Synopsis
Midwestern Mayhem! Remember the ’90s? Well…the town of Demise, North Dakota doesn’t, and they’re living in the year 1997. That’s because an alien worm hitched a ride on a comet, crash-landed in the town’s trailer park, and is now infecting animals with a memory-loss-inducing bite-and right before Christmas! Now it’s up to nineteen-year-old Realene and her best friend Nate to stop the spread and defeat the worms before the entire town loses its mind. The only things standing in the way are their troubled pasts, a doomsday cult, and an army of infected prairie dogs.
Review
I won this in a giveaway once upon a time, and I’m so glad to have a copy. I mean look at this freaking cover folks!
A love note to the ‘90s with enough references to melt your nostalgic heart, and enough action and wit to give you whiplash. Oh, and if that wasn’t enough, it’s almost Christmas! Realene and Nate are best friends, just trying to survive their hometown of Demise, North Dakota. But they never expected for a meteorite to crash just outside of town, and for an alien worm to start infecting the animal population!
This is really fun and feels like it would have been a perfect fit for Shortwave’s Killer VHS series. It’s part creature feature, part alien invasion, and even part zombie apocalypse with rage-induced crazies that you can’t let bite you. Oh, and don’t forget the religious cult, duh! All that and yet the author does a great job of balancing things. There’s a wonderfully-handled thread of mental illness as well, as Realene’s mother’s worsening dementia plays into the memory-loss bite of those infected. It also keeps the story emotionally grounded as they try to save those around them and help them to understand what’s happened.
I really enjoyed the healthy male/female friendship, and how their dynamic wasn’t based in any way around who was what. They’re just friends. And anyway, people are trying to freaking kill them, animals are trying to bite everyone and everything, and a culty cult is after them! This book really has it all. As a writer, I’ve been trying to pay attention and pinpoint when other writers seed little tidbits for later, and I just knew that salty lake comment meant something!
If you’ve liked any of the genres or things I’ve touched upon above, give this one a chance and see just how well the author blends it all together.
Leave a Reply