When a highly sophisticated race of alien insects arrive to exterminate mankind, mythical creatures from human lore turn out to be more real than anyone imagined. It is an epic battle for the preservation of our planet, and no one is left out. Oh, and some of them fall in love.
Jeff is a Golden Globe–winning writer and producer whose career has spanned some of television’s most iconic shows, including Roseanne and Two and a Half Men. After decades of success in Hollywood, he’s embraced a new creative chapter—writing novels that let his imagination run wild.
My first reaction was, interesting title, how is he going to pull this off? But Abugov does, expertly setting up the four adversaries (the dinosaurs show up at the end. Makes sense, little dialogue......) and not only does the narrative remake sense, he has fun with it. The protagonists include a vampire slayer who is also the First Lady, the alcoholic veep who's a general (comes in handy), a by the book devout Baptist M.P. sergeant, a helicopter pilot malcontent, the king of the vampires and his cohorts, and a twelve year old boy and seven year old girl who are the last survivors of their Georgia towns who weren't zombified. Got that? Good. The bad guys are aliens in human skin, there are work holes, spies, white rays of death, and the desire by the aliens not to destroy the lovely buildings, just the humans that inhabit them. I read this quickly because the plot moved along nicely, and, well, it was just fun.
When you have run out of Dr. McNinja books to read or have a long airplane ride ahead of you, download this book! This book is a beautiful mash up of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Jurassic Park, and Starship Troopers. The final battle is the melee you have been waiting for and never knew you needed. Zombies and dinosaurs have never been so human or so heroic.
This has probably been my favorite book this summer! It was a fun read, there was no mushy love story, things got blown up, the good guys weren't who you expected them to be
ETA: This is just a fun read, I think the last few Summers I've ended up starting as soon as all the kids are out of school.
It's carnage indeed, but manages to be so without being intensely graphic or vulgar.
In the unbridled mess of all-out-war between aliens and all of humanity, plus vampires, zombies, and yes dinosaurs, the humor and plot twists are engaging. It took a minute to uncover how the dinosaurs all tied in, but it worked out so comically simple that I didn't mind the wait. The sarcasm, humor, and human/alien/dino/zombie/vamp responses of the characters make for a fast-paced crazy ride.
The author isn't afraid to kill off characters, and does a good job of playing misdirection games with the reader. Too often I feel I have a book figured out too soon, but this one gave its share of interesting twists and turns right up through the end. Though, that last one I was on too! Yes, I feel special.Then the story goes even a tiny bit further by teasingly mentioning a snippit of one character's back story in the excerpt from another book from the same author; "Time Travel for Love and Profit." Which I will probably be checking out soon, simply because of the wit and humor of the author, and the joy of having read this story. (Thank you book club for selecting it as this month's choice!)
Above all, the kids were my favorite. Hoo-rah Rhiannon and Patrick! But really all the characters were great.
Only setback was some of the editorial errors, things a proof reader clearly missed, but it didn't detract from the story.
Also, this story would make for an EPIC Anime. Just saying.... Nudge-nudge-wink-wink (someone make this an anime! I want it now! 🤩😍🥳🎉)
When it was first suggested on one of my FB sites, I thought it was a joke, until I followed the lin to Amazon and the book. What the heck, I downloaded it and thought I'd peruse it briefly then put it on the back burner with my 200 plus other books I need to get to. Boy was I wrong!! Yes it has vampires and a vampire slayer of course, alien bugs (possible spoilers) who inadvertantly create zombies and open a wormhole into the past, thus the dinosaurs. How does it all work you say, alien bugs intent on conquering our world, been there, done that....and yet, it is such a new concept it actually works! The humans and vampire working to save the world, each for their own reason, the zombies are the unintended consequences of the alien bugs and their very physiology. The Dinos are the fairy tale ending to it all. It is a fun read, quick and filled with plenty of fighting and killing and slapstick comedy that leads to more fighting and killing and slapstick comedy. In some areas I do feel the comedy aspect is a little forced but then it is so silly, it works! could it have been better? sure but it does not take itself seriously, so don't you. Just take a few hours to sit and read and enjoy it for what it is; a good way to pass a long night or rainy day. Don't over think it, just curl up and enjoy.
Essentially, aliens arrive on Earth with the plans of getting rid of humans and taking over. In the hopes of not letting this happen, it takes the combined effort of the various North American militaries, both retired and active, vampires, zombies AND some dinosaurs to stand together and out wit "the bugs". It's written from multiple points of view, even from the enemy commander and everyone is very well written.
I read it on a whim, not expecting much but curious none the less because of the author's writing credits. I'd recently heard of, and partially watched his '99 movie, The Mating Habits of the Earthbound Human. This book made me genuinely laugh out loud, cry out in dismay and cheer, especially for zombie Sanchez! Yes, the book has a silly premise but that doesn't stop it from being one of the best books I've read in a while.
If you are looking for something light hearted, funny, with witty writing then look no further. I'm definitely going to check out other books by this author.
3 1/2 absurdly fun stars! Please don't read too much into the actual rating, as truth be told, this is about as high as I think this light but pleasantly entertaining book could be rated!
With a plot that seems to have been contrived from a drunken night of playing 'Cards Against Humanity' (or any of the other pro-/antagonists listed in the title), Abugov seems to have had a jolly good time pulling our legs. With cliché after cliché and one redonkulous situation following another, he has put together a story that moves quickly and provided at very least this reader with a much needed break after several far too serious, far too intense books in his Horrortober 2019 read-a-thon. Funny book good, make good ha ha's.
I really don't know what else to add. It's for sure not a badly written book but it does come off as a quickly written book. I, for one, would be surprised to learn if it took more than a few weeks to process the entire thing from start to publication. It just has that 'fudge it, let's do this' vibe to it, you know? And yeah, you'll guess half the surprises for sure but others, well... Let's just say The First Lady kicks ass like never before and that's a good thing for us all!
Is it Pratchett level humour (note spelling), insanity and/or fantasy? Don't be a drooling nimrod, of course not. But will you at least grin semi-maniacally at certain sections? Well, sure, be my guest. Let me close by saying that of several books that claimed to be 'humorous' here on the Reading of Good, this was one that got it mostly right. Just enjoy the damn thing, ok?
I’m still trying to figure out how I feel about this one.
Overall - I wasn’t hugely impressed by this. I had high hopes, what with that title and an average of a 4 star rating. Other readers said the author made it work. I both agree and disagree. I probably could’ve been on board without the dinosaurs being thrown in - that ending just threw the novel into the Trying WAY Too Hard category for me.
I’m not one to rehash a synopsis-you can read it under the book info or in one of a hundred other reviews- so we’ll just cut to the chase here.
This book had potential. It really did. I actually enjoyed the author’s writing style and I was super in to this book when I first started reading it. Despite me finishing it in a day and a half - it did get to the point where I felt bored. Often. However, as I mentioned already, I was enjoying the writing style so I stuck with it until I hit another good part. That’s how I got through the whole thing.
I think the primary thing that was missing in this (for Me) was more humor. This is a goofy ass novel and the author had a few funny, laugh out loud moments in there. I wish there would have been more of that. I could see where he was trying to put that humor in other spots in the book but it wasn’t always working.
I would still recommend this to people that like a ridiculous/crazy/fun read from time to time. I definitely would NOT call it a waste of time even though I’m only giving it 2.5 stars. Would I read it again? Meh. Probably not. Will I read other works by this author? Fo Shizzle. I already put one of them on my Want to Read shelf 👍🏻.
I really don't know how to put into words what this story is about without sounding like I was stricken with delusions. I bought this book based solely on the title. I didn't even read things blurb. I figured that I'd make it through a couple chapters and declare it a train wreck. But I had to know what it was about.
Take Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the musical episode minus the music, add a hint of Dr. Who WTF plot mayhem, sprinkle liberally with The Walking Dead, toss with a mix of The Outer Limits and The Twilight Zone for a bit of a twist, and serve to unsuspecting readers. Sit back and watch incredulous faces turn to smirks of readers being entertained by this fun-filled, out of left field, offering of controlled insanity.
I recommend this book to anyone with a mildly off-kilter sense of humor. Sit back and enjoy the ride.
The title drew me in. This feels like it would be a great B series movie. It is really entertaining, and delivers everything the title promises. BUT… this feels like it’s been written like a fanfiction of an action movie. There were way too many exclamation points, way too many characters, some could have been merged together. The romance was kinda clumsy. And even if it is action-packed, some places felt slow. I gave it 3 stars because despite of what felt like rushed writing, it still was really entertaining, I’d still tell my friend to read it, knowing full well what they’re getting into.
Absolutely one of the BEST stories that I've ever read 😃. If you're into shoot-em-up-bang, vampire fantasy or sci-fi stories, well you'll get it ALL in this Fabulous book 😉. An Awesome storyline along with wonderfully interesting characters will have you reading long into the night and impossible to put down 😲. Thank you so very much Jeff for this wonderful story, cuz it's by far the BEST book I've ever read and I plan on reading Anything else that you write 🤓.
This book is okay. The premise of aliens coming to destroy mankind encountering supernatural creatures and dinosaurs a good. My main problem was there was just too much in here. I would have liked it better if the writer focused on vampires and zombies. I also felt there were too many characters. It is funny the early the aliens react to the vampires and zombies.
With a title like this book has I really didn't know what to expect, but it was a great read. Not much character development or technical details but a story with lots of unexpected twists and turns. I actually had no idea how it was going to end until the last chapter. All the various loose ends were tied up very neatly and with a flourish that was a pleasure to read.
I think 21/2 * would be better just for the chutzpah to put out a book with this title. Sadly the book is written around the need to involve each of the title's creatures, which results in, for example, a ludicrous way of getting the dinosaurs on scene. Though the overarching story is engaging, it's rarely actually funny, though it often thinks it is. Major plot points are left unresolved and the ending is rushed and quite risible.
If you are thinking this book is hard science fiction or part of the zombie/vampire genre, then you should also check if you living on disc held up by four elephants on the back of a giant turtle (it never hurts to be too careful).
The title of this book is very apt. It is an absurd, funny tale with a generous sprinkled of carefully curated cliches (and secret herbs and spices). It took me a few chapters to get into the swing of things but once I did it never let go.
Mars Attacks meets Buffy meets The Walking Dead meets Jurassic Park
This is the craziest thing I've ever read,but in a good way. It starts with an invasion of insect-like aliens, quickly escalates into war, and then gets really weird. If you like your sci-fi with a touch of dark humor, this is for you.
What a wild wacky ride. This is fan-fiction of the highest order, a genre blender of popular pop-culture. It's The Walking Dead/Buffy the Vampire Slayer/War of the Worlds/Jurassic Park crossover you never knew you needed. Nonstop action with a sense of humor about itself. A fun read.
Talk about a mixture of humorous mayhem and laughter, this book has become a movie yet to be made. Independence Day had Will Smith but this has a larger cast of every Grade B movie popular on Saturday matinees. All characters are unbelievable in their roles and it truly makes a good read as you try to find the solution to each stage of the battle.
It was a pretty good story. The title pretty much says the story. Pretty exciting. As you are reading about certain things happening, you are wondering how this is going to play out in the story. Then the author cleverly pulls it all together. Also the ending was funny. This might make a great movie!
This book was so ridiculous. This book is basically a series of completely impossible events that lead to more impossible events. I was very entertained and loved it, but can't say that it was written well. I CAN say that Jeff Abugov has a pretty crazy awesome imagination and I'll probably read more of his books! Kudos!
Covid Book #30: Zombies versus Aliens versus Vampires versus Dinosaurs (8/10) . Yes, that is the title ... and wow. Aliens (bugs in human skin suits) attack Earth only to be save by Vampires, then Zombies, and the Dinosaurs (T-Rex's included). Within 286 action packed pages the author seamlessly tied all this together ... and then some! Fun read and it would make a great movie.
A great read. Aliens attack earth and with greatly advanced science, appear unstoppable. Then Vampires show up to help, and zombies show up, not really thinking, but being a great help anyway. Then one of the aliens portals gets triggered and opens a portal into the past, which unleashed dinosaurs on the aliens.
ZAVD is a high-octane thrill ride from beginning to end. The pacing is relentless, the stakes are sky-high, and the world is unlike anything I’ve read before.
It takes an outrageous premise and turns it into a suspenseful, cinematic experience that keeps you flipping pages late into the night.
If you love bold, imaginative science fiction that never slows down, ZAVD is a must-read.
I thought this would be a quick, fun, easy read. And silly! And it was. But it was so much more. Fun to read, yet somehow it all tied together to make a good story.
I started this book not knowing if I would finish it. Fortunately, it caught my attention and I read it in about 2 hours. Fast paced, interesting and didn't get bogged down in the details. Definitely would recommend.
BLUF: Highly recommend. This book wasn't laugh out loud funny, but it was extremely fun to read. Every chapter was a page turner. There are MANY characters in this book, and I had to reread some previous chapters to familiarize myself, but it was worth it. I especially loved the ending. This book will be on my reread list! Bottom Line: I recommend.
Improbable - yes, far fetched - yes, enjoyable - also yes. A novel that does, and simultaneously doesn't take itself too seriously, and is far more enjoyable than the title would suggest.
WOW!! This was a lot better than I thought!! Lots of action and very likable characters. Some how the author made it work!!! I would definitely read another book from the author. Happy Reading :)