Zombie Apocalypse

I don’t like zombie books or movies because I dislike violence. However, Last Girl Standing: A Journey Through the Zombie Apocalypse, feels different because it’s a story of survival and the author doesn’t go out of his way to create more gore than necessary. In the novel, teen protagonist, Lily, is on a hiking trip in Scotland with friends Marcy, Kevin, and Ross. Little do they know that a self-destructive terrorist has unleashed a virus making COVID-19 look like a mild case of the sniffles. He throws a vial filled with the zombie virus into London’s Piccadilly Circus.

Once airborne the virus transforms harmless humans into killing zombie machines, and it spreads fast. The four teen hikers experience the effects of the infection when Ross changes. Though her buddies freak, Lily is the only one that keeps her head; thanks to the many years of survival training her dad taught her. (I did find it weird after Ross got infected the trio didn’t mourn his demise. Very little was expressed on the matter.)

Lily knows she must get back home to rescue her dog and see if her dad is okay, but as in any good novel, obstacles stand in her way. Last Girl Standing is blessed with a fast-paced plot in which readers hold their breath as Lily and Marcy try to return home to their families. 

The characterizations are good, especially the relationship between Lily, her dad, and their dog, Hamish. Also, the way Marshall develops the Kevin character into a real jerk is funny. The author also describes his settings nicely, however, I found unnecessary annoying glitches a good editor could have fixed. 

With that said, the book is an exciting read for zombie and horror story enthusiasts. 

About the Author

Tom Marshall comes from a quaint little town where zombies are rumored to outnumber the living, Tom has spent countless nights staying up late, watching movies, and perfecting his escape plan for when the shambling hordes inevitably rise. 

When not busy strategizing his survival in a post-apocalyptic world, Tom enjoys walking the dog and keeping out of trouble.

Pop’s Rating:

Michael Thal is the author of The Abduction of Joshua Bloom, a science fiction love story.