David Wellington - Monster Island: A Zombie Novel

Monster Island: A Zombie Novel by David Wellington
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I ended up being really disappointed by this book. It read like two different books, one trying to be Dawn of the Dead the other Shaun of the Dead, thrown together and not blended properly. It basically reads like a rough draft that could do with some major going-over. I've seen some people hand-wave this because it's a online serialized novel. However, given that I've read some really good online serialized novels and stories so I'm not inclined to forgive some of the more glaring problems with the book.

However, I do want to give it two stars because it has some definite potential not only with the basic premise, but also with the glimmers of characterization that can be seen in places.

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Charlaine Harris - Shakespeare's Landlord (A Lily Bard Mystery)

Shakespeare's Landlord by Charlaine Harris
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book was recommended to me by a friend and I'm truly glad I read it. The main character is a strong woman who, while she has been shaped a lot by her past, is not broken by it and has found a way to cope. I really appreciated how it showed, not only told, how Lily kept people at a distance and was distrustful of the world around her. As the book progressed, I found it easier and easier to connect with Lily as she became slightly more open and started to deliberately interact more with the people around her.

One thing that struck me odd when I first read the description of the book was Lily's job. I didn't know how Harris would write her as a maid (and so much more) and not let that part of the story just fade away into the background until you began to wonder if she ever actually went to work. I've seen this happen with a lot of books. However, I was impressed with how we're not only shown Lily keeping up with her job, but how it really helps move the story along.

Another thing that I enjoyed about this book was that clues were given to who committed the murder in a way that the reader could pick up on them and possibly figure it out before Lily without making her look like an idiot. Also, I really liked a lot of the other characters in the book and I really cannot wait to start the next one!

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