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The Pied Piper of the Undead #1
The Pied Piper of the Undead
Peter is 13 years old. He is also the only survivor in his hometown, Rockville, of the zombie apocalypse. With the town overrun by undead residents, Peter has taken refuge on the town's water tower. Safe from the hungry zombies, he passes time playing video games and eating junkfood. But as the familiar residents become more fixated on young Peter, he finds he will have to make a choice that could change his life for better or worse. The Pied Piper of the Undead is 16,000+ words. It is for mature readers and contains adult content and language.
53 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 15, 2012
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252 people want to read
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Michael Whetzel
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
February 28, 2015
Peter never thought that he'd ever be this popular. He's 13, a little over weight. He's never been the center of anyone's world - except maybe his mom and dad's. Now everyone wants him - even the most popular girl is his grade. The only problem is that they want to eat him.
Peter is the only survivor of the zombie apocalypse in Rockville, a small town in the middle of nowhere. He survives by hanging out on the water tower playing video games and eating junk food. Occasionally he is forced to make trips down the ladder and into town. He needs to get more food, or clothes, and to refresh his supply of batteries and video games. It's on one of these expeditions that he discovers that there are more survivors and everything changes.
Wow. This little novella was great. I picked it up for free and, wow, it certainly delivered. For a book clearly aimed at the YA crowd, I was really impressed. Peter's expeditions into town, at times, kept me on the edge of my seat. I also enjoyed the fact that although this was a zombie book it did not fall into the obvious ruts of the genre, e.g., survivors do not always equal the enemy. Instead we had a book about a 13-year old boy who was alone, scared, missed his parents, and wanted to be rescued. Yet, despite all of this, he was also scrappy, resourceful and ready for action.
Three and a half stars rounded up to four. A quick, fun read.
Peter is the only survivor of the zombie apocalypse in Rockville, a small town in the middle of nowhere. He survives by hanging out on the water tower playing video games and eating junk food. Occasionally he is forced to make trips down the ladder and into town. He needs to get more food, or clothes, and to refresh his supply of batteries and video games. It's on one of these expeditions that he discovers that there are more survivors and everything changes.
Wow. This little novella was great. I picked it up for free and, wow, it certainly delivered. For a book clearly aimed at the YA crowd, I was really impressed. Peter's expeditions into town, at times, kept me on the edge of my seat. I also enjoyed the fact that although this was a zombie book it did not fall into the obvious ruts of the genre, e.g., survivors do not always equal the enemy. Instead we had a book about a 13-year old boy who was alone, scared, missed his parents, and wanted to be rescued. Yet, despite all of this, he was also scrappy, resourceful and ready for action.
Three and a half stars rounded up to four. A quick, fun read.
February 18, 2013
I enjoyed this short story. This is one of those stories that grows on you more after you are done reading it.
The main character Peter was believable and likable. My heart went out to the young lad as he struggled with being the sole survivor of the town.
The settings were well described and it was easy for me to envision myself inside the small town of Rockville.
I recommend this story to readers of horror and post apocalypse genre.
The main character Peter was believable and likable. My heart went out to the young lad as he struggled with being the sole survivor of the town.
The settings were well described and it was easy for me to envision myself inside the small town of Rockville.
I recommend this story to readers of horror and post apocalypse genre.
August 23, 2012
The Pied Piper of the Undead is a story I couldn't put down. It's not long, but it is unique and interesting. Young Peter is 13 years old and the sole survivor of his town after the Zombie Apocalypse. It's been three months since the day it all began, and this young teenager has survived on his own so far. He makes his home up high on the safety walkway of the town's only water tower - constructing a shelter to protect him and his supplies from the elements and from searching eyes far below. The "undead" can't climb ladders - it's deemed the safest part of town. However, if he is seen by the zombies below, they will gather around the base of his tower looking for ways to get at him. Peter soon found that the practice of "out of sight - out of mind" was a good one to follow.
These "undead" exhibit all the traits common to zombies: slow, persistent, killed by a head shot, and hungry for live humans. But here they were all different. Peter grew up with these former people and sometimes, it is difficult to think of them as being a threat to him - this thinking nearly costs him his life. Peter and his best friend grew up playing basketball together in the nearby park, and on occasion, Peter has witnessed his former friend standing near the basketball court - staring straight ahead. Could he remember? Peter takes a chance and joins his undead friend on the court for an impromptu one-on-one game. Big mistake!
Supply runs are more difficult and dangerous as time goes by, stores are dwindling and will soon run out. Is anyone outside of town still human? He gets an answer when two men try to enter the town in search of supplies - this could be his chance for rescue. Unfortunately, bullets run out before all the zombies are killed and the men are quickly overpowered. Peter's hopes of rescue vanish!
The author has written this story from the perspective of a young teenager, thus, giving us readers a look into how these youngsters think. There are many scary parts in the story to help jump start your heart, and some of the risks Peter takes would not be attempted by an adult. Time is running out...he has to do something...something that will change his life forever. Read the book to see how it all ends up.
I enjoyed the book and recommend it to others.
These "undead" exhibit all the traits common to zombies: slow, persistent, killed by a head shot, and hungry for live humans. But here they were all different. Peter grew up with these former people and sometimes, it is difficult to think of them as being a threat to him - this thinking nearly costs him his life. Peter and his best friend grew up playing basketball together in the nearby park, and on occasion, Peter has witnessed his former friend standing near the basketball court - staring straight ahead. Could he remember? Peter takes a chance and joins his undead friend on the court for an impromptu one-on-one game. Big mistake!
Supply runs are more difficult and dangerous as time goes by, stores are dwindling and will soon run out. Is anyone outside of town still human? He gets an answer when two men try to enter the town in search of supplies - this could be his chance for rescue. Unfortunately, bullets run out before all the zombies are killed and the men are quickly overpowered. Peter's hopes of rescue vanish!
The author has written this story from the perspective of a young teenager, thus, giving us readers a look into how these youngsters think. There are many scary parts in the story to help jump start your heart, and some of the risks Peter takes would not be attempted by an adult. Time is running out...he has to do something...something that will change his life forever. Read the book to see how it all ends up.
I enjoyed the book and recommend it to others.
August 13, 2012
Wow. How can a book of few pages sweep me off my feet so fast? Amazing, this novelette.
I like how simple the book is (although it is also very complex). I like how realistically fantastic and fantastically real it feels. I like how the character, the story and the setting has been placed in such a simple way, it’s almost too easy, it’s almost unbelievable (though also very believable at the same time). I like how easy it was for the storyteller to dip his hand into Peter’s past and shove it (or gently present it, when necessary) towards the reader’s silver plate. I like the ironies, the reminisces, the relationships, the parallelisms.
Of course, there are a number of unanswered questions here, but they are quite easy to brush aside when you catch Peter crying all of a sudden after playing a videogame, as you both listen to the undead howls in the night.
The title is apt (although at first I’ve been rather impatient to know why, the reason came soon enough), the story intense, the overall feel of the book great. Undoubtedly, there are some gross parts, but hey – it’s a book with zombies, for crying out loud. Nice take on the zombie apocalypse theme. Quite a “coming-of-age” story too, now that I think about it. Awesome read.
(I want to give it a 5, but I feel it’s more of a 4.8-4.9 for me. I’m leaving this at 4, then.)
I like how simple the book is (although it is also very complex). I like how realistically fantastic and fantastically real it feels. I like how the character, the story and the setting has been placed in such a simple way, it’s almost too easy, it’s almost unbelievable (though also very believable at the same time). I like how easy it was for the storyteller to dip his hand into Peter’s past and shove it (or gently present it, when necessary) towards the reader’s silver plate. I like the ironies, the reminisces, the relationships, the parallelisms.
Of course, there are a number of unanswered questions here, but they are quite easy to brush aside when you catch Peter crying all of a sudden after playing a videogame, as you both listen to the undead howls in the night.
The title is apt (although at first I’ve been rather impatient to know why, the reason came soon enough), the story intense, the overall feel of the book great. Undoubtedly, there are some gross parts, but hey – it’s a book with zombies, for crying out loud. Nice take on the zombie apocalypse theme. Quite a “coming-of-age” story too, now that I think about it. Awesome read.
(I want to give it a 5, but I feel it’s more of a 4.8-4.9 for me. I’m leaving this at 4, then.)
September 7, 2013
A 13-year-old boy, the lone survivor of his small town, lives on top of the water tower and tries to keep boredom and loneliness at bay. He eats crap - candy bars and snickers and junk food - and plays battery-operated video games. He tries to shoot hoops with his zombified best friend, but that doesn't work out too well. He roof-top breaks into the town's movie theatre to watch the latest release, then laments that a preview will always be a preview and he'll never get to see the sequel to the Justice League. Hell, I'd be pretty disappointed, too.
Peter navigates town by jumping from rooftop to rooftop, avoiding the lumbering zombies who seem to face-plant and lose a few limbs at every turn. Good thing for Peter the zombies are really slow and pathetic in this book. Poor thing for Peter, however, is that he knows them all - it's a small town, after all. The lunch lady, the hardware store guy, the town mayor, the formerly hot chick. His parents.
Some reviewers on this site have called this a YA zombie story. I disagree. The protagonist is a teenager, but the story is not filled with the sometimes burdensome teenage angst and emotional drama roller coaster that typifies most YA.
Recommended for zombie readers, adult and teenager alike. ;)
Peter navigates town by jumping from rooftop to rooftop, avoiding the lumbering zombies who seem to face-plant and lose a few limbs at every turn. Good thing for Peter the zombies are really slow and pathetic in this book. Poor thing for Peter, however, is that he knows them all - it's a small town, after all. The lunch lady, the hardware store guy, the town mayor, the formerly hot chick. His parents.
Some reviewers on this site have called this a YA zombie story. I disagree. The protagonist is a teenager, but the story is not filled with the sometimes burdensome teenage angst and emotional drama roller coaster that typifies most YA.
Recommended for zombie readers, adult and teenager alike. ;)
June 20, 2012
At thirteen years old Peter is the only living resident of Rockville, living high above in a water tower. When he does climb down the ladder, he must avoid a zombified town. Good for him that the zombies are slow and only powerful if they trap you in a group. There are a few fun, creative scenes in this short zombie tale. One is Peter trying to play basketball with his former friend turned zombie and—uh oh!—he tries to bite him. In another Peter sees his mom and dad and pleads with them not to try and bite him, as they swipe at him from the bottom of the ladder. Besides the somewhat predictable and melancholy ending, this is a pretty good zombie yarn. Not scary, but entertaining.
March 24, 2022
Remember Harold from The Stand? If Harold had been a thirteen year old boy and had been the only survivor of the zombie apocalypse in his town, he would have been Peter. As in the case of Harold, I was upset with Peter for most of the short story, but I also felt so very sorry for him. Peter fares much better than Harold did in his story!
May 26, 2013
For those who follow my reviews, you know I have a new-found love for all things zombie; however, I find my interest in the walking dead waning fast, thanks in part to the flood of zombie fiction that has flooded the market. So much of it is poorly written, cranked out with the hopes of cashing in on the current literary trend. Because of this, I went into Pied Piper of the Undead with the lowest expectations imaginable. Thankfully, they were not met.
Pied Piper of the Undead tells the story of a 13-year-old survivor of the Zombie Apocalypse. As far as Peter knows, he is the only living person in his hometown. This would be hard for anybody, but for a child, it could be particularly devastating. Put yourself in the child's position—while on a scavenging run you encounter people you used to know, people you can put a name to, people you ran into on a daily basis, maybe said hello to, and now they want to eat you. Your best friend, the girl at school every guy wanted to be with, the school lunch lady, and yes, even your parents. This is what Peter has to endure on a daily basis. When we encounter a zombie, we see it through the boy's eyes, and unlike like so much zombie fiction, they aren't The Monster, The Zombie, or The Biter, or whatever naming convention that author has assigned to his walking dead. Whetzel has chosen to assign every zombie a name, a former occupation, which is what makes Pied Piper of the Undead so emotionally jarring. It's almost as if Peter hasn't fully grasped the fact that these things are no longer the people he used to know. On one level he does, as is evidenced by the fact that he stays above ground level whenever possible, choosing to live on the platform of an elevated water tower, but on another level he seems to be in denial of those whole situation. This is particularly evident when he encounters his best friend and his parents. If you have a heart, these scenes might very well bring tears to your eyes.
Again, if you follow my reviews, you're waiting for the "But...", and there isn't one. Some aspects of the story might have some readers rolling their eyes, like how Peter knows to stay off the streets and how he successfully manages to get around town, but given the boy's fascination with hand-held video games, it doesn't come as any surprise that he has figured this out. As far-fetched as it might seem, it seems perfectly logical within the confines of the story, and something I didn't even bat an eye at. It just shows the ingenuity of a child and the extent to which his imagination can stretch in order to survive.
Given the nature of the story, I can't really say too much about it without giving anything away. Suffice it to say, I enjoyed the story immensely and... Oh wait... I lied. There is a "but", one problem that I had with the novella that could easily be rectified if the author sees fit to humor this reader and correct the problem.
The one problem I had with Pied Piper of the Undead is the ending. While satisfactory, it does leave you hanging, and this reader wants more, so I can only hope Mr. Whetzel decides to continue the story. Other than that, no other issues. Surprising, huh? I would suggest, however, that the author clean up the language a little. Not that I'm a prude or anything, I just feel that by doing so he would make it more appropriate for a YA audience. Should he do that, and extend the story to novel length, he just might give Maberry's Rot & Ruin a run for its money. Pied Piper of the Undead is that good. Highly recommended.
Pied Piper of the Undead tells the story of a 13-year-old survivor of the Zombie Apocalypse. As far as Peter knows, he is the only living person in his hometown. This would be hard for anybody, but for a child, it could be particularly devastating. Put yourself in the child's position—while on a scavenging run you encounter people you used to know, people you can put a name to, people you ran into on a daily basis, maybe said hello to, and now they want to eat you. Your best friend, the girl at school every guy wanted to be with, the school lunch lady, and yes, even your parents. This is what Peter has to endure on a daily basis. When we encounter a zombie, we see it through the boy's eyes, and unlike like so much zombie fiction, they aren't The Monster, The Zombie, or The Biter, or whatever naming convention that author has assigned to his walking dead. Whetzel has chosen to assign every zombie a name, a former occupation, which is what makes Pied Piper of the Undead so emotionally jarring. It's almost as if Peter hasn't fully grasped the fact that these things are no longer the people he used to know. On one level he does, as is evidenced by the fact that he stays above ground level whenever possible, choosing to live on the platform of an elevated water tower, but on another level he seems to be in denial of those whole situation. This is particularly evident when he encounters his best friend and his parents. If you have a heart, these scenes might very well bring tears to your eyes.
Again, if you follow my reviews, you're waiting for the "But...", and there isn't one. Some aspects of the story might have some readers rolling their eyes, like how Peter knows to stay off the streets and how he successfully manages to get around town, but given the boy's fascination with hand-held video games, it doesn't come as any surprise that he has figured this out. As far-fetched as it might seem, it seems perfectly logical within the confines of the story, and something I didn't even bat an eye at. It just shows the ingenuity of a child and the extent to which his imagination can stretch in order to survive.
Given the nature of the story, I can't really say too much about it without giving anything away. Suffice it to say, I enjoyed the story immensely and... Oh wait... I lied. There is a "but", one problem that I had with the novella that could easily be rectified if the author sees fit to humor this reader and correct the problem.
The one problem I had with Pied Piper of the Undead is the ending. While satisfactory, it does leave you hanging, and this reader wants more, so I can only hope Mr. Whetzel decides to continue the story. Other than that, no other issues. Surprising, huh? I would suggest, however, that the author clean up the language a little. Not that I'm a prude or anything, I just feel that by doing so he would make it more appropriate for a YA audience. Should he do that, and extend the story to novel length, he just might give Maberry's Rot & Ruin a run for its money. Pied Piper of the Undead is that good. Highly recommended.
November 15, 2012
I stumbled upon this browsing at Audible, and I am so glad I did. It tells the story of a kid who is the lone survivor in his small town. It really had me laughing about some of the things the kid ended up doing and the situations he found himself getting into. There were things I could definitely see a young boy doing and logic I could see him using. Overall, I thought the story worked really well and would've loved to have had more, especially some of what happened during the initial outbreak and more back story on some of the town's residents. There are so many zombie stories out there(some good, few great) that picking out which ones are worthwhile can be tough at times, especially if you have read the best in the genre. If you are a zombie fan or not, I believe you would not regret picking this one up and even if you end up not liking it you won't have a whole lot of time invested in it as the audiobook was just over 90 minutes.
September 14, 2012
This is a short story/novella featuring a 13 year old boy who is the sole survivor of his town after the zombie apocolypse hits. He is hiding out on top of the town's water tower, and getting by eating "themed" meals--all chips day, all candy day, etc. He lives in a small town, so all of the zombies are people that he recognizes and had interacted with his entire life. So he talks to their zombies, doing some interacting with them. He is also (altho not aware of it) extremely lonely, and risks his life several times when he isn't able to totally accept that friends (and even his parents) are no longer those people. There is more action than that, but I won't spoil it more than saying--I really hope this is the first book in a new series, since I would really like to see more of this character.
February 18, 2013
A good short story about a 13-year-old survivor of the zombie apocalypse in a small town. A little action here and there, but mostly the boy and his thoughts. I was surprised he wasn't killing a zombie or two on each of his trips into town, even though he did know almost all of them by name. The town could have been devoid of zombies in no time at all. Since they are of the slow-moving type, the only danger would have been attracting a crowd and getting overrun.
June 10, 2012
This is a pretty short book, but it's very good. A 13 year old boy is stuck in a town where he is the lone survivor and he has to deal with everyone he knows, parents, best friend, the hot girl from school . . . all wanting to eat him. He lives in a water tower where no one can reach him and leaves it on occasion to pick up new video games or food.
June 11, 2012
A nicely written short zombie story. Hopefully sometime in the future the author will write a continuing story of the boy. It would be interesting to see him grow up in the apocalyptic world he now lives in.
April 5, 2024
pretty good
I enjoyed it. It is a fast read, I read it in one night. If you want a quick little living dead read, this is for you.
I enjoyed it. It is a fast read, I read it in one night. If you want a quick little living dead read, this is for you.
June 24, 2024
Decent short novel about a boy Peter surviving in a town full of zombies 🧟
September 15, 2025
*3 and a half stars *
September 11, 2017
This short caught my eye while browsing with it's excellent title and well done cover art. The story did not disappoint. This novelette is very well written, it hooked me right away and held me in its rotten fingers until the last page. I've grown tired of zombie tales, they're all the same, but I'm glad I picked this one up. The main character takes the cake and puts a unique spin on the zombie theme. I really enjoyed this and I loved the ending.
March 13, 2017
I really enjoyed this short story about a 13-year old boy surviving the zombie apocalypse on a water tower all on his own. The author did a great job portraying a believable teenage main character with his still child-like feelings (being all alone), gross (commenting on the former school's beauty queen) thoughts, and not always thought-through actions (playing basketball with his dead best friend). Peter was totally convincing in everything he did and said, but at the same time the writing never turned juvenile or cheap.
A great story no matter whether you're into zombies or not.
A great story no matter whether you're into zombies or not.
June 28, 2013
YA zombie apocalypse novella explores the situation from the point of view a 13 year old boy. I got the impression that his isolation from society began before the end of the world, which makes the story even more poignant. You can't help but feel for this poor kid.
The YA format and the juvenile point of view doesn't lend itself to a deep exploration of the topic that these sorts of stories often include, but I found the character's voice to be consistent and realistic and the story well done.
3 1/2 to 4 stars but that is because YA isn't my favorite genre; others may enjoy it more than I did. This was my first by this author and it certainly made me seek out other stories by Whetzel.
The YA format and the juvenile point of view doesn't lend itself to a deep exploration of the topic that these sorts of stories often include, but I found the character's voice to be consistent and realistic and the story well done.
3 1/2 to 4 stars but that is because YA isn't my favorite genre; others may enjoy it more than I did. This was my first by this author and it certainly made me seek out other stories by Whetzel.
March 15, 2013
I've never been a zombie person, but I decided to take a chance with this short, and I'm glad I did. The story is well written and paced. It manages to avoid cliche while tackling a topic that's been (excuse the pun) beaten to death. Scenes where the main character encounters friends, family, and love interests, now all zombified are striking and well done.
February 1, 2014
This is the zombie apocalypse from a 13 year old perspective. Peter is the only survivor in his town. He has taken up residence at the water tower since zombie's can't climb ladders. He's a pretty smart kid which is why he's still alive. Very well written. Very interesting. Wish it was longer.
July 12, 2012
A GREAT LITTLE READ IF YOU LIKE THE ZOMBIE GENRE
October 14, 2012
entertaining short read
December 7, 2012
Just wish it wasn't a short story.
September 30, 2014
Really enjoyed this book! Wish Whetzel would write another about Peter's further adventures. Let the new game(s) begin!
September 7, 2016
Quick short story that is well written. A unique look into what it would be like for a child to be the last one alive after the zombies come.
June 11, 2012
I really liked this book. It was a different type of zombie book.
June 27, 2019
Peter -vs- the zombies. I'm not really a fan of the zombie genre, but was interested in the tale of a 13 year old boy living atop a watertower. This zombie tale was rather fun. Peter has some humorous and engaging zombie moments here and there, as well as a few sad and scary close calls. Peter is a likable kid. The mother in me kept wanting to tell him to eat something besides candy and potato chips though. This is a really quick read and was engaging enough to check Book#2 on amazon prime.
August 14, 2020
I think this is the first Post Apocalyptic Zombie that has gotten a bad rating from me. This book just wasn't as action packed or at the very least had something going on. It just wasn't all that interesting, or clear about what, how or when the zombies started showing up. It was one live character who saw other survivors which seemed to push the boy into action. Your telling me that 2 grown men couldn't do what a boy seemed to be able to do all by him self. Even with close encounters with the zombies that were bigger than him.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 8, 2025
I have been trying to get back into Zombie books, and, this was a great start! I love the take on the apocalypse in this book. It really delves into the protagonist's longing for friends, family, and, the world that existed before everything, and, everyone changed. It's a rollercoaster ride of emotions, as, you start to, as you go along, really start to empathize with the main character, and, question what you would do in certain situations when you are trying to survive, while, maintaining your humanity.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews