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The Enemy (The Enemy #1)

4.07 of 5 stars 4.07 · rating details · 5,529 ratings · 834 reviews

They'll chase you. They'll rip you open. They'll feed on you...When the sickness came, every parent, policeman, politician - every adult - fell ill. The lucky ones died. The others are crazed, confused and hungry. Only children under fourteen remain, and they're fighting to survive. Now there are rumours of a safe place to hide. And so a gang of children begin their quest...more

Hardcover, 448 pages

Published May 11th 2010 by Disney-Hyperion (first published September 3rd 2008)

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young adult dystopian novels- no vampires or zombies

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Community Reviews

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Oct 20, 2012 Laura rated it 4 of 5 stars

”We can’t lose all we believe in. Our sense of right and wrong, said Maxie. Just to survive.
Just to survive? There’s no just about it. Survival is everything.”

Have you ever noticed that big budget everyone-is-pretty-as-all-hell-even-covered-in-blood Hollywood horror movies hardly ever kill kids? The kids escape, live to tell the tale, and walk off into the sunset with their “happily-ever-after” tucked under their arms. Well….let me say here and now—the same can NOT be said for a Charlie Higson w...more

24 likes · like · see review

Aug 09, 2010 Aaron Vincent rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: dystocalypse

Perhaps the most brutal and goriest YA dystopia novel I ever read. It's bloodfest almost every chapter. The novel is jam-packed with things that makes peace-loving bitches wince. Zombie attacks, strong language[There is a line from a character that shocked the hell out of me: "I didn't like him. He's getting on my tits!". Fuck Yeah Awesomeness!] cannibalism, and gladiator, everything. It's bloody, dark, violent and best of all, it's pure fun. Definitely not for the faint heart and sensitive stom...more

19 likes · like · see review

Mar 02, 2013 Nessa rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, review

Once upon a time in a land far away, your friendly neighbourhood reviewer Vanessa read a book called Gone by Michael Grant.

It did not end well.

She gleefully picked up three of the Gone books in a box-set for £10 on her first ever visit to CostCo. She read the first one, was not amused, and the rest have been duly shipped off to the local library collection.

Vanessa wrote a review of it (here), but in summation, it was a clever idea that meandered far too much and wound up turning incredibly stra...more

9 likes · like · see review

Apr 09, 2011 Priscilla rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

SO GROSS. And yet so satisfying. Recommended for those with an iron stomach and are not 'faint of heart'.

Check out my video review!

12 likes · like · see review

Feb 19, 2012 Erin rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: people who can handle blood and guts, awesome people, action lovers

Shelves: action-packed, amazing-reading-experience, dark, disturbing-moments, great-characters, grrl-power, little-romance, want, multiple-narrators

Aw yeah. This is more like it.

I usually read books that are more romance-heavy, and reading this has really proven to me that I needed a break. This book was SO GOOD, you guys.

I'm not much into summarizing, so in short: for some unknown reason, all adults and older teens (at the time the illness struck) have either died or turned into a zombie-like creature. They will kill and eat any children they can. The Enemy is about a large cast of young characters trying to stay safe by any means necessar...more

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Dec 20, 2012 On vacation - Stella ☢FAYZ☢ Chen rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: YOU. Yes, you.

Recommended to On vacation - Stella by: Ruth and Matt.

Shelves: favourites

Oh wow. Oh wow. Oh wow.

There is no way of hiding it. I've been in a major reading slump considering the last I time I finished a book, the Sun was still visible at 8 PM. With a little push from my friends, like Mama Bird pushing her babies off the tree so they can learn to fly, I picked up this book. Screw Red Bull, this book gives you wings.

I loved how intense this book was. BAM. Zombies from left. BAM. Zombies on your right. There was never a moment to calm your heart rate before something e...more Oh wow. Oh wow. Oh wow.

There is no way of hiding it. I've been in a major reading slump considering the last I time I finished a book, the Sun was still visible at 8 PM. With a little push from my friends, like Mama Bird pushing her babies off the tree so they can learn to fly, I picked up this book. Screw Red Bull, this book gives you wings.

I loved how intense this book was. BAM. Zombies from left. BAM. Zombies on your right. There was never a moment to calm your heart rate before something exciting happened. Since for the majority of the book, the story was told in two perspective, Maxie and Small Sam, it ensured the readers of getting two very different perspective of post-zombie-apocalypse-London. I loved that. It is like A Game of Thrones with Jon on the Wall, offering us a different perspective, a completely separate adventure. I think that's why I enjoyed Small Sam's story the most. His growth from a boy who wet himself to "The Giant Killer" was sensational. His courage and determination kept me wanting more.

Oh and let's not forget about the other kids. Maxie, Ollie, Freak, Blue, Arran. I am beginning to think, the weirder their names, the cooler they are. Every one of them had their own distinctive personality so even when there are over 20 kids to keep track of, I felt like I got to know everyone. But that is not to say they were paper cut-outs. Charlie Higson did not write them as "Oh, let him be a nerd, and let's make this kid the Great Leader, and I'll just add in a badass fighter who take shit from no one." Because, secretly, like Small Sam, everyone was a nerd, a leader and a fighter. As you read on, you'll see that and begin to feel for every single one of the kids. Because, honestly, they all ultimately want to survive.

Also, I couldn't stop drawing parallels between Michael Grant's GONE series to this one. It was as if The Walking Dead and the GONE series had a love child. It had the multiple perspective that I loved from GONE, the badassness I adored from TWD, the struggle for power GONE does so well and lastly, it had the zombies.

I cannot wait to read on in this series. I love how cunning these kids are. How they are the underdogs, the losers, the leaders, the quiet-and-listen type, but at the same time, they are the hot-heads who doesn't give any effs. I'm just going to leave it here. I need calm down before I pass out. I'll just be dwelling in post-zombie-apocalypse-London if anyone needs me. (less)

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May 23, 2011 Elena rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, sci-fi

This book has a pretty great (if not entirely original) premise: A year and a half ago, everyone over 16 contracted a horrible disease that killed almost all the adults and turned the rest into what are essentially zombies. A group of ~50 kids has been making do by turning a Waitrose grocery store into their fortress, but food is becoming scarce, the grown-ups/zombies are becoming bolder, and kids are getting picked off one by one. Then comes word that Buckingham Palace is safe--no grown-ups, a...more This book has a pretty great (if not entirely original) premise: A year and a half ago, everyone over 16 contracted a horrible disease that killed almost all the adults and turned the rest into what are essentially zombies. A group of ~50 kids has been making do by turning a Waitrose grocery store into their fortress, but food is becoming scarce, the grown-ups/zombies are becoming bolder, and kids are getting picked off one by one. Then comes word that Buckingham Palace is safe--no grown-ups, a walled yard, and the beginnings of agriculture. But first the kids of Waitrose have to get there through miles of hungry grown-ups, and even if they manage it, Buckingham Palace may not be the paradise it seems.

Sounds pretty good, right? It should have been.

My main problem with this book is that I didn't really connect to the characters at all, an issue that has two sources:
1) The book is written from an omniscient point of view. Not rotating points of view, mind, but true omniscient--the book skips around from one person's thoughts to another on a sentence to sentence basis. And the cast of characters is huge, with 50 Waitrose kids plus all the other folks they bump into. Hell, we even get one or two zombie perspectives. This means that the reader spends so little time with the characters that it's hard to form a connection. I like to crawl inside a character's head and live there, but I couldn't do that with this book.
2) Characters drop like flies. In this setting, it's super realistic to have a character die about every 20 pages, but it had the effect of numbing me. There were so many deaths that none of them really had the emotional impact that they ought to have had, and it also meant that I didn't want to get too attached to any of the characters, because there was about a 25% chance that the character would be dead before the end of the book, if not significantly sooner. In this case, I feel that Higson's emphasis on realism came at the expense of good storytelling.

Another problem I had is that I couldn't make heads or tails of the disease itself. I'm no biologist, but I am a fantasist, and worlds have to adhere to an internal logic. I couldn't for the life of me figure out what the internal logic was here. (view spoiler)

I really love this sort of premise (one of my favorite books as a pre-teen was The Girl Who Owned a City), and Higson has written some really deliciously creepy scenes. I'm a little bit curious about how he'll develop things in the next book, but the omniscient POV that prevented me from really getting into this book will likely prevent me from picking up the second.(less)

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Oct 16, 2012 Angela rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Angela by: Nessa

Shelves: dystopian-utopian-apocalyptic, library-books, horror, read-2012, ya-children-s, zombies

I only heard about this book and series last week when I saw a quote on a friend's status on here and I clicked into the book link to gain more information. Within five minutes I had reserved the book through my local library and two days later I was able to collect it (excellent service by the library there!)

Basically, a quote is what made me want to read this book. Says a lot really (and just as well I wasn't disappointed with it).

Well written and rather graphic. There are some very creepy an...more

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Dec 31, 2010 Isamlq rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Enemy is set in London months after “the disaster,” where anyone over the age of fifteen is struck be a disease and becomes a zombie. It is not for the faint of heart. It is not for the squeamish. It’s packed full of gore, violence and even hints of cannibalism. Think Lord of the Flies meets 28 days Later. In a word: awesome!

The characters are unique. Kids, the lot of them, bumbling around trying to figure out which course is the best to take. First there’s Aran and Maxie, then there’s Sam…...more

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Jun 20, 2011 Kara rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: animals-die, dystopian, favorites, horror, zombies, young-adult, made-my-head-go-kaboom, england

Goodreads Summary:

A sickness has afflicted everyone over the age of 16; anyone who is a "grown-up" has become a decomposing, brainless creature that survives by feeding on children. The children and teens have barricaded themselves in fortified buildings, fighting off attacks from the grown-ups who travel in packs, like hungry dogs. Before long, the young survivors are promised a safe haven in Buckingham Palace and make their way to it, crossing London on a perilous journey that will test them i...more Goodreads Summary:

A sickness has afflicted everyone over the age of 16; anyone who is a "grown-up" has become a decomposing, brainless creature that survives by feeding on children. The children and teens have barricaded themselves in fortified buildings, fighting off attacks from the grown-ups who travel in packs, like hungry dogs. Before long, the young survivors are promised a safe haven in Buckingham Palace and make their way to it, crossing London on a perilous journey that will test them in harrowing ways. But their fight to stay alive is far from over—the threat from within is as real as the one on the outside.

Review:

There are exactly 665 ratings of this book on Goodreads. Only 665. It's a travesty. Why? This has to change. I'm going to do my part to help it along. There's an influx of dystopian and zombie novels as of late. It's the latest craze apparently. So why is the best one I have read yet not more popular? I don't get it!

I'm not saying the others aren't good, but The Enemy is like a non-stop roller coaster ride. And there isn't a single lull in the action. It's full of gore, heart-stopping moments, and places where I forgot to breathe I was so scared. And the best part? There's a second book!

Look I'll admit that the idea of "grown-up" zombies feeding on children is a slightly amateurish idea. But I promise you that the minute you start reading, you will completely forget this.

Some of my reviews get technical where I talk about story elements, pacing, characterizations, and the like, but I don't really want to do that with this review. It's not necessary. Charlie can write a killer action story and that's all you need to know. He's not afraid to do what he needs to do to keep the story moving along, even if things have to get really scary.

I guess I would call this a young adult novel. But it's very violent. You know how the Hunger Games is violent? I think this is even worse than that. I found myself cringing in a lot of places. But it didn't really bother me. I really, really loved this book. Zombies are like my favorite thing to read about lately. I don't really see that changing anytime soon. They scare the bejeezus out of me.

So do me a favor. If you love dystopians, if you love reading about zombies, you need to add this one to your TBR list. Then you need to click on that list and move this book to the top. After you read it, come back here and let me know what you thought. I can't think of a single person that I wouldn't recommend this book to.(less)

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Apr 19, 2011 Reading Teen rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book has been sitting on my bookshelf since last Spring.
I feel like a complete idiot.
I absolutely LOVED this book.
Without a doubt my favorite book of 2011 so far.
Seriously my mind is blown.
This book was crazy.

I have never read a book that has kept me up at because it freaked me out so much.
I usually don't get freaked out easily, but The Enemy was definitely freaky.
Not to mention gross, whatever you do, don't read this book while eating.
I made that mistake and couldn't finish my food.
But I h...more

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Feb 24, 2013 Connor Mcgovern added it · review of another edition

The Enemy by Charlie Higson is probably one of the greatest books about survival out there. This book is a mix between The Walking Dead series and Lord of the Flies. Charlie Higson’s, The Enemy, is thrilling story takes place in London, England which becomes infected from a zombie outbreak that only infects people sixteen and over. The story follows a group of kids from Waitrose that have taken shelter that is similar to a Costco. Higson does a great job keeping the reader on the edge of their s...more

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May 21, 2013 Jodi Papazian rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya-reads

I went into The Enemy with extremely high expectations. I had spoken with a patron awhile back who was frantically trying to get her hands on the fourth book in the series. She asked me if I had read it and mentioned that (for her) it was way better than Rot & Ruin. Being a huge fan of Rot & Ruin, I was intrigued.
The Enemy is an interesting concept. Although it is never specified that adults are zombies, they are certainly infected with a disease and lumber around zombie-like trying t...more I went into The Enemy with extremely high expectations. I had spoken with a patron awhile back who was frantically trying to get her hands on the fourth book in the series. She asked me if I had read it and mentioned that (for her) it was way better than Rot & Ruin. Being a huge fan of Rot & Ruin, I was intrigued.
The Enemy is an interesting concept. Although it is never specified that adults are zombies, they are certainly infected with a disease and lumber around zombie-like trying to track, kill and eat kids. Many groups of children and teens break off and form different Lord of the Flies style camps. When two groups meet a mysterious kid who tells them of a safe haven awaiting them in the center of London, they decide to take off in search of it.
There was plenty of action throughout the story to make it engaging. There was also plenty of violence and gore which I am sure will appeal to teen boys. I liked that the story followed several different plot lines that kept you going back and forth with the different characters. (SPOILER ALERT - Stop reading if you don't want to know any details that might spoil the book for you). My favorite story line was definitely that of Small Sam's. I would find myself frantically reading the pages trying to find out what would happen to him next.
There are quite a few characters in The Enemy and plenty of them die. However, Higson doesn't really give you a chance to get to know the characters so it is not overwhelmingly devastating when one of them is killed off. (If any of you readers out there want to know devastation, feel free to read my review on Dust & Decay).
I had mistakenly picked up The Dead and read the first few pages before realizing that The Enemy is the first in the series awhile back. With just reading the first few pages, though, I was definitely hooked. I am sure that I will continue to read this series to find out what else happens. Though the world that Higson has created is so bleak I can't imagine a happy ending!
This is a very easy one to pass along to YA readers. The content can be graphic and there is some foul language, however, I still feel comfortable passing it along to younger YA readers. With the current zombie-craze, I am sure it will fly off the teen shelf.(less)

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May 11, 2013 Kendra Maxey rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I just got done reading The Enemy by Charlie Higson. I loved it. When I first heard about the book I debated on whether or not to ride it. I was afraid it would make me paranoid. The book however did no such thing. It kept me entertained and engaged the whole way through. The story is that everyone over the age of sixteen gets infected with a disease that turns their minds into mush. The only adults we have seen not infected by this illness are two that stayed underground. The male adult goes i...more I just got done reading The Enemy by Charlie Higson. I loved it. When I first heard about the book I debated on whether or not to ride it. I was afraid it would make me paranoid. The book however did no such thing. It kept me entertained and engaged the whole way through. The story is that everyone over the age of sixteen gets infected with a disease that turns their minds into mush. The only adults we have seen not infected by this illness are two that stayed underground. The male adult goes into the sunlight and the disease takes its toll on him and he becomes just like the other adults.

Most adults when they get sick in this book began to crave the flesh of the children who survive the disease. The children in this book have to protect the younger children find food and shelter. The kids in this book would like nothing more than to be children again but this new world makes that impossible. The older kids are having a difficult time gathering food and other supplies. A new kid named Jester finds both groups of kids and tells them he and several others are living in Buckingham Palace. The groups decide to journey for a better life but life at the palace is not what it seems.

The biggest complaint people had with this book was the shifting viewpoint. I think the people who had a problem with the viewpoints are way to used to books with only two perspectives. The author created a book where many characters are given face time. Not all characters get the same amount of time but most get a paragraph or two.

My biggest complaint is that my favorite character does not get enough recognition.Blue won me over when he saved two infants from a building that was about to collapse. I respected him even more when I realized that he forced himself to become the leader his group of kids needed. Blue to me is the most honest and real character in the book.

Maxie is another awesome character she is the leader for another group of kids. She was previously second in command but the original leader Arran dies so she takes charge. I hope to see her good leadership abilities grow even better with time. The two character I like the least are Small Sam and The Kid. Small Sam gets captured by the grownups but manages to escape. The bad thing is the other kids have already left for the palace so he start his own journey to find
them and his little sister Ella.
(less)

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Apr 19, 2013 Jeffrey Zheng rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

First of all, I'm a very big fan of zombies so this review might be a little bias. The Enemy is a post-apocalyptic, horror novel that follows the story of a group of kids that work together, trying to survive the apocalypse. Although there are some points in the book where I am confused and the plot doesn't make sense, the Enemy is a great book that brings chilling horror and heart-racing moments.

The characters are amazing. The way the author gets you to love the character and shows you how we...more First of all, I'm a very big fan of zombies so this review might be a little bias. The Enemy is a post-apocalyptic, horror novel that follows the story of a group of kids that work together, trying to survive the apocalypse. Although there are some points in the book where I am confused and the plot doesn't make sense, the Enemy is a great book that brings chilling horror and heart-racing moments.

The characters are amazing. The way the author gets you to love the character and shows you how well they grow, is great. Also, the way that the author is not afraid to just kill off a main character, even if they are children, just makes the story that much better. Spoiler Alert. Higgson introduces Arran as the main character, and then kills him off quickly after the reader connects with the character. This shows that Higgson isn't afraid to be different than other authors, and lets the story start off with bang.

Zombies. The reason I picked this book to begin with. Zombies are something that many teens, especially boys are interested in. I watch the Walking Dead, and read World War Z, so it was easy for the Enemy to catch my attention. Although the depiction of zombies was pretty good, I did have a few problems with the flesh eaters. First off, they can think. They're not geniuses, but they have some common sense. This is first shown when they organize an attack on Arran's scavenger group, and when they capture Small Sam but don't eat him right away. This ruins the natural horror of zombies because they don't have the "go all in' mentality. Instead, they retreat, and even have a leader. Other than this, the zombies were portrayed very well, and making the disease infect only people older than 16 really lets teen readers connect with the characters.

Although the book was great overall, there were many plot twists that aren't explained properly. There were many characters' backgrounds that weren't explained, such as Sophie, David, and Jester. Their character could have had bigger roles if their backgrounds were explored more. The ending was also very weak. I felt as if Higgson wrote the ending to lead up to the second book. Although this gets the reader excited for the next book, it is a okay ending for a stand alone book.

The Enemy is a great read overall. It is great for people who are into zombie stories or just horror in general. There is some romance and comedy, so there is a little something for everyone. Great read if you're looking for something new and fresh.

Four stars read.
(less)

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Apr 19, 2013 Frankie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

If you are looking for a book with adventure, survival and action, search no more! Zombies, crazy kids, insane fight, this book has it all.

In the world of The Enemy, a virus infected everyone over the age of 16. Like most books about zombies, we join the characters when they’re running low on supplies. In this book, we follow the decisions of characters that are only 15 years old. However, this doesn't change the intensity and the way the zombies act towards them. If they let their guard down fo...more

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Apr 13, 2013 Wendi rated it 5 of 5 stars

I loved this book. I was looking for something that wasn't too heavy. I wanted to get lost in a book while I was on break between quarters (my college is on the quarter system instead of the semester system). This is the perfect book.

Charlie Higson can really write. Each character has its own specific voice. The best thing about the book is the Higson can create the child characters without making them sound, well, sound the way an adult thinks kids sound like. He writes in the teenager and pre...more

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Feb 23, 2013 Emily rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I hated this book. It's a complete rip-off of the Gone series by Michael Grant, and a poorly disguised one at that. I completely gave up after the first book, and I haven't dared to continue reading, because The Enemy was just that horrible.
For example:
Gone: anyone over the age of fourteen is gone, not coming back.
The Enemy: anyone over the age of some adolescent year has either died or turned into a zombie-like creature

Gone Series: a horrible disease (plague) spreads around, and there is no cur...more

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Feb 21, 2013 Dan rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: zombies

It's always good when a book pleasantly surprises you. The Enemy is something different. It's set in a dystopian London, where a terrible disease has wiped out humanity. Except not everyone... Only the lucky people died of the disease and the rest are now effectively zombies. Anyone under 14 has survived though but in a world where the only adults around want to eat them, how long will that last?

The book opens introducing us to a group of kids holding out in a Waitrose supermarket- we see how a...more It's always good when a book pleasantly surprises you. The Enemy is something different. It's set in a dystopian London, where a terrible disease has wiped out humanity. Except not everyone... Only the lucky people died of the disease and the rest are now effectively zombies. Anyone under 14 has survived though but in a world where the only adults around want to eat them, how long will that last?

The book opens introducing us to a group of kids holding out in a Waitrose supermarket- we see how a child is taken by the grown-ups and how a group out scavenging face terrible peril. The introduction to a stranger leads the group on a long, dangerous missions across London to join kids at Buckingham Palace. The journey is dangerous and not everyone makes it. On arrival at the palace things seem brilliant but it soon becomes clear that the leader David has worrying ambitions and it all feels a bit like Lord of the Flies.

There's also a couple of sub-plots as Small Sam, the boy who was taken, tries to find his way home all on his own and Callum stays behind at the store. Unusually this is an ensemble story full of believable characters. They all have a role in the group and Higson manages to let us have some kind of empathy with all of them. Having a large cast does mean however that there are plenty of characters to kill off.

There's a great balance in this book between being for young adults yet still in some ways feeling very adult. It always feels like it's for young adults but it is quite scary, and fairly gruesome (although nothing like Darren Shan) and there's a fair bit of adult language. But all of these things aren't there for the sake of it, they drive the story forward and there is no dull moment in this book.

As is common in most zombie stories, no cause for the disease is given. There is one part of the book which,though unpleasant, does provide some hope. But then again we are teased with the idea of a zombie with some form of intelligence which raises the stakes even further.

A fantastic book which begins what I hope will be a fantastic zombie saga. I look forward to reading the next one!(less)

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Feb 10, 2013 Henry rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review covers four in Charlie Higson's zombie apocalypse series - The Enemy, The Dead, The Fear and The Sacrifice. I expect it'll cover any more dispatches in the excellent teen novel series.

There's a fairly well-populated subgenre of books in which all the adults in the world disappear, leaving children up to the age of fourteen or fifteen to cope by themselves. It started with Golding's 'Lord of the Flies'. This latest example doesn't have the adults vanish - they just turn into putrescin...more

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Feb 09, 2013 Chris Matney rated it 5 of 5 stars

I am not a regular reader of YA fiction - although The Enemy was given to my by young friends with a love of zombie stories and good taste.

This was very enjoyable (and fast) read. Mr. Higson does one thing perfectly that ruins most zombie/post apocalyptic tales - he doesn't try to explain what happened. No convoluted plot to explain why most adults are zombies and kids aren't. It's just the way it is. The focus is on the story - as it should be.

One of my issues with most YA adult fiction (and a...more

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Jan 26, 2013 Leeroy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Everyone (14+)

The Enemy by Charlie Higson is a novel that shouldn't go unread or placed on the book shelf to be read later. It should be read from the moment you pick it up.

The Enemy:Synopsis

The novel is about a group of kids whom are taking refuge in a store, Waitrose, trying to survive off the little food they can gather and trying to escape from the grown-ups, a year after a infection had swept all of London and turning everyone over the age of fourteen into zombie like creatures who eat the flesh of chil

...more

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Jan 07, 2013 Caroline Victoria Murphy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: big-book-challenge

For more of my reviews, check out www.musicmindedbookfreak.com

In The Enemy, everybody over the age of 14 (or 16 in the American edition) fell ill with a virus that turned the ones who survived into zombies. This leaves children under the age of 14 (or 16) to fight for their lives and protect themselves from the zombies.

These zombies aren't the walking dead. They were still alive when they were turned into zombies, just with a deadly virus that made them zombie-like. I like how the author didn't...more For more of my reviews, check out www.musicmindedbookfreak.com

In The Enemy, everybody over the age of 14 (or 16 in the American edition) fell ill with a virus that turned the ones who survived into zombies. This leaves children under the age of 14 (or 16) to fight for their lives and protect themselves from the zombies.

These zombies aren't the walking dead. They were still alive when they were turned into zombies, just with a deadly virus that made them zombie-like. I like how the author didn't ruin the original zombies as we know and love them, but instead put his own spin on them.

At the beginning the children are in two groups. The first group is hiding out in Morrisons, and the second group in Waitrose(two well-known supermarkets in case you didn't know.)

The main story starts when a boy from London comes searching for the children. He tells them that there a lot of children in Buckingham Palace and that he was sent to search for them to take them there. The Waitrose and Morrisons children come together and go on a dangerous journey through London to the safety of the palace.

There is a second storyline where we follow a character called Little Sam. He was taken by the zombies near the beginning. The other children thought he was dead but we find out a few chapters later that he was alive and he managed to escape the zombies. He travels to London to search for the other children, and meets other characters on the way.

I really like the writing style. The chapters are short which makes them easy to read and the pacing is good. There are a lot of characters which makes it confusing at times, but I have recently been reading Game Of Thrones which also has a confusing amount of characters, so that didn't bother me.

We see children being killed and a lot of trouble among the zombies and themselves. Charlie Higson doesn't go overboard, but he doesn't shy away from adding gory details.

I believe that Little Sam will find the children and be a lead character in the next book. I can't wait to read The Dead(less)

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Jan 02, 2013 emily t. rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: jóvenes, ciencia-ficción, ٠inglaterra

Every zombie novel these days has to have a shtick, and this series' main one is inter-generational conflict -- but taken to its most extreme, Saturn-Devouring-His-Son point. The zombies are the adults -- the kids refer to them as mothers and fathers -- and they are constantly trying to chow down on their kids.

The specific theme in this book, however, is class conflict. It frames most of the action -- from the start, there are two rival gangs of kids, one that lives in Waitrose, one in Morrison...more

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Dec 20, 2012 Marcus rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

When the teacher was introducing 'The Enemy' during the book talk, I was attracted by the plots of the story-----parents chasing their children. However, I had never read book writing about zombies as I think they are horrible. Finally, I decided to give a try.
After reading, I found that the main point of the book is about how a bunch of kids found their way to survive with the attack by grown-ups, but not about how horrifying the zombies were.
In terms of kids, there are a few of them that appea...more When the teacher was introducing 'The Enemy' during the book talk, I was attracted by the plots of the story-----parents chasing their children. However, I had never read book writing about zombies as I think they are horrible. Finally, I decided to give a try.
After reading, I found that the main point of the book is about how a bunch of kids found their way to survive with the attack by grown-ups, but not about how horrifying the zombies were.
In terms of kids, there are a few of them that appeal to me. The first character that I like is Arran, although he died not long after the story starts. He was the leader of the group of Waitrose kids. He was 15, but he was as tough as the adults. He made important decision under pressure, which probably would determine if they survived. For example, when the kids were debating, or arguing whether to stay in the shelter or travel to the palace, Arran standed out and announced that they would go. In addition, Arran as a leader leaded and protected the little kids. Like he went out to find food around the abandoned streets for them, he fought against the zombies. He died while fighting the grown-ups and got shooted by a kid accidentally. Then the whole groups of kids tried to respect and remember their leader by writing ‘This is where Arran Harper fell. We don’t know the day or the date, but we’ll never forget it. He was the bravest of us all.’ All of these showed Arran’s great leadership.
The second kid that I feel proud is Sam. He was 9 and was caught by the grown-ups at the very beginning of the story. The grown-ups didn’t eat him so he had a chance to escape while they were sleeping. Sam showed his braveness and matureness during his escape. He was tied in a building, while he was trying to run away, he ran into many grown-ups, some were dead, some were sleeping and some were even chasing him. He tried his best and finally he managed to get out of the horror. Another example is that when he was trying to catch up with the Waitrose kids, he was caught again by two adults (the only two unaffected adults), who kept children to eat since they did not have enough food. “I miss my sister, I remember the last word from my mum, ”Take care of yourself and Ella”. I have to find her.’ It was this desire that brought Sam went through all the challenges. I should learn from his braveness and how mature he was even though I am older than him. He accomplished something that I am not capable of.
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Dec 14, 2012 David Deng rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Enemy, Boom! Already puts you in the action. This book has no fillers to make it boring and repetitive. In every corner of the book there will be action. This book is in my opinion, the best horror book I`ve ever read. It’s not like one of those horror books where all the protagonists live at the end and tell the tale. You will never know when a character dies. He may seem like he`s dying but somehow pulls it through, or dies the second after he`s done talking.

The book is into a world a ye...more The Enemy, Boom! Already puts you in the action. This book has no fillers to make it boring and repetitive. In every corner of the book there will be action. This book is in my opinion, the best horror book I`ve ever read. It’s not like one of those horror books where all the protagonists live at the end and tell the tale. You will never know when a character dies. He may seem like he`s dying but somehow pulls it through, or dies the second after he`s done talking.

The book is into a world a year into an apocalypse that made everyone who is sixteen and up into crazy diseased people, somewhat like zombies. You dive into London where the ``adults`` as the surviving kids say, roam around the street for food. They`ll attack anybody and eat them alive for food. Everything starts falling apart. Parents tricking their children, and then eating them alive, Neighbourhoods killing other neighbourhoods, chaos is everywhere and no one can stop it. The Kids that are uninfected have to survive on their own. They start to make groups to survive. Trusting others is very hard too. There is a lot of betrayal and lies to gain power. Civilization as we know it might come to an end.

Each character has something special that will make you be attached to them. Characters ranging from the main protagonists like Arran and Maxie. They are the leaders of one of the surviving groups in London. They are role models for the younger ones. Everybody in the group looks up to them. They somehow pull everyone together in the darkest hours by setting an example. Their leadership skill has also greatly benefited the group like making a watch tower, a working telephone system...there is no limit of what the 2 can achieve with this group. Small Sam was the character I really wanted to survive until the end. Although he was kidnapped by the adults for food, I had a feeling that he`ll return somewhere by the middle of the book. He is probably the bravest character in any novel I`ve ever read. The book splits into 2 parts, Sam`s perspective and the group`s perspective. It felt like an adventure novel from Sam`s perspective. The author used much descriptive diction to make us feel like we are Sam and we get the exact feeling of how he feels. And for my Favourite character in this book, Achilleus! He talks the talk and walks the walk. Nothing and I mean nothing scares him. Fear is not in his vocabulary. He charges into all fights without a second thought. He is the best fighter in Arran and Maxie`s group. He never backs from a challenge and he trusts no one. He never lets his guard down, that`s his recipe for being a successful fighter.

There is a major twist in the ending of this book, just as you think the group reached ``heaven``, more trouble arises and it`s back to square one: gathering a new group and finding a safe place to stay. The last chapter of the book really got me dying for the next book of this series. Its takes in the perspective of the adult called St.George, and it tells how he is getting an army of adults to take over London. Right there it cuts off. It feels so uncompleted and now there is an endless of possibilities for the protagonists that survived then events of The Enemy. I can not wait to read the next book!
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Dec 14, 2012 Victor rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The enemy is the best book, you guys should read it.

I don’t usually read books. I rather spend my time doing something fun but when I started reading “The enemy” I couldn’t stop. I found this book really interesting; it reveals the perspective of each one of the characters.

The Enemy is basically a zombie apocalyptic story. For some reason they never mention in the book, every single person in the world over the age of 14 is either infected or dead.

This story takes place in London. The little kid...more

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Dec 13, 2012 Darsh rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I have just finished reading “The Enemy” by Charlie Higson. This book is mainly about an apocalyptic world where people of ages 14 and older get infected by a disease that turn them into mindless zombies and feed upon those who are not infected, mainly children. The story is directed towards a group of children who try to survive from the infected and try to find a safe place where they do not need to worry about getting eaten. The children have to fight many adults coming in their way of findi...more

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Nov 27, 2012 Lumpenprole rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, fantasy, horror, fiction-ya, borrowed, pass-on-review

I'm giving this one three stars, even though I was sorely tempted to give it two. (Like anyone cares, but, eh, at least it breaks the ice.) I think I've overdosed on zombie type books of late, and that that is at least in part why I seemed to have such a difficult time finishing the book. Yet, none of the characters really grabbed me, the plot was in the "meh" category...and I can't help feeling that I would've felt that way whatever the plot.

But then again, I must have found something about it...more

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Nov 07, 2012 Geeks Unleashed.Me rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Read Ashley Elizabeth's reviews at GeeksUnleashed.Me

I have to say, the direction of YA has been changing quickly. This is important to cover because this book dangerously flirts with the boundaries of what I would consider Young Adult. Yet, if you visit your local bookstore, that’s exactly where you’ll find it shelved.

I don’t typically read this type of book. When I say that, I mean zombies. I don’t really read about zombies, flesh ripping, or gore. The reason for this is simple, if I wanted a...more Read Ashley Elizabeth's reviews at GeeksUnleashed.Me

I have to say, the direction of YA has been changing quickly. This is important to cover because this book dangerously flirts with the boundaries of what I would consider Young Adult. Yet, if you visit your local bookstore, that’s exactly where you’ll find it shelved.

I don’t typically read this type of book. When I say that, I mean zombies. I don’t really read about zombies, flesh ripping, or gore. The reason for this is simple, if I wanted a dose of something horrific, I’d Google the #Houla massacre (be warned, you CANNOT erase those images from your head). We all know that some guy ate the face off of someone in Florida. So, reading about zombies doesn’t really fall too far from the truth these days. I like my fiction to be fiction.

I made an exception for Charlie Higson’s The Enemy. The whole set up for this book is quite simple, rampant disease affects the population turning all those older than 14 into child eating zombies. So it’s kind of a horrific version of Peter Pan. The kids can do whatever they want, no adults, they rule the world. It just so happens that there are tons of flesh eating parents, cops, etc. stopping at nothing to kill them. Then, there’s the age factor… these kids are getting older and 14 is the magic age to be infection free, once you pass that mark, you are liable to turn into your worst nightmare.

There May Be Spoilers So Be Warned:

This book was a roller coaster. A well trusted book reviewer recommended this book to me over lunch one day because I was so tired with the average YA sludge that’s been coming out. “You won’t be bored with this one,” she said.

What she meant by that is that there is no safety; Charlie Higson likes to kill people.

What sets Higson apart from the genre is that there aren’t really any “side characters”, which are usually the ones you expect to get axed. Higson develops a connection with each of his characters, so you get to know each of them as you would the main character. Readers, whether we realize it or not, look for a particular trait to hang on to that creates a reader-character bond. Creating traits for a large cast frequently presents problems because you can only afford to spend so much time developing that bond. Higson does this seamlessly. Once that bond is there, as readers, we tend to feel safe because we know there are “X” pages left until the end of the book and they couldn’t possibly die before then.

In The Enemy, there is no safety. Higson really drives that idea home because on one page, you think you are following a particular character, and then on the next page that character dies. This is an excellent book for learning how to “kill your darlings”. This concept is one that all writers should be familiar with. You have to stick to the truth of the story and sometimes that means killing your characters or “darlings”.

Most of the YA I’ve read lately have had their characters in dangerous situations, and I’ve kept reading to see how they handle it. But, I get bored. I’m not scared for the characters because I know that the reader-character bond holds some sort of protection for the character. Higson throws this concept out the window. I was on the edge of my seat genuinely rooting for these characters because I didn’t know if they would actually make it.

The zombies were horrifying, but the children were resilient. The story itself was also intriguing. Higson drew us into each child’s story, presented them with problems, and how they handled them. This is -hands down- a must read. For readers, you won’t be bored. You will enjoy the story and love the characters. You will want to read the next book. For writers, you could learn a lot from Higson. He knows how to keep a plot moving, how to kill characters, and keep a reader on the edge of their seat without all the cheap tricks.
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Charlie Higson vs Michael Grant (Gone series)	8	31	May 08, 2013 12:54am
In the teenage reading section in the library.	3	20	Apr 13, 2013 08:42am
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About Charlie Higson

Higson was educated at Sevenoaks School and at the University of East Anglia (where his brother has taught since 1986 and is now a professor of film studies) where he met Paul Whitehouse, David Cummings and Terry Edwards. Higson, Cummings and Edwards formed the band The Higsons of which Higson was the lead singer from 1980 to 1986. They released two singles on the Specials' 2-Tone label. Higson th...more Higson was educated at Sevenoaks School and at the University of East Anglia (where his brother has taught since 1986 and is now a professor of film studies) where he met Paul Whitehouse, David Cummings and Terry Edwards. Higson, Cummings and Edwards formed the band The Higsons of which Higson was the lead singer from 1980 to 1986. They released two singles on the Specials' 2-Tone label. Higson then became a plasterer before he turned to writing for Harry Enfield with Paul Whitehouse and performing comedy. He came to public attention as one of the main writers and performers of the BBC Two sketch show The Fast Show (1994-2000). He worked with Whitehouse on the radio comedy Down the Line and is to work with him again on a television project, designed to be a spoof of celebrity travel programmes.[1:]

He worked as producer, writer, director and occasional guest star on Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased) from 2000 to 2001. Subsequent television work has included writing and starring in BBC Three's Fast Show spin-off sitcom Swiss Toni. He is currently starring in Tittybangbang series 3 on BBC Three and has appeared as a panellist on QI.

He published four novels through the early to mid 1990s which take a slightly dystopian look at everyday life and have a considerably more adult tone than his other work, with characters on the margins of society finding themselves spiraling out of control, leading him to be described by Time Out as 'The missing link between Dick Emery and Brett Easton Ellis' [2:]

In 2004, it was announced that Higson would pen a series of James Bond novels, aimed at younger readers and concentrating on the character's school-days at Eton. Higson was himself educated at Sevenoaks School where he was a contemporary of Jonathan Evans, current Director General of MI5. The first novel, SilverFin, was released on 3 March 2005 in the UK and on 27 April 2005 in the U.S. A second novel, Blood Fever, was released on 5 January 2006 in the UK and 1 June in the U.S. The third novel, Double or Die, was published on 4 January 2007 having had its title announced the day before. The next, Hurricane Gold, came out in hardcover in the UK in September 2007.[3:]In this year he also made a debut performance on the panel show QI. His final Young Bond novel, By Royal Command, was released in hardcover in the UK on the 3 September 2008.[4:]

Charlie has signed a deal to pen a new series of children's books for Puffin. According to the author, "They are going to be action adventures, but with a horror angle(less)

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Quotes from The Enemy

“If a wolf attacks his sheep, the shepard kills the wolf, but he eats the sheep when he's hungry.” — 37 people liked it

“No such word as can't. No such word as babagoozle neither!” — 35 people liked it

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