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Deadworld #1
This Is How It Ends by Nick Wilgus
Book One High school juniors Billy Gunn and Rory Wilder return from a weekend camping trip to find a mysterious plague has wiped out their small town of Port Moss, Mississippi. The question of why is only the beginning—especially when the dead refuse to stay dead. Figuring out what happened is job one for Billy and Rory. But complications quickly set in. Not only do the dead rise, but a freak storm threatens torrential downpours as winter looms. And enormous ships appear in the sky, bringing with them alien visitors with technology never seen before. Left without electricity and modern conveniences, Billy and Rory must figure out a way to navigate horrific zombies, advanced alien life forms, and apocalyptic storms, as well as deal with their growing love for each other in a world gone mad.
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First published May 3, 2016
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About the author
Nick Wilgus
21 books202 followersI sold my first short story to The Horror Show Magazine at the age of seventeen and I've been writing ever since. An award-winning movie was based on my first novel, MINDFULNESS AND MURDER, and I was also nominated for a Lambda Award.
A former newspaper editor and author of more than a dozen novels and two screenplays, I currently live in Tupelo, Mississippi right down the street from the house where Elvis grew up..
A former newspaper editor and author of more than a dozen novels and two screenplays, I currently live in Tupelo, Mississippi right down the street from the house where Elvis grew up..
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
May 10, 2016
4.5 STARS Minor spoilers and trigger alerts I changed my review and rating on this.
It looks better on here ➡️ http://bit.ly/1UOqwdp
Well, that was a genre free for all, but I must admit it worked. It's not even YA or NA it's TEEN, the two MC are 15 years old, thrown into a Dystopian and Post Apocalyptic world at the start of the book, but wait there's more, some Sci-Fi, Contemporary, UF, Horror and very dark. It's hard to see these kids go through this with a zombie apocalypse too, now for the free steak knives... and the cherry on top is a Midwitch Cuckoo who could have made a cameo on Falling Skies (TV series) lol.
"This Is How It Ends," takes small snippets from all over the place, it's like reading the playlist from a hardcore industrial club and every sample and loop the DJ mixed into what he played that night, was frantically placed into the rapidly twisted storyline of this book, and it WORKED for me.
I do like it when dystopian is done properly as I don't think it's an easy genre to write within. It is usually very dark and this book is no exception, but these books are usually pushing taboo's and trigger points with a sharp stick. A few go too far and ruin it, some go to far but yet master it, this book balances right on the edge, so yes, it's a blood pumping thrill ride and the characters really want to get off.
I really enjoyed this novel. The main storyline just gets slammed into 3rd gear while going 100KM p/h, and that's just by the end of book one, and yes, it's a MOTHER OF A CLIFF-HANGER . So I am positive it will actually get better as it goes along but Nick, PLEASE don't end on such huge cliffhangers mate. It's beyond frustrating. While I understand the build up, it unfortunately backfires a lot more now on the authors of LGBTQ+ novels because so many series never get finished. I'm only mentioning this as it came up on the GR boards again the other day. People now wait for book two or the entire series to be published these days. Some do it because they hate cliff-hangers and the main reason is due to lack of book two, anyway, I'll shut up now.
This book was right up my alley and it was very dark and nasty. This is one action packed thriller and it's actually really creepy in parts, horrifying in others and heart wrenching as these kids just can't catch a break It's really well written and Nick Wilgus has really thrown his characters into the deep-end. They can all swim though, but luckily they all flip out at different times. While some of them struggle to doggy paddles on one day, another will have a meltdown and are frozen in fear, it's like watching a game of tacit tag because you can't pick who's going to leap off the diving block and become the Olympic swimmer for that five minutes or the entire day. It depends if their flight or fight instinct is triggered in any given scenario and they are relentless and just keep coming.
This Is How It Ends (Deadworld Book 1) is a foundation novel. It's setting the scene for what I believe has the potential to become an amazing series.
Billy and Rory are the main characters and are best friends, they decide to spend their last days of summer vacation camping, just outside of their small town, Port Moss in the deep south of Mississippi. Billy is gay and at fifteen, he's too scared to make any moves on his best friend Rory, who he's had a crush on for the few years they've known each other.
Billy is pretty sure Rory might be gay too and Billy has been a minx about it for a while now. Strutting around naked at home during sleep overs, accidentally dropping his towel on purpose when he gets back into his bedroom after a shower and sitting next to Rory on the bed. The only thing is, Rory doesn't get mad with him but also doesn't really ask him to cover up either, but Billy's hesitation comes from Rory getting occasionally flustered with him about his lack of clothing and he is one strict Christian.
On their last day, a boat drifts towards them on the river. They notice something is wrong and swim out to meet it, but the people are dead. They rush back into town to find it deserted, so deserted that only a few dogs are left barking. After checking their homes and shops they realise that they are definitely not alone, everyone's still here but they're all dead. They all looked to have died peacefully in their sleep and judging by the smell they think it happened Friday night, when they went off camping.
Shocked until sunset they finally go stay at Rory's aunties house while she's away, as they need to get their collective shit together. There's still power though but not a single call will go through to anyone, nor is there anything new or updated on the Internet worldwide, the TV and radio aren't broadcasting a thing, but as the days pass bodies slowly go missing and then they find out why. They grab the keys to his aunt's car and decide to barricade themselves in the high school until help arrives.
After a few days holed up I'm the school they find a a couple of more people while on a supply run, a woman from their school cafeteria and Max, that's where things begin to go really wrong, as they form a plan to flee to the countryside.
Nick Wilgus' writing really comes to the fore, as he throws some very nasty words of taboo amongst this utterly terrified and frantic group. With the exponential friction he keeps building they all explode at each other when an attempt to get out of town is thwarted by flood waters that have been created from a raging storm that has been unleashing on them for days. They make their way to a church and that is where they find a girl stuck in a tree.
She is the Sheriff's daughter, and still acts like she can do or say what ever she wants, but keeps forgetting that Daddy is dead. The friction she causes in such a small amount of time literally turns the other characters into lightning rods of tension as their hopes of survival begin to slide from their grasp. She is not just the Sheriff's daughter but the unfortunate offspring of what was obviously one prejudice and vile man.
Within ten minutes she alienates the others who have saved her and proceeds to vomit forth one of the nastiest hate fuelled tirades I've read for a long time. It's as if the electricity from the storm has had a metamorphosis effect on her, fuelling her vehement diatribe, so it might as well have been lightning bolts that kept shooting from her racist, homophobic and southern christian mouth.
Now I personally despise two words she kept repeating, and yes it was the "N" word along with fag which I can see will upset a lot of people. I do not condone these words ever, and some people might not read it due to this fact but I felt it was in there for a reason. To make us all remember that not even an apocalypse can kill all prejudice, even one as taboo as the "N" word. To also remind the few survivors to never forget that. It was an ugly scene but it was also powerful. She had nothing, she needed them yet she kept going until they stripped her of her power by saying that if you open your mouth again, we won't help you.
She was trying on a power play because she was a white supremacist her entire life and had it viciously stripped away from her by two fifteen year old gay guys in less than two minutes after her rant with just a few words, say it again and we'll lock you out. To possibly be the last five people left on earth, in the middle of more than one very nasty situation, I found it ended up making people like her, still clinging to their prejudice belief's look sad and utterly pathetic.
The book moves forwards after they discover some nasty truths about the large black pyramids that almost obscure the sky but the worst thing they find out is what's in them and what they've done to most of the dead people. Rory who is a very devout christian, to the point that he carries his bible around finally stops quoting verses as he comes to terms with his sexuality and realises that it's not God's Judgement Day as they are faced with another shocking event as they try to seek refuge at his grandfathers secluded farm.
They finally reach their intended destination and Rory has become completely insufferable, I wanted to reach into the book and bitch slap him. Poor peacekeeper Billy has been through hell after their journey and Rory just ignores him as Billy gets sicker and sicker. Rory won't even look him in the eye and dismisses Billy illness until he collapses.
Now it sounds like I've reviewed the entire book from cover to cover and in some ways I have but there's only minor spoilers and loads more horrific events that I haven't touched upon.
I would however like to touch upon the scene I mentioned earlier and other terrible things that happen. To me, every hardship they endured was like a metaphorical ending. There's obviously not many people left in the world and dystopian novels are rarely a nice bedtime story. With each major event that went down, I felt like it was symbolic to the characters and it was meant to be hard. It's not a nice book but it is a fantastic read and I highly recommend it to all my friends that like this kind of work.
These boys had to face their fear head on and either fight them or flee and there was no option to flee, so there were battles within battles. They are fifteen, Max is ten. All were forced to faced down a lot of fears and beat each one of them but some came at a great cost. My point is that these things happen everyday unfortunately, it makes me sick to my stomach and although I loathe them with a passion, but I also can't stick my head in the sand and pretend that they don't because that would just be lying to myself.
I'm not trying to justify myself or the author but I saw this from a different perspective and found it powerfully symbolic no matter what was said or happened. I'm actually more concerned about how on earth they're going to survive through the sequel as the mysterious beings in the thousands of pyramids that are the size of cities began dropping pods the size of The Eiffel Tower right at the end of book one. So if you love dark dystopian horror, that honestly has too many other genre's to name except I'll add Sci-Fi and Post Apocalyptic then grab a copy and tell everyone what you think. I can't wait for book two.
It looks better on here ➡️ http://bit.ly/1UOqwdp
Well, that was a genre free for all, but I must admit it worked. It's not even YA or NA it's TEEN, the two MC are 15 years old, thrown into a Dystopian and Post Apocalyptic world at the start of the book, but wait there's more, some Sci-Fi, Contemporary, UF, Horror and very dark. It's hard to see these kids go through this with a zombie apocalypse too, now for the free steak knives... and the cherry on top is a Midwitch Cuckoo who could have made a cameo on Falling Skies (TV series) lol.
"This Is How It Ends," takes small snippets from all over the place, it's like reading the playlist from a hardcore industrial club and every sample and loop the DJ mixed into what he played that night, was frantically placed into the rapidly twisted storyline of this book, and it WORKED for me.
I do like it when dystopian is done properly as I don't think it's an easy genre to write within. It is usually very dark and this book is no exception, but these books are usually pushing taboo's and trigger points with a sharp stick. A few go too far and ruin it, some go to far but yet master it, this book balances right on the edge, so yes, it's a blood pumping thrill ride and the characters really want to get off.
I really enjoyed this novel. The main storyline just gets slammed into 3rd gear while going 100KM p/h, and that's just by the end of book one, and yes, it's a MOTHER OF A CLIFF-HANGER . So I am positive it will actually get better as it goes along but Nick, PLEASE don't end on such huge cliffhangers mate. It's beyond frustrating. While I understand the build up, it unfortunately backfires a lot more now on the authors of LGBTQ+ novels because so many series never get finished. I'm only mentioning this as it came up on the GR boards again the other day. People now wait for book two or the entire series to be published these days. Some do it because they hate cliff-hangers and the main reason is due to lack of book two, anyway, I'll shut up now.
This book was right up my alley and it was very dark and nasty. This is one action packed thriller and it's actually really creepy in parts, horrifying in others and heart wrenching as these kids just can't catch a break It's really well written and Nick Wilgus has really thrown his characters into the deep-end. They can all swim though, but luckily they all flip out at different times. While some of them struggle to doggy paddles on one day, another will have a meltdown and are frozen in fear, it's like watching a game of tacit tag because you can't pick who's going to leap off the diving block and become the Olympic swimmer for that five minutes or the entire day. It depends if their flight or fight instinct is triggered in any given scenario and they are relentless and just keep coming.
This Is How It Ends (Deadworld Book 1) is a foundation novel. It's setting the scene for what I believe has the potential to become an amazing series.
Billy and Rory are the main characters and are best friends, they decide to spend their last days of summer vacation camping, just outside of their small town, Port Moss in the deep south of Mississippi. Billy is gay and at fifteen, he's too scared to make any moves on his best friend Rory, who he's had a crush on for the few years they've known each other.
Billy is pretty sure Rory might be gay too and Billy has been a minx about it for a while now. Strutting around naked at home during sleep overs, accidentally dropping his towel on purpose when he gets back into his bedroom after a shower and sitting next to Rory on the bed. The only thing is, Rory doesn't get mad with him but also doesn't really ask him to cover up either, but Billy's hesitation comes from Rory getting occasionally flustered with him about his lack of clothing and he is one strict Christian.
On their last day, a boat drifts towards them on the river. They notice something is wrong and swim out to meet it, but the people are dead. They rush back into town to find it deserted, so deserted that only a few dogs are left barking. After checking their homes and shops they realise that they are definitely not alone, everyone's still here but they're all dead. They all looked to have died peacefully in their sleep and judging by the smell they think it happened Friday night, when they went off camping.
Shocked until sunset they finally go stay at Rory's aunties house while she's away, as they need to get their collective shit together. There's still power though but not a single call will go through to anyone, nor is there anything new or updated on the Internet worldwide, the TV and radio aren't broadcasting a thing, but as the days pass bodies slowly go missing and then they find out why. They grab the keys to his aunt's car and decide to barricade themselves in the high school until help arrives.
After a few days holed up I'm the school they find a a couple of more people while on a supply run, a woman from their school cafeteria and Max, that's where things begin to go really wrong, as they form a plan to flee to the countryside.
Nick Wilgus' writing really comes to the fore, as he throws some very nasty words of taboo amongst this utterly terrified and frantic group. With the exponential friction he keeps building they all explode at each other when an attempt to get out of town is thwarted by flood waters that have been created from a raging storm that has been unleashing on them for days. They make their way to a church and that is where they find a girl stuck in a tree.
She is the Sheriff's daughter, and still acts like she can do or say what ever she wants, but keeps forgetting that Daddy is dead. The friction she causes in such a small amount of time literally turns the other characters into lightning rods of tension as their hopes of survival begin to slide from their grasp. She is not just the Sheriff's daughter but the unfortunate offspring of what was obviously one prejudice and vile man.
Within ten minutes she alienates the others who have saved her and proceeds to vomit forth one of the nastiest hate fuelled tirades I've read for a long time. It's as if the electricity from the storm has had a metamorphosis effect on her, fuelling her vehement diatribe, so it might as well have been lightning bolts that kept shooting from her racist, homophobic and southern christian mouth.
Now I personally despise two words she kept repeating, and yes it was the "N" word along with fag which I can see will upset a lot of people. I do not condone these words ever, and some people might not read it due to this fact but I felt it was in there for a reason. To make us all remember that not even an apocalypse can kill all prejudice, even one as taboo as the "N" word. To also remind the few survivors to never forget that. It was an ugly scene but it was also powerful. She had nothing, she needed them yet she kept going until they stripped her of her power by saying that if you open your mouth again, we won't help you.
She was trying on a power play because she was a white supremacist her entire life and had it viciously stripped away from her by two fifteen year old gay guys in less than two minutes after her rant with just a few words, say it again and we'll lock you out. To possibly be the last five people left on earth, in the middle of more than one very nasty situation, I found it ended up making people like her, still clinging to their prejudice belief's look sad and utterly pathetic.
The book moves forwards after they discover some nasty truths about the large black pyramids that almost obscure the sky but the worst thing they find out is what's in them and what they've done to most of the dead people. Rory who is a very devout christian, to the point that he carries his bible around finally stops quoting verses as he comes to terms with his sexuality and realises that it's not God's Judgement Day as they are faced with another shocking event as they try to seek refuge at his grandfathers secluded farm.
They finally reach their intended destination and Rory has become completely insufferable, I wanted to reach into the book and bitch slap him. Poor peacekeeper Billy has been through hell after their journey and Rory just ignores him as Billy gets sicker and sicker. Rory won't even look him in the eye and dismisses Billy illness until he collapses.
Now it sounds like I've reviewed the entire book from cover to cover and in some ways I have but there's only minor spoilers and loads more horrific events that I haven't touched upon.
I would however like to touch upon the scene I mentioned earlier and other terrible things that happen. To me, every hardship they endured was like a metaphorical ending. There's obviously not many people left in the world and dystopian novels are rarely a nice bedtime story. With each major event that went down, I felt like it was symbolic to the characters and it was meant to be hard. It's not a nice book but it is a fantastic read and I highly recommend it to all my friends that like this kind of work.
These boys had to face their fear head on and either fight them or flee and there was no option to flee, so there were battles within battles. They are fifteen, Max is ten. All were forced to faced down a lot of fears and beat each one of them but some came at a great cost. My point is that these things happen everyday unfortunately, it makes me sick to my stomach and although I loathe them with a passion, but I also can't stick my head in the sand and pretend that they don't because that would just be lying to myself.
I'm not trying to justify myself or the author but I saw this from a different perspective and found it powerfully symbolic no matter what was said or happened. I'm actually more concerned about how on earth they're going to survive through the sequel as the mysterious beings in the thousands of pyramids that are the size of cities began dropping pods the size of The Eiffel Tower right at the end of book one. So if you love dark dystopian horror, that honestly has too many other genre's to name except I'll add Sci-Fi and Post Apocalyptic then grab a copy and tell everyone what you think. I can't wait for book two.
May 7, 2016
It was a page turner, from the first up to the last page. All in all it was an entertaining read, and if you're into zombies, apocalypse and YA, you should read it ASAP. I'm simply not the target audience for it, but I am a big fan of the author's writing and I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
See my full review on:
*** ARC provided by the publisher to Gay Book Reviews in exchange for an honest review.
Read
April 10, 2016Ugh, serialized stories with cliffhangers make me Bat. Shit. Crazy. And that's precisely what this first book in this series was.
But I've always been a sucker for a zombie / alien invasion story, so I requested the ARC and off I went.
Let's kick some zombie / alien ass, bitches!
This initial portion of the story covers from the beginning through huge, alien obelisks finally landing and seemingly fencing everyone and everything in.
It begins with Billy and Rory returning home to find their families and the entire town dead. Or 'mostly' dead, as packs of zombies begin roaming the Mississippi countryside in search of their next meal.
Then eventually the ' deadheads ' are among the least of their worries, as a much more alien threat makes its presence known.
[My brain kept re-processing the word 'deadheads' into 'dickheads,' despite my best efforts, so I finally just gave up and went with 'dickheads' inside my head while reading. Hated it.]
One thing which I found a bit odd were the chapter lengths. In 301 pages, there were 68 chapters, which translates into 4 or 5 pages per chapter. The story read fine, but I did find that sort of strange and choppy.
The story is told entirely from 15 y.o. Billy's point of view. Billy identified as gay, is a great character and acts as the glue between the rest of the characters for the majority of the book.
I like Rory much, much less than Billy, as overly-religious, 15 y.o. Rory kept retreating into the Bible versus facing things head on. At least he finally pulled his act together in that respect as this first part of the story concluded.
Then we have Mark. OMMFG, So Much Mark, people. He's a 10 y.o. badass with a baseball bat and probably the most awesome pre-teen character that I've ever read. I secretly wanted Mark to age five years overnight and Billy to dump Rory's dramatic ass for the kid.
Lastly we have Miss Leisha, an African American cafeteria worker, who deserved way better than what she got in this story. She'd lost a baby two years prior, then has just lost her other child when she joins up with the rest of the gang.
This brings up another point which made me flat out cringe, but in all good conscience must mention. There were three characters in the book that spouted so much racism and homophobia that my jaw literally dropped in disbelief.
When the "N" word first hit the page, repeatedly, I was completely floored. Yes, this is rural Mississippi and I *know* shit like that still happens, but I was still very much taken aback. So Be Warned, please.
The homophobic slurs are more or less what we, unfortunately, are used to seeing when the small-minded and intolerant open their mouths on page, so those parts weren't quite as shocking.
And just to avoid being one-dimensional caricatures of small-minded bigots, two of the racist homophobes were also unrepentant rapists and murderers, so we're exposed on-page to a near-rape scene of one of the 15 y.o. MC's by these Deliverance wannabe assholes.
I'm not sure that the racism and homophobia were completely essential, at least to the degree written, but I must say that no, I won't forget this book any time soon.
In terms of the plot being interesting and holding my attention, the book gets very high marks, but loses stars for the shocking points mentioned above.
------------------------------------------------
My ARC copy of the book was provided by the publisher in exchange for a fair, unbiased review.
May 7, 2016
Thank you Nick Wilgus! Oh, man, this book is great. I love the main characters and the dystopian world the poor kids find themselves in. The battle they are fighting due to some unexpected visitors to the planet is scary as hell, and the creep factor on the aliens is off the charts. But what I love most about THIS IS HOW IT ENDS, (Deadworld Book One) is the excellent writing. The deft portrayal of the characters. The easy unfolding of the plot. And yes, even the book cover is perfect. I'll be sitting here waiting for Book 2, Nick, so I hope you've got it ready to go. I'm in no mood to wait. You can't just leave Rory and Billy hanging like this. Or me. There's a war to be waged. Let's get to it.
July 15, 2016
Зомби, потоп и пришельцы. Одновременно. Эта линия меня увлекла основательно. Иногда было и страшновато. Интерес мой не падал, и книгу хотелось читать без перерыва. Все баллы за эту идею и воплощение.
А вот без любовной линии в предложенном автором виде я бы обошлась, т.к. герои меня бесили. Обычно YA-романы меня не отпугивают, но в данном случае абсолютная незрелость поведения и поступков подростков раздражали. Если бы тут были герои с адекватными реакциями и продуманными действиями, то баллов от меня было бы больше.
Клифхэнгер есть, это правда. И продолжение мне интересно, потому что пока, кроме как решения Г.Уэллса, другого выхода из создавшейся ситуации не наблюдается))
А вот без любовной линии в предложенном автором виде я бы обошлась, т.к. герои меня бесили. Обычно YA-романы меня не отпугивают, но в данном случае абсолютная незрелость поведения и поступков подростков раздражали. Если бы тут были герои с адекватными реакциями и продуманными действиями, то баллов от меня было бы больше.
Клифхэнгер есть, это правда. И продолжение мне интересно, потому что пока, кроме как решения Г.Уэллса, другого выхода из создавшейся ситуации не наблюдается))
maybe
May 12, 2016It's Nick Wilgus!
On the other hand, it's dystopian YA... with zombies. Yeesh.
On the other hand, it's dystopian YA... with zombies. Yeesh.
June 8, 2016
I loved this book. The action was spot-on, the characters were unique and interesting, and the setting was oh-my-god terrifying. It was very well put together. I may be biased (I’m definitely biased), but this is the third DSP Publications book in a row I’ve absolutely loved. For those of you who are interested in queer genre fiction that’s off the beaten path, this is definitely the imprint for you. Not all of the stories are romance, and some of them have vague queer plots (but still have queer characters), but I’ve enjoyed the range of queer stories from historical to fantasy to urban paranormal horror. It’s been quite a ride, and it’s just getting better!
The blurb doesn’t allude to this, but Billy and Rory have a dynamic relationship. They are technically friends, but Billy’s known he’s had it bad for Rory for a long time, and unfortunately, because he doesn’t want to ruin their friendship, his love has been unmentioned and unrequited. Until the last day of their camping trip. There’s little time to explore their feelings, when a pair of dead bodies show up, and then they discover everyone in their town is dead… and some of them aren’t staying dead. Rory’s Baptist, and when the dead start rising, he’s convinced that it’s because he and Billy harbor impure thoughts for one another. Because they are teens in this story—too young for consent in the US—all intimate encounters are dealt with off page, but the author does a fantastic job lining everything up so we know what happens and how it affects their characters and relationship.
Though this story is told completely in Billy’s point of view, there was a fascinating evolution with Rory’s character. I loved how the author didn’t shy away from repeating similar dialog chains as Rory dealt with his particular brand of religion and the implications of that on his immortal soul and the state of the world. It was very well done. Sure, you often wanted to smack Rory on the head for his idiocy, but he’s a teenager and a Baptist, so that made loads of sense, really.
I will say the racism in this book took me by surprise. At first I was second-guessing whether or not this was a historical piece, but the kids had Facebook and cell phones, so it’s not. Now, I haven’t been to Mississippi in a long time, but the level of racism and sexism blew my hair back. I’m guessing the author knows what’s what, but honestly even amongst the aliens and zombies and post-apocalyptic environment, these aspects of the book were the most terrifying for me to endure… which, come to think of it, is probably one of the minor themes of this book. Huh.
The characters are incredible, and the plot is terrifyingly awesome. I haven’t skipped small paragraphs of text because I was this scared shitless since Stephen King. Seriously. Things go from bad to worse to oh-my-fucking-gods-really! Even when the knowledge this is the first book in a series, and while trying to avoid significant spoilers, I was fairly certain everyone was going to die at nearly every point in my reading—I mean everyone.
Something that did surprise me, however, was quite a few reviewers thought this novel had a cliffhanger. I mean, sure, technically the audience is left in some sort of suspense because this classifies under the suspense/horror genre, but there’s clearly a complete story, and usually I reserve the cliffhanger status for those stories that aren’t. In any case, this was a book I couldn’t put down. I wished I had called off work so I could have finished it in a day, instead of the two days it took me.
Reviewed by Brock for The Novel Approach Reviews
http://www.thenovelapproachreviews.co...
The blurb doesn’t allude to this, but Billy and Rory have a dynamic relationship. They are technically friends, but Billy’s known he’s had it bad for Rory for a long time, and unfortunately, because he doesn’t want to ruin their friendship, his love has been unmentioned and unrequited. Until the last day of their camping trip. There’s little time to explore their feelings, when a pair of dead bodies show up, and then they discover everyone in their town is dead… and some of them aren’t staying dead. Rory’s Baptist, and when the dead start rising, he’s convinced that it’s because he and Billy harbor impure thoughts for one another. Because they are teens in this story—too young for consent in the US—all intimate encounters are dealt with off page, but the author does a fantastic job lining everything up so we know what happens and how it affects their characters and relationship.
Though this story is told completely in Billy’s point of view, there was a fascinating evolution with Rory’s character. I loved how the author didn’t shy away from repeating similar dialog chains as Rory dealt with his particular brand of religion and the implications of that on his immortal soul and the state of the world. It was very well done. Sure, you often wanted to smack Rory on the head for his idiocy, but he’s a teenager and a Baptist, so that made loads of sense, really.
I will say the racism in this book took me by surprise. At first I was second-guessing whether or not this was a historical piece, but the kids had Facebook and cell phones, so it’s not. Now, I haven’t been to Mississippi in a long time, but the level of racism and sexism blew my hair back. I’m guessing the author knows what’s what, but honestly even amongst the aliens and zombies and post-apocalyptic environment, these aspects of the book were the most terrifying for me to endure… which, come to think of it, is probably one of the minor themes of this book. Huh.
The characters are incredible, and the plot is terrifyingly awesome. I haven’t skipped small paragraphs of text because I was this scared shitless since Stephen King. Seriously. Things go from bad to worse to oh-my-fucking-gods-really! Even when the knowledge this is the first book in a series, and while trying to avoid significant spoilers, I was fairly certain everyone was going to die at nearly every point in my reading—I mean everyone.
Something that did surprise me, however, was quite a few reviewers thought this novel had a cliffhanger. I mean, sure, technically the audience is left in some sort of suspense because this classifies under the suspense/horror genre, but there’s clearly a complete story, and usually I reserve the cliffhanger status for those stories that aren’t. In any case, this was a book I couldn’t put down. I wished I had called off work so I could have finished it in a day, instead of the two days it took me.
Reviewed by Brock for The Novel Approach Reviews
http://www.thenovelapproachreviews.co...
May 11, 2016
Dark, intense and scary...
Nick Wilgus wrote an apocalypse novel? What?! Of course I’m going to read it! I’ve been a rabid fan of his since I read Shaking the Sugar Tree . He’s so talented, I couldn’t wait to see what kind of crazy dystopian world he would create. Wilgus doesn’t disappoint. This novel is YA but oh my God, is it good. It’s very dark, intense and downright scary. There’s use of language that I didn’t really care for ( usage of the N word and the F word by an annoying entitled character) but in this instance, in this setting I glossed over it… grudgingly because to be honest it did pull me out of the story which is a bummer. Other than that snafu, this story is one hair raising ride that is definitely a page turner. Be prepared to read some horrifying events, to root for these guys though they face impossible odds and rarely catch a break. This novel will have you on the edge of your seat and just when you can’t take anymore but know you are DYING to know what’s to come, Wilgus that will leave you wide eyed and cursing while you’re trying to bring your heart rate down.
If you love zombies, post apocalyptic , dystopian stories. Read this one. You won’t be disappointed.
Nick Wilgus wrote an apocalypse novel? What?! Of course I’m going to read it! I’ve been a rabid fan of his since I read Shaking the Sugar Tree . He’s so talented, I couldn’t wait to see what kind of crazy dystopian world he would create. Wilgus doesn’t disappoint. This novel is YA but oh my God, is it good. It’s very dark, intense and downright scary. There’s use of language that I didn’t really care for ( usage of the N word and the F word by an annoying entitled character) but in this instance, in this setting I glossed over it… grudgingly because to be honest it did pull me out of the story which is a bummer. Other than that snafu, this story is one hair raising ride that is definitely a page turner. Be prepared to read some horrifying events, to root for these guys though they face impossible odds and rarely catch a break. This novel will have you on the edge of your seat and just when you can’t take anymore but know you are DYING to know what’s to come, Wilgus that will leave you wide eyed and cursing while you’re trying to bring your heart rate down.
If you love zombies, post apocalyptic , dystopian stories. Read this one. You won’t be disappointed.
January 31, 2017
I don't often read Zombie stories or post apocalyptic ones, but after having a lot of success with this author I decided to give this one a try.
I was certainly taken on a roller coaster ride. Having the heroes so to speak of this story be kids gave this one an edge others rarely have. At times I found myself doubting their reactions but then I though wait, just who's to say how kids of that age would react. They certainly proved themselves more resilient than I think I'd ever be.
Billy is the guy I most liked and admired. He alone kept me hoping for a better outcome. Rory I had more trouble with. Yes he was scared and he certainly had reason to be less than sunshine and laughter, but I still found myself at times wanting to shake or scream at him. Mark on the other hand was amazing. A kid that young dealing with the shit he dealt with. He amongst all of them came to life on the page.
My biggest niggle is how I'm now left hanging for the next part. I knew this was book one in a series, I just hoped it wouldn't end as a mini cliff hanger :( I had suspicions about Jack and they have more or less been confirmed but I need to know just how bad it's gonna get.
That said this was a great read full of excitement, horror and that slim thread of hope and love. I'm not sure if Billy and Rory will make it as a couple, but I know I'm going to be rooting for them.
I was certainly taken on a roller coaster ride. Having the heroes so to speak of this story be kids gave this one an edge others rarely have. At times I found myself doubting their reactions but then I though wait, just who's to say how kids of that age would react. They certainly proved themselves more resilient than I think I'd ever be.
Billy is the guy I most liked and admired. He alone kept me hoping for a better outcome. Rory I had more trouble with. Yes he was scared and he certainly had reason to be less than sunshine and laughter, but I still found myself at times wanting to shake or scream at him. Mark on the other hand was amazing. A kid that young dealing with the shit he dealt with. He amongst all of them came to life on the page.
My biggest niggle is how I'm now left hanging for the next part. I knew this was book one in a series, I just hoped it wouldn't end as a mini cliff hanger :( I had suspicions about Jack and they have more or less been confirmed but I need to know just how bad it's gonna get.
That said this was a great read full of excitement, horror and that slim thread of hope and love. I'm not sure if Billy and Rory will make it as a couple, but I know I'm going to be rooting for them.
May 4, 2016
A Joyfully Jay review.
4 stars
I am a big fan of zombie apocalypse stories and I have heard great things about Nick Wilgus’ writing, so I decided to give this one a shot. I really enjoyed this young adult tale of two high school juniors trying to survive, basically on their own, a number of horrors. This story is released by DSP Publications, so it’s not a traditional romance, and most of the focus is on the zombie plague and the guys trying to survive. Wilgus creates a world that is plenty scary with threats around every corner, but it is not over-the-top horror as is suitable for a YA book. I think there are plenty of thrills here and I could really feel the boys’ terror and desperation as they keep trying to figure out how to stay one step ahead, yet no matter what they do they are in danger. This is the first book of a series, so we don’t get a real resolution here in terms of what caused the plague, what is in the spaceships, or how the boys will survive. But the story does pull together well and sort of close out one chapter, while leaving numerous issues for future books.
Read Jay’s review in its entirety here.
4 stars
I am a big fan of zombie apocalypse stories and I have heard great things about Nick Wilgus’ writing, so I decided to give this one a shot. I really enjoyed this young adult tale of two high school juniors trying to survive, basically on their own, a number of horrors. This story is released by DSP Publications, so it’s not a traditional romance, and most of the focus is on the zombie plague and the guys trying to survive. Wilgus creates a world that is plenty scary with threats around every corner, but it is not over-the-top horror as is suitable for a YA book. I think there are plenty of thrills here and I could really feel the boys’ terror and desperation as they keep trying to figure out how to stay one step ahead, yet no matter what they do they are in danger. This is the first book of a series, so we don’t get a real resolution here in terms of what caused the plague, what is in the spaceships, or how the boys will survive. But the story does pull together well and sort of close out one chapter, while leaving numerous issues for future books.
Read Jay’s review in its entirety here.
June 26, 2021
Hell No!
Zombies, Aliens, and Apocalypse oh my. I will never read this book. I mean that’s just downright silly. However I found myself reading to finish until ten minutes until three . Why don’t you try not to read it too.
Zombies, Aliens, and Apocalypse oh my. I will never read this book. I mean that’s just downright silly. However I found myself reading to finish until ten minutes until three . Why don’t you try not to read it too.
June 24, 2016
My Review for The Novel Approach:
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July 20, 2016
What a wonderful, scary mess! There was never a dull moment.
I'm not a fan of cliffhangers, though.
I'm not a fan of cliffhangers, though.
September 10, 2016
This Is How It Ends starts off kind of like a typical young adult romance, with 15-year-old Billy Gunn and his best friend Rory Wilder spending their last days of summer together on a camping trip dreading having to go back to school. It’s an especially noteworthy trip for Billy, as he comes out to Rory, who he’s had a crush on since the two first met in 8th grade. Despite Rory being a conservative Baptist, Billy’s revelation isn’t exactly disastrous, which is pretty much the best you can expect in rural Mississippi. But still the world ends, just not metaphorically. And this is when the story veers from traditional romance.
The two boys spot a boat floating downriver and both occupants are dead, with no signs of sickness, injury or foul play. This is their first red flag that something unusual is going on. The two rush back to town and witness the aftermath of an apparent apocalypse, one that they were somehow excluded from. Everyone they know is dead, their family, their friends, everyone. Well, the dogs are still barking at least.
This is all in just the first couple of chapters, and wow, it never lets up. The suspense just keeps building, page after page, and before you know it, you’ve reached the end. Wilgus does an especially effective job writing likeable characters, something especially important if the suspense is going to work. Particularly compelling is 15-year-old Billy, the story’s protagonist. He is confident, courageous, and eminently likeable. His best friend, Rory, is a bit more flawed. He is cowardly and insecure, but his fundamentalist Christianity provides a sharp and realistic contrast to Billy. And the reader routes for Rory, if only because you want Billy to be happy. But even if Rory is less agreeable, his character is absorbing, and Wilgus is to be commended for not shying away from dealing with religion. As much as I love The Walking Dead, I’ve always found it fake that they are living the Apocalypse, but no one ever talks about God. But in this story, Rory can’t help but interpret the hellish things happening around him in terms of the horrifying end of the world scenario described in the Bible. And that adds some marvelous tension to Billy’s crush on Rory, as Rory believes they are being punished as abominations before God.
It doesn’t take long before the two boys attract a small gang of survivors, as they try desperately and hopelessly to make it through whatever God has in store for them. But in the end, it might be something other than God that’s punishing them.
The book is fantastic from beginning to end. I’m a huge fan of The Walking Dead series, but I have to admit, when I read the blurb for this book, I imagined it would be a hokey attempt to cash in the popularity of that series. I was dead wrong. There is nothing hokey about this, and it is as suspenseful and terrifying as Walking Dead’s best episodes. And in fact, it’s often better, as the horror is not just visual. You don’t just see the zombies; you smell them! This adds a whole new sense of realism to the nightmare unfolding around them.
This Is How It Ends is Book I of Deadworld, which already looks like a masterful series. The sequel can’t arrive fast enough.
This review originally appeared at Queer Sci Fi.
The two boys spot a boat floating downriver and both occupants are dead, with no signs of sickness, injury or foul play. This is their first red flag that something unusual is going on. The two rush back to town and witness the aftermath of an apparent apocalypse, one that they were somehow excluded from. Everyone they know is dead, their family, their friends, everyone. Well, the dogs are still barking at least.
This is all in just the first couple of chapters, and wow, it never lets up. The suspense just keeps building, page after page, and before you know it, you’ve reached the end. Wilgus does an especially effective job writing likeable characters, something especially important if the suspense is going to work. Particularly compelling is 15-year-old Billy, the story’s protagonist. He is confident, courageous, and eminently likeable. His best friend, Rory, is a bit more flawed. He is cowardly and insecure, but his fundamentalist Christianity provides a sharp and realistic contrast to Billy. And the reader routes for Rory, if only because you want Billy to be happy. But even if Rory is less agreeable, his character is absorbing, and Wilgus is to be commended for not shying away from dealing with religion. As much as I love The Walking Dead, I’ve always found it fake that they are living the Apocalypse, but no one ever talks about God. But in this story, Rory can’t help but interpret the hellish things happening around him in terms of the horrifying end of the world scenario described in the Bible. And that adds some marvelous tension to Billy’s crush on Rory, as Rory believes they are being punished as abominations before God.
It doesn’t take long before the two boys attract a small gang of survivors, as they try desperately and hopelessly to make it through whatever God has in store for them. But in the end, it might be something other than God that’s punishing them.
The book is fantastic from beginning to end. I’m a huge fan of The Walking Dead series, but I have to admit, when I read the blurb for this book, I imagined it would be a hokey attempt to cash in the popularity of that series. I was dead wrong. There is nothing hokey about this, and it is as suspenseful and terrifying as Walking Dead’s best episodes. And in fact, it’s often better, as the horror is not just visual. You don’t just see the zombies; you smell them! This adds a whole new sense of realism to the nightmare unfolding around them.
This Is How It Ends is Book I of Deadworld, which already looks like a masterful series. The sequel can’t arrive fast enough.
This review originally appeared at Queer Sci Fi.
April 2, 2024
wow, love love loved this book... book is great, excellent and entertaining read ..i love all things dystopian...cannot wait for the 2nd one!!
July 14, 2025
The first chapter sucked me right into this book, and that was before we even got to the zombies. I was eating it up all the way through the zombie part, but once the spaceships showed up I got a little disconnected from the book. I don't know if it was the writing, or if it was me. Then we got to and I got into it again. Then there was more with the spaceships, and I felt disconnected.
I loved a lot about this book. I liked that it didn't flinch from portraying the overt and subtle racism that pervades parts of American society. I appreciated that it was brutally dystopic and dismal. I was surprised that two fifteen-year-olds . I loved how the author took into consideration the way that enormous UFOs would affect local weather systems because they block the sun.
So why only a three? Like I said, I felt disconnected through much of the book—maybe because with everything going on, I knew there was no way this installment could have a satisfying conclusion, so I stopped rooting for the characters as hard, because I knew they *wouldn't* find much relief or freedom. Since the second book's not out yet, I guess I didn't want to get sucked in. Maybe I'm more into monsters than technology. Or since the technology didn't have a face/voice and was almost impossible to comprehend, I couldn't, well, comprehend it or connect.
I loved a lot about this book. I liked that it didn't flinch from portraying the overt and subtle racism that pervades parts of American society. I appreciated that it was brutally dystopic and dismal. I was surprised that two fifteen-year-olds . I loved how the author took into consideration the way that enormous UFOs would affect local weather systems because they block the sun.
So why only a three? Like I said, I felt disconnected through much of the book—maybe because with everything going on, I knew there was no way this installment could have a satisfying conclusion, so I stopped rooting for the characters as hard, because I knew they *wouldn't* find much relief or freedom. Since the second book's not out yet, I guess I didn't want to get sucked in. Maybe I'm more into monsters than technology. Or since the technology didn't have a face/voice and was almost impossible to comprehend, I couldn't, well, comprehend it or connect.
June 18, 2021
Basically, all Billy wants to do is get into his best friend's pants and have his horny way with him, but then comes along a zombie apocalypse, aliens and a freakish storm that doesn't subside for days. What is a young man going to do in times like these?
In the spirit of George Romero, Deadworld starts off innocently enough, but then quickly delves into the horror of a zombie outbreak...and that was before the aliens arrived. *shudders*...speaking of which, these aliens are grostesque, frightening and intelligent; kinda like the aliens in Alien Covenant. (My mind immediately jumped to the scene in that movie where the alien split out of the man's back, yuck). Plus, these buggers have tentacles and a tendency to impregnant you if you're not careful. So there's a lot to worry about. Not to mention, humans can be just as monstrous during an apocalypse.
I'd say this is a mix of a coming-of-age story, Deliveance, The Walking Dead and War of the Worlds with two teenager boys trying to survive what could possibly be the end of the world.
Fair warning, it ends with a bit of a cliffhanger and appears to be the only book written in the series, which means you won't get to find out what happens next and how the boys survive the alien invasion. (Or for that matter--the outcome of that poor little boy, Jack, which was a chilling moment when I realized what happened to him).
5-stars for bone-chilling horror!
In the spirit of George Romero, Deadworld starts off innocently enough, but then quickly delves into the horror of a zombie outbreak...and that was before the aliens arrived. *shudders*...speaking of which, these aliens are grostesque, frightening and intelligent; kinda like the aliens in Alien Covenant. (My mind immediately jumped to the scene in that movie where the alien split out of the man's back, yuck). Plus, these buggers have tentacles and a tendency to impregnant you if you're not careful. So there's a lot to worry about. Not to mention, humans can be just as monstrous during an apocalypse.
I'd say this is a mix of a coming-of-age story, Deliveance, The Walking Dead and War of the Worlds with two teenager boys trying to survive what could possibly be the end of the world.
Fair warning, it ends with a bit of a cliffhanger and appears to be the only book written in the series, which means you won't get to find out what happens next and how the boys survive the alien invasion. (Or for that matter--the outcome of that poor little boy, Jack, which was a chilling moment when I realized what happened to him).
5-stars for bone-chilling horror!
October 16, 2022
WTH. I already don't like scary books and this one did that for me. (I'm easily scared, I couldn't even sleep with Pet Sematary in the house after the cat came back). I love Nick Wilgus. I love his writing style. This book was heart wrenching and i loved the suspense of it. I didn't like Rory and his religion so much but i could see how it would affect him after all he had been through and how he was raised. I should have paid attention to the fact that there has not been another book in the series because it ends on one hell of a cliffhanger and i imagine we will never know what happened next.
March 13, 2018
I could have given this book four stars or it could have been one star. It is well written and a well thought out story. What I didn't like was that it quit. It just stopped, almost in the middle of a sentence. And I wasn't expecting it.
I now realize that it is titled 'Deadworld, #1' so it is going to be part of a series, but even so, I want a story to go somewhere, to arrive at something, hopefully to have an ending. It's probably my fault, but I wouldn't have read this book if I had known it was going to stop right in the middle of the action. I can't recommend it unless maybe the author adds another volume and finishes it.
I now realize that it is titled 'Deadworld, #1' so it is going to be part of a series, but even so, I want a story to go somewhere, to arrive at something, hopefully to have an ending. It's probably my fault, but I wouldn't have read this book if I had known it was going to stop right in the middle of the action. I can't recommend it unless maybe the author adds another volume and finishes it.
July 8, 2021
Rory was exhausting. There was good old Christian "everyone is going to hell", exceedingly vicious racism spouted by a teenager, two Bubba's straight out of Wrong Turn or Deliverance who were going to rape 15 year old boys, lots of bigotry, racism, whining. Lot less zombies than I expected. No sign of a follow up book.
January 23, 2022
This is How it Ends
Post apocalyptic story, with 15 year old boys as the MC's. Sometimes during the story I forgot they were only 15, other times this was glaringly clear.
Billy and Rory come home from a weekend camping trip to find a dead world.
Everyone seems to have died very suddenly.
Over the course of a couple of days it becomes apparent that other weird things are happening.
Dead people are walking around trying to eat them, All other wildlife has disappeared, and tv, radio and internet are static.
This was a fun story with some annoying points.
Over the next few days they meet a few more survivors, it starts raining
and Alien pyramids appear in the sky.
From there they discover aliens incubating in dead bodies ,strange but clearly intelligent octopus like creatures appearing and more and more mega pyramids in the sky.
Other survivors appear, Mark is 11 and a smart spunky little boy but who regularly breaks down and cries. His regular cries of "Billy? Billy!!" become annoying after the 8 or 10th time.
Leisha is an older women who is a great character, brave and resourceful.
The author waste no time no time in killing off random ppl in the small group.
I did like the character of Billy who has loved Rory silently for a long time. Billy is smart, nice and compassionate.
Rory on the other hand , although he saves the day a couple of times, never was likeable for me.
The aliens appear to be here to take over the planet, But the story never really explains what's going on and the ending is very abrupt, Leaving a few story threads just dangling.
Post apocalyptic story, with 15 year old boys as the MC's. Sometimes during the story I forgot they were only 15, other times this was glaringly clear.
Billy and Rory come home from a weekend camping trip to find a dead world.
Everyone seems to have died very suddenly.
Over the course of a couple of days it becomes apparent that other weird things are happening.
Dead people are walking around trying to eat them, All other wildlife has disappeared, and tv, radio and internet are static.
This was a fun story with some annoying points.
Over the next few days they meet a few more survivors, it starts raining
and Alien pyramids appear in the sky.
From there they discover aliens incubating in dead bodies ,strange but clearly intelligent octopus like creatures appearing and more and more mega pyramids in the sky.
Other survivors appear, Mark is 11 and a smart spunky little boy but who regularly breaks down and cries. His regular cries of "Billy? Billy!!" become annoying after the 8 or 10th time.
Leisha is an older women who is a great character, brave and resourceful.
The author waste no time no time in killing off random ppl in the small group.
I did like the character of Billy who has loved Rory silently for a long time. Billy is smart, nice and compassionate.
Rory on the other hand , although he saves the day a couple of times, never was likeable for me.
The aliens appear to be here to take over the planet, But the story never really explains what's going on and the ending is very abrupt, Leaving a few story threads just dangling.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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August 20, 2016In Queue
❥❥**´¨)
¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*¨)
(¸.•´ (¸.•`*ARC provided by Author in exchange for an honest review.
Reviewed by Jaime from Alpha Book Club
❥❥**´¨)
¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*¨)
(¸.•´ (¸.•`*ARC provided by Author in exchange for an honest review.
Reviewed by Jaime from Alpha Book Club
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