Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Allison Hewitt Is Trapped (Zombie #1)

by Madeleine Roux (Goodreads Author)

3.85 of 5 stars 3.85 · rating details · 1,397 ratings · 271 reviews

One woman's story as she blogs - and fights back - the zombie apocalypse

Allison Hewitt and her five colleagues at the Brooks and Peabody Bookstore are trapped together when the zombie outbreak hits. Allison reaches out for help through her blog, writing on her laptop and utilizing the military's emergency wireless network (SNET). It may also be her only chance to reach her...more

Paperback, 352 pages

Published February 1st 2011 by Headline Publishing Group (first published January 18th 2011)

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

This book is not yet featured on Listopia. Add this book to your favorite list »

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 3,000)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Dec 17, 2010 Ceridwen rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: bloggers

Recommended to Ceridwen by: First Reads

Shelves: omg-were-all-going-to-die, zombies, america-and-environs, first-reads, insomnia, the-housewife

IWONIWONIWONIWONIWON!!!!

After my initial First Reads fiasco, I was a little surprised they let me "win" again! But they did! Yaaaaaay!

---------

Allison Hewitt a first person narrative, natch, and the main character, who it might not surprise you to learn is named Allison Hewitt, is trapped in a bookstore where she works part time. It's set somewhere Midwestern – maybe Wisconsin? - and Roux does Midwestern smart-ass pretty well, and without a lot of cleverness and l33tspeak. I went into this with...more

16 likes · like · see review

Dec 24, 2012 Book Chick City rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: zombies, book-list-2011, favorites, horror

I gave this 9/10 on my blog: Book Chick City

'Allison Hewitt is Trapped' is just fantastic. I was absorbed after just a couple of chapters and didn't want to put the book down. Allison is a great character, she's spunky and real - a woman I would like to be if the world was overrun with the undead. She's scared of everything going on around her but she's brave, not afraid to fight and put her life on the line for others.

Allison is locked inside the break room because it's the strongest door in th...more I gave this 9/10 on my blog: Book Chick City

'Allison Hewitt is Trapped' is just fantastic. I was absorbed after just a couple of chapters and didn't want to put the book down. Allison is a great character, she's spunky and real - a woman I would like to be if the world was overrun with the undead. She's scared of everything going on around her but she's brave, not afraid to fight and put her life on the line for others.

Allison is locked inside the break room because it's the strongest door in the department store, which means They can't get in. There are also surveillance cameras which are used to keep an eye on what's going on in the store, it's a helpful tool to be able to see where the zombies are, especially when you have to do a food run. Allison is not the only one in the break room. There are five other people who she's sharing the small room with and they are all very different, but all very realistic, personalities.

The relationships between the characters is as close to real-life as you would imagine in such a situation, there's no gun-ho stud with a shotgun over his shoulder, instead it's a skinny chinese guy with broken glasses and a baseball bat. It's a store manager and his golf clubs, it's Allison who's weapon of choice is an axe.

The novel is actually the content of Allison's blog, which she updates regularly, and uses to connect with other survivors. And although I was a little skeptical of this format at first, wondering how the flow of the story would be and how the dialogue would work etc, but I needn't have worried. It's brilliantly written and I couldn't stop myself from reading chapter after chapter - it was very addictive reading.

Eventually Allison and her co-survivors have to leave the break room. Lives are lost, friends are killed and she is longing to know if her mother is safe or one of the undead. I really went on Allison's journey with her and felt every emotion of despair, hope, anger, and complete bewilderment of the circumstances.

From the moment I met the characters in the break room until the end of the novel, which sees Allison far from where she began, it really feels like a long pilgrimage. I could feel Allison and the other survivors become weary, harder, jaded, and their actions and decisions reflect all those feelings. Although Allison does some very bad things I understand why and don't judge her for them.

There is love between certain characters, including Allison but it's written with sensitivity. It's understated romance - there are no sexual scenes and hardly any kissing, it's all shown through Allison's words on her blog and it's believable, tender and heartwarming. There's a lot of heart to this book and I enjoyed it immensely.

VERDICT:

'Allison Hewitt is Trapped' is an emotional rollar coaster and the ending was so perfectly bittersweet it brought tears to my eyes. It's a fast-paced read with believable characters and convincing story that will move you and because of this you will Allison, and the other characters, to succeed and survive. This is no ordinary zombie novel. It's fresh and original and I just loved it.

This book is a must read for fans of horror, urban fantasy and zombie fiction. It's a story that stayed with me for many days after I'd finished it, and a book like that stays on my shelf forever.(less)

5 likes · like · see review

Feb 15, 2011 Heather rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011

I became quickly enamored with Allison Hewitt is Trapped. It was such a humorous, nerve biting read that kept me engrossed from start to finish. I often caught myself wondering what I would do in similar situations, would I be brave enough to fight off a zombie with nothing but an axe and my own strength? How desperate would I have to be to even attempt to flee my safe hidey hole? And most importantly, how would I cope with being trapped with fellow human beings not of my choosing for indefinite...more

2 likes · like · see review

Aug 12, 2011 Jennifer rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: goodreads-firstreads-giveaways, paranormal

*This review is based on a copy of the book I won through Goodreads FirstReads Giveaways.*

Wow! Loved this book!

Having not ever heard of the "Allison Hewitt is Trapped" blog (apologies, Ms. Roux!), I had no idea what to expect, but the synopsis sounded interesting, so I entered to win the book.

I am ever so glad I did.

Allison's story unfolds as a series of blog posts, complete with commenters from others struggling to survive post-zombie apocalypse. I wasn't sure if I'd like the blog-style approac...more *This review is based on a copy of the book I won through Goodreads FirstReads Giveaways.*

Wow! Loved this book!

Having not ever heard of the "Allison Hewitt is Trapped" blog (apologies, Ms. Roux!), I had no idea what to expect, but the synopsis sounded interesting, so I entered to win the book.

I am ever so glad I did.

Allison's story unfolds as a series of blog posts, complete with commenters from others struggling to survive post-zombie apocalypse. I wasn't sure if I'd like the blog-style approach to the narrative, but it worked really well. I think the short chapters really heightened the tension/excitement, and the blog-like formatting complete with comments actually lent the book a touch of realism in the internet driven world we live in today. I know I check online first to find news before even considering checking anywhere else.

I like the fact that the book delves not only into the larger aspects of what could happen to what's left of society in the aftermath of a catastrophic event--people banding together, others turning to looting or stealing, religious fanaticism, and rogue militias--but the more mundane, and certainly less glamorous aspects of human life that we all take for granted everyday. Things like no running water means no way to bathe, and plumbing that does not work leads to humans who probably don't smell or look all that spiffy...and I'll just stop there, because I'm sure you all get where I'm going with this.

Moving on, Allison is a great heroine, really well written with great characterization. I really grew to care about her and her friends and could not stop reading until I knew what happened (which is why I'm writing this review at 2:20 am, heh.) The book itself is fast paced, and action packed. It's also laugh out loud funny, but also made me tear up a couple of times.

It's just a really, really good book, and I think even those who aren't into zombies and the like would still enjoy it because it's more about how we as humans react to cataclysmic events, and the struggle and urge to survive and retain some sense of normalcy than it is about zombies. I know as I was reading the book, I often thought about how I'd react if placed into a similar situation as Allison and her friends.

Lastly...if this review seems a little choppy and incoherent, I apologize profusely, and will blame it on the fact that I am writing this in the wee hours of the morning. ;)(less)

4 likes · like · see review

Feb 24, 2013 Lauren rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2013, listened-to-audiobook

I wanted to like this one more than I did, really, but I just couldn't get past the issues I had:

- Since it's an archive of first person blog entries, we already know that because Allison is typing it up for us, she lived to tell the tale. Kind of kills the suspense of "IS SHE GOING TO SURVIVE???"-type situations Roux enjoyed putting her in.
- Lack of clarity as to where the story took place. Based on the early mention of Chicago, I knew it was the Midwest, but eventually I was able to piece toge...more

like · see review

Jun 23, 2012 Colleen Criswell rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: horror, dark-humor

Thank you Goodreads fro recommending this book to me!!!!! I was browsing through the "recommended from your reading" books and this one happened to pop up. Honestly I almost bypassed it but I have to admit the cover art made me chuckle.... and they say you can't judge a book by its cover!

This was a very very creative spin on the zombie genre. Heck I feel it is one of the better books I have read in a while. It is written as a blog. And it includes blog responses from other survivors out there, s...more

1 like · like · see review

May 01, 2012 Chris Bauer rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I have to admit to being a fan of "zombie fiction." Its become yet another vice of mine, but one I enjoy greatly. I'm on my way to becoming an expert on the shambling undead. (Un)fortunately there are plenty of reads to hit on the topic. While the trend may be (pardon the pun) slowly dying, there are some great books in the genre. "Allison Hewitt Is Trapped" is one of them.

While there isn't anything revolutionary about the book (similar tropes and memes throughout) it is written with a very deft...more

1 like · like · see review

Mar 02, 2012 Allison rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: horror, zombies

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

like · see review

Feb 12, 2012 Dawn Vanniman rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

So Allison Hewitt works at a bookstore, or did until the zombie outbreak happened. Now she's trapped in a storeroom in the bookstore with some co-workers and customers. Allison begins blogging and finds that there are little pockets of humanity that have survived.

I went into this book thinking about how much I loved FEED by Mira Grant - it's about zombies and has blog excerpts. It's unfortunate that the author just couldn't make me care about Allison the way I did about the characters in FEED. I...more

1 like · like · see review

Jan 14, 2012 Wendy Hines rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Allison Hewitt is trapped. She's at work when the attack comes. She, along with her boss, two co-workers and two customers wind up in the employees' break room with almost no food. The Infected pound on the door and Allison can see them through the window in the streets. Their grey bodies are gruesome, and their eyes show no intelligence. They are zombies, and they are taking over the world.

Allison is determined to find a way to survive. She takes an emergency fire axe as her own and tries to p...more

like · see review

Dec 26, 2011 Ross Hamilton rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is one of those oddities, a story originally serialised in a blog. Unlike others, I have seen in that form, this does really take the pattern of a string of blog entries, complete with comments from ‘readers’.

The story did draw me in, aside from confusion on my part arising from having just finished reading another zombie novel. To quote John Travolta from one of his very early roles, ‘I’m sooo confused!’ (and if you can pick up what reference that is, you’re an old fart like me!).

There is...more

like · see review

Sep 21, 2011 Yla Delarosa rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Introduction: I remember someone said, "a movie about zombies can never fail". I agree with him anyway :p I used to love watching zombie apocalypse happen xD Its always funny... no matter how scary they make it look like :p And I guess there is always something romantic in falling in love with someone while the rest of the world become cannibals. Lol.

So... then I wonder (when I saw this book), will a book about zombie wins my heart as well? But guess what, I loved it so much I stayed up late for...more

1 like · like · see review

Sep 03, 2011 Alcy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

What Ms. Roux pulls off in what is no doubt her first of many works in the public eye is truly fantastic. With the current stock of undead novels, comic books and video games at an all time high, Roux manages to take the material and venture out into the wastes. Sure, there isn't anything new here. And yet with every chapter, I couldn't help but want to know more. The time skips (due to the blog cadence) made each challenge Allison ran up against that much more involving. It find that sometimes...more

like · see review

Aug 15, 2011 Heidi rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-2011

I need to say upfront that I’m not a fan of zombies. Tried World War Z and just couldn’t get through it. So it was a delight to read this book and thoroughly enjoy it. Allison is trapped in a bookstore with her fellow employees and a couple customers when zombies attack (The Outbreak). She quickly becomes the leader of the group, guiding the survivors into making the best possible decisions about living arrangements including procuring food from outside the safety of the room they are barricaded...more

1 like · like · see review

Jun 14, 2011 Monster added it · review of another edition

Shelves: zombies-adult

Allison Hewitt is a snarky graduate student at work in the local bookstore when zombies invade, trapping her in the break room with her coworkers and a couple of regulars. These are not people she would choose to spend time with, so she hooks into a military wireless network and starts blogging.

Allison Hewitt is Trapped actually started out as a blog. The blog is still up, and the entries have an immediacy that brings the story to life. As Allison’s story progressed, some of the blog’s follower...more Allison Hewitt is a snarky graduate student at work in the local bookstore when zombies invade, trapping her in the break room with her coworkers and a couple of regulars. These are not people she would choose to spend time with, so she hooks into a military wireless network and starts blogging.

Allison Hewitt is Trapped actually started out as a blog. The blog is still up, and the entries have an immediacy that brings the story to life. As Allison’s story progressed, some of the blog’s followers started to comment, adding originality, context, and believability to the situation. Unfortunately, some of this is lost in the book. That’s partly due to the author framing the story as historical (someone tracks down Allison’s blog entries in hopes that she will be included in a book on heroes of the apocalypse) and partly due to her signing a contract with St. Martin’s, which led to her writing the rest as a novel. In the case of Allison Hewitt, format really does make a difference.

Allison and the bookstore crew do eventually escape, and she goes on a search for her mom. She stays for a short time at a refugee camp at the university, where she quickly falls for the guy in charge, who also happens to be married. His wife shows up just before a newly formed cult of deranged housewives decides to take prisoners, and, after showing what can really be done with a laptop, Allison is back on the road searching for her mom.

Allison Hewitt is Trapped is a gripping, literate read. Allison’s dark humor, passion, determination, and decisive action carry the story, and the secondary characters are a lot of fun. I will say it’s hard to believe a religious cult could develop as quickly as the Black Earth Mothers- the story takes place over a very short time, less than three months. Allison’s love affair is also very brief, if intense, and it’s confusing (and annoying) that her friends have such immediate antipathy towards the wife. But these things didn’t slow me down or prevent me from enjoying the book. I fell in love with Allison the day she went scavenging for food in the bookstore and instead started grabbing armfuls of books, knowing that she’d probably draw unwanted attention (she did).

Allison Hewitt is Trapped has been packaged as an urban fantasy, and it’s been blurbed by MaryJanice Davidson as being incredibly funny. I’d say that’s misleading. Yes, parts of it take place in a city, but there’s nothing supernatural (zombification is caused by a virus), and the romance is understated. It’s not funny in a laugh out loud sense, either. Although Allison often writes with humor, she isn’t playing for laughs. She’s doing her best to survive, and trying to reach her mom. MaryJanice Davidson’s readers aren’t the audience for this… but smart, literate women who love zombies (or can at least handle the gore) will love Allison Hewitt is Trapped. Highly recommended for public libraries and lovers of zombie fiction.
Review by Kirsten Kowalewski(less)

like · see review

May 04, 2011 Walt rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

This was an exciting novel that I devoured in a few days. I had never read a zombie novel before, and this was definitely entertaining. Roux never loses focus on her lead character. It was kind of sad how Allison gained and lost companions. There was a sort of detachment in the storyline, as each person became identifiable as being expendable. However, Allison has a clever wit, a dangerous axe, and really strong motivation. I am also thankful that there was little focus on children. While there...more

like · see review

Jan 31, 2011 Ari Hurwitz rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Wow...THIS is a book to read! Seriously, whatever your literary tendencies, this was very enjoyable and a lot of fun to boot. I myself am not a zombie fiction junkie, but a voracious reader of all genres of good books. When this book was in blog form it was suggested to me and, being well-written and compelling, I got hooked. I was very excited for this book to be released. I was, however, wary that based on my enthusiasm for the blog I may be setting myself up for a let down. Let me say in a re...more Wow...THIS is a book to read! Seriously, whatever your literary tendencies, this was very enjoyable and a lot of fun to boot. I myself am not a zombie fiction junkie, but a voracious reader of all genres of good books. When this book was in blog form it was suggested to me and, being well-written and compelling, I got hooked. I was very excited for this book to be released. I was, however, wary that based on my enthusiasm for the blog I may be setting myself up for a let down. Let me say in a resounding voice: not only was this not the case, but I even went from lingering excitement after reading a good blog to thoughtful admiration after reading a great book. The ending especially shows the authors talent. It is easy to write a good story, but we have all seen countless books and movies that cannot deliver an appropriately engaging, thoughtful, and intelligent ending after an otherwise strong story. Roux, in this matter, delivers. The ending, as is the story, is beautiful and real; true to the life of the story.

Before I talk about specifics, I would like to make this point: you intuitively know a good author when you read one and I would be surprised to find anyone who would not place Roux in this category. There is a fluidity, development, humor, maturity, and literary prowess to this category of authors. Roux possesses these traits without a doubt. Characters are the cornerstone of every book. Roux does a masterful job developing characters just as personalities appear to one in real life. Each character gets a brief introduction so we are able to gain familiarity with them, but it is their words and actions in a variety of situations that teach us their true character and motivations. Roux seems to come to this naturally, avoiding overbearing character description or unfocused information leakage; in other words, it is purposeful. I offer special praise for the character of Allison herself. I am always cautious about stories that are defined by a hero or heroine because so many of these characters are two dimensional or not true to life. Roux's character of Allison is the best kind of heroine: thoughtfully developed in a three dimensional manner. Allison is proud, strong, scarred, unsure, supportive, needy, quirky, determined and all the other sometimes contradictory traits that make us human. In the end, she is a decision maker whose choices and actions always remain true to herself. The subtleties of the book's ending help to illustrate this point well.

The plot of Allison Hewitt is Trapped also rolls along well. Roux provides a good balance of action, reflection, and dialogue. I now also appreciate the differences between the blog and book formats. Obviously, the blog format was more suspenseful as you were literally awaiting an unknown time when the next portion of the story would be revealed. You could choose to read a chapter of the book every couple days to recreate this, though I did not. I did find the book appropriately suspenseful anyway and found a new appreciation for other parts of the story in book form. Unfortunately, when most of your energy is used for anticipation and then devouring the next segment, you miss some of the finer points of the actual writing. Reading it in its entirety as a book allowed me to slow my mind and actually get into Allison's world. Roux, like all truly gifted writers, writes about human psychology and relationships. This isn't zombie fiction any more than The Godfather is a mob movie. These labels are a backdrop to the true brilliance of either of these two works; seeing human characters interact with each other and within themselves as different situations present themsleves. We learn more about humanity and ourselves through them. Make no mistake, there are cool zombie related action and humor. Some of the humor is even laugh out loud funny (see especially the haikus, comments on illustrations, and zombie knock-knock joke that will never get old no matter how many times I go back and look at it.) In fact, I will even add that the action is both compelling and a good balance of graphic and restrained in order to paint a more vivid picture in your mind (assuming you are like me and create an ongoing movie experience in your own mind while reading the book).

The real excellence in Roux's writing, however, is her cultural reference and ability to use the English language. She is clever in her use of cultural reference, drawing from a wide range of areas from Odyseuss to French Art to Zombie Geek references. Each time this device pops up, it is well used and connected to other portions of the story and never, in my opinion, over done or forced like in the work of so many young intellectual authors who seem to feel the need to prove how smart or in the literary know they are (I especially enjoy the Book Title chapters; they fit well with the feel of each chapter and the book as a whole.) Roux's use of language, however, is the more important point as this sets the stage for all of the aforementioned positives. Roux is able to craft sentences, paragraphs, and chapters that are vividly descriptive while not laboring for a page about the color of the sky. The written and unwritten emotional reality of each character at each point in the story, the key to any book, comes to life because of Roux's ability to use the gift of language so well. I also appreciate that she continued with the blog device in the published book. As I would imagine would likely happen with a person in this scenario, the blog goes from "cry for help" to "cathartic and therapeutic connection to the outside world" as Allison's needs shift during the story's progression. In extreme human circumstances it is that connection to other life that usually does prove most necessary. The blog comments also help enrich the story by giving us a sense of the "full" story of the "Outbreak" rather than just our narrator's particular exploits. I believe, for these reasons, that this book will appeal to all people who enjoy strong writing and great literature that makes you consider the human condition. Zombie enough to appeal to that crowd, emotional enough to appeal to that crowd, literary enough to appeal to that crowd. Though not a perfect book (though I really liked the ending of the story, the last "letter" did not appeal to my particular taste) it is a very thoughtful, engaging, full, and fun experience not to be missed.

Now that you have read the substantive part of my review (long I know, but befitting of this beautiful book), here is the important part: Ignore all of this. Just READ. Just climb into the book and become a part of it. Let the story run in your mind and see the world of the book. Look inward and outward toward yourself and the world through the situations and characters. It will be a very enjoyable experience! I, for one, am excited to add Roux to my short list of authors whose books I will purchase sight unseen based on the strength of previous book and the author herself.(less)

like · see review

Jan 23, 2011 Valerie Hurwitz rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I found myself staying up late in order to finish this book. I read it first in the blog format and I thought I would skim through much of the original material, but I found myself drawn into reading it again, laughing for the second time at the jokes, witty dialog, and funny diagrams.

Books in this genre are often written by men and run the risk of reducing women to archetypes--the whore, the female warrior, the damsel-in-distress, etc. Roux does an excellent job with her heroine and creates cha...more

like · see review

Jan 22, 2011 Suspense Magazine rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

In this novel, written as a blog complete with comments, we join a huddled mass, mid-zombie-apocalypse, hiding out in the employee break room of a bookstore. The blog device is well used and the book is liberally sprinkled with humor. A military wifi called sNet has survived The Outbreak, even though military personnel seem not to have, and, across the globe, whenever laptop owners can get recharged, they hang onto this tenuous thread to keep up each other's spirits.

Allison Hewitt, book lover an...more

like · see review

Dec 22, 2010 Amanda rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: post-apocalyptic, first-reads, horror

I don't normally do zombie novels or movies at all, but this one sounded interesting and off-beat enough that I decided to try it--she's blogging about her experiences during a zombie apocalypse and starts out trapped in a bookstore, how could I not? And I'm glad I did, because I loved it. The characters are very well written and I fell in love with almost all of them, especially Allison. The pacing is good and sarcastic dialogue between the characters is great. The blogging form is an interesti...more

like · see review

May 22, 2012 Gina rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Allison Hewitt is a grad student and part-time bookstore clerk when the zombie apocalypse occurs. She becomes trapped in the break room with some co-workers and loyal shoppers. This lasts about a week or so (or the first 100 pages or so) before staying trapped is no longer an option. Thus begins a journey to find a safe place, her mother, and a way to save her friends with little more than an ax clearing the way.
This book began as a War of the Worlds style blog. Instead of a realistic radio pro...more

like · see review

Jun 08, 2011 Jason Fischer rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I first picked up this book due to the interesting concept, "Allison Hewitt is Trapped" being a stitch-up work designed from a blogged novel. I truly wanted to enjoy this book, and while the basic idea appealed to me, for several reasons the narrative is flawed and ultimately did not deliver the goods.

It's a brave experiment, attempting to invest chick-lit sensibilities into a post-apocalyptic piece, but one that just doesn't gell when you look at suspension of disbelief. The upbeat aspects of t...more I first picked up this book due to the interesting concept, "Allison Hewitt is Trapped" being a stitch-up work designed from a blogged novel. I truly wanted to enjoy this book, and while the basic idea appealed to me, for several reasons the narrative is flawed and ultimately did not deliver the goods.

It's a brave experiment, attempting to invest chick-lit sensibilities into a post-apocalyptic piece, but one that just doesn't gell when you look at suspension of disbelief. The upbeat aspects of this narrative are a welcome relief from the grinding ennui typical to this subgenre, but when held up against Maslow's hierarchy of needs, the episodic moon-calf introspection of the protagonist is completely misplaced. I just couldn't buy that characters in absolute mortal peril would frequently pause to cogitate about their relationships, have extended D&Ms, and all continuously engage in sassy upbeat dialogue in this somewhat sanitised apocalypse.

Of course characters have relationships, even in wars and natural disasters, but the stakes are significantly higher at these times, the moments of love much more fragile and poignant. This just reads like a post-pubescent's initial approach to awkward romantic liaisons, occasionally interrupted by starvation and what should be a terrifying wave of rotting cannibal corpses (but aren't).

(And seriously, how is there a working wireless router every 3 blocks, when the wheels have fallen off everything else?)

That's not to say there aren't enjoyable plot twists in this story, but the supporting characters are cipher-like at best, the protagonist is a Mary Sue if ever there was one, and the framing aspects of the chapters (comments threads from the blogged experience of the protagonist) are distracting.

Humour in such a dark setting is hard to pull off, but I'm gonna have to sadly give a thumbs down to this genre mash-up. Apparently there's a sequel to this book, I'd be interested to see if a purpose-written novel in a standard format is a better vehicle for this concept.(less)

3 likes · like · see review

Jan 27, 2011 Lucas rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is a great book to read if you're looking for something out of the ordinary. The book begins with a blog entry from Allison Hewitt, which is the format of the novel. In the first entry she informs readers that she is, surprisingly, trapped. Trapped with her are 5 other people whom she works with works with at a bookstore. They are trapped due to the spread of a zombie infection that has recently occurred prior to the opening of the novel. Despite the desperate call for help in her first ent...more

like · see review

Jul 16, 2011 Sara rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is definitely a book worth picking off the shelves. I did so originally at my local bookstore, mostly because A) I tend to trust most of the "employee recommends" shelf and B) I'm a sucker for a girl with an axe. To be honest, at first the blog format threw me off a bit - not aware of the fact that this originated as an experimental fiction blog, I wasn't sure how this unconventional format would carry on through the novel. However, I was soon too caught up in the action to even notice the...more

like · see review

Nov 19, 2012 Little Raven rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: zombies

I enjoyed reading this book. I wasn't blown away with originality or creative plotting or thought-provoking social commentary, I just enjoyed reading about a zombie take-over. The most stand-out element of this book, from a writing point of view, is the characterization. There are lots of terrific, memorable characters, something many zombie books lack. Yes many of these characters are killed off or left behind not long after they are introduced, but many are more memorable than I expected.

Now f...more

like · see review

Apr 17, 2011 Lianne Burwell rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: zombies, library

Sometimes it amazes me just how many zombie novels have been coming out recently.

This one, which began life as a fiction blog, is done in the style, sort of, of blog entries. Allison starts the blog locked in the back room of the bookstore she works at, with co-workers and a couple of customers, while zombies roam outside. Apparently, the military has a special wireless network that got activated, so she has access to the internet, so long as she gets power for her laptop. This was one of those...more

1 like · like · see review

Mar 28, 2011 Michael rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2011

When the zombie apocalypse happens, Allison Hewitt is working her regular shift at a local bookstore. Allison and several co-workers hide inside the book store's office, complete with a security monitor and Allison's laptop. As zombies wander the store, Allison and the rest of the survivors must band together to survive and consider their next move as they wonder if help will ever arrive.

Told in the form of blog entries, "Allison Hewitt is Trapped" takes a page from "The Walking Dead" and concen...more

6 likes · like · see review

Jan 13, 2013 ShyleeJ rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-on-my-kindle

I really enjoyed the writing style for this book it was a fun twist and very original.

One woman's story as she blogs - and fights back - the zombie apocalypse

I've been very into survival books these days. Any kind of survival books. Plane crashes, stranded on islands, zombie apocalypses, just regular apocalypses, the whole sha-bang! Thats what I've been reading these past months and this book was definitively one of my favorites.

Allison gets a lot of tragic (but entertaining) things thrown her...more

like · see review

Aug 14, 2012 Laura rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

And so continues my zombie loving phase. I tried to cut back, I really did. I picked up an Anita Blake book to read but then this caught my eye and that was that until I made my way through this. Allison Hewitt is Trapped is based in a world immediately post-zombie-apocalypse. We don't get to see much of how zombies came about or why as to the main characters this is not important. They just want to stay alive.

The book begins in the breakroom of a book shop with a small number of staff and custo...more And so continues my zombie loving phase. I tried to cut back, I really did. I picked up an Anita Blake book to read but then this caught my eye and that was that until I made my way through this. Allison Hewitt is Trapped is based in a world immediately post-zombie-apocalypse. We don't get to see much of how zombies came about or why as to the main characters this is not important. They just want to stay alive.

The book begins in the breakroom of a book shop with a small number of staff and customers being trapped within. They hope in the beginning for rescue but as time passes they realise this is not going to happen and eventually decide on a plan to move on. The book is written in a blog style, as if Allison our main character is actually writing entries on a blog and updating whenever she can find wireless internet which as you can imagine becomes harder and harder as more time passes. I loved this style as I thought it quite ingenious to keep the reader more interested as it is quite fresh and realistic. However it had its flaws as every time you began a new entry you knew that Allison had to have survived what ever scenario she was describing in order for her to have been able to upload that entry in her blog so it sometimes took from the suspense a little. What I really enjoyed were the comments at the end of every blog entry from other survivors around the world and how they were all finding different ways to cope.

Allison's friends change as the book progresses and she becomes closer to some and loses some more. Each character brought something to the table though and each one also had an effect on Allison, be it good or bad. I thought it was really interesting to read how so many different type of so-called ordinary people coped in such a frightening time.

Anyway I'm going to try to avoid zombie horror for at least two or three books just so I don't make myself start to hate it a little. Surely at some point it will all start to seem the same. Although how long have I been saying that about the vampire genre and it hasn't happened yet...(less)

like · see review

May 15, 2012 Keith Chawgo rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I have just finished Allison Hewitt Is Trapped by Madeleine Roux. Unfortuantely, for me it is written in the first person which always creates a problem for me in a novel of this ilk in that when a chapter ends in a cliff-hanger - you know the main character has recovered as she is telling the story and the next chapter is 20 pages and starts with the word I.

Putting that aside, this novel does complete the check list for zombie horror which include - normal people stuck somewhere with one taking...more I have just finished Allison Hewitt Is Trapped by Madeleine Roux. Unfortuantely, for me it is written in the first person which always creates a problem for me in a novel of this ilk in that when a chapter ends in a cliff-hanger - you know the main character has recovered as she is telling the story and the next chapter is 20 pages and starts with the word I.

Putting that aside, this novel does complete the check list for zombie horror which include - normal people stuck somewhere with one taking command, a neurotic, a couple in love, the strong type who loses it, etc but then it almosts turn this formula on to its head to a slight degree. The characters are well written and very likable. As it is written from the first person, you really do not get into the heads of the other characters and have to take them at face value.

Fortunately, she doesn't whine and moan like Bella in the Twilight Series and she doesn't walk through the series depressed like Katniss in the Hunger Games series. Allison Hewitt is a very strong female character and this is where the novel does lift itself up above the norm. This character does what she needs to be done and isn't apologetic about it. She doesn't moan about what has happened and she doesn't get all depressed and woe is me at the first sign of mayhem. She has a job to do and she is pretty well going to do it. She is bright, courageous, an incredible violent streak and at times very thought proking.

Some of the episodes in her drama are a bit too stereotyped but the author does handle these quite well. The violence is quick and fast pace and as this is written as a blog, the use of comments gives the reader an idea of what is going on in other parts of the world. Some characters write comments throughout where others make their comments and then are never heard of again leaving the reader to imagine what their fate was.

Overall, I would recommend this as a light read and something that you can just get into and read rather quickly. It is quick, thought provoking and doesn't linger trying to prove a point. It is a piece of fluff or a summer read that will carry you briskly through from one set piece to the next.

Madeleine Roux, could be a talent to watch out for due to her strong feminine narrative. I will now move on to her next book....'Sadie Walker Is Stranded'. (I guess she may need to work on her titles abit but at least they do as they say on the tin. (less)

1 like · like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 99 100 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one »

Recommend it | Stats | Recent status updates

combine
Other Editions (10)

More editions...

Genres

Horror > Zombies

190 users

Horror

84 users

Apocalyptic > Post Apocalyptic

23 users

Young Adult

18 users

Fantasy > Urban Fantasy

14 users

Fantasy > Paranormal

13 users

Science Fiction > Dystopia

12 users

Fantasy

10 users

Adult Fiction

8 users

Science Fiction

8 users

See top shelves...

Readers also enjoyed similar books

Rise Again: A Zombie Thriller
by Ben Tripp
Dead of Night
by Jonathan Maberry
Fighting to Survive
by Rhiannon Frater
Zombie Britannica
by Thomas Emson
The Becoming
by Jessica Meigs

About Madeleine Roux

MADELEINE ROUX received her BA in Creative Writing and Acting from Beloit College in 2008. In the spring of 2009, Madeleine completed an Honors Term at Beloit College, proposing, writing and presenting a full-length historical fiction novel. Shortly after, she began the experimental fiction blog Allison Hewitt Is Trapped. Allison Hewitt Is Trapped quickly spread throughout the blogosphere, bringin...more

More about Madeleine Roux...

Books by Madeleine Roux

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About Allison Hewitt Is...

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »

Quotes from Allison Hewitt Is Trapped

“I’m lonely, and he can see it. Maybe everyone can see it.” — 6 people liked it

“And if they do, I hope heaven is a road trip. I hope it’s
you and me and Renny and Ted with nothing but time on our hands. I hope it’s, I don’t know, crossing an immeasurable distance with your closest friends.” — 2 people liked it

More quotes…

title link	preview: Allison Hewitt Is Trapped
avg rating	preview: Allison Hewitt Is Trapped Goodreads rating: 3.85 (1397 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10227042-allison-hewitt-is-trapped?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327883453l/10227042.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10227042-allison-hewitt-is-trapped?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Allison Hewitt Is Trapped by Madeleine Roux[/url]

Allison Hewitt Is Trapped (Zombie #1)

Friend Reviews

Community Reviews

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website