I appreciated that. This is bigger than 1 version of GOD. 

Tying all of the most dangerous action to the final days of 1999 and the very real, historical Y2K panic was also cool. 

Readalikes: Comparisons to WE SOLD OUR SOULS by Grady Hendrix are inevitable and will work; however, this book is most similar to Daniel Kraus' THE GHOST THAT ATE US. Here is my review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4604343699

Silvia Moreno-Garcia's SILVER NITRATE works well too-- cursed art, using the curse to help yourself (or not), romance as an important part of the storyline, background info into a specific real world frame (90s pop punk in a college town vs the 90s Mexico City film industry)

I couldn't stop thinking about NOTHIN' BUT A GOOD TIME: THE UNCENSORED HISTORY OF THE 80's HARD ROCK EXPLOSION while reading this book. That NF book is written just like this novel-- as an oral history but it is 100% true. Since I loved that book, and DiLouie uses a similar frame, I kept thinking DiLouie's novel was real as well.

Flashback Friday Reads: Swamplandia!

My daughter and I were discussing a Tiger King read alike list she found. She pointed out Swamplandia! by Karen Russell on the list as looking pretty good.

Anyone who has read this blog for any amount of time know how much I love Karen Russell. [Click here for all the love; warning, it's a lot love.]

I book talked Swamplandia! to her and did a super fast Libby check and saw it was ready for immediate download as an ebook or an audio book at my library. She's busy with school reading now, but put it on her list for the future.

But, she also gave me the idea to re-post my original review of the novel today. I have also recommended or mentioned the work of Russell dozens of times here on the blog. So while below and here you can find my review of Swamplandia! from 2011, I want to also remind you that this link will bring you to my other reviews of Russell's story collections and the other times I have suggested her as a readalike for other books

Every one of her books I have read have subsequently ended up in that year's "Best Books I Read This Year" list too.

Finally, click here to run a Google search for Tiger King Readalikes

______________________________________

CLick here for original post

WEDNESDAY, MAY 25, 2011

What I'm Reading: Swamplandia!

I recently finished the heralded Swamplandia! by Karen Russell.  This is one that I felt lived up to the hype.  But a disclaimer here, Swamplandia! is exactly the type of book I adore:  dark, odd, completely character driven (almost without a plot really), quirky, and just plain fascinating.

This book is more of a character sketch of a family in transition, during said transition, than it is a typical story.  The plot follows the Bigtree family, owners of a shabby alligator wrestling tourist attraction called Swamplandia!, deep in the Ten Thousands Islands of the Florida Everglades.  When we meet the Bigtree's things have taken a grave turn for the worse.  The mother, the star of the show, has recently died of cancer and their grandpa has just been put into a nursing home.  Left is the father, Chief, and three siblings: oldest brother Kiwi, middle sister Osceola, and our main narrator, 13 year old Ava.  We also do get some alternating view points from Kiwi when he goes off to take a job at an amusement park on the mainland.

The story stretches over a few months period as the family completely falls apart.  Chief goes to the mainland in an effort to raise funds to save Swanplandia, Kiwi leaves, Osceola tires to elope with a ghost, and Ava goes on an adventure to try to save her sister, getting more than she bargained for along the way.  Each must come to terms with their grief and face reality; some just take longer than others.  As the novel ends, they have been reunited and there is a plan to finally move forward again as a family, albeit probably without Swamplandia!.

This "slice-of-life" quality of the story is one of the reasons someone would either love or hate this novel.  All we see is this transitional period.  As readers we do not see the glory days of the past or know what will become of the Bigtrees once they are reunited.  We are just along for the ride during the most trying period of their lives.  I enjoy this type of book.  It is more like a big character sketch; however, many readers will be frustrated by the lack of a clear plot.

This novel's sense of place is the next big appeal.  Russell nails the descriptions here.  I could feel, see, smell and hear the Everglades.  She meticulously describes the islands, the waterways, the vegetation, the animals, the humidity....everything.  I felt like I was there.  It is beautiful and secluded, but also sinister and creepy.  She relayed that dichotomy perfectly.  It almost made me want to visit.

The time period here is unclear too.  It seems like it is set in the recent past, but that feeling could be from their isolated home too.  No matter when it is supposed to be set, the story has a timeless feel which I enjoyed.

Other key appeals are the methodical pace, the magical feeling of the story without any actual supernatural elements, the two adolescent narrators, and the open ending.  This is a character centered story about loss, mourning, and independence.  It is ultimately about growing up and being forced to face the real world.

Before I finish, I should also say that there is one fairly disturbing scene involving Ava in the last third of the book.  It is not graphic, but it is upsetting.  It may taint the book for some readers.  I thought it made sense and pushed the novel from the magical realism realm firmly back into the cold hard truth.  I thought it made sense as a symbol of Ava's maturation from dreamy to serious.  Although I wish she could have been spared the hurt, I think the story needed it as a plot development for the reader to believe that she too was ready to move on.  Everyone else in the family had their reality check moments, hers was just the most disturbing.


Three Words That Describe This Book:  slice-of-life, sense of place, quirky

Readalikes:  I have been suggesting Swamplandia! to my readers who enjoyed The Monsters of Templeton by Lauren Groff.  Click here (and scroll down) to see my report on when I read this novel.  Also from that report, I would also suggest these readalikes for Swamplandia!:

But in terms of readalikes matched by the overall appeal of The Monsters of Templeton, I would suggest 3 novels: The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield which is a Gothic novel that also recounts a twisted family history (click here to see my take on this novel); Special Topics in Calamity Physics by Marisha Pessl in which a Yale Freshman (with a narrative voice eerily similar to Willie's) recounts her life history as if it were a class in Western Literature including her interesting family history and the death of a high school teacher (again, click here to see my take); andThe Stolen Child by Keith Donohue which is a magical tale of a 7 year-old who is kidnapped by a pack hobgoblins to be replaced by one of them. It is the story of the two boys' experiences and their concurrent struggle to find where they came from.

Two other novels that come to mind are Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer and Edwin Mullhouse: The Life and Death of an American Writer 1943-1954 by Jeffrey Cartwright by Steven Millhauser.  Both are quirky, slice-of-life novels about times of transition involving young people.  These two novels also happen to be 2 of my favorites of all time.  I don't think Swamplandia! is in that tier for me, but it was very good.

If you loved the setting and want to read more books set in Florida, no one describes the place better than Carl Hiaasen.

For nonfiction, try Washington Post writer Michael Grunwald's The Swamp: The Everglades, Florida, and the Politics of Paradise.  It is the perfect book for people who want to learn more about the region depicted here.  It received starred reviews when it came out in 2007 and Grunwald is an award-winning journalist.  We even own it at the BPL.

I was also reminded of Susan Orlean's The Orchid Thief: A True Story of Beauty and Obsession which also takes place in the Everglades and has a similar magical, timeless feel to it.

Look for more reviews of What I'm Reading the rest of this week leading into the holiday weekend.

Flashback Friday: What I Read, Loved, But Forget to Suggest Anymore

Earlier this week I was looking in the way back machine of the blog to see some of my favorite reads since 2007 and I was surprised by how some  are still in my regular arsenal of backlist suggestions while others aren't. There were some really good books that I never suggest anymore and I am sad that they have been lost by the wayside. So I'm bringing them back to the forefront.

This is why I am always telling everyone to write down something about every book you read, well, something that isn't just the plot. Something about the "why" the book works, for you or for its best reader.

Going back and looking at my own reading has now given me a whole new set of backlist titles that I can suggest to readers. These are books I enjoyed previously, libraries still own them, and while the titles are a bit older, they will probably appear fresh and new to patrons as you suggest them. Why? Because they are new to them. This is where we can shine as library workers. Suggesting titles they wouldn't find somewhere else or on their own.

And here's the kicker, if you have been listening to me, and keeping track of your reading, you have built your own database of suggestions. Now just mine it for titles.

I'll start. Here is 1 book off of my "favorite reads of the year" list from 2007-2014. I have included 3 appeal terms [even before I did that for every book] and a link to the full review. I was going to keep going forward for every year I have had the blog, but as I got to 2015 and forward I realized I still regularly suggested these titles.

Feel free to use this list I created from my own "favs of the year," but also, go in your own way back machine and find more.

• 2007: Finn by Jon Clinch [dark, classic reimagined, lyrical]
• 2008: Dangerous Laughter by Steven Millhauser [macabre, lyrical, captivating
• 2009: Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger [atmospheric, character centered, intricately plotted]
• 2010: Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde [dystopian fantasy, thought provoking, great characters]
• 2011: The Known World by Edward P. Jones [fluid time frame, lyrical, new view of history]
• 2012: The Orphan Master's Son by Adam Johnson [political thriller, introspective, haunting]
• 2013: Boxers & Saints by Gene Luen Yang [character center, moving, both sides of the story]
• 2014: A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki [meta, reflective, throughout provoking]

What I'm Reading: Booklist's Horror Spotlight Issue

In the August 2016 issue of Booklist I had three reviews and 1 online only review. I know there are still three more turned in reviews in the pipeline for the September issues and I have another stack piled up here at home to read.

The haunting season is coming fast. Time to get ordering. Also a quick note, I will not add extra readalikes to these reviews because I have a ton in the review, but I will pull out my three words and I have added links to authors and such.

A Long December

By Richard Chizmar
Oct. 2016. 520p. Subterranean, hardcover, $40  (9781596067936). 
First published August, 2016 (Booklist).

STAR REVIEW!
Chizmar may not be a name readers know, but they certainly know the names of those he has published in his 27 year career running the award-winning Cemetery Dance Publications- Stephen King, Justin Cronin, Joe R Lansdale and Gillian Flynn to name only a few. This huge collection of 35 tales spans Chizmar’s entire career offering a wide range of genres from crime to dark fantasy to horror. Some pieces, published previously are included as is, while others have been reworked, and still others were never available before now, but all are subtly terrifying tales of normal lives that are completely upended by circumstance beyond anyone’s control. Chizmar’s stories are united by the feelings they produce, dread, anxiety, and suspense, but more remarkable is how they are presented with a poignancy and underlying sweetness that cannot be ignore like in the eponymous novella where the protagonist wakes up to police surrounding his neighbor and best friend’s home because that man is a serial killer. How can you process that? It’s well past time to let the man behind so many other great stories have a chance to wow readers with his own chilling words. This is a must read for fans of intense tales where psychological suspense and horror overlap like in the novels of Peter Straub, Scott Smith, or Adam Nevill.

Three Words That Describe This Book: suspense, stories, chilling

The Motion of Puppets
by Keith Donohue
Oct. 2016. 272p. illus. Picador, hardcover, $26  (9781250057181); e-book (9781250057211). 
First published August, 2016 (Booklist).

STAR REVIEW!
Donohue [The Stolen Child, The Boy Who Drew Monsters] has written a masterpiece of psychological horror that will change the way you look at puppets forever. Kay, a performer in the cirque and her new husband, Theo, a French professor in New York, are spending the summer in the old portion of Quebec City while Kay performs and Theo translates the biography of the artist and pioneering photographer of motion, Eadweard Muybridge [whose macabre yet intriguing life adds wonderful depth to the novel]. After a late post-show dinner, Kay walking home alone, frightened and disoriented, enters an old toy store which was surprisingly unlocked, only to find herself transformed into a puppet and held prisoner in the back of the shop, where all the puppets can come alive between midnight and dawn. What follows is each of their tales, told in alternating points of view. Theo desperately searching for his vanished beloved begins to find connections to the old toy shop but is having trouble believing those who say the puppets may be alive; meanwhile Kay is slowly forgetting the human world she came from and is embracing her life as a puppet with her new friends. Time may be running out for Theo to locate Kay and convince her to come back to him. Intricately plotted, absorbing, dark, and suspenseful, this is a moving, modern story set in what could feel like a fairy tale world, but is actually terrifyingly realistic. It is a tale of true love, missing persons, and the beauty of the mechanics of motion all wrapped up in one awesome creeptastic package. Give this to readers who love creepy doll stories like those in Ellen Datlow’s award winning The Doll Collection, as well as any fans of Neil Gaiman, Steven Millhauser, or Elizabeth McCracken.

Three Words That Describe This Book: askew, macabre, compelling

Last Train from Perdition [I Travel By Night, Book Two]
by Robert McCammon
Oct. 2016. 184p. Subterranean, hardcover, $35  (9781596067387). 
First published August, 2016 (Booklist).

Horror legend Robert McCammon is back with book two in his highly entertaining, vampire western series. Trevor Lawson, a reluctant vampire and his human sidekick, sharpshooter Ann Remington, are still on the hunt for LaRouge, the woman who turned Lawson into a vampire during the Civil War and kidnapped Ann’s father and sister, in the hopes that killing her will allow Lawson to become human again. While they search, Lawson takes discreet, dangerous jobs with the business motto, “All Matters Handled.” It’s now 1886 and a new job takes the pair from New Orleans to the frontier town of Perdition, MT to rescue a wealthy young man from a band of outlaws. Lawson tries to extricate the man without violence, but between the outlaws and the vampire Dark Society, it appears a peaceful getaway is not going to be an option. This thrilling story culminates with a fantastic battle scene on a train where unlikely alliances are formed, adding a new wrinkle to Lawson’s quest for freedom from his vampiric curse. No need to have read the first book as the necessary details are supplied without sacrificing the pace. Clear a couple hours because you will want to devour this in one sitting. And while there are no new additions to vampire lore here, you will be having too much fun to care. This is perfect for fans of the TV series Deadwood and the award winning American Vampire graphic novel series by Scott Snyder.

Genre Note: This is clearly equal parts western and horror. That is a huge appeal that cannot be underestimated. It does both genres VERY well.

Three Words That Describe This Book: vampires, plot driven, the old west

Zombie Gold
by John L. Lansdale
Aug. 2016. 202p. Short Scary Tales, hardcover, $29.95  (9781909640641). 
First published July 21, 2016 (Booklist Online).

Chris and Will are your average, modern day 20-somethings. Chirs’ family has owned the Flying G Ranch for generations and Will is a college student and Civil War history buff who is working the ranch for the summer. The boys strike-out alone, to the local mountain, named for Ernest Kaman  a Civil War soldier turned gold robber, whose band of thieves is said to still haunt the isolated area. But they aren’t ghosts...they’re zombies, stuck on the mountain, protecting their plunder. Chris and Will escape the zombies but end up being transported to 1863, only miles away from the impending battle of Gettysburg. Chris and Will are thrown into a much bigger adventure than they bargained for trying to explain themselves, avoid being forced to enlist in the army, and dodging the constant bloodshed. Their only hope to return to the 21st Century is to find Kaman and follow him back to the mountain as he steals the gold. Can they make it back in time and will it be before the zombies wreak havoc on those searching for the missing boys? Zombie Gold is an entertaining, well paced science fiction-historical-horror blend with resourceful protagonists and a solid cast of secondary characters. While this will obviously appeal to fans of the weird western, Hell’s Bounty that Lansdale co-wrote with his brother, bestselling author Joe R. Lansdale, fans of Jonathan Maberry should also give this a try.

YA: Teens will love watching Chris and Will make their way through time, struggling to survive in the 1860s and battling the zombies who have crossed into the 21st Century.

Genre Note: More time travel/historical fiction blend than horror so will still be a great suggestion for Civil War era fans.

Three Words That Describe This Book: time travel, coming of age, Civil War