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The Enemy #4
The Sacrifice
The sickness destroyed everyone over the age of fourteen. All across London diseased adults are waiting, hungry predators with rotten flesh and ravaged minds.
Small Sam and his unlikely ally, The Kid, have survived. They’re safe with Ed and his friends at the Tower of London, but Sam is desperate to find his sister.
Their search for Ella means Sam and The Kid must cross the forbidden zone. And what awaits them there is more terrifying than any of the horror they’ve suffered so far . . .
Small Sam and his unlikely ally, The Kid, have survived. They’re safe with Ed and his friends at the Tower of London, but Sam is desperate to find his sister.
Their search for Ella means Sam and The Kid must cross the forbidden zone. And what awaits them there is more terrifying than any of the horror they’ve suffered so far . . .
456 pages, Hardcover
First published September 20, 2012
238 people are currently reading
5926 people want to read
About the author
Charlie Higson
123 books1,500 followersHigson 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
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
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 444 reviews
September 8, 2019
Book four in the Enemy series and I'm enjoying this so much.
This is a YA 7 book series on the end of the world as we know it. Everyone over the age of 14 has turned into a zombie and the kids are battling it out for their lives.
With various tribes of kids now well established over London this book focuses on them discovering each other, some camps working together, some double crossing and some outright dislike each other. It's a dog eat dog world out there.
It was nice to see some of the original characters back in book one making a reappearance and gelling with the other characters of recent books.
I'm looking forward to the next book, seeing how the various groups progress and how the adults sickness evolves.
This is a YA 7 book series on the end of the world as we know it. Everyone over the age of 14 has turned into a zombie and the kids are battling it out for their lives.
With various tribes of kids now well established over London this book focuses on them discovering each other, some camps working together, some double crossing and some outright dislike each other. It's a dog eat dog world out there.
It was nice to see some of the original characters back in book one making a reappearance and gelling with the other characters of recent books.
I'm looking forward to the next book, seeing how the various groups progress and how the adults sickness evolves.
May 12, 2020
I'm at the stage of reviewing this series when I think I’ve given up.
Not in the books. Not at all. I mean, are you joking? This series is one of the most brilliant YA series, of any genre, you’re going to read.
I mean actually reviewing them. I find it pretty much impossible to write reviews on a series any way. There are only so many times you can say “You know what, you probably shouldn’t read this…” or, in this series’ case, “Why haven’t you read this series yet?”
If you haven’t read this series yet and the other ... three ... reviews haven’t convinced you (not to mention all the other brilliant reviews on blogs across the land!) then I’m not sure what I need to do.
Did I hear one of you say an interpretive dance? Because I’ll do it… I will.
I’ve been sitting on this review for about two months and I know that because I know exactly where I was when I was reading it.
Picture the scene: I’m on a train from Manchester to Cheltenham. It’s quite busy and there is a gaggle of elderly ladies talking about their trip. It’s Autumnal and there’s a certain bite to the air that makes me giddy in my heart because I love Autumn. There’s a man sat next to me who thinks it’s socially acceptable to eat an egg mayonnaise sandwich in an enclosed space*. There’s a woman opposite reading Heat and drinking coffee. The ticket collector is quite possibly a wannabe comedian as he’s using all his best lines on us passengers.
They weren’t very good, I’ll tell you that for free.
But what about me? What was I doing?
Well, I was away with the zombies.
I knew I was going to love this book as soon as there was a quote from T.S Eliot’s The Wastleland. My name is Jo and I judge books and authors from the quotes that they use at the beginning of their books and chapters. The Wasteland is my second favourite T.S Eliot poem so when the book kicked off with a quote from it… I was excited.
This book could quite easily have been sold under another title: The Return of The Kid. Or, This Book Was Written For Jo. Yep. You, Jo. You’ll Love It So Drop Everything And Read It.
I simply adore The Kid. I love his spark, I love his character and I love his interactions with Small Sam. I adore that he’s, in essence, a glorious hodge podge of film references, riddles, culture, misunderstood quotes and complete and utter nonsense. That’s my kind of character.
I also loved how we got to know Ed a bit more. In The Dead, Ed wasn’t my favourite character. He was alright, I suppose, but in The Sacrifice, Mr Higson truly got under his skin and fleshed him out. Complicated, broken, strong, a leader, frightened? All of the above.
That’s all I’ve got. I’m bad at writing reviews from series. But I guess I’m just going to have to get over it because there are three more books to go. That’s right, three more to go.
And we will finally get to know about the disease and… well… actually, just read what Mr Higson has to say here.
I think I’ve done well considering my notes in my notebook are: THE KID. AGNUS. YES. and ED!!! and What’s that creepy noise? Noooooo! and WHAT ARE THOSE ZOMBIES DOING? and OK, Higson, we get it. The guy is mouldy. Stop with the descriptions. and THE KID THE KID THE KID.
I don’t really have a lot to work with. I think I’ve done quite well, right?
Basically, this book was wonderful and a perfect addition to this series which, as it goes on, continues to challenge me and surprise me. This book opened so many lines of discussion and, instead of answering the questions I want answered, it just asked more.
This series keeps going from strength to strength and my obsession is relentless and is getting more rabid as the days pass… just like the zombies.
*Seriously, when is that EVER ok?
Not in the books. Not at all. I mean, are you joking? This series is one of the most brilliant YA series, of any genre, you’re going to read.
I mean actually reviewing them. I find it pretty much impossible to write reviews on a series any way. There are only so many times you can say “You know what, you probably shouldn’t read this…” or, in this series’ case, “Why haven’t you read this series yet?”
If you haven’t read this series yet and the other ... three ... reviews haven’t convinced you (not to mention all the other brilliant reviews on blogs across the land!) then I’m not sure what I need to do.
Did I hear one of you say an interpretive dance? Because I’ll do it… I will.
I’ve been sitting on this review for about two months and I know that because I know exactly where I was when I was reading it.
Picture the scene: I’m on a train from Manchester to Cheltenham. It’s quite busy and there is a gaggle of elderly ladies talking about their trip. It’s Autumnal and there’s a certain bite to the air that makes me giddy in my heart because I love Autumn. There’s a man sat next to me who thinks it’s socially acceptable to eat an egg mayonnaise sandwich in an enclosed space*. There’s a woman opposite reading Heat and drinking coffee. The ticket collector is quite possibly a wannabe comedian as he’s using all his best lines on us passengers.
They weren’t very good, I’ll tell you that for free.
But what about me? What was I doing?
Well, I was away with the zombies.
I knew I was going to love this book as soon as there was a quote from T.S Eliot’s The Wastleland. My name is Jo and I judge books and authors from the quotes that they use at the beginning of their books and chapters. The Wasteland is my second favourite T.S Eliot poem so when the book kicked off with a quote from it… I was excited.
This book could quite easily have been sold under another title: The Return of The Kid. Or, This Book Was Written For Jo. Yep. You, Jo. You’ll Love It So Drop Everything And Read It.
I simply adore The Kid. I love his spark, I love his character and I love his interactions with Small Sam. I adore that he’s, in essence, a glorious hodge podge of film references, riddles, culture, misunderstood quotes and complete and utter nonsense. That’s my kind of character.
I also loved how we got to know Ed a bit more. In The Dead, Ed wasn’t my favourite character. He was alright, I suppose, but in The Sacrifice, Mr Higson truly got under his skin and fleshed him out. Complicated, broken, strong, a leader, frightened? All of the above.
That’s all I’ve got. I’m bad at writing reviews from series. But I guess I’m just going to have to get over it because there are three more books to go. That’s right, three more to go.
And we will finally get to know about the disease and… well… actually, just read what Mr Higson has to say here.
I think I’ve done well considering my notes in my notebook are: THE KID. AGNUS. YES. and ED!!! and What’s that creepy noise? Noooooo! and WHAT ARE THOSE ZOMBIES DOING? and OK, Higson, we get it. The guy is mouldy. Stop with the descriptions. and THE KID THE KID THE KID.
I don’t really have a lot to work with. I think I’ve done quite well, right?
Basically, this book was wonderful and a perfect addition to this series which, as it goes on, continues to challenge me and surprise me. This book opened so many lines of discussion and, instead of answering the questions I want answered, it just asked more.
This series keeps going from strength to strength and my obsession is relentless and is getting more rabid as the days pass… just like the zombies.
*Seriously, when is that EVER ok?
October 24, 2017
I'm only doing a mini review of this book because I've reviewed all the other books in the series and don't really have anything much extra to add so I'll just sum it up?
book/series summary This book is basically about a apocalyptic version of London where a disease has turned all the adults into zombies. It's basically Gone meets The Walking Dead. Each book follows certain groups of kids and their quest/mission which depends on which characters you're following. This book follows The Kid and Small Sam after the events of The Dead and catches up with the Cathedral kids who haven't been in the series since book one. Also Shadowman and Saint George feature heavily.
WHAT I LIKE
💀 zombies. I love the zombies in this series because they actually have character arcs and change as the series progresses. I like the way the zombies function and how the lore surrounding them is pretty consistent
💀 world so I love the way the world is split up into different crews of kids. The Tower of London crew is my favourite but I also really love the Natural History Museum kids. Basically, every prominent building has a group of kids who have taken up residence there, and what is interesting is that each group has it's own rules, culture, laws and ideas about what to do in the world. Some are looking for a cure, some are just living day to day lives, some are looking for power, some live in lowkey anarchy and the difference between each group is really interesting. Also, PSA the kids living in IKEA had the smartest idea of everyone js.
💀 narrative structure its kind of hard to explain, but the narrative structure is my favourite thing about this book and series and why it stands out as a genuinely way better series then most zombie books. So basically, Book one follows a group called the Waitrose crew who are brought to Buckingam Palace by a kid called Jester. Book two then skips back in time to explain how the Buckingham Palace crew ended up there. Book three is set at the same time as book one, but follows a completely different set of characters. This book is set right after the events of book two.
Why I love this structure is that the world feels really alive. When you're following a group of characters, you know one of the other groups is also up to something we will get to later. It feels less like a series moving forward and more like a series moving forward and outward. It's kind of hard to explain but I love it. I also love how this structure allows plotlines to weave together and overlap, and so we see different events from different perspectives and contexts. I love the narrative strucutre and it's why this series stands out to me so much even in it's low points.
WHAT I DON'T LIKE
💀 repetition this book was kind of boring to me (because i've already read it so it's not really the book fault), but also by this book it felt like a lot of the plot had been used and reused. There's only so many times being chased by a zombie can freak me out. This one felt a little out of ideas
💀 crew I love The Kid but I don't love the other characters this book follows. Small Sam and Ed are okay but my real favourites from the Tower of London like Jordan Hordern and Dognut weren't in it as much. I LOVED SHADOWMAN'S ROLE IN T HIS BOOK THOUGH
💀 boring? This particular book in the series is more of a filler/explanation book then the previous ones so it wasn't as thrilling as it's predecessors
Anyway, overall I really enjoy this series and I will hopefully be finishing it this year. Even though it's a seven book series it's plotted and crafted so well that never felt daunting. I genuinely love some of the characters in this series and god the plot structure is just so freakin clever and good
book/series summary This book is basically about a apocalyptic version of London where a disease has turned all the adults into zombies. It's basically Gone meets The Walking Dead. Each book follows certain groups of kids and their quest/mission which depends on which characters you're following. This book follows The Kid and Small Sam after the events of The Dead and catches up with the Cathedral kids who haven't been in the series since book one. Also Shadowman and Saint George feature heavily.
WHAT I LIKE
💀 zombies. I love the zombies in this series because they actually have character arcs and change as the series progresses. I like the way the zombies function and how the lore surrounding them is pretty consistent
💀 world so I love the way the world is split up into different crews of kids. The Tower of London crew is my favourite but I also really love the Natural History Museum kids. Basically, every prominent building has a group of kids who have taken up residence there, and what is interesting is that each group has it's own rules, culture, laws and ideas about what to do in the world. Some are looking for a cure, some are just living day to day lives, some are looking for power, some live in lowkey anarchy and the difference between each group is really interesting. Also, PSA the kids living in IKEA had the smartest idea of everyone js.
💀 narrative structure its kind of hard to explain, but the narrative structure is my favourite thing about this book and series and why it stands out as a genuinely way better series then most zombie books. So basically, Book one follows a group called the Waitrose crew who are brought to Buckingam Palace by a kid called Jester. Book two then skips back in time to explain how the Buckingham Palace crew ended up there. Book three is set at the same time as book one, but follows a completely different set of characters. This book is set right after the events of book two.
Why I love this structure is that the world feels really alive. When you're following a group of characters, you know one of the other groups is also up to something we will get to later. It feels less like a series moving forward and more like a series moving forward and outward. It's kind of hard to explain but I love it. I also love how this structure allows plotlines to weave together and overlap, and so we see different events from different perspectives and contexts. I love the narrative strucutre and it's why this series stands out to me so much even in it's low points.
WHAT I DON'T LIKE
💀 repetition this book was kind of boring to me (because i've already read it so it's not really the book fault), but also by this book it felt like a lot of the plot had been used and reused. There's only so many times being chased by a zombie can freak me out. This one felt a little out of ideas
💀 crew I love The Kid but I don't love the other characters this book follows. Small Sam and Ed are okay but my real favourites from the Tower of London like Jordan Hordern and Dognut weren't in it as much. I LOVED SHADOWMAN'S ROLE IN T HIS BOOK THOUGH
💀 boring? This particular book in the series is more of a filler/explanation book then the previous ones so it wasn't as thrilling as it's predecessors
“We was half stupid, a third lucky, and three-quarters ferocious.”
Anyway, overall I really enjoy this series and I will hopefully be finishing it this year. Even though it's a seven book series it's plotted and crafted so well that never felt daunting. I genuinely love some of the characters in this series and god the plot structure is just so freakin clever and good
February 13, 2013
What keeps us going day to day? How do we push through the monotony, exhaustion, hard times, and pain in life? To be honest, some days I’m really not sure.
”I guess when you want to keep on living you can do things you couldn’t do normally.”
Charlie Higson’s The Sacrifice holds all the scares, suspense, and gore of this bloody slaughter-like series, but this story also shows readers that surviving may not be enough. What we have to sacrifice day to day to survive in life plays a big part of this journey and a huge reason why I love Mr. Higson so much.
GO, go, go! Back and forth, round & round through the streets of London, we find ourselves in a nonstop limping, dragging, panting, running scramble to live. Things are changing among the ranks of the kids and grown-ups (aka sickos). Kids are stepping out from behind their relatively safe walls to see and explore what is left of the world. A year plus into the sickness and disaster, kids are starting to look around at what they have and wonder—Is this it? Is this what life is now? Like any society, problems pop out and up all over the place. Kids are getting into trouble, stealing from each other and hurting the group as a whole. Law, rules, and order need to be established and enforced, but are these kids ready to punish other kids? The answer to that question may just scare the bejesus out of you!
The use and abuse of power becomes a pivotal part of this battle and at times feels just as scary as the sickness actually. As we start to tour around London, readers begin to meet different bands of kids and their brand of power. Each group possesses a different way of controlling the chaos and keeping everyone happy and busy with a dictatorship, democracy, fear, arrogance, military might or spiritual enlightenment. It can all be found here along with the Crazy! Yes, crazy with a full on capital C. I do love the crazies though! :D
Ed, Shadowman, Sam, and The Kid lead the charge down this trail of blood, goo, and guts trying to find answers, loved ones, and purpose in this dark, dark new world. We first met Ed way back in book two, but readers truly get to see what he’s made out of here. He holds such a powerful mix of sweetness and cold brutality. The way he folds Sam and The Kid into his heart warmed this whole bloodbath of terror into love for me. Loyalty, care and friendship run through this tale from the first page to the last. But the mad as a hatter, short stuff with the mostest and absolute show stealer was The Kid.
Ah, The Kid. Mr. Higson has created a legendary, unforgettable, half crazy-half dazzlingly brilliant character! With ingenuity, creativity, humor, and yes, a bit of madness too—The Kid’s heart and fierce friendship with Sam brings the whole show to life! Small Sam and The Kid get dragged into religious mayhem, but hopefully show us all that the power of friendship will win in the end. I hope! These two are absolutely the cutest dynamic duo on record! I wish I could capture their spirit, cuddles, laughs, and power with a quote, but you really have to meet them. See their chemistry in action. I will share this though. Just when you think The Kid has gone around the bend into nutville, he gives us a memory filled with brilliance and warmth. Listen to how he describes music:
“His granddad had made him hear music. All music. What there was inside it. Where it took you. How the best music didn’t shout at you and tell you what to do. How you could find your own way through it.”
I wish I could gush more about the action, certain developments, and changes, but it all feels way too close to the spoiler line. So let me just say we drop by on some old pals and meet some new friends and creeps in this book. Some of the new voices left little to no mark on my heart, which disappointed me. Plus once again, my Achilleus didn’t show up in this zombie ride. *pouts* But here is my short list of small fries, complaints, and fun.
Saif -- Sorry, mate. You did nothing for me. Well…lucky charms as hair accessories was pretty inspiring actually. Haha
Shadowman -- I liked him better in the last book. No idea why. He just didn’t touch my heart in this story. Either he developed a hard shell or I did.
Kyle-- Oh, Kyle you are one sick motherf**ker! *shakes head* Just goes to show how somehow, some way a psycho can find a spot in this new world and my heart. Hell, he made my happy list as soon as he named his axe! :D
So once again, Mr. Higson dazzled me with suspense, power, and new questions. At book four, this series is still going strong, kicking ass, and pulling out surprises! From the decisions we make to the things and people taken from us—life can beat us up pretty good. BUT it is how we respond that makes us who we are in life. Makes us stronger. Again and again, I heard kids here want to curl up, stop, and call it a day. Too tired to keep going. Somehow they find the strength and courage to keep pushing on though. Whether it is friendship, loyalty, love, numbness, or habit for goodness sake we have to keep going. Go, go, go!
This book left a lot of unanswered questions, but believe me—I’m waiting right here for book five! Can’t wait to see what’s next for my kids.
November 30, 2012
*Spoiler Free*
I started reading Charlie Higson shortly after i began reading Michael Grant's Gone series in 2010 because i waiting for the next Gone book(Plague) and wanted something to hold me over. I expected a generic zombie book with "The Enemy" and I got so much more than that and Higson has quickly become my favorite author along with Grant.
Let's start this review off with the Cons.....
In my opinion, this book series is near perfect. Unlike Gone, which I do love, I don't outright hate any of the characters in the enemy series like i do in gone(I hate astrid and i hated sam for 4 books) and unlike Gone this book series doesn't have one definitive lead character(Sam/Caine) who make stupid decisions.
However, this book series biggest strength is also it's biggest weakness. There are SO MANY CHARACTERS to keep up with in this series. Book one starts off with one set of characters and you don't see those characters until Book three....Book two goes back to the beginning of the 'zombie' outbreak introducing more characters and new settings so you need to learn their names and their personalities. Book Three manages to bring Book 1 and Book 2 characters together but of course introduces more characters.
Book 4, the sacrifice manages once again to connect all three books and then there are even MORE CHARACTERS to learn. I honestly sometimes find it hard to remember characters simply because there are so many character to keep up with.
It's a strength because you have the opportunity to see the story through many povs but at the same time character's who are important lack character development that makes it harder to connect with them sometimes.
1. Characters-
Ed is back in this book and Ed is definitely one of my favorites. We met him in "The Dead" where he was slightly cowardly and grew into a more aggressive, killer who struggles with maintaining his humanity and morality as he fights against the zombies. Without giving much away, I feel like Ed is one of Higson's strongest characters simply because his cowardice caused a lot of problems in Book 2 and in 'The Sacrifice' you see him trying to save everyone that he possibly can save to make up for the fact that he failed his best friend, Jack who was the 'hero' for most of Book 2. He is strong but flawed and I love Ed.
Small Sam & The Kid....This book does revolve around them and I have to say that The Kid is simply a fun character. He has this sense of intelligence not expected of a boy his age while at the same time he maintains a childish and immature side that just makes him lovable. He has such a hard time in this book and my heart ached for him as he is definitely my favorite of the two.
Sam(just like Sam in Gone) is someone that took me sometime to get used to. He was introduced book one but i always felt like he was sort of just there and a bit of a whiner. I like the fact that in this book Sam finally took charge and being only nine years old he didn't give up as easily and he was strong despite being so small and young. While i feel like The kid is a stronger character, I do find Sam finally getting much needed development.
Secondary Characters such as Jordan are there but we really don't get a lot of jordan in this book. He is in the beginning and he almost commits a heinous act to punish one of the kids for a crime. We see a bit of brutality in him...We don't see him much till towards the end but out of all the leaders, I feel as if Jordan while a bit hard is the sanest of all the leaders.
We also get a glimpse of Nicola and David(the other leaders from the other books) though it was basically a few pages for Nicola and david literally appears at the end of the book, which i sort of found pointless as it contributed nothing.
We of course meet a new leader who is more savage and blood-thirsty and his 'people' who have the same mindset.
But the biggest character of all who is the cause of the book's plot reappears in this book, after long being thought to be dead and if you think of the title it shouldn't be hard to figure out who it is. I have to say that he/she definitely brought a sense of urgency in this book because while the Zombies were the antagonist, this book was driven more by human nature and fear.
2. Plot
In each Gone book, there's a definitive plot that correlates to the books name. You basically have a plot and a problem and it more or less is solved or at least dealt with mostly.
With The Enemy, Books one and 2 literally are only meant as introductions. You get introduce to the characters, the zombs but there is not a complete plot as it is more of a set up.
Book Three begins to introduce a plot while still setting up the foundation.
But this isn't a bad thing. With Gone, the books are mostly driven by plot and character actions. With the enemy, the first few books are action driven. I have to remember to breathe reading the first one because it was all some action sequence in the first few books. What i love about Higson is that he is not afraid to kill a character off. We know in Gone that Sam, Caine or Astrid or Diana won't die because they are the leads....Hell, Drake was brought back to life lol.
Higson will kill a character off in a heartbeat and that always gives a sense of urgency in the plot.
But i finally got what i've always wanted in Book 4. A solid plot that doesn't solely rely on action. It's a bit different going into Book 4 because while action is still there and it's gross....We finally get major character development.
A good chunk of the sacrifice deals with the Lamb & The goat plot as well as character's fears and need to believe in something. Do you go against your instinct of what is right and wrong to force yourself to believe what's wrong is right? With all the killing around you and loss, do you let go of the last of your humanity to become like the zombies?
Can a boy who is so small overcome such big odds and adversity?
Do you defend and protect others whose stupidity will lead to their downfall and your own?
Charlie Higson established his foundation in the first 3 books and he definitely explores more of the character's mindsets and even the zombie's mindset and this book separates itself from the first 3 because it engages you not through the action sequences but through the character's.
3. Zombies
Without giving much away, a lot happens with the evolution of the zombies.
Book 1 and 2 they essentially were stupid as hell.
Book 3 introduces us to a more methodical and aggressive type of zombies.
Book 4 builds on that and we definitely see just how dangerous these zombies are and we even meet a unique sicko who is different from all the rest and is a big part of the plot.
I don't want to give much away but this zombie relates to a good 70 percent of the plot and he/she is so unique that you find yourself confused by it yet wanting to know more about it and how it is different from the zombies we're used to.
Of course St. George is still there as he seems to be the leader of the sickos but we also begin to see new behaviors in the zombies and discover a "communication' that they seem to have developed.
Definite improvement and higson has not let us down just yet with these zombies.
4. Overall Conclusion(Odds & Ends)
There were a few things that did sort of annoy me about the book and characters.
For starters, the waitrose kids from Book one are NOT in this book and they are basically mentioned briefly by Sam remembering his time there with them.
While I love Ed and his crew and Jordan's crew.....Being that I met Maxxie, Blue, David and all those characters first I care more about them and I actually enjoyed The Fear over the sacrifice simply because we finally learn what happens to them.
Yes David is in this book but there really isn't anything to clue you in about his events from Book 3.....
Another thing about the mass amount of characters is that certain characters seem to be carbon copies of earlier characters.
I forgot the boy's name but there was one boy in Book one who was a killer and loved to fight and had no problems fighting...in this book we have Kyle who is the same way. In book 3 we also had a boy like that.
With so many characters, I feel Higson spread himself thin and it's hard to create individual and unique characters to the point it's like "wait...i've read about this character before."
Now what i love is that we as readers are actually ahead and more knowledgeable than the characters.
Ed doesn't know that dognut was killed in Book 3....He seems to think he may still be alive. Dognut is mentioned a bit in this book.
Ed also thinks of Brooke who of course is dead as well. Sam has been separate from the Waitrose kids for so long that he has no idea that he thinks many of them are still alive.
I love that Higson manages to still connect fallen characters to the present characters.
Overall, I'd rate the books as this
The Sacrifice: 9.5 out of 10
The Fear: 9.8 out of 10
The Dead: 8.9 out of 10
The Enemy: 9.1 out of 10
The Sacrifice is not my favorite book of the series but it is close. I love the development we get with the zombies and characters and that the plot is not reliant on it's action Sequence. With this, it shows that Charlie is capable of not only describing gross and sick depictions in battles but he is more than capable of making you feel, relate and downright pity some of the characters. I haven't managed to connect with the characters as much as I did in this book and Charlie's sense of direction writing it shows maturity not within the books and characters but the fact that he is also growing with these books.
I docked points simply because I miss my Waitrose kids and i want to know where they are.
You need to read this book!
Thanks Charlie for a good read.
I started reading Charlie Higson shortly after i began reading Michael Grant's Gone series in 2010 because i waiting for the next Gone book(Plague) and wanted something to hold me over. I expected a generic zombie book with "The Enemy" and I got so much more than that and Higson has quickly become my favorite author along with Grant.
Let's start this review off with the Cons.....
In my opinion, this book series is near perfect. Unlike Gone, which I do love, I don't outright hate any of the characters in the enemy series like i do in gone(I hate astrid and i hated sam for 4 books) and unlike Gone this book series doesn't have one definitive lead character(Sam/Caine) who make stupid decisions.
However, this book series biggest strength is also it's biggest weakness. There are SO MANY CHARACTERS to keep up with in this series. Book one starts off with one set of characters and you don't see those characters until Book three....Book two goes back to the beginning of the 'zombie' outbreak introducing more characters and new settings so you need to learn their names and their personalities. Book Three manages to bring Book 1 and Book 2 characters together but of course introduces more characters.
Book 4, the sacrifice manages once again to connect all three books and then there are even MORE CHARACTERS to learn. I honestly sometimes find it hard to remember characters simply because there are so many character to keep up with.
It's a strength because you have the opportunity to see the story through many povs but at the same time character's who are important lack character development that makes it harder to connect with them sometimes.
1. Characters-
Ed is back in this book and Ed is definitely one of my favorites. We met him in "The Dead" where he was slightly cowardly and grew into a more aggressive, killer who struggles with maintaining his humanity and morality as he fights against the zombies. Without giving much away, I feel like Ed is one of Higson's strongest characters simply because his cowardice caused a lot of problems in Book 2 and in 'The Sacrifice' you see him trying to save everyone that he possibly can save to make up for the fact that he failed his best friend, Jack who was the 'hero' for most of Book 2. He is strong but flawed and I love Ed.
Small Sam & The Kid....This book does revolve around them and I have to say that The Kid is simply a fun character. He has this sense of intelligence not expected of a boy his age while at the same time he maintains a childish and immature side that just makes him lovable. He has such a hard time in this book and my heart ached for him as he is definitely my favorite of the two.
Sam(just like Sam in Gone) is someone that took me sometime to get used to. He was introduced book one but i always felt like he was sort of just there and a bit of a whiner. I like the fact that in this book Sam finally took charge and being only nine years old he didn't give up as easily and he was strong despite being so small and young. While i feel like The kid is a stronger character, I do find Sam finally getting much needed development.
Secondary Characters such as Jordan are there but we really don't get a lot of jordan in this book. He is in the beginning and he almost commits a heinous act to punish one of the kids for a crime. We see a bit of brutality in him...We don't see him much till towards the end but out of all the leaders, I feel as if Jordan while a bit hard is the sanest of all the leaders.
We also get a glimpse of Nicola and David(the other leaders from the other books) though it was basically a few pages for Nicola and david literally appears at the end of the book, which i sort of found pointless as it contributed nothing.
We of course meet a new leader who is more savage and blood-thirsty and his 'people' who have the same mindset.
But the biggest character of all who is the cause of the book's plot reappears in this book, after long being thought to be dead and if you think of the title it shouldn't be hard to figure out who it is. I have to say that he/she definitely brought a sense of urgency in this book because while the Zombies were the antagonist, this book was driven more by human nature and fear.
2. Plot
In each Gone book, there's a definitive plot that correlates to the books name. You basically have a plot and a problem and it more or less is solved or at least dealt with mostly.
With The Enemy, Books one and 2 literally are only meant as introductions. You get introduce to the characters, the zombs but there is not a complete plot as it is more of a set up.
Book Three begins to introduce a plot while still setting up the foundation.
But this isn't a bad thing. With Gone, the books are mostly driven by plot and character actions. With the enemy, the first few books are action driven. I have to remember to breathe reading the first one because it was all some action sequence in the first few books. What i love about Higson is that he is not afraid to kill a character off. We know in Gone that Sam, Caine or Astrid or Diana won't die because they are the leads....Hell, Drake was brought back to life lol.
Higson will kill a character off in a heartbeat and that always gives a sense of urgency in the plot.
But i finally got what i've always wanted in Book 4. A solid plot that doesn't solely rely on action. It's a bit different going into Book 4 because while action is still there and it's gross....We finally get major character development.
A good chunk of the sacrifice deals with the Lamb & The goat plot as well as character's fears and need to believe in something. Do you go against your instinct of what is right and wrong to force yourself to believe what's wrong is right? With all the killing around you and loss, do you let go of the last of your humanity to become like the zombies?
Can a boy who is so small overcome such big odds and adversity?
Do you defend and protect others whose stupidity will lead to their downfall and your own?
Charlie Higson established his foundation in the first 3 books and he definitely explores more of the character's mindsets and even the zombie's mindset and this book separates itself from the first 3 because it engages you not through the action sequences but through the character's.
3. Zombies
Without giving much away, a lot happens with the evolution of the zombies.
Book 1 and 2 they essentially were stupid as hell.
Book 3 introduces us to a more methodical and aggressive type of zombies.
Book 4 builds on that and we definitely see just how dangerous these zombies are and we even meet a unique sicko who is different from all the rest and is a big part of the plot.
I don't want to give much away but this zombie relates to a good 70 percent of the plot and he/she is so unique that you find yourself confused by it yet wanting to know more about it and how it is different from the zombies we're used to.
Of course St. George is still there as he seems to be the leader of the sickos but we also begin to see new behaviors in the zombies and discover a "communication' that they seem to have developed.
Definite improvement and higson has not let us down just yet with these zombies.
4. Overall Conclusion(Odds & Ends)
There were a few things that did sort of annoy me about the book and characters.
For starters, the waitrose kids from Book one are NOT in this book and they are basically mentioned briefly by Sam remembering his time there with them.
While I love Ed and his crew and Jordan's crew.....Being that I met Maxxie, Blue, David and all those characters first I care more about them and I actually enjoyed The Fear over the sacrifice simply because we finally learn what happens to them.
Yes David is in this book but there really isn't anything to clue you in about his events from Book 3.....
Another thing about the mass amount of characters is that certain characters seem to be carbon copies of earlier characters.
I forgot the boy's name but there was one boy in Book one who was a killer and loved to fight and had no problems fighting...in this book we have Kyle who is the same way. In book 3 we also had a boy like that.
With so many characters, I feel Higson spread himself thin and it's hard to create individual and unique characters to the point it's like "wait...i've read about this character before."
Now what i love is that we as readers are actually ahead and more knowledgeable than the characters.
Ed doesn't know that dognut was killed in Book 3....He seems to think he may still be alive. Dognut is mentioned a bit in this book.
Ed also thinks of Brooke who of course is dead as well. Sam has been separate from the Waitrose kids for so long that he has no idea that he thinks many of them are still alive.
I love that Higson manages to still connect fallen characters to the present characters.
Overall, I'd rate the books as this
The Sacrifice: 9.5 out of 10
The Fear: 9.8 out of 10
The Dead: 8.9 out of 10
The Enemy: 9.1 out of 10
The Sacrifice is not my favorite book of the series but it is close. I love the development we get with the zombies and characters and that the plot is not reliant on it's action Sequence. With this, it shows that Charlie is capable of not only describing gross and sick depictions in battles but he is more than capable of making you feel, relate and downright pity some of the characters. I haven't managed to connect with the characters as much as I did in this book and Charlie's sense of direction writing it shows maturity not within the books and characters but the fact that he is also growing with these books.
I docked points simply because I miss my Waitrose kids and i want to know where they are.
You need to read this book!
Thanks Charlie for a good read.
June 28, 2024
5.0 stars ...
I think this was my favorite
so far in this awesome,
edge-of-your-seat,
hold-your-breath series!
🧟♂️🧟♀️🧟🧟♀️🧟♂️
I think this was my favorite
so far in this awesome,
edge-of-your-seat,
hold-your-breath series!
🧟♂️🧟♀️🧟🧟♀️🧟♂️
December 26, 2017
This series keeps being one of the best zombie series I’ve read! Madd Matt creeps me the fuck out. But it’s all so realistic of how people would cope in a situation as messed up as this. On to the next!
January 24, 2015
I really loved this book. Once again, this series continues to grow and get better. I can't quite explain what it is about this series that makes it so unique, seeing as it's just one zombie series in a list of many. And admittedly I haven't read many zombie books. But this series, these characters, even the zombies/mothers/fathers/sickos, whatever you want to call them, they're so unique and strangely endearing. Plus, this series is not a kids series. I would only recommend it for the older YA readers, maybe 15+, as it's actually quite dark and very creepy at points. Overall, it's really just a great book.
August 17, 2020
Please let Maxie and Blue be in this book! And if they are, please don't kill Maxie and Blue. Please, please, PLEASE.
June 28, 2024
4.75 stars rounded up to five! I only took 0.25 stars off because the timeline of the entire series still messes with my head 🤪 this book was excellent! Small Sam and The Kid are awesome characters! The Kid may be one of the most unique characters I’ve ever read! That being said, I think Ed may be my favorite character. He’s had a very interesting story arc and has probably been in the most books so far. In a series like this for Ed to have logged this much “screen time” and survived is impressive! He has lost a lot of friends but he still goes out of his way to help and try and save others. I hope he makes it to the end of the series! I can’t wait for the next book! Highly recommended series!
October 22, 2015
*Actually 4.5 stars*
*No major spoilers*
Can someone please tell the grown ups to chill the f*ck out?! They are bone chilling and creepy as hell!
I am so in love with this series. Each book is just brilliant. They are freaky and frantic and flippin' fantastic. I got warned that this one was a bit slower paced but I really didn't get that at all.
A couple of things I really liked through this book are a beginning of a background for the cause of the illness in the first place, and how the adults are adapting. Normally the zombie creatures in anything are shown to just be brainless, destructive and solely focused on eating people. These adults however are getting smarter and starting to use weapons. There are even a few who are like leaders, as if normal zombies aren't dangerous enough!
The reason I gave it half a star less is because while there are still quite a few deaths happening, it's not of anyone you are particularly attached to. The characters who have a viewpoint all survive (for now) so it didn't hurt as much when others died since we weren't as attached. (Who detracts half a star for favourites not dying, what a weirdo). There were also a couple of chapters at the end that just seemed pointless, as they were from the eyes of characters who were only in it for a couple of chapters and the chapters didn't really add anything.
On the whole though, great book, and great characters.
*No major spoilers*
Can someone please tell the grown ups to chill the f*ck out?! They are bone chilling and creepy as hell!
I am so in love with this series. Each book is just brilliant. They are freaky and frantic and flippin' fantastic. I got warned that this one was a bit slower paced but I really didn't get that at all.
A couple of things I really liked through this book are a beginning of a background for the cause of the illness in the first place, and how the adults are adapting. Normally the zombie creatures in anything are shown to just be brainless, destructive and solely focused on eating people. These adults however are getting smarter and starting to use weapons. There are even a few who are like leaders, as if normal zombies aren't dangerous enough!
The reason I gave it half a star less is because while there are still quite a few deaths happening, it's not of anyone you are particularly attached to. The characters who have a viewpoint all survive (for now) so it didn't hurt as much when others died since we weren't as attached. (Who detracts half a star for favourites not dying, what a weirdo). There were also a couple of chapters at the end that just seemed pointless, as they were from the eyes of characters who were only in it for a couple of chapters and the chapters didn't really add anything.
On the whole though, great book, and great characters.
June 24, 2016
3.5 stars
My least favorite out of the whole series so far. It felt like this one dragged on a lot and I don't like Shadowman and at all. It sucked that most of the chapters were in his POV.
I'm not a fan of the whole plague happening from some parasite coming from space or whatever. Sounds like it's been over done so many times in these type of books.
I hope the next book has the Holloway kids in it cause I miss them like crazy! And I need Ed and Brooke to reunite.
My least favorite out of the whole series so far. It felt like this one dragged on a lot and I don't like Shadowman and at all. It sucked that most of the chapters were in his POV.
I'm not a fan of the whole plague happening from some parasite coming from space or whatever. Sounds like it's been over done so many times in these type of books.
I hope the next book has the Holloway kids in it cause I miss them like crazy! And I need Ed and Brooke to reunite.
June 4, 2025
OMG THIS WAS SOO GOOD 😭😭😭!!!!! I’m literally in love with this series
April 11, 2014
The Sacrifice by Charlie Higson is an action adventure novel. This fourth installment in The Enemy follows primarily the three different plots that correspond and eventually joins together. One plot follows Shadowman as he tracks The Fear and shows his compassion, becoming more human in his own right. Another plot follow Sam and The Kid after they leave the tower. The other plot follows Ed and his crew as they search for Sam and The Kid. As the three plots intertwine it sets up for the next installment.
There are many things I enjoy about this book and it surely lived up to the previous three books. Up to par with all the previous books, obviously the first thing I think of is the amazing action and description especially when describing the environment and the characters feelings being portrayed as they progressed. The character development in this book was absolutely exquisite. I witnessed Shadowman morph into entire new person along with Ed getting to the root of his actions and why he feels that he must save any and every one. As I read, I noticed that everyone in the book sacrificed in some way and all the characters from present or past books started to connect. Though such a great book it does has flaws. The only issue I personally had was the ending. The ending was compact and almost crammed. Too many major changes in the course of the overall plot changed in such short of time, making the ending feel rushed. This is a minor concern in the scope of the book as a whole.
Despite the very minor concerns with the ending, I would recommend this with any and all merit that I have. The great description in all facets and the transcending character development would cause me to recommend this book as well. Any fan of survival stories or just teen book will love this and I will be getting the next book in the Series.
There are many things I enjoy about this book and it surely lived up to the previous three books. Up to par with all the previous books, obviously the first thing I think of is the amazing action and description especially when describing the environment and the characters feelings being portrayed as they progressed. The character development in this book was absolutely exquisite. I witnessed Shadowman morph into entire new person along with Ed getting to the root of his actions and why he feels that he must save any and every one. As I read, I noticed that everyone in the book sacrificed in some way and all the characters from present or past books started to connect. Though such a great book it does has flaws. The only issue I personally had was the ending. The ending was compact and almost crammed. Too many major changes in the course of the overall plot changed in such short of time, making the ending feel rushed. This is a minor concern in the scope of the book as a whole.
Despite the very minor concerns with the ending, I would recommend this with any and all merit that I have. The great description in all facets and the transcending character development would cause me to recommend this book as well. Any fan of survival stories or just teen book will love this and I will be getting the next book in the Series.
July 24, 2022
Trigger warnings: violence, gore, death, death of a child, death of a friend, animal death, eyeball trauma, body horror, blood, cannibalism, mental health
23/7/2022
Yeah, this one definitely feels like it has Middle Book Syndrome. It's quite choppy in terms of jumping between characters, and there are so many threads going on that it's hard at times to keep track of them all. But at the same time, this is where you first start to see what's REALLY going on with the grown ups and I Am Intrigued (because I have forgotten literally everything about the last three books in the series).
18/7/2016
This is probably the book I've liked the least in the series so far. It's not that it's a bad book. It just felt like it had Middle Book Syndrome.
Up until this point, the series has been incredibly unique, telling individual, overlapping chunks of the story in each book. This one is where those individual chunks start to pull together, and while I still enjoyed it, I'm not sure how I feel about the signs of what the end game is going to be. It feels like there were hints that it's moving from a straight zombie story to...something more like Michael Grant's Gone series.
Also, there was super disgusting eyeball stuff towards the end that actually made me dry heave. So. That was fun.
As always, you shouldn't get attached to any characters in this series because they'll probably die in a horrible, horrible way. The reminders throughout of all the characters who've died during the series was like a stab to the feels at times, because everything is so fast that you never get a chance to mourn them. So it's only when their friends are all "I wonder where [character] went after we got separated..." that it tugs at the heartstrings.
So I'm definitely interested to see where the series goes from here. But I'm slightly hesitant about it, all at once.
23/7/2022
Yeah, this one definitely feels like it has Middle Book Syndrome. It's quite choppy in terms of jumping between characters, and there are so many threads going on that it's hard at times to keep track of them all. But at the same time, this is where you first start to see what's REALLY going on with the grown ups and I Am Intrigued (because I have forgotten literally everything about the last three books in the series).
18/7/2016
This is probably the book I've liked the least in the series so far. It's not that it's a bad book. It just felt like it had Middle Book Syndrome.
Up until this point, the series has been incredibly unique, telling individual, overlapping chunks of the story in each book. This one is where those individual chunks start to pull together, and while I still enjoyed it, I'm not sure how I feel about the signs of what the end game is going to be. It feels like there were hints that it's moving from a straight zombie story to...something more like Michael Grant's Gone series.
Also, there was super disgusting eyeball stuff towards the end that actually made me dry heave. So. That was fun.
As always, you shouldn't get attached to any characters in this series because they'll probably die in a horrible, horrible way. The reminders throughout of all the characters who've died during the series was like a stab to the feels at times, because everything is so fast that you never get a chance to mourn them. So it's only when their friends are all "I wonder where [character] went after we got separated..." that it tugs at the heartstrings.
So I'm definitely interested to see where the series goes from here. But I'm slightly hesitant about it, all at once.
October 8, 2015
At A Glance
Genre: Young Adult; Horror
Love Triangle/Insta Love?: nope.
Cliff Hanger: Kinda :D
Rating: 4.5 stars
Score Sheet
All out of ten
Cover: 8
Plot: 9
Characters: 9
World Building: 8
Flow: 7
Series Congruity: 8
Writing: 8
Ending: 9
Total: 8.5
In Depth
Best Part: Zombie POVs are my fav!
Worst Part: A bit slower in the pacing.
Overall Feels Felt: ZOMBIE POV!!; Shadowman is bae!; oh shit!
Conclusion
Continuing the Series: heck yes!
Recommending: heck yes!
Misc.:
Short Review: Wow. I just love this series! I heart the fact that they are now including "Zombie" PoVs in the books more now, i love them so much. Greenman was so interesting and his part in the end was great. Saint George is still as badass as he was in the last book. I love Shadownman! He is just awesome. I felt like i was reading a documentary when it was his PoV and it was great. The gore was amped up in this book from the previous books, so be aware of that. Lots of death going around.
Review In GIF Form
Genre: Young Adult; Horror
Love Triangle/Insta Love?: nope.
Cliff Hanger: Kinda :D
Rating: 4.5 stars
Score Sheet
All out of ten
Cover: 8
Plot: 9
Characters: 9
World Building: 8
Flow: 7
Series Congruity: 8
Writing: 8
Ending: 9
Total: 8.5
In Depth
Best Part: Zombie POVs are my fav!
Worst Part: A bit slower in the pacing.
Overall Feels Felt: ZOMBIE POV!!; Shadowman is bae!; oh shit!
Conclusion
Continuing the Series: heck yes!
Recommending: heck yes!
Misc.:
Short Review: Wow. I just love this series! I heart the fact that they are now including "Zombie" PoVs in the books more now, i love them so much. Greenman was so interesting and his part in the end was great. Saint George is still as badass as he was in the last book. I love Shadownman! He is just awesome. I felt like i was reading a documentary when it was his PoV and it was great. The gore was amped up in this book from the previous books, so be aware of that. Lots of death going around.
Review In GIF Form
December 8, 2012
How to express how I feel about this book: OH MY ROWLING! That was yet another example of the brilliance of the british. The first book in this series was also brilliant, as was book two. Book three had me a little bored because I knew what was going down (as it was happening at the same time as the others...so I already knew). Book four was...WOW. From the first line I was creeped out and curious as to what Higson has in store for us eager readers. I was not let down; there was excitement and suspence and the cringe-worthy moments that make you just go...EWWW (some of the scenes I swear I would have thrown up if it was real and actually happening. so gross). Man, I needed this book to destress after a busy semester. Thankyou Charlie Higson, I enjoyed every word of this book and cannot wait for the next one.
August 14, 2013
Another PERFECT addition to this series. GIVE ME MORE! WOW WOW WOW!
November 5, 2013
I Loved it I couldn't put it down for days
July 9, 2013
Sam, The Kid, Shadowman. The best in one book. Boom.
July 2, 2015
By far the best book in the series so far!
January 7, 2025
4.5* rounded down.
Charlie Higson continues the story expertly by further fleshing out both the main and side characters, whilst the dangerous developments surrounding the sickos feeling natural and earned.
Of the many things that this series has done consistently well throughout the opening four entries is making the reader care when even the tertiary characters are killed (rest in peace to those lost at St Paul's Cathedral). As well as this, Higson has also demonstrated that no one is safe with major characters such as Arran, Jack, DogNut and Courtney in previous books.
I'm glad that Mad Matt made a return, with his expected return still coming as both a welcome and unwelcome surprise, whilst we were introduced to a few new characters in the form of Will, Macca, Adele, Tish, Brendan, Hayden, Charlotte and Wormwood, all of whom added their own touch to the story.
Ed and Kyle were definitely the best part of the story. We gain some insight into Kyle's background and why he is the way he is, whilst we also learn that he is still haunted by his recent losses.
The only thing dragging the book down for me is any time The Kid has a monolog. It's certainly quirky in back-and-forth conversations, but when he is doing the bulk of the speaking, it got very old very fast.
I'm looking forward to joining back up with Maxie, Brooke, Achilleus, Blue and the rest in The Fallen.
Charlie Higson continues the story expertly by further fleshing out both the main and side characters, whilst the dangerous developments surrounding the sickos feeling natural and earned.
Of the many things that this series has done consistently well throughout the opening four entries is making the reader care when even the tertiary characters are killed (rest in peace to those lost at St Paul's Cathedral). As well as this, Higson has also demonstrated that no one is safe with major characters such as Arran, Jack, DogNut and Courtney in previous books.
I'm glad that Mad Matt made a return, with his expected return still coming as both a welcome and unwelcome surprise, whilst we were introduced to a few new characters in the form of Will, Macca, Adele, Tish, Brendan, Hayden, Charlotte and Wormwood, all of whom added their own touch to the story.
Ed and Kyle were definitely the best part of the story. We gain some insight into Kyle's background and why he is the way he is, whilst we also learn that he is still haunted by his recent losses.
The only thing dragging the book down for me is any time The Kid has a monolog. It's certainly quirky in back-and-forth conversations, but when he is doing the bulk of the speaking, it got very old very fast.
I'm looking forward to joining back up with Maxie, Brooke, Achilleus, Blue and the rest in The Fallen.
May 22, 2025
2.75/3
Zaczęło się super ale przy końcówce zaczęłam się nudzić i byłam lekko zagubiona ;/ ale to jakieś 30%/20% więc nie tak źle
Zaczęło się super ale przy końcówce zaczęłam się nudzić i byłam lekko zagubiona ;/ ale to jakieś 30%/20% więc nie tak źle
August 20, 2019
The series just keeps getting better. I love how characters from previous books who you thought you were done hearing about have an important role and how characters from various books are now interacting with one another! Every once in awhile this book gives you the chills and it's great!
April 13, 2015
The Sacrifice is the fourth book in the Enemy series and focuses mainly on Sam&The Kid as well as Shadowman and Ed. It’s set a year after the catastrophe has happened (shortly after the end of the Enemy) and shows us that the kids slowly have settled down. At the same time they start to investigate and ask themselves if this is their new life. The story still progresses a lot. Especially in terms of getting to know what actually happens in the grown ups minds/heads. We learn what actually caused all the ruckus (or at least get a lot of hints so we can make assumptions), what probably happened with everyone older than 14 years. This makes it very interesting and you won’t get bored for sure! We meet old characters, but also new ones (which I mainly disliked, but not in a “This character is badly written” way). Fortunately the new characters you don’t like don’t stay for long anyway.
The character development is amazing and probably the main point of this book. I can’t say it any different. First of all there is Small Sam who (obviously) grew a lot since he was introduced in book one. He slowly learns about how life works and what he has to do. Then there is The Kid who is simply a brilliant character. When he was introduced I didn’t like him that much, but he soon creeped into my heart. He’s a nice contrast to everything dark happening, because he’s weird/crazy/unic/special. He sometimes automatically makes you laugh. What I really love is the friendship between him and Sam. You can really feel how much they care for each other and they probably are the two characters closest to each other. The Kid was my favorite character in this book which I never thought would happen when I started the book. I also like Ed’s development since book two. He started as a coward and ended up as a cold hearted killer who’s still haunted by what happened to his friends. It just portrais so well how the world he lives in changed him. He’s still one of the characters I care about the most. I never cared much about Kyle, but learning about his background his actions make a lot of sense now and I felt sorry for him. I have to admit that I liked Shadowman more in the last book, but I also felt like his part of the story wasn’t as important as Sams&The Kids (which also involved Ed’s). He wasn’t as smart as he was before what disappointed me. He also depended a lot on others. Something he didn’t do before. It felt a bit off, but I still liked his character.
Overall it had me all excited for the Fallen and the Hunted. I just have to know what happens next! Charlie Higson managed to create a series that will catch you and won’t let you off the hook. I’m still worried that my favorite characters could die even thought they lived through so many things. I’m also curious to see if Higson will end some things in a cliché (will Sam and Ella reunite?!) or if he will surprise me.
The character development is amazing and probably the main point of this book. I can’t say it any different. First of all there is Small Sam who (obviously) grew a lot since he was introduced in book one. He slowly learns about how life works and what he has to do. Then there is The Kid who is simply a brilliant character. When he was introduced I didn’t like him that much, but he soon creeped into my heart. He’s a nice contrast to everything dark happening, because he’s weird/crazy/unic/special. He sometimes automatically makes you laugh. What I really love is the friendship between him and Sam. You can really feel how much they care for each other and they probably are the two characters closest to each other. The Kid was my favorite character in this book which I never thought would happen when I started the book. I also like Ed’s development since book two. He started as a coward and ended up as a cold hearted killer who’s still haunted by what happened to his friends. It just portrais so well how the world he lives in changed him. He’s still one of the characters I care about the most. I never cared much about Kyle, but learning about his background his actions make a lot of sense now and I felt sorry for him. I have to admit that I liked Shadowman more in the last book, but I also felt like his part of the story wasn’t as important as Sams&The Kids (which also involved Ed’s). He wasn’t as smart as he was before what disappointed me. He also depended a lot on others. Something he didn’t do before. It felt a bit off, but I still liked his character.
Overall it had me all excited for the Fallen and the Hunted. I just have to know what happens next! Charlie Higson managed to create a series that will catch you and won’t let you off the hook. I’m still worried that my favorite characters could die even thought they lived through so many things. I’m also curious to see if Higson will end some things in a cliché (will Sam and Ella reunite?!) or if he will surprise me.
September 25, 2021
"Something happened to people when you gave them too much power, though. They started to believe they were special, that they were always right, all-powerful, invincible." (p. 309)
I think this is my favorite book in the series so far. FINALLY Higson wrote female characters that didn't make me want to bash my head against the wall. There were even two adolescent boys talking seriously about depression and using the word depression explicitly. I think Higson's strength lies in writing male friendships, from the complicated ones like Ed and Kyle to the wholesome ones like Sam and the Kid.
The title of the book was well done. For most of the book, the reader is inferring it references sacrificing . Next we see how there are sacrifices in the . But the most meaningful sacrifice is actually .
Some of the best horror works include religion used as a tool to control. And wow, Higson got it right with Mad Matt in St. Paul's Cathedral. These quotes were particularly memorable in regards to observing crazy people.
"Sam had stopped listening a long time ago. His voice was just a drone, something you had to get used to, like the music and the smoke. It was just there. So that you either learned to ignore it or you went mad." (p.166)
Sam also wisely questioned "Since when did smoke ever make anything clearer?" (p. 231)
Lastly, I really enjoyed the addition of the Green Man! There's been an extra-special adult introduced in each new book that always adds to the creepiness factor. I had to go and re-read the first chapter after finishing the novel due to new information. I don't usually do that.
January 12, 2013
Loved this book.
I am a huge fan of the series. I'm an adult, so I'm going to be honest, I was a little reluctant to admit to really enjoying a YA series with such passion, especially when I do enjoy more 'adult' kind of books.
So when I didn't get this next book for Christmas, I had to take a trip to my local bookstore. Turns out the elderly cashier is a fan of the series too.
What I love most about Charlie Higson's work, is he somehow is able to write great content and great story, whilst also being funny, heartbreaking and heartwarming. He has a way of writing charming characters, that allow you (even as an adult) to connect to them in some way. Even the bad guys.
The Sacrifice is no different, or lacking anything from the rest of the books in this series. The Sacrifice leaves you with a little more story clues and plots to think about and really takes our characters to the next level of their journeys.
If you enjoyed the previous works, you'll love this.
I am a huge fan of the series. I'm an adult, so I'm going to be honest, I was a little reluctant to admit to really enjoying a YA series with such passion, especially when I do enjoy more 'adult' kind of books.
So when I didn't get this next book for Christmas, I had to take a trip to my local bookstore. Turns out the elderly cashier is a fan of the series too.
What I love most about Charlie Higson's work, is he somehow is able to write great content and great story, whilst also being funny, heartbreaking and heartwarming. He has a way of writing charming characters, that allow you (even as an adult) to connect to them in some way. Even the bad guys.
The Sacrifice is no different, or lacking anything from the rest of the books in this series. The Sacrifice leaves you with a little more story clues and plots to think about and really takes our characters to the next level of their journeys.
If you enjoyed the previous works, you'll love this.
October 3, 2015
I loved this series so much and can't praise it highly enough. I read each book in 24 hours or less(which is odd since I usually get bogged down in series.
The characters are so vivid, genuine and lifelike that you can feel their personalities pouring off the page. The way he ties the books into each other makes them impossible to review separately.
These books are dark and gritty, make no mistake. And as addictive as the strongest narcotic.
This is not your average zombie read by any means. If you're in doubt, pick up The Enemy and just read the first chapter.
To say these books are atmospheric would be an understatement.
And people, stop snottily saying it's only Lord of the Flies ripped off with zombies.
I've read both and absolutely loved The Enemy. If you go in wanting to hate something, chances are you're going to hate it. it is really as simple as that.
Since I read these books over a month without service, I will put this review on all the others.
The characters are so vivid, genuine and lifelike that you can feel their personalities pouring off the page. The way he ties the books into each other makes them impossible to review separately.
These books are dark and gritty, make no mistake. And as addictive as the strongest narcotic.
This is not your average zombie read by any means. If you're in doubt, pick up The Enemy and just read the first chapter.
To say these books are atmospheric would be an understatement.
And people, stop snottily saying it's only Lord of the Flies ripped off with zombies.
I've read both and absolutely loved The Enemy. If you go in wanting to hate something, chances are you're going to hate it. it is really as simple as that.
Since I read these books over a month without service, I will put this review on all the others.
February 22, 2017
During this book many of the characters are fleshed out, you learn about their pasts, their inner most thoughts and their wants for the future.
I especially loved the moment between Kyle and Ed. This small pocket of the book really opened up Kyle as a unique character, not just in the series but in books as a whole. It really showed how disaster shapes and changes different people. I loved the parallels happening between the two as well.
The writing is still simplistic but it tackles thoughts and ideas not many other books go after and - in my opinion, this book carried those thoughts and ideas well.
This books definitely feels like the beginning of the series climax, everyone's in motion - the kids of London and sicko's, nephilim, grown-ups, oppos, not-zombie zombies. All coming together for the big reveal - Why did all this happen?
CAN'T WAIT FOR THE NEXT BOOK!
(So glad I don't have to wait).
I especially loved the moment between Kyle and Ed. This small pocket of the book really opened up Kyle as a unique character, not just in the series but in books as a whole. It really showed how disaster shapes and changes different people. I loved the parallels happening between the two as well.
The writing is still simplistic but it tackles thoughts and ideas not many other books go after and - in my opinion, this book carried those thoughts and ideas well.
This books definitely feels like the beginning of the series climax, everyone's in motion - the kids of London and sicko's, nephilim, grown-ups, oppos, not-zombie zombies. All coming together for the big reveal - Why did all this happen?
CAN'T WAIT FOR THE NEXT BOOK!
(So glad I don't have to wait).
February 25, 2018
Although I now run the risk of becoming repetitive, this is an excellent series. With so much happening in London during the time when the first book started, each sequel concentrates on just a few of the vast array of characters. This time it deals with the kids at the Tower Of London and the wanderer Shadowman. We also find out what happened to Mad Matt after upsetting the boat on the Thames a couple of books ago. Blood and guts galore as per usual and hints of the discovery of what has sent all the adults down their zombie-like path of child-consuming destruction.
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