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And Then I Woke Up
Winner of the 2022 Australian Shadows Award for Best Long FictionNominated for the 2023 British Fantasy Award for Best Novella"Intelligent, compassionate and unsettling."—The New York Times“Devlin twists and breaks the typical zombie narrative without spoiling one of the cleverest conceits in recent horror. Suffice to say that the author takes a scalpel to the post-truth era.”—EsquireIn the tradition of Mira Grant and Stephen Graham Jones, Malcolm Devlin’s And Then I Woke Up is a creepy, layered, literary story about false narratives and their ability to divide us.In a world reeling from an unusual plague, monsters lurk in the streets while terrified survivors arm themselves and roam the countryside in packs. Or perhaps something very different is happening. When a disease affects how reality is perceived, it’s hard to be certain of anything…Spence is one of the “cured” living at the Ironside rehabilitation facility. Haunted by guilt, he refuses to face the changed world until a new inmate challenges him to help her find her old crew. But if he can’t tell the truth from the lies, how will he know if he has earned the redemption he dreams of? How will he know he hasn’t just made things worse?At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
160 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 12, 2022
324 people are currently reading
26836 people want to read
About the author
Malcolm Devlin
34 books106 followersMalcolm Devlin’s stories have appeared in Black Static, Interzone, The Shadow Booth and Shadows and Tall Trees. His first collection, ‘You Will Grow Into Them’ was published by Unsung Stories in 2017 and shortlisted for the British Fantasy and Saboteur Awards. A second collection, also to be published by Unsung Stories, is due to be published in Summer 2021. He currently lives in Brisbane.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,463 reviews
April 17, 2022
**3.5 Stars**
What if you killed your husband, kids, friends, and that nosy neighbor believing they were the undead trying to eat you? You find other "survivors" to team up with. Now, what if I told you that was all a lie. There is a new disease that could trigger your brain to think the zombie apocalypse was upon us. That you actually did kill your loved ones, not the undead. What would you do when faced with that knowledge? I really enjoyed this interesting take on an old genre. Recommend!
What if you killed your husband, kids, friends, and that nosy neighbor believing they were the undead trying to eat you? You find other "survivors" to team up with. Now, what if I told you that was all a lie. There is a new disease that could trigger your brain to think the zombie apocalypse was upon us. That you actually did kill your loved ones, not the undead. What would you do when faced with that knowledge? I really enjoyed this interesting take on an old genre. Recommend!
December 7, 2022
What's true and what's not? This novella concerns an illness that disrupts your ability to tell madness from reality. I already have enough of this dilemma in ordinary life. I know what the author was trying to do, but the ability to know the difference between what's right and wrong is usually a matter of turning inward, and not outward. You can ask a thousand people what they think and each will answer, but you have no way of knowing if they are telling the truth or what you want to hear or what they want you to believe. If your ability to read your inner voice is messed up you're in a hell of a mess.
June 9, 2022
"I was, in my own mind, already a survivor. I was already used to looking out for myself and keeping away from the deep gravity wells of other people's trouble.”
Let me start off by saying this will be one of those books where you’ll have to let it simmer in your brain before deciding whether you liked it or not. (Newsflash: I loved it!)
I’m not exactly sure how to properly review this book. It’s a tough book to make sense of at first. But then you realize that’s the point, because it’s a story about a cured survivor trying to make sense of a world fighting a viral disease that warps one’s perception of reality.
So know this before diving in:
When you crack open this book, you will be expecting a zombie novel. You’ll be expecting a viral outbreak, an apocalypse narrative. And that’s what you’ll get, but not in the way you’ll anticipate it. This is a book with unreliable narrators and untrustworthy perspectives. There will be fear and doubt, blood and violence, monsters and survivors. But nothing will be as it seems. This book is psychological horror at its best and I loved it. That is all.
Let me start off by saying this will be one of those books where you’ll have to let it simmer in your brain before deciding whether you liked it or not. (Newsflash: I loved it!)
I’m not exactly sure how to properly review this book. It’s a tough book to make sense of at first. But then you realize that’s the point, because it’s a story about a cured survivor trying to make sense of a world fighting a viral disease that warps one’s perception of reality.
So know this before diving in:
When you crack open this book, you will be expecting a zombie novel. You’ll be expecting a viral outbreak, an apocalypse narrative. And that’s what you’ll get, but not in the way you’ll anticipate it. This is a book with unreliable narrators and untrustworthy perspectives. There will be fear and doubt, blood and violence, monsters and survivors. But nothing will be as it seems. This book is psychological horror at its best and I loved it. That is all.
May 30, 2022
I really liked it!! So creative, definitely the most unique “zombie” apocalypse books I’ve ever read. The ending confused me, I think I got it but I’m not 100%. Regardless, it was a very quick, interesting read!
April 12, 2022
Solid horror novella with a good idea at its heart: a virus that makes the infected unable to see the world as it really is, so that about half the population effectively fall prey to the delusion that there’s a zombie apocalypse going on. (Or do they?) In the aftermath, Spence – one of the ‘cured’ at a rehab facility – is persuaded to break out by a new arrival who wants to track down her former friend/lover. With this new adventure juxtaposed with flashbacks to Spence’s time in the devastated world pre-cure (and gradual realisation that all is not as it seems), it reads like a combination of ‘Dogsbody’, the werewolf-virus story from Devlin’s collection You Will Grow Into Them, and They Live. I was hoping for more of the enigmatic weirdness of Devlin’s best stories (such as ‘Songs Like They Used to Play’), but the style is more commercial than that. Also, even for a novella, it’s very short, which doesn’t allow a lot of room for character development or backstory. An entertaining quick read that might’ve worked better had its premise been expanded further.
I received an advance review copy of And Then I Woke Up from the publisher through Edelweiss.
TinyLetter | Linktree
I received an advance review copy of And Then I Woke Up from the publisher through Edelweiss.
TinyLetter | Linktree
May 10, 2022
Can't say I feel super strongly about this one, and that's part of the problem I guess. Interesting take on zombies, where people are essentially zombified by overdosing on negative news media. Unfortunately I found the plot fairly dull, the messaging to be very on-the-nose and the characters to be rather forgettable.
March 21, 2022
This was a really interesting little horror novella using a (maybe?) zombie apocalypse to talk about false narratives people believe. It feels very apropos of what is happening in the real world with fake news, culture wars, and people believing all kinds of narratives driven by charismatic people.
And Then I Woke Up is a story told by a man who has lived through this apocalyptic event where many people believe that others are turning into zombies. But are they really? This man has supposedly been "cured" and can now see the truth. But what is real?
Definitely worth a read and I'd be curious to see more from this author in the future. I received an advance copy of this book for review via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.
And Then I Woke Up is a story told by a man who has lived through this apocalyptic event where many people believe that others are turning into zombies. But are they really? This man has supposedly been "cured" and can now see the truth. But what is real?
Definitely worth a read and I'd be curious to see more from this author in the future. I received an advance copy of this book for review via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.
May 13, 2022
3.5 stars (rounded up for GR)
And Then I Woke Up feels like a difficult title to rate and review, because it was a difficult title to form a solid opinion on. I am absolutely enthralled by the concept of this story, and loved the narrative voice and the storytelling style, yet something didn't quite click for me throughout the bulk of the novella. I think this story suffers from repetition more than anything else, as it is an extremely character-focused story with very little action (though it has a decent depth of plot). That said, I did enjoy our narrator as a storyteller very much, so I suppose the book's flaws are also its qualities, in a sense (can you see now why I'm struggling to rate and review this?).
And Then I Woke Up is a zombie story of sorts, but told from the perspective of someone who has been "cured" — and these definitely aren't your average zombies. There isn't much to say without running the risk of spoilers, but I was fascinated by the entire premise that Devlin came up with and its social commentary on the way people view and spread information and "truth" in the modern age. The last 20% or so of the novella was phenomenal and I loved watching things unfold, so I'm very happy that I kept going through the more boring elements of the middle.
While And Then I Woke Up didn't fully captivate me, there was something about it that I think will stick with me for a while, and I'm extremely interested in future releases from this author. If you enjoy post-apocalyptic stories with a twist and a healthy (but not overly on-the-nose) commentary on some of the uglier sides of humanity, I highly recommend checking it out!
✨ Content warnings for:
All quotes come from an advance copy and may not match the final release. Thank you to the publisher for the review copy! All thoughts are honest and my own.
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My greatest sin and my greatest achievement are the same. I told a story.
And Then I Woke Up feels like a difficult title to rate and review, because it was a difficult title to form a solid opinion on. I am absolutely enthralled by the concept of this story, and loved the narrative voice and the storytelling style, yet something didn't quite click for me throughout the bulk of the novella. I think this story suffers from repetition more than anything else, as it is an extremely character-focused story with very little action (though it has a decent depth of plot). That said, I did enjoy our narrator as a storyteller very much, so I suppose the book's flaws are also its qualities, in a sense (can you see now why I'm struggling to rate and review this?).
And Then I Woke Up is a zombie story of sorts, but told from the perspective of someone who has been "cured" — and these definitely aren't your average zombies. There isn't much to say without running the risk of spoilers, but I was fascinated by the entire premise that Devlin came up with and its social commentary on the way people view and spread information and "truth" in the modern age. The last 20% or so of the novella was phenomenal and I loved watching things unfold, so I'm very happy that I kept going through the more boring elements of the middle.
While And Then I Woke Up didn't fully captivate me, there was something about it that I think will stick with me for a while, and I'm extremely interested in future releases from this author. If you enjoy post-apocalyptic stories with a twist and a healthy (but not overly on-the-nose) commentary on some of the uglier sides of humanity, I highly recommend checking it out!
✨ Content warnings for:
All quotes come from an advance copy and may not match the final release. Thank you to the publisher for the review copy! All thoughts are honest and my own.
———
twitter | booktok | bookstagram | blog
August 6, 2022
Actual rating 4.5/5 stars.
"She once told me when you say you’re going to tell people a horror story, they sit up in their chairs defensively, waiting to see you fail. When you tell them it’s a love story, they relax, they open themselves wide. Macey used to write horror stories she sold as love stories. She took a certain pleasure in seeing her audience find themselves out of their depth.
When I say this is a love story, I mean this is a story about someone who believed in something impossible and beautiful and dangerous with such strength of character and devotion that they followed the thread of it all the way to the very end, no matter what the world threw at them.
Whichever way to you try to tell it, that sounds like a love story to me."
I loved the tone in which this story was narrated. The voice was profound and poetic, yet also casual and conversational. Moments of illumination and clarity about the world around both narrator and reader were delivered alongside interaction between the individual who voiced it and characters that appeared offstage. We were directly referred to, as were they and their insights were welcomed as though we were all seated together and listening to this tale read aloud. And what a truly unsettling one it quickly proved to be!
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, Malcolm Devlin, and the publisher, Tor, for this opportunity.
"She once told me when you say you’re going to tell people a horror story, they sit up in their chairs defensively, waiting to see you fail. When you tell them it’s a love story, they relax, they open themselves wide. Macey used to write horror stories she sold as love stories. She took a certain pleasure in seeing her audience find themselves out of their depth.
When I say this is a love story, I mean this is a story about someone who believed in something impossible and beautiful and dangerous with such strength of character and devotion that they followed the thread of it all the way to the very end, no matter what the world threw at them.
Whichever way to you try to tell it, that sounds like a love story to me."
I loved the tone in which this story was narrated. The voice was profound and poetic, yet also casual and conversational. Moments of illumination and clarity about the world around both narrator and reader were delivered alongside interaction between the individual who voiced it and characters that appeared offstage. We were directly referred to, as were they and their insights were welcomed as though we were all seated together and listening to this tale read aloud. And what a truly unsettling one it quickly proved to be!
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, Malcolm Devlin, and the publisher, Tor, for this opportunity.
April 13, 2022
Funny, isn't it? You tell yourself that when the world ends, all of that nonsense will dry up. It'll be like a purge of the banal, and all the trivia of the world will be the first down the plughole. But no, the same old shit floats to the top without needing us to be there to witness it. Yesterday, the highlight of my day was seeing a group of junior chefs competing to see who could make the best cheeseburger; this morning there was a silent music video from a singer-songwriter with a furrowed brow.
It's all very safe and reassuring. Nobody's going to go crazy and shoot up a roomful of people because of a knitting demonstration.
At least, I don't think they will.
This is the new world, or the end of the world. The infected may not be who you think, depending on if you are one or not - because this is the zombie apocalypse with a twist, where the real infection has taken hold of those who think themselves survivors. Unless it hasn't, and therein lies most of the issue I had with the book.
I really like the idea of this novella, but in execution it just fell a bit flat for me. Malcolm Devlin's clearly a smart writer, but I needed something more to connect with in his characters - I'm not 100% convinced I'm going to remember this in a couple of months. The central idea of a narrative turned literal virus was intriguing, and for the most part worked well until the "is it or isn't it real" was debated one too many times, or maybe one too few. I'm all for books that leave me questioning, but I didn't feel led anywhere by this one - it echoed my questions, but never took me further.
Still, it's short, it's a interesting, different take on zombies, and it's certainly not bad - just not a good fit for me.
It's all very safe and reassuring. Nobody's going to go crazy and shoot up a roomful of people because of a knitting demonstration.
At least, I don't think they will.
This is the new world, or the end of the world. The infected may not be who you think, depending on if you are one or not - because this is the zombie apocalypse with a twist, where the real infection has taken hold of those who think themselves survivors. Unless it hasn't, and therein lies most of the issue I had with the book.
I really like the idea of this novella, but in execution it just fell a bit flat for me. Malcolm Devlin's clearly a smart writer, but I needed something more to connect with in his characters - I'm not 100% convinced I'm going to remember this in a couple of months. The central idea of a narrative turned literal virus was intriguing, and for the most part worked well until the "is it or isn't it real" was debated one too many times, or maybe one too few. I'm all for books that leave me questioning, but I didn't feel led anywhere by this one - it echoed my questions, but never took me further.
Still, it's short, it's a interesting, different take on zombies, and it's certainly not bad - just not a good fit for me.
November 10, 2023
It did have an unique concept and a take on zombie genre I've never read or seen a movie about. But something about it just didn't connect with me, it was a good audiobook but not enough for 4 or more stars.
April 25, 2023
If you're looking for a typical zombie story, this is NOT it. I repeat. Do not read this for the zombies. BUT read this for the SOCIAL COMMENTARY.
If you are like myself and you love horror that has something to say, this is it. This story is so timely and relevant!
THERE IS FINALLY AN AUDIOBOOK! I found it on Scribd, but I'm sure you can find it other places as well. The narrator did a great job, highly recommend.
There are so many parallels between this story and the current political milieu in the US. The focus are the narratives we believe. The great divide between who is right and who is wrong, and how do we know which is which?
People are afflicted with a virus that turns the unafflicted into "zombies". But they cannot see what is real until they "wake up." However, some have found that living without knowing the whole truth may be easier than facing the consequences of their actions.
If you are like myself and you love horror that has something to say, this is it. This story is so timely and relevant!
THERE IS FINALLY AN AUDIOBOOK! I found it on Scribd, but I'm sure you can find it other places as well. The narrator did a great job, highly recommend.
There are so many parallels between this story and the current political milieu in the US. The focus are the narratives we believe. The great divide between who is right and who is wrong, and how do we know which is which?
People are afflicted with a virus that turns the unafflicted into "zombies". But they cannot see what is real until they "wake up." However, some have found that living without knowing the whole truth may be easier than facing the consequences of their actions.
August 28, 2023
This was the cerebral zombie horror book. There's less action, more character development and conversations on humanity and the subversion of the typical zombie trope. Without giving away spoilers, the end of the first chapter took me completely by surprise and made me want to reread what I'd just read and see the signs of what was going on. It's an examination on society, humanities need for companionship and shared views. Survival but at what expense.
However, because of the very character driven nature of the story there's not a lot of action past that first chapter. It's sprinkled throughout as our narrator tells us his story (highly recommend the audiobook for this reason, and the narrator sounds like Bob Mortimer) but this is firmly in the character development camp over action, and the pacing is slow as a result.
Really interesting, thought provoking novel but I really wanted some more action to get me through the slower middle section.
However, because of the very character driven nature of the story there's not a lot of action past that first chapter. It's sprinkled throughout as our narrator tells us his story (highly recommend the audiobook for this reason, and the narrator sounds like Bob Mortimer) but this is firmly in the character development camp over action, and the pacing is slow as a result.
Really interesting, thought provoking novel but I really wanted some more action to get me through the slower middle section.
January 1, 2024
and then i fell asleep
November 15, 2021
Wow wow wow. What an absolutely incredible story. Honestly, I think it's better to go into this one blind. The only thing I'll say about the plot is that it's an absolutely brilliant twist on the classic zombie horror story and takes a deep look at the nature of perception and reality. Really incredible work here. Just remarkable.
June 29, 2022
Just when you thought you’ve read every version of the zombie tale there is comes this one.
And then I woke up as a narrative twist is about the cheapest there is. It’s basically a cheat for someone who can’t or won’t resolve the plot properly.
And Then I Woke Up the novel (or a long novella) is actually quite ingenious. It’s trippy and it plays with genre preconceptions very cleverly. It isn’t even a zombie story, not really, because what’s going on can be described in many different ways.
Essentially, it’s madness. A madness some people get taken over by and some bounce back from. The narrator is one of the bounced ones and we follow his story as he tries to make sense of the strange new world he finds himself in.
I can’t really say more without giving too much away. I won’t really say more because this book is pretty difficult to describe. I’m not going to claim to love it, because it isn’t lovely or lovable as such, but it’s certainly interesting and original and does a terrific job of drawing the reader right in and I definitely appreciated it.
Genre fans who like their scares dark, psychological and trippy - and really anyone looking for something different - ought to check this out. Such a quick read too. And just look at that awesome cover. Recommended.
This and more at https://advancetheplot.weebly.com/
And then I woke up as a narrative twist is about the cheapest there is. It’s basically a cheat for someone who can’t or won’t resolve the plot properly.
And Then I Woke Up the novel (or a long novella) is actually quite ingenious. It’s trippy and it plays with genre preconceptions very cleverly. It isn’t even a zombie story, not really, because what’s going on can be described in many different ways.
Essentially, it’s madness. A madness some people get taken over by and some bounce back from. The narrator is one of the bounced ones and we follow his story as he tries to make sense of the strange new world he finds himself in.
I can’t really say more without giving too much away. I won’t really say more because this book is pretty difficult to describe. I’m not going to claim to love it, because it isn’t lovely or lovable as such, but it’s certainly interesting and original and does a terrific job of drawing the reader right in and I definitely appreciated it.
Genre fans who like their scares dark, psychological and trippy - and really anyone looking for something different - ought to check this out. Such a quick read too. And just look at that awesome cover. Recommended.
This and more at https://advancetheplot.weebly.com/
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September 4, 2024I'm dnf'ing for now but I love the unstable narrator, the atmosphere and setting...I hope I get back to it pretty soon. Until then, this review stands.
April 20, 2022
Tordotcom is knocking it out of the park this year. Another awesome book devoured in nearly one sitting while home sick with the headcold from hell.
What a cool twist on the zombie apocalypse.
Imagine you're minding your own business, washing dishes in the backroom of a restaurant and one of the waitresses rushes into the kitchen freaking out and asking how to lock the swinging doors. You shrug and ask her why, and she tells you that the customers and staff have suddenly started attacking each other. Like, they've become monsters and are actually EATING each other. And then one of the cooks who was outside having a smoke comes in with a peice of their arm bitten out, claiming the head chef did it. Imagine that those of you who are seeing this, hearing this, quickly devise a plan to blow the place up, to stop the monsters or others or z-z-zombies or whatever from spreading their disease any further. To protect yourself from being one of their meals. And so you do it. You blow the place up! Boom!
Then imagine being told months later, after you've killed everyone in that restaurant and countless others in an attempt to survive this mad new world you've found yourself in, that YOU are the ones who were infected, that there were never any monsters or others or z-z-zombies, but that YOU were the ones who were under the influence of a disease, and that you weren't responsible for the lives you took while you were under its influence, not responsible for the actions you took while under the influence of the 'narrative', and that the true survivors are actually the people who managed not to get killed by YOU.
Imagine if that happened.
Just imagine...
What a cool twist on the zombie apocalypse.
Imagine you're minding your own business, washing dishes in the backroom of a restaurant and one of the waitresses rushes into the kitchen freaking out and asking how to lock the swinging doors. You shrug and ask her why, and she tells you that the customers and staff have suddenly started attacking each other. Like, they've become monsters and are actually EATING each other. And then one of the cooks who was outside having a smoke comes in with a peice of their arm bitten out, claiming the head chef did it. Imagine that those of you who are seeing this, hearing this, quickly devise a plan to blow the place up, to stop the monsters or others or z-z-zombies or whatever from spreading their disease any further. To protect yourself from being one of their meals. And so you do it. You blow the place up! Boom!
Then imagine being told months later, after you've killed everyone in that restaurant and countless others in an attempt to survive this mad new world you've found yourself in, that YOU are the ones who were infected, that there were never any monsters or others or z-z-zombies, but that YOU were the ones who were under the influence of a disease, and that you weren't responsible for the lives you took while you were under its influence, not responsible for the actions you took while under the influence of the 'narrative', and that the true survivors are actually the people who managed not to get killed by YOU.
Imagine if that happened.
Just imagine...
August 17, 2022
Sometimes I think to myself, what’s the scariest genre of Horror and I think; haunted houses, maybe exorcism or even creatures in the woods. The reality however, is that everyone is TERRIFIED of losing their minds.
What happens when you don’t know what’s real or what’s fake. What happens when you don’t know who you are or where you are? Maybe we have mental health issues that run in our family that have us considering that horrifying reality or maybe we’ve had some run in with paranoia briefly ourselves.
What’s so terrifying about this fast-passed, short read is that it feeds off our current reality. The polarizing left & right winged politics, pitting us aggressively against each other in the wake of the pandemic. Devlin plays masterfully off this & takes it even further. What if the pandemic, the virus was in our minds. What if we think we know what’s happening but it turns out it’s a figment of our imaginations. What if everything we know isn’t real?
This novella gripped me & didn’t let go. Honesty, it scared the living shit out of me - the story itself isn’t scary but the idea it plants in your brain will rock you.
What happens when you don’t know what’s real or what’s fake. What happens when you don’t know who you are or where you are? Maybe we have mental health issues that run in our family that have us considering that horrifying reality or maybe we’ve had some run in with paranoia briefly ourselves.
What’s so terrifying about this fast-passed, short read is that it feeds off our current reality. The polarizing left & right winged politics, pitting us aggressively against each other in the wake of the pandemic. Devlin plays masterfully off this & takes it even further. What if the pandemic, the virus was in our minds. What if we think we know what’s happening but it turns out it’s a figment of our imaginations. What if everything we know isn’t real?
This novella gripped me & didn’t let go. Honesty, it scared the living shit out of me - the story itself isn’t scary but the idea it plants in your brain will rock you.
May 1, 2022
"Night means darkness, darkness means introspection, introspection dredges up all kinds of monsters and my God, do those bastards keep us busy until dawn."
This one is a different sort of apocalypse tale, makes you question what is real and what is a part of "the narrative".
This one is a different sort of apocalypse tale, makes you question what is real and what is a part of "the narrative".
May 13, 2025
A “zombie” apocalypse novella that could make me cry… I didn’t think that was even possible
December 30, 2023
Sreću počinjem da merim po uspehu u pronalaženju dobrih psiholoških horora
July 14, 2022
Loved the concept but the execution was dull. It works better as a thought experiment.
November 26, 2022
I sorta understood what was going on but at the same time I was very confused. And bored.
April 23, 2025
this book was definitely different. it was an interesting concept - a new take on the apocalypse. what if the end of the world wasn’t the end of the world at all, but rather, a mass hallucination? the symptom of a disease that manipulates your brain, manipulates the way you see and perceive the world? and how, in the aftermath, can you ever determine what’s true and what isn’t? how, once you’re awakened to ‘reality,’ can you deal with the guilt of what you’ve done?
i liked the format that the story was told in - how the readers were addressed directly, like we were a part of this world, like we were grouped around our storyteller, waiting to hear what would happen next. i did feel like more could’ve been done with the concept to make the book an even more twisting thriller, something that would truly make the reader question what’s real and what isn’t. but the book held my attention the entire way through & overall it was a pretty decent read!
i liked the format that the story was told in - how the readers were addressed directly, like we were a part of this world, like we were grouped around our storyteller, waiting to hear what would happen next. i did feel like more could’ve been done with the concept to make the book an even more twisting thriller, something that would truly make the reader question what’s real and what isn’t. but the book held my attention the entire way through & overall it was a pretty decent read!
April 6, 2022
Horror is still a pretty new genre for me, and I get to have that exciting reading experience of working out what I do and don’t like in a certain genre. And this is a big like.
To keep the premise vague: imagine you're living in a world where you see things completely differently to how others do. We're not talking differences of opinions, but you see people coming to attack you, you're constantly plagued by the smell of decomposing bodies - but then you begin to question if what you're seeing and experiencing is in fact real.
The reading experience throughout this novella feels like one big question mark – as a reader you’re given just enough to be creeped out by the implications, but not quite enough to feel like you have a solid idea of what’s going on – honestly this book could be described as a bit of a trip.
It’s a difficult one to explain, because it’s vague enough to be believable and somewhat plausible, but also you’re not really sure what to believe.
The writing was eerie, trippy and a beautifully simple yet unnerving concept that was so well done, with my only complaint being that I wish this was a full-length novel because I would love to read more about this story and this world. But then again, had it been longer it might have moved more into the typical action/adventure plot line and lost the creepiness of just getting a snapshot into this world and scenario.
This is definitely a good read for those who are new to horror (like me!) It also reminded me quite a lot of a certain Black Mirror episode, but not enough that it felt like a copy – just both having the same beautifully creepy and sinister vibes.
Huge thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC!
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THIS is my horror jam - I'm so glad I've been diving into this genre more
To keep the premise vague: imagine you're living in a world where you see things completely differently to how others do. We're not talking differences of opinions, but you see people coming to attack you, you're constantly plagued by the smell of decomposing bodies - but then you begin to question if what you're seeing and experiencing is in fact real.
The reading experience throughout this novella feels like one big question mark – as a reader you’re given just enough to be creeped out by the implications, but not quite enough to feel like you have a solid idea of what’s going on – honestly this book could be described as a bit of a trip.
It’s a difficult one to explain, because it’s vague enough to be believable and somewhat plausible, but also you’re not really sure what to believe.
The writing was eerie, trippy and a beautifully simple yet unnerving concept that was so well done, with my only complaint being that I wish this was a full-length novel because I would love to read more about this story and this world. But then again, had it been longer it might have moved more into the typical action/adventure plot line and lost the creepiness of just getting a snapshot into this world and scenario.
This is definitely a good read for those who are new to horror (like me!) It also reminded me quite a lot of a certain Black Mirror episode, but not enough that it felt like a copy – just both having the same beautifully creepy and sinister vibes.
Huge thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC!
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THIS is my horror jam - I'm so glad I've been diving into this genre more
September 28, 2023
"And Then I Woke Up" left me utterly disappointed and frustrated. It felt like an interminable 167-page slog through a narrative that had all the subtlety of a sledgehammer. As a lover of horror literature, what I cherish most are the intricate themes and nuances that require thoughtful analysis to uncover. However, this book seemed to assume that its readers were incapable of grasping even the most basic concepts, relentlessly pounding its heavy-handed "theme" into our heads.
The premise had so much potential - a world plagued by a mysterious disease that distorts reality, with monsters lurking in the streets and survivors struggling to make sense of it all. Unfortunately, the execution fell far short of expectations. The characters lacked depth, and the storyline failed to engage or provoke any real sense of intrigue.
Comparing this book to the works of authors like Stephen Graham Jones is an insult to the genre. Jones' storytelling is a masterclass in subtlety and layered meaning, while "And Then I Woke Up" feels like a crude imitation. It's a genuine shame to see such a promising premise wasted on a book that treats its readers as if they have no capacity for critical thinking.
In short, this book was a chore to finish, and the more distance I put between myself and its pages, the lower my opinion of it becomes. It's a regrettable example of a missed opportunity to explore a captivating concept in a meaningful and thought-provoking way.
The premise had so much potential - a world plagued by a mysterious disease that distorts reality, with monsters lurking in the streets and survivors struggling to make sense of it all. Unfortunately, the execution fell far short of expectations. The characters lacked depth, and the storyline failed to engage or provoke any real sense of intrigue.
Comparing this book to the works of authors like Stephen Graham Jones is an insult to the genre. Jones' storytelling is a masterclass in subtlety and layered meaning, while "And Then I Woke Up" feels like a crude imitation. It's a genuine shame to see such a promising premise wasted on a book that treats its readers as if they have no capacity for critical thinking.
In short, this book was a chore to finish, and the more distance I put between myself and its pages, the lower my opinion of it becomes. It's a regrettable example of a missed opportunity to explore a captivating concept in a meaningful and thought-provoking way.
May 11, 2022
This. Was. Epic.
I was very surprised by this and it was definitely not what I expected going in. What I thought would be a short horror zombie novella turned out to be a beautiful, thought provoking ode to the state of humanity. Rather than your typical flesh eating zombies killing every human in sight, this book focused on the real monsters: us.
Set in a world where the ‘infected’ are those who are made to believe there is a zombie invasion by the media narrative, our protagonist is recovering from his infection as a newly ‘cured’ member of society in a rehab facility of sorts. While fairly comfortable with his new life and identity and coming to terms with the realization that his previous life was somewhat of a lie, he breaks out with a newer resident to hunt down her old companion. They begin a journey across the uninhabited land, discovering new facts and realities along the way.
This book is definitely a little confusing at first, i found myself exiting out to read the synopsis a couple times and reread multiple passages. But it’s very much one of those books that just begins to make sense if you stick around. I absolutely ADORED this.
5 ⭐️
Thank you to Macmillan Tor and NetGalley for providing me with a free ARC for review purposes. All opinions are my own.
I was very surprised by this and it was definitely not what I expected going in. What I thought would be a short horror zombie novella turned out to be a beautiful, thought provoking ode to the state of humanity. Rather than your typical flesh eating zombies killing every human in sight, this book focused on the real monsters: us.
Set in a world where the ‘infected’ are those who are made to believe there is a zombie invasion by the media narrative, our protagonist is recovering from his infection as a newly ‘cured’ member of society in a rehab facility of sorts. While fairly comfortable with his new life and identity and coming to terms with the realization that his previous life was somewhat of a lie, he breaks out with a newer resident to hunt down her old companion. They begin a journey across the uninhabited land, discovering new facts and realities along the way.
This book is definitely a little confusing at first, i found myself exiting out to read the synopsis a couple times and reread multiple passages. But it’s very much one of those books that just begins to make sense if you stick around. I absolutely ADORED this.
5 ⭐️
Thank you to Macmillan Tor and NetGalley for providing me with a free ARC for review purposes. All opinions are my own.
April 6, 2022
Thank you to the publisher for sending me an ARC of this book!
And Then I Woke Up has a super interesting concept for a horror novella with a very fresh take on a “zombie” story. I’ll admit I was pretty confused for most of the story, but that’s sort of the nature of this one. What’s real? What’s simply part of the narrative? Who can you trust, if not even yourself?
I don’t often say this, but I think I would’ve enjoyed this story actually being longer. It would’ve been nice to get to know the characters more deeply and see different perspectives around the main event that happens.
Overall a super interesting concept, but I would’ve like to see it built out a little more.
And Then I Woke Up has a super interesting concept for a horror novella with a very fresh take on a “zombie” story. I’ll admit I was pretty confused for most of the story, but that’s sort of the nature of this one. What’s real? What’s simply part of the narrative? Who can you trust, if not even yourself?
I don’t often say this, but I think I would’ve enjoyed this story actually being longer. It would’ve been nice to get to know the characters more deeply and see different perspectives around the main event that happens.
Overall a super interesting concept, but I would’ve like to see it built out a little more.
October 11, 2022
3.5/5stars
This was a really unique and thought-provoking take on an apocalypse story. I thought the writing was incredible and absolutely hooked me from the start. But I also felt a bit lost at times and wished things were more fleshed out/had longer time to develop, but that's a complaint I normally have with novellas and short stories lol
This was a really unique and thought-provoking take on an apocalypse story. I thought the writing was incredible and absolutely hooked me from the start. But I also felt a bit lost at times and wished things were more fleshed out/had longer time to develop, but that's a complaint I normally have with novellas and short stories lol
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