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ValHamster
Zombies beware. Emmy is back and fiercer than ever in ValHamster, a thrilling new adventure set in Angela Misri’s award-winning Tails from the Apocalypse universe.
Being the greatest zombie fighter of all time is a lot for one animal, but Emmy’s the perfect hamster for the job. Fire, rage, and fury are her weapons of choice and woe to the undead human who crosses her path. That is, until the mammals she lives with invite a weasel, of all creatures, to join their camp. This unthinkable betrayal reminds Emmy that letting friends into your heart is always a mistake.
A lone warrior at her core, Emmy takes this opportunity to leave on a solo mission to rid the world of zombies once and for all. But, to her dismay, she seems to attract every helpless animal possible — humans, rabbits, dogs, bears, you name it. When Emmy finally shakes her companions, she discovers that being alone and unloved is a fate worse than death. Maybe loving those animals is what gave her the courage to fight zombies in the first place.
Being the greatest zombie fighter of all time is a lot for one animal, but Emmy’s the perfect hamster for the job. Fire, rage, and fury are her weapons of choice and woe to the undead human who crosses her path. That is, until the mammals she lives with invite a weasel, of all creatures, to join their camp. This unthinkable betrayal reminds Emmy that letting friends into your heart is always a mistake.
A lone warrior at her core, Emmy takes this opportunity to leave on a solo mission to rid the world of zombies once and for all. But, to her dismay, she seems to attract every helpless animal possible — humans, rabbits, dogs, bears, you name it. When Emmy finally shakes her companions, she discovers that being alone and unloved is a fate worse than death. Maybe loving those animals is what gave her the courage to fight zombies in the first place.
160 pages, Paperback
Published May 14, 2022
8 people want to read
About the author
Angela Misri
11 books106 followersAngela Misri is an award-winning journalist, author and educator. Her detective series, called The Portia Adams Adventures, is set in the 1930s, and her first middle-grade series is called Tales from the Apocalypse. Pickles vs the Zombies, the first book in that series, won the 2021 Hackmatack award for fiction and the second is up for the 2022-23 Red Cedar Book Award.
Misri has an MA in journalism from the University of Western Ontario and has worked as a digital journalist for almost 20 years, including at the CBC and The Walrus. She also teaches in the journalism department at Toronto Metropolitan University.
Misri has an MA in journalism from the University of Western Ontario and has worked as a digital journalist for almost 20 years, including at the CBC and The Walrus. She also teaches in the journalism department at Toronto Metropolitan University.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
June 12, 2022
A wacky, glorious read!
May 5, 2022
Do you need a mental health boost? Has a kid asked you for a funny book, lately? Look no further.
Each book in the "Tails from the Apocalypse" series focuses on one character. "Pickles vs. the Zombies" features Pickles the cat. "Trip of the Dead" stars a raccoon. "Valhamster" is about the intrepid Emmy.
The comedic possibilities of Emmy the hamster are many, and I would say, fully realized. She is fierce. She is fast. Her focus is the enemy. The mission is all. (That and her obsession to acquire a cape.) The very idea of a hamster having a talent for killing zombies is brilliant. The comedy is always the priority, with narration akin to a Mission Impossible movie. However, into the fast-paced plot the author introduces themes of racism – a la Emmy’s distrust of weasels before essentially ever knowing any weasels. And actually, even that is presented as ludicrous and Emmy’s subsequent introspection is very funny. There is also lots of action - zombie battles, chase scenes, quests, new enemies, new mysteries and a cliff hanger ending. I can’t do justice to most of it but I will mention how hilarious the long-haired Guinee Pig Militia camp is. I just laughed out loud, thinking about it.
And finally, is it too soon for a COVID-19 joke? The author didn’t think so. I agree, as it honestly evoked an unbecoming snort of laughter. Since I have the maturity of an average 9 to 12 year old, I’m confident kids will think it’s funny too. I cannot encourage you enough to do yourself a favour and read this book. Please recommend it to the next child you see who looks like they need a good belly laugh. Bravo, Ms. Misri!
Each book in the "Tails from the Apocalypse" series focuses on one character. "Pickles vs. the Zombies" features Pickles the cat. "Trip of the Dead" stars a raccoon. "Valhamster" is about the intrepid Emmy.
The comedic possibilities of Emmy the hamster are many, and I would say, fully realized. She is fierce. She is fast. Her focus is the enemy. The mission is all. (That and her obsession to acquire a cape.) The very idea of a hamster having a talent for killing zombies is brilliant. The comedy is always the priority, with narration akin to a Mission Impossible movie. However, into the fast-paced plot the author introduces themes of racism – a la Emmy’s distrust of weasels before essentially ever knowing any weasels. And actually, even that is presented as ludicrous and Emmy’s subsequent introspection is very funny. There is also lots of action - zombie battles, chase scenes, quests, new enemies, new mysteries and a cliff hanger ending. I can’t do justice to most of it but I will mention how hilarious the long-haired Guinee Pig Militia camp is. I just laughed out loud, thinking about it.
And finally, is it too soon for a COVID-19 joke? The author didn’t think so. I agree, as it honestly evoked an unbecoming snort of laughter. Since I have the maturity of an average 9 to 12 year old, I’m confident kids will think it’s funny too. I cannot encourage you enough to do yourself a favour and read this book. Please recommend it to the next child you see who looks like they need a good belly laugh. Bravo, Ms. Misri!
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May 15, 2022This battle-obsessed warrior hamster has a mission to fight and eradicate the zombies that continue to hunt her friends and their human pets, but when new arrivals are told they can join the group, Emmy's decides to strike out on her own. We finally see Emmy's badass persona start to crumble as she realizes heroes don't always have to work alone.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story, which comes out in May 17th. If you're not familiar with the series, I recommend you check out Pickles vs. the Zombies and Trip of the Dead.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story, which comes out in May 17th. If you're not familiar with the series, I recommend you check out Pickles vs. the Zombies and Trip of the Dead.
October 18, 2022
Zombies beware, Emmy and her friend are here…
ValHamster is an exciting and entertaining story about a brave and fierce pet hamster, named Emmy. Emmy and her friends fighting zombies together. One day, Emmy’s friends invite a weasel to live with them at their camp, but Emmy doesn’t like weasels, because of this, Emmy starts to try to do things on her own. Later in the story, Emmy realizes that she cannot do everything by herself, and she needs her friends and their support to help her fight. By the end of the story, Emmy reunites with her friend and family and realizes that even some weasels aren’t that bad. ValHamster was well written, and I loved the excitement and adventure that the author wrote about. I think that the book was easy enough for an 8- or 9-year-old to read and understand. This book fits perfectly with the children’s fiction genre.
Review by Samara W., 9, Broward Mensa
ValHamster is an exciting and entertaining story about a brave and fierce pet hamster, named Emmy. Emmy and her friends fighting zombies together. One day, Emmy’s friends invite a weasel to live with them at their camp, but Emmy doesn’t like weasels, because of this, Emmy starts to try to do things on her own. Later in the story, Emmy realizes that she cannot do everything by herself, and she needs her friends and their support to help her fight. By the end of the story, Emmy reunites with her friend and family and realizes that even some weasels aren’t that bad. ValHamster was well written, and I loved the excitement and adventure that the author wrote about. I think that the book was easy enough for an 8- or 9-year-old to read and understand. This book fits perfectly with the children’s fiction genre.
Review by Samara W., 9, Broward Mensa
August 28, 2022
I love this series. and especially love this character Emmy the Hamster who is so ferocious and lives to kill zombies - I love the themes of love and family in this book
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews