'Zomburbia' highlights humanity's strength and the weaknesses of its individuals
Adam Gallardo’s “Zomburbia” takes humanity’s greatest strength and uses it as the background for his novel. People as a species adapt. While individuals may be overwhelmed and overcome by changing circumstances, human beings, overall, will find a way to make it through most disasters. If the zombies should ever rise, humanity will make the changes necessary to live with the threat of zombie-ism and very little will change.
Of course, this adaptation in the species of homo sapiens is tempered by the flaws in each individual. Once the zombie horde becomes a known quantity people will get complacent, get bored and find a way to profit off it. So, while Gallardo’s zombie world is full of shufflers, it is also full of the real problems that teens and their parents face -- from suicide to drug use, Gallardo covers it in a way that makes sense and delivers a suspenseful kick to the reader’s guts. Would the addition of zombies really make the average burger worker’s life less pleasant? And would they help teens make better choices? Gallardo answers both questions as his heroine faces the challenges of growing up in a zombie infested world while justifying her illicit and unethical activities. “Zomburbia” is a great travel read. Just enough meat on the bones to make you think without being so overwhelming as to make you sigh. Grab a copy if you find one -- possibly at The Book Bin in Salem, Oregon or on Amazon. |
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