School's Out

by Brian Keene

Eight-year-old Alan doesn’t like going to school, but when a global pandemic leaves him orphaned, cold, starving, and lonely, he has no choice but to set out on a dangerous quest to return to his third-grade classroom. SCHOOL’S OUT, an all-new post-apocalyptic novella by Grandmaster Award winning author Brian Keene, was suggested to him by his son, marking their first official collaboration, and is suitable for all ages.

Genres: Horror

80 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 23, 2016

About the author

BRIAN KEENE writes novels, comic books, short fiction, and occasional journalism for money. He is the author of over forty books, mostly in the horror, crime, and dark fantasy genres. His 2003 novel, The Rising, is often credited (along with Robert Kirkman’s The Walking Dead comic and Danny Boyle’s 28 Days Later film) with inspiring pop culture’s current interest in zombies. Keene’s novels have been translated into German, Spanish, Polish, Italian, French, Taiwanese, and many more. In addition to his own original work, Keene has written for media properties such as Doctor Who, Hellboy, Masters of the Universe, and Superman.

Several of Keene’s novels have been developed for film, including Ghoul, The Ties That Bind, and Fast Zombies Suck. Several more are in-development or under option. Keene also serves as Executive Producer for the independent film studio Drunken Tentacle Productions.

Keene also oversees Maelstrom, his own small press publishing imprint specializing in collectible limited editions, via Thunderstorm Books.

Keene’s work has been praised in such diverse places as The New York Times, The History Channel, The Howard Stern Show, CNN.com, Publisher’s Weekly, Media Bistro, Fangoria Magazine, and Rue Morgue Magazine. He has won numerous awards and honors, including the World Horror 2014 Grand Master Award, two Bram Stoker Awards, and a recognition from Whiteman A.F.B. (home of the B-2 Stealth Bomber) for his outreach to U.S. troops serving both overseas and abroad. A prolific public speaker, Keene has delivered talks at conventions, college campuses, theaters, and inside Central Intelligence Agency headquarters in Langley, VA.

The father of two sons, Keene lives in rural Pennsylvania.

Reviews

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

SCHOOL'S OUT, by Brian Keene is a young-adult (intermediate reader) book, that his own son gave him the idea for. As for the parents out there, nothing could be worse than imaging your child alone and vulnerable in a world where the majority of the population has died due to a strange epidemic.

Suitable for readers of all ages.

[Bracken · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novelette is harrowing and wonderful. The main character is credible and not overly precocious, and his situation is played out at perfect length. Too much, and it'd start to strain credibility. As a parent, this is close to my worst nightmare, and this nightmare is well realized from a totally believable kid's point of view. Again solidifying my firmly held position that Brian Keene is at his absolute literary best when he's pulling from his own personal emotion and experience.

[Karl]

This book is copy 51 of 225 copies signed and numbered by Brian Keene.

Cover by Tomislav Tikulin.

A Book for Intermediate to Adult Readers.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quite simply, one of his best works, cowritten with his young son. Heartfelt, heartbreaking, terrifying, but tinged with hope.

Highest of recommendations!

[Michael Hicks · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the afterword, author Brian Keene shares a story about driving his son to school and engaging in a conversation about how the boy will always have to go to school. His son refutes the claim, telling Keene that he won't have to go to school after the apocalypse. The idea stuck, and Brian picked his kid's brain for more details, embarking on a collaboration with his nine-year-old that resulted in School's Out, a small, fun bit of middle-grade horror fiction.

School's Out is geared toward a younger audience (the sentences are short, and the prose is kept pretty simple), although it does have decidedly dark, adult themes running through its core. Eight-year-old Alan is stuck in the confines of his home after his father dies from an apocalyptic virus ravaging the country. We're spared the worst of the devastation given the narrow premise and Alan's innocence, but there's enough inferences made to let the horror's hit home. The more immediate threat, though, is Alan's dead father and the boy's close and uncomfortable encounter with human mortality. Because this is aimed at younger audiences, Keene spares us the gross details, but the less-is-more approach lets adult imaginations run rampant and invokes more than a few moments of uncomfortable squirms.

Parents will want to read School's Out before exposing their children to it and determine if their kids are mature enough for the story and its themes. The good news is, it's a fine enough read for adult audiences looking for an hour's entertainment.

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a post-apocalyptic short work, told from the point of view of eight year old Alan Gardner. It's a well written and interesting story, with just enough detail to build an interesting story without slowing down the pace. The introduction states that the book is intended for "intermediate readers," but I would hesitate to recommend the book for a pre-teenager. Some of the descriptive passages were graphic enough to curl my stomach, and I haven't been in the intermediate category since LBJ was in office.

[The Face of Your Father · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Alan's Daddy and the electricity both died on the same day."

And so begins Brian Keene's "School's Out," a nearly seventy page novella designed for both intermediate readers as well as adults. The story surrounds nearly nine year old Alan Gardner, an autistic boy who is facing an apocalyptic super flu all by himself. Keene manages to tone down the graphic mayhem we all love him for like in works such as 'Ghoul,' 'Urban Gothic,' and 'Dark Hollow' to make a rather tender and emotional tale. Keene taps into a rather unexplored theme here in 'School's Out.' While the death of a child is truly the worst experience a person can go through, what is equally as bad is leaving your child alone when they need you most. This is what makes Keene's story heartfelt and orginal. Keene is also doing children a great service with 'School's Out,' not only is it a quick and fun read, it educates young readers on how to handle emergency situations. Keene does a great job at balancing between young-adult and adult here as there are some fairly graphic sequences but all seem appropriate for the age level of the text. The Children Point-of-View concept can be tricky for some authors, especially when they grow older and further extend from the youth. Keene nails the voice here, clearly using his own son as inspiration. Hard not to be moved by this one. 3.5/5

[Kevin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Keene's work but this was too short. When I got to the last page it really felt like the story was just beginning. He said it's mainly his kids ideas which is fine but it's being sold as a Brian Keene book and it's basically a short story that felt incomplete. I read the Kindle version which is littered with words that are missing letters and the odd random word dropped in here and there as well. Pretty disappointed in this overall but what was there of the story was okay.

[SmarkDent · Rating 3 out of 5]

Brian Keene's attempt at a novella for younger readers. Basically, it's a pamphlet that will probably traumatise younger readers. There's lots of proof reading errors too, nevertheless it's an entertaining enough read for Keene's diehard fans. Sadly, 'fans' favourite' Levi Stoltzfus doesn't make an appearance.

[Christa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit of an abrupt ending, but otherwise a good story, especially that it's a collaboration between father and son.

[Tony · Rating 3 out of 5]

School’s Out by horror legend Brian Keene, a sixty-nine-page novella, was first published back in 2017, but as it was recently part of his excellent 0.99$ weekly deals I thought I would investigate his kids’ stuff for the first time. Amazon lists the book at ages 9-18, which is too wide a range and not particularly helpful and I would peg it at the lower end of that age bracket. However, the major issue I had with School’s Out is that not enough happens to engage young readers, with a plot which contains very little action, character interaction or much else to hook young readers. This is a very reflective story and character study of a child which might be enjoyed more by adults.

Uncannily like a super vicious version of Covid-19, a virus spreads and Alan’s dad dies when the story opens. His mother is travelling, initially contacts him, then disappears, presumed dead. The rest of the novella then concerns how the boy survives on his own with a couple of gross bits along the way and a run-in with starving wild dogs. In the afterward Keene gives some ideas where the story came from and the relation to his own kids, ultimately I do not think youngish children want to read stories which are too realistic featuring characters like themselves stranded home alone, slowly starving and dreaming of happier times at school. Sure, it was realistic, but this age-group requires more escapism and plot in their fiction. It was also too short, but definitely had the potential to be turned into a longer work if the story was developed beyond the single character narrative. Sadly, however, there is zero interest in novellas in the children’s book market and I’m sure Keene saw School’s Out as an interesting literary diversion in between his adult projects. AGE RANGE 10-13

[Danny Welch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brian Keene is an author whose work I really enjoy and get a kick out of. School's Out is a very unique offering from him in the sense that it's very much a story co-written with own his son, since this story actually came from his son's wild imagination. I've always been intrigued by this one and now I've finally managed to grab a copy I decided to read it!

A mysterious pandemic has hit America one that leaves the corpses of its victims in a terrible gruesome state. Alan wakes up one day only to find his father has passed away and the power is out. All he has left is his pet cat Smokey for company. But with supplies running out and the stench of his father's rotting corpse growing worse all the time, how long will it take until he and Smokey have to head on out into the outside world? And what horrors lie in wait for them?

School's Out is a novella that can be enjoyed by readers of all ages, but it is admittedly a very bleak and depressing story all the same. This is a story told from the perspective of a young boy whose world has been turned completely upside down, by a mysterious pandemic that has destroyed lives across the world. It's a very depressing and hopeless read with some really sad anecdotes and a very bittersweet ending.

Overall: This is one that hit me really hard, I read it relatively quickly because I wanted to see how the story would conclude. But not going to lie this is a really hopeless and bleak tale that actually broke my heart in a few places. This is an easy enough read for readers of any age, but if you're someone who doesn't enjoy reading dark or depressing stories then this definitely won't be for you. 9/10

[Horror DNA · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you’re a hardcore Brian Keene fan, you and I know you don’t need to read this review to run outta here and buy his latest, School’s Out. If, on the other hand, you’re unfamiliar with his work or on the fence about reading more from him, especially a novella that is for all ages (which means it’s kind of a YA title), then listen up. Here’s the thing: I kind of expected to not like this as much as some of my Keene favorites. A book based on an idea his son gave him while the author was dropping him off at school sounds like a cute thing, a really cool project, but not exactly something that would make you scream, “Damn, this is exactly why Keene is one of the best in the business!” Well, you’d be wrong to think that. This short book has everything a Keene book is supposed to have along with an extra dose of anguish, quiet desperation, and probably one of Keene’s most unexpectedly emotional endings.

You can read Gabino's full review at Horror DNA by clicking here.

[Bob Reiss · Rating 4 out of 5]

In School’s Out, Keene doesn’t break much new ground in the post apocalyptic world. Yet, where this novella stands out is in the voice of it’s main character and the pure visceralness of the writing. Inspire4d by his sons view of the apocalypse, Keene doesn’t cute it up. This isn’t some cozy apocalypse, but a brutal landscape seen through the eyes of a child. Keene doesn’t attempt to make his main character anything more than he is, a normal kid dealing with a situation that most adults would have trouble grasping. Keene delivers the tale in a way that brutally honest to kids, yet never gratuitously so. There is no agenda or attempts to teach moral lessons, just revealing a potential world as realistically as possible. I think this would be a good tale to read with a child, and may lead to some interesting conversations.

[Dustin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of the best written works Keene has done, IMO, strictly in terms of writing quality. It's a novella for YA readers, so it is an outlier in his canon, but it works for adult readers as well given that it has some of the creepiest, visceral moments of his writing career. Straightforward and unpretentious, "School's Out" tells the story of a 3rd-grade child left to fend for himself in the immediate wake of a pandemic that kills his father. I'm not sure if I'd let the youngest of young readers tackle this one because it's apt to give them nightmares--but 11 year-old+ should find lots to enjoy here.

[Noigeloverlord · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not even the apocalypse gets you out of school!

Very good short look into what it would be like for a child to be left alone in the apocalypse.
Even though it is labeled as a book for kids and adults,I strongly suggest an adult reads it first ( as Brian Keene suggest ) before letting a younger child reads it become some kids might have nightmares from reading it. On the other hand definitely a good book to try a younger reader out

.

[autumn bear · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scared the bejesus out of this mom.

The details including, smells, sights, frustrations all from the child’s eye view made this tale familiar but chilling. As a parent, this is exactly what you never want your kid to experience. At the same time, we can see that the boy may be more resilient than an adult in this instance?

[Thomas Hobbs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Meant as a young adolescent apocalyptic story. Story is petty short I read in less than 2 hrs. A young boy in a apocalyptic world similar to covid a disease that kills majority of everyone. But unlike covid this is more dramatic because phones don't work electricity, water, and even police stopped working.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

After his father dies during a pandemic, eight-year-old Alan is left alone (except for the family cat).

This was horrifying because the entire situation is seen through Alan's eyes and with his level of understanding. There's no planning - you just eat the food you like until you run out of that and then eventually get to the canned peas. Until those are gone, too.

[Ralph Carlson · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting little read. Pretty discusting in places.

[Efren Rodriguez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read!

Really enjoyed the story and especially the ending. Definitely would recommend it for younger readers. Might make them think... What if?

[Allan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tight little novella is a page turner, like all of Keene’s work, though for a young reader story, it’s a bit more grim than what I’d share with my 3rd grader. Maybe when they’re in 5th grade.

[Ben · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good short story

Basic , to the point , and short . I would wait till the price goes down. To short to pay full price

[ed henning · Rating 5 out of 5]

Covid

I did not know what to expect from this story. As soon as I started reading I am like this is the horror story to covid. A horror story for any child alone.

[Michael McGlinsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good, just wish it was longer. It could have used a little explaination on how the world was copy and so forth.

[A~ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story. I wish it was expanded to make a full novel.

[Paige Turner · Rating 2 out of 5]

Huh

[John Bruni · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a fun read for what it is. It's not really geared toward me. I'm not a child or a parent, but it entertained me.