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Zombie #1
Zombie, Ohio
When rural Ohio college professor Peter Mellor dies in an automobile accident during a zombie outbreak, he is reborn as a highly intelligent (yet somewhat amnesiac) member of the living dead. With society crumbling around him and violence escalating into daily life, Peter quickly learns that being a zombie isn’t all fun and brains. Humans—unsympathetic, generally, to his new proclivities—try to kill him at nearly every opportunity. His old friends are loath to associate with him. And he finds himself inconveniently addicted to the gooey stuff inside of people’s heads.
As if all this weren’t bad enough, Peter soon learns that his automobile accident was no accident at all. Faced with the harrowing mystery of his death, Peter resolves to use his strange zombie “afterlife” to solve his own murder.
As if all this weren’t bad enough, Peter soon learns that his automobile accident was no accident at all. Faced with the harrowing mystery of his death, Peter resolves to use his strange zombie “afterlife” to solve his own murder.
240 pages, Paperback
First published February 8, 2011
182 people are currently reading
3838 people want to read
About the author
Scott Kenemore
31 books135 followersScott Kenemore lives in Chicago. He attended Kenyon College and Columbia University. He is the drummer for the pop-punk band The Blissters."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 378 reviews
May 20, 2015
An interesting take on the traditional zombie. No, really. It is sort of the zombie equivalent of "The Universe Doesn't Give a Fuck About You," a treatise on getting off your butt and living your best type-A life. Because even zombies can achieve greatness, right?
Professor Peter Mellor comes to consciousness after an apparent car crash. Strangely, he can barely remember anything, not even his name, but he slowly starts putting pieces together as he takes in his surroundings. Checking for a wallet gives him a name and address. The face he sees in the side-view mirror resembles the license, only older and heavier. A gun in the car door gives a sense of identity, someone who doesn't normally use a gun but now needs to carry one. A wool cap feels familiar. The middle-age crisis convertible doesn't look familiar, but it is possibly that it is his. He begins trudging towards town and the address on his driver's license. He discovers that his empty home is full of books--my first real moment of sympathy--and scotch. Catching CNN alerts him to a worldwide crisis in "moving cadavers" and the breakdown of the normal world. His best friend stops by and gives a helpful biography, and a summary of how the world changed three weeks ago.
The good:
Zombie, Ohio has an interesting twist on the traditional zombie. The Goodreads blurb contains a number of spoilers, including the twist, so if it matters to you, don't read it. I, of course, did read it, and despite that, appreciated the surprises that took the story in unexpected directions. Though a little bit clunky with information in the beginning, plotting eventually moves well. Likewise, issues I had with language settled down and becomes quite readable. The ending makes me think Kenemore was going for something a little bit more philosophical. You know, I think he got there, even if I didn't like it.
The bad:
Zombie, Ohio has an interesting twist on the traditional zombie. That perspective isn't going to be altogether satisfying for those of us who like the zombie apocalypse straight. The writing in the first chapter has awkward moments, including semi-randomly italicized words that only serve to distract. More importantly, the first couple chapters could have benefited from heavier editing for world-building structure. There were also some odd word choices: "humorless administrative-looking buildings." A pontificating bit near the end by a bad guy is eye-rollingly bad.
I'll put more spoilery specifics (but not that specific) below, hoping to help if you are on the fence, or prefer more details.
Overall, for me it was about 2.5, in that I thought it was decently done. I'm not sure I precisely liked it, but it wasn't stupid or infuriating, and it provided distraction on a day when I couldn't take anything more substantial.
September 8, 2024
This book had a silly concept of a simi-zombie. It took me a little be to get a grip on what kind of book this was. A horror book, a comedy, both. Well whatever it is, it works.
Peter always from a car wreck. A first he thinks he survived a near death experience. Later he finds out he didn’t, and has become a part of the walking dead.
Past the few changes to his body (no beating heart, amnesia, and the hunger for human flesh) he is the same walking talking guy.
He start by trying to say human, when that doesn’t go how he wants, he tries leaning into the zombie side of thing. As figures out his new life in this new world, there are plenty of twist and turns that makes this a fun read well worth the time.
Peter always from a car wreck. A first he thinks he survived a near death experience. Later he finds out he didn’t, and has become a part of the walking dead.
Past the few changes to his body (no beating heart, amnesia, and the hunger for human flesh) he is the same walking talking guy.
He start by trying to say human, when that doesn’t go how he wants, he tries leaning into the zombie side of thing. As figures out his new life in this new world, there are plenty of twist and turns that makes this a fun read well worth the time.
January 4, 2012
I was going to read BREATHERS but then an all-black turkey sat atop this book, gobbling at me, and I thought, holy frak a wild turkey in a bookstore somebody shoot it! But I named it Bob instead, and we lived happily ever after.
But seriously folks. I grant that the middle section of this novel can feel, at times, like you're watching Tom Hanks talk to a volleyball for an hour and a half, but Peter Mellor is so much more FUN than Tom Hanks. I loved the pacing and progression of this story; at first, maybe good ol' Pete is gonna be a Dexter-zombie and only eat the brains of "bad guys," but brains are like top shelf drugs for this dude and IT DON'T MATTER. I absolutely LOVE that he embraces his Zombie nature and goes full-tilt for the glory, especially when he waxes philosophical about being an Uber-Zombie instead of wallowing in angst or worrying how quickly he's going to decay away. Who cares about all that existential bullshit when there are brains to be eaten, AMIRIGHT!?
The mystery subplot is negligible, and there is no real "noir" feel to this story (as the back cover text suggests), but even so, the narrative voice of Peter Mellor is superbly entertaining and I had a lot of fun with this one (and even got all tense at the final show-down). One of the best zombie novels I have ever read, period.
But seriously folks. I grant that the middle section of this novel can feel, at times, like you're watching Tom Hanks talk to a volleyball for an hour and a half, but Peter Mellor is so much more FUN than Tom Hanks. I loved the pacing and progression of this story; at first, maybe good ol' Pete is gonna be a Dexter-zombie and only eat the brains of "bad guys," but brains are like top shelf drugs for this dude and IT DON'T MATTER. I absolutely LOVE that he embraces his Zombie nature and goes full-tilt for the glory, especially when he waxes philosophical about being an Uber-Zombie instead of wallowing in angst or worrying how quickly he's going to decay away. Who cares about all that existential bullshit when there are brains to be eaten, AMIRIGHT!?
The mystery subplot is negligible, and there is no real "noir" feel to this story (as the back cover text suggests), but even so, the narrative voice of Peter Mellor is superbly entertaining and I had a lot of fun with this one (and even got all tense at the final show-down). One of the best zombie novels I have ever read, period.
September 10, 2011
I don't read zombie genres. In fact, I can only remember two books related to zombies that I had read. This one came to me by accident, when I saw the advertisement and the reviews were quite positive. So I decided to give it a go.
And BOY, was I mesmerized!!
I enjoy reading this story, a tale coming from the zombie rather than the humans. Of course, the zombie, Professor of Philosophy Peter Mellor, isn't like any other zombies. He can still talk and think, although yes, he eats brains. I find his story to be funny but also thoughtful. This is a story how Peter finds redemption as a zombie, because when he was a human, apparently, he was a jerk and a coward. His voice is funny and fresh (from the moment he said "Braaaains", I was hooked). There are moments that baits big smile from me, like this ...
"I hadn't thought that I - or the original Peter Mellor - had been a good man, exactly, but neither did I think I'd been some sort of Hitler. was an oversexed disappointment who'd started drinking too much, true. But I had called only for the annexation of liquor bottles and vaginas, not Poland."
In his new "life" as the undead, Peter tries to become some sort of moral Zombie, he doesn't eat good people, he draws line in killing children. Although there are second part of the book, where Peter goes in killing rampage with his band of Zombies (whom he gives names to, like Hunter, Rock Star, Mario, and Mr. Turk), when he develops hatred to human and thinks that he is better than people. But then there is redemption ... and we also find out the reason why Peter died.
This book has everything ... humor, action and gore (yes, there ARE scenes of Zombies eating brain), friendship, mystic (that includes a turkey, yes, a real turkey, you just have to read it for yourself), thoughtful moments, and even romance (in-a-way). I love it!!
And BOY, was I mesmerized!!
I enjoy reading this story, a tale coming from the zombie rather than the humans. Of course, the zombie, Professor of Philosophy Peter Mellor, isn't like any other zombies. He can still talk and think, although yes, he eats brains. I find his story to be funny but also thoughtful. This is a story how Peter finds redemption as a zombie, because when he was a human, apparently, he was a jerk and a coward. His voice is funny and fresh (from the moment he said "Braaaains", I was hooked). There are moments that baits big smile from me, like this ...
"I hadn't thought that I - or the original Peter Mellor - had been a good man, exactly, but neither did I think I'd been some sort of Hitler. was an oversexed disappointment who'd started drinking too much, true. But I had called only for the annexation of liquor bottles and vaginas, not Poland."
In his new "life" as the undead, Peter tries to become some sort of moral Zombie, he doesn't eat good people, he draws line in killing children. Although there are second part of the book, where Peter goes in killing rampage with his band of Zombies (whom he gives names to, like Hunter, Rock Star, Mario, and Mr. Turk), when he develops hatred to human and thinks that he is better than people. But then there is redemption ... and we also find out the reason why Peter died.
This book has everything ... humor, action and gore (yes, there ARE scenes of Zombies eating brain), friendship, mystic (that includes a turkey, yes, a real turkey, you just have to read it for yourself), thoughtful moments, and even romance (in-a-way). I love it!!
June 30, 2011
I am very surprised at the rave reviews, I was really looking forward to this but it did not live up to the hype. First the pros: I really liked the story being told from the POV of the zombie, it was a fresh take. The setting in an Ohio college town was also unique, as so many of these stories take place in or near a major city. The car wreck and amnesia all worked. I enjoyed the first 50 pages and then it all went down hill. This really would have been great as a short story.
The cons are too many to list: You never felt for anybody in the story- I was not on Peters side, or the humans side. This ia a major flaw. In a good zombie story, you are rooting for one of the sides. There never was a moment where I was scared- another huge flaw in this genre. We never got to know Peter or his girlfriend so I could care less what happened to them and I didn't care if they ever reunited. Peter was a very unlikeable character and not in an antihero way.
Too much wondering, not enough action. Peter got bored as a zombie, and I was bored as the reader. We never knew what side he was on- one minute he is with the zombies, the next with the humans.
Last, when this first took place, the zombie outbreak had only been going on for 3 weeks. Peter said people were already jaded at that point- in 3 weeks?! Nobody would be jaded by zombies in 3 weeks!
If you want to read a really fun, scary zombie book- read "Married with Zombies" or "Flip this Zombie"
The cons are too many to list: You never felt for anybody in the story- I was not on Peters side, or the humans side. This ia a major flaw. In a good zombie story, you are rooting for one of the sides. There never was a moment where I was scared- another huge flaw in this genre. We never got to know Peter or his girlfriend so I could care less what happened to them and I didn't care if they ever reunited. Peter was a very unlikeable character and not in an antihero way.
Too much wondering, not enough action. Peter got bored as a zombie, and I was bored as the reader. We never knew what side he was on- one minute he is with the zombies, the next with the humans.
Last, when this first took place, the zombie outbreak had only been going on for 3 weeks. Peter said people were already jaded at that point- in 3 weeks?! Nobody would be jaded by zombies in 3 weeks!
If you want to read a really fun, scary zombie book- read "Married with Zombies" or "Flip this Zombie"
June 21, 2021
Not my cup of tea in regards to what I look for in a good zombie tale.
July 20, 2020
I was looking for a light, fun, entertaining read and, boy, am I glad I found this one. It hit all the buttons. It's humorous, thoughtful, entertaining and just a bunch of fun to read.
Peter awakes after a car accident and, a bit later, finds out that he's dead and a zombie. But not an ordinary zombie.....a walking, thinking, talking zombie. He has amnesia, he's uncertain about how he fits in, what to believe and how to get along.
The story unfolded as one of redemption and labelling.
When a person/being is labelled, do they begin to behave as that label? Do they lose their true selves through this label?
Peter slowly learns of his past and his mistakes. As a zombie, he begins to decide who he is and the man he would like to be.
It's a thoughtful story on a few levels.
I'm glad I picked this book up. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Peter awakes after a car accident and, a bit later, finds out that he's dead and a zombie. But not an ordinary zombie.....a walking, thinking, talking zombie. He has amnesia, he's uncertain about how he fits in, what to believe and how to get along.
The story unfolded as one of redemption and labelling.
When a person/being is labelled, do they begin to behave as that label? Do they lose their true selves through this label?
Peter slowly learns of his past and his mistakes. As a zombie, he begins to decide who he is and the man he would like to be.
It's a thoughtful story on a few levels.
I'm glad I picked this book up. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
October 9, 2025
I have to say that this was surprisingly good and funny. I won't lie though, hearing about a zombie eating brains and killing people after a while did start to make me feel a bit squeamish, but I thought Kenemore did a great job with showing a world that has to deal with a sudden zombie outbreak and how terrible the humans and government were in the aftermath. The ending though gives you a clue about what happens next. The only reason why I did give this four stars though is that the book turns into a mystery at one point of and the reveal of who did what to who and why was a letdown. I think that Kenemore should have dropped that whole plot-point, it didn't really work and I initially was excited about this since I was like, give me zombie Poirot please. Ah well.
Zombie, Ohio is the first book in the Zombie trilogy that Kenemore wrote. This first book follows Peter Mellor. He's a college professor living in Ohio and wakes up after a car accident and realizes he's a zombie. He has very little memory of his life, but manages to get back home and finds his best friend who tells him about what has gone on in the world and who he is. Peter's focus then becomes on getting to his girlfriend's home while making sure no one realizes he's a zombie. The book follows Peter as he makes his way back and forth across Ohio as he realizes that humanity is on the way out (in his words) and zombies are the next step in evolution (again, his words).
I honestly that the book honestly allows you to hear about who Peter was before he was a zombie and then of course we follow him as he decides to just give up on humans and is focused on killing everyone he sees that is human (he has a whole rule against killing kids) and starts to build up a huge group of zombies that follow him. Honestly, outside of Peter, no one else is very developed and I think that was on design. Sam and Vanessa are definitely shaped a lot more than the other characters and we have glimpses of them based on Peter's hazy memories, but everyone else was just stripped down to whether they were male/female, hair color, and body type. And I get it, because as Peter loses himself more and more, why would he care about any of the people he meets. I realized later on that people started having names and more personality after we get to a certain point in the story and of course we have the ending.
The plot is interesting and I think Kenemore did a great job of world-building a known genre here. There's a lot of thought into how zombies move, why they I'll eventually fall apart (when it gets warmer and this is one the reasons why The Walking Dead" will forever irk me) that they can't really talk or move because they have nothing inside them lubing their joints, organs, etc. Peter being a philosophy professor we also get asides here and there about big questions he asks himself when thinking of zombies and humans.
The flow is very good throughout, I liked how the book was broken into three parts and the epilogue.
The setting of Ohio just feels cold and bleak for some time (this takes place during the winter and spring) and again, I love how it's referenced when it's getting warmer how many of the zombies just cease to be able to move anymore.
The ending was great I thought, I didn't like the mystery reveal as I said above, but I thought the epilogue was wonderfully done and you can guess what that means. I am definitely going to check out the second book when I get a moment in a few months.
I read this for Halloween Bingo 2025, "The Undead" square.
Zombie, Ohio is the first book in the Zombie trilogy that Kenemore wrote. This first book follows Peter Mellor. He's a college professor living in Ohio and wakes up after a car accident and realizes he's a zombie. He has very little memory of his life, but manages to get back home and finds his best friend who tells him about what has gone on in the world and who he is. Peter's focus then becomes on getting to his girlfriend's home while making sure no one realizes he's a zombie. The book follows Peter as he makes his way back and forth across Ohio as he realizes that humanity is on the way out (in his words) and zombies are the next step in evolution (again, his words).
I honestly that the book honestly allows you to hear about who Peter was before he was a zombie and then of course we follow him as he decides to just give up on humans and is focused on killing everyone he sees that is human (he has a whole rule against killing kids) and starts to build up a huge group of zombies that follow him. Honestly, outside of Peter, no one else is very developed and I think that was on design. Sam and Vanessa are definitely shaped a lot more than the other characters and we have glimpses of them based on Peter's hazy memories, but everyone else was just stripped down to whether they were male/female, hair color, and body type. And I get it, because as Peter loses himself more and more, why would he care about any of the people he meets. I realized later on that people started having names and more personality after we get to a certain point in the story and of course we have the ending.
The plot is interesting and I think Kenemore did a great job of world-building a known genre here. There's a lot of thought into how zombies move, why they I'll eventually fall apart (when it gets warmer and this is one the reasons why The Walking Dead" will forever irk me) that they can't really talk or move because they have nothing inside them lubing their joints, organs, etc. Peter being a philosophy professor we also get asides here and there about big questions he asks himself when thinking of zombies and humans.
The flow is very good throughout, I liked how the book was broken into three parts and the epilogue.
The setting of Ohio just feels cold and bleak for some time (this takes place during the winter and spring) and again, I love how it's referenced when it's getting warmer how many of the zombies just cease to be able to move anymore.
The ending was great I thought, I didn't like the mystery reveal as I said above, but I thought the epilogue was wonderfully done and you can guess what that means. I am definitely going to check out the second book when I get a moment in a few months.
I read this for Halloween Bingo 2025, "The Undead" square.
October 1, 2020
I don't read zombie books that often, but Zombie, Ohio (Zombie, Ohio #1) by Scott Kenemore is definitely worth a try. As a resident of central Ohio, my favorite part of my reading experience was definitely seeing a fictionalized version of the area. I don't get the chance to see it in fiction often and it's always delightful to see Ohio at all get represented on the page. It's cool to know that the author went to Kenyon College in Gambier, the real life inspirations for Kenton College and Gant. It's also interesting to see how Knox County and Mount Vernon are fictionalized too. Overall, I'd probably rate the novel as a three star read if it weren't for the Ohio setting. There are some confusing jumps and I wasn't that big of a fan of many of the characters. Also, the interlibrary loan copy I read classifies it as YA which it definitely isn't.
September 3, 2015
don't think i've ever read a duller zombie book then this:(
March 31, 2019
This was a fun zombie book told from the POV of the zombie himself. While not the first I’ve read from this perspective, it is the first where the zombie retained his humanity and could control his desires (to eat everyone’s brains).
It was a bit longer than I would have liked - it felt a bit dragged down by all the walking in the countryside. Also, there was no explanation for the dead coming to life and then the sudden stop of this phenomenon. It was mentioned in the story itself that they didn’t know why it happened but this felt like a bit of a cop out.
While not the best I’ve read, this would still go on my list of zombie books I would recommend...if you like zombies, that is.
It was a bit longer than I would have liked - it felt a bit dragged down by all the walking in the countryside. Also, there was no explanation for the dead coming to life and then the sudden stop of this phenomenon. It was mentioned in the story itself that they didn’t know why it happened but this felt like a bit of a cop out.
While not the best I’ve read, this would still go on my list of zombie books I would recommend...if you like zombies, that is.
April 11, 2023
Can Zombies think and talk? This book says some can, and they have interesting things to say.
January 10, 2022
I don't normally read zombie books. In fact, never in my entire life has it struck me to pick up a zombie book until I saw this book sitting in the public library of my small college town in Ohio. Zombie, Ohio? A book about a zombie outbreak in small town college ville Ohio? With that blurb? Puh-lease. I had to read it.
I was not expecting it to be good, but I saw some positive reviews and thought I might as well branch out, and that even if it wasn't the greatest, I might at least enjoy it.
Mistake. Big, fat, fiery mistake.
As previously mentioned, I would not call myself a zombie lit connoisseur. I have very little experience with the genre. However, I do know that most zombie media is written from the perspective of someone fighting the zombies instead of an actual zombie. While this could mean that Zombie, Ohio is a fresh take on a tired genre, I think it rather signifies that maybe there is a reason books aren't told from the perspective of zombies. They are dead and have no brains. Kenemore tried to remedy this by making the protagonist Peter somehow miraculously retain the ability of speech and moral thinking while a majority of his memories are completely gone, but it just didn't make sense. Even though he retains his morals, he still spends 1/3 of the book murdering people and eating brains because it's something he wants to do. The only thing that helps him keep his humanity is his girlfriend Vanessa, who he loses contact with for a third of the book. Even if I was someone who regularly enjoyed zombie lit, I find it very difficult to believe this would satisfy me. Most of the book is just introspection, and all of the actual drama/violence is extremely repetitive and arguably dull. He speaks (which all other zombies can't do) to make the humans question his humanity and while they are off guard and pondering, BAM! he and his squad of zombies eat their brains. But wait! If it's a child, his morality kicks in because how could Peter ever kill a child? They are innocent unlike the other people he murdered and consumed.
And when he does manage to connect with his former colleagues or his girlfriend, he just tells them he's a zombie and they are okay with it? I mean, sure I guess I understand that people who have an emotional connection to him would give him the benefit of the doubt, but he tells multiple strangers that he is "kinda a zombie" and they all react the same way (that is to say they are fine with it). In a zombie apocalypse, why are these people even waiting long enough for him to get a word out? You just saw him eat brains, kill or be killed, bucko.
Most zombie stuff also takes place in big cities, so it's nice and unique that it happens in a college town, right? At first it was cool to see it play out in the middle of nowhere and gave it a little bit of an ominous feel, but it quickly went downhill. The whole reason they generally take place in big cities (or at least start there) is because there are actually people there. Half of the book is just him putzing around Middle Of Nowhere, Ohio, looking for someone to eat. The other half is him putzing around with his girlfriend who he treats like crap that he doesn't even remember but is still in love with? Okay, sure, lovely. It was just boring. It was all introspection and morality and it wasn't done well enough to actually redeem the book. People who like zombie stuff are normally there for the gore, right? Then where was it?
Characterizations were boring. I was rooting for no one. I didn't care if everybody, human and zombie, died by the end.
Not to mention that the entire novel is basically a murder mystery, trying to figure out who cut his breaks and caused his accident. Blame falls on Sam for a majority of the time, who is apparently the token gay and in love with Peter even though he is apparently an awful human being who everyone hates (but still manages to charm people into not blowing his brains out?). I was expecting some type of plot twist, because in murder mysteries it's never who you first expect, but the twist I got was not the one I wanted, needed, or expected. Peter tried to commit suicide. Because he couldn't emotionally handle being in a relationship during the zombie apocalypse. So he killed himself with Sam's help (because for some reason Sam is willing to help kill the guy he's in love with???) and recorded a video with Sam's help (because his best friend isn't going to try to stop him from committing suicide?!?!?) talking to Vanessa about how he was sorry. And before all of this is revealed, he tells a gang leader who tried to rape his girlfriend's daughter in the first fifty pages for some unknown reason that he wants to get revenge and kill Sam for murdering him, even though he doesn't really have any concrete evidence. So, he brings him into a fighting pit and is about to fight to the death... but turn of events! He turns on the leader of the gang in the middle of the fight? And then he smothers a grenade with his zombie body and somehow manages to leave with every single rib completely intact? I mean I know I shouldn't be judging a zombie book on how realistic it is but you're joking. He lies down on top of an exploding grenade and walks away completely fine, just a little banged up? Hello?!?
I also didn't love the fact that the entire book is in this sandwich of an interview with some scientists. Maybe I missed something (highly likely with how heavily I was skimming this book) but who is studying him? Who is he talking to? Why is he telling them this whole story? Why am I left with more questions than I started with when I'm done with this book? There is no explanation for what makes him different from other zombies other than pure chance (so unsatisfying) and then suddenly he's completely separated from Vanessa and Sam talking to these investigators/scientists/whatever they are.
I don't know. For me, the humor fell flat, but if you're a middle aged man with children you will probably enjoy the jokes at the very least. I suppose it is a kind of interesting idea, but everything about it just bombed in execution.
I suppose this was more of a rant than a review, but I just really didn't love this book. None of the explanations of resolutions were satisfying and the meat of the book wasn't that engaging either. Maybe this just simply isn't the novel I should've read to be introduced to zombie literature, but I guess now I know it's not my cup of tea.
I was not expecting it to be good, but I saw some positive reviews and thought I might as well branch out, and that even if it wasn't the greatest, I might at least enjoy it.
Mistake. Big, fat, fiery mistake.
As previously mentioned, I would not call myself a zombie lit connoisseur. I have very little experience with the genre. However, I do know that most zombie media is written from the perspective of someone fighting the zombies instead of an actual zombie. While this could mean that Zombie, Ohio is a fresh take on a tired genre, I think it rather signifies that maybe there is a reason books aren't told from the perspective of zombies. They are dead and have no brains. Kenemore tried to remedy this by making the protagonist Peter somehow miraculously retain the ability of speech and moral thinking while a majority of his memories are completely gone, but it just didn't make sense. Even though he retains his morals, he still spends 1/3 of the book murdering people and eating brains because it's something he wants to do. The only thing that helps him keep his humanity is his girlfriend Vanessa, who he loses contact with for a third of the book. Even if I was someone who regularly enjoyed zombie lit, I find it very difficult to believe this would satisfy me. Most of the book is just introspection, and all of the actual drama/violence is extremely repetitive and arguably dull. He speaks (which all other zombies can't do) to make the humans question his humanity and while they are off guard and pondering, BAM! he and his squad of zombies eat their brains. But wait! If it's a child, his morality kicks in because how could Peter ever kill a child? They are innocent unlike the other people he murdered and consumed.
And when he does manage to connect with his former colleagues or his girlfriend, he just tells them he's a zombie and they are okay with it? I mean, sure I guess I understand that people who have an emotional connection to him would give him the benefit of the doubt, but he tells multiple strangers that he is "kinda a zombie" and they all react the same way (that is to say they are fine with it). In a zombie apocalypse, why are these people even waiting long enough for him to get a word out? You just saw him eat brains, kill or be killed, bucko.
Most zombie stuff also takes place in big cities, so it's nice and unique that it happens in a college town, right? At first it was cool to see it play out in the middle of nowhere and gave it a little bit of an ominous feel, but it quickly went downhill. The whole reason they generally take place in big cities (or at least start there) is because there are actually people there. Half of the book is just him putzing around Middle Of Nowhere, Ohio, looking for someone to eat. The other half is him putzing around with his girlfriend who he treats like crap that he doesn't even remember but is still in love with? Okay, sure, lovely. It was just boring. It was all introspection and morality and it wasn't done well enough to actually redeem the book. People who like zombie stuff are normally there for the gore, right? Then where was it?
Characterizations were boring. I was rooting for no one. I didn't care if everybody, human and zombie, died by the end.
Not to mention that the entire novel is basically a murder mystery, trying to figure out who cut his breaks and caused his accident. Blame falls on Sam for a majority of the time, who is apparently the token gay and in love with Peter even though he is apparently an awful human being who everyone hates (but still manages to charm people into not blowing his brains out?). I was expecting some type of plot twist, because in murder mysteries it's never who you first expect, but the twist I got was not the one I wanted, needed, or expected. Peter tried to commit suicide. Because he couldn't emotionally handle being in a relationship during the zombie apocalypse. So he killed himself with Sam's help (because for some reason Sam is willing to help kill the guy he's in love with???) and recorded a video with Sam's help (because his best friend isn't going to try to stop him from committing suicide?!?!?) talking to Vanessa about how he was sorry. And before all of this is revealed, he tells a gang leader who tried to rape his girlfriend's daughter in the first fifty pages for some unknown reason that he wants to get revenge and kill Sam for murdering him, even though he doesn't really have any concrete evidence. So, he brings him into a fighting pit and is about to fight to the death... but turn of events! He turns on the leader of the gang in the middle of the fight? And then he smothers a grenade with his zombie body and somehow manages to leave with every single rib completely intact? I mean I know I shouldn't be judging a zombie book on how realistic it is but you're joking. He lies down on top of an exploding grenade and walks away completely fine, just a little banged up? Hello?!?
I also didn't love the fact that the entire book is in this sandwich of an interview with some scientists. Maybe I missed something (highly likely with how heavily I was skimming this book) but who is studying him? Who is he talking to? Why is he telling them this whole story? Why am I left with more questions than I started with when I'm done with this book? There is no explanation for what makes him different from other zombies other than pure chance (so unsatisfying) and then suddenly he's completely separated from Vanessa and Sam talking to these investigators/scientists/whatever they are.
I don't know. For me, the humor fell flat, but if you're a middle aged man with children you will probably enjoy the jokes at the very least. I suppose it is a kind of interesting idea, but everything about it just bombed in execution.
I suppose this was more of a rant than a review, but I just really didn't love this book. None of the explanations of resolutions were satisfying and the meat of the book wasn't that engaging either. Maybe this just simply isn't the novel I should've read to be introduced to zombie literature, but I guess now I know it's not my cup of tea.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 11, 2018
3.5 stars.
November 18, 2012
Our protagonist and narator, Peter Mellor, lifts this book above the average level of zombie gore-fest. Our story begins with him awakening by the side of a highway after an accident, unlcear as to how it happened due to partial amnesia. This sets us up for a voyage of discovery as Peter recovers his identity, realizes that his accient occurred at the height of a zombie apocalypse, and that he did not survive the crash. It's a few pages more before he discovers the tastiness of brains.
What follows is the story of a zombie apocalypse from the unlikely perspective of a zombie. It's a story chock full of dark humor as Peter empbraces his new "life", having been reborn with all the emotions and instincts that go with it. Peter's a happy corpse (a grateful dead?), though at times he's confounded be the unexpected complexities of zombie life. Skulls are not actually as easy to open as they are in the movies.
This novel is not entirely free of faults. Peter's character is morally inconsistent, varying back and forth between being a friend to humans to being a self-superior predator and back again to suit the needs of the narative. And the background setting has not evolved much beyond usual rural landscape of survivors, outlaw gangs, and semi-conspiratorial military we've known since the early days of the genre. However, these faults are too minor to deaden the fun of sharing a zombie's eye view of an apocalypse.
What follows is the story of a zombie apocalypse from the unlikely perspective of a zombie. It's a story chock full of dark humor as Peter empbraces his new "life", having been reborn with all the emotions and instincts that go with it. Peter's a happy corpse (a grateful dead?), though at times he's confounded be the unexpected complexities of zombie life. Skulls are not actually as easy to open as they are in the movies.
This novel is not entirely free of faults. Peter's character is morally inconsistent, varying back and forth between being a friend to humans to being a self-superior predator and back again to suit the needs of the narative. And the background setting has not evolved much beyond usual rural landscape of survivors, outlaw gangs, and semi-conspiratorial military we've known since the early days of the genre. However, these faults are too minor to deaden the fun of sharing a zombie's eye view of an apocalypse.
September 23, 2018
Hahaha, first person zombie POV! Hahhaha. I was so very amused! Hence the "hahaha- ing." It must have been well done because I found myself thinking like a zombie which, all told, may not be that much of a stretch some days.
What makes me laugh is that I do consider myself a bit of a literary snob and I would once have thought, "Oh, zombie literature? Please! Get that away from me!" And now, this year, I'm all "Give me more, give me more." You just never know, right?
I am looking for a really nice weekly planner with pages that are not so thin the ink shows through. I know, this has nothing to do with "Zombie. Ohio." But it kind of does because as I spent far too long online looking and reading reviews of planners I thought, "This and all my stupid appointments are not going to be an issue at all once we hit zombie apocalypse time." And then I hahaha'ed some more, just for good measure.
I was going to give this a three and then a three and a half but I don't like halves and I thought oh, don't be so miserly, give it the solid four. Only read it if you like zombie things. There.
Happy first day of autumn, dear readers.
Pam/Fishgirl (speaking of which, a terrible fishing year. Super hot, no rain. Wells ran dry. Rivers got closed to fishing. We do so need some rain in these parts.)
What makes me laugh is that I do consider myself a bit of a literary snob and I would once have thought, "Oh, zombie literature? Please! Get that away from me!" And now, this year, I'm all "Give me more, give me more." You just never know, right?
I am looking for a really nice weekly planner with pages that are not so thin the ink shows through. I know, this has nothing to do with "Zombie. Ohio." But it kind of does because as I spent far too long online looking and reading reviews of planners I thought, "This and all my stupid appointments are not going to be an issue at all once we hit zombie apocalypse time." And then I hahaha'ed some more, just for good measure.
I was going to give this a three and then a three and a half but I don't like halves and I thought oh, don't be so miserly, give it the solid four. Only read it if you like zombie things. There.
Happy first day of autumn, dear readers.
Pam/Fishgirl (speaking of which, a terrible fishing year. Super hot, no rain. Wells ran dry. Rivers got closed to fishing. We do so need some rain in these parts.)
April 22, 2017
Here it is, the novel that popped my zombie fiction cherry. I don't know why it took me so long to read a zombie novel but I'm glad that this was my first. As our book club selection for April, this was a wonderful way to get spring started.
This is an atypical zombie story with an unusual approach to the genre. While working within the zombie framework, the book tackles some deep subjects while never becoming heavy handed or preachy. I really enjoyed the tone and I found myself busting out in fits of laughter many times. There are also great moments of page-gripping tension and suspense and some tear-jerking scenes too. Very cool!
This is an atypical zombie story with an unusual approach to the genre. While working within the zombie framework, the book tackles some deep subjects while never becoming heavy handed or preachy. I really enjoyed the tone and I found myself busting out in fits of laughter many times. There are also great moments of page-gripping tension and suspense and some tear-jerking scenes too. Very cool!
March 8, 2025
That was surprisingly good. I have to admit that I went in with somewhat low expectations, but I found the story intriguing and unique. The closest thing I can think of is Murderbot Diaries. It’s not as good, but has similar vibes.
Anyway, I’m glad I decided to pick this one up.
Anyway, I’m glad I decided to pick this one up.
October 31, 2020
Re-read! I read this story once before!
August 26, 2024
Not very good and not very interesting
March 13, 2023
Scott is on track to become a must-read author for me. This story was engaging, original and surprising in the best ways. Who doesn’t want to read about a zombie trying to solve their own murder while wrestling with the moral dilemma of eating people. It’s gold, it is! Not sure how he’ll top that yarn, but there’s already two more in the series. Bring ‘em on please!
February 8, 2015
Maybe I am being unreasonable in my star rating and review of this book, but I am female and prone to illogical leaps of fancy. I really did enjoy this book and will read the rest of this series. yet I can not give more than 3 stars here's why...
-1 star for lack of noir that I was promised on the book jacket. I am a huge fan of noir and very picky on my zombie books. Being promised noir in a zombie book was one of the biggest reasons I picked up this series to read. Sadly a search from cover to cover and between the lines failed to produce one inkling of noir. :(
-1 star for the ending. For me any movie, book, story, etc. is made by the beginning and the end. If the beginning is intriguing or action packed it will suck me in and make me stay even if the story slows in the middle. The end though is just as important it has to wrap everything up for me in a nice red bow. I don't mind cliffhangers as long as I know there's more in the series. I ABSOLUTELY hate ambiguous endings where you can draw your own conclusions or surmise what happens next. UM no! This is your story to tell as the author not mine. Don't imply what happens. I feel like I know what happens but again its not my story. I didn't buy the book so that I could fill in the blanks. Grrr. Big pet peeve of mine.
Sorry for ranting, but I usually don't rate books low when I do I feel I need to explain myself. Those that know me know I'm pretty easy going on books. If I'm entertained, it did its job, 5 stars. If I have expectations about a book and get let down I can be pretty harsh.
-1 star for lack of noir that I was promised on the book jacket. I am a huge fan of noir and very picky on my zombie books. Being promised noir in a zombie book was one of the biggest reasons I picked up this series to read. Sadly a search from cover to cover and between the lines failed to produce one inkling of noir. :(
-1 star for the ending. For me any movie, book, story, etc. is made by the beginning and the end. If the beginning is intriguing or action packed it will suck me in and make me stay even if the story slows in the middle. The end though is just as important it has to wrap everything up for me in a nice red bow. I don't mind cliffhangers as long as I know there's more in the series. I ABSOLUTELY hate ambiguous endings where you can draw your own conclusions or surmise what happens next. UM no! This is your story to tell as the author not mine. Don't imply what happens. I feel like I know what happens but again its not my story. I didn't buy the book so that I could fill in the blanks. Grrr. Big pet peeve of mine.
Sorry for ranting, but I usually don't rate books low when I do I feel I need to explain myself. Those that know me know I'm pretty easy going on books. If I'm entertained, it did its job, 5 stars. If I have expectations about a book and get let down I can be pretty harsh.
March 6, 2011
Peter Mellor wakes up disorientated with a car crashed nearby. He is unsure what has happened to that car. Was he in a car accident? He also doesn't remember who he is. Getting up slowly, he grabs his hat and places it on his head, which is now half-gone.
He runs across some people who recognize him and give Peter some semblance of his memory back. When he comes in contact with an old friend named Sam, he starts to realize something is not right. Zombies are all over the place and maybe he assumes he had the car crash because he was running from them. After looking at himself in the mirror with his head half-off, he started wondering if perhaps he is a zombie.
Later, he watches a zombie move and eat. Something feels right about that. As it turns out he can still walk and move okay, but Peter learns in fact he is a zombie.
Kenemore takes readers on a different take of an undead story, from the perspective of a zombie. However, not just any zombie, but one that talks and acts like a regular human, he just has a preference for a little different type of food, brains.
This story shows that even a zombie has to deal with moral issues and try to discover who they really are. It is a brilliant collection of characters with a background story that will surely make you reconsider a zombie outbreak.
He runs across some people who recognize him and give Peter some semblance of his memory back. When he comes in contact with an old friend named Sam, he starts to realize something is not right. Zombies are all over the place and maybe he assumes he had the car crash because he was running from them. After looking at himself in the mirror with his head half-off, he started wondering if perhaps he is a zombie.
Later, he watches a zombie move and eat. Something feels right about that. As it turns out he can still walk and move okay, but Peter learns in fact he is a zombie.
Kenemore takes readers on a different take of an undead story, from the perspective of a zombie. However, not just any zombie, but one that talks and acts like a regular human, he just has a preference for a little different type of food, brains.
This story shows that even a zombie has to deal with moral issues and try to discover who they really are. It is a brilliant collection of characters with a background story that will surely make you reconsider a zombie outbreak.
April 29, 2023
This book has:
*a zombie main character
*more flip flops than an Old Navy store
*Lots o' gore
*a mystical wild turkey
I liked the concept of our main character being a sentient zombie. However, the constant flip flopping between zombie vigilante and human hunter was pretty frustrating. The main character spends the majority of his time wandering aimlessly, despite the back cover of the book claiming he's on a mission to solve his own murder. Cool concept but dreadfully boring.
*a zombie main character
*more flip flops than an Old Navy store
*Lots o' gore
*a mystical wild turkey
I liked the concept of our main character being a sentient zombie. However, the constant flip flopping between zombie vigilante and human hunter was pretty frustrating. The main character spends the majority of his time wandering aimlessly, despite the back cover of the book claiming he's on a mission to solve his own murder. Cool concept but dreadfully boring.
September 1, 2016
What a weird, funny book. Danny Campbell is the narrator, and he was splendid at being a zombie. The novel itself is an easy, light read, from the zombie's point of view. There was not much of a mystery in it, like the blurbs say. The black turkey was my favorite character of all, for all his eccentricities. All in all, a good novel. 3 stars.
November 9, 2018
I have a huge affinity for zombie books, coming across this some years ago. And it was AWESOME. A very unique turn of the genre at the time, humorous and fun, it was a book that I read all in one sitting. If you love the apocalypse and zombie scenarios, I highly recommend this one of a kind story.
July 17, 2015
Couldn't even make it 50 pages. I just didn't get into it at all, which is sad because I love his other books.
July 25, 2014
Reading this was painful. I just cheered when I finished it was so bad. At one point the author uses the word "ejaculated" in place of "said"....and it wasn't a sex scene.
September 10, 2015
This one just didn't do it for me. The premise was good, the story interesting, but it just dragged on too long.... too many words that I wound up just skipping over.
October 1, 2017
Bad, dumb, at times preachy. The humor is all "Dad Humor" Stay away.
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