15 Jan 2012 1 Comment
Married with Zombies (Living with the Dead #1) by Jesse Petersen
Married with Zombies
Living with the Dead #1
by Jesse Petersen
272 pages
Publisher: Orbit Books
Meet Sarah and David.
Once upon a time they met and fell in love. But now they’re on the verge of divorce and going to couples’ counseling. On a routine trip to their counselor, they notice a few odd things – the lack of cars on the highway, the missing security guard, and the fact that their counselor, Dr. Kelly, is ripping out her previous client’s throat.
Meet the Zombies.
Now, Sarah and David are fighting for survival in the middle of the zombie apocalypse. But, just because there are zombies, doesn’t mean your other problems go away. If the zombies don’t eat their brains, they might just kill each other.
Married With Zombies is a heartwarming tale of terror set during the time of the zombie uprising.
The big heart and the tagline (the couple who slays together stays together) might make zombie lovers shy away from Married with Zombies, but that would be a huge mistake. In addition to comical (in a macabre way) situations that include seeing your marriage counselor eating the patients that were scheduled before you and conversations about killing people you know, Married with Zombies delivers tension, edge-of-your-seat excitement, and one scene that is almost so heart-rending that it will stay with me for a while.
Sarah and David are going through the motions that make it appear they’re trying to save their marriage but it’s nothing more than a show because not even a zombie plague can bring this marriage back from the dead. Or can it? When the world goes to hell, the couple realizes they only have each other to rely on, and the zombie apocalypse brings out traits in each of them that make them shine in each other’s eyes.
Even in the beginning, when Sarah and Dave are bickering at each other over everything, they’re likable main characters. Their situation is real and plenty of people can probably relate to reaching the point of having a mental meltdown just because your significant other decided to load the CD changer with all his tunes. Once the dead start walking (and eating), Sarah and David still keep things real, and that’s what gives Married with Zombies so much power. These two aren’t bad-ass zombie killers; they’re normal people like you and me. They’re scared and they make mistakes, but the only other options are eating a bullet or letting the zombies feast on them.
Here’s a little peek at Sarah as she gets the hang of zombie killing She’s not real happy since she just recently became the owner of a wet butt because her loving husband didn’t put the seat down.
Out of pure instinct and a hefty dose of luck, I flattened against the back wall as his bulky body careened past me. His already shredded forehead hit the thin bottom seat of the toilet with a clang and he let out a whining groan.
I don’t know what came over me as I looked down at our fat, piece of shit of a neighbor lying half in my toilet, the offending seat Dave had left for me still flipped up overhead. I certainly didn’t think about what I was going to do, I just did it. Dropping down, I started slamming the toilet down against his skull.
“Put. The. Toilet. Seat. Down. David!” I accentuated each word with a crushing bang of the seat.
I didn’t stop until I heard Dave’s voice outside the door.
If you’re looking for an exciting time packed with a few laughs to make the end of the world a little more bearable then Married with Zombies is exactly what you’re looking for.
Other books in the series include Flip This Zombie, Eat Slay Love, and Shambling with the Stars: A Living with the Dead Short Story, which takes a look at how others are handling the zombie apocalypse. You can find out more about the author at www.jessepetersen.net.
