ARC Review: Sick by Tom Leveen

Breakfast Club meets The Walking Dead as a group of unlikely allies tries to survive a deadly outbreak.
Brian and his friends are not part of the cool crowd. They’re the misfits and the 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, Kenzie, and his ex-girlfriend with a panic attack problem, Laura. 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.

The way this book was pitched as a combination of Breakfast Club meeting The Walking Dead was completely on point.  The cast of characters Leveen introduces his readers to completely fit the John Hughes/Breakfast Club mold and of course the zombie like monstrous transformation that the infected people go through gives us The Walking Dead part of the equation.  I'm normally not the type of reader that enjoys uber suspenseful and scary books, but for whatever reason, Leveen had the talent and ability to break the mold with this title for me.

 

I'll admit that when the opening of the book was first laid out all I could think was that I wanted the action to just start already because the suspense was killing me and I wasn't sure if I could handle the book to completion.  Once the first infection began to spread I was wishing I could go back to the beginning before some of those images that were now burned into my brain.  Leveen wasn't sugar coating things when he describes the violent attacks that take place throughout the book, and some left larger marks than others.  I must admit that if you weren't afraid of rioting before reading this book, afterwards there's a good chance your opinion will change.  I'm not sure I'll ever look at a crowd quite the same way again.

 

While there is a heavy dose of action and violent encounters, Leveen also manages to throw perfectly placed and well timed comedic relief that will have readers left with no other choice but to laugh and lighten up a bit.  The joke regarding the movie Jaws had me unexpectedly laughing out loud and commiserating in my own way with anyone else that was scared senseless by that movie and dark water afterwards.  All in all it was a book that surprised me on several levels and in different ways, but most of all entertained me and kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish.  A definite must read for anyone looking to change things up in their reading patterns, or perhaps to just enjoy a well paced and highly entertaining read.

In My Mailbox (109)

This is a meme that I first heard about from Kristi over at The Story Siren and immediately wanted to jump on board. I'm always picking up new books, because I never tire of reading, but the other thing I like about this meme is that it gives everyone an opportunity to check out what other book fanatics, bloggers, etc... got for themselves. I've gotten great recommendations from this meme and hope that keeps up in the future.

Here's what I got, what did you guys get this week?

For Review:

 

The Dollhouse Asylum by Mary Gray (Thanks to Spencer Hill Press)

 

A virus that had once been contained has returned, and soon no place will be left untouched by its destruction. But when Cheyenne wakes up in Elysian Fields--a subdivision cut off from the world and its monster-creating virus--she is thrilled to have a chance at survival.

At first, Elysian Fields,with its beautiful houses and manicured lawns, is perfect. Teo Richardson, the older man who stole Cheyenne's heart, built it so they could be together. But when Teo tells Cheyenne there are tests that she and seven other couples must pass to be worthy of salvation, Cheyenne begins to question the perfection of his world.

The people they were before are gone. Cheyenne is now "Persephone," and each couple has been re-named to reflect the most tragic romances ever told. Everyone is fighting to pass the test, to remain in Elysian Fields. Teo dresses them up, tells them when to move and how to act, and in order to pass the test, they must play along.

If they play it right, then they'll be safe.

But if they play it wrong, they'll die.

 

Extracted (The Lost Imperials, #1) by Sherry D. Ficklin & Tyler Jolley (Thanks to Spencer Hill Press)

 

Welcome to the war.

The Tesla Institute is a premier academy that trains young time travelers called Rifters. Created by Nicola Tesla, the Institute seeks special individuals who can help preserve the time stream against those who try to alter it.

The Hollows is a rogue band of Rifters who tear through time with little care for the consequences. Armed with their own group of lost teens--their only desire to find Tesla and put an end to his corruption of the time stream.

Torn between them are Lex and Ember, two Rifters with no memories of their life before joining the time war.

When Lex’s girlfriend dies during a mission, the only way he can save her is to retrieve the Dox, a piece of tech which allows Rifters to re-enter their own timeline without collapsing the time stream. But the Dox is hidden deep within the Telsa Institute, which means Lex must go into the enemy camp. It’s there he meets Ember, and the past that was stolen from them both comes flooding back.

Now armed with the truth of who they are, Lex and Ember must work together to save the future before the battle for time destroys them both…again.

 

Sick by Tom Leveen (Thanks to Amulet Books)

 

Breakfast Club meets The Walking Dead as a group of unlikely allies tries to survive a deadly outbreak.
Brian and his friends are not part of the cool crowd. They’re the misfits and the 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, Kenzie, and his ex-girlfriend with a panic attack problem, Laura. 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.

Goodbye, Rebel Blue by Shelley Coriell (Thanks to Amulet Books)

 

Rebecca Blue is a rebel with an attitude whose life is changed by a chance encounter with a soon-to-be dead girl. Rebel (as she’s known) decides to complete the dead girl’s bucket list to prove that choice, not chance, controls her fate. In doing so, she unexpectedly opens her mind and heart to a world she once dismissed—a world of friendships, family, and faith. With a shaken sense of self, she must reevaluate her loner philosophy—particularly when she falls for Nate, the golden boy do-gooder who never looks out for himself. Perfect for fans of Jay Asher’s blockbuster hit Thirteen Reasons Why, Coriell’s second novel features her sharp, engaging voice along with realistic drama and unforgettable characters.