Kendra, Terry, and their companions, including the zombie-sniffing dog Hipshot, set off in their damaged bus, the Blue Beauty, in search of another haven from the growing hordes of zombie-like Freaks, who mindlessly crave human flesh and whose bite spreads their infection. The refugees' hopes rise when they find sanctuary in a community called Domino Falls; since Blue Beauty is damaged beyond repair from one too many encounters with Freaks and human pirates, the group is determined to fit in. When they discover that the town is, in fact, a recruiting ground for sf cult author, actor, and director Joseph "Josey" Wales and that there are rumors of missing young women, Kendra and Terry decide to confront Wales.
VERDICT The sequel to Devil's Wake by this husband-and-wife writing team raises the stakes in their riveting tale of the days after the "zombie apocalypse," calling into question the true nature of the plague and its origins and bringing the characters more fully into their own. Graphic where it needs to be, this story of people learning under duress what it is to be human grows deeper as it builds to a climax only hinted at in this interim volume. Zombie fiction fans will want this intelligently gory example. [Previewed in Barbara Hoffert's "African American Perspectives for Black History Month," LJ 11/1/12.]
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