The Lost

by Hayley Anderton

When life hands you lemons, things are about to get really bitter.

Trapped with no way out, Levi and his friends must defy the odds to save themselves. But the new promise of safety in a small coastal town might just be too good to be true.

Misfits meets 28 Days Later in this zombie apocalypse thriller.

Genres: Zombies

73 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 7, 2024

About the author

Hayley Anderton is an author, reader, baker and crazy cat lady, born and raised in the North West of England. She strives for diversity in her writing, and believes that books can change the world. She graduated from John Moores University in 2017, and is now searching for her next adventure.

Reviews

[Juniper L.H. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this a lot, though these three novellas should have simply been one novel. Perfect scary zombie vibes (and fast ones, ugh). This was a bit generic, hitting all the standard zombie plot/emotion beats, but in a way that worked well and gave me exactly what I was looking for. I didn’t connect too much with the characters but was enthralled by the plot and this was a page turner; this makes sense as this was definitely more of a plot-based story. Not trying to dump on the characters too much as there was backstory and big feelings, but the novella was too short for a stronger connection IMO.

This was definitely a middle book. Lots of processing of feelings and major mid-disaster vibes. It worked well for what it was, although it wasn’t as satisfying as the first one. Middle novel syndrome I suppose. I am very ready to read the third entry though so it accomplished that goal.

[Bethany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heart pounding, terrifying: can you out run a zombie? And I don't mean those stumbly ones, I mean the ones which run at a speed your brain can't possibly compherend! Oh no no.

Let's do this without spoilers: ALTHOUGH I WANNA DISCUSS IT ALL! We start right in the action of the first book. It's intense. Hayley's ability to add the emotion that comes with this horror is perfection. I had a real opportunity to get to know the surviving characters better and fear for their lives.

I really loved the set up in this one. It was so unsettling and I could totally understand why some of the characters were questioning their surroundings. I certainly would be.

And wow - that ending!! 🧟 Nail biting and terrifying! I cry cry cry at the horror but I wanna read more more more!

'Misfits meet 28 Days/Weeks Later' is deffo the correct comparisons.

[Nancy (The Avid Reader) · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Lost is the second book in Hayley Anderton's Risen series. From the very beginning, it drops us right in the middle of the action. The Lost grabbed my attention from the first page and held on for dear life right up until the last page. That ending was sad but awesome for a zombie-killing fan like myself.

The Lost kept me glued to my seat and hanging on for more from the first page until the last. The zombies in The Lost are amazingly fast. They keep all the characters on their toes especially if they are being chased by one of them.

The Lost starts with Levi, Helena, Jaz, and Maria on the rooftop waiting for the helicopter to come to their rescue. Helena falls off the building to her death below. Levi is beside himself with grief for the loss of his best and only friend. Maria is upset after knocking her abusive boyfriend in the middle of a bunch of zombies.

There is a helicopter on the roof waiting to take them to the safe zone—if such a place exists. Will they make it to the safe zone? Does it even exist? Is it really and truly a safe place? The answers can only be found in The Lost.

Grab a copy of The Lost today to find out what happens to Levi, Jaz, and Maria. Will they make it to safety?

[Marta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good continuation

”The Lost” is the second book in the series ”The Risen” by Hayley Anderton. This part continues where it left off in the previous.

I got so emotional reading this one. It is fast-paced yet full of complexity, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Fake feeling of safety - what can be worse than that? It’s like asking for a disaster to happen. We’d got to follow Levi and the rest of the group in the next stage of their journey, and this book, like the previous one, didn’t disappoint.

I really like the author’s writing style and the way she managed to fit so many emotions and depth in such a short book. I am, for sure, going to read more of her works.

Again, the ending is pulling me just to grab the third book immediately.

[Julia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reads like a middle of a book, yes it's part two of three parts but I still stand by my first review, this should have been one book not three.

It picks up exactly where the last book ended, not a lot of action in this one and feels like that safe lull in a book before shit hits the fan. I guess we shall see how it ends come part three...

[Vicky · Rating 3 out of 5]

This picks-up where The Risen ended this book definitely concentes more on the people and relationships and how they're dealing with the aftermath of the first book but don't worry the action does pick up again and I'll be picking up book 3 shortly to find out what happens to the gang!

[Claire Cobb · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was really good. We saw how the gang got rescued by the helicopter and found a 'safe' place. I love these characters. They're all so unique in their own way. I'm glad Maria is opening up more, especially to Levi, and that they have each other. Into the final book, 3, The Remains.

[Jessica Huntley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another brilliant addictive read. Super fast paced, full of depth and likable characters you fall in love with. 🥰

[Steff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Second book of The Risen series. You start to get more of a backstory on the main characters. I love a good Zombie thriller!