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One Yellow Eye
In this heartrending spin on the zombie mythos, a brilliant scientist desperately searches for a cure after a devastating epidemic while also hiding a monumental secret—her undead husband.
Having always preferred the company of microbes, British scientist Kesta Shelley has spent her life peering through a microscope rather than cultivating personal relationships. That changed when Kesta met Tim—her cheerleader, her best friend, her absolute everything. So when he was one of the last people in London to be infected with a perplexing virus that left the city ravaged, Kesta went into triage mode.
Although the government rounded up and disposed of all the infected, Kesta is able to keep her husband (un)alive—and hidden—with resources from the hospital where she works. She spends her days reviewing biopsy slides and her evenings caring for him, but he’s clearly declining. The sedatives aren’t working like they used to, and his violent outbursts are becoming more frequent. As Kesta races against the clock, her colleagues start noticing changes in her behavior and appearance. Her care for Tim has spiraled into absolute obsession. Whispers circulate that a top-secret lab is working on a cure, and Kesta clings to the possibility of being recruited, but can she save her husband before he is discovered?
Having always preferred the company of microbes, British scientist Kesta Shelley has spent her life peering through a microscope rather than cultivating personal relationships. That changed when Kesta met Tim—her cheerleader, her best friend, her absolute everything. So when he was one of the last people in London to be infected with a perplexing virus that left the city ravaged, Kesta went into triage mode.
Although the government rounded up and disposed of all the infected, Kesta is able to keep her husband (un)alive—and hidden—with resources from the hospital where she works. She spends her days reviewing biopsy slides and her evenings caring for him, but he’s clearly declining. The sedatives aren’t working like they used to, and his violent outbursts are becoming more frequent. As Kesta races against the clock, her colleagues start noticing changes in her behavior and appearance. Her care for Tim has spiraled into absolute obsession. Whispers circulate that a top-secret lab is working on a cure, and Kesta clings to the possibility of being recruited, but can she save her husband before he is discovered?
352 pages, Hardcover
First published July 15, 2025
272 people are currently reading
25344 people want to read
About the author
Leigh Radford
2 books81 followersLeigh Radford trained as a broadcast journalist. She produced and presented arts and entertainment content and documentaries for British commercial radio, BBC Radio, The Times, and more. A former book publicist, she is a 2023 graduate of Faber Academy. She is currently developing content for film and television through her production company, Kenosha Kickers.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 592 reviews
October 15, 2025
☆☆☆☆☆
One Yellow Eye by Leigh Radford is a fantastic debut novel that explores some of the deepest questions about what it means to be human. With a striking focus on morality, humanity, consciousness, and ethics, this book takes a hard look at how grief can shape individuals differently, and how far someone might go to achieve power and medical advancements.
Radford excels in her portrayal of grief and the human condition, showing how people cope with loss in ways that feel raw and authentic. The book doesn't shy away from the complexity of human emotion, each character's journey through sorrow and trauma is handled with nuance and depth. The exploration of morality and the ethics of medical innovation is also compelling, as the characters are forced to confront the true cost of pushing boundaries in the name of science. It’s a chilling, thought-provoking look at how the pursuit of power can blur moral lines.
While the first 30 pages felt a bit slow, the narrative quickly picks up momentum and becomes gripping. Once it finds its rhythm, the book takes you on an unsettling, emotional journey that’s hard to put down.
There are trigger warnings for bodily modifications, needles, animal death, cruelty, illnesses (including COVID-19-esque scenarios), and some other minor topics. These elements add a layer of tension and discomfort, so be prepared for that before diving in. However, if you're a fan of unsettling, speculative fiction with a psychological edge, you'll find this book to be both deeply moving and intellectually stimulating.
For readers who appreciated Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield, or anyone who enjoys a dark, thought-provoking narrative about the fragility of humanity and the consequences of unchecked ambition, this is a must-read. Highly recommend for anyone interested in literature that challenges our understanding of life, death, and what it means to truly be alive.
One Yellow Eye by Leigh Radford is a fantastic debut novel that explores some of the deepest questions about what it means to be human. With a striking focus on morality, humanity, consciousness, and ethics, this book takes a hard look at how grief can shape individuals differently, and how far someone might go to achieve power and medical advancements.
Radford excels in her portrayal of grief and the human condition, showing how people cope with loss in ways that feel raw and authentic. The book doesn't shy away from the complexity of human emotion, each character's journey through sorrow and trauma is handled with nuance and depth. The exploration of morality and the ethics of medical innovation is also compelling, as the characters are forced to confront the true cost of pushing boundaries in the name of science. It’s a chilling, thought-provoking look at how the pursuit of power can blur moral lines.
While the first 30 pages felt a bit slow, the narrative quickly picks up momentum and becomes gripping. Once it finds its rhythm, the book takes you on an unsettling, emotional journey that’s hard to put down.
There are trigger warnings for bodily modifications, needles, animal death, cruelty, illnesses (including COVID-19-esque scenarios), and some other minor topics. These elements add a layer of tension and discomfort, so be prepared for that before diving in. However, if you're a fan of unsettling, speculative fiction with a psychological edge, you'll find this book to be both deeply moving and intellectually stimulating.
For readers who appreciated Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield, or anyone who enjoys a dark, thought-provoking narrative about the fragility of humanity and the consequences of unchecked ambition, this is a must-read. Highly recommend for anyone interested in literature that challenges our understanding of life, death, and what it means to truly be alive.
July 9, 2025
I do love a zombie book, and this one felt very refreshing.
Set in London, we follow Kesta, who has chained her husband, Tim, to the radiator in the spare room. He has recently been bitten by a zombie and has turned into the undead. If the authorities find out about him, he will be killed. Kesta hopes she can keep him a secret until a cure is developed.
This is probably the most science I've seen in a zombie book, and it felt very assessable. I had to look up what gain of function research was, but that aside, I understood what was going on and was invested in the lab works. It made me think a lot about vaccines in general and how they come to be. This is probably the first zombie book I've read where I feel like I've been educated a bit.
I was really into this. The author really got my anxiety going, kept me on the edge of my seat, while giving her characters real depth.
There's so much to think about here in Kesta's thought process, her actions, and how far she went to keep Tim alive. Her exhaustion, grief, and motivation really came alive on the page.
Five stars.
Set in London, we follow Kesta, who has chained her husband, Tim, to the radiator in the spare room. He has recently been bitten by a zombie and has turned into the undead. If the authorities find out about him, he will be killed. Kesta hopes she can keep him a secret until a cure is developed.
This is probably the most science I've seen in a zombie book, and it felt very assessable. I had to look up what gain of function research was, but that aside, I understood what was going on and was invested in the lab works. It made me think a lot about vaccines in general and how they come to be. This is probably the first zombie book I've read where I feel like I've been educated a bit.
I was really into this. The author really got my anxiety going, kept me on the edge of my seat, while giving her characters real depth.
There's so much to think about here in Kesta's thought process, her actions, and how far she went to keep Tim alive. Her exhaustion, grief, and motivation really came alive on the page.
Five stars.
July 25, 2025
One Yellow Eye boldly asks the question - "What if Victor Frankenstein were a grieving widow virologist in modern day London?" and boy does it deliver a compelling answer to a question I never knew to ask. As a certified Frankenstein super-fan, I absolutely ate this up. Yes this is a zombie novel, but at its core, it's also a story about a woman pushed to the absolute brink and then over the edge. About careening in a grief freefall while embarking on a singular, self-sacrificial quest to save a soulmate from their horrific undead fate.
Kesta is a "difficult woman" from the start - the kind of challenging protagonist who is equal parts fascinating and infuriating to be inside the headspace of. She's reckless, selfish, and impulsive - taking risks that jeopardize everyone in her ever expanding blast radius on a daily basis. But she's also devastatingly human. You can't help but empathize with her plight, as she slowly wastes away and struggles to maintain an increasingly tenuous grip on reality. I felt an ache in my chest as she marked anniversaries and birthdays with her husband Tim handcuffed to the radiator in their spare bedroom, yellow eyes listlessly peering back at her as she regaled him with stories from their past.
When the story begins it's been 3ish months since Tim was infected in the final days of a zombie outbreak that swept London. While the city is collectively moving on and everyone in her life believes Tim to be dead and buried (as required by law), in reality he remains locked behind 4 deadbolts, sedated and pumped full of a cocktail of drugs while Kesta hunts for a cure. The lore in One Yellow Eye can feel quite dense, but I found this to be a fascinating expansion to the story. As a former pre-med survivor who lights up everytime there's a Biology category on Jeopardy, I appreciated the peek behind the curtain into the virus' origins and the research being done to develop a cure. It added an impactful sense of realism to Kesta's plight, in the way that Danny Boyle's take on zombies shook up the genre's depiction on film.
The final 50ish pages are what really sealed the deal for me, cementing this as my favourite debut of 2025 thus far. To spoil it would be a disservice to any future readers, but suffice it say that Radford's heartfelt words in the Acknowledgments really brought the novel's climactic events full circle.
Read this book!!!
Kesta is a "difficult woman" from the start - the kind of challenging protagonist who is equal parts fascinating and infuriating to be inside the headspace of. She's reckless, selfish, and impulsive - taking risks that jeopardize everyone in her ever expanding blast radius on a daily basis. But she's also devastatingly human. You can't help but empathize with her plight, as she slowly wastes away and struggles to maintain an increasingly tenuous grip on reality. I felt an ache in my chest as she marked anniversaries and birthdays with her husband Tim handcuffed to the radiator in their spare bedroom, yellow eyes listlessly peering back at her as she regaled him with stories from their past.
When the story begins it's been 3ish months since Tim was infected in the final days of a zombie outbreak that swept London. While the city is collectively moving on and everyone in her life believes Tim to be dead and buried (as required by law), in reality he remains locked behind 4 deadbolts, sedated and pumped full of a cocktail of drugs while Kesta hunts for a cure. The lore in One Yellow Eye can feel quite dense, but I found this to be a fascinating expansion to the story. As a former pre-med survivor who lights up everytime there's a Biology category on Jeopardy, I appreciated the peek behind the curtain into the virus' origins and the research being done to develop a cure. It added an impactful sense of realism to Kesta's plight, in the way that Danny Boyle's take on zombies shook up the genre's depiction on film.
The final 50ish pages are what really sealed the deal for me, cementing this as my favourite debut of 2025 thus far. To spoil it would be a disservice to any future readers, but suffice it say that Radford's heartfelt words in the Acknowledgments really brought the novel's climactic events full circle.
Read this book!!!
May 4, 2025
I've always said that I don't think I'd have what it takes to survive a zombie apocalypse. Though I would try like hell, I just know that I'd never make it. I'd probably die early on, in a stupid accident or starve to death if a zombie didn't bite me first. So I've never really spent time a lot of time thinking about how I would react if my husband was infected and I was the one left alive. Though that's exactly what Leigh Radford is doing with One Yellow Eye.
As the book opens, it's a few months after the London government manages to contain a zombie outbreak, and we watch as the country is slowly starting to return itself to a semi-normal way of life. Here we follow Kesta, a scientist who is desperate to discover a way to restore those who were infected with the virus. And she's harboring a pretty massive, motivating secret - her husband, who was bitten and turned. She's got him drugged and locked up in their apartment as she and her fellow co-workers work tirelessly to discover the origins of the virus in the hopes of developing a cure.
Conceptually the book was great. I appreciated how it humanizes the zombies, who appear to have retained some of their memories and personality, while also exploring a fairly creative cause for the outbreak AND that it shows what it could look like if the government was able to catch it in time, identify and destroy all of the infected, and attempt to get people back to living their lives. But it was a little slow and tried my patience along the way with some of its repetitiveness and with Kesta's overall approach to literally everything. Yes, I get it, Kesta loves her husband and will do whatever it takes to make him well again, even treat her BFF and co-workers like shit or as simply a means to an end. She bordered on obnoxious and was wholly unlikeable, even in the face of what she was up against. And yet everything seem to mostly go her way, and everyone seemed to mostly forgive and support her and it was all just a smidge too convenient for me.
One Yellow Eye explores love, grief, and the maddening desire to do absolutely anything, and I mean ANYthing... to find a way to bring your loved ones back from the brink. And c'mon, that cover?!? It's so dark and moody! I just wish the book was a better match for the vibes that cover gives.
For fans of books like Wagner's The Only Safe Place Left is the Dark; Davis-Goff's Last Ones Left Alive; Hunter's The End We Start From; and Malcom's And Then I Woke Up
As the book opens, it's a few months after the London government manages to contain a zombie outbreak, and we watch as the country is slowly starting to return itself to a semi-normal way of life. Here we follow Kesta, a scientist who is desperate to discover a way to restore those who were infected with the virus. And she's harboring a pretty massive, motivating secret - her husband, who was bitten and turned. She's got him drugged and locked up in their apartment as she and her fellow co-workers work tirelessly to discover the origins of the virus in the hopes of developing a cure.
Conceptually the book was great. I appreciated how it humanizes the zombies, who appear to have retained some of their memories and personality, while also exploring a fairly creative cause for the outbreak AND that it shows what it could look like if the government was able to catch it in time, identify and destroy all of the infected, and attempt to get people back to living their lives. But it was a little slow and tried my patience along the way with some of its repetitiveness and with Kesta's overall approach to literally everything. Yes, I get it, Kesta loves her husband and will do whatever it takes to make him well again, even treat her BFF and co-workers like shit or as simply a means to an end. She bordered on obnoxious and was wholly unlikeable, even in the face of what she was up against. And yet everything seem to mostly go her way, and everyone seemed to mostly forgive and support her and it was all just a smidge too convenient for me.
One Yellow Eye explores love, grief, and the maddening desire to do absolutely anything, and I mean ANYthing... to find a way to bring your loved ones back from the brink. And c'mon, that cover?!? It's so dark and moody! I just wish the book was a better match for the vibes that cover gives.
For fans of books like Wagner's The Only Safe Place Left is the Dark; Davis-Goff's Last Ones Left Alive; Hunter's The End We Start From; and Malcom's And Then I Woke Up
October 15, 2025
3.5 stars rounded down.
Unintentionally, this is the second zombie book I’ve read in three weeks and it’s interesting that both did something to zombies that most authors don’t - had them retain their human consciousness on some level. Maybe because both were written by women and both were exploring the boundaries of love rather than true zombie logistics.
I made a promise to myself to be pickier about what I choose to read this year and I’m hugely disappointed that this book fell short of a 4 star rating for me. It moved so slowly, and walked a rather uninteresting path between love story and zombie sci-fi. It really needed to be wholly one or the other.
As far as how much Kesta loved her husband, it was portrayed mostly through desperation and an unwillingness to let go. But we weren’t ever given a really good picture of what it was she was refusing to let go of. A happy marriage? Ok…but show us what made it special. Instead, there were a couple of anecdotes from side characters telling us how much they loved him, but we weren’t ever given a chance to get to actually know him. In the end, although we were to be convinced she acted out of love, it was clear to me that she put her unwillingness to be without him before her willingness to show him mercy or even to consider the torturous existence she had imprisoned him in. Doesn’t sound like love to me.
When we weren’t at home with her caretaking her husband’s shell, we were at the lab with Kesta, where she was living out the sci-fi part of the story for a (not at all) secret government organization that was both tasked with finding a cure and with basically weaponizing the virus. Sounds exciting, right? It wasn’t. It was wildly far fetched and unrealistic, even with allowing for the imagining of something that has never happened…where was the security? The protocol? The hierarchy? It was easy to sneak in and out, one small man was in charge, and very little was actually being accomplished for much of the book. And seemingly everyone, including other countries, knew exactly what the project was, what it was called and where its secret location was.
Add a couple of loose ends to the mix (what happened to the journalist storyline?) and this book fell a little flat for me. All that being said, I enjoyed reading it mostly because I expected something huge to be coming for most of the book. When I realized it wasn’t going to happen, I found myself at the end, so I suppose you could say it kept me interested.
It was a decent effort, but I really wish it could go back to the drawing board and improved before publishing.
Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.
Unintentionally, this is the second zombie book I’ve read in three weeks and it’s interesting that both did something to zombies that most authors don’t - had them retain their human consciousness on some level. Maybe because both were written by women and both were exploring the boundaries of love rather than true zombie logistics.
I made a promise to myself to be pickier about what I choose to read this year and I’m hugely disappointed that this book fell short of a 4 star rating for me. It moved so slowly, and walked a rather uninteresting path between love story and zombie sci-fi. It really needed to be wholly one or the other.
As far as how much Kesta loved her husband, it was portrayed mostly through desperation and an unwillingness to let go. But we weren’t ever given a really good picture of what it was she was refusing to let go of. A happy marriage? Ok…but show us what made it special. Instead, there were a couple of anecdotes from side characters telling us how much they loved him, but we weren’t ever given a chance to get to actually know him. In the end, although we were to be convinced she acted out of love, it was clear to me that she put her unwillingness to be without him before her willingness to show him mercy or even to consider the torturous existence she had imprisoned him in. Doesn’t sound like love to me.
When we weren’t at home with her caretaking her husband’s shell, we were at the lab with Kesta, where she was living out the sci-fi part of the story for a (not at all) secret government organization that was both tasked with finding a cure and with basically weaponizing the virus. Sounds exciting, right? It wasn’t. It was wildly far fetched and unrealistic, even with allowing for the imagining of something that has never happened…where was the security? The protocol? The hierarchy? It was easy to sneak in and out, one small man was in charge, and very little was actually being accomplished for much of the book. And seemingly everyone, including other countries, knew exactly what the project was, what it was called and where its secret location was.
Add a couple of loose ends to the mix (what happened to the journalist storyline?) and this book fell a little flat for me. All that being said, I enjoyed reading it mostly because I expected something huge to be coming for most of the book. When I realized it wasn’t going to happen, I found myself at the end, so I suppose you could say it kept me interested.
It was a decent effort, but I really wish it could go back to the drawing board and improved before publishing.
Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.
November 5, 2025
really enjoyed this!
28 Days (Weeks) Later meets Contagion with a dash of Resident Evil but make it really sad lol
28 Days (Weeks) Later meets Contagion with a dash of Resident Evil but make it really sad lol
September 10, 2025
3.5★
”One yellow eye watched her. It saw but didn’t see, and it never, ever blinked.”
So far I’ve read a small handful of apocalypse related books, and this one really stands out in that category! My only issue is it could’ve been shorter and less repetitive.
Kesta is a scientist, and when the apocalypse hits London, her husband becomes infected. Rather than doing what most would, she handcuffs him to the radiator in the guest bedroom, monitoring his vitals and keeping him heavily sedated.
How far will she go to try to find a cure?
”One yellow eye watched her. It saw but didn’t see, and it never, ever blinked.”
So far I’ve read a small handful of apocalypse related books, and this one really stands out in that category! My only issue is it could’ve been shorter and less repetitive.
Kesta is a scientist, and when the apocalypse hits London, her husband becomes infected. Rather than doing what most would, she handcuffs him to the radiator in the guest bedroom, monitoring his vitals and keeping him heavily sedated.
How far will she go to try to find a cure?
July 17, 2025
A refreshingly weird spin on the whole zombie apocalypse thing, honestly, it’s less “brains!” and more “aww,” which was unexpectedly sweet.
Buttttt despite the undead running amok, the real horror was how little I connected with the characters. The protagonist just felt off and I wanted to root for someone but ended up emotionally invested in… no one. Even the pacing was like a zombie shuffle: slow, disjointed, and occasionally tripping over itself.
Also, can we talk about the setting of this book, London: one of THE most diverse cities on the planet and yet we’re following the adventures of Kesta, Tim, Cooke, Jess, Dudley etc etc. I mean, what is this, the cast list for a BBC sitcom from 1994? Representation matters!
Did this book go through an editing process or?
It was ok, 2.5 stars
Buttttt despite the undead running amok, the real horror was how little I connected with the characters. The protagonist just felt off and I wanted to root for someone but ended up emotionally invested in… no one. Even the pacing was like a zombie shuffle: slow, disjointed, and occasionally tripping over itself.
Also, can we talk about the setting of this book, London: one of THE most diverse cities on the planet and yet we’re following the adventures of Kesta, Tim, Cooke, Jess, Dudley etc etc. I mean, what is this, the cast list for a BBC sitcom from 1994? Representation matters!
Did this book go through an editing process or?
It was ok, 2.5 stars
August 4, 2025
A zombie here, a zombie there. In this saturated trope, this one actually was different and stood out. It was entirely too long though. 😂
December 12, 2025
yowza- this one made me weep! <3
July 21, 2025
(rounded up from 2.5)
This book was an excellent example of a great idea (showing through human connection and loss what sorts of hard ethical limits are placed on scientific research and why), but it loses its potency during the execution.
One of the reasons I think the execution was lacking here is the characters. It's hard to connect to Kesta and Tim or their relationship pre-zombification because we never really see much of it. We are told over and over that their relationship was special and their marriage was a bright spot for both of them, and we see Kesta's increasingly desperate attempts to hold on to Tim, but we can never really emotionally connect with her for it. This is a shame because, if done right, the sorts of things Kesta does to save Tim are incredibly alarming and perfectly illustrate how grief, loss and desperation can screw with a clearly brilliant scientific mind.
Unfortunately, aside from Kesta, we have a smattering of side characters who are not particularly interesting or remarkable to pick up the slack. Jess, Dr. Caring, Cooke, and Lundeen are all thinly-sketched out characters who are one-dimensional, both through the perfunctionary prose and through Kesta's lack of interest in any of them. It's hard to care about a group of characters like this at all, which makes me barely invested in the outcome of the story.
The star here is the idea at the core of it all: shady government contracts to research organisations that have an obvious stated mission and then another for-profit mission hidden away, the shadowy world of scientific reasearch for a "breakthrough" and finally, what lengths a single person will go to in order to fast-track a process that takes meticulous time and trials before unleashing on humans. Unfortunately, we focus so long and hard on Kesta, who is a deeply bland and uninteresting protagonist, and zombie Tim, that we don't explore these ethical dilemmas in much detail, and the overall pacing of the book drags as a result.
TL;DR: Really interesting idea but the execution was sorely lacking, unfortunately.
This book was an excellent example of a great idea (showing through human connection and loss what sorts of hard ethical limits are placed on scientific research and why), but it loses its potency during the execution.
One of the reasons I think the execution was lacking here is the characters. It's hard to connect to Kesta and Tim or their relationship pre-zombification because we never really see much of it. We are told over and over that their relationship was special and their marriage was a bright spot for both of them, and we see Kesta's increasingly desperate attempts to hold on to Tim, but we can never really emotionally connect with her for it. This is a shame because, if done right, the sorts of things Kesta does to save Tim are incredibly alarming and perfectly illustrate how grief, loss and desperation can screw with a clearly brilliant scientific mind.
Unfortunately, aside from Kesta, we have a smattering of side characters who are not particularly interesting or remarkable to pick up the slack. Jess, Dr. Caring, Cooke, and Lundeen are all thinly-sketched out characters who are one-dimensional, both through the perfunctionary prose and through Kesta's lack of interest in any of them. It's hard to care about a group of characters like this at all, which makes me barely invested in the outcome of the story.
The star here is the idea at the core of it all: shady government contracts to research organisations that have an obvious stated mission and then another for-profit mission hidden away, the shadowy world of scientific reasearch for a "breakthrough" and finally, what lengths a single person will go to in order to fast-track a process that takes meticulous time and trials before unleashing on humans. Unfortunately, we focus so long and hard on Kesta, who is a deeply bland and uninteresting protagonist, and zombie Tim, that we don't explore these ethical dilemmas in much detail, and the overall pacing of the book drags as a result.
TL;DR: Really interesting idea but the execution was sorely lacking, unfortunately.
July 12, 2025
A zombie book like no other. Kesta is a scientist working on the virus and reanimator cure. Three months ago there was an outbreak of zombies in London; relatively small in scale as they contained this quickly with a head shot to all of the zombies. When all of the infected were killed, the quarantine was lifted. But no one knew that Kesta is keeping her husband, Tim, in her London flat. She has him shackled and is using him to test and keeping him secured u til she and her team find a cure.
But in her obsession and grief she is going rapidly downhill into exhaustion, burn out, and alcoholism.
This book has the pacing of a mystery/thriller, all the emotion of a romance, the sponge-tingling creepies of horror, and all of the virus technical science of a science fiction novel. I loved it and was deeply moved by the story. I saw myself in Kesta and felt the world scene reaction of this virus was very realistic.
Thanks to Gallery Books for the free copy. #partner #gifted
But in her obsession and grief she is going rapidly downhill into exhaustion, burn out, and alcoholism.
This book has the pacing of a mystery/thriller, all the emotion of a romance, the sponge-tingling creepies of horror, and all of the virus technical science of a science fiction novel. I loved it and was deeply moved by the story. I saw myself in Kesta and felt the world scene reaction of this virus was very realistic.
Thanks to Gallery Books for the free copy. #partner #gifted
August 16, 2025
1.5 stars rounded down to 1 because of the elaborately detailed animal abuse of the poor monkey in the lab. I recognize that animal trials are necessary, especially in the threat of a global pandemic. But the detailed monkey torture felt unnecessarily upsetting. Here are a few other things I didn’t dig:
1. No background on Kesta and Tim’s relationship. We are told, but never shown, that it was the love of a lifetime. But you hardly hear anything about Tim before he was a zombie, much less about their relationship and what made it so special.
2. Classic annoying plot line in which the MC (alone) figures out all the problems. She alone discovers the source of the virus, how to approach finding a cure, etc. This would be unbelievably unrealistic in any case, but I don’t even think she’s a PhD (superiors call her “Mrs,” not “Dr,” and this is not remarked upon as a misogynist injustice). Also, straight up bad science. Where is gene sequencing? Why did she have to find the answer in a dusty crusty library book? Why did she give Tim the very first treatment without waiting to see how the monkey reacted?
3. Ethical concerns out the wazoo. The moment she said she was going to do her own “clinical trials” was the moment I knew I wasn’t going to finish the book. And I was around 75% done by then! And, well… She tortured that man, huh?
4. Female friends and coworkers— what was that? Jess was a very cool character but Kesta treated her like hell. Cooke was cool, too, but the narrator put a comment in Kesta’s thoughts that was along the lines of her being surprised that a widow has a large, well-furnished home, as though single women don’t often have that? Or don’t deserve it? It was weird.
5. Kesta was just so selfish. I’m not just talking about being mean to Jess, either. Keeping Tim alive, knowing his existence risks the lives of everyone left in London, even the world?? Ew. And pressuring her American colleague not to reveal what’s going on, when all of America (and the world) could be zombified by it?? Boo hiss.
Bonus: deeply unrealistic that she could smuggle one of the precious few brand-new vials of treatment meds out of a super secret government underground base. Come ON.
1. No background on Kesta and Tim’s relationship. We are told, but never shown, that it was the love of a lifetime. But you hardly hear anything about Tim before he was a zombie, much less about their relationship and what made it so special.
2. Classic annoying plot line in which the MC (alone) figures out all the problems. She alone discovers the source of the virus, how to approach finding a cure, etc. This would be unbelievably unrealistic in any case, but I don’t even think she’s a PhD (superiors call her “Mrs,” not “Dr,” and this is not remarked upon as a misogynist injustice). Also, straight up bad science. Where is gene sequencing? Why did she have to find the answer in a dusty crusty library book? Why did she give Tim the very first treatment without waiting to see how the monkey reacted?
3. Ethical concerns out the wazoo. The moment she said she was going to do her own “clinical trials” was the moment I knew I wasn’t going to finish the book. And I was around 75% done by then! And, well… She tortured that man, huh?
4. Female friends and coworkers— what was that? Jess was a very cool character but Kesta treated her like hell. Cooke was cool, too, but the narrator put a comment in Kesta’s thoughts that was along the lines of her being surprised that a widow has a large, well-furnished home, as though single women don’t often have that? Or don’t deserve it? It was weird.
5. Kesta was just so selfish. I’m not just talking about being mean to Jess, either. Keeping Tim alive, knowing his existence risks the lives of everyone left in London, even the world?? Ew. And pressuring her American colleague not to reveal what’s going on, when all of America (and the world) could be zombified by it?? Boo hiss.
Bonus: deeply unrealistic that she could smuggle one of the precious few brand-new vials of treatment meds out of a super secret government underground base. Come ON.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 8, 2025
this book was just so sloppy. poorly written and absurd (and not in a fun way) plot with “science” that felt decades behind the year in which this story is supposed to take place. this read like it came from a textbook from the 90s. i dont think leigh radford did any research on science or virology at all before writing this. why is kesta identifying viruses via microscopy????? this takes place in 2023. do some genetic sequencing of infected tissue My God!!!!!
bad technical science aside, i dont think leigh radford could have written a book that was more insulting to science and medical researchers if she tried. the only person who seemed to care about science ethics at ALL was the guy who was portrayed as a comically evil bioweapons researcher. every monstrous thing kesta did was immediately excused and forgiven. because apparently it’s normal for scientists to break research regulations and also their own moral code when its done to move their science forward. Awesome book. if i know you personally and you liked this book please consider not speaking to me again
bad technical science aside, i dont think leigh radford could have written a book that was more insulting to science and medical researchers if she tried. the only person who seemed to care about science ethics at ALL was the guy who was portrayed as a comically evil bioweapons researcher. every monstrous thing kesta did was immediately excused and forgiven. because apparently it’s normal for scientists to break research regulations and also their own moral code when its done to move their science forward. Awesome book. if i know you personally and you liked this book please consider not speaking to me again
September 28, 2025
I haven’t read a zombie book before so I was excited for this one, but I felt we didn’t really get much zombies or plot. Nothing really happened until towards the end of the book when it did eventually pick up and then it ended.. I can see the message behind Kesta’s story though and I did feel for her.
dnf
October 25, 2025 DNF at 18% ... because I'm bored, these characters are so dull....
December 15, 2025
This isn’t really a zombie story, it’s a story of loving someone into complete ruin. It’s how far you will go to save the ones you love.
Very science heavy and not scary. Just really sad.
Very science heavy and not scary. Just really sad.
October 23, 2025
There were so many things I loved about this book, it brought another dimension to the typical zombie apocalypse genre. A very human dimension about all-encompassing love and staggering grief. I also particularly enjoyed the science and medical thriller aspect to it which served to ground it in reality. My only quibble was the ending which I shall not reveal. It felt a little disjointed from the narrative leading up to it, but otherwise a thoroughly enjoyable five-star read.
August 22, 2025
2.5 stars
This was not your typical run-chase zombie story and for that alone I rounded up my rating.
The story starts right after the zombie epidemic broke out in the UK where all zombies have already been gathered up and summarily exterminated.
Now in the aftermath there is a secret lab working furiously on a vaccine, just in case.
Kesta has fought long and hard to be included in Project Dawn not just for the chance to do incredible research but because she has a secret, and he is tied up in her bedroom back home….
The story walks an uneven line between zombie sci fi and love story. The former worked much better than the latter
This was not your typical run-chase zombie story and for that alone I rounded up my rating.
The story starts right after the zombie epidemic broke out in the UK where all zombies have already been gathered up and summarily exterminated.
Now in the aftermath there is a secret lab working furiously on a vaccine, just in case.
Kesta has fought long and hard to be included in Project Dawn not just for the chance to do incredible research but because she has a secret, and he is tied up in her bedroom back home….
The story walks an uneven line between zombie sci fi and love story. The former worked much better than the latter
August 30, 2025
Tina Belcher erotic friend fiction. Also, did you know that Kesta’s small? Microscopic. A literal speck of dust. Radford does not let you forget.
September 28, 2025
4.5 🌟
didn't expect this to hit me so hard
didn't expect this to hit me so hard
July 27, 2025
Once upon a time, I was deep in my zombie era. Books, games, movies, TV shows—you name it, I consumed it. Resident Evil, 28 Days Later, Shaun of the Dead, Zombieland, and yes, even those early seasons of The Walking Dead had me hooked. But after a while, especially around season four of TWD, the thrill wore off. Zombies felt overdone, the plots got repetitive, and the subgenre started to feel stale. So I stepped away.
But lately? That itch has started to return. I've caught myself eyeing old favorites like Rhiannon Frater’s series As the World Dies and Carrie Ryan’s The Forest of Hands and Teeth, wondering if it’s time for a re-read. Then this book came across my radar, and the moment I read the synopsis, I knew I had to have it. A zombie-adjacent outbreak? A desperate scientist harboring her infected husband while looking for a cure? Medical intrigue and emotional wreckage? Yes, please.
And I’m happy to report: this book delivered.
This isn’t your typical zombie apocalypse story. We’re not dropped into a wasteland where society has crumbled and humans are scavenging for canned goods and morality. Instead, Radford gives us a more intimate, grounded approach: what if a viral outbreak like COVID had zombie-like consequences? What if it was (mostly) contained by way of immediately wiping out the infected, but the threat still lingered? What if you worked in a hospital by day searching for a cure … and hid your undead spouse at home by night?
That’s the exact situation Kesta Shelley finds herself in. She’s a microbiologist who prefers the company of slides and samples to people, which made her unlikely whirlwind romance with her husband Tim all the more powerful. He was her balance, her joy, her cheerleader. And then he got infected. As the government worked quickly and ruthlessly to round up and dispose of anyone who showed signs of infection, Kesta used her access and connections to keep him alive—barely.
Now, months later, she’s racing against time to find a cure while keeping his presence a secret. The sedatives are failing. His body is deteriorating. He’s becoming more aggressive. But she’s not ready to let him go. The emotional stakes are brutal, and Radford doesn’t hold back when showing just how far grief can push a person toward obsession.
One of the strongest elements of this book is how smart it is. The medical thriller aspect is fully realized. There’s a ton of epidemiological detail, but it never feels dry or overly technical. You feel like you’re right there in the lab with Kesta, flipping through biopsy slides, chasing hope in a sea of uncertainty. Radford clearly did her homework, and it makes the world feel terrifyingly plausible.
And while the science is sharp, the heart of the book is very much an emotional rollercoaster. Kesta is a fascinating protagonist and slightly unreliable (which is exactly how I like them). Her desperation is raw and honest, and even when her decisions veer into ethically murky territory, you understand where she’s coming from. She’s not trying to save the world. She’s just trying to save one person. The one person who made life worth living.
The supporting characters are equally well drawn. Her coworkers suspect something’s off. One in particular is sniffing a little too close to the truth. Tension builds steadily as the world starts to close in on Kesta, and the possibility of being found out feels inevitable. And then there's the threat of another wave of the virus hitting before a cure is found. It creates this slow, simmering dread that runs under the entire book. You're constantly waiting for the other shoe to drop, and when it does? The payoff lands.
What really worked for me, though, was the blend of tones. It’s sad, yes. But also funny at times. It's also thoughtful. Suspenseful. Tense. Radford never lets the story sit in just one emotional register. And despite the undead premise, the beating heart of the book is grief. It’s about what we do when love and loss collide. It’s about holding on too tightly, and what happens when the line between science and obsession blurs.
This book is weird and wonderful and wholly unique and I absolutely devoured it. If you’re like me and you’ve grown tired of the same old zombie storylines, but still want something that gives you those unsettling what-if vibes, this is one to grab. It's hands-down one of my favorite reds of the summer.
But lately? That itch has started to return. I've caught myself eyeing old favorites like Rhiannon Frater’s series As the World Dies and Carrie Ryan’s The Forest of Hands and Teeth, wondering if it’s time for a re-read. Then this book came across my radar, and the moment I read the synopsis, I knew I had to have it. A zombie-adjacent outbreak? A desperate scientist harboring her infected husband while looking for a cure? Medical intrigue and emotional wreckage? Yes, please.
And I’m happy to report: this book delivered.
This isn’t your typical zombie apocalypse story. We’re not dropped into a wasteland where society has crumbled and humans are scavenging for canned goods and morality. Instead, Radford gives us a more intimate, grounded approach: what if a viral outbreak like COVID had zombie-like consequences? What if it was (mostly) contained by way of immediately wiping out the infected, but the threat still lingered? What if you worked in a hospital by day searching for a cure … and hid your undead spouse at home by night?
That’s the exact situation Kesta Shelley finds herself in. She’s a microbiologist who prefers the company of slides and samples to people, which made her unlikely whirlwind romance with her husband Tim all the more powerful. He was her balance, her joy, her cheerleader. And then he got infected. As the government worked quickly and ruthlessly to round up and dispose of anyone who showed signs of infection, Kesta used her access and connections to keep him alive—barely.
Now, months later, she’s racing against time to find a cure while keeping his presence a secret. The sedatives are failing. His body is deteriorating. He’s becoming more aggressive. But she’s not ready to let him go. The emotional stakes are brutal, and Radford doesn’t hold back when showing just how far grief can push a person toward obsession.
One of the strongest elements of this book is how smart it is. The medical thriller aspect is fully realized. There’s a ton of epidemiological detail, but it never feels dry or overly technical. You feel like you’re right there in the lab with Kesta, flipping through biopsy slides, chasing hope in a sea of uncertainty. Radford clearly did her homework, and it makes the world feel terrifyingly plausible.
And while the science is sharp, the heart of the book is very much an emotional rollercoaster. Kesta is a fascinating protagonist and slightly unreliable (which is exactly how I like them). Her desperation is raw and honest, and even when her decisions veer into ethically murky territory, you understand where she’s coming from. She’s not trying to save the world. She’s just trying to save one person. The one person who made life worth living.
The supporting characters are equally well drawn. Her coworkers suspect something’s off. One in particular is sniffing a little too close to the truth. Tension builds steadily as the world starts to close in on Kesta, and the possibility of being found out feels inevitable. And then there's the threat of another wave of the virus hitting before a cure is found. It creates this slow, simmering dread that runs under the entire book. You're constantly waiting for the other shoe to drop, and when it does? The payoff lands.
What really worked for me, though, was the blend of tones. It’s sad, yes. But also funny at times. It's also thoughtful. Suspenseful. Tense. Radford never lets the story sit in just one emotional register. And despite the undead premise, the beating heart of the book is grief. It’s about what we do when love and loss collide. It’s about holding on too tightly, and what happens when the line between science and obsession blurs.
This book is weird and wonderful and wholly unique and I absolutely devoured it. If you’re like me and you’ve grown tired of the same old zombie storylines, but still want something that gives you those unsettling what-if vibes, this is one to grab. It's hands-down one of my favorite reds of the summer.
July 15, 2025
4.5*
We can call One Yellow Eye a zombie story, sure. But it's really a grief story, at its heart. Anyone who has lost someone to a long illness can see the mirrors in this story, how the grief process unfurls, and how brutal it is. On a personal note, my mother lives this every day, and to see Kesta's pain mirrored in hers was, quite frankly, brutal. But it was also incredibly honest, and I plan to get this book for my mother in the hopes that it may also be cathartic.
This isn't the world-ending apocalypse of The Walking Dead, as this one has seemingly been contained to the greater London area. But as any pandemic, its effects were devastating, and Kesta's husband Tim was among its victims. Only, when the order came to euthanize all zombified persons, Kesta decided to hide Tim in their apartment instead, in an attempt to use her medical expertise to find a cure. Only there is so much that no one knows about the virus and its pathology, so Kesta has a long road ahead of her. She's dealing with this awful grief-limbo situation, and she cannot tell even her nearest and dearest that Tim is quasi-alive, complicating the process.
I was also really invested in finding out the origins of this virus, and how it got to the point where human zombies were a thing. It was so fascinating, especially once we started to get some answers. So not only was I very much here for Kesta's story, I was eager to find out all the things about zombies, too!
Bottom Line: Zombies, but make 'em feel really plausible. But also, grief is hell.
You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight
We can call One Yellow Eye a zombie story, sure. But it's really a grief story, at its heart. Anyone who has lost someone to a long illness can see the mirrors in this story, how the grief process unfurls, and how brutal it is. On a personal note, my mother lives this every day, and to see Kesta's pain mirrored in hers was, quite frankly, brutal. But it was also incredibly honest, and I plan to get this book for my mother in the hopes that it may also be cathartic.
This isn't the world-ending apocalypse of The Walking Dead, as this one has seemingly been contained to the greater London area. But as any pandemic, its effects were devastating, and Kesta's husband Tim was among its victims. Only, when the order came to euthanize all zombified persons, Kesta decided to hide Tim in their apartment instead, in an attempt to use her medical expertise to find a cure. Only there is so much that no one knows about the virus and its pathology, so Kesta has a long road ahead of her. She's dealing with this awful grief-limbo situation, and she cannot tell even her nearest and dearest that Tim is quasi-alive, complicating the process.
I was also really invested in finding out the origins of this virus, and how it got to the point where human zombies were a thing. It was so fascinating, especially once we started to get some answers. So not only was I very much here for Kesta's story, I was eager to find out all the things about zombies, too!
Bottom Line: Zombies, but make 'em feel really plausible. But also, grief is hell.
You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight
August 26, 2025
Great for fans of: slow burns, contagions, zombies, stories of grief
London is a fresh wound following the height of a virus that devastated the city. Although the outbreak seems to have been contained, the grief, loss, and fear still fester.
Kesta (mc) is a British scientist newly assigned to a covert research team tasked with finding a cure. She has been vying for this opportunity since losing her husband to the virus. For Kesta, this cure will change everything, will make it all right again. That is, if her research doesn't kill her first.
--
Where One Yellow Eye lacks in scare factor, it makes up for in character spotlight. Experiencing Kesta's grief, exhaustion, and desperate attempt to cling to hope puts you right there with her from start to finish. Combined with the bleak environment of a world recouping from a deadly virus outbreak, there is really no escape from the fear of what the future may hold.
A bit of a slow burn, I found myself waiting for what would happen next to the point of not feeling the full impact when it did. That kind of delivery hits for a lot of readers but for me, it often breaks the immersion.
London is a fresh wound following the height of a virus that devastated the city. Although the outbreak seems to have been contained, the grief, loss, and fear still fester.
Kesta (mc) is a British scientist newly assigned to a covert research team tasked with finding a cure. She has been vying for this opportunity since losing her husband to the virus. For Kesta, this cure will change everything, will make it all right again. That is, if her research doesn't kill her first.
--
Where One Yellow Eye lacks in scare factor, it makes up for in character spotlight. Experiencing Kesta's grief, exhaustion, and desperate attempt to cling to hope puts you right there with her from start to finish. Combined with the bleak environment of a world recouping from a deadly virus outbreak, there is really no escape from the fear of what the future may hold.
A bit of a slow burn, I found myself waiting for what would happen next to the point of not feeling the full impact when it did. That kind of delivery hits for a lot of readers but for me, it often breaks the immersion.
August 10, 2025
3.25/5
This novel’s in desperate need of better editing. It has the potential to be great but the repetition needs to be purged. Redundancies become glaringly obvious midway, making the final half drag on far longer than necessary.
This novel’s in desperate need of better editing. It has the potential to be great but the repetition needs to be purged. Redundancies become glaringly obvious midway, making the final half drag on far longer than necessary.
September 20, 2025
„Funny isn't it, how the thing I got right in my life is the one thing thing I had never expected to have,“ she said, tracing the slim golden band over and over with her thumb. „I used to think that work would be enough for someone like me. But what we had -have- it's the best part of who I am, Tim. And I'm not prepared to give up on it, do you understand me? I'm going to fix this.“
Uff. In ihrem Nachwort beschreibt Radford ihr Werk „One Yellow Eye“ als einen Roman über die verzweifelten Wege, die Menschen bereit sind zu gehen, um Diejenigen, die sie lieben, am Leben zu erhalten. Hierbei bezieht sie sich vor allem auf ihre Erfahrungen mit ihrem krebskranken Vater während seines letzten Lebensjahres und seinem unaufhörlichen Bestreben, seine Angehörigen trotz aller Umstände zum Lächeln zu bringen.
Diese vielschichtigen und persönlichen Ebenen der Trauer spürt man auf jeder Seite. Im Fokus steht Kesta, eine introvertierte Onkologin, die sich lieber mit dem Mikroskop, als mit Menschen beschäftigt. Lediglich ihr Mann Timothy vermag es, sie aus ihrer Reserve zu locken und bildet das Zentrum ihres Universums. Als eine Zombieepidemie ausbricht, deren Ursprung sowie Symptomatik unberechenbar erscheinen, wird Tim als einer der Letzten vor Eindämmung infiziert und stellt Kesta somit vor eine unmögliche Aufgabe. Unfähig, die Liebe, ihres Leben aufzugeben, entschließt sich die Wissenschaftlerin, ihren Mann vor den Behörden zu verstecken und mit allen ihr zur Verfügung stehen Mitteln am Leben zu erhalten. Als sich durch ihren Kollegen Dudley die Möglichkeit ergibt, an einem Heilmittel zu forschen, entspinnt sich ein Wettlauf gegen die Zeit. So muss sich Kesta vor der aggressiven Wesensveränderung Tims schützen, besonders, da dieser zunehmend resistent gegen die aus dem Krankenhaus gestohlenen Sedativa, Antibiotika, die Bluttransfusionen und anderweitige Medikamente zu werden scheint.
„My parents taught me how to love. Their love was astonishing and remains unbroken even now. Mum and Dad were always my heroes. My mum spent her career saving people's lives by looking down a microscope and making sense of chaos. Nothing I do will ever come close to the contribution she has made to this world. Mum and my dear little brother, with whom I share this love, this history, this loss, I know you both get it like no one else does.“
Nach so einer Widmung und solch ehrlichem Schmerz können einem nur die Tränen in die Augen schießen, ebenso wie beim Lesen der zunehmenden Verzweiflung der semiautobiografischen Protagonistin. Die im Roman übermittelten Gefühle haben mich sehr bewegt, der Roman selbst allerdings leider eher weniger. Mir gefiel der sehr wissenschaftliche Ansatz, mit dem der Zombievirus gestaltet und analysiert wurde und ich habe einiges über die Virologie dazulernen und meine Englischkenntnisse verbessern können. Da im Fokus der Geschichte jedoch die alles verzehrende Trauer stand, wurden einige Handlungsstränge und die Figuren stark vernachlässigt. Einige Charakterzeichnungen waren so oberflächlich, dass sie beinahe Karikaturen entsprachen und einigen Berufszweigen oder Positionen hätte eine Recherche gut getan, was mich des Öfteren aus dem Lesefluss riss. Eine Straffung der Erzählung hätte ebenso viel bewirken können und das Ende mutete umso merkwürdiger und befremdlicher an. Dennoch klingen Kestas und Radfords Schmerz eindrucksvoll in mir nach, weshalb ich mindestens 3 bis 3,5 Sterne vergeben muss.
Uff. In ihrem Nachwort beschreibt Radford ihr Werk „One Yellow Eye“ als einen Roman über die verzweifelten Wege, die Menschen bereit sind zu gehen, um Diejenigen, die sie lieben, am Leben zu erhalten. Hierbei bezieht sie sich vor allem auf ihre Erfahrungen mit ihrem krebskranken Vater während seines letzten Lebensjahres und seinem unaufhörlichen Bestreben, seine Angehörigen trotz aller Umstände zum Lächeln zu bringen.
Diese vielschichtigen und persönlichen Ebenen der Trauer spürt man auf jeder Seite. Im Fokus steht Kesta, eine introvertierte Onkologin, die sich lieber mit dem Mikroskop, als mit Menschen beschäftigt. Lediglich ihr Mann Timothy vermag es, sie aus ihrer Reserve zu locken und bildet das Zentrum ihres Universums. Als eine Zombieepidemie ausbricht, deren Ursprung sowie Symptomatik unberechenbar erscheinen, wird Tim als einer der Letzten vor Eindämmung infiziert und stellt Kesta somit vor eine unmögliche Aufgabe. Unfähig, die Liebe, ihres Leben aufzugeben, entschließt sich die Wissenschaftlerin, ihren Mann vor den Behörden zu verstecken und mit allen ihr zur Verfügung stehen Mitteln am Leben zu erhalten. Als sich durch ihren Kollegen Dudley die Möglichkeit ergibt, an einem Heilmittel zu forschen, entspinnt sich ein Wettlauf gegen die Zeit. So muss sich Kesta vor der aggressiven Wesensveränderung Tims schützen, besonders, da dieser zunehmend resistent gegen die aus dem Krankenhaus gestohlenen Sedativa, Antibiotika, die Bluttransfusionen und anderweitige Medikamente zu werden scheint.
„My parents taught me how to love. Their love was astonishing and remains unbroken even now. Mum and Dad were always my heroes. My mum spent her career saving people's lives by looking down a microscope and making sense of chaos. Nothing I do will ever come close to the contribution she has made to this world. Mum and my dear little brother, with whom I share this love, this history, this loss, I know you both get it like no one else does.“
Nach so einer Widmung und solch ehrlichem Schmerz können einem nur die Tränen in die Augen schießen, ebenso wie beim Lesen der zunehmenden Verzweiflung der semiautobiografischen Protagonistin. Die im Roman übermittelten Gefühle haben mich sehr bewegt, der Roman selbst allerdings leider eher weniger. Mir gefiel der sehr wissenschaftliche Ansatz, mit dem der Zombievirus gestaltet und analysiert wurde und ich habe einiges über die Virologie dazulernen und meine Englischkenntnisse verbessern können. Da im Fokus der Geschichte jedoch die alles verzehrende Trauer stand, wurden einige Handlungsstränge und die Figuren stark vernachlässigt. Einige Charakterzeichnungen waren so oberflächlich, dass sie beinahe Karikaturen entsprachen und einigen Berufszweigen oder Positionen hätte eine Recherche gut getan, was mich des Öfteren aus dem Lesefluss riss. Eine Straffung der Erzählung hätte ebenso viel bewirken können und das Ende mutete umso merkwürdiger und befremdlicher an. Dennoch klingen Kestas und Radfords Schmerz eindrucksvoll in mir nach, weshalb ich mindestens 3 bis 3,5 Sterne vergeben muss.
October 31, 2025
4.5 rounded up because it seems like I'm at the exact same level of virology knowledge as the author which gave me full satisfaction of just flowing through lab scenes without looking things up while not being aware of any glaring mistakes .
This is the first novel visibly influenced by COVID19 pandemic that I've actually enjoyed.
These days most horror stories seem to be about grief and loss. The reality gives good reasons for that of course, but most of the time it doesn't move me anymore. The opening chapter sounded like this would take the majority of space here too, between the group therapy, feeling completely helpless in a hospital lab that won't have anything to do with the zombie virus, and coming back home to the undead husband.
But then Kesta does get the job in a secret government lab, which gives her new hope for getting the cure for her beloved, and makes it harder to keep him a secret. So the tension is always present, we are aware the time is running out, and we can watch Kesta getting more desperate, wondering where the desperation may lead, and how much of the real Tim there still is to save. Add well-meaning but clueless friends always there to complicate things further.
The virus itself is horrifying. It has the drive to be spread similar to rabies paired with some solid body horror, . As I said, I've enjoyed thoroughly the medical part, both research and testing, and most of all the descriptions of what the virus does.
It is a horror first and foremost, a healing fiction only when it makes sense, which was the right balance for me.
This is the first novel visibly influenced by COVID19 pandemic that I've actually enjoyed.
These days most horror stories seem to be about grief and loss. The reality gives good reasons for that of course, but most of the time it doesn't move me anymore. The opening chapter sounded like this would take the majority of space here too, between the group therapy, feeling completely helpless in a hospital lab that won't have anything to do with the zombie virus, and coming back home to the undead husband.
But then Kesta does get the job in a secret government lab, which gives her new hope for getting the cure for her beloved, and makes it harder to keep him a secret. So the tension is always present, we are aware the time is running out, and we can watch Kesta getting more desperate, wondering where the desperation may lead, and how much of the real Tim there still is to save. Add well-meaning but clueless friends always there to complicate things further.
The virus itself is horrifying. It has the drive to be spread similar to rabies paired with some solid body horror, . As I said, I've enjoyed thoroughly the medical part, both research and testing, and most of all the descriptions of what the virus does.
It is a horror first and foremost, a healing fiction only when it makes sense, which was the right balance for me.
December 7, 2025
Audiobook nie jest idealną formą dla tej książki, i ubolewam, że w taki sposób spotkałam się z tą historią. Bo Leigh Rafdord pisze emocje w sposób tak wysublimowany, a jednocześnie surowy, że z trudem można oprzeć się i pozostać obojętnym. Historia o apokalipsie zombie, która opowiada o walce o przetrwanie – wydawać by sie mogło, że to banał. Ale gdy chodzi o starszą kobietę, naukowczynie desperacko szukającą leku, która przetrzymuje w mieszkaniu swego zainfekowanego męża, żyjąc tym samym podwójnym życiem, sprawa wygląda zgoła inaczej. Tyle tu żałoby, desperacji i popadania w szaleństwo, że doprawdy, porównanie ze współczesnym Feankensteinem jest tu na miejscu. Choć momentami narracja nuży (a może to kwestia wyłącznie formy audio), nie odbiera to całego impaktu historii. Myślę, że ten tytuł to ledwie odkryty diament w ziemi wydawniczej.
September 24, 2025
This book was wonderful. An awesome take on a zombie apocalypse where we follow a scientist who is working to try and find the cure for her husband… who happens to be a zombie trapped in her apartment😬
This book has a fantastic take on grief and the impact it can have on a person.
I cried reading the acknowledgements. Wow.
This book has a fantastic take on grief and the impact it can have on a person.
I cried reading the acknowledgements. Wow.
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