Those Who Are Left

by Josh Stricklin

For fans of Stephen King, Neil Gaiman, and Dean Koontz... Thinking back to when everything changed, Derrick can never pinpoint if it was the pickaxe swinging toward his own face that alerted him or if he knew moments earlier when he saw the weapon hurtle toward the barn cat. Either way, he quickly realized that the man he was facing—a farm employee he knew well—was not only no longer a friend, he wasn’t even human any more. An apocalyptic tale that surprises you with humor when it’s not terrifying you with horror, Those Who Are Left follows Derrick as he and two strangers venture through the major cities of the South in search of family and safety. But not all the human factions can be trusted, and if the trio can’t figure out what’s driving the different groups they could end up with enemies on all sides. But even in a chaotic world of murderous screamers and posturing humans, there’s always time to play a few games of bowling before the slaughter begins…right?

Genres: Horror, Post Apocalyptic

394 pages, Paperback

First published June 2, 2015

Reviews

[Thomas Drago · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this through an Amazon recommendation, actually. When you order enough horror novels, they have an algorithm that suits your interests. Clever. This one is fast-paced and intense. Better than the ones Stephen King put his brand name on this year. Maybe this hasn't passed his desk yet. Could be too low-budget for him. It's apocalyptic but funny. The protagonist is endearing. The violence and horror are appropriately surreal. I hope the rest of the series is as much of a thrill ride.

[Domoni · Rating 5 out of 5]

The world has gone wrong. People are becoming rage-filled unthinking monsters. Most attack anything that moves. It all happened so fast. One night things were normal and the next day the world as everyone knew it had ended. Derek was just going about his day in his barn when his hired hand attacked him with a pickax. He was saved by a young stranger, Mark. They set out together to find Mark’s sister and Derek’s wife. Along the way they pick up post grad student Katy and the trio decide to stay together. When they get to Jackson, where Mark’s sister is a cop, they find a town divide. In Jackson, even most of the unchanged humans are monsters. Survival is all they can work towards when people do not want to be saved.

I love this story. It is told from the perspective of Derrick’s memory. The author has captured a terrifying reality about how inhuman humans can be. I was grabbed immediately by this story and did not want to put it down. The zombie like creatures are terrifying and I would kill to see a film made from this book. I usually get annoyed when a big gives away things that are yet to come, however, this story kept hinting at a characters tragic outcome and the way it was done made things more exciting for me. I feared the inevitable moment that my mind kept creating and I got so anxious it simply fueled on my excitement and I devoured the story.

I would gladly read anything written by this author and I would like to thank them for the ARC copy of this story in exchange for my honest review.

5 out of 5 stars

[Majanka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Review originally published here: http://www.iheartreading.net/book-tou...

In Those Who Are Left, the world changes in the blink of an eye. Derrick’s farmhand, a man he knows well, suddenly attacks him with a pickaxe. And the rest of the world doesn’t fare much better – humanity has left the building, and the creatures left are hungry and savage, and will attack anything that moves.

Derrick is saved by Mark, a complete stranger who may turn into the best friend he’s ever had. Surviving in this new, apocalyptic world, means finding trustworthy allies, and Derrick and Mark work together. Their goal is to find Derrick’s wife, Sarah, and Mark’s sister Jackie, but finding them will be tremendously difficult with flesh-eating zombie-like creatures marauding the streets.

Despite the horror of the situation, the author actually manages to incorporate some humor in the book as well. This helps show humanity’s resistence, even in the face of such a terrible danger.

The writing was solid, and once I started reading, I finished the book in one sitting. A supsenseful, creepy read for fans of zombie apocalypse books and scary novels.

[Dan Jackman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book through a Goodreads giveaway.
This book certainly has a different spin on the whole zombie apocalypse worn out storyline. I found it most refreshing and enjoyable. It's 'others' aren't from some cookie cutter mold in either their actions, lifespan or demise. There's loyalty and humour and just plain entertainment. The ending is a surprise that I never saw coming so that all the things I was prepared to scoff at before reading it were just not there. A splendid read. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

[Paula Barto · Rating 2 out of 5]

The manner of writing was interesting. This is not the type of book I typically read. I didn't get through the first chapter, mainly because of the language, but also, it seemed to be a hard to follow....as if I didn't understand the joke.

[Kym · Rating 1 out of 5]

Horrible.