Review: The Enemy

Someone recently told me that zombies have been played out. He said that they're no longer interesting. To him I say, screw that crap. Zombies are awesome and will always be awesome! I picked up The Enemy by Charlie Higson for this exact reason (and a coworker recommended it to me, but I'll just say it was all my idea).

The book takes place in a near future where the adult population has either died or become mindless zombie-like "people" after becoming infected with a disease that has spread throughout the world. Everyone sixteen and under are left to fend for themselves, as well as defend, against the new threat of killer adults. Higson makes a story of zombies his own.

I haven't read a young adult novel in a while with such vividly real life characters. I hated some of them, I wanted to punch a few in the face, I also liked some, and I may or may not have wanted to make out with one of them. Higson is extremely skilled in writing action scenes and if you've read his Young Bond series, you'll know what I'm talking about. If not, just know that the action in this book is intense and can also be quite gory. I will admit that I got bored around the middle of the book. I think I had reached a point where the story had slowed down after so much suspense, but I may have just been having an anxiety hangover. I'm glad I pressed on, because holy crap...

I've been recommending this book at my store and am going to pick up his newest book in the series The Dead.