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Zombie Fallout #2
A Plague Upon Your Family
This story picks up exactly where book one left off. The Talbot family is evacuating their home amidst a zombie apocalypse. Mankind is on the edge of extinction as a new dominant, mindless opponent scours in search of food, which happens to be non-infected humans.
In these pages are the journal entries of Michael Talbot, his wife Tracy, their kids Nicole, Justin and Travis. With them are Brendon, Nicole's Fiancee and Tommy previously a Wal-Mart door greeter who may be more than he seems. Together they struggle against a ruthless, relentless enemy that has singled them out above all others.
The Talbots have escaped Little Turtle but to what end, on the run they find themselves encountering a far vaster evil than the one that has already beset them. As they travel across the war torn countryside they soon learn that there are more than just zombies to be fearful of, with law and order a distant memory some humans have decided to take any and all matters into their own hands. Can the Talbots come through unscathed or will they suffer the fate of so many countless millions before them. It's not just the brains versus the brain-eaters anymore. The stakes may be higher than merely life and death with eternal souls on the line.
In these pages are the journal entries of Michael Talbot, his wife Tracy, their kids Nicole, Justin and Travis. With them are Brendon, Nicole's Fiancee and Tommy previously a Wal-Mart door greeter who may be more than he seems. Together they struggle against a ruthless, relentless enemy that has singled them out above all others.
The Talbots have escaped Little Turtle but to what end, on the run they find themselves encountering a far vaster evil than the one that has already beset them. As they travel across the war torn countryside they soon learn that there are more than just zombies to be fearful of, with law and order a distant memory some humans have decided to take any and all matters into their own hands. Can the Talbots come through unscathed or will they suffer the fate of so many countless millions before them. It's not just the brains versus the brain-eaters anymore. The stakes may be higher than merely life and death with eternal souls on the line.
330 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 29, 2010
424 people are currently reading
2069 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 367 reviews
November 19, 2021
1.5 rounded up to 2 (just okay)
Book 3 of my zombie-a-thon,
CW: About what you'd expect in a zombie horror
Well that was filled with sooooo much toxic masculinity and a side helping of racism paired with some vintage fat-shaming.
It was all passed off as humorous jokes, but I don't know guys, are quips about men covering up their emotions by making jokes about oestrogen levels and needing to use tampax and feeling embarrassed about even having emotions when they lose loved ones still where we are at as a society? I feel like we have moved on from this macho-man type behaviour.
It did end on a cracker cliff-hanger and I am going to give one more book a go because I want to know how they get out of this cluster-fudge .
Book 3 of my zombie-a-thon,
CW: About what you'd expect in a zombie horror
Well that was filled with sooooo much toxic masculinity and a side helping of racism paired with some vintage fat-shaming.
It was all passed off as humorous jokes, but I don't know guys, are quips about men covering up their emotions by making jokes about oestrogen levels and needing to use tampax and feeling embarrassed about even having emotions when they lose loved ones still where we are at as a society? I feel like we have moved on from this macho-man type behaviour.
It did end on a cracker cliff-hanger and I am going to give one more book a go because I want to know how they get out of this cluster-fudge .
April 25, 2011
I have to jump in and rate # 2 having already finished #3 and eagerly aawaiting 4. I've gone back and viewed some of the negative ratings for the first book and if the worst someone can come up with is typos (and there are far less than many of the indie published books in the zombie genre, which is a credit to his publisher) then I think we can declare this series a success. One other reader didn't like pop-culture references in the first one and complained of the "preparedness" and references to zombie movies by the main character. I can understand that, but to call it unrealistic is assinine. Max brooks has made the phrase "zombie survival plan" a widespread idea and allusions to zombie movies? Have you ever heard of the term homage? Look it up, its french. But I don't want an entire review to be negative comments on other reviews.
All three novels have been must reads for me. Because of their price on kindle I have to call these a steal. There are a lot of novellas and cheap work out there in the zom-genre but you won't find one of this quality at anywhere near this pricepoint. Nearest comps in terms of entertainment? JL Bourne's day-by-day series and the late ZA Recht morningstar series, but those don't provide the comedy alongside the gut-wrenching drama. Because my brother is an avid zombie reader as well, and he doesn't have a kindle, I bought the paperbacks new at 12 to 15$ a piece. That should show you how much I believe the kindle price is a steal. The second novel is a good bridge between the first and third but was not my favorite of the series. Like any good series, some books have to do the heavy lifting of moving the plot along to the more entertaining story lines. However, even as a standalone story, this brings the hilarious random thoughts comedy and good-natured ribbing that made the first so unique. It delves into the supernatural without being hokie or over the top.
as with Recht and Bourne, you get the feeling the author is former military or was in a military family given the details about military weaponry and the general feel for what military men are like. I hope I can someday write anything that is half as entertaining as this book. Keep up the good work Mr. Tufo.
All three novels have been must reads for me. Because of their price on kindle I have to call these a steal. There are a lot of novellas and cheap work out there in the zom-genre but you won't find one of this quality at anywhere near this pricepoint. Nearest comps in terms of entertainment? JL Bourne's day-by-day series and the late ZA Recht morningstar series, but those don't provide the comedy alongside the gut-wrenching drama. Because my brother is an avid zombie reader as well, and he doesn't have a kindle, I bought the paperbacks new at 12 to 15$ a piece. That should show you how much I believe the kindle price is a steal. The second novel is a good bridge between the first and third but was not my favorite of the series. Like any good series, some books have to do the heavy lifting of moving the plot along to the more entertaining story lines. However, even as a standalone story, this brings the hilarious random thoughts comedy and good-natured ribbing that made the first so unique. It delves into the supernatural without being hokie or over the top.
as with Recht and Bourne, you get the feeling the author is former military or was in a military family given the details about military weaponry and the general feel for what military men are like. I hope I can someday write anything that is half as entertaining as this book. Keep up the good work Mr. Tufo.
June 26, 2017
I really like this series even though it is way out of my genre. The main character is snarky which keeps the zombie apocalypse not too depressing. It's still pretty gross but It's fast moving and I have become connected to the characters. I liked reading this second book, but I did listen to the first book on Audible and I liked it more, I think maybe because of the narrator. I'll be returning to Audible for the third book.
June 28, 2021
Story 4/5
Narrative 5/5
Narrative 5/5
May 5, 2014
After being rescued from his attic, Micheal Talbot, his family and a few survivors are on the run from the zombies. What they don't know is that the zombie horde is not nearly as mindless as it seems. Unlike other survivors, the Talbot's and the people they travel with are being hunted. At first, Micheal doesn't want to believe this is the case but Tommy's warning becomes dire and his son Justin is starting to show terrible side effects after surviving a zombie attack. How much of Tommy is still human is something they will have to discover, as the Talbots struggle to survive, even as it seems that their son is looking for an opportunity to lead them to their deaths. Can the Talbots stay one step of the zombie plague that is determined to consume them.
I actually had to pause before writing this review and not because Tufo's story is particularly complex. He added new elements like zombies being able to move quickly, the dead from Talbot's neighbourhood stalking him and even a zombie/vampire hybrid. This of course helped to raise the level of peril and added a sense of urgency to each step the Talbots tale. I could feel the anguish of Michael when confronted with toddler zombies intent on devouring him. It was symbolic of a loss of innocence, of a way of life which would never return. If only Tufo had focused on these elements of his story but alas that was not to be. When Tufo was not overwhelming the story with puerile commentary about farts and various other bodily functions, the story was like an ism lalapalooza.
A Plague Upon Your Family, is easily one of the most offensive books I have read in this genre. Please keep in mind that I have read a lot of shit. There isn't a single ism that Tufo didn't engage in in this story, which makes me wonder why Tufo believes that the pain of marginalized people is appropriate fodder for his second rate offensive comedy? I almost don't know where to begin.
We met BT (read: Big Tiny) in Zombie Fallout. He is the only Black man among the survivors and of course, he is big and intimidating because well, aren't all Black men? Michael Talbot vacillates between trying to calm BT's ridiculous, ever-present rage and counting on his physical size and strength. BT is simply angry for the sake of being angry, as all Black men are stereotyped to be. If someone seems even remotely disagreeable to BT, like refusing to drink out of a bottle after he has had a sip from it, it must be because BT is Black. There is no nuance to this character. He is simply a big Black hulk, who doesn't seem to have a sense for his own survival and is dedicated to Talbot's leadership for some reason I cannot even begin to fathom. In fact, when BT isn't ridiculously angry, he spends his time propping up Mike Talbot's leadership and self esteem.
Then we have Jen, the sole lesbian of the group. After being described as a waste because of her lack of interest in men in the first book, I suppose it was too much to hope that her character would improve. When Jenn steps in to help Talbot fight off the zombies, she's described as "a gun toting man-hating lesbian" (pg 76). It only gets better from there folks. When she is able to move quickly, BT says, "Who would have thought a lesbian would have that kind of speed?" (pg. 123) Is there something about homosexuality which denotes that one must move with the speed of a turtle? The line doesn't even make any sense! Lesbians apparently are also more aware as we learned on page 209.
"Do you think lesbians are more spatially aware than your normal female?" I asked BT. "I mean they have to put their own furniture together and shit. Use a tape measure to hang shelves, that kind of thing."
This actually hits the mark of being both sexist and homophobic. Jenn never becomes anything more than a stereotype and in the end, died falling off a truck when Talbot couldn't save her. Normally, I am not happy when the sole member of a marginalized group gets killed off in a story, but in this case, it was an absolute relief because it means a break from all of the homophobia Tufo engaged in.
Read More
I actually had to pause before writing this review and not because Tufo's story is particularly complex. He added new elements like zombies being able to move quickly, the dead from Talbot's neighbourhood stalking him and even a zombie/vampire hybrid. This of course helped to raise the level of peril and added a sense of urgency to each step the Talbots tale. I could feel the anguish of Michael when confronted with toddler zombies intent on devouring him. It was symbolic of a loss of innocence, of a way of life which would never return. If only Tufo had focused on these elements of his story but alas that was not to be. When Tufo was not overwhelming the story with puerile commentary about farts and various other bodily functions, the story was like an ism lalapalooza.
A Plague Upon Your Family, is easily one of the most offensive books I have read in this genre. Please keep in mind that I have read a lot of shit. There isn't a single ism that Tufo didn't engage in in this story, which makes me wonder why Tufo believes that the pain of marginalized people is appropriate fodder for his second rate offensive comedy? I almost don't know where to begin.
We met BT (read: Big Tiny) in Zombie Fallout. He is the only Black man among the survivors and of course, he is big and intimidating because well, aren't all Black men? Michael Talbot vacillates between trying to calm BT's ridiculous, ever-present rage and counting on his physical size and strength. BT is simply angry for the sake of being angry, as all Black men are stereotyped to be. If someone seems even remotely disagreeable to BT, like refusing to drink out of a bottle after he has had a sip from it, it must be because BT is Black. There is no nuance to this character. He is simply a big Black hulk, who doesn't seem to have a sense for his own survival and is dedicated to Talbot's leadership for some reason I cannot even begin to fathom. In fact, when BT isn't ridiculously angry, he spends his time propping up Mike Talbot's leadership and self esteem.
Then we have Jen, the sole lesbian of the group. After being described as a waste because of her lack of interest in men in the first book, I suppose it was too much to hope that her character would improve. When Jenn steps in to help Talbot fight off the zombies, she's described as "a gun toting man-hating lesbian" (pg 76). It only gets better from there folks. When she is able to move quickly, BT says, "Who would have thought a lesbian would have that kind of speed?" (pg. 123) Is there something about homosexuality which denotes that one must move with the speed of a turtle? The line doesn't even make any sense! Lesbians apparently are also more aware as we learned on page 209.
"Do you think lesbians are more spatially aware than your normal female?" I asked BT. "I mean they have to put their own furniture together and shit. Use a tape measure to hang shelves, that kind of thing."
This actually hits the mark of being both sexist and homophobic. Jenn never becomes anything more than a stereotype and in the end, died falling off a truck when Talbot couldn't save her. Normally, I am not happy when the sole member of a marginalized group gets killed off in a story, but in this case, it was an absolute relief because it means a break from all of the homophobia Tufo engaged in.
Read More
July 1, 2015
Nom nom nom nom nom slurp burp nom nom nom nom nom nom nom grooooooooan nom nom nom nom nom burp nom nom nom nom slurp nom nom nom........
February 3, 2017
I noted in my 40% status update that I was at about 50/50 whether I'm going to finish this due to several annoyances, some of which were present in the first book and are not just present in this book but intensely magnified. In preparation for this review, I began to write out the grievances so I could remember and thoroughly explain my thoughts when I finished the book; however, it was in writing all that out that I decided to abandon this book immediately.
I honestly don't know that I've ever been more torn about a protagonist in any other book I've ever read. I constantly went between respecting Mike and then wishing he would just be eaten by the zombies already. I have decided that I wish the latter, and here's why:
**minor spoilers**
- Grotesque and morbidly fascinating descriptions of zombie gore, I can handle. I can even handle the explorations of the darker side of humanity with the serial rapist from the first book. What I can't handle are the numerous, lengthy, and detailed descriptions of bodily functions that litter this book. Every ten pages Mike is crapping his pants or farting or peeing on himself or getting covered in his own rope-y snot, then he has paragraphs-long internal dialog about it all. This happened in the first book a lot, too, but I mostly overlooked it. I can't overlook it anymore. If these sections were taken out of the book, I would not be surprised if it were 50 pages shorter. I began to feel like they were only added in to create length because they certainly don't generate any value for the actual storyline. Seriously, how often can one crap or pee their pants or fart or have their sinuses dump themselves and, even if one does, how many times can one philosophize about it? I get that maybe things like that might happen in a situation like this when people are scared out of their wits and their bodies are under stress, but that often? And why dwell on it in excruciating detail like that? Just... yuck. I also find it unbelievable that he and his wife have been married so long, yet somehow deny that the other has bodily functions and are afraid to fart in front of each other or things like that. Really? Maybe that denial is why Mike spends so much time thinking about it all, and I guess it would make sense given how awkward their marriage seems to be (more on that later).
- The painfully drawn-out comedy of errors that was the sheriff's office incident was basically when I lost all respect for Mike as a hero and everyone else in his party because they continued to look to him for guidance. I almost stopped reading right then, but decided to give it another chance. I gave up when they got to the motel because I could tell by the way Mike was patting himself on the back about how they'd all coalesced into a group that thinks ahead and plans together that the motel would just be yet another string of bad decisions that would be painful to get out of and make me further lose respect for him and everyone else in his party. By this time, I had learned that any time he was self-congratulatory like that, his thoughts were quickly disproved by their actions. I began to wish that the book was following Alex and his family and April instead of Mike's family.
- The weird relationship Mike has with his wife where he demonizes her in one breath but then praises her in the other became caustic for me, as did her contradictory statements and feelings about him. I get that maybe this is supposed to reflect the complicated feelings we might have about our significant others on some level in real life, but I could no longer overlook it because it got to a point where I just didn't understand why they were even pretending to be a couple any longer, which then basically made all the internal dialogue Mike had about saving his "family" and how important she is to him come off as lies (both to himself and to the reader). It was confusing and distracting.
- Mike keeps talking about how he has "prepared" his sons for this kind of thing and he's so proud of that, but he didn't seem to value teaching any of the women in his life how to shoot a gun or defend themselves?? I just don't get it. Even if you feel that guns are a "man's territory" under normal circumstances, why wouldn't you make sure EVERYONE IN YOUR PARTY can load each kind of firearm available and shoot with some accuracy to protect the party as a whole?? It's naive to think that somehow all the men are going to survive this whole thing. What are the women supposed to do if they find themselves alone because all the men have died protecting them? We already saw how well that worked out in the gas station with Mike's wife and daughter when they stupidly went off on their own and had no idea how to load or use the firearm they for some reason brought with them--and that even after all that they they still didn't ask to be given education in this area!! Seriously?? They were seconds away from death because they didn't understand how to use the tool that could have easily saved them, yet it didn't occur to them to ask to learn how to use said tool once they returned to the relative safety of the housing compound. It's one thing to be uninterested or "not believe" in guns before all this; it's another be uninterested and play the damsel in distress with no way to protect yourself during an actual apocalypse. There is just no excuse for any of this. If the women did show interest it was in a comic relief way. Sometimes it was when the women were alone for the reader's benefit (like the gas station incident), and other times it was right in front of the men (like when Erin was ineptly trying to fend off zombies during the rescue with Paul and had no skill whatsoever) and instead of trying to educate them, the men were like, "Haha, women trying to use those things is so cute, of course they don't know what they're doing because they're women." Really? How is this even along the lines of Mike's past and personality? Would a military person really sit there while that lack of education actually makes them more dangerous to the living (particularly with children in their party) and completely ineffective where protection is concerned? So, apparently all women don't have a clue about firearms by dint of being a woman and that is funny (uh, sorry, but no one has a clue about them, man or woman, until they are formally educated about them), women aren't worth teaching these skills even in emergency situations, and the women don't view themselves as worth educating because men are around to protect them. All of this was so inane I just couldn't get over it. Seriously, in an actual zombie apocalypse, clinging to gender assignments with the whole man-protects-woman thing or the fear of tools like that even to the detriment of your party is completely ludicrous. (And, in case you're wondering, I practice what I preach here, as I have been educated about firearms.)
- Why are they putting up with Justin, who has so obviously turned to the dark side?? This is also completely ludicrous, particularly when you consider that Tommy must know what's going on with him. I get that Justin is Mike's son, but he is CLEARLY A THREAT to them, he has done nothing to earn his place with them in a long time, the way Mike is touted in this book you would think he'd maybe figure out that Justin may not be as weak as he is pretending AND that Justin is probably how the baddies who are targeting them are finding them so easily, and Justin has on more than one occasion made his malice toward Mike plain. Like April, I would've gone with Alex, if nothing else to get away from creepy Justin. Or at the very least blindfold Justin and plug his ears or something to try to stop him from giving the baddies information.
- It's like the TV show "Lost" where they kept adding more and more mysteries and unexplained things and we just had to accept them episode after episode as they compounded. There's Tommy's spirit guide and psychic abilities. There's Eliza the vampire and/or some other male baddie who is stalking Mike and have some sort of vendetta against him. There's Justin (also a vampire now?). There's zombies. Oh but wait there are two kinds of zombies now, some that seem to be from the original H1N1 problem and now some that are also vampires? There's telepathy. There's psychic abilities. I mean, for God's sake. Enough already. I am still mildly curious about what all this means, but rather than torture myself with the rest of these books, I will probably just go read spoilers in other reviews so the mystery will be solved and I am sparing myself from Mike's behavior.
I honestly don't know that I've ever been more torn about a protagonist in any other book I've ever read. I constantly went between respecting Mike and then wishing he would just be eaten by the zombies already. I have decided that I wish the latter, and here's why:
**minor spoilers**
- Grotesque and morbidly fascinating descriptions of zombie gore, I can handle. I can even handle the explorations of the darker side of humanity with the serial rapist from the first book. What I can't handle are the numerous, lengthy, and detailed descriptions of bodily functions that litter this book. Every ten pages Mike is crapping his pants or farting or peeing on himself or getting covered in his own rope-y snot, then he has paragraphs-long internal dialog about it all. This happened in the first book a lot, too, but I mostly overlooked it. I can't overlook it anymore. If these sections were taken out of the book, I would not be surprised if it were 50 pages shorter. I began to feel like they were only added in to create length because they certainly don't generate any value for the actual storyline. Seriously, how often can one crap or pee their pants or fart or have their sinuses dump themselves and, even if one does, how many times can one philosophize about it? I get that maybe things like that might happen in a situation like this when people are scared out of their wits and their bodies are under stress, but that often? And why dwell on it in excruciating detail like that? Just... yuck. I also find it unbelievable that he and his wife have been married so long, yet somehow deny that the other has bodily functions and are afraid to fart in front of each other or things like that. Really? Maybe that denial is why Mike spends so much time thinking about it all, and I guess it would make sense given how awkward their marriage seems to be (more on that later).
- The painfully drawn-out comedy of errors that was the sheriff's office incident was basically when I lost all respect for Mike as a hero and everyone else in his party because they continued to look to him for guidance. I almost stopped reading right then, but decided to give it another chance. I gave up when they got to the motel because I could tell by the way Mike was patting himself on the back about how they'd all coalesced into a group that thinks ahead and plans together that the motel would just be yet another string of bad decisions that would be painful to get out of and make me further lose respect for him and everyone else in his party. By this time, I had learned that any time he was self-congratulatory like that, his thoughts were quickly disproved by their actions. I began to wish that the book was following Alex and his family and April instead of Mike's family.
- The weird relationship Mike has with his wife where he demonizes her in one breath but then praises her in the other became caustic for me, as did her contradictory statements and feelings about him. I get that maybe this is supposed to reflect the complicated feelings we might have about our significant others on some level in real life, but I could no longer overlook it because it got to a point where I just didn't understand why they were even pretending to be a couple any longer, which then basically made all the internal dialogue Mike had about saving his "family" and how important she is to him come off as lies (both to himself and to the reader). It was confusing and distracting.
- Mike keeps talking about how he has "prepared" his sons for this kind of thing and he's so proud of that, but he didn't seem to value teaching any of the women in his life how to shoot a gun or defend themselves?? I just don't get it. Even if you feel that guns are a "man's territory" under normal circumstances, why wouldn't you make sure EVERYONE IN YOUR PARTY can load each kind of firearm available and shoot with some accuracy to protect the party as a whole?? It's naive to think that somehow all the men are going to survive this whole thing. What are the women supposed to do if they find themselves alone because all the men have died protecting them? We already saw how well that worked out in the gas station with Mike's wife and daughter when they stupidly went off on their own and had no idea how to load or use the firearm they for some reason brought with them--and that even after all that they they still didn't ask to be given education in this area!! Seriously?? They were seconds away from death because they didn't understand how to use the tool that could have easily saved them, yet it didn't occur to them to ask to learn how to use said tool once they returned to the relative safety of the housing compound. It's one thing to be uninterested or "not believe" in guns before all this; it's another be uninterested and play the damsel in distress with no way to protect yourself during an actual apocalypse. There is just no excuse for any of this. If the women did show interest it was in a comic relief way. Sometimes it was when the women were alone for the reader's benefit (like the gas station incident), and other times it was right in front of the men (like when Erin was ineptly trying to fend off zombies during the rescue with Paul and had no skill whatsoever) and instead of trying to educate them, the men were like, "Haha, women trying to use those things is so cute, of course they don't know what they're doing because they're women." Really? How is this even along the lines of Mike's past and personality? Would a military person really sit there while that lack of education actually makes them more dangerous to the living (particularly with children in their party) and completely ineffective where protection is concerned? So, apparently all women don't have a clue about firearms by dint of being a woman and that is funny (uh, sorry, but no one has a clue about them, man or woman, until they are formally educated about them), women aren't worth teaching these skills even in emergency situations, and the women don't view themselves as worth educating because men are around to protect them. All of this was so inane I just couldn't get over it. Seriously, in an actual zombie apocalypse, clinging to gender assignments with the whole man-protects-woman thing or the fear of tools like that even to the detriment of your party is completely ludicrous. (And, in case you're wondering, I practice what I preach here, as I have been educated about firearms.)
- Why are they putting up with Justin, who has so obviously turned to the dark side?? This is also completely ludicrous, particularly when you consider that Tommy must know what's going on with him. I get that Justin is Mike's son, but he is CLEARLY A THREAT to them, he has done nothing to earn his place with them in a long time, the way Mike is touted in this book you would think he'd maybe figure out that Justin may not be as weak as he is pretending AND that Justin is probably how the baddies who are targeting them are finding them so easily, and Justin has on more than one occasion made his malice toward Mike plain. Like April, I would've gone with Alex, if nothing else to get away from creepy Justin. Or at the very least blindfold Justin and plug his ears or something to try to stop him from giving the baddies information.
- It's like the TV show "Lost" where they kept adding more and more mysteries and unexplained things and we just had to accept them episode after episode as they compounded. There's Tommy's spirit guide and psychic abilities. There's Eliza the vampire and/or some other male baddie who is stalking Mike and have some sort of vendetta against him. There's Justin (also a vampire now?). There's zombies. Oh but wait there are two kinds of zombies now, some that seem to be from the original H1N1 problem and now some that are also vampires? There's telepathy. There's psychic abilities. I mean, for God's sake. Enough already. I am still mildly curious about what all this means, but rather than torture myself with the rest of these books, I will probably just go read spoilers in other reviews so the mystery will be solved and I am sparing myself from Mike's behavior.
April 25, 2020
I try to express only my most honest opinion in a spoiler-free way. Unfortunately, there is still always a risk of slight spoilers despite my best efforts. If you feel something in my review is a spoiler please let me know. Thank you.
This series is so good. I love the narrator used in the audiobooks for it. This one explains Eliza better and leaves an ominous feeling to it. Other than that not much to say its a great series and I'll be continuing it for sure.
This series is so good. I love the narrator used in the audiobooks for it. This one explains Eliza better and leaves an ominous feeling to it. Other than that not much to say its a great series and I'll be continuing it for sure.
May 2, 2012
If you are reading this review for Zombie Fallout 2: A Plague Upon Your Family, and you haven’t already read the first book in the Zombie Fallout series, you really need to find it and start there. Just sayin’.
If you have read the first book in the series and are here looking at Zombie Fallout 2, then you’ve already been bitten. Pun intended. It’s too late for you. You’ve already succumbed and become (da da da dum…) a Zombie Fallout Fan!
Mark Tufo’s series about the effects of an untested Swine flu virus (no disrespect meant to any hogs who might be reading this) is addictive. It must also be contagious, because everyone I told, and who went on to read the first book, couldn’t wait to read the next.
Michael Talbot’s second journal continues on right where the first left off, and takes you through a hair-raising quest to find a safe haven in the midst of the madness. Just like the first book, you will cringe. You will laugh. You will cry. (Ok, maybe just us girls will cry. You guys can pretend you got something in your eye.) I won’t provide any spoilers cuz I’m not that kind of gal. But, I will say you’re gonna want to read this if for no other reason than to find out what busted nuts, mini vans, McDonald’s drive-thrus, hairless tails, and winters in North Dakota all have in common!
Read on, ZF fans – and maybe while you’re at it you should go ahead and get Zombie Fallout 3. I know I will!
If you have read the first book in the series and are here looking at Zombie Fallout 2, then you’ve already been bitten. Pun intended. It’s too late for you. You’ve already succumbed and become (da da da dum…) a Zombie Fallout Fan!
Mark Tufo’s series about the effects of an untested Swine flu virus (no disrespect meant to any hogs who might be reading this) is addictive. It must also be contagious, because everyone I told, and who went on to read the first book, couldn’t wait to read the next.
Michael Talbot’s second journal continues on right where the first left off, and takes you through a hair-raising quest to find a safe haven in the midst of the madness. Just like the first book, you will cringe. You will laugh. You will cry. (Ok, maybe just us girls will cry. You guys can pretend you got something in your eye.) I won’t provide any spoilers cuz I’m not that kind of gal. But, I will say you’re gonna want to read this if for no other reason than to find out what busted nuts, mini vans, McDonald’s drive-thrus, hairless tails, and winters in North Dakota all have in common!
Read on, ZF fans – and maybe while you’re at it you should go ahead and get Zombie Fallout 3. I know I will!
April 28, 2025
These audio books are great fun with excellent narration.
October 27, 2020
*This review can also be found on my book review blog, The Never-Ending TBR Pile.
*Below is an earlier review from October of 2012, but I stand by it all after re-reading this book. I can't say enough about this series and plan to continue posting reviews for the subsequent books following this one.
My Thoughts:
Okay, I have to say it: Mark Tufo is bloody brilliant! I freakin’ love this series!!
Alright, I’ve got that out of my system now. Let me see if I can do this book justice by reviewing it. Fair warning – if you have not read Zombie Fallout #1 (read my review), then please go read it first before reading this review. I don’t want to ruin anything for those that have not had a chance to dive into this series yet!
So, Mike Talbot and his family managed to narrowly escape Little Turtle in the last book and this book literally picks up where the last one ended. So, action and tension from the very beginning! This book focused even more on the characters themselves and how they began to reveal their various tendencies towards reaction or non-reaction in different situations. Unexpected allies came to the forefront while supposed allies went different directions. So, by the end of this book, the group has not only dwindled in numbers but has shifted in alliances.
BT and Jen (yep, I was as surprised as Mike when she made her appearance) actually played more active roles in this book and it was interesting to watch them through Mike’s eyes as they stepped up to the plate time and time again. I gained a lot of respect for both BT and Jen throughout this book. And the interactions especially between BT and Mike were freakin’ hilarious! I lost count of how many times those two had me giggling. I think that’s one of the best things about these books is that even though the situations are creepy, scary, dangerous, and tense, Mark Tufo finds ways to weave humor in that helps to lighten the mood some when it’s most needed. Definitely a much added benefit to this genre!
More info about Eliza is revealed in this book and it just makes me shudder even more whenever she makes her appearance. The methods she utilizes to get at Mike and his family and friends are sadistic and cruel, making her the ultimate villain as she plays mind games with Mike especially. I’m really worried about Justin and have no idea how his story is going to go as this series progresses. I really hope it ends okay for him…otherwise that’s going to be devastating for the entire Talbot family but especially for Mike and Tracy. And Tommy…more tidbits were revealed about Tommy, but I’m still not sure exactly what’s going on with him. So, hopefully more will be revealed in the next book!
This series has definitely got me very invested in it now and I hope I can get my hands on the rest of the books soon! If you have yet to check out this series, please do! It’s sooo much more than just fighting and killing zombies. It’s about survival, humanity, family, friendships, and so much more. A definite must-read for any zombie lover!
*Below is an earlier review from October of 2012, but I stand by it all after re-reading this book. I can't say enough about this series and plan to continue posting reviews for the subsequent books following this one.
My Thoughts:
Okay, I have to say it: Mark Tufo is bloody brilliant! I freakin’ love this series!!
Alright, I’ve got that out of my system now. Let me see if I can do this book justice by reviewing it. Fair warning – if you have not read Zombie Fallout #1 (read my review), then please go read it first before reading this review. I don’t want to ruin anything for those that have not had a chance to dive into this series yet!
So, Mike Talbot and his family managed to narrowly escape Little Turtle in the last book and this book literally picks up where the last one ended. So, action and tension from the very beginning! This book focused even more on the characters themselves and how they began to reveal their various tendencies towards reaction or non-reaction in different situations. Unexpected allies came to the forefront while supposed allies went different directions. So, by the end of this book, the group has not only dwindled in numbers but has shifted in alliances.
BT and Jen (yep, I was as surprised as Mike when she made her appearance) actually played more active roles in this book and it was interesting to watch them through Mike’s eyes as they stepped up to the plate time and time again. I gained a lot of respect for both BT and Jen throughout this book. And the interactions especially between BT and Mike were freakin’ hilarious! I lost count of how many times those two had me giggling. I think that’s one of the best things about these books is that even though the situations are creepy, scary, dangerous, and tense, Mark Tufo finds ways to weave humor in that helps to lighten the mood some when it’s most needed. Definitely a much added benefit to this genre!
More info about Eliza is revealed in this book and it just makes me shudder even more whenever she makes her appearance. The methods she utilizes to get at Mike and his family and friends are sadistic and cruel, making her the ultimate villain as she plays mind games with Mike especially. I’m really worried about Justin and have no idea how his story is going to go as this series progresses. I really hope it ends okay for him…otherwise that’s going to be devastating for the entire Talbot family but especially for Mike and Tracy. And Tommy…more tidbits were revealed about Tommy, but I’m still not sure exactly what’s going on with him. So, hopefully more will be revealed in the next book!
This series has definitely got me very invested in it now and I hope I can get my hands on the rest of the books soon! If you have yet to check out this series, please do! It’s sooo much more than just fighting and killing zombies. It’s about survival, humanity, family, friendships, and so much more. A definite must-read for any zombie lover!
January 12, 2025
I really wanted to give this book 5 stars like I did the first one. I like Mike Talbot, his family and friends. Mr. Tufo has made me care about them over the last two books. Mike is a funny and thoughtful narrator through the circles of Hell that they have been traveling in this book and the last. But I have a couple problems with this book that kept it from the elusive 5th star. The First is that Tracy wasn't kept in character. Under zed attack we would all show signs of stress but who we aren't won't change. In the first book Tracy was on Mike and the boys about swearing even after the dead walked and in the second book she would make a sailor blush and was taking the Lord's name in vain. It just seemed very OOC. The other two problems I had will put under spoiler tags since they are more intricate to the plot.
My favorite part of this book was kind of insignificant. Some people were leaving the group and of course it was a sad moment. But after they left what really drove it home was Mike talking about how once they were out of sight they never saw them again and never knew what happened to them. It really brought home the idea that in that new world out of sight was the same as dead. It was a little mind blowing.
My favorite part of this book was kind of insignificant. Some people were leaving the group and of course it was a sad moment. But after they left what really drove it home was Mike talking about how once they were out of sight they never saw them again and never knew what happened to them. It really brought home the idea that in that new world out of sight was the same as dead. It was a little mind blowing.
January 16, 2015
Ok, I never write reviews but I just have to for this book! Just to preface my review let me introduce myself. I am a very immature, easily entertained, zombie-story-loving male. I do not read books, but I have a profession that allows me to listen to books all day every day. I devour audiobooks. I entered into this series extremely excited! I found another awesome zombie series with multiple books!!!
Yeah... Not so much...
Unbelievably, these books are too immature for ME! Go ahead, check out the books I've listened to over the last few years. Check out my ratings on books. I don't hold a very high standard for books that entertain me.
I could care less about ANY of the characters in this series. In fact I was actually starting to root for the zombies.
Once I noticed how much I really didn't care and how I could predict that the main character was going to either puke, fart, talk about how bad something smells or talk about "the man code" I stopped this book and deleted the rest of the series. Literally one of those things happened every 5 minutes or so.
Like I said, I don't usually write reviews... Not sure how to end this other than to say "I wish I would have believed what many of the other reviewers had said. Just stay away. ... Unless you're 13."
Yeah... Not so much...
Unbelievably, these books are too immature for ME! Go ahead, check out the books I've listened to over the last few years. Check out my ratings on books. I don't hold a very high standard for books that entertain me.
I could care less about ANY of the characters in this series. In fact I was actually starting to root for the zombies.
Once I noticed how much I really didn't care and how I could predict that the main character was going to either puke, fart, talk about how bad something smells or talk about "the man code" I stopped this book and deleted the rest of the series. Literally one of those things happened every 5 minutes or so.
Like I said, I don't usually write reviews... Not sure how to end this other than to say "I wish I would have believed what many of the other reviewers had said. Just stay away. ... Unless you're 13."
July 21, 2012
*potential spoiler alert*
While not quite as good as the first book, I found Zombie Fallout 2 to be a fast paced, quick read. A couple of things prevented me from giving it a 5 star rating.
The first has to deal with Eliza's origins. Mark Tufo has gone into the realm of impossibility here. I know...I'm reading a book about the zombie apocalypse and I am arguing about realism. It may seem strange, but there is a point where willful suspension of disbelief becomes impossible. For me that point is having a vampire become a lead zombie. I suppose one could argue she is still simply a vampire and only 'controls' the zombies. I just can't wrap my head around the concept.
My second problem is harder to explain. In the first story I couldn't stop laughing at the 'toilet' humor. Strangely, in the second book it has begun to get old. I don't laugh as hard at the 32 fart joke.
Still, I would highly recommend Zombie Fallout 2 to anyone who enjoys laughter with their horror. Mark Tufo does combine the two quite wonderfully.
While not quite as good as the first book, I found Zombie Fallout 2 to be a fast paced, quick read. A couple of things prevented me from giving it a 5 star rating.
The first has to deal with Eliza's origins. Mark Tufo has gone into the realm of impossibility here. I know...I'm reading a book about the zombie apocalypse and I am arguing about realism. It may seem strange, but there is a point where willful suspension of disbelief becomes impossible. For me that point is having a vampire become a lead zombie. I suppose one could argue she is still simply a vampire and only 'controls' the zombies. I just can't wrap my head around the concept.
My second problem is harder to explain. In the first story I couldn't stop laughing at the 'toilet' humor. Strangely, in the second book it has begun to get old. I don't laugh as hard at the 32 fart joke.
Still, I would highly recommend Zombie Fallout 2 to anyone who enjoys laughter with their horror. Mark Tufo does combine the two quite wonderfully.
November 17, 2012
Zombie Fallout 2
It's got zombies, it's got blood, it's got humor, it's got sarcasm! What more could you ask for? Well, other than the obvious wanting the zombies to die.....again.
Wow! No one can say these books don't pack in the action. I was pretty stressed out more than once wondering how they were going to get out of the horrible situation they were in, and there were plenty!
I love this series. In a zombie apocalypse I'd definately want to be with Mike Talbot. Though he has a knack for getting into bad situations he also has the same knack for getting out of them.
Although there are some pretty bad people in this story there's also the story of family, friends and loyalty. There is great character depth, even the ones you briefly know you have definate feelings on them. You know which ones you'd like to see eaten....soon.
and though I love my family dearly I see a lot of sandwiches or pizza delivery in their future until I'm able to finish this series....
It's got zombies, it's got blood, it's got humor, it's got sarcasm! What more could you ask for? Well, other than the obvious wanting the zombies to die.....again.
Wow! No one can say these books don't pack in the action. I was pretty stressed out more than once wondering how they were going to get out of the horrible situation they were in, and there were plenty!
I love this series. In a zombie apocalypse I'd definately want to be with Mike Talbot. Though he has a knack for getting into bad situations he also has the same knack for getting out of them.
Although there are some pretty bad people in this story there's also the story of family, friends and loyalty. There is great character depth, even the ones you briefly know you have definate feelings on them. You know which ones you'd like to see eaten....soon.
and though I love my family dearly I see a lot of sandwiches or pizza delivery in their future until I'm able to finish this series....
February 7, 2014
I LOVE THIS SERIES EVEN MORE. IT JUST KEEPS GETTING BETTER. I'M VERY EXCITED TO HAVE TAKEN THE CHANCE TO TRY OUT THIS AUTHOR. I LOVE THE COMEDY IN THE BOOKS AS IT ADDS SOMETHING A LITTLE DIFFERENT. AND NOW, ON TO THE NEXT!
Read
March 28, 2019I enjoyed Zombie Fallout but couldn't finish this! I got to 31%! A zombie apocalypse story with vampires is just wrong!
May 27, 2012
Eliza, Tommy, the Talbots and of course, the zombies, are back for the second installment of the Zombie Fallout series, Zombie Fallout 2 - A Plague Upon Your Family. I'm a massive fan of the Zombie Fallout series and the author, Mark Tufo. Earlier this year I re-read the first book in the series, Zombie Fallout (read my review here), and always fully intended to go back and re-read the second book in the series too.
I read a lot of zombie books (probably 20-30% of my total reading), and I enjoy them all for different reasons, but the main reason I enjoy the Zombie Fallout series so damn much are really the characters. Mike Talbot, the narrator of the story, is one of the most sarcastic and snicker-worthy characters I have ever encountered in a book. Coupled with Tommy, the seemingly clueless boy with his secret guardian angel (who appears to be a famous TV presenter), an evil zombie chick with a goal to destroy the Talbot family and anyone who gets in her way, and probably the most underrated character of the series, Mike's long suffering wife (who is also a firecracker in her own right), Tracy.
The action sequences are incredibly well-written - a perfect balance of tension, description and character interaction make them completely visible in the mind, and the zombies are truly terrifying.
The story itself moves at a pretty relentless pace in ZF2 as the Talbots and their friends run into some pretty hairy situations, both at the hands of the zombie army that are continually hunting them down, and other humans they encounter on their journey to escape Eliza's clutches. There is also a bunch of extremely likable 'good guys' that save their bacon more than once.
It's rare that I re-read a book, and even rarer that I would re-read a whole series. But I will be re-reading ZF3 in the very near future before moving onto the two books in the series I have't yet read, ZF4 and ZF5. The Zombie Fallout series continues to cement itself in my top 3 zombie series of all time.
Read more of my reviews at The Aussie Zombie
July 6, 2015
although I thoroughly disliked the 4 prologues .. the audiobook was really good! made me laugh really hard again! lots of action, on the edge of my seat!
loved it.. I've already started listening to book 3.. so good!!
if you like zombies, and you like to laugh really hard .. this is the book for you!! I listen to these books whenever I'm in the car or working outside.. so sometimes its pretty spread out.. but I still really enjoy them! apparently there's a part 3.5 which is really short...makes me a little mad, ugh I don't want to waste one of my audible credits on a 13 dollar audiobook.. I pay more per month for the membership!
loved it.. I've already started listening to book 3.. so good!!
if you like zombies, and you like to laugh really hard .. this is the book for you!! I listen to these books whenever I'm in the car or working outside.. so sometimes its pretty spread out.. but I still really enjoy them! apparently there's a part 3.5 which is really short...makes me a little mad, ugh I don't want to waste one of my audible credits on a 13 dollar audiobook.. I pay more per month for the membership!
August 9, 2012
I love Mike Talbot; he's the-man. Tommy, bless his lil heart, is a sweetie. Really, where does he get all the food? A vampire in a zombie apocalypse is sooo not fair. And they have runners now, smh. The scene that made me crack or bruise something from laughin so hard was when Tracy sent Mike to McDonalds and the manager started callin out the kids that went to the restrooms for 30 mins and etc, and then when the little girl Alexis ate the ff off the floor. I'm a germaphobe and I'm right there with Mike. These books are fuckin awesome. I'm so hooked.
August 21, 2019
I really like that the action starts off right from the start of the book, and just keeps coming... The book was a page gripper... I stayed up later than usual I just couldn't put it down, I was even reading it while I was making dinner.... Good thing it was was a simple meal.... My husband kept asking me what I was reading because I read it all the way through supper too! I finished the book in one day, so I could start on book three.... Awesome story!
May 6, 2011
Will make this a quick one.. Old argument! When is a sequel ever better than the first?? Godfather!, Rocky!,Police Academy HAHA! WELL! THIS IS !!! Made a huge mistake,poured through this book like the first in two days and every bit as good and better,but finished it without the third being finished. So what was i to do?? Read them both again !! Very Very Good
February 13, 2018
I absolutely love this series, and am moving on to book 3 now...I love Mike and his family, and this narrator brings them all to life...so glad I got book 1 on sale...and tried this series...if you are a Walking Dead fan, you will love this series...But along with a zombocalypse you get tons of humor...this series rocks!! HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!!!!!
October 15, 2017
I'm going to have to space these books out. I enjoy Talbots sarcasm and psychosis equally but I found myself skimming these rants to get back to the story.
I will be reading #3 but I'm going to read a couple of others to "cleanse my palate" first.
3.5
I will be reading #3 but I'm going to read a couple of others to "cleanse my palate" first.
3.5
December 14, 2017
Four prologues all unnecessary. they did nothing for the story as we follow mike and family as they escape the zombie horde.
February 1, 2019
I'm starting to root for the zombies.
did-not-finish
December 24, 2020DNF at 6%.
Well that was super disappointing. Book 1 was a solid scifi zombie apocalypse with its origins based in science. Sure, there were hints of fantasy, but overall it was science fiction. Book 2 immediately starts with vampires. Not a spoiler, because you'll figure it out in the first 5 minutes. And not only is there a vampire, but she (I guess, because I haven't gotten far into the book) gets turned into a vampire-zombie hybrid. So now we're just full on into fantasy land. I love fantasy land, but that's not what I want from my zombie stories.
Then add in the MC's incredible homophobia, sexism, the icky feeling I get about how he treats his wife, and weird "man code" comments and I think I have to be done. Which sucks, because I really did enjoy book 1.
Well that was super disappointing. Book 1 was a solid scifi zombie apocalypse with its origins based in science. Sure, there were hints of fantasy, but overall it was science fiction. Book 2 immediately starts with vampires. Not a spoiler, because you'll figure it out in the first 5 minutes. And not only is there a vampire, but she (I guess, because I haven't gotten far into the book) gets turned into a vampire-zombie hybrid. So now we're just full on into fantasy land. I love fantasy land, but that's not what I want from my zombie stories.
Then add in the MC's incredible homophobia, sexism, the icky feeling I get about how he treats his wife, and weird "man code" comments and I think I have to be done. Which sucks, because I really did enjoy book 1.
December 15, 2022
Ok, I am starting to lose interest. I was really in with the first book, and I enjoyed the funny flash-backs in this book, but I don't know if I am enjoying the more fantasy-esque road we're moving down now. I will probably finish the trilogy, but I might not go further.
December 20, 2018
Having such a good time with these audiobooks!
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