In Dawn of the Zombie Apocalypse, Seb downloads a cool new zombie apocalypse game, not realising that he’s agreeing to some strange game options.
When he wakes the next day, his family is acting strange. They won’t look away from their devices, they’re not interested in food and they’re not even talking.
Worse than that, it appears most of the people in Seb’s town are the same.
It’s a real zombie apocalypse, but instead of zombies that want to eat your brains, the town is filled with people completely addicted to their screens.
With the help of his best friend Darren and Talia, the prettiest girl in school, Seb needs to figure out what is going on and how to cure everyone of zombification.
And he needs to do it fast — before the whole town falls apart and the zombie virus spreads.
This is a brilliant and engaging middle grade novel for fans of a wild adventure. With cool and relatable characters and non-stop action, it’s an addictive read.
I love how Lee Murray balances the fantastical with real life. An apocalypse like this may not ever happen (or maybe it will!), but the family and teen dramas the characters experience throughout the novel are all real: crushes on classmates, outlandish grandparents, sibling rivalries and homework woes.
Without hitting kids over the head with it, the book is also a discussion starter about electronic devices and how they can take over your life if you let them. The characters never talk about it obviously, but the themes are there, brilliantly disguised.
There was a minor issue with the book layout (a couple of blank pages after chapters), but this does not detract in any way from the story. This is a brilliant middle fiction novel for kids who love action and adventure. I found it very difficult to put it down!
Title: Dawn of the Zombie Apocalypse
Author: Lee Murray
Publisher: Novella Distribution, $23.95
Publication Date: 7 October 2019
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781925956108
For ages: 12+
Type: Middle Fiction
