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The Afterblight Chronicles #3
School's Out
It's never easy being fifteen, but when your teachers are killing each other, the prefect who loves to bully you is experimenting with crucifixion, and the rival gang from across town have decided that ritualistic cannibalism is the way to go, spots and body-odour don't seem like such big problems after all. These are the final days of St Marks School For Boys, and the punishment for disobedience is death!
320 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2007
3 people are currently reading
124 people want to read
About the author
Scott K. Andrews
21 books56 followersScott K. Andrews has written episode guides, magazine articles, film and book reviews, comics, computer games, audio plays for Big Finish, far too many blogs, some poems you will never read, and a whole bunch of novels. He's online at www.scottkandrews.com.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
August 10, 2011
I'd met Scott at the SFX weekender and decided to check out one of his novels. I have to be honest and say that teenage dystopian fiction isn't my cup of tea but this was well written (the fight scenes especially) such that by the time I'd got to the end of the book I was really glad I'd read it.
May 6, 2025
Book 01: The Culled by Simon Spurrier
Book 02: Kill or Cure by Rebecca Levene
Third book in The Cull Series, third different author.
School's Out might be the bloodiest book yet of the series. Although written about children, the main protagonist is 15 years old at the start to the book, this is not a young adult book. What it is, is a treatise on leadership of a vulnerable population. What makes an effective leader, and is there a difference in an effective leader and a good one. Can people be both? Mac is an effective leader. He brought together the boys of the school and held them together with an iron fist using fear and hostility. Lee tries to lead the boys by firm but thoughtful control, and by killing only when necessary. The cannibal leader uses religious mania to keep a cult-like hold on his followers. None of these ultimately make a good and effective leader.
The story is told from Lee's point of view, and he is the protagonist. That does not make him right and did not make him the best leader of men. I am looking forward to reading more from the author in this series. There are two more books in this story arc.
Book 02: Kill or Cure by Rebecca Levene
Third book in The Cull Series, third different author.
School's Out might be the bloodiest book yet of the series. Although written about children, the main protagonist is 15 years old at the start to the book, this is not a young adult book. What it is, is a treatise on leadership of a vulnerable population. What makes an effective leader, and is there a difference in an effective leader and a good one. Can people be both? Mac is an effective leader. He brought together the boys of the school and held them together with an iron fist using fear and hostility. Lee tries to lead the boys by firm but thoughtful control, and by killing only when necessary. The cannibal leader uses religious mania to keep a cult-like hold on his followers. None of these ultimately make a good and effective leader.
The story is told from Lee's point of view, and he is the protagonist. That does not make him right and did not make him the best leader of men. I am looking forward to reading more from the author in this series. There are two more books in this story arc.
May 17, 2018
Wow. Just... wow. This book... absolutely amazing. This guy can truly write and write well. I sat down roughly six hours ago to start reading this novel and soared through every page to the end in one sitting. It's a glorious exploration of friendship, school life, survival and the darkest corners of human nature, also trying to resist that nature. A must read.
September 21, 2014
A great story that starts off with our hero returning to his private school following a virus that kills off anyone without the 'O' blood group that is the core factor in this series of books, about different situations, by different authors.
Upon his return Lee finds the headmaster has killed himself - leading to one of the best opening lines of a book I've read in a long time - leaving the school in the hands of a wannabe military teacher, the likeable matron, and, most scary of all, the former lead bully.
From there things tend to get worse, with the local village turning into something out of the Daily Mail, who just love to hunt down and kill, anyone who isn't "like them". The school manage to deal with them, only to find themselves under attack from a bunch of religious nuts, who think bathing in (fresh) blood is the 'cure'.
In between all of the that our fifteen year old hero, tries to keep the bully in line, only to become more and more like him as time passes, in an even more violent world that draws in all around them, until the ultimate clash seals the fate of all concerned.
The plot is fast with a good deal of turns that excuse some of the violence, but there are also touching moments, between the hero and the bully, and others, with some interesting character developments for some of the minor roles.
On the downside, the hero Lee, does tend to spend a long time worrying about being a killer, whilst, at the same time, seemingly being untouched by so much death around him, especially that of his best friend who didn't survive the virus.
Still all in all a great read, and I'm looking forward to reading the next part of this particular thread of the After blight Chronicles, once I've read all those inbetween.
Upon his return Lee finds the headmaster has killed himself - leading to one of the best opening lines of a book I've read in a long time - leaving the school in the hands of a wannabe military teacher, the likeable matron, and, most scary of all, the former lead bully.
From there things tend to get worse, with the local village turning into something out of the Daily Mail, who just love to hunt down and kill, anyone who isn't "like them". The school manage to deal with them, only to find themselves under attack from a bunch of religious nuts, who think bathing in (fresh) blood is the 'cure'.
In between all of the that our fifteen year old hero, tries to keep the bully in line, only to become more and more like him as time passes, in an even more violent world that draws in all around them, until the ultimate clash seals the fate of all concerned.
The plot is fast with a good deal of turns that excuse some of the violence, but there are also touching moments, between the hero and the bully, and others, with some interesting character developments for some of the minor roles.
On the downside, the hero Lee, does tend to spend a long time worrying about being a killer, whilst, at the same time, seemingly being untouched by so much death around him, especially that of his best friend who didn't survive the virus.
Still all in all a great read, and I'm looking forward to reading the next part of this particular thread of the After blight Chronicles, once I've read all those inbetween.
August 23, 2019
He empezado la saga por este libro y me ha encantado. Está muy bien escrito y perfectamente estructurado. Me recuerda a las novelas de terror tipo 'pulp' que leía de pequeño, pero con una narrativa muy pulcra. Hay capítulos para enmarcar.
January 13, 2013
A good if violent account reminds me of the first time I read "Lord of the Flies."
January 7, 2013
What a great book. Action packed, great characters, good pacing. Loved it!
February 9, 2013
Excellent. A relatable "Lord of the flies" with a healthy dose of humor.
April 9, 2013
Damn good, read the trilogy in about five days.
October 28, 2021
A very uneven book, it felt like it needed an editor. Pacing, plot and characters had a crazy lurching sense to them, like the author is either new, or just not sure how to nail down one tone.
That said, I had a fairly good time. The unevenness means that the author is happy to do some crazy things, take things to really dark places that a normal book wouldn't go to. This isn't a light read, although the tone of the writing is light.
I also enjoyed the theme throughout of searching it means to be a man, and more importantly a leader. Being on the side of toughness, without being a bully. I'm sure it can be a tough line to walk.
Would I re-read: no.
That said, I had a fairly good time. The unevenness means that the author is happy to do some crazy things, take things to really dark places that a normal book wouldn't go to. This isn't a light read, although the tone of the writing is light.
I also enjoyed the theme throughout of searching it means to be a man, and more importantly a leader. Being on the side of toughness, without being a bully. I'm sure it can be a tough line to walk.
Would I re-read: no.
November 9, 2024
After watching the movie first (a low budget effort that wasn't very good) I didn't have much hope for this book. Boy was I wrong. It gallops along from action set piece to action set piece, cranking up the horror and adventure and going in directions that aren't the norm.
This is a post apocalyptic story, think Lord of the flies meets Mad Max, written by Steven King. I'm looking forward to the next one in the series.
This is a post apocalyptic story, think Lord of the flies meets Mad Max, written by Steven King. I'm looking forward to the next one in the series.
May 21, 2021
An entertaining, pulpy read, with some surprisingly gruesome moments.
April 1, 2016
The dystopian genre has been a big draw for me lately and this book did very well in appeasing my craving.
A pandemic has elimanated anyone without O negative blood. Leaving behind a motley & varied reduced population. The story centers around a boy's boarding school where the lead character, Lee, attends. He and others make their way back there in the hopes of finding safe haven with others and safe grounds too.
Of course it doesn't turn out as planned. The battles for survival are colorful with imaginative foes. Some scenes made me think of the king of Torture Horror movies, Eli Roth. I think he would approve.
Looking forward to the next book. Fortunately I got my hands on an omnibus of the series!
Definitely recommended for those who enjoy dystopian novels. I believe its also a good entry novel for those just getting started too.
I want to make a note here. This is an adult novel even if the main protagnists are teenagers or younger. But throughout the book, I often thought of one of my favorite books as a kid, The Girl Who Owned A City. Another dystopian novel where everyone over the age of 12 is suddenly killed off. Her struggle runs along the same lines as Lee. Thus its easy to see why this novel had great appeal to me all the way through. I need to re-read the other book. I wonder if it still holds up and also if it was written with a young audience in mind or was adult level like this one. I was reading fare such as Dean Koontz around then so not easy to hazard a guess.
A pandemic has elimanated anyone without O negative blood. Leaving behind a motley & varied reduced population. The story centers around a boy's boarding school where the lead character, Lee, attends. He and others make their way back there in the hopes of finding safe haven with others and safe grounds too.
Of course it doesn't turn out as planned. The battles for survival are colorful with imaginative foes. Some scenes made me think of the king of Torture Horror movies, Eli Roth. I think he would approve.
Looking forward to the next book. Fortunately I got my hands on an omnibus of the series!
Definitely recommended for those who enjoy dystopian novels. I believe its also a good entry novel for those just getting started too.
I want to make a note here. This is an adult novel even if the main protagnists are teenagers or younger. But throughout the book, I often thought of one of my favorite books as a kid, The Girl Who Owned A City. Another dystopian novel where everyone over the age of 12 is suddenly killed off. Her struggle runs along the same lines as Lee. Thus its easy to see why this novel had great appeal to me all the way through. I need to re-read the other book. I wonder if it still holds up and also if it was written with a young audience in mind or was adult level like this one. I was reading fare such as Dean Koontz around then so not easy to hazard a guess.
July 17, 2014
Bloody, violent, funny; a post-apocalyptic world, totally broken down society, schoolboys with weapons, weird religious fanatics, locals who think they're judge, jury, & executioner - this book has it all in an addictive, pacey tale. What stops it from having four stars? The constant, repetitious angst about killing and not wanting too - I understood the character by the third period of angst! After that it could have been more subtly conveyed & more given over to the story. A great read though; so much so I'm reading Operation Motherland.
March 29, 2014
This British post-apocalyptic novel is a real gem! It's been a long time since I've been sucked into a story the way I was with this book. I read once that there are no new plots, only variations on a theme. I tend to agree. It's variations like this that keep me reading. Apparently a virus has wiped out a goodly number of the English population. This first person novel explains the survival of a fifteen year old boy. The style, the story, the questions that are asked about survival make this novel a new classic in this genre!
April 6, 2016
Not really what I was hoping for, but enjoyable and fairly well-written nonetheless. I thought it would be more reminiscent of "Lord of the Flies," concentrating on the relationships between the boys in the school. It has, however, a pretty standard post-apocalyptic plot, cannibals included. Still, "School's Out" is a good meditation on leadership and morality, which provides some much needed substance to an oft mindless genre. Knowing that it's a conventional story, I'm not sure how likely I am to read the rest of the series.
October 18, 2015
I'm trying to imagine somebody who would love this book, it would have to be true connoisseur of unrealistic cartoonish Tom and Jerry style violence.
Never mind the actual violence, but did it have to be so silly as well? For instance, at the end of the book - how come there's still so many people left alive and able to move around?
Plot is unoriginal, add all the TV induced cliches and oh fuck it I'm not bothered with this review.
Never mind the actual violence, but did it have to be so silly as well? For instance, at the end of the book - how come there's still so many people left alive and able to move around?
Plot is unoriginal, add all the TV induced cliches and oh fuck it I'm not bothered with this review.
October 10, 2020
I rarely see books like this. Young kids taking on the end of the world with bullets. The main character takes some punishment that even Rambo couldn't shrug off, but so what?
My only gripe is this. Americans don't call Brits 'Limey.' I know that because I was in the Army and worked alongside the British.
Oh, and they don't call Americans 'yanks.' Grunts from any country are Jedi masters of shit talking.
My only gripe is this. Americans don't call Brits 'Limey.' I know that because I was in the Army and worked alongside the British.
Oh, and they don't call Americans 'yanks.' Grunts from any country are Jedi masters of shit talking.
November 21, 2018
Brutal and awesome.
Lee has survived the Cull and now he's back at school. Apart from a little bit of homework, he's has to deal with psychopathic class mates, tweed wearing Daily Mail reading magistrate with an urge to kill and blood-soaked cannibals. Being a teenager has just got a lot harder....
Lee has survived the Cull and now he's back at school. Apart from a little bit of homework, he's has to deal with psychopathic class mates, tweed wearing Daily Mail reading magistrate with an urge to kill and blood-soaked cannibals. Being a teenager has just got a lot harder....
June 21, 2015
Occasionally i like to slum it with some low brow cheap thrills and with a Blurb like that who wouldn't want to read it. If you like the sound of the description then it'll most likely satisfy. A surprisingly good read.
July 24, 2020
This book was surprisingly good. The front cover is so bad, that I thought the inside would be just as bad. Guess I now know why you shortened judge a book by its cover. This is now one of my favorite stories, and it is all because of Lee. That boy has taught me more than all my year's in school.
August 7, 2014
very grim
June 20, 2015
An action-packed, shoot-'em-up post-apocalyptic story that manages to be as exciting as an action movie, but without intellectual vacancy.
June 1, 2018
A good, fast-paced read. Solid characters, typical fight over territory kind of plot. The fight scenes were well written.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews