Brian and his friends are not part of the cool crowd. They’re the misfits and wily troublemakers–the ones who jump their high school’s fence to skip class regularly. So when a deadly virus breaks out, they’re the only ones with a chance of surviving.
The virus turns Brian’s classmates and teachers into bloodthirsty attackers who don’t die easily. The whole school goes on lockdown, but Brian and his best friend, Chad, are safe (and stuck) in the theater department–far from Brian’s sister and his ex-girlfriend with a panic attack problem. Brian and Chad, along with some of the theater kids Brian had never given the time of day before, decide to find the girls and bring them to the safety of the theater. But it won’t be easy, and it will test everything they thought they knew about themselves and their classmates.
Sick marks the third book I’ve read by Tom Leveen and I’ve enjoyed every one of them. I’ll admit that I enjoy a good zombie romp and Sick proves to be no disappointment.
Foregoing the traditional risen dead or undead zombies, Leveen instead gives us a more realistic take with living people infected with a virus that painfully distorts them and drives them to violent madness. I enjoyed this more realistic take on zombies and the reluctance of some characters to even call them zombies.
Once again Tom Leveen provides a narrative and characters that feel authentic to my memories of being a teenager and my own experiences in High School. The themes of how people tend to react when something upsets the balance of society are well handled. Descriptions are just enough to let your imagination fill in the blanks without being too gory or sickening. The tension holds till the end and provides a satisfying conclusion.
All in all, this is my favorite book so far by Tom Leveen and I highly recommend it. A small number of signed copies are available in my shop. E-book is available at http://www.duncansbooksandmore.mymustreads.com
