Blurb:

When a disease runs rampant, turning people into cannibalistic horrors, society comes to a halt. Kate manages to escape the sadistic captivity she has endured and collides with Nick, a Marine haunted by the scars of war.

They join forces to navigate a treacherous landscape, battling the undead and hostile survivors. But what happens when the monsters outside are the least of their worries?

Nick’s shame is crushing, and Kate’s distrust is swallowing her whole. Will they overcome the darkness that threatens to consume them from within? And what will become of a world overrun with creatures that cannot seem to stop…laughing?

Review:

An apocalyptic zombie horror in the present, a twisted thriller in the past, and a touch her and die romance to top it off. I present the best horror I’ve ever read. In fairness it’s the only horror I’ve ever read, but I do believe I may have found a new genre. Who wasn’t telling me that this deeply dark genre could be used to contrast the light so brightly. It was hopeful and healing and emotionally rich underneath its very tough exterior. Could I listen to this after dark? Nope! But that says a lot more about me than the book.

We start off meeting Kate, alone in a zombie riddled landscape just trying to survive. Her memories of the world that used to be before the epidemic of undead was a life so terrible that this one might just seem better for her. Though she finds herself in some pretty heart pounding circumstances, she soon runs into Nick, a former marine and the first person we meet that I don’t want to kick in their teeth. So starts their adventure surviving as an unlikely pair in the wilds of a devastated world and all that’s discovered within it. Macabre had me on the edge of my seat, and towards the end literally freaking out at how she was going to make this even a little bit okay. I loved how the story developed in the present while uncovering the layers of their past bit by bit that unfolded like a thriller. I really felt like I was getting the best of all worlds with the way the story wove through their certain peril, moments of calm, and flashbacks from Kate and Nick. In the end I was fully elated with how everything came together, though I do wish we slowed down a bit as it resolved, it felt a bit cleanly wrapped. I did also struggle with Kate’s thought process at the very bitter end, but I also understood the sentiment behind it. With themes of trauma survival, found family, healing, courage, loss and hope, this story really did work to carve a glimmer of beauty into some of the darkest realities of the world.

The world building came subtly as Molly showed us the waste that had been laid to all we know of our modern existence. I loved how Kate and Nick explored an array of areas as they traveled north east to what they hoped would be some sort of sanctuary. Along the way they run into many different abandoned (and occupied) places to lay their heads, some feeling too good to be true while others made me anxious for them to leave as fast as possible. Their resourcefulness as they navigated both the wilderness and the once inhabited was fantastic. You could smell the long rotten perishables, hear the cackling of the undead, and tense at what waited behind that closed door. They used their surroundings well as they navigated through the story and I loved the subtle hints of familiarity in the midst of chaos.

But I think the true strength of this story was the development the characters went through. Kate’s past torture follow her through her current reality and at times cause some serious danger to herself and those around her. Still, she works hard to find her semblance of normalcy in a world that no longer holds it. Nick is dealing with his own struggles and failures, and haunted by the memories of his military tour before everything came crashing down. Together they learn to find strength in each other as they bridge the crater between them towards trust. And that is really beautiful. I’m not really a fan of reading about the dark and twisted aspects of our world, though we all can’t ignore they exist, but though I was faced with the horrifying realities these characters faced, it was done in a way that didn’t go too far for me.

And I think that’s really a testament to the writing. Macabre walked that narrow tightrope of showing enough without giving it the glory it doesn’t deserve. The gruesome, despicable, and sometimes downright gross was laid before you (I don’t think I’ll look at a jaw the same ever again) without me turning away. The third person limited point of view gave us a sliver of distance from the things happening around us which I wholeheartedly appreciated. I listened to this book on audio which had a superb narration style for the story and was really well done. And the pacing of this book was exactly what you’d hope for. Hanging on to the tension just long enough to make you wring your hands and gasp before moving right along. Mixed into the terrifying were moments of calm that you’re looking over your shoulder during because something must be coming that never does, while other times when you think you’ve gotten a moment of comfort the door smashes your face in. Just brilliant!

All and all, I think that for lovers of horror, this will be a delectable book, and for newbies like me this was a great way to get my toes wet while not falling into despair. Because at the end of the day this was a beautiful story of survival, love, and healing. And I think that’s really the merit of this book. It’s like looking at a clear night sky through the deep scary woods, its pinpricks of light so potent and breathtaking when you leave your comforts and venture out into the dark.