Maxine

by Katie Cord

A young adult post-apocalyptic dystopian zombie story

In the post-apocalyptic community of McCarthy, Colorado, shy chubby misfit Maxine Massachusetts or as she is more commonly known to her classmates, "Mess-a-shits-ett", struggles to fit into a uniform society based on patriotism and perfectionism. If being socially awkward and physically imperfect weren't enough, she has the highest intellectual rank in school which garners the unwanted attention of teachers and administrators.

But, when one of the most popular girls in school disappears and everyone including her best friends pretend she didn't exist, Maxine doesn't forget. She wants answers.

To make matters worse, one swift smack across the face in gym class starts a transformation for Maxine from punching bag to beautiful monster. McCarthy will never be the same as Maxine struggles to unlock hidden truths while controlling her desire to devour everyone in her path.

Genres: Horror

168 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 23, 2016

About the author

Katie Cord is a science fiction and horror writer.

Reviews

[Jeffrey Caston · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was not your typical zombie fare. And for that I appreciated this book even more. It's not about the guts and gore or a writer's exercise testing how descriptive they can convey imagery of a zombie chewing through the leg of a hapless, struggling victim. There's actually very little of that.

No, this takes zombie apocalypse stories in a different direction to what I'm used to reading/seeing in movies. It focuses almost completely on the political aspect of it. It deals with an isolated microcosm that has protected itself from zombies but is also doing some work to study and further it... as though a segment of humanity wants to harness it as a way to further human evolution... I know I'm not doing that description justice, but that's all I can think of to say.

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was really entertained by the book and I’ve never read a book by Katie Cord and am happy I picked this one up. She’s very effective in making the reader aware of important aspects of this world that she’s created and at the same time has managed not to bog us down with unnecessary details. Captured being a teen girl in this corporate/quasi-militant environment and didn’t make the character overly weird or superheroish. The story is twisted, I started hoping Max would go crazy on revenge (I feel that may be part of the sequel) and possibly eat Nathan’s face.
It did leave me confused with the whole Nathan thing, but it worked.
It’s a good read and I really did like how the story goes one way and suddenly veers towards a different direction.
Plus, you end up rooting for the Zombies. It’s a new take on Zombies in a post-apocalyptic world.

[C.E. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maxine is one of the most original takes on the Zombie Apocalypse I've ever read. Although it has a few editing issues in the Kindle edition, I would highly recommend this book to anyone that loves adventure, you don't have to be a zombie fan to enjoy Maxine.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading a teaser chapter in “He Left Her at the Alter, She Left Him to the Zombies,” I knew my next Katie Cord read would have to be this book. There are no sacred deer in this story. I found anything could happen. That “what’s next” guessing is what kept me turning the pages. It’s briskly paced.

[Heather McBride · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book! I can't wait for the next in the series!
(Kindle edition could really use some proofreading!)

[Reggie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked up this book and a few others after meeting the author at Texas Frightmare Weekend and I'm so glad I did. Her book of short stories, "He Left Her At The Altar, She Left Him To The Zombies" (which is also an excellent read) contains some back stories in the universe "Maxine" takes place in. You don't need to read it first but it does give some insights you might miss. As for Maxine, this isn't the typical zombie book. It's charming and chilling wrapped up in a mystery. I can't wait for this years Frightmare Weekend as I will get the rest of the series and anything else Katie Cord has written!

[Cheryl Dyson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was grabbed by the cover and couldn't wait to read this. Once started I couldn't put it down! The world Katie created was utopic on the outside, but hid a gritty underbelly that was revealed layer by layer, just as Maxine's layers were peeled away to reveal someone unexpected beneath. I read this in one day and can't wait for the sequel.