Synopsis:
When a disease runs rampant, turning people into cannibalistic horrors, society comes to a halt. Kate manages to escape the sadistic captivity she has endured and collides with Nick, a Marine haunted by the scars of war.
They join forces to navigate a treacherous landscape, battling the undead and hostile survivors. But what happens when the monsters outside are the least of their worries?
Nick’s shame is crushing, and Kate’s distrust is swallowing her whole. Will they overcome the darkness that threatens to consume them from within? And what will become of a world overrun with creatures that cannot seem to stop…laughing?
Review:
I’ll start at the beginning. The first thing to note after reading this bite-sized page turner is that it is exquisitely titled. It is dark, and it does indeed bloom in such heartfelt and wondrous ways without ever negating the grime and ugliness of its zombie-fest setting.
Molly Macabre knows how to write people. People that, arms held out wide, teeter on the edge of morality, and also those that comfortably choose which side to fall into. When I started to read this book, well listen, as I consumed it in short order via audio, and believe me, it was on in the car, during cooking, dog walks and everywhere in between. I had expectations of a gritty action book, full of shotgun touting alpha males, popping zombie heads like fairground melons and high fiving before the next prescriptive literary device came shambling out of the sewers. Don’t get me wrong, I’m no snob when it comes to bubble-gum book entertainment and that would have been ok, at least for a couple of hundred pages, but it’s not what I got from Dark Bloom, and I feel so glad I was wrong.
There is absolutely a darkness to this book but it’s not overindulgent. The fuel pipes that keep the post-apocalyptic engine running are horrors from before the world turned even nastier than it was before. Uncomfortable themes that would make any self-respecting alpha male, melon popper’s toes curl, or at least Id like to hope so! Molly Macabre does an expert job of sharing these themes and the trauma that seeps out as a result without ever grinding the story and the inherent hope to a stop. The main characters are affected and weighed down by the past, the present and the dwindling hope for the future but they are vibrant and fun, human and enjoyable. Relatable decisions and thought processes are what keep you nodding in agreement and hungrily turning those pages.
For fans of the genre, there’s also plenty of satisfying nods to the greats. Hacking and slashing with improvised dystopian weaponry, some highly creepy kid zombies, and examples of humanity gone wrong amongst the spoils of the undead and detritus of civilisation. Another unique selling point was the laughing undead. Not something I’ve come across before but something that made absolute sense in a Romero-esque universe where the dead mimic the living in hopes that it helps them secure an easy feed. A fabulous garnish, sprinkled onto a long dried and hastily abandoned meal.
I’d like to give special mention to the list of supportive organisations at the end of this book for those that may feel triggered by its contents. This inclusion was another bright moment that made me smile after reading a horror novel and offered a slice of hope in a gloomy world.
Personally, I love a dark, sick and grimy tale but it was the light in this book that really shone for me and offered a refreshing and energised read. I look forward to meeting more characters from the Macabreverse!
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