'Really enjoyed this book, didn't think I would as I'm not normally a fan of
zombie books. Please hurry up with the next one!!' 5 Stars
'I enjoyed this book, I didn't put it down really. It's a good little read, gets
you thinking up a zombie plan!' 5 Stars
'I find it hard to read zombie books, but as this was recommended by an avid fan
I thought I would try it- and could not put it down. Great to read a book based
on a local place, great characters. Maybe there will be more one day??????????'
5 Stars
'I started reading this when it was a blog originally but unfortunately didn't
keep up with its progress to the end and so was very pleased when I found out it
had been published on Amazon! This is a brilliant read..I enjoy zombie books
anyway and this is a thoughtful, clever, well written book with lots of local
references (I'm from Folkestone) I was quickly hooked. I see from Lisa's blog
that she's writing a sequel too which I'll definitely be buying - I want to see
how the group cope with the fallout from the end of book one and if they are
going to travel back to Wales! Bring it on...' 4 Stars
'Highly recommended book, written in a very natural and easy style that makes it
simple to relate to and a pleasure to enjoy. I read this in a single session
because it was intensely difficult to put down once I started. This author
obviously has talent and I hope to read more from her in the future.' 5 Stars
'I don't normally read zombie type book's...vampires yes. A friend of mine know's
the author and asked me to support it so I did out of politeness
but..........WOW loved it and couldn't put it down, more please. Easy to read
and I soon got into and liked the main characters. THANKS. Keep up the good work
Lisa Richardson.' 5 Stars
'I loved this book, I couldn't put it down, after two very late nights I finished
reading it, and wanted to start all over again, It is faced paced, I am a really
large zombie fan and this made me so happy, I really hope that there will be
more zombie stories from this author, Buy it, read it, you will not be
disappointed.'
5 Stars
'Amazing, a great read so different not bogged down with useless information but
cramed full with fast pace action, heart warming friendships, craziness that has
come from the mind of a great writer, well done can't wait for more.' 5 Stars
'What a great book, Im loving the blog style, i would recommend this to anyone
who loves zombies or comes from Folkestone' 5 Stars
'Wow! I've only just got my breath back! Superb page-turner that kept me up late
and had me planning my own zombie-apocalypse plan. The blog idea was a novel
twist on a diary format and the first-person perspective and no-nonsense
description (no time for ruminating on the beauty of the Autumn leaves turning
when you're out-running zombies) kept me right in the thick of the action. Will
definitely reread- once I've built up my nerve...' 5 Stars
'This would be a three and a half star if amazon would allow such a
thing.
I enjoyed this zombie story - it stayed just the right side of too
gory, and had an emotional depth that is often lacking in this genre. The
characters were mostly well rounded and fully fleshed out (no pun intended), and
they responded to their bizarre situation in believable ways for their
respective characters.
This would, in fact, have been a solid four or
four and a half star review, but I felt the research let the story down a bit.
The water cuts off before the electricity and the internet which I found
difficult to swallow, and at one point Sophie comments that Amazon are probably
no longer delivering but even if they were they probably don't sell guns, but
they do (Amazon has everything, even tinned unicorn meat and uranium). These are
pedantic little details, I know, and I am a stickler for fine detail and
realism, and that probably doesn't matter to most readers, as you suspend
disbelief when reading zombie stories anyway.
Richardson is brilliant at
creating antagonists. I don't want to include too many spoilers, but I love that
in this story it isn't just zombies that have to be feared, but humans too. The
author also creates another type of monster entirely, the HZ, that manages to be
even more terrifying than the zombies themselves.
The character Polly is
so real I wanted to slap her - a character who evolves in an unexpected, almost
breath-taking way. By the end I hated her with a passion, an impressive feat
from the author. The title character, Sophie is fantastic - she would kick
Katniss Everdeen's ass in a heartbeat. Bella Swan need not apply. A
fantastically drawn character who I would definitely want on my Z-Day apocalypse
dream team.
I think this is Lisa Richardson's first novel, and it is a
very compelling debut. I romped through it quickly, dreamed about it that night,
talked about it the next day. I found certain areas really got under my skin and
made me wonder. I hope that the author explores some characters that came into
the story later further in future books.
I shall certainly be reading
Richardson's next offering, and would recommend this to readers over 15 who
enjoy zombie action mixed with a bit of emotional depth.' 3 Stars
'I was given a bookmark with the title blog of the dead last Sunday at the Scifi
by the Sea event at Herne Bay. I decided to download the book and wow what a
great read. Living in the Kent area I have been to Folkestone many times and
loved the entire book from start to finish. The characters are well written and
you really care for their situation and what happens to them.
If you love
zombies read this book!!' 4 Stars
'A fantastic read...left me wanting more! Even better because it was local ..made
you feel like you were there with them....Well done Lisa! Now we need more!'
5 Stars
'I really enjoyed this book. I love Zombie material and must say this ranks quite
high on my 'better read' list. I found it hard to put down and just wanted to
keep reading it. I think the end has been left open enough to have a sequal.' 5 Stars
'Many authors attempt to write Zombie stories, but the belief that all you need
to warrant success is some walkers, some blood and gore and the weakest of story
threads running through it does the genre a huge disservice. The Zombie tale
deserves a lot more respect than that. Their story needs to be told with a
passion and knowledge of the subject matter.
So we come to `Blog of the
Dead - Sophie' by Lisa Richardson and I'm happy to say she sets a very high bar
of storytelling for any future releases.
Sophie, a 17yr old student from
Folkestone wakes up late one morning to find a message on her answer phone. It
is a garbled message and the only part she can make out is `... took her face
off'
So begins an epic fight for survival relayed to the reader as an
online blog as Sophie joins together with other survivors and battles to stay
alive.
I'm not going to lie. This is one of the easiest 5* ratings I've
ever had to give. I am a massive fan of very good Zombie fiction and that is
exactly what Lisa has written.
The story moves along at a break-neck
speed which leaves you turning pages in genuine anticipation of either the next
undead confrontation or the resolution of a current horrific situation. Lisa has
created very believable characters who are easily identified with and you come
to care what happens to them. Also, she doesn't shy away from showing us that
even though the Zombies are the monsters, human monsters exist as
well...sometimes closer to home than you'd like.
Set in the town of
Folkestone, the authors obvious knowledge of the place shines through in every
descriptive passage and you could almost use the book as a street and shop guide
when you have soaked up every blood drenched page of Zombie goodness.
I
will not give any spoilers but there is a plot point raised that I honestly
think that the author should explore in the future. It is a delightful twist on
the standard Zombie story direction and it adds a vicious slice of doubt into
what should be a simple `kill Zombies, stay alive' world.
Any fan of the
genre will love this and I really cannot wait to see what Lisa delivers in her
second novel. If it's even half as good as Blog of the Dead - Sophie, it'll be a
cracking read.' 5 Stars
'Wonderful story. As I live in Folkestone I can identify the places and the
people that are mentioned in the story. The story itself is well written and the
characters are engaging. This is the first story that I have read in the zombie
genre and I am looking forward to the sequel.' 5 Stars
'As a lover of everything zombie i could help buying this book. I was completly
hooked from the start. Gripping storyline, compeling characters and lots of
zombies at their best. This isnt your average run of the mill zombie tale. Its
an exhilerating read and you really feel for the characters. Can not wait for
the sequal!' 5 Stars
'Quite the opposite to the epic World War Z with its sprawling global disaster
vibe, Blog of the Dead - Sophie drills down to a very local level in the town of
Folkestone. The narrative has a real spring in its step and bounces along
beautifully, making for an easy and thoroughly entertaining read. It feels very
"British", capturing a similar essence as Shaun of the Dead's Winchester pub and
corner shop gags; there's a great battle to control a local ASDA superstore, and
it isn't short of quirky eccentric British humour (the green fluffy slippers
should have you rolled up with laughter). This is unlike any other zombie novel
I've read, and if you like the genre then I cannot recommend it highly enough.
It's a genuinely good read, utterly engaging, gorgeously written, and above all
exceptionally entertaining. You can't ask for much more than that.' 5 Stars
'I'm really, really impressed with this book. I started reading the live blog as
it was updated daily, but must have missed the last 10 or so posts, so reading
it in book format was fantastic as the end material was AMAZING. I won't tell
you what the ending is as that would obviously be a spoiler, but there are 2
twists to the 'standard' zombie story that blew my mind! Zombies just eat
brains, groan and stumble about, right? So you would think that there is not
that much an author can 'do' with them, and the originality of the authors
writing has to be in the relationships between the survivors.
Not this
author! Two totally original takes on the zombies themselves, that I have never
seen in other books or films of this genre. This book is worth reading for that
alone.
I read this in about 36 hours! It was gripping and totally
unputdownable. The writing is excellent, and the relationships between the
characters and their thoughts and reactions to events is so real and well done.
There is wit, humour, terror, compassion and anger in these characters that
makes the reader really feel what they are going through, and that they (the
reader) could react in the same way to events. You are right there with them!
The characters are very solid and consistent, the author really gets into the
mindset of each character and writes them as though she knows them through and
through.
There is nothing 'standard' about this book at all, In my
opinion it stands out from the majority of zombie apocalypse genre books in the
writing style and the plot.
Definitely recommended - even if you don't
like zombies! If you appreciate good writing with a splat of black humour this
is definitely for you!' 5 Stars
'Great read never think of Folkestone in the same way. A well written story by
Lisa Richardson only thing is..... When is the next instalment out!' 5 Stars
'I am a Zombie fan and I work in Folkestone, so I was sold even before I read
this! So what did I think having read it? I loved it...and was so glad my place
of work remained unscathed. In a nut shell...buy it...your £2 will be well
spent!' 5 Stars
'As soon as you start reading Blog of the Dead - Sophie you are
hooked!
It's so easy to imagine the zombie apocalypse happening whilst
reading the book and the fact that I live in Folkestone, where it starts, makes
it even more realistic.
A fabulous book that should be made into a film
at the earliest opportunity!
I can't wait for the sequel to see what
happens to Sophie and her friends as they fight for survival!
A brilliant
debut novel by a new author who is obviously destined to become a great,
bestselling International author! :)' 5 Stars
'Not just a normal Zombie story, this is a Sophies perspective from her online
diary. Totally captivating right from the start, situation feels real as if it's
really happening outside your own front door. Many of the characters in the book
exist in real life as do the many places that they find themselves
in.
Zombie lover or not I would highly recommend this as a great read' 5 Stars
'Although zombies are not especially my thing, I absolutely loved this book and
devoured it avidly. The characters are expertly drawn and believable (yes, even
the zombies), I love the post apocalyptic feel, and the sense of tension and
excitement is plausible. Through all this, the book still retains a feel-good
factor that makes you almost want to be part of the story. Above all, the story
seems so REAL, so probable and exactly how the breakdown of society would be,
given a disaster that wiped out sections of humanity. The only other person who
has given me that sense of reality in what is a piece of fantasy writing is
Stephen King with The Stand. I can see this book becoming a best seller.' 5 Stars
'Knowing the author, I remember reading this as each section was being written;
every time I was hooked and waiting for next part. If you enjoy zombies this is
well worth purchasing and it is a great read. The fact that I am also a
character made me love this even more!!' 5 Stars
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