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Dead Weight
When 17-year-old Zephyr Rockwell wakes from a camping trip in the woods, he discovers that nearly everyone in the world has disappeared and most of the luxuries mankind maintained are already breaking down. What happened? Where did everybody go? Why is he still here? The boy soon embarks on a journey for answers and companionship in a new reality where great cities lay in ruins, food and water grow scarcer by the day, and every other survivor is a potential threat. There are secrets waiting in California. Still, is the trek halfway across the country worth the risk? Zephyr and his new friends decide to find out. Some of them may not return. A “… gritty, cinematic post-apocalyptic thriller.” — Publishers Weekly A “… tense journey.” — Publishers Weekly “… will broadly appeal to fans of breathless end-of-the-world action sequences.” — Publishers Weekly "Casamassina’s novel avoids getting bogged down by a standard, predictable plot arc.” — Kirkus Reviews "Solid apocalyptic fiction that focuses more on its character relationships than its sci-fi elements.” — Kirkus Reviews
350 pages, Paperback
First published December 16, 2016
About the author
Matt Casamassina
3 books22 followersMatt Casamassina is a video game / technology journalist, executive, and author who cofounded IGN.com and built Apple's App Store games editorial team. He's written three books, Dead Weight, Sophistication, and Degenerate, and is hard at work on his fourth. Matt is married, has three kids, two dogs, and a fat cat, and lives in northern California.
For more timely updates, visit Matt’s website at www.mattcasa.com
For more timely updates, visit Matt’s website at www.mattcasa.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
February 19, 2022
3.5 stars
*may contain spoilers depending on your definition of spoilers, but doesn’t really give anything away*
They idea on the book was good along with the development of the characters. I loved Zephyr’s and Jordan’s brother/sister relationship. Since the ages were so similar 17 and 10, I was able to relate to Zephyr, in the sense that whenever he made decision he also was thinking about Jordan and what was best for her. He saved her and made it his responsibility to care for.
The reason why my rating was on the lower side was because I didn’t get any answers as to WHY everyone disappeared. it just explained the connection between the survivors, it didn’t say why they disappeared, though the characters did express their theories.
Zephyr’s and Aurora’s relationship, hmmmm? I don’t really know how I feel about it. They compliment each other, even though they are complete opposites. I just didn’t really like how there wasn’t a development between them. It went from them being strangers (yes he did save her, but still), to the occasional arguments, and finally them just ending up together out of nowhere. In the book it said some time and passed, since he saved them but it really didn’t show how their relationship grew. Idk, maybe it’s just my take
*may contain spoilers depending on your definition of spoilers, but doesn’t really give anything away*
They idea on the book was good along with the development of the characters. I loved Zephyr’s and Jordan’s brother/sister relationship. Since the ages were so similar 17 and 10, I was able to relate to Zephyr, in the sense that whenever he made decision he also was thinking about Jordan and what was best for her. He saved her and made it his responsibility to care for.
The reason why my rating was on the lower side was because I didn’t get any answers as to WHY everyone disappeared. it just explained the connection between the survivors, it didn’t say why they disappeared, though the characters did express their theories.
Zephyr’s and Aurora’s relationship, hmmmm? I don’t really know how I feel about it. They compliment each other, even though they are complete opposites. I just didn’t really like how there wasn’t a development between them. It went from them being strangers (yes he did save her, but still), to the occasional arguments, and finally them just ending up together out of nowhere. In the book it said some time and passed, since he saved them but it really didn’t show how their relationship grew. Idk, maybe it’s just my take
November 11, 2018
Makes one think...
The story line held my interest. As the characters and story evolved their personalities and situations were multifaceted. Held my attention to the end.
The story line held my interest. As the characters and story evolved their personalities and situations were multifaceted. Held my attention to the end.
December 16, 2017
No zombies..
My favorite book genres are post apocalyptic & zombies. No zombies here, just a satisfying, entertaining read.
Zephyr comes home from a campout to find his parents gone. Everyone is gone, disappeared. He has no idea what has happened or what he needs to do. He does meet one individual who is not what he seems. Zephyr runs. And his adventure begins.
The author did a great job with his characters. Aurora, Jordan, Trey...they were believable. Even the bad guys were written in an obnoxious way.
What does it all mean? Why did some live & others died? The answer is not what you would think.
I really enjoyed this book. The storyline flowed. The obstacles presented were overcome. Lots of action.
Kudos to the author. Great job & I would love to read more of your work.
Good authors are hard to find...😉
My favorite book genres are post apocalyptic & zombies. No zombies here, just a satisfying, entertaining read.
Zephyr comes home from a campout to find his parents gone. Everyone is gone, disappeared. He has no idea what has happened or what he needs to do. He does meet one individual who is not what he seems. Zephyr runs. And his adventure begins.
The author did a great job with his characters. Aurora, Jordan, Trey...they were believable. Even the bad guys were written in an obnoxious way.
What does it all mean? Why did some live & others died? The answer is not what you would think.
I really enjoyed this book. The storyline flowed. The obstacles presented were overcome. Lots of action.
Kudos to the author. Great job & I would love to read more of your work.
Good authors are hard to find...😉
December 21, 2017
The whys and wherefore
This is a book about what would happen if you woke up and almost everybody else was gone. Where did they go what happened to them? Cool reading
This is a book about what would happen if you woke up and almost everybody else was gone. Where did they go what happened to them? Cool reading
October 23, 2018
Very original. Loved everything about this book: the writing style, the story, the characters. I could not put it down. The only problem is where to find similar books.
February 24, 2017
I feel a kinship to Matt Casamassina. I was always an avid gamer, and Casamassina fed my fix for information. He had a fantastic column for the gone-too-soon magazine, Next Generation. I followed his career through the start-up now juggernaut IGN.com, so I was delighted to discover he'd written a book. I read it as a nod to my old Nintendo days, but Dead Weight is pretty good.
There must be a part 2, because Casamassina never tells us just what's going on. Typically books of this genre make some societal point, but I didn't pick his up. Perhaps labeling. I was expecting the (**Spoilerish...) perceived-good-guys-are-actually-bad-guys trope. Casamassina sidestepped that, but in doing so missed an opportunity to press a point about profiling. I'll definitely read the sequel when it comes out. I'll keep following Casamassina. He's worth it.
There must be a part 2, because Casamassina never tells us just what's going on. Typically books of this genre make some societal point, but I didn't pick his up. Perhaps labeling. I was expecting the (**Spoilerish...) perceived-good-guys-are-actually-bad-guys trope. Casamassina sidestepped that, but in doing so missed an opportunity to press a point about profiling. I'll definitely read the sequel when it comes out. I'll keep following Casamassina. He's worth it.
January 20, 2017
Ish. Gordon Krantz. Randy Bragg. John Matherson. And now Zephyr Rockwell. Like the best of post-apocalyptic fiction, Dead Weight poses questions of meaning and friendship in the face of staggering loss, and forces us to examine what we should believe and do with our lives when surrounded by uncertainty. This skillful, first novel by writer Matt Casamassina is an exciting, fresh addition to the genre, and will leave you thinking about its ending long after you've finished reading.
January 11, 2020
Flawed, but readable.
First, the good:
•The premise is captivating. In a world so filled with zombies, it’s refreshing to see a different take on the apocalypse.
•The pacing certainly isn’t slow. Things happen so frequently that it‘s easy to read the book in a couple of days.
Now, to the bad.
•It’s seriously rushing during some parts, so much so that it damages the characters. For example, after Aurora escapes some sex slavers, it only took one chapter for her to be all over Zephyr. When her trauma came into play, it only lasted one paragraph, and was never mentioned again in future chapters. bad.
•Shallow characters. Zephyr is the only one who gets a bit of a character arc. Aurora and Trey lived in relation to Zephyr, their lives before him barely touched on. The villains were pretty one note as well. Ross felt cartoony, just a one note psychopath, who I kid you not, waited an entire year to try to kill a kid he’d known for a few weeks.
First, the good:
•The premise is captivating. In a world so filled with zombies, it’s refreshing to see a different take on the apocalypse.
•The pacing certainly isn’t slow. Things happen so frequently that it‘s easy to read the book in a couple of days.
Now, to the bad.
•It’s seriously rushing during some parts, so much so that it damages the characters. For example, after Aurora escapes some sex slavers, it only took one chapter for her to be all over Zephyr. When her trauma came into play, it only lasted one paragraph, and was never mentioned again in future chapters. bad.
•Shallow characters. Zephyr is the only one who gets a bit of a character arc. Aurora and Trey lived in relation to Zephyr, their lives before him barely touched on. The villains were pretty one note as well. Ross felt cartoony, just a one note psychopath, who I kid you not, waited an entire year to try to kill a kid he’d known for a few weeks.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 7, 2019
I finished this book last night and have to say I was quite impressed. First, the author did not try to answer all of the questions, just like life you sometimes never know what really happened. Second, I really grew to like Zephyr, he is a likeable character and fully aware that he is not perfect. In many dystopian books; folks are led/saved by the one superman/woman. Not so here, Zephyr is flawed and has many admitted weaknesses. Third, the pacing was great. You really get to know Zephyr. Four, I want a series. That means I still care about the characters and their lives, that is a win. So yes I recommend this and think a lot of it.
February 9, 2019
Surprisingly good!
I have read plenty of post-apocalyptic fiction over the years and have come to expect certain tropes to turn up in almost all books within the genre, especially if there is a teen or young adult protagonist. This book was a very pleasant surprise in that it managed to avoid most of them. The question of good vs evil is presented in a very refreshing manner and the answers are far from black and white in this book. The author’s voice is out of the norm in that there is compassion and perceptiveness, without as much sentimentality as a lot of other books. I plan to read the sequel very soon.
I have read plenty of post-apocalyptic fiction over the years and have come to expect certain tropes to turn up in almost all books within the genre, especially if there is a teen or young adult protagonist. This book was a very pleasant surprise in that it managed to avoid most of them. The question of good vs evil is presented in a very refreshing manner and the answers are far from black and white in this book. The author’s voice is out of the norm in that there is compassion and perceptiveness, without as much sentimentality as a lot of other books. I plan to read the sequel very soon.
February 7, 2019
The book had a promising start, and was good enough to hold my attention throughout. However, part of what kept me reading was curiosity as to what actually happened. Yet, though we're given a possible reason as to what the deciding factor in who didn't disappear might have been, we still have no idea at all what caused the people who disappeared to do so... Just a bunch of different theories from various characters. Not to mention, the way pretty much everyone had a hidden agenda, or was just a step away from turning in to a psycho killer or something was rather irritating.
March 22, 2019
Apocalyptic Novel of distinction
I read this in a 24 hour period, unwilling to give up on finishing it ASAP. Starting out, it seems to be the young adult fiction I expected but about 1/3 through it all changed and became more of "what life could hold in store" than "how to make it out alive." I enjoyed reading this and was hoping for a series yet it doesn't seem as if that's in the works. Either way a very enjoyable story of likable characters with a few surprises thrown in for good measure.
I read this in a 24 hour period, unwilling to give up on finishing it ASAP. Starting out, it seems to be the young adult fiction I expected but about 1/3 through it all changed and became more of "what life could hold in store" than "how to make it out alive." I enjoyed reading this and was hoping for a series yet it doesn't seem as if that's in the works. Either way a very enjoyable story of likable characters with a few surprises thrown in for good measure.
February 20, 2019
Intriguing idea
I read a lot of post-apocalyptic novels and my favorites are the ones with no zombies or monsters. I’m interested in how humans change and become their own worst enemies in these survival scenarios. This one had a unique event that triggered the story - and I hope there’s a sequel because I felt like it was just getting started. Likeable characters, fast-moving plot.
I read a lot of post-apocalyptic novels and my favorites are the ones with no zombies or monsters. I’m interested in how humans change and become their own worst enemies in these survival scenarios. This one had a unique event that triggered the story - and I hope there’s a sequel because I felt like it was just getting started. Likeable characters, fast-moving plot.
February 22, 2019
Kind of a fun story, but a little editing would have gone a long way. Some words are used that don't make any sense at all, and some of the writing is just... Weird.
One thing was a bit strange. Early in the book Fox News is mentioned in a very positive way, and there were a couple of instances of what seemed to me like overt racism. Extremely negative portrayals of a black woman early the book, and a hispanic guy later in the book.
One thing was a bit strange. Early in the book Fox News is mentioned in a very positive way, and there were a couple of instances of what seemed to me like overt racism. Extremely negative portrayals of a black woman early the book, and a hispanic guy later in the book.
February 7, 2019
Good read
The hero Is a good person, well described and smart. Most of the book goes pretty fast and kept me reading and coming back for more. There was a slow spot but it passed and picked up again. There were things I didn’t like but enough that I liked that I kept reading. Great job!
The hero Is a good person, well described and smart. Most of the book goes pretty fast and kept me reading and coming back for more. There was a slow spot but it passed and picked up again. There were things I didn’t like but enough that I liked that I kept reading. Great job!
April 20, 2020
Cool concept, good read.
An apocolyptic book with a premise I haven't heard or read before, Dead Weight kept my attention from start to finish. It brings up deep questions about what is good and what is bad. Thought provoking and entertaining, this is a book if like to read for the first time twice.
An apocolyptic book with a premise I haven't heard or read before, Dead Weight kept my attention from start to finish. It brings up deep questions about what is good and what is bad. Thought provoking and entertaining, this is a book if like to read for the first time twice.
February 10, 2019
This book held such promise in the beginning, but halfway through I got bored. Skimmed through to the end after that, but still didn't think the ending did it justice. My opinion. I'm sure others will love it.
February 14, 2019
An enjoyable book with great characters
I gave this book 4 stars because of the characters. It was easy to follow and had a good story line. I would recommend this book to everyone.
I gave this book 4 stars because of the characters. It was easy to follow and had a good story line. I would recommend this book to everyone.
February 19, 2019
Shockingly Alone
Mysterious. Primal. Gripping .
A twist on the finality of life as we know it.
An exploration of mankind's last day and those who survived.
Perplexing, philosophical, and never patronising ride to a new age of man.
Mysterious. Primal. Gripping .
A twist on the finality of life as we know it.
An exploration of mankind's last day and those who survived.
Perplexing, philosophical, and never patronising ride to a new age of man.
February 20, 2019
Really good!
I wasn't sure what to expect when I started reading this one. I admit to being annoyed when the rapture nonsense came up, but I continued reading and I'm glad i did. Really good story overall. Is there more?
I wasn't sure what to expect when I started reading this one. I admit to being annoyed when the rapture nonsense came up, but I continued reading and I'm glad i did. Really good story overall. Is there more?
April 23, 2019
Great book!
This book had me wanting to read more. It kept me on my toes and made me cry as well. He had all the great workings and I hope this book becomes a movie. Love love love it.
This book had me wanting to read more. It kept me on my toes and made me cry as well. He had all the great workings and I hope this book becomes a movie. Love love love it.
May 3, 2019
Creative twist to an apocalyptic book. Great characters, good story line, twists & surprises and it also makes you think about what you would do in those situations and how far you would go to protect those you loved. Great read!!!
July 26, 2020
It's the end of the world
I loved The Stand. I'm pretty sure that was my first foray into the post apocalyptic genre. This one is pretty good but having teens as protagonists is not always my favorite.
I loved The Stand. I'm pretty sure that was my first foray into the post apocalyptic genre. This one is pretty good but having teens as protagonists is not always my favorite.
February 1, 2019
Skimmed but good
Honestly, after about 10% I skimmed. But the story was still really good. But Don't get attached to any characters...
Honestly, after about 10% I skimmed. But the story was still really good. But Don't get attached to any characters...
February 24, 2019
3.5 stars.
I enjoyed this.
It kept me engaged and I liked the premise.
I enjoyed this.
It kept me engaged and I liked the premise.
March 23, 2019
I enjoyed following Zephyr and Jordan on their trip to find more people. As with most of these types of books more people are dangerous than normal.
March 25, 2019
Meh. What more can I say? I wasn't impressed with the writing but I didn't outright hate it either. It's an ok read if you're bored and already blew through the rest of the books on your list.
April 11, 2019
Promising story, but got lost in between the lack of depth of the main characters and the world setting. Disappointing.
April 24, 2019
3.5/5 stars
Interesting take on the apocalypse and what could happen. Slow start, eventually became a page-turner.
Interesting take on the apocalypse and what could happen. Slow start, eventually became a page-turner.
May 20, 2019
Couldn't wait to read it every night
Started off great, the last chapter wasn't to go and the end was horrible!
Buy I liked most of the book. But the ended sucked
Started off great, the last chapter wasn't to go and the end was horrible!
Buy I liked most of the book. But the ended sucked
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews