Rate this book

The R33PR Virus (2012)

by Nathan Barnes(Favorite Author)

4.02 of 5 Votes: 2

ISBN

0987874756 (ISBN13: 9780987874757)

languge

English

genre

Horror

publisher

KnightWatch Press

review 1: Excellent book! It grabbed me right away with the way the virus that brings about the end of civilization is so completely believable and therefore scary as hell. What follows is from the point of view of such an average guy - a self-proclaimed fat-ass desk jockey. This is nothing like your typical 'hero' vs zombies story. All this poor, chubby bastard wants is to get back home to see his family. It felt like I was finding out at the same time as he was whether or not he would be able to adapt, survive and make it back. Kept me hooked till the bitter end.
review 2: It pains me to say it, but “The Reaper Virus” is a massive disappointment. The book starts out strong. The first chapters set up the “infection” and introduce the main character, Nathan, esta... moreblishing him as an ordinary guy, a bit of a loser, under-achiever that for some reason is married to a wonderful woman and has two wonderful kids. Fair enough. Its a story about a regular man in a horrible situation. It has potential. He´s not Rambo, he´s not Ash, he´s just an overweight, middle aged guy like you or your neighbor. The writer manages to slowly create tension, a feeling of uneasiness, as Nathan, having access to more information for working as a police dispatcher starts to piece the strange circumstances and events pilling up and anticipates that something truly horrible is coming his way. Then everything starts to go wrong, for Nathan, the world and the book. Nathan goes to work and when the dead start walking he´s cut off from his family. There starts the real plot of the book. Nathan´s journey back home as society crumbles around him and death awaits at every step. The problem is that Nathan should never have been away from his family. Like I said, Nathan knew things were bad. He knew the crap was about to hit the fan. His parents had a secluded farm out in the middle of nowhere and ask him to go there with his family. His wife, after he explains her the situation with the virus and what he thinks might happen, begs him not to go to work. And yet, he goes... because frankly, the plot demands it. If the guy was just caught off guard by the whole zombie thing, its understandable. He wasn't. Still I struggled to get past this flaw. The author still manages to maintain a sense of dread and danger and the disgusting zombies and horrific situations keep things interesting. The first part of the book is an amazingly compelling read and I thought maybe the book would hold it together.The problem is that once our main character starts traveling alone, the pacing slows and the book starts to suffer from lacking a proper plot.Like Nathan, the book´s only purpose is the journey home. There are few characters and pretty much no story, just the journey. The rest of the book is a long description of an eerie journey of survival through what is now a wasteland. Nathan is not a strong enough character to hold the book in his shoulders alone. His main or only trait is that he´s ordinary and loves his family. Not exactly complex stuff. The close calls with the zombies start to get repetitive. The zombie kills start to get repetitive. Again and again we read in how much physical pain he´s in. How his muscles cant take it anymore. How much it hurts. Again and again. After a while there´s no interaction with any characters. Its just Nathan alone, predictably surviving against the odds. Sure its bleak. Its sad and you feel for the guy but its also a bit tedious after a while. Suddenly Nathan starts feeling guilty for “all he´s done” to get home but to be honest, in the context of the story and for the genre, his actions are not that shocking. Nothing he does is really that morally reprehensible to support such remorse.So the second part of the book drags with an infinite journey through a train track, some looting and some zombie killings. Then we have the ending. There isn't any. Its the final nail in the coffin. This isn't the kind of ending that leaves a few plots unresolved or teases a story for the sequel. No, this is the kind of ending that leaves everything unresolved. There is not the slightest resolution to anything relating to the character, his family or even his journey. The book just cuts off. It reminds me of “The Sopranos”. Its not an ending. It just stops there. Fortunately the author informs you there will soon be a sequel and then offers an “alternative” ending which I thought was very amusing. Amusing because although its different, it also offers no resolution at all. I felt I only read half the story. I probably will never read the rest. A cliffhanger is acceptable but some resolution, no matter how small must be given to the reader. This... well this felt like a cheap marketing trick. In the end, it was all a waste of time. less

Download links for: The R33PR Virus

Advertising