Plague Town (Ashley Parker, #1)

Apr 17, 2013 JennyJen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: o-o, kickass, zombies, funny

**No spoilers.

This is a surprisingly good zomb book. I say surprisingly, because, as much as I may love them, a lot of zomb books are notoriously crappy. For me, what makes a good one is hardcore zomb action, mounting suspense/dread, a sense of poignancy/emotionality, and engaging characters. Plague Town is 3 for 4.

There was definitely a lot of hardcore zombie action in this one and the dread/suspense was also on point. More than one "Oh, shit" was uttered from my lips while reading this one. I...more

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Apr 03, 2012 M.R. Gott rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Plague Town by Dana Fredsti is the first Ashley Parker novel with two more promised. Fredsti’s novel balances in near perfection the familiar horror conventions people such as myself search out, while remaining fresh and never becoming clichéd and predictable. This is an incredible feet to accomplish. Ashley Parker the novel’s clear main protagonist fits well into the pantheon of tough female leads in a horror fiction. The character succeeds because of a carefully crafted balance of emotional st...more

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Mar 08, 2013 Gillian (Tattooed Book Review) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: bts, zombies, favorites, urban-fantasy

I want to be Ashley Parker when I grow up!

This action-packed zombie adventure features Ashley Parker: a cool, sexy, bad-ass zombie fighting heroine. Her inner and outer strength, quirky sense of humor, and relatable vulnerability make Ashley one of my favorite female leads of all time. Put her in the midst of the motley crew of immune “Wild Cards” that are her supporting cast and the result is a brilliant group of characters.
As they fight to contain a budding zombie outbreak, our characters face...more

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Mar 22, 2012 Dana Wright rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: zombies, infection, survival

Zombies, zombies, zombies!

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May 09, 2012 Jason (FNORDinc) rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: gave-up-reading, reviewed, reviewed-on-fnordinc

EDIT 05/23/12: It has come to my attention that I failed to note this book was well written. I would like to be clear that the author is descriptive and has no trouble putting sentences together. It was only my opinion of the the plot content that I had trouble with as outlined below, and as stated, each person should make their own decision.

~~
Original Review -

I hate giving bad reviews but it happens. My tolerance levels are pretty high for trash fiction. When I begin reading a book, I work har...more

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Mar 25, 2012 Kristin (MyBookishWays Reviews) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: horror, zombies, urban-fantasy

You may also read my review here: http://www.mybookishways.com/2012/03/...

Ashley Parker is attending college in the small town of Redwood Grove and dating a pleasant enough guy. Life isn’t too bad, so when she and her boyfriend are attacked by shambling, rotting corpses one night while on a date, and said boyfriend runs away and leaves her for dead, things suddenly take a turn for the worse. That’s an understatement. Ashley is bitten, but instead of turning into one of the zombie horde, she figh...more You may also read my review here: http://www.mybookishways.com/2012/03/...

Ashley Parker is attending college in the small town of Redwood Grove and dating a pleasant enough guy. Life isn’t too bad, so when she and her boyfriend are attacked by shambling, rotting corpses one night while on a date, and said boyfriend runs away and leaves her for dead, things suddenly take a turn for the worse. That’s an understatement. Ashley is bitten, but instead of turning into one of the zombie horde, she fights off the virus, and comes out of it stronger, faster, and…immune. After being nursed back to health by a super-secret military organization, they ask her to join an elite group of fighters called the Wild Cards, which are made up of civilians that are immune to the virus, just like Ashley. She knows something has to be done to save as many survivors as necessary, so agrees to join the group. Little does she know how terrifying things are about to become…

Author Dana Fredsti has a background that folks like me will totally geek out about. We’re talking stuff like sword-fighting on the set of Army of Darkness, guys, and it shows in Plague Town. The lady knows her weapons (especially those of the bladed variety), and isn’t afraid to take Ashley to new heights of ass-kicking. Plus, she gave her heroine a name that can be shortened to Ash…yeah, you know you like it. Ashley Parker is a pretty normal chick with a smart mouth that just won’t quit. She’s a lot smarter than your average girl, though, and the pop culture references come hard and fast. More geeking out, of the awesome kind. The author does a wonderful job of balancing the serious, the funny, and the downright grotesque, creating a zom novel that will please fans of Jonathan Maberry’s Dead of Night, etc.

Ashley takes on her new role with chutzpah and more than an ounce of bravery and her attraction to her handsome and enigmatic instructor Gabriel isn’t without drama, and adds a nice little dash of romance to the story. Ms. Fredsti also manages to throw in some interesting twists to the zombie virus that will have those little hairs on the back of your neck standing on end. I chuckled, I cringed, and I cheered (quietly, so as not to disturb the rest of the house), as Ashley and her rather ragtag (and somewhat charming) band of zombie warriors fight the hordes and rescued survivors. If you love zombies, strong, sarcastic heroines with heart, and fight scenes that will knock your socks off, you’ll devour Plague Town!(less)

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Mar 19, 2012 Kilt rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Sure, I'm biased, but what can I say? Dana Fredsti is my favorite zombie author! She's one of the only authors who can do funny, scary, creepy, sexy and action adventure-y all in the same book - except for Inara Lavey - now, that woman can write too (JK; they're the same person)!

This is the first Titan books release that wasn't a spinoff from an existing franchise, and you can see why - it's a terrific read in every sense of the word. I have to tell you I'm in complete agreement with the other...more

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May 30, 2012 Kristin rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

4.5 stars.

I’d really been wanting to read Plague Town and was thrilled when I saw it in a box of books I’d won from at Urban Fantasy Investigations (http://urbanfantasyinvestigations.blo...), so a huge thanks goes out to Stacy for such an awesome prize.

I absolutely loved this book. After the last zombie novel I read turned out to be a disappointment, I needed a good one to cleanse my palatte and this definitely did the trick.

While I thought the cause of the zombie outbreak was obvious, I thought...more 4.5 stars.

I’d really been wanting to read Plague Town and was thrilled when I saw it in a box of books I’d won from at Urban Fantasy Investigations (http://urbanfantasyinvestigations.blo...), so a huge thanks goes out to Stacy for such an awesome prize.

I absolutely loved this book. After the last zombie novel I read turned out to be a disappointment, I needed a good one to cleanse my palatte and this definitely did the trick.

While I thought the cause of the zombie outbreak was obvious, I thought other parts of Fredsti’s zombie world building were very original. I’m not going to ruin anything, but let me just say this isn’t the first time something like this has happened, unbeknownst to the general population. And I love how whatever it is that is causing people to reanimate after death triggers different reactions in wild cards, making them immune to zombie infection and also giving them enhanced, well, everything.

I totally loved all of the characters and was cringing thinking that some of them would be sacrificed to the immutable law that someone you’re supposed to be rooting for will always die in a zombie tale. Ashley was an amazing character; just the right amount of snark, smarts and vulnerability. I’m not going to go into my love for each character individually because the length of this review would be ridiculous, but let me just say that they all have unique personalities that I adored. And though I know it was probably only done for ironic reasons, high five to the author for making one of the best characters a vegan!

One of the best parts about the book, aside from the realistic portrayal of zombie hacking and gore, was the references to sci-fi and horror movies. I’m not a horror fan at all but they were appropriate and the sci-fi references had me cracking up. One movie was being quoted by three characters at the end and I was like, I know this, and when they all came to what was the final line, I was almost on the floor laughing.

This was such a fast read that I couldn’t wait to pick up again once I had to put it down (damn sleep and work!). I can’t wait until Plague Nation comes out, though I have no idea when that’ll be!
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Jun 11, 2012 Felicia rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012-read, kindlepurchase2012, 4-25-wine-glasses

Read for Bookclub
Overall Rating: 4.25
Story Rating: 4.00
Character Rating: 4.50

First Thought When Finished: What an absolutely fun ride! Perfect addition to my zombie shelf!

What I Loved: The thing I loved most about Plague Town: the banter. I was pretty much living for the moments of dialogue between the characters. There were some pretty witty, fast-paced barbs traded and I loved each and every one! Ash was a great leading lady! She manages to get in and out of so many troubling spots that you ca...more

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May 13, 2012 Julie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: first-reads

Action, blood, gore, violence, hilarity and zombies. If you like any of those than this is the novel for you.

Plague Town is a new zombie series that grabs your attention from the very first chapter and keeps the pace going throughout. I read four pages and I was hooked.

The book is told through Ashley’s point of view but occasionally we get to see a zombie’s point of view or how someone is becoming infected. This is a way for us to see beyond Ashley to glimpse at what is happening as the virus is...more Action, blood, gore, violence, hilarity and zombies. If you like any of those than this is the novel for you.

Plague Town is a new zombie series that grabs your attention from the very first chapter and keeps the pace going throughout. I read four pages and I was hooked.

The book is told through Ashley’s point of view but occasionally we get to see a zombie’s point of view or how someone is becoming infected. This is a way for us to see beyond Ashley to glimpse at what is happening as the virus is spreading and how it correlates with the main characters. For some reason these glimpses seem to die down around half way through the story which was disappointing.

The zombies were very descriptive and the addition of sound effects you could almost hear was excellent. Weapons and fighting/battle functions as well as formations were depicted thoroughly to ensure better understanding of the scenes.

Characters were believable which made them seem more real and likable. Although the main character, Ashley, seemed a little immature at the beginning, I still found her amusing. Her character gets better through the story which may have been the author’s way of showing the changes we go through as life throws new challenges and the affect they have on our overall personality. I like Gabriel’s character and am curious how things will turn out with him in the long run.

Although it’s pretty evident to the reader early on what caused the virus, the characters do not discover the cause until near the end of the story. The zombie virus had a few twists that I found interesting. There were several references and quotes from horror books and movies that I think horror fans will enjoy. Myself included.

This could be the beginning of a promising new series. The author did a great job of creating zombie fiction and opening multiple possibilities for the future of the series direction. Definitely a series I would continue and will be looking forward to the next book.

I recommend this book to all zombie lovers.

*Although I won a free copy of this book through a Goodreads first reads giveaway, my review is not altered. This is my honest opinion. (less)

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May 21, 2012 Michelle rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I saw this book in the store and decided to buy it for my Kindle. I am not a big "horror/zombie" fan but the story sounded interesting. Despite my reservations I found myself enjoying it. It made fun of its as it went by acknowledging the horror movie/book cliches but in my opinion it was done the right way. The heroes of the book were not you typical characters. They were ordinary people thrown into a nightmare situation and forced to deal with the reason their help is need. I look forward to r...more

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Apr 27, 2013 Kelly Scott rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

When I first purchased this book I was attracted to the cover, the description and was immediately sucked into the first chapter as I stood in line to purchase my books. The back of the book made mention by a review This book will have you locking the doors.
There are few books that mess with my imagination! This book messed with my imagination! This I find wonderful as few books really suck me into the world.
As I was reading the book that night I could not put it down. My dog was placed in my...more

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Apr 12, 2013 Lyndsey Luther rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

You can also read this review here.

“People are dying. Then they are waking up. Hungry.” This tag-line, used on the back cover of Dana Fredsti’s novel “Plague Town,” pretty much sums up the plot of every novel or movie about zombies ever made. If you’re a fan of those to begin with, chances are you’ll enjoy this book. It’s chock full of all the classic clichés and plot standards we’ve all come to expect from a zombie story… shambling, rotting corpses, a team of people trying to survive against al...more You can also read this review here.

“People are dying. Then they are waking up. Hungry.” This tag-line, used on the back cover of Dana Fredsti’s novel “Plague Town,” pretty much sums up the plot of every novel or movie about zombies ever made. If you’re a fan of those to begin with, chances are you’ll enjoy this book. It’s chock full of all the classic clichés and plot standards we’ve all come to expect from a zombie story… shambling, rotting corpses, a team of people trying to survive against all odds, and (of course) lots of headshots and guns.

Ashley Parker, a woman in her late twenties returning to college after a divorce, is ready to buckle down and earn herself a degree. But her plans (and her entire life) are thrown into chaos when a deadly flu begins spreading throughout the small college town she calls home. Those who die from the flu rise from the dead and develop a taste for human flesh. But Ashley is a special case… she’s one of a few select individuals who are not only immune to the zombie disease, but are granted super-human powers by it as well. She must now bond with her fellow “Wild Cards” and learn how to fight, shoot and survive in a college town which is now home to a massive swarm of hungry, shambling corpses.

If you’re thinking that this sounds a little clichéd, you’re completely right. However, Fredsti does a great job of lamp-shading the clichés by dropping almost constant pop-culture references, both in dialogue and in the main character’s thoughts. While waiting for an approaching zombie swarm, Ashley thinks that the fog looks like something straight out of a movie like “Dawn of the Dead.” However, you can only hang so many lamp-shades before it starts to feel a bit tedious. I certainly didn’t count them, but there seemed to be at least one pop culture reference every five pages or so. The references to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Army of Darkness (on which, interestingly, the author actually worked), Twilight, Aliens, the SyFy Channel and any number of others are dropped with such annoying frequency that I started to dread them more than the rot-infested zombies. It felt almost as if the author fancied herself as Gretel, dropping pop-culture bread crumbs along the path and hoping that the reader would gobble them up and continue following her to the conclusion of the story. I also have to worry about how well this book will age due to all these references. Buffy the Vampire Slayer has a dedicated fan following now, but in ten or twenty years will anyone remember who she is, save for a small handful of Joss Whedon fans? Being as well-steeped in nerd culture as I am, I understood the vast majority of the references, but some fell flat even for me.

The characters (when they’re not spouting quotes from horror movies) are relatively well-rounded and likable. I did have trouble believing that the main character, Ashley, was supposed to be in her late twenties and already a divorcee… her outlook on life and reactions to people around her made her seem immature and a little bitchy. Even after the advent of the zombie apocalypse, after which you’d think she’d mature a little, she continues to rattle off snarky retorts to the other characters. She seemed to be one of those people who are constantly trying to prove to everyone around them that yes, they’re a badass. It doesn’t make her unbelievable as a character, just unlikable, in my opinion. She does have redeeming qualities though, mostly shown in her interactions with another of the main characters, Lily. The friendship which blossomed between the quiet, withdrawn Lily and the boisterous Ashley was well-written and enjoyable. The other Wild Cards had distinctly different personalities and voices and I enjoyed them for the most part, though I never formed a real connection with any of them. When two are suspected to be dead at one point in the book, my reaction wasn’t “Oh no!”, it was “Oh well.”

The descriptions of the zombies themselves, the scenery and the battle scenes were very well-written and engaging. Fredsti has a gift for evoking vivid mental imagery, probably due to her background working in the horror film industry. Several chapters are written from the point of view of some of the zombies, and these were particularly haunting and disturbing. The military terminology was well-handled and accessible even to those who have no military background whatsoever. The few sex scenes were steamy, the romance angle was well-played and believable, and the prose was simple and elegant. Every so often I had issues determining who was speaking because the dialogue wasn’t tagged well, but those occurrences were few and far between. The climax of the novel fell a little flat, but the lead-up to it was exciting and action-packed. This last comment may not bother most people, but for me, it was an immediate immersion-breaker and continued to bother me for the entirety of the novel. At one point, the author chose to use the acronym “WTF” in Ashley’s thoughts. I understand that the choice was probably made in order to hammer home the fact that the main character is a “modern woman,” but if you want to be a serious writer, text-speak is off the table. Unless the character is texting, that is. And even then it should be a last resort. I would expect this in a paper written by a middle school student, but NOT in a published novel.

Overall, I would say that if you go into “Plague Town” expecting unexpected plot twists, rich characters whose situations make you reflect upon the human condition, or cunningly worked prose, you will be sorely disappointed. The novel feels exactly like the B-movies so often referenced in its pages, and if you keep that in mind, you will find yourself with a pleasantly entertaining read following the adventures of Ashley and her fellow Wild Cards.(less)

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Aug 03, 2012 Jessica Bronder rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Ashley and her boyfriend, Matt, are going to school in the little town of Redwood Grove. Lately there has been a sever flu, called Walkers, is going around that has nearly incapacitated most of the population. To try to combat the flu, a vaccine has been given to several people. Ashley is just recovering from Walkers. One night, Matt and Ashley have a late night picnic when a group of zombies attack them. Matt is infected but Ashley has a rare reaction to the virus.

This reaction makes her a Wil...more

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Jul 20, 2012 Leigh Lane rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Ashley Parker has had a hell of a time: she has a rotten ex; she’s returned to college in her late twenties; and she’s just survived what is quite arguably the worst flu she’s ever had. Unfortunately, that’s just the tip of the iceberg. The dead have begun to reanimate and are wrecking havoc on her quiet college town—and it is up to her and a handful of “wild cards,” people immune to the strange infection behind the plague, to restore order within the quarantine zone and prevent a potential pand...more

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Jul 19, 2012 James rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Plague Town is set in a small college town in Northern California. The story centers on Ashley Parker, a college student who is recovering from Walker’s. Walker’s is the name of the flu that is sweeping the town and its inhabitants.
What sets this novel apart from others is the writing style. Told in 1st person using Ashley as the primary character, the reader is pulled into her scholastic world as she makes snide comments and struggles with academia. Toss in a zombie outbreak that is an offshoo...more

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Jul 18, 2012 Vanessa rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Okay, so this book is pretty cliched. If you're one of those people who's constantly thinking while reading, you probably won't be able to finish this book because all the similarities to other books, movies and TV shows will make you gag. That being said, if you're the type of person who can judge every book individually or if you don't read a great deal of zombie/horror books, you'll probably end up liking this book.

I skimmed through this zombie tale. Why? I knew who would die and how as soon...more

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Jul 05, 2012 Shiloh (SnarkyWriter) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: sci-fi, horror

This review also appears on my blog.

Ashley's just a regular non-traditional college student trying to get over her divorce when the zombie outbreak occurs. When she and her boyfriend are overwhelmed by the walking dead, Ashley discovers that she is a "wild card"--not only immune to the disease, but enhanced by it. She and her fellow wild cards are recruited by the military to help stop the zombie menace before it can spread beyond the town . . . if it isn't already too late.

I burned through this...more This review also appears on my blog.

Ashley's just a regular non-traditional college student trying to get over her divorce when the zombie outbreak occurs. When she and her boyfriend are overwhelmed by the walking dead, Ashley discovers that she is a "wild card"--not only immune to the disease, but enhanced by it. She and her fellow wild cards are recruited by the military to help stop the zombie menace before it can spread beyond the town . . . if it isn't already too late.

I burned through this book in about 4 hours. It's incredibly fast-paced and well-plotted, and I had to know what was going to happen next. The chapters are very short and tend to end on mini-cliffhangers, as well, which helped the speed with which I read it.

Plague Town is a classic zombie tale, which you'd expect from a screenwriter/actress who worked on Army of Darkness, Dawn of the Dead, and Day of the Dead. It's blurbed as "Buffy meets The Walking Dead" and that's not far off; the wild cards are just enough extra-normal to give them an edge in zombie-fighting, but normal (and untrained) enough to be in real danger from the zombies. They wisecrack and pop-culture-reference their way through the "zompocalypse," which for a geek like me is hilarious and enjoyable (especially since I understood all but one reference, and I only partially missed that one). To keep it from being too predictable, however, there is one zombie-type that is completely unexpected and creepy as hell, and I can't wait to see what Fredsti does with that.

The only thing(s) that keep this book from a solid 5 stars are frequent (and irritating) nomenclature mistakes (they're magazines, not clips, and that sound the ex-military survivalist heard was safeties being released, not M-4s being "cocked"). Also, the first couple of combat scenes are cringeworthy, and the only way I made it through them was by reminding myself that the wild cards have had maybe two days' worth of training by this point. (That doesn't explain why they keep using their melee weapons instead of their guns, or why slinging their rifles doesn't hinder their movement in any way.)

Those small irritations aside, I thoroughly enjoyed the book and will definitely be reading the rest of the series.(less)

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Jun 07, 2012 Tom Chaney rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I didn't plan on reading PLAGUE TOWN. Initially I was just curious about the cover (I guess I'm a "chicks with swords" kinda guy). But then I came across a review based on a relatively small portion of the book -- a practice I'm not crazy about -- and decided to test the accuracy of said review. So I located a copy and gave it a whirl and ended up enjoying it much more than I expected to.

First the obligatory plot summary: college student (Ashley Parker) gets bitten by zombie but finds out she's...more I didn't plan on reading PLAGUE TOWN. Initially I was just curious about the cover (I guess I'm a "chicks with swords" kinda guy). But then I came across a review based on a relatively small portion of the book -- a practice I'm not crazy about -- and decided to test the accuracy of said review. So I located a copy and gave it a whirl and ended up enjoying it much more than I expected to.

First the obligatory plot summary: college student (Ashley Parker) gets bitten by zombie but finds out she's immune to the virus; ends up recruited by secret paramilitary organization to contain a zombie outbreak near small town in Northern California. The book is written from a first-person viewpoint as so many are these days, and the narrator has a quippy, pop-culture-saturated voice that the larger audience should enjoy but some may find a bit grating in large doses. I thought most of her observations and asides were pretty humorous, but by the same token there are times when they bleed the tension from what could have been more suspenseful scene. At first the narrative is interspersed with third-person sequences of zombies being "born" or finding prey, so we do get to see things outside of Ashley's purview, but these vignettes seem to dry up about halfway through, which is too bad. I enjoyed the variety and was looking forward to seeing the exploits of these zombie killers through eyes other than Ashley's.

The characters can be a little wobbly at times, mostly toward the start. One not-so-subtle sequence has a general (who Ashley dubs "General Brasshole") trying to recruit her for his team. He is the standard caricature of an Evil Military Man and pretty over-the-top, and her response is not much better; she comes across so strenuously anti-military in this scene, it's like she forgot it was soldiers that just saved her bacon a few chapters earlier. Plus, why is she so angry that the military is dissecting/experimenting on zombies? Especially when she'll be hacking them to pieces herself just a short training montage later? It's an odd sequence, but once it's over a different commander is introduced and all the characters settle down and start to gel much better. Plus the action begins to pick up as well, and that's never a bad thing.

The zombies are handled with obvious affection, including a creepy new hybrid introduced along the way. I especially liked one sequence where Ashley and a team member venture into the infested town to rescue the other member's cats. I'm sure some readers will roll their eyes over this, but it fits well with another book I'm currently reading, NO BUDDY LEFT BEHIND, about the private operation to rescue animals adopted by soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. If you don't think people would go to extremes to protect their pets, give that book a try. I haven't finished it yet, but so far it's a very moving account and highly recommended.

Tension in PLAGUE TOWN could have been increased a bit by offing a few more characters along the way to raise the stakes (as is, it sorta reminded me of Stallone's EXPENDABLES where no one was particularly expendable after all). But then this is obviously the first in a series of novels, so maybe the author will be upping the body count in later volumes. I hope so, and that she changes things up as she goes. Some of these series tend to simply reset the gameboard and replay the same book over and over again only with different names and locations, and that can get tiresome pretty fast. But I think given what she's established here, this could be the start of a very entertaining series. I will definitely check out the next book when it comes out. Even if it doesn't have a chick with a sword on the cover... :)

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Apr 11, 2012 Richard Hartman rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Yet Another entry into the "zombie disease" genre has appeared, and it's good. "Plague Town" by Dana Fredsti.

Her writing style is breezy and fun when she is dealing with the main story,and the little vignettes between the chapters following the zombie family are suitably creepy. There are a ton of pop culture references in the text, which makes the book more believable for me. I hate the "sanitized" culture you find in many books where they have no common points of reference with you because th...more

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Apr 10, 2012 Mardel rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

After a short prologue where you read about a young mother who is exhausted, taking care of her sick husband and child then having them turn on her...Plague Town segues into a first person account of Ashley Parker.

Ashley Parker lives in a college town, Northern California, and she's recently become sick from a very strong flu called Walker's flu. Seems people are dropping left and right from this flu, even the people who have been getting flu shots. Ashley notices that she's not looking too good...more After a short prologue where you read about a young mother who is exhausted, taking care of her sick husband and child then having them turn on her...Plague Town segues into a first person account of Ashley Parker.

Ashley Parker lives in a college town, Northern California, and she's recently become sick from a very strong flu called Walker's flu. Seems people are dropping left and right from this flu, even the people who have been getting flu shots. Ashley notices that she's not looking too good - in fact, her skin has a kind of gray cast to it...

After being sick for quite a while, she finally attends her first day of classes. Only she's missed quite a few because of her illness and has to deal with a rather judgemental teaching assistant.

The next time she goes to class she notices that the lines at the local coffee shop are shorter, less people are about and even in the class where she had such a hard time finding a seat, there is now plenty of seats...and the judgemental teacher's assist is now absent. Seems this Walker's flu has really knocked people on there asses.

Later she goes out with her boyfriend, they're in a secluded area, making out (sound familiar? we've watched a variation of this in many movies, lol) when they are attacked by rotting people, one of whom manages to bite her.

Luckily for her, she's rescued and spends the next few days suffering from what feels like the worst flu ever - when she finally comes out of it, there is her teacher from that one crowded class (which was about plagues and diseases through the ages...hmmmm). Ashley finds out that she's fortunate - she's immune to the the zombie virus. And her teacher is actually part of a covert black ops type of company that has been around in one form or another through out time - taking care of the zombie plagues that have taken place. Wow.

One of the side effects of Ashley being a wild card (immune to the zombie virus) is increased senses and strength - as well as healing ability. However, Ashley and the few other wild cards are not immortal. Just resistant and a stronger. Nice. Except that now she and the others are now strongly recruited into service with the army branch and the zombie fighting co. They are trained and sent out to do battle with the zombies.

You could view parts of this book as familiar - you could also view it as a nod to all the zombie movies that have been made. I had fun reading it, though some parts of the story might considered cliche - but hey - how many truly original stories are really out there? Most of the novels we read are variations of a variety of plots. It's the different writers that give the novels depth and interesting narration, subplots, dialogue (so very very important, people! Extremely important!!!!! You could have a wonderfully narrated book, with sweeping vistas and grand plots....but the lame dialogue can totally turn it into a ....well.....okay - a piece of crap, okay? haha. a little harsh, but really, the wrong dialogue can totally ruin a book for me.) Dana Fredsti had a couple of twists in her novel and she mentions quite of few of those zombie movies and books that have become legendary in our entertainment culture. (Max Brooks-on impulse I bought my oldest son the first survival guide novel this guy wrote-Dawn of the Dead, etc) I love reading a book that has mentions of other writers and movies.

Her main character was able to make new friends and keep a snarky wit about her (though it wasn't too snarky) . There were a few characters that I enjoyed reading about - the other wild cards were from a varied cross section of personality types. There was a shy girl, a postman, a punkrocker type, a handsome young black man, and a very aloof thirty something white woman, so aloof she's basically unfriendly. Now I bring up the black man because when I came across his character, I thought...oh boy, here it is. The cliche. This is the one guy that's going to get killed. With every single time that they went out, I expected him to get killed. Just remember all those movies - whether it's a slasher, horror or zombie movie - who usually gets it? The one black guy - the black guy who so handsome/personable/helpful/or even daddy-figure like. Yep - they always end up being one of the victims. Ask anyone who watches any of those films - usually that's what happens - like the red shirts in Star Trek...they're always doomed.

But Nooooooooooo. At the end of Plague Town, this man was still alive - not only alive, but one of the best characters - even though he's portrayed as a playa'.

There is the inevitable asshat army guy - the one that's such an asshole, yet in charge of the group. Except he's not around for long.....Mwhahahahaha....

Anyway - if you like zombie horror with a bit of humor to take the edge off of what's going on with all the gore and mayhem, this is a good book. It's entertaining, humorous and shivery. Oh Yeah.(less)

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Apr 07, 2012 Paranormal Haven rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: reviews-by-beth-guest-reviewer

3.5 stars

Ashley goes back to college after recovering from the Walker flu. The flu seems is sweeping the campus. When she and her boyfriend go for a night time picnic they are attacked by zombies. After her zombie encounter she learns that she is a ‘wild card.’ Wild cards once bitten go through a transformation that increases their senses and reflexes. Her, and a small percentage of others make up a team to help rid the town of the zombie problem.

I really enjoy zombie stories, so when asked abou...more 3.5 stars

Ashley goes back to college after recovering from the Walker flu. The flu seems is sweeping the campus. When she and her boyfriend go for a night time picnic they are attacked by zombies. After her zombie encounter she learns that she is a ‘wild card.’ Wild cards once bitten go through a transformation that increases their senses and reflexes. Her, and a small percentage of others make up a team to help rid the town of the zombie problem.

I really enjoy zombie stories, so when asked about this one I devoured it, kind of like how zombies devour people. Plus it has an idea behind it I haven’t encountered before. Not that some people are immune, that’s been done, but that it transforms them into better killers of the undead. It may have been done before, but I haven’t read anything that has that. From page one it reads like an urban fantasy. It is told from Ashley’s POV, and like most urban fantasy heroines, she is smart, kick ass and snarky. The story carries itself really well towards the end, and its pacing keeps the plot moving forward until the last quarter of the story. The last quarter of the novel feels rushed. I started to find myself emotionally detached from the characters and the environment.

The story is not that different from most zombie stories, but what is different is the scale of the infected. We learn that throughout our history there have been pockets of infection. A specialized group takes care of the infected, works with governments, and then covers up what happened. In this Ashley is bullied into the group that kills zombies to save their town. There is a side romantic plot line with the guy in charge of her group. He also has a nice little secret of his own. The story is pretty cut and dry and not fully original.

Who doesn’t like to read about a kick butt heroine who slays the undead? At first I was completely sold when it came to Ashley, but as more wild card characters are introduced I found myself at a distance. Ashley shows a great deal of emotion for fellow wild card Lilly, and very mixed emotions about her team leader Gabriel, but that is where things stop. Zombie stories are sometimes less about the zombies, and more about the psychological damage of the protagonists involved. It would be hard to watch people eat others to death, especially children doing it. Ashley adapts well to the horrors around her, maybe a little too well for me. There is also the strange relationship between her and Gabriel. The first tense scene between them creates a want for more, and when the reader does get more it feels unreal, or too rushed to an end.

Zombies here are for the most part your classic example. They don’t run, they shuffle, sway and moan. The characters are all knowledgeable of the classic zombie fiction, and even give movie quotes along the way. These small quotes and references didn’t take away from the story, but made it humorous (not all the time funny, but parts). There is a good bit of rotting corpses in full display, and they do take bites of people, but the true horror of the zombies felt lost. This is mostly because we are in Ashley’s head, and after a while they are just things to kill. There are POV switches at the end of chapters. The story cuts to people becoming zombies or being devoured. These small scenes are horrific goodness!

Plague Town feels like a combination of urban fantasy and zombie horror which is nice. It also sprinkles in a romantic subplot that I started out enjoying, but became rushed. The plot is very simple, but it does have some original flavor when it comes to getting bit. The zombies are gross, and smell funny, but they were not as frightening as I wanted them to be. I also wanted it to bother me more emotionally than it did. I would recommend this to urban fantasy fans, but hardcore zombie lovers might have a few complaints with it.
- Beth(less)

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Mar 25, 2012 OpenBookSociety.com rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Review brought to you by OBS staff member Dawn

I’ve never been a big fan of zombie books. They’re usually really gross and too detailed. For the most part, I steer clear of these type of books. That said I couldn’t put it down! It’s that good!

Initially I was wary of the changing points of view, but I found it helped ease me into the story and it broke up the intensity. Fredsti did a great job of being in a zombie’s head space to the point of being seriously creepy.

I like the premise of some peopl...more

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Aug 13, 2012 Amy Neilson rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I absolutely LOVED this book, I cannot wait for the second book in the series. Some things are typical of the zombievursr, but there are other parts I had only thought about myself! The group of Wild Cards are amazing, and it makes them all the lead character, instead of Ashley being the only one. I love the aspect of a relationship between two different wild cards, and I know people have problems with this, but really, if there was a zombie out break, and you or anyone you knew could die or wor...more

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May 02, 2012 Casey rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I love the topic of zombies. It's gross, but- it's cliche and familiar. The survivors either live, or they die. The entire book/movie is pretty much told in the word 'zombie'. So, picking up Plague Town- I thought I knew what to expect. Disease outbreaks, kills the town, survivors are left having to be heros and each other. What I didn't expect? The sassy characters themselves. For the most part, there aren't any whiny characters that refuse to accept their fate and be part of the team. The char...more

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May 19, 2012 Tonya rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: zombies

I'm waffling between 2 & 3 stars. I'll tell you why as succinctly and spoiler free-ish as possible.

I liked Ashley's understanding of the zombies right away & we didn't have to go through the whole "I don't understand, what are these things are that are dead, but alive?" She knew what a zombie was, great! She knew a lot of movie quotes, which was cute in the beginning but wears on you (or just me) throughout the rest of the book. I didn't like Ashley's 'smart mouth' for most of the book,...more I'm waffling between 2 & 3 stars. I'll tell you why as succinctly and spoiler free-ish as possible.

I liked Ashley's understanding of the zombies right away & we didn't have to go through the whole "I don't understand, what are these things are that are dead, but alive?" She knew what a zombie was, great! She knew a lot of movie quotes, which was cute in the beginning but wears on you (or just me) throughout the rest of the book. I didn't like Ashley's 'smart mouth' for most of the book, some quips were cute, funny or endearing but sometimes if I was there I'd a smacked her myself. This is telling; as I am usually right there with a smart mouth remark in real life myself.

I was not buying the whole zombies have been with us forever and we even had to sink Atlantis because of them. NO! We all know Atlantis is another world accessible by a StarGate. Hrmph.
The Black Plague was really zombies? Nope. Not possible. Try again.
So the history of zombies via Dr. Fraser in Plague Town is laughable & I knew within the 1st five pages what was causing it all but it took till page 344 before anyone else even thought about it, some of these characters were even scientists and they couldn't see the statistics of certain groups? Stupid.

So, you're probably asking, if I didn't like A and B how could you give it 2 or 3 stars? Well, it was the blood and gore and the supporting characters that I liked. Let's face it zombie book = blood and gore and that's the way it should be.

All in all an ok book. Things that made me giggle, made me roll my eyes, and things that go squishy when you step on them.

I do have an issue and it is a spoiler so if you really, really don't want a spoiler then don't click on this ---> (view spoiler)(less)

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Jan 31, 2013 Niko Ramsey rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: book-club-book, fiction, meh, not-worth-the-hype, paranormal, read-in-2013, series, nook-read

All I can say is meh. I will be the first to admit that, outside of the Walking Dead, I'm not a big fan of zombies. Vampires, werewolves, even fairies I can get behind, but there's nothing sexy or even forbidden about zombies, and therefore nothing to appeal to me. In regards to this particular book, while I fully admit it's well-written (which was probably the only reason I finished it,) there were just too many problems for it to stand out to me like The Walking Dead does and make me forget th...more All I can say is meh. I will be the first to admit that, outside of the Walking Dead, I'm not a big fan of zombies. Vampires, werewolves, even fairies I can get behind, but there's nothing sexy or even forbidden about zombies, and therefore nothing to appeal to me. In regards to this particular book, while I fully admit it's well-written (which was probably the only reason I finished it,) there were just too many problems for it to stand out to me like The Walking Dead does and make me forget that, oh yeah, I hate zombies.

We're introduced to Ash, a girl of indiscriminate age (at times she felt 20, others 40,) and her life as a college student with a boyfriend that she doesn't love, but loves to have around. Almost immediately we're introduced to the "sexy T.A." who hates her. Almost immediately, the reader knows this will be the real love interest. Zombies attack, chaos ensues. Ash is bit and her boyfriend is killed, and we find out she's what's called a "Wild Card," or a human that's been bit, but didn't change. Ash and all of the other Wild Cards in town are taken in by the military to form a civilian group- that apparently only needs two days worth of training, and most of that training is watching zombie movies.

Maybe they've changed things in the last few years, but I somehow think there's a bit more to the military than that- even if you are fighting zombies instead of terrorists.

Now let's move on to this poor excuse of a love affair, shall we? Sexy-T.A., whose name I don't remember and I frankly don't even really care about, turns out to be an army general or something (again, don't really care,) and he spends a good part of the book being an absolute asshole. Ash, whose boyfriend was eaten by zombies, mourns said boyfriend for maybe two minutes until she's perfectly fine again, and absolutely NO ROMANTIC LEAD UP occurs until, SURPRISE! They're both so in love with each other and nearly having sex in the hallway. They end up having a fight instead, and it's forgotten about except for the occasional mention of her ignoring him because she's being childish, and then BAM! They're having sex in the bathroom and he's her boyfriend again.

Um, what?

Granted, I didn't expect Shakespeare level of genius here, but don't act like I'm stupid. Throw me a character-development-bone here.

All in all, the only good thing about this book, besides the fact that she is, for all of her flaws, a talented writer, was that they went back for the cats. What can I say? I really, really love cats.(less)

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Jan 28, 2013 Sinn rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: no one

When I first picked this book up, the concept seemed neat and—for a zombie book—somewhat original. Unfortunately, after 350 pages, I didn’t find anything original in the book.

The prologue had me hooked! I loved seeing the zombie virus starting at such a small, intimate point. Something about that opening was extremely powerful and gripping. However, even with that amazing start, the book went downhill in a hurry. Looking back at it, the quote at the onset should have been a big clue into the res...more When I first picked this book up, the concept seemed neat and—for a zombie book—somewhat original. Unfortunately, after 350 pages, I didn’t find anything original in the book.

The prologue had me hooked! I loved seeing the zombie virus starting at such a small, intimate point. Something about that opening was extremely powerful and gripping. However, even with that amazing start, the book went downhill in a hurry. Looking back at it, the quote at the onset should have been a big clue into the rest of the book: “’That’s how it always beings. Very small.’”

One of the things that will really set me off with any novel is a whiny, sanctimonious, arrogant, and cocky heroine. Add to that heroine the fact that she has an entitled attitude and cannot understand why people don’t kowtow to her. For me, that is the perfect description of Ashley Parker. She is an extremely one dimensional character, lacks the maturity of a twenty-nine-year-old, and is downright annoying. I found myself getting excited when she was first bitten by zombies. I was completely baffled as to why a twenty-nine-year-old divorcee would act just like a fresh faced, eighteen-year-old freshman who expects the world to bow to them. After being married to a professor, I would have thought she might be a little more respectful. I guess I was wrong. Honestly, I could understand why her husband went after an eighteen-year-old coed.

The incident with her TA, Gabriel, almost caused me to choke on my water. I couldn’t believe that a TA would behave that way! Granted, he had every right to be pissed that she walked in late. He was also well within his rights to throw her out of the classroom. However, that being said, he was belligerent in his treatment of her diet in the classroom. Add to that, he was way out of line in the student union. There is no way in hell that he would have gotten away with that type of behavior! I also couldn’t understand why no one called the campus police when he assaulted Matt. To say I was appalled at the author’s treatment of this is an extreme understatement! When I read the incidents to my father, a professor, he was equally disgusted. Further, if Professor Fraser excused Ashley’s absence, her TAs would have been made aware of that. That being said, what is Ashley doing walking into class late? If she was too sick to make it class on time, stay home! In addition, if you’re late, don’t make lame excuses for your absence while holding a cappuccino and a muffin. It shows a deep lack of respect.

The whole conspiracy theory behind Pompeii and Atlantis is too farfetched; it made me suspend my disbelief too much. If the author had said that drawings and early writings led them to believe that Pompeii was overrun by zombies, they had reason to believe that this virus was traveling alongside the Bubonic Plague (maybe gaining a foothold due to decreased immune systems), etc., I could have handled that. As it is, I found myself thinking the author should have used Dan Brown as a consultant.

Aside from a terrible heroine and the ludicrous incidents with her TA, the pop culture movie references were way too much. Honestly, as a reader, I felt as though the author was beating me about the head and shoulders with them. It felt as though the author was trying to show off her movie prowess, and the fact that she was in one. Using actors to describe people is also a cheap way of not doing the work (14). As a reader, I felt kind of cheated. Further, for a book to last, it has to stand the test of time. Ten years from now, people will not understand over half of the references the author dishes out. It won't be culturally relevant. “’It’s okay, Rico . . . cough cough,’ Tony grinned at us. ‘I don’t mind dying, because I got to have you.’ Another dramatic cough.” (315) If I hadn’t seen Starship Troopers a few years ago, I wouldn’t have caught this reference. Before that, the last time I saw the movie is when it came out in 1997. To me, the quote only made sense in context of the movie, and, even with that, it was completely out of place. This is a prime example of the movie allusions throughout the book. They only make sense if you’ve seen the movie and sometimes that is a stretch. In addition, it was not lost on me that—after name dropping Evil Dead and the author’s role in the movie—the main character in a zombie book is named Ashley and called Ash. Obvious? Oh, wait, they decided to give her a codename of Ash because of Evil Dead >.< It was as though the author was saying, “Look, here are my credentials! I was in Evil Dead; therefore, I am an authority on zombies!” On top of that, when Tony wanted to listen to the score from Army of Darkness, I almost beat my head on the coffee table. If I thought it couldn’t have gotten any worse, it did . . .

And, just as an aside, the publisher needs to invest in a good editor. Wow, the inconsistencies between sentences in the same paragraph, pages, etc., were just priceless.

On all fronts, this book was a total bust. It was not an enjoyable read, the characters were one dimensional at best, the clichés were over the top, and the movie quotes/references were enough to kill anyone. I’m sorry to say this, but it felt as though the author was trying to cash in on the rising popularity in zombie fiction. This book wasn’t original, it was underdeveloped, and in serious need of major content editing. As it stands, Plague Town is on top of my “used bookstore” stack.
(less)

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Mar 06, 2013 Lori- Lusty Penguin Reviews rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: bts, horror, fantasy

Prepare yourself for the zombie apocalypse in Dana Fredsti’s Plague Town. Fredsti takes well-known zombie lore, changes it up, and builds her own unique zombie-filled world. Her descriptions are so marvelously detailed that you feel you are right there with the characters fighting the zombies. Fredsti captivates readers with Ashley Parker a kick-butt, sharp-tongued heroine with a soft heart. The sniping and attitude between Ashley and Gabriel, a team leader, creates plenty of sexual tension. The...more

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May 27, 2012 Patrick Nichol rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This novel is so much fun, I can't begin to list all the things I liked about Dana Fredsti's new Ashley Parker franchise.
It's smart, witty and chock full of kick-ass action rivalling the best of the Zombie movies.
Of course, that's to be expected from an author who is also an actor that appeared in Army of Darkness. Take her protagonist, Ashley Parker or Ash for short. When the disaster hits, she's a wise-cracking college student with a boyfriend and a chip on her shoulder.
But when the Zombie Apo...more

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Plague Town (Ashley Parker #1)

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