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Drop Dead Gorgeous (2008)

by Wayne Simmons(Favorite Author)

3.83 of 5 Votes: 1

ISBN

1934861057 (ISBN13: 9781934861059)

languge

English

genre

Horror

publisher

Permuted Press

review 1: DDG starts in much the same manner as Simmons' other book, FLU, being set in modern-day Northern Ireland with a group of disparate characters who stories build and then, later, collide in various ways. I'd started the book assuming it was a straightforward zombie horror but after 150-odd pages and still no dead rising from the graves I realised this wasn't the case.It's a testament to Simmons' skills with the storylines and characters that I didn't find myself becoming bored or itchy for the zombies to appear and, more so than FLU, I felt that he tapped into some of the aspects of his native country's culture and history which would give it more impact. Nowhere is this more felt than in the uneasy truce struck up between an RIR veteran and a Republican who are forced to ... morecome together to survive and yet struggle with their hatred for one another throughout. Despite the world changing for all of the characters involved, Simmons makes it clear that some things just run too deep to be washed away that easily.The book starts with great little vignettes sprinkled amongst the main storylines, and there are a number of moments of genuine emotion as people come to terms with the loss of their loved ones which reminded me to an extent of John Ajvide Lindqvist's HANDLING THE UNDEAD.It isn't until quite late on that the plot moves from the characters merely trying to survive to that of the dead rising. The book ends fairly quickly after that and although it leaves the reader wanting more it did make me wish that it had gotten moving a little sooner because there were so many questions - what was the nature of the event, why were the beautiful saved and what took the dead so long to rise? But with that said there was still enough to appeal to me - the implication that the survivors were those who were fucked up enough to have lacked the motions which whatever-it-was fed on and I loved the effect of the creatures' eyes changing colour. The creatures themselves put me in mind of the zombirds from the Dan Schaffer-scripted movie DOGHOUSE and I may have even viewed DDG as a similarly feminist tract if it hadn't been for the fact they were referred to as "bitches" by both characters and author.Overall, a highly-enjoyable read and I, feel, a little more left-field than his previous book and there's easily enough in there to make me certain to read the sequel which I have no doubt will be in the works.
review 2: I couldn't get into this at all and I barely got a quarter of the way in. Even though I am now able to quit a book I still don't like doing it and I do try not to.... when I can. I couldn't continue with this. I'd be interested to know whether Simmons is Irish, has ever been to Ireland, if he knows anything about the dialect, slang, etc. Because it was far too over the top IMO. It was like someone like myself (not from Ireland and not a person who uses Irish slang) wrote a book and stuck in every single damn Irish slang word I could find. Far too much. Ciggie, trackie bottoms, take the Mickey, bloke, arse(s), footie, shite, etc. Good luck trying to find one page that doesn't have all of these terms and more. Horrible. It was like work and I don't like to work when I read, I like to have fun. I really thought I'd like this because the cover art is pretty cool and the title interested me. This, however, is just NOT for me. If the dialogue would have been smooth I maybe could have hung in there despite the overuse of the slang but that's not the case here - the conversations and thoughts and everything in between is anything but smooth. less

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