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The Dead (The Enemy #2)

4.29 of 5 stars 4.29 · rating details · 2,318 ratings · 312 reviews

The Dead is the second book in Charlie Higson's jaw-dropping zombie horror series for teens.

Everyone over the age of fourteen has succumbed to a deadly zombie virus and now the kids must keep themselves alive. A terrible disease is striking everyone over the age of fourteen. Death walks the streets. Nowhere is safe.

Maxie, Blue and the rest of the Holloway crew aren't the...more

Paperback, 449 pages

Published April 7th 2011 by Puffin (first published August 27th 2010)

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Oct 17, 2012 Erin rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: you

Shelves: action-packed, dark, disturbing-moments, great-characters, grrl-power, little-romance, love-the-protag, multiple-narrators, one-lone-tear, plot-twist

"Don't talk to the driver when the bus is in motion, or the driver will shoot you. Got that?"

GAH.

I am experiencing a real problem right about now, because there are SO MANY THINGS I would like to convo about regarding this book, but guess how many of my friends (real-life or on GR) have read this? You guessed it: zero.

I repeat, GAH.

So, anyway. This is the sequel/prequel to The Enemy, but it follows a (mostly) different set of characters. This frustrated me for a good bit of the book, but I did...more

17 likes · like · see review

Oct 28, 2012 Laura rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Charlie Higson! Where-oh-where have you been all my life?

Mr. Higson amps up the action, shock, suspense, and disgust levels to all new glorious, gory heights! The Dead, a sequel-prequel to The Enemy, plays a bit with the timeline by jumping back to the beginning of “the disaster” that made every grown-up into flesh craving zombie like creatures hunting and killing kids all over London. If you thought The Enemy had it going on, daaamn…this is a non-stop, full tilt, running, panting, fighting, blo...more

14 likes · like · see review

Jan 30, 2013 Nessa rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, review

Charlie Higson is a pretty amazing writer, you guys. He may be writing for teenage boys who love computer games and want constant action in their books, but man, do I love his writing. It's so wonderfully short and snappy, and... oh, man. He's really good at characterisation too and had me damn near on the verge of tears or gasping at my copy at certain parts. Excuse me for a moment while I go flap my hands and squee.

I'll try my best to review without getting too excited, but basically, the endi...more

5 likes · like · see review

May 25, 2011 Laura rated it 5 of 5 stars

Dystopian fiction seems to be the new craze in YA literature, and I couldn't be happier! I've come across some astoundingly good stories in the last few months. This week I'm looking at one of the most brutal: The Dead, by Charlie Higson.

The basic premise of the book is that only children under the age of fourteen survive a disease which turns everyone else into flesh-hungry maniacs who would be best described as Zombies, although they aren't dead.

It is left to the children to survive and try to...more

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Sep 21, 2010 Leanne Bell rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010-2011-release, alternative-dystopian-realities, book-i-had-to-order-from-amazon, end-of-the-world, fantasy-sci-fi-paranormal, gruesome-violent, meaningful-books, pink-purple-red, read-2010, set-in-the-uk, thrillier-horror, young-adult, zombies

If you thought that The Enemy was very gory and frightening then this will terrify the hell out of you.
Initially i thought this continued from the first in series, but it is actually a different set of kids from a different area, trying to escape to London, but a year before the events of the The Enemy.
Don't get me wrong, the books are intertwined and things overlap slightly with some characters from the first novel appearing in this one, but in different ways.

In summary, The Dead is about a gr...more If you thought that The Enemy was very gory and frightening then this will terrify the hell out of you.
Initially i thought this continued from the first in series, but it is actually a different set of kids from a different area, trying to escape to London, but a year before the events of the The Enemy.
Don't get me wrong, the books are intertwined and things overlap slightly with some characters from the first novel appearing in this one, but in different ways.

In summary, The Dead is about a group of children who are at a boarding school in Kent at the time the infection starts and it begins with a flashback to the very start of the infection, with a youtube video, which to me served as a stark reminder of the modern time it't set in.
Shortly after the outbreak, the boys at the school realise that there only chance is to leave their school and look for safety. Eventually, they decide on London and then the most terrifying, gory and emotional story i've read in a long time, begins.

If this one thing that makes these books so enthralling, it's the characters as well as the plot and Mr Higson is once again, not scared to kill off main characters. This in itself adds to the emotional impact when bad things happen. I found myself getting attached to characters only for them to die, and this really made me feel like my heart had been twisted and on one particular occasion i found myself in floods of tears.

The actual events roll along nicely and i loved how simply growm-up these children were in the face of disaster. Ultimately this book does score one for the kids of the world, showing them in a capable and responsible light, as they manage to get by without adults.
Having said that, there is a bit more intrection with adults in this novel and you get to find out a lot more about the infection and what causes some to get it, some not to and why different people react differently to the disease.
The idea are very plausible and the setting is so modern that the possible realism of it scares me to a certain extent.

My favourite characters were Ed and Jack, i loved there complex friendship and how much they both change over the course of the novel. The way they dealt with things was very grown up and extraordinarily mature, probably even more mature than the adults if there were any sane ones left.
I thought the story came together nicely at the end and it linked perfectly with the first book, this is most definately a must have for fans of the first book and of survival horror!(less)

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May 02, 2013 Julia rated it 5 of 5 stars

"The Dead" is a great book to read if you're interest in action, and science fiction. More of a young adult novel, this book goes to great lengths in order to describe a world where everyone over sixteen has turned into a rotting, boil covered monster- and kids run about the streets desperate to survive. The circumstances of this story arise when a mysterious illness sweeps all across London- as well as other parts of the world- and the only food that keeps these diseased creatures alive is the...more "The Dead" is a great book to read if you're interest in action, and science fiction. More of a young adult novel, this book goes to great lengths in order to describe a world where everyone over sixteen has turned into a rotting, boil covered monster- and kids run about the streets desperate to survive. The circumstances of this story arise when a mysterious illness sweeps all across London- as well as other parts of the world- and the only food that keeps these diseased creatures alive is the meat of children. Taking place one year prior to the first book in the series, the main characters of The Dead are a group of adolescent boys escaping from their old private school, is who the book follows.
Charlie Higson adds suspense and thrill to this intricate read. Characters are killed off at the blink of an eye, showing readers the realism and intensity that the book entails. The main thing I adored about this book was the way the author spread information among the characters. When one character told a lie, the information spread quickly and the truth was quickly brought to light. I enjoyed that aspect of the writing of this novel because it helps the story line advance farther along than it would have if small conflicts stretched their lifespan across the entire book.
There's a great use of diction and syntax all through The Dead. Higson uses short and crisp sentences to snap at the reader's attention and make sure they're aware if the most obvious and important aspects if the story. Figurative language is used to relate the novel in ways the audience can more easily understand. A good example would be a description of a "sicko" (an adult after they'd been consumed with illness.) Higson talks about pus dripping, boil covered monsters who often times are missing several limbs. The gore and pure mess of detail allows the reader to feel as the characters of the book feel by the sight- sickened, disgusted. That these things that used to be people, some of whom they previously knew before the disaster- have now turned into disgusting monsters who only think about where they can find their next child meal.
It's an interesting concept how the book actually takes place a year before the first book- also the face that this sequel focused on a whole new group of kids trying to escape the same bad situations. It sort of annoyed me in the beginning how my favorite heroes had been left in the dark the whole novel as the story continued on, all harsh feelings were forgotten as I allowed myself to be sucked into another land of the dead. I'd recommend this book and book series to anyone who enjoys reading. Whether you like romance, science, fiction, of adult novels- this book series has something in it that everyone can enjoy, with still a multitude of more books to come in the series. (less)

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Feb 10, 2013 Henry rated it 4 of 5 stars

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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Jan 06, 2013 Shannon rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: anyone who enjoys zombies

Recommended to Shannon by: My Librarian

Shelves: favorites

This book is crazy good. When I saw it at the library, I was a bit weary of it because I've never been a fan of sequels (or prequels, in this case), but I loved The Enemy so much that I figured the least I could do was stay true to Higson and read this one as well. And, let me tell you, it did more than just exceeded my expectations. I might even say I liked it more than The Enemy, and that says a lot.
Higson did so many things right in this novel that I'm not even sure I can arrange it all into...more This book is crazy good. When I saw it at the library, I was a bit weary of it because I've never been a fan of sequels (or prequels, in this case), but I loved The Enemy so much that I figured the least I could do was stay true to Higson and read this one as well. And, let me tell you, it did more than just exceeded my expectations. I might even say I liked it more than The Enemy, and that says a lot.
Higson did so many things right in this novel that I'm not even sure I can arrange it all into one review. I loved the way it began with a group of all boys and he didn't detour too far into the romance aspect. But there was a bit of girl banter here and there, and even some boy/ girl action, and I liked how Higson added it in to humor us teenage girls, but I'm extremely glad he kept it on the down-low and as a mere subplot.
As well, I loved the gory scenes. He didn't seem to over-exaggerate everything and gave us just enough details about the 'sickos' that I could imagine them for myself. Some even left me with a bad taste in my mouth.
The action never stops happening. Literally. The second after the boys escape one form of potential death, there's another right around the corner, in a form you'd never expect. It was so fast paced that my parents literally had to rip the book out of my hands to get me to eat dinner.
And the characters. Oh my. Some of the best characters I'd ever read about. Especially Bam- he was my favorite. They were all so different from each other and I had no trouble keeping them separated in my mind, like I have with some other books. I loved the dialogue and how real it sounded, and many times I actually found myself laughing out loud alone in my room. I also adored the friendships made between Ed, Jack, and Bam. And sometimes Higson had made me hate Jack, and in the next scene I'd love him again. They're pure teenage boys, and I'd seem to forget that as I came across intense action scenes, but then the dialogue would bring me back again. It was the perfect balance of maturity and immaturity and fit so well in the situation the boys were in.
And there's so much more I could say about the fantastic development of the characters, or the description of the action scenes, or the way my heart was literally ripped out of my chest when certain characters died, but I want to get to the ending.
And let me tell you, it was better than I expected. I loved how unexpected it was and how well it linked with the plot of The Enemy. I couldn't believe how easily it had snuck up on me, and once I had realized it, I was a mess of giggles and squirming because I was so excited. And that's a little pathetic, but I always am when it comes to the ends of books. Especially this one.
Overall, I'd have to say that Bam and DogNut were my favorite characters, but, in the end, I seemed to find myself adoring Ed as well. And, honestly, I hated Ed in the beginning. Oh, the powers of Charlie Higson.
So, INCREDIBLE read. If you're not disturbed by boil-ey, disgusting walking corpses that try to eat little kids, then I highly recommend this. But, beware, it's not entirely for the faint-of-heart.(less)

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Dec 10, 2012 Akiko Atsushi rated it 5 of 5 stars

Amazing 5/5 book. This book makes you think and i love books that make you think.. what if?
It started with a YouTube video. “Scared Kid,” featuring a terrified, nearly incoherent child talking about “mothers” and “fathers” on a murderous rampage. Hilarious if a bit unsettling, “Scared Kid” rapidly became the most watched video on the internet, thanks to its sort of Blair Witch-esque intrigue. Were those actors in an elaborate viral internet prank? The ambiguity captivated the global audience.

Th...more Amazing 5/5 book. This book makes you think and i love books that make you think.. what if?
It started with a YouTube video. “Scared Kid,” featuring a terrified, nearly incoherent child talking about “mothers” and “fathers” on a murderous rampage. Hilarious if a bit unsettling, “Scared Kid” rapidly became the most watched video on the internet, thanks to its sort of Blair Witch-esque intrigue. Were those actors in an elaborate viral internet prank? The ambiguity captivated the global audience.

That is, it did until it becomes abundantly clear that “Scared Kid” is no actor.

The outbreak strikes without warning or precedent. In a matter of days, the mysterious virus sweeps through Britain, Europe, and the rest of the world. Anyone sixteen or older falls victim to the illness, and in flurry of pus, fever, and madness, the infected become “sickos,” incapable of rational thought and hungering after children’s flesh. The Dead follows a group of children and teen boys from an English private school as they band together, making their way to the countryside to start a new life. With a hoard of sickos between them and salvation, however, best friends Ed and Jack must fight to survive – even if it means facing their fears, becoming merciless, and losing what little humanity and innocence they have left.

Taking place in the weeks and months before the start of The Enemy, The Dead is the story of the (pseudo)zombie apocalypse that rocks Britain and brings the world to its knees. As such, it’s a much more action-and-violence centric novel, offering little in the way of explanations of the virus (beyond a few conversations with some extremely bright characters, that is). The prequel also focuses on a cast of characters unrelated to those survivors in The Enemy, and can be read as a stand alone novel. One of the cool things about a prequel like this is the sense of utter uncertainty surrounding its characters – Charlie Higson has a brutal streak and no one, not even protagonists Jack and Ed, is safe. The gore and action dial is understandably turned up in this novel, and we also get an intriguing glimpse at infected “sickos” themselves; what they are thinking, how the disease feels, and there are a number of clues and foreshadowing hints dropped as to what makes certain adults stay sane longer than others (as also seen in The Enemy).

While the action and body count increases many-fold over its predecessor, however, The Dead never matches the emotional depth or character strength of the first book. That said, there is one relationship at the heart of this book that defines the emotional breadth of the novel: the friendship between Ed and Jack. Jack (my personal favorite of the bunch) is a smart, athletic boy, but lacks the charm and good looks of his best friend Ed – having been born with a port-wine stain birthmark on his face, Jack’s always been timid because of his looks. When the outbreak strikes, however, it is Jack and not Ed that is able to make the tough decisions and leap to action. At the same time, Jack’s ability to act quickly without thinking things through is a weakness that Ed counterbalances with a desire to stay as safe and conservative as possible in the apocalyptic landscape. The relationship between these two characters as their roles are reversed in a time of impossible danger is fraught with tension, leading to moments of tenderness and inevitable tragedy. As far as the rest of the cast is concerned, The Dead is much more male-populated than The Enemy, and strays a little too close to caricature. There’s the religious zealot, Matt, peddling his new gospel in which the Lamb will save him and his acolytes (why is there always a religious nut in these books? I suppose in the throes of the apocalypse this is to be somewhat expected, but it seems like such an easy trope to play out. I digress.). There’s the pretty, queen bee girl that uses bitchiness as a shield for emotion. There’s the wiz kid, the nerd, the jock, the ruthless leader type, and so on and so forth. These aren’t bad tropes, but as these characters are never really explored in depth, they remain caricatures as opposed to genuine flesh-and-blood people.

While character or thematic depth isn’t really touched in The Dead, what the novel does have is action and gore in spades. There are lengthy scenes depicting epic battles, with katanas brandished and pistols blazing; there are descriptions of the putrid odor and bloat of the long-dead, and the erupting pustules of the infected. And let’s be honest – if you’re into zombie apocalypse fiction, this is all a part of the subgenre’s appeal. Although there isn’t anything approaching the horrors of the London Underground as described in the first book, there is a stadium full of atrocities – literally. If it’s good old fashioned decapitation, flesh-eating, and blood spattering you’re looking for, The Dead totally fits the bill.
(less)

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Oct 09, 2012 Clayton Weller rated it 5 of 5 stars

The authors purpose in the story is to describe and tell you how it might be like if there was a disease to cause a zombie apocalypse in London. To include the fact that its kids under 18 vs adults who are flesh eating zombies.

The theme of the book is to not mock or make fun of things that have the slightest chance of ever happening such as a zombie infestation because you just might wake up in that same thing you made fun such as in this book.

The style of the story is to be a drama and action...more

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May 02, 2012 Joe rated it 4 of 5 stars

The story opens with a group of adolescent boys in a British prep school beating their favorite teacher to death as he comes through a broken window intent on eating their flesh.

A prequel to the awesome The Enemy, The Dead is the story of a steadily diminishing group of British adolescents as they try to survive in a world in which every person over sixteen has devolved into a 28 Days Later style living zombie. The book does a good job showing how, in the face of such unimaginable horror, people...more

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Mar 06, 2012 Beth Bonini rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: children-s-book-club

Who knew I was a fan of YA zombie novels?
While not quite as compelling as The Enemy, I still found it pretty unputdownable.
Higson made this novel (the second in his series) a prequel, and in some ways that does slow down the narrative drive established in the first novel. However, it is fun to see how the various strands of the story start coming together -- which is apparent by the end of the book. Perhaps there aren't quite as many interesting characters in this one; instead of having a big en...more

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Sep 19, 2011 Janie McMahan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: owned

Is it an amazing zombie story? Yes. Do I want to read the others in this series? Yes. Would I put down a another book I wanted in the store to get another one from the series? No. I just don't know how to review this book. Granted, I never read the first one, so maybe more tied into it, but this seemed like a pretty stand alone book, considering it was a prequel, but nothing really HAPPENED for me. They go around trying to find food and shelter, a fire happens, a bunch of the main characters die...more

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Sep 10, 2011 Diane rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, death, future, horror, post-apocalyptic, zombies, young-adult

In The Enemy we were plopped down in the middle of a story where adults had been infected with a disease that killed them all, but not before they were turned into rotting, diseased, flesh-eating monsters. Everyone under the age of 16 has to learn to stay away from them to survive. The children forage for food and create their own society to protect themselves from the "mothers and fathers" who want to kill and eat them.

The Dead is a prequel to The Enemy. It begins after the plague has killed mo...more

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Sep 10, 2011 Alicia rated it 5 of 5 stars

The first book of this series, The Enemy, came to me very highly recommended from a friend, so although I don’t usually read zombie-type books, I gave it a go and ended up thoroughly enjoying it - thus I was pretty eager to get my hands on the sequel, which is, unusually, just as good as its predecessor; I was slightly disappointed to find that it wasn’t a continuation of the story in The Enemy, instead set a year before and focusing on a new group of kids, but I was pleasantly surprised by how...more The first book of this series, The Enemy, came to me very highly recommended from a friend, so although I don’t usually read zombie-type books, I gave it a go and ended up thoroughly enjoying it - thus I was pretty eager to get my hands on the sequel, which is, unusually, just as good as its predecessor; I was slightly disappointed to find that it wasn’t a continuation of the story in The Enemy, instead set a year before and focusing on a new group of kids, but I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed The Dead.

It’s rather gory and quite descriptive in regards to the diseased adults and their slaughter of the children, so it’s definitely not for the faint-hearted and it certainly made me feel a bit queasy at times, but it makes it incredibly easy to visualise the danger that all of the kids are in, which causes you to genuinely fear for them, especially when you come to the realisation that literally any of them could die within the next few pages; no one is safe, and this is a very refreshing change from the norm, when it is guaranteed that the main characters will not die, no matter what – there are no get out clauses or deus ex machina – the very last person you’d expect to often dies, and this makes The Dead all more unpredictable and therefore enjoyable.

The novel is really well thought out with accurate insights, such as the fact that we would need range of people – chemists, entertainers, musicians, doctors, farmers and engineers–not just fighters–to survive and maintain sanity in a post-apocalyptic world. With a new dilemma every couple of pages or so The Dead never gets boring or repetitive; on the contrary, I found it one of the most addictive reads of the year. I also thought it was a nice touch for it to feature well-known places around London like the Imperial War Museum, which makes The Dead even more realistic and shows how well-researched it is.

I really tend to avoid gory/bloody/zombie books, but this is definitely an exception to my rule – it’s extremely realistic (well, as much as it can be), especially the ways in which the characters react to events, and well-crafted – so much so that you almost get an adrenalin rush whilst reading it.

You don’t even need to have read The Enemy to enjoy The Dead, though I really recommend that you do as it’s just as brilliant and helps to explain a few details too. I like the fact that it is very blunt, which shocks the reader a great deal, but makes the story a lot better for it. I also liked the alternating viewpoints – not just between Ed and Jack (the two main characters) but the reader eventually ‘hears’ almost every character’s narration, which enables you to hear titbits of their background, their view on life and version of events, which gives you a better sense of their character.

However, I do have a few slight niggles with the book, namely that I felt the characters acted older than their stated age, but in the world they now reside, I suppose they would be forced to grow up pretty fast in order to survive, plus what they have all been through has inevitably made them hardened. Another thing is that I found there were a few too many kids to keep track of who was who, especially when they’re given nicknames like ‘Jibber-jabber’, but that is being incredibly nit-picky.

It’s a bleak version of our future, where mere children are left to fend for themselves against vicious diseased adults who are out for their flesh but, frankly, it’s brilliant and you’ll enjoy it even if you normally abhor this genre of book, though as I mentioned, it’s definitely NOT for the faint of heart!(less)

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Jul 11, 2011 Sarai rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult-fiction, suspense, supernatural, horror, sci-fi

I have not read the sequel to this newer release, the prequel. So I have no background with the story. However, I did find it interesting. Some of the scenes were gross and I never knew who was going to make it and who wasn't. I had no idea who the hero or heroes were going to be and some of my guesses were wrong. I don't think I'll be reading the rest of the series because horror is not really my thing, but I would recommend this to anyone who likes horror or zombies or even sci-fi, because who...more

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Jun 28, 2011 Emily rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: zombies-eat-ur-brains, teenage-dream-wannabee

Charlie Higson, you made my week! Not only do you write zombie books with enough pus, blood, and brains to actually keep my interest, you are also daring enough to kill teens in DROVES!! Hallelujah! I've been waiting for a teeth-gnashing novel in which the author isn't afraid to kill off some of his best heroes and heroines and I finally got one! Hurray! Usually the killing of tweens and teens is censored in some way....but not in Higson world! Oh no, we have enough biting, gnoshing, and flesh-e...more Charlie Higson, you made my week! Not only do you write zombie books with enough pus, blood, and brains to actually keep my interest, you are also daring enough to kill teens in DROVES!! Hallelujah! I've been waiting for a teeth-gnashing novel in which the author isn't afraid to kill off some of his best heroes and heroines and I finally got one! Hurray! Usually the killing of tweens and teens is censored in some way....but not in Higson world! Oh no, we have enough biting, gnoshing, and flesh-eating here for everyone (and we're not even sorry about it). To be coming soon...a theme park based on this novel-- (those under 16...BEWARE)!

I'm the type that loves a good zombie film but finds most books on the subject totally and utterly boring. Even World War Z, which some laud as the finest in modern zombie literature couldn't keep my interest. And as I sit here writing this, watching a new zombie film from Germany that I received in the mail today (Hammbock: Berlin Undead), I can honestly say that I had not yet read a very fine zombie tale. That, my friends, is no longer the case. I am puffed with pride like a pus nodule waiting to explode.

So, welcome to the Enemy series, where anyone over the age of 16 has become one of the undead, and those under 16 must fight back or become the next chicken wing on some zombie stay-at-home dad's Sunday dinner plate. Fantastic. *licking of fingers*

Our protagonist, Ed, and his group of over-priveged private school mates fight hordes of zombies that have invaded England while the group strives to maintain their sanity amidst the hungry, cannibalistic chaos. Oh, and while steering clear of the religious zealots as well. (THE LAMB....THE LAMB...HOLD THE FLAG)!!!!

Bravo! Teens finally doing what they do best....hacking apart adults with fifteenth century axes from the Tower of London. Yay for depravity and truth! May the teens forever reign! Certainly will read the next in the series just to see how far Higson is willing to go.

(less)

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Jun 23, 2011 TheBookSmugglers rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Originally Reviewed on The Book Smugglers: http://thebooksmugglers.com/2011/06/b...

It started with a YouTube video. “Scared Kid,” featuring a terrified, nearly incoherent child talking about “mothers” and “fathers” on a murderous rampage. Hilarious if a bit unsettling, “Scared Kid” rapidly became the most watched video on the internet, thanks to its sort of Blair Witch-esque intrigue. Were those actors in an elaborate viral internet prank? The ambiguity captivated the global audience.

That is, it...more Originally Reviewed on The Book Smugglers: http://thebooksmugglers.com/2011/06/b...

It started with a YouTube video. “Scared Kid,” featuring a terrified, nearly incoherent child talking about “mothers” and “fathers” on a murderous rampage. Hilarious if a bit unsettling, “Scared Kid” rapidly became the most watched video on the internet, thanks to its sort of Blair Witch-esque intrigue. Were those actors in an elaborate viral internet prank? The ambiguity captivated the global audience.

That is, it did until it becomes abundantly clear that “Scared Kid” is no actor.

The outbreak strikes without warning or precedent. In a matter of days, the mysterious virus sweeps through Britain, Europe, and the rest of the world. Anyone sixteen or older falls victim to the illness, and in flurry of pus, fever, and madness, the infected become “sickos,” incapable of rational thought and hungering after children’s flesh. The Dead follows a group of children and teen boys from an English private school as they band together, making their way to the countryside to start a new life. With a hoard of sickos between them and salvation, however, best friends Ed and Jack must fight to survive – even if it means facing their fears, becoming merciless, and losing what little humanity and innocence they have left.

Taking place in the weeks and months before the start of The Enemy, The Dead is the story of the (pseudo)zombie apocalypse that rocks Britain and brings the world to its knees. As such, it’s a much more action-and-violence centric novel, offering little in the way of explanations of the virus (beyond a few conversations with some extremely bright characters, that is). The prequel also focuses on a cast of characters unrelated to those survivors in The Enemy, and can be read as a stand alone novel. One of the cool things about a prequel like this is the sense of utter uncertainty surrounding its characters – Charlie Higson has a brutal streak and no one, not even protagonists Jack and Ed, is safe. The gore and action dial is understandably turned up in this novel, and we also get an intriguing glimpse at infected “sickos” themselves; what they are thinking, how the disease feels, and there are a number of clues and foreshadowing hints dropped as to what makes certain adults stay sane longer than others (as also seen in The Enemy).

While the action and body count increases many-fold over its predecessor, however, The Dead never matches the emotional depth or character strength of the first book. That said, there is one relationship at the heart of this book that defines the emotional breadth of the novel: the friendship between Ed and Jack. Jack (my personal favorite of the bunch) is a smart, athletic boy, but lacks the charm and good looks of his best friend Ed – having been born with a port-wine stain birthmark on his face, Jack’s always been timid because of his looks. When the outbreak strikes, however, it is Jack and not Ed that is able to make the tough decisions and leap to action. At the same time, Jack’s ability to act quickly without thinking things through is a weakness that Ed counterbalances with a desire to stay as safe and conservative as possible in the apocalyptic landscape. The relationship between these two characters as their roles are reversed in a time of impossible danger is fraught with tension, leading to moments of tenderness and inevitable tragedy. As far as the rest of the cast is concerned, The Dead is much more male-populated than The Enemy, and strays a little too close to caricature. There’s the religious zealot, Matt, peddling his new gospel in which the Lamb will save him and his acolytes (why is there always a religious nut in these books? I suppose in the throes of the apocalypse this is to be somewhat expected, but it seems like such an easy trope to play out. I digress.). There’s the pretty, queen bee girl that uses bitchiness as a shield for emotion. There’s the wiz kid, the nerd, the jock, the ruthless leader type, and so on and so forth. These aren’t bad tropes, but as these characters are never really explored in depth, they remain caricatures as opposed to genuine flesh-and-blood people.

While character or thematic depth isn’t really touched in The Dead, what the novel does have is action and gore in spades. There are lengthy scenes depicting epic battles, with katanas brandished and pistols blazing; there are descriptions of the putrid odor and bloat of the long-dead, and the erupting pustules of the infected. And let’s be honest – if you’re into zombie apocalypse fiction, this is all a part of the subgenre’s appeal. Although there isn’t anything approaching the horrors of the London Underground as described in the first book, there is a stadium full of atrocities – literally. If it’s good old fashioned decapitation, flesh-eating, and blood spattering you’re looking for, The Dead totally fits the bill.

Although I did enjoy the first book much more, there’s plenty to like in The Dead – and I’m thrilled to hear there’s another book on the horizon. I’ll definitely be back for deliciously depraved thirds.(less)

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Apr 09, 2011 Caroline rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, zombie, dystopia

The Dead is the amazing prequel to The Enemy. I cannot begin to tell you how excited I am about this. I absolutely love series, but I particularly love series where each book is different from the others and which you can read also as a stand alone novel. The Dead is set in the same world as The Enemy, but not only are there new characters in the book, but there are also very different themes and actions. It is an absolutely brilliant book, I haven't been able to put it down and I was completely...more The Dead is the amazing prequel to The Enemy. I cannot begin to tell you how excited I am about this. I absolutely love series, but I particularly love series where each book is different from the others and which you can read also as a stand alone novel. The Dead is set in the same world as The Enemy, but not only are there new characters in the book, but there are also very different themes and actions. It is an absolutely brilliant book, I haven't been able to put it down and I was completely fascinated by the plot!

The Dead is set a few days after the strange epidemic has killed the majority of the adult population in the UK (but as we come to know in this book, in the rest of Europe as well) and turned a minority into “zombies” - children-eating animalistic-looking monsters. We follow a group of boys from a school who had been hiding in their dorm rooms during the events. They were at first helped by teachers, but they soon became hungry zombies themselves. After some painful moments, they decide to move from the school and try to find a better shelter and some food elsewhere. The eternal debate over countryside vs. London took place and in the end London won.

They meet other kids on the way and some very resisting adults who seem immune to the disease. I really found that the book was an amazing vision of human nature. Though some episodes were clearly gory (incredibly so) it is a work of undeniable genius balancing between the fun, the horror and the originality.
Some kids are very brave, others are so deeply afraid of the situation that they get sometimes paralysed. But one of the biggest lessons in the book is that you are not naturally brave, some might be more inclined than others but facing the unpredictable events, some characters just grow a pair during the action even though they would have been considered cowards at the beginning of the story. (Oh dear did I just say “grow a pair” in my review?!)
The new group of characters present in the book are all very interesting and I find that Charlie Higson is just so talented in bringing those very typical and various teenage personalities from today's world to this horrible situation. The moment where they recall their cell phones and the films they used to watch is just priceless.

The religious aspect of one part of the plot seemed slightly weird and out-of-place at first. Not in the sense that I didn’t like that it was written in the story, just that I strongly disliked some of the characters and would have chopped their heads off had I been present in the action. But throughout the book, it did make me think about religions in general. I think that Charlie Higson has, in an absolutely brilliant way, introduced the question of the beginning of a religion. Ok so someone who does believe in God might have a different opinion on this than mine, but the book really does raise the debate in a very unique and original way and makes you think about things.
there is also an interesting character having a very interesting vision on history and the power of the written words versus the entire world which just collapsed. A question has been nagging me: is it just a coincidence if he is named Chris Marker like the French director/photographer? If you have the answer, tell me!!

The Dead is a brilliant book and even though some might not like the gory parts, I really feel the series will soon become a horror classic in Young Adult literature. Between Dystopia and Horror, the story will appeal to many, so get started on the series!
I definitely want to read more about all this and I can’t wait for the next book in the series to know what will happen!! (less)

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Jan 16, 2011 Peep (Pop! Pop!) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: insane, liked-cause-im-crazy, read-in-2011, really-liked, zzzzzzzombies, addicted-to-ya

There is officially a special place in my heart for zombies. I loved this one. While I still think I liked the first one better, this one was just as good. I liked the opening part, where they describe the first encounters with the zombies. It was pretty realistic.

First, kids are crazy! The adult in me wanted to organize and just do things differently. But, you and I both know that if I were an adult and in this book it would be a totally different story. Actually, it would be the same story as...more

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Apr 11, 2013 Michael rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book had several gripping qualities that make it a good read for readers with any sort of interest in the paranormal. The characters are presented in a way that lets the reader easily learn about their intentions and motives, the same with their personality. As with any ZOMBIE story, there are many twists that the story takes. It connects the reader with the characters then throws the characters into a situation where the reader will not be able to stop until their favorite character is saf...more

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Jun 27, 2011 Hafsah Faizal rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Originally Posted on IceyBooks by my 12 year old brother

What would you do if everyone you knew over 16 became a zombie? Sure we all have our fantasies of how we'd fight them without a second thought. But what if the zombies fight back and do something worse, like, try to eat you? Maybe there's a few kids who'll stand up and take control, but what about the rest of us?

That's how life is for the kids in The Dead, they're always having to fight, always on the run. Ed, Bam, and Jack, along with t...more

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Jun 26, 2011 P.M. rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Talk about dystopian settings! Jack, Ed, and Bam, and their classmates are holed up in a dormitory trying to fend off the adults who have all become kid-chomping sickos. Everyone over 16 has become infected by a mysterious illness that is rotting them away. When the school becomes uninhabitable, the kids try to get as far away as possible. They are rescued by a bus-driving butcher named Greg and his timorous son Liam. Greg seems to be immune to the infection but the boys soon find out why he has...more

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May 30, 2012 Saturnus rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: svenska-swedish

Jag hade aldrig tänkt på hur de skulle kunna vara att läsa en bok som utspelade sig ett år innan Fienden, men den här boken gav mig en bra bild av hur saker såg ut innan Maxie och Blues tid.
Charmen med Charlie Higsons De Levande Döda serie är att man aldrig kan gissa hur det ska sluta, vem kommer dö och vem kommer överleva?
Död, blodiga zoombies och fascinerande karaktärer gör att man bara måste läsa den här boken, den går inte att släppa när man väl börjat med den.

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Sep 06, 2011 Adeeb rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

First of all, I'd like to talk about my addiction with this book! I couldn't put this book down, I REALY couldn't I kept reading for hours! I was literally GLUED to this book.

Charlie Higson: favorite new author! I denfinitely need to check out his Young Bond series although I've read other spy books!

The cover looks stunning and fits with the story perfectly, I like it better than the one I have with The Enemy

This book, although being book two, wasn't a sequel to book one. It was a prequel. The e...more

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Jan 06, 2013 Natalie Gretzinger rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013, blew-me-mind, favorites, kick-ass-girl-character, zombies, post-apocalyptic-fiction

First of all I would like to thank Charlie Higson for ever being born. Without you I would still be rereading Twilight. (sadly)

At the beginning I really did not connect with any of the characters, and you might think the same, but trust me-they are amazing!

Now, I know Charlie's way of writing, how he makes you love, love the character then he kills then off **wipes away imaginary tear** so I tried super hard not to spend all day thinking about them. But I am weak and thats ALL I could think of....more

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Nov 29, 2012 Sarah rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Anyone over 14 YOA.

Shelves: action-adventure, apocalyptic, thriller, unforgettable, male-protagonist, book-2, re-readable, books-i-own

Instead of continuing with the characters of the first novel, The Enemy, Charlie Higson introduces us to another band of fantastic characters. These poor souls are introduced to us during a stunning survival-of-the-fittest type struggle, as they defend themselves from the infected grown-ups (in this case, teachers) that remain in their private boarding school.

Not only does The Dead take us a year earlier into the disease, but it also begins to give us more perspective on the situation they all...more

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Aug 30, 2012 Ramon rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-6th-grade

This book is great for young adults. This book is great for action hungry readers. This book will surely change your point your point of view about the way things would be if children ran the world.

1 like · like · see review

Mar 29, 2012 Jennifer Lavoie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I cannot get over how amazing this series is. The book has so many twists and turns that I can hardly keep up with it. Because of the shorter chapters, it is a fast read. There is more gore and violence in this book than in the first, The Enemy, but that is because it is shortly after the world has changed and the kids have yet to find their new homes.

What I loved most about this book was how it tied into The Enemy. It wasn't until the end that you really see it, but it was a brilliant connecti...more

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May 24, 2012 Shannon rated it 3 of 5 stars

The first book, The Enemy, was amazing. This book I originally was extremely disappointed with, until I got to the last 150 pages or so.

I found the beginning very dull, so dull I stopped reading it for a few months, which is extremely rare for me. It just wasn't as action filled as the first as I had hoped.

But in the end, I was proved wrong. Once The boys had set off to Jack's house, and the stadium collapsed on top of them, I was drawn right back in. From his death, to bam's and then right to F...more

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topics	posts	views	last activity
Favourite character??	2	8	May 07, 2013 07:43pm
Do you need to read the Enemy first?	1	3	Aug 17, 2012 08:37am
Ed (kind of spoiling)	4	26	Jun 17, 2012 08:40am
Escape the dead :)	1	4	May 16, 2012 04:31pm
The dead by charlie higson Ultimate fan site	1	10	Oct 05, 2011 02:59pm

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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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The Dead (The Enemy #2)

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