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Ghostland
In a journey that begins with the End, seventeen year old Lucy Miller and her family struggle to stay alive after a pandemic leads to a zombie apocalypse. Hiding from the horrors outside their sanctuary they must learn how to survive in a world that is intent on killing them. She must find the strength to not only fight off the dead that prowl the night but also the desperate last vestiges of humanity.
When her family meets other survivors, including a young boy named Gabriel Winters they must decide whether they can trust Gabriel and his family. With humanity lost the survivors try and stem the tide against the ever growing threat of the ghosts that have inherited the Earth.
When her family meets other survivors, including a young boy named Gabriel Winters they must decide whether they can trust Gabriel and his family. With humanity lost the survivors try and stem the tide against the ever growing threat of the ghosts that have inherited the Earth.
- GenresZombiesPost Apocalyptic
204 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 22, 2013
22 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
August 6, 2013
3.5 Stars! I received Ghostland in exchange for a honest review from author C.A. Marshall.
Ghostland is the story of 14 year old Lucy who finds herself on the run with her mom, dad and older sister Cassie from "ghosts" AKA zombies after a world wide virus. They head through the zombie infested city to a remote, closed bed and breakfast where they try and hide in order to survive.
They encounter another group of human survivors including teen Gabriel, his dad Ted, Veronica a doctor and her toddler son Michael. They work together to fortify the bed and breakfast, scavenge the desolate cities for supplies and learn how to kill the occasional ghost that disturbs their home. As the years go by, they find themselves running low on supplies and hope until they encounter another teen girl Emma who brings a hourde of ghosts and trouble along with her. She also provides news of a possible ghost free island; therefore providing hope.
Ghostland has promise as a new zombie series. All of the characters are relatable and I like the family dynamic. I really like sweet little Michael...now that kid acts and sounds his age! I had a little difficulty capturing the personality of Lucy until the last third of the book, but she was a worthy protagonist. Although this story is about settling in and hiding to survive, I was happy that they finally venture out in the end. Of course Marshall leaves us hanging for the next installment.
I must make a comment regarding the need for some serious editing. This is a ROUGH copy...missing words and punctuation; paragraphing needs some help; once Michael is actually spelled Marshall...it's just rough. With that said, I think the groundwork has been laid for a nice series.
Ghostland is the story of 14 year old Lucy who finds herself on the run with her mom, dad and older sister Cassie from "ghosts" AKA zombies after a world wide virus. They head through the zombie infested city to a remote, closed bed and breakfast where they try and hide in order to survive.
They encounter another group of human survivors including teen Gabriel, his dad Ted, Veronica a doctor and her toddler son Michael. They work together to fortify the bed and breakfast, scavenge the desolate cities for supplies and learn how to kill the occasional ghost that disturbs their home. As the years go by, they find themselves running low on supplies and hope until they encounter another teen girl Emma who brings a hourde of ghosts and trouble along with her. She also provides news of a possible ghost free island; therefore providing hope.
Ghostland has promise as a new zombie series. All of the characters are relatable and I like the family dynamic. I really like sweet little Michael...now that kid acts and sounds his age! I had a little difficulty capturing the personality of Lucy until the last third of the book, but she was a worthy protagonist. Although this story is about settling in and hiding to survive, I was happy that they finally venture out in the end. Of course Marshall leaves us hanging for the next installment.
I must make a comment regarding the need for some serious editing. This is a ROUGH copy...missing words and punctuation; paragraphing needs some help; once Michael is actually spelled Marshall...it's just rough. With that said, I think the groundwork has been laid for a nice series.
November 8, 2013
In Ghostland, we are introduced to a 13-year old girl, Lucy, who is the protagonist. I felt that her character at this age was written much more like a nine or ten year old character, if not younger. As the story progresses, she grows up not only age wise (to 17 I think) but also maturity wise (well, at times).
The premise of the story I'd say is good, but not carried out very well. I found myself wanting to give up on it until around 60% into the story, where for the first time I wanted to take the time to read. My attention was lost a bit again around 85% in.
The characters seemed underdeveloped and dialogue forced/non realistic with no differentiation between character "voices."
I'm usually not one to mention a need for editing in books, and I easily look past minor issues. However, this work seems like perhaps it wasn't even proofread. It is riddled with typos and mistakes. Not just a few, but so many that it really interrupted the flow of reading. Things as simple as comma use were blatantly missing. Dialogue. Just as an example (this is not from the book, just an example).
"Come here," said Mary. (correct) "Come here." said Mary. (incorrect) Not just typos, All dialogue was like this. The author needs to structure dialogue correctly. It was really hard to move beyond this, for me.
The story jumped from past to present to future at a dizzying pace. This just may be my preference, but I prefer a more stable timeline. The tense also changed throughout the book (past to present tense) as the protagonist narrated.
The ending seemed rushed and incomplete. I wouldn't call it a cliffhanger. It just...stopped. It left me unsure of the author plans to write a sequel or not. It left the story feeling rather incomplete.
Ok, Time to say some good things. The story has potential. The ideas are there for the groundwork for an enjoyable tale. I think, though, that the author needs to find a way to bring the ideas into a more organized format. I'd love to see the author hire an editor, and perhaps someone to help them understand the basics of writing (like sentence structure, dialogue format, etc). The book needs polishing and serious editing and proofing. It could truly be a stellar work with some added details (sights, fabric patterns, tastes, smells, etc)...I think near the end of the book the author began to develop some of these types of descriptives. I'd also love to see the flipping back and forth thru time calmed down. And, a cover change could also be a huge help (I can't tell what it is).
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The premise of the story I'd say is good, but not carried out very well. I found myself wanting to give up on it until around 60% into the story, where for the first time I wanted to take the time to read. My attention was lost a bit again around 85% in.
The characters seemed underdeveloped and dialogue forced/non realistic with no differentiation between character "voices."
I'm usually not one to mention a need for editing in books, and I easily look past minor issues. However, this work seems like perhaps it wasn't even proofread. It is riddled with typos and mistakes. Not just a few, but so many that it really interrupted the flow of reading. Things as simple as comma use were blatantly missing. Dialogue. Just as an example (this is not from the book, just an example).
"Come here," said Mary. (correct) "Come here." said Mary. (incorrect) Not just typos, All dialogue was like this. The author needs to structure dialogue correctly. It was really hard to move beyond this, for me.
The story jumped from past to present to future at a dizzying pace. This just may be my preference, but I prefer a more stable timeline. The tense also changed throughout the book (past to present tense) as the protagonist narrated.
The ending seemed rushed and incomplete. I wouldn't call it a cliffhanger. It just...stopped. It left me unsure of the author plans to write a sequel or not. It left the story feeling rather incomplete.
Ok, Time to say some good things. The story has potential. The ideas are there for the groundwork for an enjoyable tale. I think, though, that the author needs to find a way to bring the ideas into a more organized format. I'd love to see the author hire an editor, and perhaps someone to help them understand the basics of writing (like sentence structure, dialogue format, etc). The book needs polishing and serious editing and proofing. It could truly be a stellar work with some added details (sights, fabric patterns, tastes, smells, etc)...I think near the end of the book the author began to develop some of these types of descriptives. I'd also love to see the flipping back and forth thru time calmed down. And, a cover change could also be a huge help (I can't tell what it is).
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
December 7, 2013
I really enjoyed the first half of C.A Marshall's Ghostland. It has everything you'd expect in a zombie book, done pretty well. At times, I was reminded of The Reapers Are the Angels: a coming of age story set in the backdrop of the apocalypse. I believed the characters, their motivations, and their struggle. In a sense, it was a breather from some of the more edgy material in the genre.
Having said this, the latter half of the book just didn't work for me. The trajectory, tone, and themes of the book became skewed, and I felt I was reading an entirely different book. The plot twist definitely *could* have worked, but I think the piece needed some more attention in bringing the ideas together. It felt rushed and off path from the first half.
The author did succeed in providing an atmosphere for empathic characterization. This is no small feat when writing from the perspective of a teenage girl. I cared about the character's struggles and viewpoint; all written with subtle realism. The latter half was too abrupt and rich with conveniences.
There is so much to choose from in the zombie genre: some very much worth the read, some are forgettable, some are insane, and so on. Ghostland is pleasant and initially empathic, but too hasty in it's latter development. Why do we read zombie books? I suppose we all have our reasons, but the rule of thumb is that a good zombie book is never about zombies. C.A. Marshall "gets" this at the very essence, and I think with a little more fluidity, this piece could become a firm addition to the zombie genre.
Having said this, the latter half of the book just didn't work for me. The trajectory, tone, and themes of the book became skewed, and I felt I was reading an entirely different book. The plot twist definitely *could* have worked, but I think the piece needed some more attention in bringing the ideas together. It felt rushed and off path from the first half.
The author did succeed in providing an atmosphere for empathic characterization. This is no small feat when writing from the perspective of a teenage girl. I cared about the character's struggles and viewpoint; all written with subtle realism. The latter half was too abrupt and rich with conveniences.
There is so much to choose from in the zombie genre: some very much worth the read, some are forgettable, some are insane, and so on. Ghostland is pleasant and initially empathic, but too hasty in it's latter development. Why do we read zombie books? I suppose we all have our reasons, but the rule of thumb is that a good zombie book is never about zombies. C.A. Marshall "gets" this at the very essence, and I think with a little more fluidity, this piece could become a firm addition to the zombie genre.
August 6, 2013
This book was so easy to get into, the dialogue flowed, there was plenty of excitement and I loved watching Lucy grow into a strong caring young woman who could stab a "ghost" in the eye with a spike with the best of them. Hint: These folks call zombies "ghosts." Hint:These folks call zombies "ghosts" because they used to be people. But they are ZOMBIES.
I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I will say I did not give it five stars because it does need a final edit because of very small minor mistakes that interrupt the flow somewhat. But I do like this author's writing style and I will read more from this author. I am hoping there will be more about Lucy and her friends and family. And of course the zombies and the bad folk who always show their worst during a zombie apocalypse.
"What I saw my mom and dad do that day was probably repeated all over the country...the world, by other dads, moms, brothers, sisters, all trying to protect their own families. I sometimes think about all the people that had to walk into the dark corners not knowing what might be hiding in the darkness."
I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I will say I did not give it five stars because it does need a final edit because of very small minor mistakes that interrupt the flow somewhat. But I do like this author's writing style and I will read more from this author. I am hoping there will be more about Lucy and her friends and family. And of course the zombies and the bad folk who always show their worst during a zombie apocalypse.
"What I saw my mom and dad do that day was probably repeated all over the country...the world, by other dads, moms, brothers, sisters, all trying to protect their own families. I sometimes think about all the people that had to walk into the dark corners not knowing what might be hiding in the darkness."
November 13, 2013
Gripping from the start
This is a zombie horror told thru the eyes of a 13 year old girl with her family and their struggle to survive the next three years.
I really liked the strong female characters and there was enough characters to keep me interested but not too many to crowd the story or confuse me so i knew who was who. I really like the flow of the story.
The zombies are called ghosts as that's what the young Lucy called them and am really glad this theme was kept as Lucy has a great sense of pride in this.
Lucy convinces her family to except a group of new people reminding her family that not everything in the world is evil.
Thought out the book Lucy grows into a self assured young woman who defends herself and saves her group from the ghosts
I really hope C.A.Marshall Continues this story as I really enjoyed it and can't wait to see what happens to the survivors
Lucy, Naomi (mum) Dan (dad) Cassie (sister)
Veronica lee (doctor), Micheal (child), Ted, Gabriel (Ted's son)
This is a zombie horror told thru the eyes of a 13 year old girl with her family and their struggle to survive the next three years.
I really liked the strong female characters and there was enough characters to keep me interested but not too many to crowd the story or confuse me so i knew who was who. I really like the flow of the story.
The zombies are called ghosts as that's what the young Lucy called them and am really glad this theme was kept as Lucy has a great sense of pride in this.
Lucy convinces her family to except a group of new people reminding her family that not everything in the world is evil.
Thought out the book Lucy grows into a self assured young woman who defends herself and saves her group from the ghosts
I really hope C.A.Marshall Continues this story as I really enjoyed it and can't wait to see what happens to the survivors
Lucy, Naomi (mum) Dan (dad) Cassie (sister)
Veronica lee (doctor), Micheal (child), Ted, Gabriel (Ted's son)
March 4, 2014
I loved this book from Start to finish! So much emotion, action, & is a book that makes you think... who can I trust when the world has ended for most everyone you knew? I love the main character Lucy. A young girl that had her life flipped upside down when the ghosts of her friends started walking the earth. It is a lot to imagine how I would feel in her shoes but w/C.A. Marshall's writing I could do just that! I had dreams about this book! some that made me want to hold on to my kids & thank God that the world is still normal around me! A must read for sure!!!!!!
I had my 15 yr old niece read this book after I did & she is hooked & wants more! I must say I do too! C.A. I hope we see more from you in the future! Just keep doing what you do! It's great to read a book where the characters have more than just one or two emotions in them! even w/everything crumbling around her, Lucy, finds good around her!
I had my 15 yr old niece read this book after I did & she is hooked & wants more! I must say I do too! C.A. I hope we see more from you in the future! Just keep doing what you do! It's great to read a book where the characters have more than just one or two emotions in them! even w/everything crumbling around her, Lucy, finds good around her!
November 6, 2013
loved this story, was given as a free book in exchange for a review. the story had me hooked from the very 1st page and it was really interesting to see how the characters developed, especially lucy she starts out as a young innocent but eventually becomes a strong young women. definitely worth a read.
August 8, 2013
It was hard to get used to the new term for zombies but by the end I didn't even notice it. It was a satisfying read that left me wanting more. The book wrapped itself up and ended a little too quickly for me.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews