Zombiestan by Manik dhar

 Zombiestan was a fresh change from all the romance / drama I have r ead in the last month. Not entirely the kind of fantasy fiction or thriller I am used to but still a page turner. It has all the ingredients you love in a fictional story on war and survival - action sequences , chases , escapes , brave decisions , tactics of war and combat , a young hero , a hope , a seasoned soldier , a heroine and a caring (grand)mother figure.

And oh, the sacrifices and the price you pay when you don the hat of becoming a hero.

Mayukh is the big guy Pete (of micky mouse clubhouse sort) for the 3 year old abhi and his sister swati. Having lost his parents to the zombie attack , mayukh had the company of old preoffesor Hina and US army soldier David (who witnessed this zombie fever begin and spread from Afghanistan) before he met swati and the kid. Abhi is the only ray of hope humans can think about while the zombies bite and infect any one they come across. This book is the journey of these unlikely survivors together from delhi to ladhak and the hurdles they come across.

Even in darkest hour there is always a hope , always a ray of light to pull you through. Humans can change yet humanity lives on in many ways. the book is a work of imagination and belief that if some day we are faced with such hell on earth, there would be people to help each other. Like David says , "watching out for the guy next to you". And that is what keeps these people moving ahead inspite of all challenges.

Manik's writing is fast yet easy to follow. The characters almost beleivable so you feel the connect with their feelings. The little flashes or insights into the person's life make you have a general idea of familarity with them. Not only zombies are the dreaded enemy but the greedy and selfish human beings too. The Zombiestan is a bleak world to even imagine living but with love , once can find roots even in the most depressing places. Life is about finding your purpose and doing it well till the very end. Also glad for the fact that the book sticks to the action plot and does not go much into the romance. I always have this trouble when I have to pass the book to my brother to read.

Though I feel, the creation of zombies and their intentions should have been a little more clear to me. Except that one doubt / curiosity in my head , I was satisfied with the way book ended.

David is my favorite character in the book and I did feel a little sad at the thought of losing him in the storyline.

Rating : 4/5

Definite recco for people who like action books.

Manik dhar, You are an author I would be looking forward to read again.
:)

Other Details :

Pages: 248

Price: INR 199

Publisher: Duckbill Books

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