***I received a free copy in exchange for a book review***
A post-apocalyptic zombie book for women.
Without the zombies.
Worse than zombies.
The Demon Virus spreads worldwide in a matter of days leaving nothing but a few uninfected people in its path along with disease-riddled survivors who possess homicidal tendencies.
Carson drives across the country, back to her parents’ farm, with her son Ronan to begin a new life in a post-apocalyptic world. There she discovers more uninfected people like herself and attempts to build new relationships after the devastating loss of her husband.
Two men distract Carson from her grief, each possessing different characteristics that she found, loved and needed in her husband. Cooper has a bad attitude but gives Carson the space she needs with his self-sufficient, independent ways. Ben panders after her but exhibits a kindness she appreciates. Neither of them embody all of which she lost in her husband’s death.
The need for human interaction intertwines with the daily struggle of tribulation, remorse and adjustment, revolving around the constant battles between the uninfected and the last remaining homicidal maniacs. Days of Love and Blood is a story which examines the bonds created between people in times of change with an unexpected shocking end that will have you questioning your own threshold for pain.
I loved this 21 chapter book. It was written in Carson’s first person point-of-view. I felt bad for her right away because her husband died by the hands of the violent people possessed with the Demon Virus. She was emotionally torn since he begged her to run for her life but she wanted to stay and die with him. Their son motivated her to live, even though she lived with regret of losing the love of her life. I thought the opening scene started off really strong, and I knew the story would pull at my heartstrings all the way through the end.
The author had a brilliant talent with plot. R.S. Carter didn’t have any boring parts of the novel, and there wasn’t any excessive backstories to slow the action down. The story was great with pacing; it was a fast read for me because I was entertained and needed to know the ending to the characters I cared about. Carson wanted to know if her parents had survived, so she and her son took a road trip (dealing with violent crazies along the way) to her hometown. There they found a small colony of regular people and they found a new home.
My favorite lines: 1) “Isolation can turn you into a whack job.” 2) “For someone so shy, she was doing well at being nosy.” 3) “Whatever. You know what? Since it’s such an inconvenience for you to be in the presence of a woman with an opinion, I’m gonna keep talking just to piss you off.” 4) “What?” I asked brusquely. First he insults me, now he comes into my camper and ogles me?
I loved the characters’ dynamics. The women were strong and were respected in making decisions among the group. The men were the protectors and all gentleman-like, except Cooper. I loved the tension in all the scenes, especially Carson and Cooper’s dynamic. It was like he was an elementary kid pushing the girl he likes on the playground. They were cute together, and it was touching how he bonded with her son. In fact, her son was adorable–I loved his interactions with his mom too.
The group didn’t have to just worry about the crazies infected with the Demon Virus; Willie and Anand were evil too. The ending was pretty graphic, and I rooted for them to get their karma.
I RECOMMEND this book to read.
Keep smiling,
Yawatta Hosby
