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Zombie Youth #1
Zombie Youth: Playground Politics
What will the survivors do when every one over the age of twenty suddenly dies in a viral outbreak? Worse yet, what will they do when the dead refuse stay that way?
A group of students are left trapped in their school as the adults they once relied upon suffer strange symptoms and die, only to return and feed. With no guidance or supervision the students are left to recreate society as they see fit. But not everyone shares their vision of the future...Zombie Youth:Playground Politics is the first novel in a new series following a group of survivors struggling to stay alive in a world where there are things far worse than zombies.
A group of students are left trapped in their school as the adults they once relied upon suffer strange symptoms and die, only to return and feed. With no guidance or supervision the students are left to recreate society as they see fit. But not everyone shares their vision of the future...Zombie Youth:Playground Politics is the first novel in a new series following a group of survivors struggling to stay alive in a world where there are things far worse than zombies.
349 pages, Paperback
First published April 8, 2012
25 people are currently reading
1153 people want to read
About the author
H.E. Goodhue
9 books30 followersH.E. Goodhue is an author and educator. Zombie Youth: Playground Politics is Goodhue’s first published novel. It is the first installment in a new series from Severed Press that has been called “unrelenting”, “thrilling and exciting” by both fellow authors and literary critics. Through Severed Press, Goodhue has released six novels, including Pink Slime, Love Bug and Tidal Grave. H.E. Goodhue currently resides in New Jersey with his wife, daughter and two hardheaded pitbulls.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
January 8, 2014
I don't mind a basic zombie apocalypse story if it's done well, and that is all I thought this would be. Instead, I was pleasantly surprised to find that this book had a lot more to it than the same old same old. There are a few different types of zombies and an even more dangerous threat from another group of survivors who are nothing short of ecstatic about the end of the world. A great story with characters you'll definitely care about, lots of action, and vivid descriptions. Also, the author, who is a teacher, does a good job of making the teenaged character's dialogue realistic and not some adult's silly idea of how teenagers speak. Looking forward to 2&3.
April 15, 2013
I loved this book. It was fast paced. I couldn't put the book down. A page turner indeed. It was exciting creepy and I loved the gory details kn this book.
November 6, 2013
Zombie youth: Playground Politics
By H.E.Goodhue
First, I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed reading this zombie book. The story was fast and enthralling. Gruesome and entertaining, I would recommend it to any die hard zombie fans. A good first attempt by Mr. Goodhue. It takes the point of view of a group of teenagers, but never plays down to their age. There are twists and unexpected, non-traditional zombies, they were great. I’d like to have seen a few of the main characters die, but that’s just me. The end has a nice kick as well.
The book, however, does have its problems, timeline, confusion on points of view, some weak characters, tag lines and the odd typo, but these aside, with a little editing could easily be worth 5 stars.
I really enjoyed the book and look forward to more work by H.E.Goodhue.
Jeremy Poole(Author)
By H.E.Goodhue
First, I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed reading this zombie book. The story was fast and enthralling. Gruesome and entertaining, I would recommend it to any die hard zombie fans. A good first attempt by Mr. Goodhue. It takes the point of view of a group of teenagers, but never plays down to their age. There are twists and unexpected, non-traditional zombies, they were great. I’d like to have seen a few of the main characters die, but that’s just me. The end has a nice kick as well.
The book, however, does have its problems, timeline, confusion on points of view, some weak characters, tag lines and the odd typo, but these aside, with a little editing could easily be worth 5 stars.
I really enjoyed the book and look forward to more work by H.E.Goodhue.
Jeremy Poole(Author)
February 4, 2014
Zombie Youth: Playground Politics is a well written, action packed story that is hard to put down. I enjoyed the twist that came from using school kids as the center characters for the story. It was different and made for interesting reading.
Full bodied (no pun intended...lol) characters give added depth and dimension making this story a cut above the average zombie gore fest. I must admit that I fell in love with Chris' character. Who knew that the end of the world as we know it could be the best thing to happen to someone.
If you are looking for a horror story that has a plot and characters you can cheer for, give this one a try. You won't regret it...especially the ending (wink).
Full bodied (no pun intended...lol) characters give added depth and dimension making this story a cut above the average zombie gore fest. I must admit that I fell in love with Chris' character. Who knew that the end of the world as we know it could be the best thing to happen to someone.
If you are looking for a horror story that has a plot and characters you can cheer for, give this one a try. You won't regret it...especially the ending (wink).
June 8, 2013
Great! My free book from Goodreads arrived and I was excited and a little apprehensive; I love Zombie movies and TV shows, but hadn't really dipped a toe into the Zombie novel genre before. I loved it! This book builds the experience with jump-start in a relatively new location for Zombies: A School. Ha - What an experience it would be for a teen reader.
The characters were written so that the reader could identify with their plight, however were not overpowering the story...or the pre-requisite gore.
And the ending? Oh My! Well, just read it. You won't be disappointed, especially if Zombies are your thing :)
(If there is a next one, consider me in)
The characters were written so that the reader could identify with their plight, however were not overpowering the story...or the pre-requisite gore.
And the ending? Oh My! Well, just read it. You won't be disappointed, especially if Zombies are your thing :)
(If there is a next one, consider me in)
February 28, 2013
Zombie Youth: Playground Politics is an absolutely awesome read for any zombie fan! A little less gory than some but still got just the right amount of blood, guns, and the undead to keep me satisfied. Mixed in with some teenage drama, some romance, and some inrtriguing (and thought enducing) ideas this book should be high on any undead lover's to read list. I personally look forward to seeing more from this author.
February 17, 2014
I tend to judge a book based on how well it keeps my attention. If I find myself thinking about it when not reading, that's a bonus. If it keeps me from doing other things...like household chores, it's gotta be good. Goodhue paints an extremely colorful picture in this chilling tale. Extremely descriptive, frightening, and thrilling. Well formatted, well edited, well written.
I did receive a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I went on to purchase it for my elibrary.
I did receive a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I went on to purchase it for my elibrary.
January 11, 2013
This brilliant fast paced story is a real page turner, and IMHO absolutely for the young adult who wants to get straight into the action, and stay there. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
February 8, 2013
This was an easy read and definitely worth a few hours of time. It's about children who create their own society once all the adults die (and then return)...
November 23, 2017
Katy's Readings
Anything that has the word Politic in it is bad for me!! But when you have a bunch of young people in a world of zombies trying to remake society it's an eye opener... So add: Zombies + Apocalypse World + Badass Students and BAM = Amazeballs!
The most important thing in a zombie book? Definitely the gory details!!!! In here the description of the zombies, of the killings are so disgusting and so awesome at the same time! The action? Pretty sweet... From the 25th page and forward is when the action begins and where you won't get be able to get your hands off this book until every single zombie is killed. It's one of those book that gets you on the edge of the seat and leaves you breathless every single time something moves...
The plot? I wasn't able to connect with the characters all that well. I don't know why but they just didn't felt real enough for me. (Even though they were average teenagers) But that doesn't stop me from saying that they are pretty good. I mean, no way in hell a thirteen year old me would do a third of what they did in the beginning. So, you can expect a sick plot with big guns, and kickass zombie fighting skills as well.
Though, i think that the story does have too many descriptions and sometimes drags on a bit, but hey even in a zombie world there is slow times... Asides from that? It has everything you could ask for.
Playground Politics is bound to bring new fans to the whole zombie scene and if you didn't knew H.E Goodhue before... well, you will Now!
Anything that has the word Politic in it is bad for me!! But when you have a bunch of young people in a world of zombies trying to remake society it's an eye opener... So add: Zombies + Apocalypse World + Badass Students and BAM = Amazeballs!
The most important thing in a zombie book? Definitely the gory details!!!! In here the description of the zombies, of the killings are so disgusting and so awesome at the same time! The action? Pretty sweet... From the 25th page and forward is when the action begins and where you won't get be able to get your hands off this book until every single zombie is killed. It's one of those book that gets you on the edge of the seat and leaves you breathless every single time something moves...
The plot? I wasn't able to connect with the characters all that well. I don't know why but they just didn't felt real enough for me. (Even though they were average teenagers) But that doesn't stop me from saying that they are pretty good. I mean, no way in hell a thirteen year old me would do a third of what they did in the beginning. So, you can expect a sick plot with big guns, and kickass zombie fighting skills as well.
Though, i think that the story does have too many descriptions and sometimes drags on a bit, but hey even in a zombie world there is slow times... Asides from that? It has everything you could ask for.
Playground Politics is bound to bring new fans to the whole zombie scene and if you didn't knew H.E Goodhue before... well, you will Now!
March 8, 2014
You never know what you're going to get with a free read to review, but I have to say I pleasantly surprised by this one. As much as I love zombie movies and TV shows, I've only had a few successes when it comes to zombie books. I count this as a total success!
Right from the start I found myself drawn into this stories. The characters come across as realistic and easy to relate to no matter what your age is. It comes across as a believable depiction of a zombie outbreak in a small town.
While there are some scenes that are a little drawn out, I really can't come up with one place where I really think the book could have been trimmed down. For the most part the story moves right along and continues to be enjoyable start to finish. I'm interested to see where the next novel goes!
Right from the start I found myself drawn into this stories. The characters come across as realistic and easy to relate to no matter what your age is. It comes across as a believable depiction of a zombie outbreak in a small town.
While there are some scenes that are a little drawn out, I really can't come up with one place where I really think the book could have been trimmed down. For the most part the story moves right along and continues to be enjoyable start to finish. I'm interested to see where the next novel goes!
May 29, 2013
I was given this book by the Author that was also signed, thank you for that. I finally got around to reading it(had to study for exams!!) and now I love it. I found this to be a really great book that I constantly had my head stuck in and think it definitely deserves 5 stars!! It is an easy read about a group of young adults/teens that are trying to survive a world where the dead don't stay dead. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone and will be spreading the Zombie Youth infection!
February 2, 2014
I received this book for a r4r: I enjoyed how realistic this story was. I enjoyed and fell in love with each and every character in the book. The kids where smart.. All and all I would read book 2 in this series
December 30, 2014
I don't usually like zombie books or movies, but this was a great book! Great young adult or adult read! Lots of action that keeps you in suspense!
July 28, 2022
I have just one complaint about this book, there are no chapters!
Which would be fine if the action ever stopped but as it was I just kept on reading till I had to stop or be late for work, or had to run to the toilet or realised I had finished and it was quarter to one in the morning! Well who needs sleep anyway? (There are scene breaks but I’m a ‘I’ll just read to the end of this chapter type of person.)
Is it perfect? Possibly not, given the rating some people have given it.
Did it grip me? Yes
Did it make me chuckle? On occasion
Did it make me Desperate to finish a scene to see if everyone was okay? Hell yes, why do you think I’m writing this review at almost 1am?!?
If you like zombies you will most likely enjoy this story, I went into it thinking it might be okay as I picked it up for free but it was a lot better than okay and I’ve added the next book to my Amazon wish list.
Which would be fine if the action ever stopped but as it was I just kept on reading till I had to stop or be late for work, or had to run to the toilet or realised I had finished and it was quarter to one in the morning! Well who needs sleep anyway? (There are scene breaks but I’m a ‘I’ll just read to the end of this chapter type of person.)
Is it perfect? Possibly not, given the rating some people have given it.
Did it grip me? Yes
Did it make me chuckle? On occasion
Did it make me Desperate to finish a scene to see if everyone was okay? Hell yes, why do you think I’m writing this review at almost 1am?!?
If you like zombies you will most likely enjoy this story, I went into it thinking it might be okay as I picked it up for free but it was a lot better than okay and I’ve added the next book to my Amazon wish list.
February 9, 2014
A fair book, though it has little in character or relationship development, hardly touches on survival in the apocalypse (or treats the protagonists as average teenagers), and uses too many perspectives to depict and draw out action scenes at the expense of story. Consequently, I will not be continuing on in this series.
"Playground Politics" is a misleading title as both are absent from the book. While at first a group of students act somewhat like teenagers, the book suddenly leaps forward several *important* months in time, after which the concept that these are kids becomes a non-factor. Meanwhile the fast forward seems to do little for their relationships other than giving the protagonist group the feeling that they are in this together and no one can die. If someone's in trouble the leaders are going to have to go to any length to save them...
Minor Spoiler: The back 1/2 of the book is basically a non-stop assault told in a short sequence of 2-5 perspectives, cycled constantly as the day progresses. The perspective cycling of that day went on way too long.
Lastly, the author needs to be more careful portraying the protagonist(s) as facing an insurmountable zombie horde, when that "horde" is later depicted as 20-30 zombies in open territory. The major escape sequence was inconsistent in this way. The last 10% of the story cost the book at least a star for drawing things out, showing too many perspectives, providing an inconsistent message on the challenges they faced, and resolving by deciding the challenges' scopes were actually quite manageable after all.
"Playground Politics" is a misleading title as both are absent from the book. While at first a group of students act somewhat like teenagers, the book suddenly leaps forward several *important* months in time, after which the concept that these are kids becomes a non-factor. Meanwhile the fast forward seems to do little for their relationships other than giving the protagonist group the feeling that they are in this together and no one can die. If someone's in trouble the leaders are going to have to go to any length to save them...
Minor Spoiler: The back 1/2 of the book is basically a non-stop assault told in a short sequence of 2-5 perspectives, cycled constantly as the day progresses. The perspective cycling of that day went on way too long.
Lastly, the author needs to be more careful portraying the protagonist(s) as facing an insurmountable zombie horde, when that "horde" is later depicted as 20-30 zombies in open territory. The major escape sequence was inconsistent in this way. The last 10% of the story cost the book at least a star for drawing things out, showing too many perspectives, providing an inconsistent message on the challenges they faced, and resolving by deciding the challenges' scopes were actually quite manageable after all.
April 30, 2016
First book in the Zombie Youth series.
This would have been a very entertaining read if there hadn't been so many WTF moments where I was pulled out of the story thinking "he did what?" or "How did that happen?". Also, all of the main characters appear to agree on everything with none of the bickering implied by the title. All new information is accepted as presented with little or no personal interpretation.
The author introduces three types of zombies with different attributes and abilities; however, at the final confrontation the main characters only plan on facing one type and that's the only type they face. Also, the numbers they were facing in each of the battles kept changing.
This would have been a very entertaining read if there hadn't been so many WTF moments where I was pulled out of the story thinking "he did what?" or "How did that happen?". Also, all of the main characters appear to agree on everything with none of the bickering implied by the title. All new information is accepted as presented with little or no personal interpretation.
The author introduces three types of zombies with different attributes and abilities; however, at the final confrontation the main characters only plan on facing one type and that's the only type they face. Also, the numbers they were facing in each of the battles kept changing.
September 30, 2016
Oh wow it took me almost a year to finish this one. I guess I don't have to say that I really struggled to stay interested in this book but hey, at least I finally finished. Honestly I feel almost bad rating it 3 stars since I'd go months between reading sections of the story thus forgetting chunks of what I'd previously read having to go back and skim. On the other hand it didn't really captivate me and even when I did go back I found myself struggling to stay engaged. Overall, it wasn't a bad book but I probably won't jump into another book by this Author anytime soon. At least not one that's part of this series anyway.
November 28, 2015
I enjoy all apocalypse books and each one has its own little story line to make it a little different from others. I liked the story line but the fact that a virus took over the world within an hour was a little too far fetched. I did like the way the kids banded together and put all their petty differences aside.
June 13, 2014
A different and interesting spin on the zombie apocalypse! Horrifyingly wonderful. Very interesting to consider and live through the eyes of children and adolescents. Well written and eagerly anticipate more.
December 17, 2015
It was as quick read - a bit of a mix between Walking Dead and High School Musical. It was a nice touch that there were more than one type of zombie - just a slight variation on the theme. At least there was a properly concluded ending.
August 19, 2013
It was good but I really miss the original cast, I found I forgot to read the last book in the WFoTD series so I'm reading that now.
November 30, 2015
Abandoned. I like the concept but the writing gets wordy in places. It feels like it wasn't edited all that well. (There are also a lot of small punctuation mistakes)
December 18, 2015
Very interesting, I enjoyed it.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews