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Worse Than Dying
After his father suffers a nervous breakdown, Noah Barnes is tasked with caring for his family in the midst of a zombie apocalypse. A dark novella about fight and family, as one survivor confronts untold loss and struggles with unimaginable choices.
116 pages, ebook
Published June 15, 2020
22 people are currently reading
133 people want to read
About the author
Brett Van Valkenburg
5 books15 followersBrett Van Valkenburg was born and raised in a small town in upstate New York. At 18 he attended college in central NY and then moved to New York City shortly after graduating. Clearly life has been quite the rollercoaster. Brett currently works for a major financial institution as a Proposal Writer while moonlighting as a fiction and children's book writer.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
September 8, 2024
A dark zombie novella that goes beyond the normal horrors of zombies.
What To Expect:
➘ A bit of gore
➘ Gruesome moments
➘ Family/loss
➘ Fast-paced/quick read
➘ Revenge
➘ Undead theories
➘ Apocalyptic survival
➘ Trigger Warning: Sexual predator
Sure you will also instantly sense some familiarity if you’ve dabbled in the zombie-horror genre before. The Walking Dead flashbacks obviously came to mind a time or two; however this novella definitely stood on its own two feet by showcasing the horrors of humanity and how it exists with and without a zombie apocalypse.
The novella takes place in upstate New York and is told via the account of one survivor named Noah. It easily becomes evident that just because a terrifying zombie apocalypse is going on that normal human terrors never stop. An apocalypse and even zombies cannot be blamed for the worst of the worst humanity has to offer. It has always existed and always will. I appreciate the author shedding light on a tough topic even though it was disturbing and unexpected!!
I want to say I was shocked by the turn of events in the story, but sadly I easily recognized the warning signs along the way. That being said, I was all in for the ending, especially the to be continued! Apparently, it has been left open for a possible sequel! It would be interesting to gather accounts of other survivors in this universe and have them all somehow interconnect with each other! I would also be down for a continuation of Noah’s journey as well!
What To Expect:
➘ A bit of gore
➘ Gruesome moments
➘ Family/loss
➘ Fast-paced/quick read
➘ Revenge
➘ Undead theories
➘ Apocalyptic survival
➘ Trigger Warning: Sexual predator
Sure you will also instantly sense some familiarity if you’ve dabbled in the zombie-horror genre before. The Walking Dead flashbacks obviously came to mind a time or two; however this novella definitely stood on its own two feet by showcasing the horrors of humanity and how it exists with and without a zombie apocalypse.
The novella takes place in upstate New York and is told via the account of one survivor named Noah. It easily becomes evident that just because a terrifying zombie apocalypse is going on that normal human terrors never stop. An apocalypse and even zombies cannot be blamed for the worst of the worst humanity has to offer. It has always existed and always will. I appreciate the author shedding light on a tough topic even though it was disturbing and unexpected!!
I want to say I was shocked by the turn of events in the story, but sadly I easily recognized the warning signs along the way. That being said, I was all in for the ending, especially the to be continued! Apparently, it has been left open for a possible sequel! It would be interesting to gather accounts of other survivors in this universe and have them all somehow interconnect with each other! I would also be down for a continuation of Noah’s journey as well!
March 25, 2023
Zombies is a subgenre of horror that I don't explore very often since I burned myself out by watching The Walking Dead. But I saw good reviews for Worse Than Dying by Brett Van Valkenburg, so I thought I'd give it a shot.
*cue the zombie marching band and rotting ticker tape parade*
What a great book! This was unlike any zombie storyline I've seen. There was a depth to the characters and more going on than the typical survival and "are humans actually worse than the zombies" storyline. Well, those are there too - BUT there is much more. Oh and some of the typical zombie lore is called into question in the book. It's done in a way that made me put on my thinking face and say huh - he could be onto something different here! I like it!
If you're a fan of zombie horror, or even if you aren't, I highly recommend this short book. It can be read in one day if you don't have many interruptions. It took me a couple more days, ahem. :) I am happy to give Worse Than Dying five stars and hope to get a chance to read more from this author in the future!
*cue the zombie marching band and rotting ticker tape parade*
What a great book! This was unlike any zombie storyline I've seen. There was a depth to the characters and more going on than the typical survival and "are humans actually worse than the zombies" storyline. Well, those are there too - BUT there is much more. Oh and some of the typical zombie lore is called into question in the book. It's done in a way that made me put on my thinking face and say huh - he could be onto something different here! I like it!
If you're a fan of zombie horror, or even if you aren't, I highly recommend this short book. It can be read in one day if you don't have many interruptions. It took me a couple more days, ahem. :) I am happy to give Worse Than Dying five stars and hope to get a chance to read more from this author in the future!
February 24, 2024
I happened across this on Amazon while ordering my Spooky Season reads and I’m so glad I did. A zombie-apocalypse survival horror novella? Yes, yes please. This actually won in a poll for my next read, so I can thank my friends/followers for this awesome 1 day read.
I picked this up and started it right after finishing Prosper’s Demon by K. J. Parker (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...), which I thoroughly enjoyed. I kind of expected to have that kind of in between, oh I have to learn the setting and characters again feeling, but I was so so wrong and pleasantly surprised. I was sucked in from the first page. To put it simply, this book is so riveting, a whirlwind of anxiety and adrenaline and edge-of-your-seat scares. When I called it riveting my fiancé said I hadn’t said that about a book in a good while…so let that stand for something.
To me, this novella is exactly what I loved about the early The Walking Dead, the anxiety of learning the world and understanding that it only takes one single zombie to end your life. That the more comfortable and adept you get, it still only takes one mistake, one slip up, just a little panic, and it’s all over. That human reaction is the most realistic feeling to me about the genre.
I also really liked how the author subverted the usual genre trope of the deterioration of humanity, instead giving us a bad character that was bad prior. That doesn’t mean that humanity doesn’t deteriorate with the constant zombie killing, just that in this case the bad had hit their depths before it started.
Revenge was oh so sweet, an absolute banger 5/5*, please read this. As the back cover states, if there isn’t a sequel, it’d be a damn shame.
https://fanfiaddict.com/review-worse-...
I picked this up and started it right after finishing Prosper’s Demon by K. J. Parker (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...), which I thoroughly enjoyed. I kind of expected to have that kind of in between, oh I have to learn the setting and characters again feeling, but I was so so wrong and pleasantly surprised. I was sucked in from the first page. To put it simply, this book is so riveting, a whirlwind of anxiety and adrenaline and edge-of-your-seat scares. When I called it riveting my fiancé said I hadn’t said that about a book in a good while…so let that stand for something.
To me, this novella is exactly what I loved about the early The Walking Dead, the anxiety of learning the world and understanding that it only takes one single zombie to end your life. That the more comfortable and adept you get, it still only takes one mistake, one slip up, just a little panic, and it’s all over. That human reaction is the most realistic feeling to me about the genre.
I also really liked how the author subverted the usual genre trope of the deterioration of humanity, instead giving us a bad character that was bad prior. That doesn’t mean that humanity doesn’t deteriorate with the constant zombie killing, just that in this case the bad had hit their depths before it started.
Revenge was oh so sweet, an absolute banger 5/5*, please read this. As the back cover states, if there isn’t a sequel, it’d be a damn shame.
https://fanfiaddict.com/review-worse-...
August 4, 2022
What an interesting read. This was definitely not like any other zombie book i've read before.
The author did an amazing job making sure we readers could feel and see what MC Noah did. I felt like I was THERE feeling every emotion with Noah. It takes true talent to accomplish that.
The book was fast-paced, which I so prefer, especially with novellas like this. There wasn't a single detail wasted in this book. I could picture the zombies so easily.
Keep in mind this is a horror book about zombies, so if horror isn't your jam, you may not enjoy this very much.
I sincerely hope there is some sort of sequel coming out, because I really want to know what happens to Noah.
The author did an amazing job making sure we readers could feel and see what MC Noah did. I felt like I was THERE feeling every emotion with Noah. It takes true talent to accomplish that.
The book was fast-paced, which I so prefer, especially with novellas like this. There wasn't a single detail wasted in this book. I could picture the zombies so easily.
Keep in mind this is a horror book about zombies, so if horror isn't your jam, you may not enjoy this very much.
I sincerely hope there is some sort of sequel coming out, because I really want to know what happens to Noah.
July 20, 2024
The author isn’t reinventing the wheel with this zombie novel. Honestly, we don’t get a ton of history on the outbreak, the characters… the reader is dropped into the story after the end of the world has occurred.
Sure, there’s some action and excitement, but it all feels so static and one dimensional.
I want character depth; I want to know their motivations, traumas, what makes them tick. I didn’t care about any of these characters or what happened to them. The ending is also left ambiguously open, hinting at a second book. As far as I can see on Goodreads, there isn’t one yet. Honestly, I probably wouldn’t read it even if there was a sequel story.
Sure, there’s some action and excitement, but it all feels so static and one dimensional.
I want character depth; I want to know their motivations, traumas, what makes them tick. I didn’t care about any of these characters or what happened to them. The ending is also left ambiguously open, hinting at a second book. As far as I can see on Goodreads, there isn’t one yet. Honestly, I probably wouldn’t read it even if there was a sequel story.
September 25, 2023
HOW DOES THIS ONLY HAVE 3.5 STARS?!? HOW?! UNACCEPTABLE. Highly recommend, don’t want to ruin it for anyone. It’s a super quick read. Looking forward to more from the “worse than dying” universe! Go get a copy of Brett’s book so he can fund the next one!!!! You’ll thank me. The story was EXCEPTIONAL.
January 24, 2022
A slightly different take on traditional zombies and a beautiful story of one man’s struggle in the new world.
I really enjoyed this book. I’m a big zombie enthusiast, but zombies have been done to death. So I really appreciate it when I find new zombie entertainment that is fresh and interesting. This book really did it for me and I highly recommend it for any other fans of the genre. Thank you.
I really enjoyed this book. I’m a big zombie enthusiast, but zombies have been done to death. So I really appreciate it when I find new zombie entertainment that is fresh and interesting. This book really did it for me and I highly recommend it for any other fans of the genre. Thank you.
December 28, 2020
Absolutely bloody good
This book had me hooked from the first page. I completed it in less than 8 hours. It actually gave me nightmares which I seldom get when I read a book with gore in it. This book was AWESOME, I recommend it to anyone who loves zombies. I was shocked about something’s that happened in the book but I will not spoil it for you. Well written and an excited to read more books from this author.
This book had me hooked from the first page. I completed it in less than 8 hours. It actually gave me nightmares which I seldom get when I read a book with gore in it. This book was AWESOME, I recommend it to anyone who loves zombies. I was shocked about something’s that happened in the book but I will not spoil it for you. Well written and an excited to read more books from this author.
August 20, 2023
Not a bad book but needs much more fleshing out. Very predictable but still entertaining
The biggest problem is the whole story feels rushed, there is very little description of how people are feeling , especially Noah, who has no real emotions or terror attached to him.
The biggest problem is the whole story feels rushed, there is very little description of how people are feeling , especially Noah, who has no real emotions or terror attached to him.
May 17, 2021
Great story!
This was a great Zombie read! I hope there is more to come as I really want to know what happens to Noah.
This was a great Zombie read! I hope there is more to come as I really want to know what happens to Noah.
February 4, 2025
I really enjoyed this story. It's short story so it's get to the point quickly which I always enjoy. I think the most unique thing about this was it had a zombies POV. I guessed the plot twist about Al as soon as they said his sister started having accidents so it wasn't a big shock. While I do think Al is the obvious villain of this story the MCs father is also a huge P.O.S. I can understand that he has experienced trauma but so has his son. I can not respect a parent who shuts down and stops caring for their kids especially in this type of situation. Tbh I kind of blame him for what happens to the MCs sister. He had suspensions about Al being around his daughter and really didn't do anything to protect her. I understand he wanted to kick Al out but got shut down but again that was his fault! Frankly as a parent if I was concerned about a grown man around my daughter and was forced to still be living with him I would make sure my child was constantly with me. The man didn't leave the house so what was preventing him from watching his daughter. The father then proceeds to blame the MC who yes did have a role in it as well but with that being said he was a child still. I mean damn even on his death bed his father had to get another jab in. With all that being said I actually really enjoyed the ending. I think Als family made me think of the milkovicahs (probably spelled wrong) from shameless. Especially Brandy being similar to Mandy.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 6, 2023
Noah is a strong main character with compelling flaws and an interesting storyline. He is one of my favorite characters I read in 'Worse Than Dying' and his mistakes and his emotions feel so real and made the experience that much more real.
If you want a short and fun read, this book is for you. In only 159 pages you will feel a lot of emotions, It's a classic zombie apocalypse story with some unique bits to make the story fresh and have its own life. Although there are zombies, the real enemy of the story is man. Zombies are background noise compared to everything else.
However, in this story, and the main reason why it's not a complete 5 stars, is that there are some heavy situations in this that come into play, but it does make all the emotions just as raw and real.
If you want a short and fun read, this book is for you. In only 159 pages you will feel a lot of emotions, It's a classic zombie apocalypse story with some unique bits to make the story fresh and have its own life. Although there are zombies, the real enemy of the story is man. Zombies are background noise compared to everything else.
However, in this story, and the main reason why it's not a complete 5 stars, is that there are some heavy situations in this that come into play, but it does make all the emotions just as raw and real.
February 15, 2023
You know what is worse than dying, reading a great book, but the story is too short. I would have given 5 stars, but there just wasn't enough for me to read. I was done with this book in a blink of an eye. This was the first short story I have read in awhile, and think that I prefer my books to be at least 360 pages or more. Hopefully the next one will be longer. We just didn't meet that many survivors in the 160 pages that Valkenburg gave us.
May 7, 2023
This was a quick, straightforward read and an excellent zombie survival novel. The prose was to the point and sharp like a machete. The actions, pathos, world building, and "believability" were just as undemanding, yet there was still room to fill in gaps or potential outcomes by using your imagination or intuition. All in all, it's a solid read, and I would gladly read any subsequent sequel(s). Easy 4.5
March 27, 2023
This was such a quick read but not just because it was a short one. It kept my attention through out the entire story. I just wish there were more pages to it. It was a great zombie apocalypse/revenge story. Loved all the action and the kills. I’m sure if the book was longer, the characters would have had more depth to them. Overall, really enjoyed it.
January 15, 2023
For a little novella this sure did pack a punch! This was the first zombie apocalypse book I’ve ever read, and this is inspiring me to read more books with the living dead.
March 24, 2023
Your typical zombie story, but with a morality twist. Don't trust strangers!
Want to read
April 11, 2023to-read
August 20, 2023
Not my favorite. The storytelling was decent but I was able to guess every twist and turn along the way. Nothing was left to a surprise. Although, the three stars are for that badass ending!
September 6, 2023
SO GOOD!
It was like reading a movie or tv series.
This horror novella was action packed, very detailed and pulled me in with every page. I read it in one day!
10/10 recommend!
It was like reading a movie or tv series.
This horror novella was action packed, very detailed and pulled me in with every page. I read it in one day!
10/10 recommend!
March 24, 2024
Fast paced zombie story.
March 7, 2024
It was good, but predictable.
I devour zombie stories (pun intended) and this one was intriguing. The way it’s written was like the story was being told to me rather than me just reading it. It flowed.
I devour zombie stories (pun intended) and this one was intriguing. The way it’s written was like the story was being told to me rather than me just reading it. It flowed.
July 6, 2022
This is an amazing zombie novella... that I wrote.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews