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Along the Winding Road
The zombie apocalypse was years ago—old hat. Besides, there’s a cure and plenty of bullets yet to take care of the rotting stragglers. The threats these days are the survivors. Charlotte Heiman is a young woman who has achieved a stable life in the remains of Killeen as a zombie hunter but can’t stay any longer. She hasn’t seen her little brother Blake since her family dropped him off at camp that fateful summer, but now that she has the supplies, she’s headed his way. Meanwhile, Arthur Deering has achieved his own stable life in a rural home, with no companions besides his bow and arrows. He has long since come to believe that he’s the only man alive—so it comes as quite a shock when Charlotte finds him. Quite an infatuating shock, as a matter of fact. Although Arthur turns out to be much more of a suitor than a menace, he’s not the only survivor Charlotte meets. It’s a long walk to Hunt, filled with those who lost everything and aren’t afraid to take whatever they can. It will take Charlotte and Arthur both to get past survivors that threaten to take their supplies, bodies, and lives.
264 pages, Paperback
Published January 22, 2017
2 people are currently reading
257 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
August 2, 2017
This book brings me back to when I first started reading science fiction. I remember how I got obsessed with the apocalypse and post apocalyptic literature, dystopia, and overall delightfully gruesome happenings.
I made many a friend years ago just jabbering on about books I loved, and started reading independently published books to find new, fresh literature that people weren't yet talking about. I wanted somethign that reminded me of Live Action Role Playing games I used to partake in, of the scifi novels that I would jabber on about with my online friends. Getting this book off of amazon, I thought, maybe this will remind me of that.
And by gosh, Marlee Pagels totally nails it.
Just when you think the story will go one way ~whoosh!~ it goes another.
We follow two unlikely protagonists surviving what ought to be unsurvivable: the zombie apocalypse. Twitchy, nervous Arthur and strong-willed Charlotte are on a rescue mission to retrieve Charlotte's brother. (There is also Dalton, who is maybe the best wing-man in all of literature.)
On their way, they find themselves in many dangerous situations: cruel survivalist colonies, people so lonely they will do anything to have a guest, and, of course, the zombies themselves. Or, as they are called here, infecteds.
With a kick butt protagonist, a clean slow-burn romance, this book is a gem. I'm totally not giving away any more details because, boy, you're really going to have to read it yourself for an unforgettable experience.
I made many a friend years ago just jabbering on about books I loved, and started reading independently published books to find new, fresh literature that people weren't yet talking about. I wanted somethign that reminded me of Live Action Role Playing games I used to partake in, of the scifi novels that I would jabber on about with my online friends. Getting this book off of amazon, I thought, maybe this will remind me of that.
And by gosh, Marlee Pagels totally nails it.
Just when you think the story will go one way ~whoosh!~ it goes another.
We follow two unlikely protagonists surviving what ought to be unsurvivable: the zombie apocalypse. Twitchy, nervous Arthur and strong-willed Charlotte are on a rescue mission to retrieve Charlotte's brother. (There is also Dalton, who is maybe the best wing-man in all of literature.)
On their way, they find themselves in many dangerous situations: cruel survivalist colonies, people so lonely they will do anything to have a guest, and, of course, the zombies themselves. Or, as they are called here, infecteds.
With a kick butt protagonist, a clean slow-burn romance, this book is a gem. I'm totally not giving away any more details because, boy, you're really going to have to read it yourself for an unforgettable experience.
August 14, 2022
In the established tradition of most zombie media, Along the Winding Road isn't really about the infected as much as people still making a living in their world. With its brisk pacing it's a welcoming recommendation for would-be readers looking for a novel about surviving a zombie apocalypse. Does it have problems? Sure, and I'll get to them.
Cutting the preamble short - couple of years have passed since zombies appeared and seemingly wrecked everything. Now these so-called infected are becoming rarer, but humanity is a long way from reclaiming anything. It is in such state of things that we follow Charlotte hell bent on finding her brother in Texas and who, through sheer (mis)fortune, ends up wounded by an arrow after another survivor accidentally shoots her. Arthur, unlike Charlotte who had a community to back her, lived alone for a long time and seems to be slipping. In his own words the man barely sleeps, hears voices and is awkward beyond belief at the best of times. He's not a bad guy though, and actually nurses Charlotte to health to make up for his mistake. After realizing he's essentially stuck nowhere doing nothing he offers to accompany her as well. Be it partial redemption or just that he's become infatuated with her doesn't matter as Charlotte accepts and the two are on their way.
What works in Along the Winding Road is amazing synergy between Arthur and Charlotte, and that's great since it forms a pillar of the novel. I have to salute the author for NOT lessening one of the main characters in the attempt to elevate the other as both halves of our dynamic duo are action survivors in their own right. Arthur is bumbling and almost incoherent around the woman he has conflicting feelings for, something that gets even stronger later on, but that doesn't prevent him from being a competent archer and lookout. Charlotte already comes with zombie hunter backstory and is more experienced, but is ultimately going into the unknown. All of this reinforces what is almost akin to a travel log experience as story focuses exclusively on characters, their immediate surroundings and snippets of the past. Author never feels the need to elaborate on what actually lead to the zombie apocalypse... until she [potentially] does does and I have to shift gears.
Foremost negative is characters dragging their feet through repetition. Yes, Arthur clearly has major social awkwardness and Charlotte teases him over it in good humor, but dear lord. Was there really a need to repeat that same idea over and over again with gradual escalation? Introduction of a third character somewhat alleviates this, but he ends up being Arthur's wingman more than anything. Don't get me wrong because there IS payoff to all of this, but I think you could've modified or cut at least a third of their relationship building moments. Another issue is mood whiplash - Along the Winding Road is very much about our protagonists antics while on a journey and, BAM you suddenly have threats of enslavement and rape, then they're scavenging houses setting up a romantic date and, BAM heel-turning reveal is thrown at you about the zombie origin, etc. It's very much a back-and-forth as a mood gets ripped to pieces trying to wear too many hats.
And lastly, the reveal. It comes totally out of left field introducing an element of which there wasn't even a slightest hint previously. Or it could just be entirely product of a delusional mind. Same with the zombie "cure". Probably left best to reader's interpretation.
Cutting the preamble short - couple of years have passed since zombies appeared and seemingly wrecked everything. Now these so-called infected are becoming rarer, but humanity is a long way from reclaiming anything. It is in such state of things that we follow Charlotte hell bent on finding her brother in Texas and who, through sheer (mis)fortune, ends up wounded by an arrow after another survivor accidentally shoots her. Arthur, unlike Charlotte who had a community to back her, lived alone for a long time and seems to be slipping. In his own words the man barely sleeps, hears voices and is awkward beyond belief at the best of times. He's not a bad guy though, and actually nurses Charlotte to health to make up for his mistake. After realizing he's essentially stuck nowhere doing nothing he offers to accompany her as well. Be it partial redemption or just that he's become infatuated with her doesn't matter as Charlotte accepts and the two are on their way.
What works in Along the Winding Road is amazing synergy between Arthur and Charlotte, and that's great since it forms a pillar of the novel. I have to salute the author for NOT lessening one of the main characters in the attempt to elevate the other as both halves of our dynamic duo are action survivors in their own right. Arthur is bumbling and almost incoherent around the woman he has conflicting feelings for, something that gets even stronger later on, but that doesn't prevent him from being a competent archer and lookout. Charlotte already comes with zombie hunter backstory and is more experienced, but is ultimately going into the unknown. All of this reinforces what is almost akin to a travel log experience as story focuses exclusively on characters, their immediate surroundings and snippets of the past. Author never feels the need to elaborate on what actually lead to the zombie apocalypse... until she [potentially] does does and I have to shift gears.
Foremost negative is characters dragging their feet through repetition. Yes, Arthur clearly has major social awkwardness and Charlotte teases him over it in good humor, but dear lord. Was there really a need to repeat that same idea over and over again with gradual escalation? Introduction of a third character somewhat alleviates this, but he ends up being Arthur's wingman more than anything. Don't get me wrong because there IS payoff to all of this, but I think you could've modified or cut at least a third of their relationship building moments. Another issue is mood whiplash - Along the Winding Road is very much about our protagonists antics while on a journey and, BAM you suddenly have threats of enslavement and rape, then they're scavenging houses setting up a romantic date and, BAM heel-turning reveal is thrown at you about the zombie origin, etc. It's very much a back-and-forth as a mood gets ripped to pieces trying to wear too many hats.
And lastly, the reveal. It comes totally out of left field introducing an element of which there wasn't even a slightest hint previously. Or it could just be entirely product of a delusional mind. Same with the zombie "cure". Probably left best to reader's interpretation.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews