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Kellie's Diary #4
Kellie's Diary #4
"The simple style this story is presented in sometimes tricks you into taking it at face value; but it's the reading between the lines that gives you the full sense of horror in the world around the main character." - Amazon reviewer "zombie"
This is the fourth entry in the Kellie's Diary series.
Almost four years after the events of "Kellie's Diary #3", Kellie and her younger sister have steadily grown accustomed to life around them. They've long since left Texas, traveling with a mobile community. It's the longest they've ever stayed with one group, but remaining steady in a moving environment has it's share of challenges... and secrets.
This is the fourth entry in the Kellie's Diary series.
Almost four years after the events of "Kellie's Diary #3", Kellie and her younger sister have steadily grown accustomed to life around them. They've long since left Texas, traveling with a mobile community. It's the longest they've ever stayed with one group, but remaining steady in a moving environment has it's share of challenges... and secrets.
97 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 6, 2014
26 people are currently reading
84 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
January 30, 2019
The girl is acting more of a grown up now but she is only
a teen! I feel so bad for her... Sarah is dead. It is ssooo sad!
Maby Kellie and her sister (Lydia) will find their other family members. I just hope they die trying!!
a teen! I feel so bad for her... Sarah is dead. It is ssooo sad!
Maby Kellie and her sister (Lydia) will find their other family members. I just hope they die trying!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 10, 2020
This series has been a great experience so far. It's definitely something someone could read in a whole day, but I space my reading out a little so it doesn't end so quickly. What I like most about this series is that you get to see Kellie's thoughts and perspectives change as she gets older. I think the writers did a really great job of showing Kellie's development, while still portraying Kellie as Kellie, if that makes sense.
I LOVE a good zombie book, so for me, I very much enjoyed all the typical zombie tropes, such as the faded greenish color of the eyes and the pallid skin with the purple/red veins, as well as typical zombie trapped situations: stuck in a tree with zombies at the bottom, or a gate barely holding back a horde. For me, it has all the elements of a zombie story. Believable/relate-able characters, character dynamic stemmed from an inability to trust one another and agree on a survival strategy, and of course the fact that zombies force humans in to a nomad lifestyle.
I think what readers can most appreciate about this story is that it shows the strength of humanity, or rather what makes us weak in the face of adversity. I say strength, but what I mean by that is that our human urges sometimes outweigh our fear of death and pain. The length one will go to, to impress the person they like has no boundaries in a zombie apocalypse. This book is not for everyone, considering it reads for middle grade, so if that type of writing bothers you, because again, it is written from the perspective of a young girl, then you may find difficult enjoying it. For me, what makes it so great is that the younger me could relate to Kellie's frustrations when it comes to siblings and school, so I very much enjoyed her genuine attitude, concerns, and thoughts.
I LOVE a good zombie book, so for me, I very much enjoyed all the typical zombie tropes, such as the faded greenish color of the eyes and the pallid skin with the purple/red veins, as well as typical zombie trapped situations: stuck in a tree with zombies at the bottom, or a gate barely holding back a horde. For me, it has all the elements of a zombie story. Believable/relate-able characters, character dynamic stemmed from an inability to trust one another and agree on a survival strategy, and of course the fact that zombies force humans in to a nomad lifestyle.
I think what readers can most appreciate about this story is that it shows the strength of humanity, or rather what makes us weak in the face of adversity. I say strength, but what I mean by that is that our human urges sometimes outweigh our fear of death and pain. The length one will go to, to impress the person they like has no boundaries in a zombie apocalypse. This book is not for everyone, considering it reads for middle grade, so if that type of writing bothers you, because again, it is written from the perspective of a young girl, then you may find difficult enjoying it. For me, what makes it so great is that the younger me could relate to Kellie's frustrations when it comes to siblings and school, so I very much enjoyed her genuine attitude, concerns, and thoughts.
January 11, 2019
Very good young adult read.
This series keeps you captivAted and interested.
Keeps you guessing and prompts you to purchase the next book in the series. Simple yet interested as ting.
This series keeps you captivAted and interested.
Keeps you guessing and prompts you to purchase the next book in the series. Simple yet interested as ting.
May 16, 2021
The jump in time was unexpected, I thought that Kellie would stay a little girl during the course of the whole story. I will lower a star to this sequel because I sincerely dislike lass Kellie's temperament; it's disastrous and insufferable
August 1, 2017
awesome Series
I have bought all 6 books and I will buy the last 2 books from this author.. 5 stars really caught my attention and kept it
I have bought all 6 books and I will buy the last 2 books from this author.. 5 stars really caught my attention and kept it
July 3, 2020
Onward bound to book 5!
I have really enjoyed this book series! I hate to see it end after the next two instalments I have bought and am ready to read! This series rocks!
I have really enjoyed this book series! I hate to see it end after the next two instalments I have bought and am ready to read! This series rocks!
February 3, 2014
Party over, oops out of time!
(Caution: minor spoilers ahead!)
The fourth installment in an ongoing series (Parts 1 through 3 are available both individually and collected in Kellie's Diary: Decay of Innocence; Part 1 is free on Amazon), Kellie's Diary #4 picks up nearly four years after where Part 3 left off. The date is April 6, 1999, and Kellie - just nine years old when we first found her - is a more mature 15 (and a half! Teenagers know how important those fractions are!) In a surprising twist, she, Lydia, Sarah, and Dan are still living with the train people; given Sarah and Dan's suspicions about leader Mark, I thought for sure that the groups would have parted ways within days or weeks of meeting. While Lydia helps to grow food in the on-board garden, Kellie accompanies the salvage teams as a scout.
It's on a mission on the outskirts of Los Angeles, in Highland, that things go terribly wrong. The town isn't just empty of supplies, but seemingly abandoned, and long since. And yet, Kellie and Sarah feel eyes watching silently as they search house after house. Their suspicions are confirmed when, on their second day of scavenging, a group of heavily armed men attempt to hijack the train and steal their provisions. In a horrific scene that floods Kellie's head with memories of Dr. Crane, one of the thieves shows a little too much interest in young Lydia. It's in this moment that things really go south.
Though half of the train community manages to escape, a more insidious threat lurks from within in the form of Pastor Paul. A creepy, End Times fundie type, Paul hatches a plot to infect the entire community with zombieosis, thus speeding along "God's Plan" and delivering everyone to the next world. Luckily, Kellie and Lydia manage to escape - but find themselves in an abandoned industrial district even creepier than the abandoned town they just left behind. Visions of "Bagman" continue to haunt Kellie, who's becoming increasingly distrustful of her own senses. One thing she can be sure of: she and Lydia are not alone.
Kellie's Diary #4 is a step up from the previous episodes, which are readable enough, but not terribly suspenseful or especially memorable. Part 4 ups the creep factor considerably, and ends at a rather crucial moment. The book also contains the short story Sarah's Despair (previously published in Decay of Innocence) - so, with just 64% of the story down, I was shocked to see it end so abruptly. Shocked, but in a good way! I'm definitely looking forward to Part 5.
As Kellie ages, her writing style matures. This is a huge improvement over the more childish entries in Part 1, which I sometimes found hard to read. With the large gaps in time and consequent rapid aging of the narrator, the focus of the series has necessarily shifted, too: this is no longer a look at the apocalypse through a child's eyes, but rather those of a young adult. But there's always younger sister Lydia (seemingly deep in denial, much like the citizens of Woodbury in The Walking Dead) to present the child's view.
On the downside, aside from Kellie's discovery of an old Nintendo console, there aren't nearly as many '90s references as I'd hoped. Although, to be fair, I guess most of the decade in this universe was spent fighting off the zombie hordes.
In Part 4, the authors shift from a faux diary format (handwriting font, water-stained, college-ruled notebook paper) to a plain-text format, reportedly due to technical and space issues. While the diary format has that authentic feel, I prefer the more readable plain-text format. Parts 1 through 3 use the faux diary format, while Decay of Innocence is plain-text. Plan your purchases accordingly!
http://www.easyvegan.info/2014/02/10/...
(Caution: minor spoilers ahead!)
The fourth installment in an ongoing series (Parts 1 through 3 are available both individually and collected in Kellie's Diary: Decay of Innocence; Part 1 is free on Amazon), Kellie's Diary #4 picks up nearly four years after where Part 3 left off. The date is April 6, 1999, and Kellie - just nine years old when we first found her - is a more mature 15 (and a half! Teenagers know how important those fractions are!) In a surprising twist, she, Lydia, Sarah, and Dan are still living with the train people; given Sarah and Dan's suspicions about leader Mark, I thought for sure that the groups would have parted ways within days or weeks of meeting. While Lydia helps to grow food in the on-board garden, Kellie accompanies the salvage teams as a scout.
It's on a mission on the outskirts of Los Angeles, in Highland, that things go terribly wrong. The town isn't just empty of supplies, but seemingly abandoned, and long since. And yet, Kellie and Sarah feel eyes watching silently as they search house after house. Their suspicions are confirmed when, on their second day of scavenging, a group of heavily armed men attempt to hijack the train and steal their provisions. In a horrific scene that floods Kellie's head with memories of Dr. Crane, one of the thieves shows a little too much interest in young Lydia. It's in this moment that things really go south.
Though half of the train community manages to escape, a more insidious threat lurks from within in the form of Pastor Paul. A creepy, End Times fundie type, Paul hatches a plot to infect the entire community with zombieosis, thus speeding along "God's Plan" and delivering everyone to the next world. Luckily, Kellie and Lydia manage to escape - but find themselves in an abandoned industrial district even creepier than the abandoned town they just left behind. Visions of "Bagman" continue to haunt Kellie, who's becoming increasingly distrustful of her own senses. One thing she can be sure of: she and Lydia are not alone.
Kellie's Diary #4 is a step up from the previous episodes, which are readable enough, but not terribly suspenseful or especially memorable. Part 4 ups the creep factor considerably, and ends at a rather crucial moment. The book also contains the short story Sarah's Despair (previously published in Decay of Innocence) - so, with just 64% of the story down, I was shocked to see it end so abruptly. Shocked, but in a good way! I'm definitely looking forward to Part 5.
As Kellie ages, her writing style matures. This is a huge improvement over the more childish entries in Part 1, which I sometimes found hard to read. With the large gaps in time and consequent rapid aging of the narrator, the focus of the series has necessarily shifted, too: this is no longer a look at the apocalypse through a child's eyes, but rather those of a young adult. But there's always younger sister Lydia (seemingly deep in denial, much like the citizens of Woodbury in The Walking Dead) to present the child's view.
On the downside, aside from Kellie's discovery of an old Nintendo console, there aren't nearly as many '90s references as I'd hoped. Although, to be fair, I guess most of the decade in this universe was spent fighting off the zombie hordes.
In Part 4, the authors shift from a faux diary format (handwriting font, water-stained, college-ruled notebook paper) to a plain-text format, reportedly due to technical and space issues. While the diary format has that authentic feel, I prefer the more readable plain-text format. Parts 1 through 3 use the faux diary format, while Decay of Innocence is plain-text. Plan your purchases accordingly!
http://www.easyvegan.info/2014/02/10/...
December 17, 2014
Again, I would love to see this as a mini series. There are certain instances where it's hard to believe that Kellie would take the time to write down her experiences.
In this part of the story, Kellie seems to be transforming into a teenager with the attitude to match. A lot of the writing changes and becomes more mature, especially her use of curse words and complaining about the actions of others such as Sarah, and her sister Lydia. There is plenty of action to this part of the book, from possible love interests, attacks by both zombies and gangs of people to deaths of loved characters that it was difficult not to read it in one sitting.
Fans of the The Walking Dead would surely enjoy this novel.
In this part of the story, Kellie seems to be transforming into a teenager with the attitude to match. A lot of the writing changes and becomes more mature, especially her use of curse words and complaining about the actions of others such as Sarah, and her sister Lydia. There is plenty of action to this part of the book, from possible love interests, attacks by both zombies and gangs of people to deaths of loved characters that it was difficult not to read it in one sitting.
Fans of the The Walking Dead would surely enjoy this novel.
June 20, 2014
This is the fourth book in the series ( Kellie`s Dairy). And as with the previous books , it keeps you at the edge of your seat . It is full of actions and horror beyond your imagination.I like Kellie`s determination to survive and to protect her sister in anyway she can.I actually feel and live with the characters.I really recommend this series .
July 5, 2014
No hope left
I'm enjoying this story although I felt Jellies sudden turn to outright nasty person was a little too dramatic and sudden.I understand that the situation would harden you but it just seemed that she went a little too far.Still a great story and I'm excited for book 5
I'm enjoying this story although I felt Jellies sudden turn to outright nasty person was a little too dramatic and sudden.I understand that the situation would harden you but it just seemed that she went a little too far.Still a great story and I'm excited for book 5
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews