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Every Sigh, the End
[Hornsby s] writing is angry, nihilistic, and sad. But it might also be brilliant, and may prove to be the future of angry, nihilistic, and sad literature as we know it. Tom Abrams, author of A Bad Piece of Luck It s the end of the world, 1999, and as millennium celebrations are planned and the heavens are scanned for signs of the Apocalypse, professional nobody Ross Orringer is coming to grips with the fact that at some point, his life has taken a wrong turn. He is twenty-six years old and still attends the same meaningless parties, peddles the same sleazy horror movies with his best friend and business partner, and dates the same two-timing girlfriend while engaging in an affair of his own with one of her closest friends.
And then there are the flashes of cameras and glances from strangers lurking around every corner.
Ross s paranoia mounts when his friends and family begin acting more and more suspiciously as the New Year approaches. In the last minutes before the clock strikes midnight, Ross realizes that the end may be more ominous than anyone could have decisions have been made, the crews have set up their lights and equipment, and the gray make-up has been applied.
Because in the next millennium, time will lose all meaning, and the dead will walk the earth.
In Every Sigh, The End, author and self-proclaimed zombie fanatic Jason S. Hornsby has recreated a specific moment in time and turned it on its head. With graceful ease, Hornsby moves between tongue-in-cheek horror, subversive humor, and grisly tragedy, all at a breakneck pace. Every Sigh, The End is meticulously researched, stylishly crafted, and utterly terrifying.
And then there are the flashes of cameras and glances from strangers lurking around every corner.
Ross s paranoia mounts when his friends and family begin acting more and more suspiciously as the New Year approaches. In the last minutes before the clock strikes midnight, Ross realizes that the end may be more ominous than anyone could have decisions have been made, the crews have set up their lights and equipment, and the gray make-up has been applied.
Because in the next millennium, time will lose all meaning, and the dead will walk the earth.
In Every Sigh, The End, author and self-proclaimed zombie fanatic Jason S. Hornsby has recreated a specific moment in time and turned it on its head. With graceful ease, Hornsby moves between tongue-in-cheek horror, subversive humor, and grisly tragedy, all at a breakneck pace. Every Sigh, The End is meticulously researched, stylishly crafted, and utterly terrifying.
374 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2006
About the author
Jason S. Hornsby
9 books42 followersJason S. Hornsby is the author of DESERT BLEEDS RED, ELEVEN TWENTY-THREE, and EVERY SIGH, THE END, as well as several short stories and articles for time travel and horror anthologies. His work has been highly lauded for its originality, international settings, roots in current events, dark humor, themes of paranoia, and extreme horror.
His latest novel, DESERT BLEEDS RED, has proven a major critical success. New York Times best-selling author Peter Clines described it as "...a masterpiece. It isn't limited by genre or style or any of those other ways people try to contain a book. It's just a masterpiece." Craig DiLouie, author of SUFFER THE CHILDREN and THE CHILDREN OF RED PEAK, said that Hornsby's "prose runs deep and his imagination and sheer talent soar in this very dark and epic fantasy."
Originally from Lakeland, Florida, Hornsby is an honors graduate of University of South Florida, with degrees in Literature and American Studies. His first major release, EVERY SIGH, THE END, was written in his first year following graduation, and is considered by all the cool kids as being one of the best zombie novels ever written. He also has a Master's degree in professional writing from the Southern New Hampshire University.
The author moved from his hometown to Beijing in 2008, where he remained for nearly four years. After the release of ELEVEN TWENTY-THREE in 2010, Hornsby traveled to some of the most remote areas of China as research for the epic DESERT BLEEDS RED. He was present during the 2009 Urumqi riots, as well as political insurrections in Sichuan and Inner Mongolia. Hornsby was witness and even party to stabbings, brawls, and routine sidewalk bloodshed, and spent a month recuperating from back surgery in a Beijing hospital. He is a regular in the expat trouble-making scene, throwing up in the alley behind all the best dive bars and hidden hutong hangouts.
He has traveled and dodged trouble in over fourteen provinces in China thus far, as well as backpacked, hitchhiked, and philandered his way across Southeast Asia.
When not teaching English literature or traversing the globe, he also contributes to several travel and expat lifestyle magazines in Southeast Asia and China. Since summer of 2022, Hornsby and his family have lived in Bangkok. Before that, there were stints in Kuala Lumpur, Beijing, Ningbo, and Chengdu.
He has no current plans for a permanent return to America, but is very close to finishing his long-awaited fourth novel, tentatively titled GHOST SICKNESS.
His latest novel, DESERT BLEEDS RED, has proven a major critical success. New York Times best-selling author Peter Clines described it as "...a masterpiece. It isn't limited by genre or style or any of those other ways people try to contain a book. It's just a masterpiece." Craig DiLouie, author of SUFFER THE CHILDREN and THE CHILDREN OF RED PEAK, said that Hornsby's "prose runs deep and his imagination and sheer talent soar in this very dark and epic fantasy."
Originally from Lakeland, Florida, Hornsby is an honors graduate of University of South Florida, with degrees in Literature and American Studies. His first major release, EVERY SIGH, THE END, was written in his first year following graduation, and is considered by all the cool kids as being one of the best zombie novels ever written. He also has a Master's degree in professional writing from the Southern New Hampshire University.
The author moved from his hometown to Beijing in 2008, where he remained for nearly four years. After the release of ELEVEN TWENTY-THREE in 2010, Hornsby traveled to some of the most remote areas of China as research for the epic DESERT BLEEDS RED. He was present during the 2009 Urumqi riots, as well as political insurrections in Sichuan and Inner Mongolia. Hornsby was witness and even party to stabbings, brawls, and routine sidewalk bloodshed, and spent a month recuperating from back surgery in a Beijing hospital. He is a regular in the expat trouble-making scene, throwing up in the alley behind all the best dive bars and hidden hutong hangouts.
He has traveled and dodged trouble in over fourteen provinces in China thus far, as well as backpacked, hitchhiked, and philandered his way across Southeast Asia.
When not teaching English literature or traversing the globe, he also contributes to several travel and expat lifestyle magazines in Southeast Asia and China. Since summer of 2022, Hornsby and his family have lived in Bangkok. Before that, there were stints in Kuala Lumpur, Beijing, Ningbo, and Chengdu.
He has no current plans for a permanent return to America, but is very close to finishing his long-awaited fourth novel, tentatively titled GHOST SICKNESS.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
January 6, 2023
I'm moving. Was packing up my books "too many books, and not enough boxes!" Anyhow. ..came across this old book. Don't recall much, except I kept it and didn't box it up and give it to goodwill.
So, I'm thinking that it was a good one.
Mostly because I tend to toss the bad zombie stuff.😱🐾👣😕
So, I'm thinking that it was a good one.
Mostly because I tend to toss the bad zombie stuff.😱🐾👣😕
November 5, 2010
I write this review with some trepidation. I almost feel as if the story should be reviewed and analyzed in an English or Literature classroom, or perhaps in some exotic American Philosophy class, rather on a website that sells this book. This is a book that reminds me to look at things a bit differently, to try something new and completely different. It reminds me of stories read in college and high school that I was turned on to not by friends or family that know my tastes but by someone who felt I should try something that would lead me down a different path entirely.
What I write here is for the people who are curious about this book, people who want to see if this book is up their alley. Some of the previous reviews seem of a personal nature perhaps written by folks who know Jason Hornsby. I can say that I definitely do not know the author. I came into the book with no preconcieved notions or presumptions as to what I should expect. I would also say that, after reading this review, if you feel that this book is perhaps not right for you, you might want to reconsider that, as it is certainly a very challenging and intriguing work that might make you think more than you expected.
This book is angry, it is dark, and it is about zombies. But it does not follow any known pathway to completion that I have ever seen in a tale about the undead. The author has completely transcended the genre with a work that is more philosophy and questions our society, our reality, and what we are as individuals than even the works of Romero and other "deep thinkers" of this realm.
Like so many high quality works the zombies here are a tool that is wielded by the author or film maker to force us to look more closely at ourselves. Here, that idea is taken literally, with everything related to the dead scripted out completely by shadowy men that run everything and work in conjunction with the entertainment industry to run grandiose experiments with unsuspecting citizens...in particular, our main character.
I could envision Oliver Stone directing a movie version of this book, as it is rife with conspiracy theories and conjecture as to who is really in control of everything. Beyond even that, it conjures up questions about our reality, our existence. Who are we and do we even realize that the world has already come to an end?
I hated the main character at first, but while I never grew affectionate of him, I could see him changing and seeing things in different ways, his helplessness, as time went on. His arogance and presumptive attitude is undercut by realization after realization that he should trust no one, that the world is a lonely place, and that we are all dead and buried already. We are the zombies that continue to live in this world, we just don't either care or realize it.
Pretty grim stuff and even though I am very avid fan of zombie books and movies, this is something totally different. The zombies are a big part of the story here, don't get me wrong, but they are a metaphor for us as human beings as we walk woodenly through this world. This style of writing is something that I can take in smaller doses now and again and because of that, I ended up liking this book a great deal more than I thought I would after a few pages in. In the end, I sped through the rest of it and believe that I will more than likely end up reading it again down the road to remind myself of this authors unique vision of things.
Why not 5 stars? Perhaps because the book was like an itch that I could not scratch. The author is angry and bitter and his vision of the world and those around him which is not anything like my own. I feel that I could perhaps have a very interesting conversation with Jason, but I think it just as likely that he would judge me in some negative fashion because I hold a different worldview than he...or perhaps I am totally wrong on that front. I can intersect with his viewpoints through a book such as this and be appreciative of it; it serves to remind me that there are those out there who are necessary in this world: the ones who have great anger and fixate on conspiracies and the wonders of an era long gone, they have resentment and view things in a way that I more than likely cannot or choose not to. Whether I agree entirely or even on a miniscule level with what the author has to say about "us" I appreciate his passion and his words keep my mind open to views other than my own. That makes this a valuable book and one that I will remember for a very long time.
I recommend this work for both those who question everything and those who do not question enough.
What I write here is for the people who are curious about this book, people who want to see if this book is up their alley. Some of the previous reviews seem of a personal nature perhaps written by folks who know Jason Hornsby. I can say that I definitely do not know the author. I came into the book with no preconcieved notions or presumptions as to what I should expect. I would also say that, after reading this review, if you feel that this book is perhaps not right for you, you might want to reconsider that, as it is certainly a very challenging and intriguing work that might make you think more than you expected.
This book is angry, it is dark, and it is about zombies. But it does not follow any known pathway to completion that I have ever seen in a tale about the undead. The author has completely transcended the genre with a work that is more philosophy and questions our society, our reality, and what we are as individuals than even the works of Romero and other "deep thinkers" of this realm.
Like so many high quality works the zombies here are a tool that is wielded by the author or film maker to force us to look more closely at ourselves. Here, that idea is taken literally, with everything related to the dead scripted out completely by shadowy men that run everything and work in conjunction with the entertainment industry to run grandiose experiments with unsuspecting citizens...in particular, our main character.
I could envision Oliver Stone directing a movie version of this book, as it is rife with conspiracy theories and conjecture as to who is really in control of everything. Beyond even that, it conjures up questions about our reality, our existence. Who are we and do we even realize that the world has already come to an end?
I hated the main character at first, but while I never grew affectionate of him, I could see him changing and seeing things in different ways, his helplessness, as time went on. His arogance and presumptive attitude is undercut by realization after realization that he should trust no one, that the world is a lonely place, and that we are all dead and buried already. We are the zombies that continue to live in this world, we just don't either care or realize it.
Pretty grim stuff and even though I am very avid fan of zombie books and movies, this is something totally different. The zombies are a big part of the story here, don't get me wrong, but they are a metaphor for us as human beings as we walk woodenly through this world. This style of writing is something that I can take in smaller doses now and again and because of that, I ended up liking this book a great deal more than I thought I would after a few pages in. In the end, I sped through the rest of it and believe that I will more than likely end up reading it again down the road to remind myself of this authors unique vision of things.
Why not 5 stars? Perhaps because the book was like an itch that I could not scratch. The author is angry and bitter and his vision of the world and those around him which is not anything like my own. I feel that I could perhaps have a very interesting conversation with Jason, but I think it just as likely that he would judge me in some negative fashion because I hold a different worldview than he...or perhaps I am totally wrong on that front. I can intersect with his viewpoints through a book such as this and be appreciative of it; it serves to remind me that there are those out there who are necessary in this world: the ones who have great anger and fixate on conspiracies and the wonders of an era long gone, they have resentment and view things in a way that I more than likely cannot or choose not to. Whether I agree entirely or even on a miniscule level with what the author has to say about "us" I appreciate his passion and his words keep my mind open to views other than my own. That makes this a valuable book and one that I will remember for a very long time.
I recommend this work for both those who question everything and those who do not question enough.
January 2, 2008
Wow! I really enjoyed this one. I love stories that make you feel the madness of the characters. The time jumps do a great job of that. I am looking forward to reading this one again to see how it changes. I couldn't have read this one at a better time (I finished it on Jan 1). Zombies are in this one but it is so much more than that. If Robert Anton Wilson wrote a zombie script and Romero directed, it might turn out something like this. A must read.
January 13, 2008
Extremely unique, meandering, thought-provoking, memory-inducing, and visceral. Just when you think you've figured out what's behind the shifting surroundings, the men in radiation suits, and the videocameras, you'll find yourself back at another beginning, another train of thought.
June 10, 2008
Iconic. This was the first word that came to mind when I began reading Jason S. Hornsby's new zombie novel Every Sigh, The End (Permuted Press, 2007). Within each decade there are a few special artists of words who possess the ability to intimately capture the soul of their generation, the unspoken rhythm of raw emotion that lies beneath the surface of the defining fashion or politics of the era. Kerouac, Ginsberg, Bukowski, Burroughs, Leonard Cohen, Hunter S. Thompson, Tom Wolfe, Chuck Palahniuk...are just a few that come to mind who's intuitive observations and interpretations of the fluxing rage of life around them not only captured the truth of existence in their time, but also served to help define it for future generations. To create characters that speak and move with a volatile honesty that the reader identifies with wholly both on a superficial fictional level, as well as a soul-core deeper dimension is a difficult task for any author. When undertaking the expression of a generation through a character, or a novel as a whole, a writer walks a fine line between propaganda and philosophy; the end result will be either one that will be embraced by the audience as a societal statement or rejected as a poser attempt of capitalizing on that particular generations struggles. Luckily for Hornsby, his novel is sure to be an interpretation that is considered now and by future audiences as an astute understanding of the jaded, apathetic paranoia and selfish, bitter ego of the late 1990's, as well as a distinctly brilliant addition to the zombie genre. READ THE REST OF THIS REVIEW ON FEAR ZONE: http://fearzone.com/blog/every-sigh
November 7, 2012
I don't know. This is another of my favorite books of all time. The way the story is constructed, though, I can't say too much about it that won't give things away.
What I can say is it fostered in me a love for the non-traditional zombie novel. There are so many endless rehashes of Dawn of the Dead, and I didn't want to read that story any more. I enjoy zombies, I really do, but there's only so many times I can read the same thing. Don't get me wrong: there are a lot of Zombie Apocalypse stories that are centered on That Day and what happened that are very good. But there are far more that are very bad, very tired, and very derivative. I had despaired of finding something really good after Z.A. Recht and David Dunwoody had set the bar so high for me.
Enter JSH. Not only did he write a seething, paranoid, nihilistic work of Art, he did so in such a way that I didn't notice it was Art. All I knew as I turned the pages was that I had been sucked into and become part of one awe-inspiring story.
Give this a try. I loved it, and whenever Jason S. Hornsby puts out a book, I'm getting it.
What I can say is it fostered in me a love for the non-traditional zombie novel. There are so many endless rehashes of Dawn of the Dead, and I didn't want to read that story any more. I enjoy zombies, I really do, but there's only so many times I can read the same thing. Don't get me wrong: there are a lot of Zombie Apocalypse stories that are centered on That Day and what happened that are very good. But there are far more that are very bad, very tired, and very derivative. I had despaired of finding something really good after Z.A. Recht and David Dunwoody had set the bar so high for me.
Enter JSH. Not only did he write a seething, paranoid, nihilistic work of Art, he did so in such a way that I didn't notice it was Art. All I knew as I turned the pages was that I had been sucked into and become part of one awe-inspiring story.
Give this a try. I loved it, and whenever Jason S. Hornsby puts out a book, I'm getting it.
October 24, 2011
This was the best book about zombies I have read (so far). I really didn't expect too much at first, having found out about it from an ad in the back of some bizarro novel. Bizarro fiction is really hit or miss, and I hadn't heard anything about this particular book. I don't think this even qualifies as bizarro fiction. It is a hell of a book, though.
November 8, 2020
Every Sigh, the End is one of those books that really spoke to me. It's a strange thing to say about a zombie book, but that's because the book isn't really about zombies. Frankly, the best parts of the book are the bits without the zombies, the horrifying picture Hornsby paints of life circa. 1999. I've never known an author to capture the particular misanthropic bent one gets from going to a party you didn't really want to go to quite like Hornsby.
Like another reviewer had said, and echoing a feeling I had when I first read this novel, was that EStE is a novel that you could pull apart and analyze in a literature class. It's a really good novel and while steeped in the culture and mindset of 1999, it is still quite relevant to the culture of today. In fact, a lot of the things Hornsby talks about - such as the crass commercialisation of former counter cultures and/or terrible atrocities themselves - is perhaps even more relevant today than it was when he wrote it. In that sense, Every Sigh is downright prescient.
But it's a strange novel to talk about, overall. It does a lot of things right, and the things that it doesn't do so well feel as deliberate as anything else in the novel. Of particular note is the dynamic between the protagonist, Ross, and his best friend Preston, which is one of the best parts of the novel. Hornsby perfectly captures the toxic relationship that can exist between two young men chained together by sheer inertia. Speaking of Ross - he's a protagonist whom Hornsby crafts with fascinating aplomb, rendering him as disgusting, narcissistic, arrogant, sympathetic and piteous all at once. While Ross is trapped in a hell of his own making, while he's certainly not a good person, while he's a hypocrite, while he's all these things and more, he remains a character with a glimmer of goodness in him. But you still kind of hate him or - worse - see yourself in him.
This isn't a book I'd recommend to everyone, but it's absolutely worth reading. Unfortunately, it seems to be next to impossible to find a copy these days. But it's a really good book, and one I credit with influencing my growth as a person - I'm not sure you'll find me saying that often!
Like another reviewer had said, and echoing a feeling I had when I first read this novel, was that EStE is a novel that you could pull apart and analyze in a literature class. It's a really good novel and while steeped in the culture and mindset of 1999, it is still quite relevant to the culture of today. In fact, a lot of the things Hornsby talks about - such as the crass commercialisation of former counter cultures and/or terrible atrocities themselves - is perhaps even more relevant today than it was when he wrote it. In that sense, Every Sigh is downright prescient.
But it's a strange novel to talk about, overall. It does a lot of things right, and the things that it doesn't do so well feel as deliberate as anything else in the novel. Of particular note is the dynamic between the protagonist, Ross, and his best friend Preston, which is one of the best parts of the novel. Hornsby perfectly captures the toxic relationship that can exist between two young men chained together by sheer inertia. Speaking of Ross - he's a protagonist whom Hornsby crafts with fascinating aplomb, rendering him as disgusting, narcissistic, arrogant, sympathetic and piteous all at once. While Ross is trapped in a hell of his own making, while he's certainly not a good person, while he's a hypocrite, while he's all these things and more, he remains a character with a glimmer of goodness in him. But you still kind of hate him or - worse - see yourself in him.
This isn't a book I'd recommend to everyone, but it's absolutely worth reading. Unfortunately, it seems to be next to impossible to find a copy these days. But it's a really good book, and one I credit with influencing my growth as a person - I'm not sure you'll find me saying that often!
January 23, 2009
I know what you're thinking, "sigh another zombie novel, how unoriginal." But fear not dear fright fan, Every Sigh, The End (a novel about zombies) by Jason S. Hornsby manages to put a original spin on the walking dead and in the process deconstructs society, human interaction, and the horror genre itself.
Ross Orringer is twenty-six and his life is falling apart. He sells low-budget horror films that he hates with his self-centered best friend Preston. He is cheating on his girlfriend with her closest friend. To make matters worse he suspects his family is involved in an elaborate conspiracy involving spies, strange film crews in dark alleys, zombies, and alternate universes.
It all comes to a head on New Years Eve 1999 when Preston's party is crashed by film crews and zombies, lots of zombies. Soon Ross' life is turned into one of the trashy movies he sells, as everyone he cares about is put in danger for the benefit of the film cameras.
Hornsby has crafted a unique and frightening novel. The threat of the zombies is overshadowed by the mysterious film crews documenting the whole event. These creepy figures ensure that the drama level stays high and their camera never becomes bored. When it becomes clear that some of those trapped by the zombies are in league with the film-makers, life-long friends turn on each other in desperate attempts at survival.
It is in this desperation that the novel's central themes come out; distrust and betrayal. Each of the survivors has a long and torrid history with each other and all of their past wrongdoings and treacheries come bubbling to the surface. As once long-time friends become bitter enemies the sense of horror moves from the zombies and film crews to the petty human cruelties of which everyone is capable.
Every Sigh, The End (A novel about zombies) is an original and frightening novel. There is a lot for the reader to sink one's teeth into. Do not let the zombies scare you away; this is a multi-layered story of conspiratorial horror, fear of one's fellow man, and a deconstruction of reality itself. If any part of this review intrigued you, buy this book.
Ross Orringer is twenty-six and his life is falling apart. He sells low-budget horror films that he hates with his self-centered best friend Preston. He is cheating on his girlfriend with her closest friend. To make matters worse he suspects his family is involved in an elaborate conspiracy involving spies, strange film crews in dark alleys, zombies, and alternate universes.
It all comes to a head on New Years Eve 1999 when Preston's party is crashed by film crews and zombies, lots of zombies. Soon Ross' life is turned into one of the trashy movies he sells, as everyone he cares about is put in danger for the benefit of the film cameras.
Hornsby has crafted a unique and frightening novel. The threat of the zombies is overshadowed by the mysterious film crews documenting the whole event. These creepy figures ensure that the drama level stays high and their camera never becomes bored. When it becomes clear that some of those trapped by the zombies are in league with the film-makers, life-long friends turn on each other in desperate attempts at survival.
It is in this desperation that the novel's central themes come out; distrust and betrayal. Each of the survivors has a long and torrid history with each other and all of their past wrongdoings and treacheries come bubbling to the surface. As once long-time friends become bitter enemies the sense of horror moves from the zombies and film crews to the petty human cruelties of which everyone is capable.
Every Sigh, The End (A novel about zombies) is an original and frightening novel. There is a lot for the reader to sink one's teeth into. Do not let the zombies scare you away; this is a multi-layered story of conspiratorial horror, fear of one's fellow man, and a deconstruction of reality itself. If any part of this review intrigued you, buy this book.
June 3, 2024
I rated this five stars although it's probably closer to 4.5.
I have taken a few days to reflect on this book before writing this review because I simply had too many feelings I needed to sort through first.
Here's why I wanted to rate it 5 stars: the story was so creative and intriguing, whether you like zombie stories or not (I personally do not) you'll enjoy this premise. The zombies are really only a surface level part of the plot while so much more is actually going on deeper in the story. Plus I enjoyed the character A LOT. I know other's didn't, but I did. If you enjoy morally grey characters that are some of the most authentic and realistic you'll ever read, read this book! I'm also a sucker for a good pessimistic MC with an attitude, and that's what I got.
And here's why I had to knock it down to a 4.5 stars instead of 5: The book was too abrupt and open ended. I by no means need an author to hold my hand through a story, however I do not like things to feel like mistakes. Entire scenes were created by the author and then promptly forgotten about (I know everything was deliberate but that's how it felt). I ended the book unsatisfied, so for that reason I cannot justify 5 stars.
After days of thinking on it all I can say is that i really, really loved this book. Sure it wasn't perfect, but the simple fact is that this book is running loops in my head, i can't stop thinking about it. All I want to do is reread it, even though I only finished it days ago and that should speak volumes right there.
I have taken a few days to reflect on this book before writing this review because I simply had too many feelings I needed to sort through first.
Here's why I wanted to rate it 5 stars: the story was so creative and intriguing, whether you like zombie stories or not (I personally do not) you'll enjoy this premise. The zombies are really only a surface level part of the plot while so much more is actually going on deeper in the story. Plus I enjoyed the character A LOT. I know other's didn't, but I did. If you enjoy morally grey characters that are some of the most authentic and realistic you'll ever read, read this book! I'm also a sucker for a good pessimistic MC with an attitude, and that's what I got.
And here's why I had to knock it down to a 4.5 stars instead of 5: The book was too abrupt and open ended. I by no means need an author to hold my hand through a story, however I do not like things to feel like mistakes. Entire scenes were created by the author and then promptly forgotten about (I know everything was deliberate but that's how it felt). I ended the book unsatisfied, so for that reason I cannot justify 5 stars.
After days of thinking on it all I can say is that i really, really loved this book. Sure it wasn't perfect, but the simple fact is that this book is running loops in my head, i can't stop thinking about it. All I want to do is reread it, even though I only finished it days ago and that should speak volumes right there.
January 13, 2010
A very mysterious, hip, creepy, and captivating novel...about Zombies. I'll say one thing, "Every Sigh, The End" is very unique in terms of creeping out the reader.
Taking place mostly in 1999, Hornsby captures not only the era's essence, but the essence of the entire horror movie scene. All the while taking the popular notion of a zombie apocalypse, and blending it into a rather interesting overall plot. The familiarity of a zombie invasion does not take away from this creative story. Definitely not your average zombie vehicle to say the least.
There are exceptional moments of surrealism in this book. I could have used a more thoroughly explained climax, but it didn't detract from my enjoyment of reading it. Great mystery, great atmosphere, and above all else, ZOMBIES!!!! How fun!
Taking place mostly in 1999, Hornsby captures not only the era's essence, but the essence of the entire horror movie scene. All the while taking the popular notion of a zombie apocalypse, and blending it into a rather interesting overall plot. The familiarity of a zombie invasion does not take away from this creative story. Definitely not your average zombie vehicle to say the least.
There are exceptional moments of surrealism in this book. I could have used a more thoroughly explained climax, but it didn't detract from my enjoyment of reading it. Great mystery, great atmosphere, and above all else, ZOMBIES!!!! How fun!
October 15, 2017
I think I would retitle it With Every Sigh, I Wish It Would End. I see why many people like it, but it felt just too gimmicky to me. An unusual premise, but it was as if he jammed every possible genre mash into it. I didn't hate it, and in fact I enjoyed the cultural references, especially relating to movies, but I just stayed confused. Like I was in an acid trip. I'm sure if I had friends who read it, they'd be saying "Come on man, this was great." But it just failed to win me over.
October 8, 2011
Finally read it. Not gonna dignify it with a long-winded review. Would've given it a 2.5 if possible, but it was closer to a 2 than a 3, so a 2 was what it got. Action-movie dialogue. Tried too hard. Decently entertaining at times. In short - not completely horrible, but nothing to write home about either.
December 22, 2008
I had forgotten that I had already read this book. Not really to my taste.
Want to Read
June 3, 2008(20080401 - bought [Scott])
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