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Dead Tropics

by Sue Edge (Goodreads Author)

3.97 of 5 stars 3.97 · rating details · 88 ratings · 29 reviews

IN THE MIDST OF A CATASTROPHE LIKE THE WORLD HAS NEVER SEEN, ONE WOMAN WILL STOP AT NOTHING TO PROTECT HER FAMILY. Lori Nelson has always seen herself as an ordinary woman, doing the best she can to juggle family and her work as a nurse. But the most dangerous creature in nature is the mother whose offspring is threatened... When miners release an ancient virus Lori is at...more

Paperback, 240 pages

Published May 7th 2012 by Permuted Press (first published December 15th 2010)

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Aug 01, 2011 Felicia A rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: apocalypse-of-some-sort, zombies, teotwawki

3.5

In some ways, your standard zombie fare, in others, new and different. Outbreak happens, world turns upside down, and Lori, a mom, has to do what she has to do to rescue her kids. She ends up rescuing others in the process, and has some hard, painful choices to make several times.

Story takes place in Cairns, Australia, on the edge of the rainforest, which is not the norm. Lori has her own sad story, and wouldn't do well with more personal loss. She comes to grips quickly (too quickly!), and...more

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Jun 03, 2011 Peace Love and Reviews rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I believe I've said this a thousand times, zombie novel... not a fan. We'll that's because what I was exposed to was the Zombie types that were integrated in the fictional society as domesticated, harmless, like Fido. I admit I've read probably two YA novels that were not that bad (story wise) but a rotting body will never be appealing, for me. I like them flesh eating and terribly lifeless the conventional depiction of the walking dead. I am a huge fan of the zombie movies, I probably saw most...more I believe I've said this a thousand times, zombie novel... not a fan. We'll that's because what I was exposed to was the Zombie types that were integrated in the fictional society as domesticated, harmless, like Fido. I admit I've read probably two YA novels that were not that bad (story wise) but a rotting body will never be appealing, for me. I like them flesh eating and terribly lifeless the conventional depiction of the walking dead. I am a huge fan of the zombie movies, I probably saw most of what was released in theaters and the ones that went straight to DVD. The ones that got infected with mutated rabies virus (from a rat), ebola, cancer treatment serum, or some type of bio-chemical weapon. But whatever the cause, they all end up into flesh eating creatures that will devour your flesh and turn you into one of them. So when I read the back cover of Dead tropics, I knew that this is one of those zombie novel that I'd highly appreciate. As soon as I got it in the mail, I started reading it.

I will say it again, it is true when they say do not judge the book by its cover. I am not a fan of the cover but the story it provided greatly covers that flaw. Like any other zombie related event, the book starts with a normal day that turned into an end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it kind of deal. They believe the cause of the outbreak was from encephalitis. Small town Cairns, Australia is where it was set. One thing a movie that does not really provide in great details, is how the characters feel, how they formulate their plans and what's going on inside their head. The main character, Lori is everybody's heroine, a strong character from beginning till end. The drive to save her family and the strength to survive will make every reader root for her. It was fast paced and charged with adrenaline. Where to run, where to hide, how to both and live... I appreciate the graphic details (an essential for any zombie novel). I believe this is also the first time I've read a zombie apocalypse from a female perspective. I was impressed. (less)

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Aug 01, 2012 Mindy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: dream-reader-dreamer2229-blo

At the end of the book the authors asks that the readers pass on the infection, which I gladly do now. Generally I find zombie books fall into the “B movie” category of books, however every once in a while you find a book like “Dead Tropics” that elevates the genre to a new level. While this is a “zombie” outbreak book, the main point of the story is family and how that definition changes or strengthens with adversity.

Lori, the main character, is a typical suburban mom with a teen and toddler...more

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Jul 29, 2012 Patrick D'Orazio rated it 4 of 5 stars

Dead Tropics starts out on a typical morning in Cairns, Australia, except for the fact that several miners have been reported with cases of encephalitis and are being sent to local hospital. They had been given consent to mine in the area of the Cape Tribulation Rain Forest, to the north of Cairns. Lori Nelson is a nurse and mother of three who has to report to her job at the hospital after dropping her kids off for the day.
We soon discover that whatever infection these miners suffered from is...more Dead Tropics starts out on a typical morning in Cairns, Australia, except for the fact that several miners have been reported with cases of encephalitis and are being sent to local hospital. They had been given consent to mine in the area of the Cape Tribulation Rain Forest, to the north of Cairns. Lori Nelson is a nurse and mother of three who has to report to her job at the hospital after dropping her kids off for the day.
We soon discover that whatever infection these miners suffered from is something that has been likely buried in this previously untouched rainforest and it brings the dead back to life. Suddenly the world is turned upside down as Lori must join forces with several other members of the hospital staff to fight their way out of the ever increasing circle of danger and death that engulfs the hospital and the downtown area of the city. Within a few brief hours of infection, the miners have died, risen up, and infected everyone around them. Lori’s small crew race ahead of the growing outbreak and try to safely collect those they can save, including Lori’s kids and her sister’s family as well, with the hopes of escaping the city before it’s too late.
This is a zombie tale that definitely speeds along at a rapid pace. Many undead stories that focus on the outbreak itself try to keep the energy level up throughout the story but tend to slow the tempo down at one point or another. Such is not the case here, where the energy level remains high throughout, with barely any time for the reader to breath. Of course, the somewhat unique angle played here is that Lori is a mother, and a fairly normal one at that. She isn’t a superhero or has any special skills outside of the fact that she is a nurse, which does come in handy when an attempt is made to stop infection from spreading from a bite suffered by a loved one. Other than that, the only thing that Lori seems to possess out of the ordinary is a stubborn determination to protect her family and to be a leader who takes charge of every situation they confront. All in all, she is a realistic character that does her best, failing and succeeding in making good choices along the way, like most of us would do under the same circumstances.
It appears that an editing error pointed out by some other reviewers has been taken care of in this electronic version of the book. The only glitch in the story that I noticed was the death and repeat death of a minor character within a couple of pages fairly early in the story. The character is so minor he doesn’t even have a name, just a designation: B2. Even with this, the writing is crisp and keeps things moving along, with little in the way of editing complaints to nag about.
There is a bit of romance in this story, though it doesn’t necessarily distract from the story as it can in some zompoc tales. Lori’s blossoming relationship with Mike is front and center at a few select points in the story, but it remains subtle and in the background the rest of the time as they race from one danger to the next. The important thing, in my mind, is that it didn’t feel forced or overdone. Instead, it was a done with a deft hand and made sense based on the intensity of the experiences the characters were coping with.
As I always try to do, I point out issues that I have with a story. Overall, Dead Tropics is a solid work with a voice not often heard in zombie fiction: that of a mother protecting her family. I did take issue with the fact that while the spread of the virus from the hospital seems to be a uniform process of it going street by street, and inch by inch, it jumps well past its outer range at one point to create a convenient situation for the main character, forcing her to deal with ‘taking care’ of a couple of infected people she knows and who are very important to another key character. The area where this takes place is otherwise still clear of infection-so much so that the next door neighbors seem oblivious to anything impending doom. It is possible and I’m sure there would be an explanation, but it still seemed like a convenient plot development. Still it, like the dual deaths of the insignificant character I mentioned earlier, are minor things, but worth pointing out.
While Dead Tropics is a fairly traditional zombie tale, with Romero type zombies and plenty of gore, mayhem, and bloody action, what makes it really stand out is its main character. There certainly have been other female leads in this genre, but not many (or any that I can think of at the moment) whose focus was on protecting her young children and doing everything she could to keep them alive. There have been those who have lost their children and those who are not the main focus of the tale, but this story zeroes in on her particular experiences and does a good job with it. The author gives us a strong, appealing character with emotional depth and passion without sacrificing anything that the gore hounds and action fans want, which makes this a fun, solid zombie apocalypse read. (less)

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Jul 15, 2012 Persephone rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: zombies

BEST ZOMBIE BOOK that I have read so far. It is fantastic and it kept me intrigued the entire length of the novel. In terms of zombie books with a high level of action, it is going to hard for other zombie books to surpass this book.

Lori is a great protagonist. She is fiercely independent and a willing fighter. She takes on the zombies in order to rescue children from the children's ward in the hospital and in order to save her sister's neighbors. Lori is really courageous but Edge allows the re...more BEST ZOMBIE BOOK that I have read so far. It is fantastic and it kept me intrigued the entire length of the novel. In terms of zombie books with a high level of action, it is going to hard for other zombie books to surpass this book.

Lori is a great protagonist. She is fiercely independent and a willing fighter. She takes on the zombies in order to rescue children from the children's ward in the hospital and in order to save her sister's neighbors. Lori is really courageous but Edge allows the readers to know that Lori has a vulnerable side. Lori is afraid of what is going on around her but she has a need to try to help others that tends to over-ride her fear.

One of the great things about this novel is the inclusion of children as survivors. Most books and movies only have adult as survivors. Edge has included about five small children and two teenagers in the book. It shows a different perspective of what a zombie apocalypse would be like if the adults had to worry about their children. It adds to the story because finding and protecting the children are added as obstacles that need to be overcome but also make the adults vulnerable and human. It is the children that bring down Lori's survival character to realistic level. She is mother trying to protect her children and that is why she is willing to fight zombies.

The action is non-stop which might be the best feature of the novel. Lori is swimming with crocodiles to evade the zombies, crawling under cars, running over cars, and stealing cars. It is really exciting to read the action scenes because they have enough to details to create a movie in your head. The supporting cast also have their action scenes. The action never really stops and certain event will surprise the reader. I wasn't expecting the final boat scene but it is one of the best one in the books. It's not due to the action but the suspense surrounding it.

The only negative thing I could say is that I'm not entirely sure how the virus originated. Did the miners released something or did they not? I have to be honest, I really do not care because the book was highly entertaining that it made me forget to question the origin of the virus. In fact, I'm going to let it slide and not deduct a half butterfly (which is what I should do but won't) because Lori's journey is fascinating and heartbreaking at times.

Dead Tropics is a five butterfly. Non-stop action, a compelling heroine and children as survivors make it a fantastic book.

{I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review as part of a blog tour.}(less)

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Jul 05, 2012 Louisa rated it 5 of 5 stars

Oh, great book, showing what humans will do to both survive, and protect their children! Loved it!

*Full reveiw from Words I Write Crazy on 5/7*

Dead Tropics is an excellent book, it's got zombies, touching scenes, threat of death, and survival, Dead Tropics encases a great storyline, and characters! Lori's had a lot of tough times, but she's a strong leader, and if this was YA, I'd say that she was the opposite of a TSTL, because she takes charge, and she's strong. Really loved that!

1 thing that...more

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Sep 02, 2012 Joe rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: zombie, apocalypse

This is a great book and a really fun read! Sue Edge has written a fast paced, scary story about a regular mom trying to save her kids during a zombie outbreak in Australia. The sheer level of creepiness and dread throughout the novel sometimes had the hair on the back of my neck standing up. There was also a touch of romance in the story line, which I have to admit, got me a little misty eyed toward the end. In the zombie/apocalype genre, this is definitely one of my top 5 picks. I hated for it...more

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Oct 04, 2011 Maria rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Does anything get better than a mother trying to save her children from killer zombies in a tropical rainforest? I mean, it's like the perfect equation for gore and suspense!

Dead Tropics actually surprised me with how fast the story jumped into the action. But even though it moved quickly, I still had enough time to actually care about all of the characters - which is pretty rare.

I don't want to say too much about the book, because I'm afraid of I'd give it all away. But basically, I can say t...more

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Dec 29, 2011 Jayme rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

Great book. Nothing new in the zombie genre but nothing done bad either. Very exciting. Extremely fast paced and relentless action. Look forward to more from the author.

I have read quite a few zombie books and plan on reading quite a few more. This is one of my favorites. I really liked the tone of her book. She does a really good job of bringing you into the world without having to use a lot of time describing it. The plot is very standard for a zombie novel. For example, Lori, the main charac...more

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May 07, 2012 Stephen Hermer rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It is books like this that make me really happy to own a Kindle.

The writing is excellent, the story exciting, and the characters believable. There is some romance, but it is reasoned and makes sense in the story.

What I loved:
- the author describes things in heart-rending detail
- the characters reminded me of real people
- there were none of the military villains or rape gangs that are so common in zombie novels
- cannot beat the price

What I didn't love:
- I would have preferred a longer story... pe...more

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Dec 24, 2012 Tiffani rated it 2 of 5 stars

It started well. Island is overrun by zombie plague. Family has the good fortune to live in a house on stilts opening to the dense jungle giving it superior protection. But it devolves into a trite love story and overly predictable ending that can be seen from a mile away. Also, I get really irritated when people in books or movies do dumb things. There is somewhat of a plethora of that happening in this book. So, beach read only in my opinion.

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Sep 26, 2012 Lana rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: zombie-apocalypse

One of my all time favorite Z books! Its a rip roaring good story that starts out with a bang and doesn't slow down. Love, love, love the main character, a woman who's an ER Nurse and most importantly a Mom who is trying to save her kids. She's a character that is very easy for readers to relate to as she has to learn survivial skills as she goes...and most of it at a run. There were parts that gave me chills and even made me cry...in a zombie novel!!! I seriously cannot wait for the sequel to b...more

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Sep 03, 2011 Brandy Hunt rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is one of those novels where you wish you could give half stars, however, instead of rounding down I rounded up.

While this is a very basic zombie apocalypse tale, the characters are very sympathetic and engaging. I found I had a hard time putting this down once I picked it up. There are some unique elements to this story that you don't often see in the usual zombie story.

For one, you see the hospital being overrun from the point of view of the staff instead of the point of view of a patien...more

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Oct 15, 2012 Nicole rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, b-kindle-books, a-favorites, g-zombie-apocalypse, b-kindle-lendables

This book quickly became one of my top favorite zombie apocalypse books for me.
It stayed true to form with the classic 'zombie infection' details and had a likable heroine, and the easily lovable, yet damned hero.
I will anxiously look forward to the release of book two next year.

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Oct 18, 2012 Dee Streiner rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

I was surprised by how great this book is. I've read a lot of zombie stories and have to say that this one is by far my favorite. I gave up so much sleep because I couldn't put it down. Can't wait for the next one. This book could easily be a movie, a great movie at that! PS Sue Edge, you broke my heart toward the end..I won't spoil it but you know what you did!

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Oct 19, 2012 William Siracuse rated it 3 of 5 stars

More so 3.5 wasn't a bad book and the story was solid enough to make me want to read the sequel when it comes out. The only negative I found was a couple minor proof reading misses and the feeling that just when the author ramps up the story she went all in a kinda teenie bopper horror way. The Babies....

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May 12, 2012 Felicia A rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: apocalypse-of-some-sort, books-i-have-edited, teotwawki, zombies

YAYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Another editing project is now a published book! Check out the newly released Permuted Press edition of Sue Edge's Dead Tropics. Zombies? In the jungle? Why yes, thank you very much!

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Mar 12, 2013 Will Decker rated it 4 of 5 stars

First, I wish the author would take a tape measure and go outside and play with it for a while until she gets a better handle on distances. At first I thought she meant 300 feet and not 30 feet, but it didn't take long to realize the author's sense of distance was a tad skewed. But that aside, for a zombie tale it was very emotional. The character development was excellent. I actually enjoyed the overall story and the writing style. I cracked up near the end when little Sarah first raised her ha...more

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Aug 25, 2012 Jessie Potts rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: zombie

This was highly enjoyable. Lori is a soccer mom (so to speak) and manages to save her family. She's a bit too perfect, but overall this was a great zombie book.

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Feb 18, 2013 Matt rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebooks, lendablekindle

DEAD TROPICS was a pretty standard zombie novel for the most part. There was nothing new in this story opposed to many other zombie stories, but it was pretty well written and entertained well enough. It's definitely one of the better zombie stories I have read as of late and had some really good characters (tho some of them didn't make it in the end).

Overall a great story, most zombie fans should find a good time in reading DEAD TROPICS. I'll have to look into reading the sequel when it comes o...more

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Oct 10, 2012 Angie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: dystopian, horror

thoroughly enjoyed this book. was really great to read an Aussie story set in Queensland. can't wait to read book 2!

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Jan 12, 2013 Joy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: pixel-of-ink-freebies

Good zombie outbreak story for the insomniac. Fast read.

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Sep 18, 2012 Sheri White rated it 5 of 5 stars

Different take on the zombie trope. Lots of fun!

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Oct 07, 2012 AH marked it as to-read

Shelves: kindle-freebies, own-not-read

Kindle free download 10/6/12.

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Apr 07, 2013 Nina rated it 4 of 5 stars

Great zombie read!

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Feb 19, 2013 Krysta rated it 5 of 5 stars

I really liked this book and can't wait for the next one. There were some things that were annoying to me like the repetition of some things. There were quite a few zombies that lost either their legs or lower halves and were crawling at them. Another thing is the Mike situation. I really did not want anything bad to happen to him. But oh well its done lol. I just cannot wait to devour the next one!

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May 07, 2013 Amanda rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

The first person POV gives an immediacy to the writing, and is actually well done, unlike many first person stories I've read. And I like the different setting. The end is a bit formulaic, but overall, a good read.

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Dec 09, 2012 Darimar rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really don't know how I feel about this book. It got me from the start and is full of action, but I'm grieving.... (In complete denial and hoping for a miracle, if there's a second book)!

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Apr 11, 2011 Amanda rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: zombies, free-read, favorites, horror

Absolutely fabulous.

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Nov 19, 2012 Nicole Hansen rated it 5 of 5 stars

I thought it was very well written and didn't lack in action. Definitely worth the read and I can't wait for part 2 to come out in 2013!!

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