Elixir

Red Plague #1

by Anna Abner

The red plague has devastated the human race, turning billions of people into zombies with red eyes and an insatiable hunger for human flesh.

The virus sweeps through the population so quickly a possible cure is left to rot. Seventeen-year-old Maya Solomon may be the only survivor who knows where it is. But to reach the lab in Raleigh, North Carolina she will have to outrun the infected boy tracking her every step and cross into a city swarming with monsters.

Genres: Zombies, Horror, Apocalyptic, Science Fiction, Young Adult, Dystopia, Post Apocalyptic

200 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 26, 2014

About the author

Anna Abner lived in a haunted house for three years and grew up talking to imaginary friends. Currently, she writes edge-of-your-seat paranormal romances from her desert hideaway in sunny Southern California. Her series include the Red Plague, the Dark Caster, Beasts of Vegas, and Beasts of Mountain Vale. Connect with her online at AnnaAbner.com.

Reviews

[Abi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an okay read, but it didn't suck me in.

Maya wasn't a very bright character. She made loads of bad decisions, and at times i thought she had less sense than the child she was with!

The storlyine in this wasn't bad, but it didn't suck me in. I like zombie books to have loads of action that has me at the edge of my seat. This did have action, but it defiantly wasn't edge of your seat stuff.

Overall, Okay zombie read.

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot get enough of zombies stories lately, and Elixir delivered my next fix perfectly! Anna Abner penned a unique story that left me wanting more of this series. Her writing flows so well, and this story pulled me in immediately.

The characters in Elixir were a very dynamic bunch. Ben was my favorite one, because I was so intrigued by him. I'm dying to know what happens to him during the rest of this series! Maya is a great main character. I very much enjoyed following her journey and learning about her life and the world around her. Hunny did get annoying, though. At first, I thought she'd be endearing but she quickly got on my nerves.

The detail in this book is amazing. I've been all over North Carolina except the Raleigh-Durham area, but I still felt like I was there. I was never left wondering how, and what, things were happening because Anna Abner did an excellent job at keeping the reader informed and invested.

If you're a fan of zombies books, I would recommend Elixir to you in a heartbeat. Fans of Tracey Ward and her kick-ass heroines will enjoy this quick and inviting read, too!

**I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to LibraryThing and Anna Abner.

[Sarah Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

(Read using Kindle Unlimited)

This was an okay zombie story, but it dragged a bit for me.

Maya was an okay character, but she wasn’t the brightest bulb in the box. She seemed to make quite poor decisions, and didn’t always think clearly. How she didn’t get eaten by a zombie over the course of this book I don’t know.

The storyline in this was alright, but it dragged a bit. I couldn’t quite believe the stupid decisions that Maya made like stopping to go toy shopping, and trying to feed a zombie , and while there was action, the book just didn’t suck me in.
There was a little bit of romance, but it didn’t really interest me.

The ending was a huge cliff-hanger. This book reminded me of several other zombie stories I have read, but it wasn’t all bad, I’m going to read the next two books in the series as I borrowed the trilogy via Kindle Unlimited.
6 out of 10

[Madison Mabel · Rating 5 out of 5]

A zombie virus infects most people on earth, but Maya is one of the lucky (or not lucky) survivors. She has to learn to take care of herself, survive, fight, trust people, etc.

The novel isn't that long (about 200 pages I guess) so I read it really fast.

I liked how Maya started off vulnerable (even bullied), but she slowly gains her girl power throughout the story. Ben was an unusual character. Since he didn't act like other zombies I knew he was special, but the things he does shocked me anyway. I'm excited to read the rest of the series and see how Maya's journey ends.

Rated PG-13

[Jennifer Wheeler · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a terrible read, but not fantastic either. A lot of little inconsistencies that snagged my attention.

[Stacy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the idea behind this book because there is a "red" (zombie) that has some free thinking ability and this SJW is all about protecting him because he protected her. That is the only reason this book has two stars. It was painful and not a good read. The main character is an idiot. Some of the other characters are slightly redeeming however they are not fully fleshed out and this book was just bad because of it.

The main character is an annoying whiny snowflake that is very judgemental about firearms. She had something bad happen in her past that influences this -- HOWEVER she was not even there when this event occurred. Also, anytime it is mentioned it is only in passing with her thinking about the "incident". Because of this anyone that has a gun is a violent person and a gun nut. She is a squishy pathetic character that would be dead if this were a real situation. This book is a wet dream for a SJW and a joke.

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

I received a free copy of the book from the author for my honest opinion.

Maya is your average typical seventeen year old who has gone through a lot in the past couple of years. She has a twin brother Mason who shot and killed their mother and was sent away. The story never told anything about the murder or why he did it. Because of her mother being murdered Maya hates guns and is terrified of them. Maya lives in a world where people are dying and turning into zombies after getting the 212R virus. Her father is a chemist who is working on a cure for the virus. He tells Maya that there is cure and that is why he has to go to work every day even after the virus has made it to the city where he works.

Maya's dad has construction workers come in their home and turn the kitchen pantry into a room for the two of them to stay in until the virus runs its course. They stock up on food and water among other things that they will need to survive. Maya comes home one day to find that the virus has reached her neighborhood. Maya is chased by a zombie so she runs into to her little safe room where she shuts and locks the door. After about two weeks she runs out of water and other supplies and has to exit her little safe room and venture out into the world. When she comes out of her safe room she finds that almost everyone is gone or turned into zombies.

While Maya is out looking for water and food she runs into the zombies and they start chasing her. Maya has to run really fast because these zombies are very fast. It is a good thing that Maya was on the track team at her high school and was the third best runner. Maya knows that the zombies can't reach her if she gets up high because they can't climb. So she climbs up on top of a house. Then she looks down the street and sees a woman with a little girl and they are being chased by zombies. The woman and Maya help the little girl Hunny up on the roof with Maya but before the woman can climb up herself the zombies attack her.

Maya knows her and Hunny need to get off the roof while the zombies are preoccupied. She thinks they need to make it to the woods so they can hide but there is one little problem or should I say zombie standing between them and the woods but Maya figures she can out run one zombie so she takes off to the woods and helps Hunny climb up into a tree. Maya climbs on to a limb of the tree. Hunny gets scared of the zombie because he can reach the limb they are on. But when Maya tries to climb up to the limb that Hunny is on it starts to crack so she has no choice but to stay where she is. But the zombie doesn't bother them.

Maya starts thinking about what she is going to do and where she is going. She remembers her dad telling her that there was a cure for the virus. So she starts out on her journey with Hunny to her dad's office so she can retrieve the cure. On their journey Maya and Hunny run into more zombies and hide under a vehicle hoping that the zombies can't get to them. But they are saved by a zombie. The zombie has on a work uniform with the name Ben on it so Maya assumes that this is his name and starts to call him Ben. Ben follows Maya and Hunny on their journey to get the cure for the virus. Ben watches over and takes care of Maya and Hunny.

Maya has always kind of been a loner and plans on leaving Hunny with the first group of people they run into. But she is in for a surprise when they finally do find other people. Maya makes her plans to leave as soon as she can and without Hunny even though she has come to care for her and is becoming attached to her. Maya has been through so much with losing her mother that she can't or won't let herself feel anything in her heart for anybody else. She is probably afraid that if she lets anyone else into her heart that she will lose them too. She doesn't even know if her dad or brother has survived or not. But Pollard the leader of this group of people wants to take care of Maya and everyone else too but especially Maya.

Elixir is one of the very best books about zombies that I have read in a long time. It is definitely way different than any other zombie book that I have ever read. If you love reading about zombies and the apocalyptic then Elixir is the book for you. Elixir is one of those books that keeps you on the edge of your seat just turning or should I say scrolling those pages as fast as you can. I loved it and can't wait for the next book in the series.

[Nasne · Rating 1 out of 5]

I tried, I really really did. But I really have no words for how ridiculous this series is. I did finish reading the first book, but stopped halfway through the second one. Skipped through the third one, so one review for all books it is.

Here we go.

I honestly don't know where to begin. I wanted to love this story. I really really did. The first few pages I was interested. I mean, scientist dad, sad backstory and a Zombie apocalyps, count me in, make the story magic happen!

But then we skipped two weeks in the story and that is where the magic stopped.

We have Maya, a teenager written by someone who apparently believes all teenagers are moody emotional irrational wrecks of human beings. If the writer tried to write a strong, independent and cool teenager, she failed miserably. I mean, Maya whines about wanting to sleep alone (safety in numbers anyone?), is sure that her dad made the cure in his lab (how? He said he was close, not that he finished it), whines about not being able to bring her guitar etc etc. It's zombie apocalyps, you might want to get your priorities straight. I know she is a teen, but teens usually aren't this stupid. Maya is also very dramatic. Normal life was 'so long ago' and 'it's been so long since she had seen ...fill in the blank'. Really? It was just 2 weeks. People go camping without electricity and for a lot longer than that. She is also not very bright. I mean, when they arrive at a camp and you are basically told that you being a girl is 'nice for the guys' and you see a scared girl taken into her room by a bigger guy, and you still are able to say 'this might be a nice place', well, to be honest, there is no hope for you left. At one point she even put on 'cute wedge sandals' because she hoped she wouldn't have to run for a while. During the zombie apocalyps. I mean... there is nothing left to say.

We also have Ben. Ben is a zombie, but he is a special handsome zombie. Ben follows Maya around and has a picture of her in his pocket. He stole that from her brother when he left the youth detention center, because 'she saved him'. Read that sentence again. No matter what you do that is just fucking creepy. Maybe louder for the people in the back? If a guy steals your picture and is following you around, you run. That is not romantic at all. She also keeps wanting to feed Ben, because he is special. I was getting some strong Lizzy from The Walking Dead vibes. She was crazy and had to be put down by Carol. Just saying. Well, Ben is cured at some point, which is when we get the creepy stalker story but to be honest, I stopped reading very soon after.

Pollard is the third part of this triangle. All I know is that he is a good cook and who for some reason really likes Maya. I'm sure that if we ask him why he wouldn't have an answer.

Hunny is a 8 year old who has literally no point in being in the story. There is also a drunk woman, who contributes even less.

I wish I had more to say, or could give a positive review. But alas (always wanted to use that word) that is not happening.

* Sorry for any grammar mistakes or unreadable sentences, English is not my first language.

[Jenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars well I'm pleasantly surprised. I love the cover.


I didn't expect a lot from this book but I enjoyed it very much. The red plague has turned billions of people in to "red" zombies. The Red referring to the red eyes. Maya Solomon is the daughter of an chemic working at the center of disease control. He is sure he has found the cure. The last time Maya talked to her dad he was working on it.

While the outbreak is ongoing Maya's dad builds a bunker and she stays for 2 weeks on lock down forced to get out, after she runs out of drinking water. Her dad never returned home. Outside she saves Hunny an 8 year old girl. She doesn't want to drag this girl around but doesn't want her hurt either.

Maya is on the way to the lab to retrieve the cure, a zombie called Ben has been following her, even saving her life. He is a zombie with his mind kind of intact because he seems to understand Maya and finds her every time. He seems to have some connection with her twin brother Mason.
Even if Ben hasn't talked I like him , he is loyal and sweet. He is an zombie with heart and character.

This is my Ben



Maya is strong she has strong feelings about the "red" and she even saves Ben at the end. I like Maya she's no superwoman but she is though and stays by her non violence believes.

Pollard is a young man she meets on the road and he seems to have a romantic interest in Maya and is a born leader. He want desperately for things to turn back to before. He's nice but I like Ben the zombie better. I can't wait to read the sequel.

I will tell you what I will doing tonight I'm going to buy the sequel and stay up late until I finish it and then go to sleep.

[Carrie Ardoin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is quite a short book (more like a novella, actually), so there's not too much I can say without giving much of the plot away.

To me, this was kind of just a so-so entry to the world of zombie fiction. Let's do a pros and cons list.

Things I liked:
--the characters actually use the word "zombie", not "walker" or "chewer" or anything else trying hard to be clever
--the main character, Maya, has been on her own since everything began, and she really, really likes it that way. She's not sappy or looking for attention, she just sets out to do what she needs to do.
--the book starts before the onset of the virus, and even explains why it is happening.
--the potential male main character isn't all macho and able to flawlessly kill everything in his path. In fact, he rather sucks at shooting zombies.

Things I didn't like so much:
--there is a weird, kind of off chemistry between Maya and the guy she meets, Pollard. Kind of a one-way insta-love thing going on. They seem to bond very quickly, in less than a day in fact. This bonding happens between all of the characters though. Maybe it's an apocalypse thing?
--the timeline inexplicably changes sometimes. At one point, it says it's been two weeks since the virus took over, but at another it says it's been six weeks. Both two and six weeks are stated more than once in the book, and I couldn't find out which one was true.
--there are ideas just kind of thrown out there and not discussed or even a bit fleshed out. I can't say what I'm talking about without giving a spoiler, but I'll just say Pollard randomly throws an idea out during a conversation, and it really should have been explored more.

The author does a good job of building intrigue--I'm very, very interested in knowing Ben's background and just why he is different. I'm rooting for the characters to find a cure, but because the book is so short and moves so quickly, I didn't truly get a chance to develop feelings for any of them. I'll have to continue the series to see if things get better from here.

[Viv · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maya Solomon think she may be the only survivor of the 212R virus ( the red plague), a virus that turned people into red eyed human-flesh eater zombies. But, after she ran out of food and water and had to leave her bunker, she finds other survivors. They will help her get to her dad's lab to look for a serum that may be the cure to the red plague. An adventure is on the way with an unexpected surprise, Ben, a infected boy who seems to follow Maya everywhere she goes.

Elixir is such s simple and fast read. The writing flows smoothly. It's well detailed that it never leaves the reader wondering how or why things happen. It kept me entertained from the start to the end.
The characters were well developed, but I wished I know more about their lives before the virus. The most interesting character for me was Maya's brother, Mason. He seems to have a big part in the story even thou he isn't really much mention on it. I think he is an important character in the series. I liked Maya, she is a great main character and a heroine even if she doesn't believe it. Pollard , well he is the hero we all need even if he sucks at shooting zombies. Ben, he is an intriguing character, my second favorite, I want to know more about him; he is different than the rest of the zombies.

I devoured this book on one night. I couldn't put it down. I didn't thought I would enjoy reading about zombies, but I'm so glad I read Elixir.It's like a zombie movie on paper. I'm looking forward to read the whole series. I think I'm becoming "some kind of zombie-loving freak". Really great read. 4 Stars

Received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.

[Toni · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love zombie-apocalypse books. I see one and I want to devour it in one sitting. And this book was no different.

Elixir is a book about Maya and her story about how she found herself in a zombie apocalypse.

Maya is a normal high school student. Well, not really normal. Her twin brother did something horrific. Her mother is dead. So that just leaves her and her father.

The news has reported that the 212R virus is spreading on the news but it hasn't hit their city yet. Her father, who wants her to act like everything is normal, tells her to go to school, he also reminds her of the things she needs to do. Which includes washing your hands frequently (using both soap and hand sanitizer), no hugging others, do not come into contact with others.

You see, he works for the CDC. He's all too familiar with 212R virus. He's even working on a cure. But that doesn't stop him from taking protective measures and building a panic room inside his home.

Maya just never thought she would have to use it.

This is a shorter story. I finished it quickly but that doesn't mean that it wasn't awesome. Hunny and her quirkiness brought a sense of relief when the scenes were getting too dreary. The character of Ben kept me focused on what was happening. And Pollard had me awing throughout the novel.

[Kylie · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

In my mind there are YA books, and teenage books. YA are well written, enjoyable outside the age range of 'young', often tackling serious issues in a less full on way. Teenagery books are similar, but tend towards the 'Mary Sue' and the cliches, and anything close to real drama is handled too lightly - thus minimising any decent emotional impact.

This fell into the teenagery area for me. Now I love my zombie books and read them pretty much how ever they come. Other YA books have tackled this area successfully, this one just kept falling flat. The back story of the lead character is hinted at too much - either hint but leave you wanting to know more, or tell it all, don't tell most of it, it loses impact.

The love triangle is tried and true, and a big feature of teenagery over YA. And seriously, if you are going to swipe from Warm Bodies, with the whole zombie love thing, you need to work a bit harder to create a realistic point of difference between the zombie crush and the zombies that will rip your throat out, at least hint at a reason as to why he (and only he) isn't desperate to eat people!

Will I read the rest? Maybe, it is a super quick read and it was entertaining enough that I am interested to see what will happen next.

[Jessie (Zombie_likes_cake) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very run off the mill Zombie/ Infected-YA-novel. Nothing new, nothing surprising, nothing challenging. The fact that is so short doesn't work for it since many things seemed rushed to me (don't get me wrong, I rather enjoy shorter works of fiction but they need to be done true to their format). The ending is the worst part since there is none, writing a cliff-hanger ending doesn't mean to cut the story at a suspenseful point but find a conclusion that will leave something open to explore next time, this book really needs to do some wrapping up.
There are some inconsistencies in descriptions (once it is claimed it was 2 weeks since the outbreak, then 6, then again 2,...) and characters (one moment our main girl doesn't want to be bothered with boy issues and wants to make her own choices, the next she does what she's told since he asked nicely, argh, the whole romance was a mess). The best part was the "Warm Bodies" copy in Infected Ben, even though not original I would have liked to know where Abner might go with it but then again I don't care enough about the story as a whole to continue.
Another proof that I should stick to my plan and minimize my reading of both, YA novels and cheap kindles.

[April · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an apocalyptic story about the 212R virus that turns people into flesh craving zombies without thought or feelings. As Maya starts her day with broken promises of a future, a dad that works for the CDC and shelter being built in the basement, she has to wonder how long it will take the virus to get to her town. Maya starts her days as any other by attending school. As the day progresses so does the virus and it finally takes a hold in their community. Maya’s dad is at work and no matter what she does she cannot get a hold of him. As time passes in her bunker so do her supplies. All the water is gone and she must find more, but that means going outside in a world she no longer knows. Can she make it to find supplies or will the zombies get the best of her? When Maya decides to go after her dad and the cure he promised was at the CDC where he worked she finds others like her running, and one zombie that seems to still think, but is he just hunting her or is he truly protecting her?
Great story recommended for ages 14 and up

[Clarissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

How does a naive 17 year old girl with no survival skills and no fighting abilities survive in the zombie apocalypse? Also why is she our heroine? Why does everyone listen to her and do what she says? She keeps continuously making dumb decisions, and everyone just goes along with it. I have watched almost every season of the walking dead in addition to numerous other zombie movies, however, this is the first zombie book I have ever read. I didn't love it but the next 2, mostly the last book, in the trilogy were a lot more enjoyable.

[Tiffany Tinkham · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book in the Red Plague Trilogy. It is a zombie series. A young girl finds herself alone after her father goes to work on a cure for a virus. The sick break loose as Zombies and she has to go into hiding to keep herself safe. Eventually she has no choice but to venture out. When she does she rescues a little girl from the zombies, ends up having a zombie following her and protecting her from other zombies, and meets a rag tag group that goes to help her look for the cure at her father's workplace. You will have to read this book for the whole story of what happens!

[Shoulanda August · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book

I loved this book

It started off as a movie I seen on the Syfy channel. As I kept reading it, I starting getting involved in the characters and couldn't what to find out what happened next. I'm looking forward to the next installment and will keep everyone posted to what happened next. Did Ben live after injecting himself with the cure, that was meant to save the world? I can't wait

[Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well-written and entertaining first book in a YA zombie trilogy. The characters are well-rounded with flaws and strengths as well as interesting backstories. I particularly enjoyed some of the twists the plot takes, especially towards the end, and the cliffhanger had me going online to buy the paperbacks of all three books. This will be a series I'll read more than once.

[John Love IV · Rating 4 out of 5]

Free book with no obligations. Pretty much another YA zombie book. One unique zombie and some good characters. Obviously, a series. Some parts progress well, others are sporatic. Actually wasn't as bad as I feared and seemed to improve as it went along.

Worth a shot.

[Ruby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book

I loved this. It has a great story and great presentation. All the people are great. Not too crazy about where it ended but will save to buy the others as I can't stop reading this story.
Ruby

[Angela · Rating 2 out of 5]

Had some good moments and had potential but it didn't quite live up to what it could have been.

[seasalt · Rating 2 out of 5]

2,5 stars.

Well, the only thing I liked:
Ben and his unusual zombie behaviour lol.
Hiya I'd love to read more about him! My lovely zombie, Ben xD

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick read

Ya novel, but really interesting story. Characters are not perfect, nor ultra trained. They have to combine experience and skills to survive. Recommended

[Mark Swaim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome

This is a really good book, a really hard book to put down once you start reading. I read a lot of books and this is a new favorite. Got to get the rest in the series.

[Gail]

Very good

Great story with excellent characters. Well written and not as graphic as some of the zombie books I have read. I like that.

[Johanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the conclusion to this series and the whole series.