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Aftereffects: Zombie Therapy
One day you are an average citizen, carrying on with everyday mundane tasks. The next day, you are a fiendish zombie looking to tear off and eat the flesh of every family member, friend, neighbor, or stranger on the street. That's where your story ends, right? You’re destined to live out your remaining days as a blood-thirsty zombie until deprivation or some un-infected vigilante lays you to rest?
Wrong. The government creates a cure for your cannibalistic condition. Unfortunately, you remember every gory detail of your killing sprees. Can you cope with the fact that you ingested your fellow human beings? Good Psychiatrist Dr. Victor Frenzel has devoted himself to treating the psychological aspects of living life after being a flesh-eating zombie. He's accepting new clients and wants to help you get on with your life. Unless he suspects that you are one of the infected cannibalistic fiends who ate his lovely young wife, Barbara. In that case, you might be a prime candidate for one of his more cutting-edge treatments. Either way, you will be cured…
Read this horrifically gruesome tale of zombie rehabilitation.
Wrong. The government creates a cure for your cannibalistic condition. Unfortunately, you remember every gory detail of your killing sprees. Can you cope with the fact that you ingested your fellow human beings? Good Psychiatrist Dr. Victor Frenzel has devoted himself to treating the psychological aspects of living life after being a flesh-eating zombie. He's accepting new clients and wants to help you get on with your life. Unless he suspects that you are one of the infected cannibalistic fiends who ate his lovely young wife, Barbara. In that case, you might be a prime candidate for one of his more cutting-edge treatments. Either way, you will be cured…
Read this horrifically gruesome tale of zombie rehabilitation.
- GenresZombies
232 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 26, 2012
1 person is currently reading
47 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
March 8, 2012
BRILLIANT! It's very rare to find something so original in this genre. Most of the zombie novels I've read have the same formula: Zombies show up+Zombie eat people+people run/try to survive=Zombie are stopped in some standard method and everyone who survives "moves on".
This books starts where everyone else tends to end. How do you move on? In Bradey's world, the "zombies" are transformed back into their "soulful" selves once more. "The curse has been lifted..." or has it? Being cured has a terrible side affect: you remember everything you did. The victims learn to put the pieces together where there are no footsteps to follow. Dr. Victor Frenzel helps these lost souls while having his own personal agenda...By the last chapter you begin to ask yourself "Who is the real monster?"
Typically you read something, find it entertaining, and move on to the next thing to read while you are waiting in line at Starbucks. We have all discussed "If the zombie apocalypse happen..." After reading Affectafter, we will be discussing "When the zombie apocalypse happens..."
This books starts where everyone else tends to end. How do you move on? In Bradey's world, the "zombies" are transformed back into their "soulful" selves once more. "The curse has been lifted..." or has it? Being cured has a terrible side affect: you remember everything you did. The victims learn to put the pieces together where there are no footsteps to follow. Dr. Victor Frenzel helps these lost souls while having his own personal agenda...By the last chapter you begin to ask yourself "Who is the real monster?"
Typically you read something, find it entertaining, and move on to the next thing to read while you are waiting in line at Starbucks. We have all discussed "If the zombie apocalypse happen..." After reading Affectafter, we will be discussing "When the zombie apocalypse happens..."
April 22, 2012
There’s no doubt that if zombies are your thing, this is the book for you. There are plenty of guts, gore and detached limbs. But, there’s also more here, much more. Bradey’s book is set up almost as a book of short stories, all linked together by a psychiatrist named Dr. Frenzel. Dr. Frenzel’s wife is murdered by a bunch of carnivorous zombie’s during the outbreak of a virus. This virus, which essentially causes humans to turn into zombies, is cured quickly by the government. Now Frenzel is counseling those who have been cured, and, believe me, they need it. They can remember everything that happened while they were infected, including everyone they ate.
As Dr. Frenzel asks each patient or couple to recount their tale, we learn more about the outbreak, as well as the patients themselves. The stories that his patients relay range from tragic to comedic and are wonderfully entertaining in and of themselves. It is here that we see Bradey at his best. His masterful use of flashback brings us into the lives of characters that are so very diverse and yet so much alike to Frenzel. To him, they are all murderers and nothing more. It doesn’t matter who they were before they became infected. And he sees it as his duty to rid the world of them all. The death of his wife at the hands of the group of zombies is his personal justification.
This adds another layer to this terrific story. As I read Aftereffects, one question came to my mind repeatedly. Who is worse - the people who had killed scores of innocents while infected by the virus or Dr. Frenzel himself? He too is a murderer, albeit one who has some psychological issues of his own. Frenzel continually asks his patients if they feel any responsibility for what they have done, even though I got the sense that he couldn’t care less. But, the question, I think, is really there for the reader.
There is something in Aftereffects for everyone. It is, at its heart, a zombie tale. But unlike many zombie books before it, it’s so much more. Don’t miss out on this entertaining read!
As Dr. Frenzel asks each patient or couple to recount their tale, we learn more about the outbreak, as well as the patients themselves. The stories that his patients relay range from tragic to comedic and are wonderfully entertaining in and of themselves. It is here that we see Bradey at his best. His masterful use of flashback brings us into the lives of characters that are so very diverse and yet so much alike to Frenzel. To him, they are all murderers and nothing more. It doesn’t matter who they were before they became infected. And he sees it as his duty to rid the world of them all. The death of his wife at the hands of the group of zombies is his personal justification.
This adds another layer to this terrific story. As I read Aftereffects, one question came to my mind repeatedly. Who is worse - the people who had killed scores of innocents while infected by the virus or Dr. Frenzel himself? He too is a murderer, albeit one who has some psychological issues of his own. Frenzel continually asks his patients if they feel any responsibility for what they have done, even though I got the sense that he couldn’t care less. But, the question, I think, is really there for the reader.
There is something in Aftereffects for everyone. It is, at its heart, a zombie tale. But unlike many zombie books before it, it’s so much more. Don’t miss out on this entertaining read!
March 21, 2012
Yes, five stars :) I don't want people thinking that I automatically give zombie books a five-y stars rating, because I don't. It is definitely a genre that I love, but if it's crap it's getting the stars it deserves. Moving on!
I found this book via Twitter and decided it sounded pretty awesome and worth a shot for the small price of $.99. How could I possibly resist?
This is a little gem of a zombie book that must be read! The premise is that the masses are infected and zombies are roaming and eating whoever they can lay hands on . . . BUT then a cure is administered and these individuals are 'cured'. We learn the stories of a few of these people as they are going to zombie therapy with Dr. Victor Frenzel. But this is no ordinary therapist and he's got his own agenda while 'helping' his patients.
Aftereffects was a gorey, though-provoking, zombie-y, heart-pounding adrenaline rush. And pure genius. I loved it from start to finish. It's not a very long read and that would be my only complaint. This first book ends with the door wide open for a sequel which will hopefully be out sometime this year. You zombie fans should give this one a try!
I found this book via Twitter and decided it sounded pretty awesome and worth a shot for the small price of $.99. How could I possibly resist?
This is a little gem of a zombie book that must be read! The premise is that the masses are infected and zombies are roaming and eating whoever they can lay hands on . . . BUT then a cure is administered and these individuals are 'cured'. We learn the stories of a few of these people as they are going to zombie therapy with Dr. Victor Frenzel. But this is no ordinary therapist and he's got his own agenda while 'helping' his patients.
Aftereffects was a gorey, though-provoking, zombie-y, heart-pounding adrenaline rush. And pure genius. I loved it from start to finish. It's not a very long read and that would be my only complaint. This first book ends with the door wide open for a sequel which will hopefully be out sometime this year. You zombie fans should give this one a try!
March 25, 2012
Dr. Victor Frenzel lives a normal, quiet life with his wife Barbara. They are very much in love and that's what makes her death even harder to deal with. Witnessing the whole incident, Dr. Frenzel then vows to find those who killed her and make them pay. A pandemic has hit. Zombie-itis is at maximum levels. There is no truly safe place to be. Dr. Frenzel writes some papers on how to "cure" Zombie-itis and presents them to the scientific community. His methods are a little unorthodox but they work.
Mystery, romance and lots of scary moments make up this wonderful book. I enjoyed being able to see both sides of the issue of Zombie-itis. It was an approach to this subject no one had ever presented before. I loved the way you get to see what's going on inside the doctor and his patients. Being able to listen as they relive their incidents. The moment he finds his wife's killer is amazing!! This is one book you need to have in your collection.
I didn't find any issues with this book.
I gave this book 5 out of 5 books because of the originality of it.
Mystery, romance and lots of scary moments make up this wonderful book. I enjoyed being able to see both sides of the issue of Zombie-itis. It was an approach to this subject no one had ever presented before. I loved the way you get to see what's going on inside the doctor and his patients. Being able to listen as they relive their incidents. The moment he finds his wife's killer is amazing!! This is one book you need to have in your collection.
I didn't find any issues with this book.
I gave this book 5 out of 5 books because of the originality of it.
April 7, 2012
Oh. my. WORD! What to say about Aftereffects: Zombie Therapy by Zane Brady…I guess I’ll start with what it’s about.
A zombie outbreak has happened in the city. Victor, a therapist, lost his wife in the recent outbreak but he made it out alive. So did many of the infected. The government actually found a cure for the infection. There’s just one problem…the infected remember turning and they remember their attacks. So who do they turn to afterwards? A therapist, of course. And Victor has dedicated his life’s work to curing the previously infected zombies, but Victor’s treatments are a little “unethical” to say the least….
I absolutely loved this book. The suspense in it was not something that I expected. I generally stay away from zombie-ish books just because the bone gnawing and flesh consuming is a little disgusting to me. Come on, I’m a vegetarian! I can’t eat animals, let alone stomach eating human flesh! But Zane’s writing definitely gave me the stomach-churning, realistic feeling that I was eating human flesh as I munched on crackers. So much so that I actually had to swear away from eating until I finished with the book.
I finished it rather quickly, not because it was an easy read but because I couldn’t put it down. I had decided, upon starting it, that I would read one chapter at a time. But the more I got into the book the less I noticed that I was in a new chapter. I would be several paragraphs into the next chapter and realized that I had over-read my limit (I have to set limits or I would do nothing but read all day, lol). I loved that! The end of each chapter naturally pushed me into the next, without me having to think about it.
The characters, all of them, are so wonderfully believable. I really could imagine a zombie outbreak and the effect it might have on the world and on the individuals affected – both infected and survivors. I felt it really stayed true to the human nature of people sometimes and how many of us react in the face of fear and loss.
There is also a suspenseful air to the novel – one that I had not counted on, which really made the book complete. It wasn’t just guts and gore. There was more to it and it made Aftereffects: Zombie Therapy a book I would highly recommend.
I am actually hoping there is a second book in the making. I felt like the story couldn’t POSSIBLY be over when I finished the book. I desperately want to see where the story goes after the end. Whether there is a second installment or not, Zane Bradey is on my list of authors to look out for when I’m looking for a great read, even if they all contain flesh-eating monsters. =)
A zombie outbreak has happened in the city. Victor, a therapist, lost his wife in the recent outbreak but he made it out alive. So did many of the infected. The government actually found a cure for the infection. There’s just one problem…the infected remember turning and they remember their attacks. So who do they turn to afterwards? A therapist, of course. And Victor has dedicated his life’s work to curing the previously infected zombies, but Victor’s treatments are a little “unethical” to say the least….
I absolutely loved this book. The suspense in it was not something that I expected. I generally stay away from zombie-ish books just because the bone gnawing and flesh consuming is a little disgusting to me. Come on, I’m a vegetarian! I can’t eat animals, let alone stomach eating human flesh! But Zane’s writing definitely gave me the stomach-churning, realistic feeling that I was eating human flesh as I munched on crackers. So much so that I actually had to swear away from eating until I finished with the book.
I finished it rather quickly, not because it was an easy read but because I couldn’t put it down. I had decided, upon starting it, that I would read one chapter at a time. But the more I got into the book the less I noticed that I was in a new chapter. I would be several paragraphs into the next chapter and realized that I had over-read my limit (I have to set limits or I would do nothing but read all day, lol). I loved that! The end of each chapter naturally pushed me into the next, without me having to think about it.
The characters, all of them, are so wonderfully believable. I really could imagine a zombie outbreak and the effect it might have on the world and on the individuals affected – both infected and survivors. I felt it really stayed true to the human nature of people sometimes and how many of us react in the face of fear and loss.
There is also a suspenseful air to the novel – one that I had not counted on, which really made the book complete. It wasn’t just guts and gore. There was more to it and it made Aftereffects: Zombie Therapy a book I would highly recommend.
I am actually hoping there is a second book in the making. I felt like the story couldn’t POSSIBLY be over when I finished the book. I desperately want to see where the story goes after the end. Whether there is a second installment or not, Zane Bradey is on my list of authors to look out for when I’m looking for a great read, even if they all contain flesh-eating monsters. =)
April 22, 2012
Zombie aficionados will not want to miss this extraordinary book. Dr. Victor Frenzel is a psychiatrist with a grudge. A horde of zombies dragged his wife out of the car and devoured her. Now that the plague has been halted and the zombies cured, he has a special quest: to try and find the individuals responsible for her death.
The book reads like a series of portraits, as Victor asks each patient to try to remember exactly what happened the day they got infected. The drug they have been given enables memory, but many of the cured zombies still need psychological counseling. The second part of Victor's treatment requires the patient to tell him about their own attacks after becoming a zombie. Get ready for some gruesome and detailed descriptions.
Most zombie books portray zombies as monsters without feeling or thought, in other words inhuman. Then it's a band of survivors working together to fight off hordes of zombies. What is unique about Aftereffects: Zombie Therapy is seeing zombies go from being human, with feelings and thoughts and distinctly human weaknesses, to being bone-crunching cannibals--and then back to being human again.
Some of these portraits are priceless, like the one about Philip Irving. Philip is a henpecked husband, so when the zombie plague comes and he and his wife Laverne are camped out on the roof of their house to wait for rescue, Philip has no qualms about giving Laverne a little push. She falls down into the waiting crowd of zombies, and Philip spends the whole night fantasizing about being free at last from Laverne's incessant nagging. Only in the morning he discovers she's not dead at all, but has been infected. When Philip takes a few swings at her with a two-by-four, loses his balance, and falls to the patio below himself, Laverne gets her sweet revenge. And this is the story the psychiatrist, Victor, has to listen to when Philip and Laverne come to his office for counseling of the aftereffects.
You get the picture. Lots of fun and satire and blood and guts here. It's the year of the zombie, so pick it up.
The book reads like a series of portraits, as Victor asks each patient to try to remember exactly what happened the day they got infected. The drug they have been given enables memory, but many of the cured zombies still need psychological counseling. The second part of Victor's treatment requires the patient to tell him about their own attacks after becoming a zombie. Get ready for some gruesome and detailed descriptions.
Most zombie books portray zombies as monsters without feeling or thought, in other words inhuman. Then it's a band of survivors working together to fight off hordes of zombies. What is unique about Aftereffects: Zombie Therapy is seeing zombies go from being human, with feelings and thoughts and distinctly human weaknesses, to being bone-crunching cannibals--and then back to being human again.
Some of these portraits are priceless, like the one about Philip Irving. Philip is a henpecked husband, so when the zombie plague comes and he and his wife Laverne are camped out on the roof of their house to wait for rescue, Philip has no qualms about giving Laverne a little push. She falls down into the waiting crowd of zombies, and Philip spends the whole night fantasizing about being free at last from Laverne's incessant nagging. Only in the morning he discovers she's not dead at all, but has been infected. When Philip takes a few swings at her with a two-by-four, loses his balance, and falls to the patio below himself, Laverne gets her sweet revenge. And this is the story the psychiatrist, Victor, has to listen to when Philip and Laverne come to his office for counseling of the aftereffects.
You get the picture. Lots of fun and satire and blood and guts here. It's the year of the zombie, so pick it up.
March 13, 2012
I read Zane's book in one day, that's how locked in I was to the story. So many zombie stories deal with the present, but Zane brings us a world where zombies have been cured, and those that were once infected, assimilated back into their lives and society.
Following the work of psychiatrist Dr. Frenzel, his patients relive the vivid and grim details of their brief cannibalistic lives and deal with the emotions and reality of the atrocities they have committed. Each patient brings in a new gut-wrenching perspective of the lives destroyed by the infected and keeps the reader anticipating each new case file.
Zane Bradey has definitely added an entirely new chapter and view of the zombie apocalypse! If you're a true zombie enthusiast you have to read this book.
Following the work of psychiatrist Dr. Frenzel, his patients relive the vivid and grim details of their brief cannibalistic lives and deal with the emotions and reality of the atrocities they have committed. Each patient brings in a new gut-wrenching perspective of the lives destroyed by the infected and keeps the reader anticipating each new case file.
Zane Bradey has definitely added an entirely new chapter and view of the zombie apocalypse! If you're a true zombie enthusiast you have to read this book.
April 10, 2012
Coming up with a different take on the zombie genre is difficult, but in Aftereffects: Zombie therapy, Zane Bradey manages to come up with an unusual character in the shape of Dr Victor Frenzel, the man dubbed 'the zombie psychiatrist.'
Frenzel’s patients are people who've been cured of the rage virus that caused 'cannibalistic behaviours.' Frenzel despises his clients because they represent the monsters who devoured his beloved wife Barbara like hyenas and he believes they could have resisted the pull of human flesh.
I won't give the plot away, but Aftereffects is a zombie book come crime thriller with a difference. It's well written, the action doesn't sag and it's an enjoyable read.
It's because of authors like Zane Bradey I'm glad that self-publishing exists.
Frenzel’s patients are people who've been cured of the rage virus that caused 'cannibalistic behaviours.' Frenzel despises his clients because they represent the monsters who devoured his beloved wife Barbara like hyenas and he believes they could have resisted the pull of human flesh.
I won't give the plot away, but Aftereffects is a zombie book come crime thriller with a difference. It's well written, the action doesn't sag and it's an enjoyable read.
It's because of authors like Zane Bradey I'm glad that self-publishing exists.
March 9, 2012
If you like Zombies this is a definite book for you! How many times have you wondered at the end of those Zombie movies, what happens with the "cure"? Do people fully recover? Zane does an awesome job answering this question and brings to life great characters in addressing the things Zombies / People go through after a cure! You will love a fresh perspective on this and it will definitely make you smile, stop and think and say "woah" many times!
This is an easy read and was a pleasure to read. I highly recommend it. If you are a fan of this genre, this one is a must have!
This is an easy read and was a pleasure to read. I highly recommend it. If you are a fan of this genre, this one is a must have!
March 19, 2012
Really good story. Very thought provoking. Hope to read book 2 very soon. Also found it very interesting to chat with the author. I would recommend this book.
January 1, 2013
A virus outbreak has started the zombie apocalypse. But what do you do with a bunch of zombies who have been cured? You send them to a zombie shrink, of course! The zombies who have been cured by a the "Beaver" have gotten their lives back, with one major downfall. They remember everything that happened to them and everything they did as a zombie. Eating your neighbors? Yup - they remember. Plus other things that I won't mention, not because they aren't interesting, I just don't want to ruin the surprise for you. :)
I'm having a hard time reviewing this book for a few reasons. There are many things in the book I enjoyed. The stories told by the patients are interesting, action-packed, and well written. However, by the time we reached the 3rd patient, I already guessed what would happen in that scenario. The other issue that I had was the pattern of the patient sessions followed the same pattern, with the exception of one lying patient. That one caught my attention because it was the only one that deviated from the step 1, 2 and 3 pattern that was established for the sessions. After a while, the thrill of starting the new chapter wore off, and I caught myself skimming through the first parts and then going back because I didn't know who the patient was. :( I also believe the stories of the patients would have been more engaging and thrilling had they been told from the patient's 1st person POV. There were scene breaks showing where it went from the doctor's narration to the patient's story, so I don't think it would have made anything confusing by adding this in, and giving us the first-hand account of the things that happened.
Another thing that bothered me in the book was that the therapist seemed to have conflicting reasons for killing the previously infected patients. At the beginning, we know he hates them for killing his wife. But as he starts the interviews **POSSIBLE SPOILERS FROM HERE TILL THE END!!** he seems that he is looking for an ounce of remorse for their actions. When he sees none, he kills them. Then later in the book, it seems he wants to find the people who were infected near the school his wife was killed by. So, I'm still not really sure which it was, considering some of the people he killed either A) were no where near the school and B)never once got asked if they felt any remorse for what they had done and never mentioned it themselves. So it seems that sometimes the doctor just killed because ultimately, he felt that killing them was the only way to free these people completely from what they had been infected by... BUT... even if we go by that standard, he lets one of his patients live. So there goes all the theories that I have for his motivation right there.
The last thing I had (major) issues with in the book was there was NO ENDING - at all. Even if a book is to be the first in a series, it must bear the burden of having a beginning, a middle, and an end. This book has a beginning, a loooong, but descriptive and action-packed middle, but no ending whatsoever. Nothing was explained. Nothing was wrapped up. We are left hanging with a part one of book one, leaving us looking for the second half of this book.
The premise for this book is fabulous. The author has a great talent for picking up on what us zombie fans like - the action, the zombies themselves, and the creepiness of the never-say-stop pursuit of their next meal. The twist Zane added in for the zombies is one I have never heard before and made me anxious to read the book. I'm not unhappy that I read it, just disappointed in the inconsistencies and the lack of structuring. Oh yea - and I would have preferred an ending to the book. :)
If you don't mind cliffhangers when we don't really know if anything else is coming, and loads of brains, blood and storytelling, this is a book you will enjoy. I would be interested in reading the next book to see how his writing style develops and if he approaches the second book any differently.
I'm having a hard time reviewing this book for a few reasons. There are many things in the book I enjoyed. The stories told by the patients are interesting, action-packed, and well written. However, by the time we reached the 3rd patient, I already guessed what would happen in that scenario. The other issue that I had was the pattern of the patient sessions followed the same pattern, with the exception of one lying patient. That one caught my attention because it was the only one that deviated from the step 1, 2 and 3 pattern that was established for the sessions. After a while, the thrill of starting the new chapter wore off, and I caught myself skimming through the first parts and then going back because I didn't know who the patient was. :( I also believe the stories of the patients would have been more engaging and thrilling had they been told from the patient's 1st person POV. There were scene breaks showing where it went from the doctor's narration to the patient's story, so I don't think it would have made anything confusing by adding this in, and giving us the first-hand account of the things that happened.
Another thing that bothered me in the book was that the therapist seemed to have conflicting reasons for killing the previously infected patients. At the beginning, we know he hates them for killing his wife. But as he starts the interviews **POSSIBLE SPOILERS FROM HERE TILL THE END!!** he seems that he is looking for an ounce of remorse for their actions. When he sees none, he kills them. Then later in the book, it seems he wants to find the people who were infected near the school his wife was killed by. So, I'm still not really sure which it was, considering some of the people he killed either A) were no where near the school and B)never once got asked if they felt any remorse for what they had done and never mentioned it themselves. So it seems that sometimes the doctor just killed because ultimately, he felt that killing them was the only way to free these people completely from what they had been infected by... BUT... even if we go by that standard, he lets one of his patients live. So there goes all the theories that I have for his motivation right there.
The last thing I had (major) issues with in the book was there was NO ENDING - at all. Even if a book is to be the first in a series, it must bear the burden of having a beginning, a middle, and an end. This book has a beginning, a loooong, but descriptive and action-packed middle, but no ending whatsoever. Nothing was explained. Nothing was wrapped up. We are left hanging with a part one of book one, leaving us looking for the second half of this book.
The premise for this book is fabulous. The author has a great talent for picking up on what us zombie fans like - the action, the zombies themselves, and the creepiness of the never-say-stop pursuit of their next meal. The twist Zane added in for the zombies is one I have never heard before and made me anxious to read the book. I'm not unhappy that I read it, just disappointed in the inconsistencies and the lack of structuring. Oh yea - and I would have preferred an ending to the book. :)
If you don't mind cliffhangers when we don't really know if anything else is coming, and loads of brains, blood and storytelling, this is a book you will enjoy. I would be interested in reading the next book to see how his writing style develops and if he approaches the second book any differently.
May 20, 2012
This is a well written book—although not what I was expecting. To me it reads more as a series of interconnected short stories than a novel. Nevertheless I enjoyed the dark humor and twisted interplay between Victor and his patients. I’m looking forward to more from this talented author.
May 21, 2012
Horror fans, this one is creepy good fun!
August 13, 2012
In Aftereffects: Zombie Therapy, author Zane Bradey provides a unique twist to the zombie genre. A cure is created and administered to the zombies, returning them to their normal human state. The only problem is, they can remember the things that happened and who they ate while they were zombies. That’s where Dr. Victor Frenzel comes in; he is a therapist who offers counseling to those who were infected. But Dr. Frenzel must battle his own issues as during the height of the zombie epidemic he watched in horror as the zombies ate his wife. Now with each new patient he takes on, he is left to wonder if they were one of the ones that consumer her while he was left watching helplessly.
I have to admit at first I was a bit skeptical, as I don’t usually read zombie stories. They just don’t generally appeal to me. But I was intrigued by the fact that these zombies have been cured and that the story was going to be more about the psychological aspects of how to deal with what they have done as well as the good Doctor treating those that may have been responsible for his wife’s death.
Bradey managed to bring these aspects of the novel out wonderfully and I could feel the horror and disgust that some of the patients felt for the things they did while infected. I do wish there would have been a bit more character development with the patients even though this is more the doctor’s story than theirs. I felt it would have added to some of the scenes where the reader gets to see what happened when they were infected etc.
Another aspect that irked me a bit was the sudden end. I can’t really expand on it without giving away some major spoilers. It left a lot of questions and a bit of confusion as to what was going to happen next. At the time I didn’t realize there was a sequel in the works and couldn’t fathom why an author would end a story so open ended without one. The book felt incomplete with the ending and left me a bit frustrated, but that’s just me. I know lots of readers enjoy cliff hangers, especially when there is a sequel as it lets them imagine all sorts of things while they wait.
Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the book and I will definitely be reading the next installment.
I have to admit at first I was a bit skeptical, as I don’t usually read zombie stories. They just don’t generally appeal to me. But I was intrigued by the fact that these zombies have been cured and that the story was going to be more about the psychological aspects of how to deal with what they have done as well as the good Doctor treating those that may have been responsible for his wife’s death.
Bradey managed to bring these aspects of the novel out wonderfully and I could feel the horror and disgust that some of the patients felt for the things they did while infected. I do wish there would have been a bit more character development with the patients even though this is more the doctor’s story than theirs. I felt it would have added to some of the scenes where the reader gets to see what happened when they were infected etc.
Another aspect that irked me a bit was the sudden end. I can’t really expand on it without giving away some major spoilers. It left a lot of questions and a bit of confusion as to what was going to happen next. At the time I didn’t realize there was a sequel in the works and couldn’t fathom why an author would end a story so open ended without one. The book felt incomplete with the ending and left me a bit frustrated, but that’s just me. I know lots of readers enjoy cliff hangers, especially when there is a sequel as it lets them imagine all sorts of things while they wait.
Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the book and I will definitely be reading the next installment.
November 13, 2012
I think I have said this before; I’m not really into Zombie books. I did read and enjoy Amanda Hocking’s Hollowland and Hollowmen, but I did not know they were zombie books until after I had read a free excerpt from one of the books. By then, I was hooked. Now, I cannot claim the same thing for Aftereffects. I knew full well that it was a zombie book, but I found the concept so alluring, that I had to read it. I mean a psychiatrist whose clients consist of people who were once infected by the zombie virus, were cured, but can still remember being a zombie and what they did when they were. And on top of it, the psychiatrist has his own agenda—to find the people that killed his wife while they were infected. How could I resist?
The book starts off rather slow. It begins with Dr. Victor Frenzel, the protagonist, giving a presentation about the disease and the cure. But things get interesting with Dr. Frenzel’s first patient visit. All told, seven patients come to visit the good doctor. Each patient relates his or her story about being infected. The stories are incredibly detailed and graphic—definitely not for the faint of heart. I thought the book would include more about how the patients cope once they are cured. But there was none of that—only the doctor-patient sessions and stories of their zombie experiences. I think there was a missed opportunity here to really add some meat to the story. (No pun intended.)
The doctor’s methods of “treating” his patients are questionable, to say the least. And it appears that someone else is very interested in his “practices,” although we never learn who or why. The book comes to an abrupt end with no resolution. The only conclusion to be made is that there will be another book. Although I am curious to know who is watching Dr. Frenzel, I don’t think I care enough to read the sequel, if there is one.
So, if you like zombie books with lots of gory details, you’d probably enjoy this book. Just be prepared that things will be left unresolved and most likely, you will have to wait for the next book for a conclusion.
The book starts off rather slow. It begins with Dr. Victor Frenzel, the protagonist, giving a presentation about the disease and the cure. But things get interesting with Dr. Frenzel’s first patient visit. All told, seven patients come to visit the good doctor. Each patient relates his or her story about being infected. The stories are incredibly detailed and graphic—definitely not for the faint of heart. I thought the book would include more about how the patients cope once they are cured. But there was none of that—only the doctor-patient sessions and stories of their zombie experiences. I think there was a missed opportunity here to really add some meat to the story. (No pun intended.)
The doctor’s methods of “treating” his patients are questionable, to say the least. And it appears that someone else is very interested in his “practices,” although we never learn who or why. The book comes to an abrupt end with no resolution. The only conclusion to be made is that there will be another book. Although I am curious to know who is watching Dr. Frenzel, I don’t think I care enough to read the sequel, if there is one.
So, if you like zombie books with lots of gory details, you’d probably enjoy this book. Just be prepared that things will be left unresolved and most likely, you will have to wait for the next book for a conclusion.
May 28, 2012
I have to admit that when I opened this book I was expecting something drastically different from what I got. Dr. Frenzel is a man scorned by the "murder," of his beloved wife due to the hands of the walking dead. After a cure has been administered the once infected are in need of some psychiatric help, which Dr. Frenzel is happy to oblige them with. Case after case has the once infected explaining their story of how they were turned and the atrocities they committed while they were in their flesh eating state.
This book has a lot to due about Karma, what goes around comes around. Every person in this book appears to have some distaste for human life not only after they were infected but before as well. The one exception to this would be the doctor himself who seemed to live a great life up until the day his wife was taken from him.
Another aspect of this book that is note worthy, would be the amount of detail that is captured in the retelling of the cases. Bradey, left no stone unturned when it came to getting every little gory detail right. I myself feel like I am not a squeamish person, but parts of this book had my stomach turning in knots at the vivid explanations in this book. Definitely not for the the faint of heart or weak stomached.
I am in hopes the the author has a follow book planned because I feel like there were unanswered questions and the book ended way to abruptly for the story to be over.
Aftereffects, is a great book for fans of the undead, its a fresh new outlook on an age old folklore.
This book has a lot to due about Karma, what goes around comes around. Every person in this book appears to have some distaste for human life not only after they were infected but before as well. The one exception to this would be the doctor himself who seemed to live a great life up until the day his wife was taken from him.
Another aspect of this book that is note worthy, would be the amount of detail that is captured in the retelling of the cases. Bradey, left no stone unturned when it came to getting every little gory detail right. I myself feel like I am not a squeamish person, but parts of this book had my stomach turning in knots at the vivid explanations in this book. Definitely not for the the faint of heart or weak stomached.
I am in hopes the the author has a follow book planned because I feel like there were unanswered questions and the book ended way to abruptly for the story to be over.
Aftereffects, is a great book for fans of the undead, its a fresh new outlook on an age old folklore.
March 21, 2013
"Not just your average zombie novel"
Having read the majority there is to offer in the zombie genre, from the appalling to the eponymous, I was surprised and delighted to stumble across Bradey's stunning offering via the Twittersphere.
Do not doubt - this is a fantastic piece of well-written fiction. At times truly stomach-churning in its prose, Bradey turns the genre on its head, following the pyschiatric "treatment" of victims of a cannibalistic virus in a seemingly decimated United States.
The novel's protagonist, Dr Victor Frenzel, watched his wife become a victim of these zombies and as the "zombie psychiatrist" he finds himself in a highly respected position where he helps those who still remember their life as zombies come to terms with what they have done. Well. Sort of.
The novel is broken down in to patients' extracts and experiences, and I think the laughable nature of the experiences, turning and cure of Laverne and Phil make them my favourite "clients". It's up to you to decide, and you will enjoy reading the experiences, even if at times some of the graphical descriptions make you want to hide your head under the duvet.
The way this was broken down into individual stories reminded me of Palahniuk's Haunted and at times it was just as dark and vivid.
Highly recommended - in a genre that is in danger of becoming saturated with utter dross, "Aftereffects" sticks its head over the parapet screaming "eat me for lunch, zombie fans". Worth every penny of the stunningly low price.
Having read the majority there is to offer in the zombie genre, from the appalling to the eponymous, I was surprised and delighted to stumble across Bradey's stunning offering via the Twittersphere.
Do not doubt - this is a fantastic piece of well-written fiction. At times truly stomach-churning in its prose, Bradey turns the genre on its head, following the pyschiatric "treatment" of victims of a cannibalistic virus in a seemingly decimated United States.
The novel's protagonist, Dr Victor Frenzel, watched his wife become a victim of these zombies and as the "zombie psychiatrist" he finds himself in a highly respected position where he helps those who still remember their life as zombies come to terms with what they have done. Well. Sort of.
The novel is broken down in to patients' extracts and experiences, and I think the laughable nature of the experiences, turning and cure of Laverne and Phil make them my favourite "clients". It's up to you to decide, and you will enjoy reading the experiences, even if at times some of the graphical descriptions make you want to hide your head under the duvet.
The way this was broken down into individual stories reminded me of Palahniuk's Haunted and at times it was just as dark and vivid.
Highly recommended - in a genre that is in danger of becoming saturated with utter dross, "Aftereffects" sticks its head over the parapet screaming "eat me for lunch, zombie fans". Worth every penny of the stunningly low price.
December 5, 2012
Aftereffects: Zombie Therapy by Zane Bradley is a very fast paced story. So much calamity happens that I found it hard to stop reading. Client after client visits Dr. Frenzel with their story of what they did while infected. It's gruesome, hair raising and heart breaking to hear what the infected did and how it changed their lives. It's a real twist that the infected are cured and seeking therapy but the rest of the story follows the zombie story model.
The main story revolves around Dr. Frenzel seeking the infected responsible for his wife's death. One by one he inches closer to finding the one who pulled her from the car and those who eventually ate her. Gruesome but true.
I liked Bradley's style of writing. It was fast paced and full of detail. I could imagine exactly in my mind what was going on all the time. Bradley kept me interested from start to finished and left me wanting more. There is a plot that was not resolved in my opinion but the ending allows it to be unresolved. That's what zombies do, they destroy your life plans and drag you to hell. They don't leave much room for job advancement or weddings.
This is a great book for those who love zombies and action books. Give it a read.
The main story revolves around Dr. Frenzel seeking the infected responsible for his wife's death. One by one he inches closer to finding the one who pulled her from the car and those who eventually ate her. Gruesome but true.
I liked Bradley's style of writing. It was fast paced and full of detail. I could imagine exactly in my mind what was going on all the time. Bradley kept me interested from start to finished and left me wanting more. There is a plot that was not resolved in my opinion but the ending allows it to be unresolved. That's what zombies do, they destroy your life plans and drag you to hell. They don't leave much room for job advancement or weddings.
This is a great book for those who love zombies and action books. Give it a read.
May 24, 2012
Aftereffects: Zombie Therapy by Zane Bradey
I just finished my first Zombie book ever titled Aftereffects: Zombie Therapy by author Zane Bradey. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I really enjoyed this book very much, which was completely different from what I expected. A very cool and unexpected twist as Dr. Frenzel is most creative in how he, ahem, cures his patients, former zombies who remember every gory detail of their killing spree, once and for all.
I loved the character development and the POV of Dr. Frenzel and his wide array of eclectic patients who tell the story of the zombie rampage that killed countless people. Pity the client who the good doctor suspects was one of the infected cannibalistic fiends who ate his lovely young wife.
If you like zombie stories, I recommend Aftereffects: Zombie Therapy.
Check out Zane Bradey’s Website at http://www.zanebradey.com and the synopsis of Aftereffects: Zombie Therapy at http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13...
I just finished my first Zombie book ever titled Aftereffects: Zombie Therapy by author Zane Bradey. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I really enjoyed this book very much, which was completely different from what I expected. A very cool and unexpected twist as Dr. Frenzel is most creative in how he, ahem, cures his patients, former zombies who remember every gory detail of their killing spree, once and for all.
I loved the character development and the POV of Dr. Frenzel and his wide array of eclectic patients who tell the story of the zombie rampage that killed countless people. Pity the client who the good doctor suspects was one of the infected cannibalistic fiends who ate his lovely young wife.
If you like zombie stories, I recommend Aftereffects: Zombie Therapy.
Check out Zane Bradey’s Website at http://www.zanebradey.com and the synopsis of Aftereffects: Zombie Therapy at http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13...
April 27, 2013
Well, whatever I was expecting to read from my initial impression of the title, I was pleasantly surprised by Aftereffects. It's a refreshing, deceptively layered, and exquisitely detailed look at a zombie apocalypse, from more than one perspective. It was like 28 Days Later and the Walking Dead meets CSI, NCIS, and Criminal Minds, with a dash of Alfred Hitchcock for added zest and skin-crawling irony. For someone like me with a morbid and twisted sense of humour, the creativity with which the author treated zombie attacks, the perspective of the zombies themselves, and the motivation and actions of the protagonist, a zombie psychiatrist, were absolutely compelling reading. I wish the story hadn't ended when it did -- I would have liked to have known who was behind the mysterious camera keeping tabs on things throughout. (I won't add anymore, for fear of being spoiler-ish.)
I highly recommend Aftereffects for anyone who enjoys a bloody good zombie read. You'll barely be able to put this one down, I guarantee it.
I highly recommend Aftereffects for anyone who enjoys a bloody good zombie read. You'll barely be able to put this one down, I guarantee it.
August 1, 2012
I can't believe I read the whole book! But it was well written, and the author is a very unique storyteller. His main character, Dr. Victor Frenzel, a psychiatrist, interviews several people who had previously been infected with a disease that mutated them into cannibalistic zombies. The government erased the disease and cured those infected, but those who had been infected still remember every detail of how they were infected and what they had done to others. I don't know if all zombies eat people, but these have a ravenous appetite (you may not want to snack while reading this book!) Dr. Frenzel interviews several clients who share their stories with him. He has his own way of closing these cases. Do you like reading the stories of Stephen King? Then you will like these. Don't worry...you won't fall asleep until the end...or maybe not until the sun rises. Extremely well written and edited; now I'm not fearful of reading more about zombies!
May 27, 2012
“Aftereffects: Zombie Therapy” takes the reader into the office of a psychiatrist, who sits, listening carefully and takes notes of his patients afflicted with a problem that he has the cure. In a dystopian world, a tragic background, and carnivorous dead abound, no place is really safe. The reader is introduced to a variety of “patients” that do get the kind of assistance only this doctor can deliver in a quiet, skillful way. Nothing is as it seems as the plot moves toward the ending, leaving the reader with questions about who-is-on-who’s side. For zombie fans, a must. For horror fans, still a must! Five Stars!
July 23, 2012
Aftereffects: Zombie Therapy was one of the most engaging and original zombie books I have ever read. This novella is smart and well-written, exploring the psychological after effects of a zombie outbreak. Bradley holds nothing back, offering up impressively graphic scenes of gore that will make even the most cast-iron stomach churn.
A few minor cautions: the e-formatting isn't perfect, the tone of the work is extremely cynical, even for me (and that is really saying something), and the story comes to an end rather abruptly, clearly leaving the reader to wait for the next installment.
Any fan of the genre should read this book; it will broaden your zombie horizons.
A few minor cautions: the e-formatting isn't perfect, the tone of the work is extremely cynical, even for me (and that is really saying something), and the story comes to an end rather abruptly, clearly leaving the reader to wait for the next installment.
Any fan of the genre should read this book; it will broaden your zombie horizons.
June 26, 2012
My review will be up on my blog tomorrow, 6/27/12, at 8:30 AM PST. http://caterinatorres.com/blog/
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