We're Dead in This Ghost Town

ReMade #1.11

by E.C. Myers, Carrie Harris, Gwenda Bond

You live. You love. You Die. Now RUN. ReMade is a thrilling sci-fi adventure that will take readers past the boundaries of time, space, and even death.

This is the 11th episode of ReMade , a 15-episode serial from Serial Box Publishing. This episode was written by E.C. Myers.

In hopes of finding civilization, people, answers, the group journeys to the city whose lights they’ve been able to see from miles away. But group dynamics can be just as hard to navigate as a new city – especially when death and dragons are involved.

ReMade Season In one moment the lives of twenty-three teenagers are forever changed, and it’s not just because they all happen to die. “ReMade” in a world they barely recognize – one with robots, space elevators, and unchecked jungle – they must work together to survive. They came from different places, backgrounds, and families, and now they might be the last people on earth. Lost meets The Maze Runner in this exciting serial adventure.

Genres: Science Fiction, Young Adult

35 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 23, 2016

About the author

E.C. Myers was assembled in the U.S. from Korean and German parts and raised in Yonkers, NY by his mother and the public library. He is a graduate of the Clarion West Writers Workshop and a member of the prolific NYC writing group Altered Fluid. In the rare moments when he isn't writing, he blogs about Star Trek at The Viewscreen, reads constantly, plays video games, watches films and television, sleeps as little as possible, and spends far too much time on the internet. His first novel, FAIR COIN, won the 2012 Andre Norton Award for Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy.

WATTPAD: http://www.wattpad.com/user/ecmyers

Reviews

[Nikki "The Crazie Betty" V. · Rating 4 out of 5]

In hopes of finding civilization, people, answers, the group journeys to the city whose lights they’ve been able to see from miles away. But group dynamics can be just as hard to navigate as a new city – especially when death and dragons are involved.

I really enjoyed this episode with the change of scenery. We’ve been out in the wilderness for 90% of this story, and now we finally get to see the city they’ve been staring at for weeks. What they find is a total ghost town. And yet this ghost town seems to be fully functional and clean. Something that makes no sense when, not only are there no people, but flying creatures in the sky that looks an awful lot like dragons! On top of dragons, the group and its individuals are changing every day. Taking up new roles within the group and forming little cliques. At this point I’m enjoying the set up for the mystery that is the city.

ARC received via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Melissa (thereaderandthechef) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loki's story made my heart hurt :( that aside, I WANT TO KNOW WHAT IS HAPPENING.

[Marjolein (UrlPhantomhive) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read all my reviews on http://urlphantomhive.booklikes.com

The group has finally arrived in the city spotted some episodes earlier and are making their way down the completely deserted place. Despite several mentions on how dangerous it is, Holden and Loki decide to go and take a look at the Mall.

Finally something is happening that looks like it is going to add to the solution of what is going on. I do think that the characters were not adequately freaked out by their somewhat spooky new surroundings, but this was only a minor concern after what has passed already in this series.

Only four episodes to go, can't wait to get to the conclusion!

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

[Forever Young Adult]

Graded By: Mandy C.

Read the review here.

[Antonia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Serial Box for providing me with a free copy of this book through NetGalley.

"What's scarier than a zombie?" Holden asked.
Loki stopped and gave Holden a sober look."People."

Okay this episode was by far my favorite! I loved it! And more importantly I finally found a character I can understand and identify with him. Loki. I haven't seen his character before, because I missed episodes 3-8, but this episode definitelely made up! He is the one of the group that others apparently don't trust, because of previous actions and his attitude. I have to say I get it. Especially when he doesn't open up to others. But he is not obliged to either. He opens up to Holden though, so new friendship alert! I'm glad to see themes of bullying, loneliness, maybe depression and suicide being brought up in a way that doesn't stigmatize the illnesses nor the victim. Forgot to mention I even listened to Ghost Town by Shiny Toy Guns and got the full experience of Loki's last minutes in his previous life. Nice song! Also, there are plenty cultural references which makes the story far more believable.

This time the group splits up to explore the city. Holden and Loki find what appears to be a mall and they gather some supplies. They also discover some of the wildlife. I'm not going to spoil you on that, but I'd like to see what happens next with this said wildlife. The other teams make some discoveries too that'll definitely help them survive. The only problem is, is the city safe or not?!
We'll find out in the next episode. After this episode I'm more excited for the series! Definitely check the rest of the episodes out! Only 4 left???!!!

[*Book Euphoria * · Rating 4 out of 5]

*** I would like to thank Netgalley, Serial Box Publishing and the author E.C. Myers for sending me this digital copy of We're Dead in This Ghost Town in exchange for an honest review***

This story is about Loki . He's kind of made himself into an outcast. No one trust him or wants to be in a team with him, they know he has a gun and could possibly be dangerous. But Holden ends up teaming up with him, and they see something only you would see in fantasy movies or games.

In the flashbacks we finally see why he is who he is. I think that it sucks what he went through. There is only so much someone could take. Its messed up what his friends did to him. They took something he loved to enjoy and made it into a joke. And its sad that this happens to people everyday. There's always someone who loves to put down others just for fun and for no reason. It saddens me and its wrong.

We also get to read about the city they've found. At first glance, the city looks like its destroyed and decaying but when they head more into it, it looks clean and high tech. The buildings have electricity and things seem to be working. It seems kind of creepy to me. The city is quiet and abandoned and there are mannequins that would creep me out if I was alone in a empty mall. I don't know what it is but empty malls are just scary. And it does remind me of zombie movies. Which by the way I enjoy watching :):)

What was nice to read, was that Loki starts to trust Holden. Starts to open up to him, tells him about his past. So there could be a nice friendship there. Loki to me was always a troubling mystery. You didn't know what he was thinking or what he was going to do. I'm glad that we get to see his point of view and see that he was just hurt and didn't know if he could trust people. I'm looking forward to seeing more of the group, what they find and how things turn out.









***

[kelly {BookCrushin} · Rating 5 out of 5]

All of my reviews of ReMade are more plot based than my normal reviews, so they are all a little more spoilery than usual. I recommend checking out my review for the first episode before reading on!

That title isn’t ominous or anything! So the group makes it to the city, and it seems pretty vacant. The group is still very split over decisions and working together. This dynamic is only going to hurt them in the long run. I know it is hard with so many headstrong personalities but they need a healthy dose of get your shit together to pull out of this alive!

One thing for sure, is that all of E.C. Meyers episodes have me on the edge of my seat! The writing is amazing, the tension is perfect, and the emotions are high. The pacing is perfect, and gives the readers just that specialness to make me freak the eff out over all the theories running through my head! I swear they were chosen for a reason, but all dying on the same day doesn’t play into that theory. AHHH WHY IS THIS ALL HAPPENING! 🙂

Holden and Loki together just click. They are completely different but it works. Plus this episode is compared to video games and it feels like a video game! Plus there are dragons! Dragons that they name Cumberbatches! So hilarious!

So within this city, where there are no actual people (so far), we know the city is working, they have seen the lights from miles away, and the moving sidewalks, the traffic lights, and all the doors and such still work! The mall is fascinating, and finally they can gear up and change clothes.

Plus being in the city just feels better and so much safer. I loved the technology and just the feel of this new discovery. Finally feels like we are starting to understand what’s going on! Or at least my theories are getting updated now my mind.

Definitely one of the better episodes so far!

[Donna Sanders · Rating 4 out of 5]

Received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Episode 11 of 15 in the continuing story of "Remade". The survivors decide to survey the city to determine if it is safe. They break into search teams and agree to meet back at the same in four hours. Loki and Holden head out together and discover a mall that is a little weird but well stocked with clothes. We also get Loki's whole story which helps explain his attitude towards the group. Again I am amazed that the different authors are able to keep the same tone throughout the episodes. Great read.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review also posted at: http://underthebookcover.blogspot.com...

4/5

Thank you to NetGalley and Serial Box for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for review!

Eleven episodes down, four more to go. This journey has been a pretty wild ride, with a lot of ups and downs along the way. We've met so many unique characters and have been introduced to an unknown (and sometimes scary) world. This is one of the craziest and most exciting adventures that I've had the privilege of experiencing, and I love it more and more with each new episode.

We're Dead in this Ghost Town picks up with Loki cautiously checking out the mysterious city that May found in episode nine. During his exploration, he discovers a flying animal that looks almost exactly like a dragon, and he names it a Cumberbatch. Making his way back to the group, the issue of Loki going off by himself comes up and it's decided that everyone will break into groups and explore the city together. Loki and Holden team up and explore, eventually discovering a mall that is filled with creepy almost-human mannequins. As the two search the six floors of the mall, Loki opens up to Holden with a bit of insight into how he died, and Holden does the same. The boys find a sporting goods store and stock up on clothes and semi-weapons such as baseball bats to take back to the group, but find that the mannequins have moved around since they last saw them, adding an element of unease to the safe haven of the mall. When the group reunites, the decision to stay is unanimous, and everyone is able to celebrate, relax, and breathe safely for the time being. But just who is keeping this mysterious city going and are they as dangerous as the Caretakers?

The only downside I saw to this episode was Inez. She has retained the top spot of least favorite character in this series, unfortunately. But at least she's consistent, right? At one point, she did try to thank Holden for doing something, but it was very forced and didn't feel sincere at all. She is loud, obnoxious, reckless, and is still trying to be a leader to a group of people that she hardly knows, let alone cares about. As for Loki, he was definitely up there as one of my least favorite characters in previous episodes, but I feel like he's somewhat redeemed himself from this episode. He's still stubborn, but I feel like he was really able to open up and get comfortable with Holden while they were exploring the city together. It was nice to learn more about what happened with Loki, although it was sad and certainly had me wanting to give him a hug. But by the end, Loki was happy and said that he had never felt more alive, which gave me hope that maybe things will get better for him as the episodes go on. If anything, Loki was just misunderstood and was put into a situation that he didn't know how to handle. Granted, so was everyone else, but Loki seemed to have a pretty difficult time trying to fit in and find his place in the group. This episode felt like his shining moment, and he was able to really step up and find where he belonged.

The city that the group is exploring feels like it's almost on autopilot. Outside of the city itself, things are overgrown and animals are running wild. But inside, it's clean and almost futuristic, with everything moving and working such as lights, moving sidewalks, escalators in the mall, and possibly even the mannequins. The feeling that someone is keeping up with the city is very prevalent, but the group hasn't made contact with anyone since arriving, outside of the Caretakers of course. It really makes the reader wonder just what the group has stumbled upon, and is it possible that it's more dangerous than the Caretakers? Despite the ominous feeling of possibly being watched, it was nice to see the group get some relief from all of the running and death that they've had to experience so far.

As with previous episodes written by E.C. Myers, I really enjoyed the writing. I always feel like I'm getting the perfect amount of description about what's happening without going overboard, and there's also never a shortage of humor thrown in. Even though the situation that the group is in is terrifying, it's always good to see that at least one person has a sense of humor and can keep people laughing. E.C. Myers certainly was able to take Loki, a character I didn't really care for, and make him into someone that I cared about. The backstory was so well written, and gave a really good understanding about why Loki is the way that he is, and also allowed the reader to sympathize with him and almost understand why he's been acting the way that he has been throughout the series. I came into this episode not terribly excited about reading another Loki episode, and I finished with a smile on my face.

With all of the ups and downs that have been happening since the first episode, I feel like We're Dead in this Ghost Town is an up. We got more insight into Loki, explored part of the mysterious city that seems to be run by no one, saw a friendship develop between Loki and Holden, and learned that even someone who has been stubborn and grouchy since the beginning can have a sense of humor. I thoroughly enjoyed this episode, especially the lighthearted ending, and I'm curious to see where things go from here. Hopefully, we'll get some answers as to just who (or what) is keeping that city running!

[Elaine White · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 11: We're Dead in This Ghost Town
Star rating - ★★★★☆
POV – Loki
Would I read it again – Yes

** COPY RECEIVED THROUGH NETGALLEY **

This is the best story we've had in this series for quite a while. At least, it feels that way. If Inez hadn't existed at all or gotten any page time, this would have easily been a five star review. But she was there. She was her usual bitchy, miss-know-it-all, better-than-everyone-else, negative self and I hated her the entire time she was on page, as usual.

I've always loved Loki as a character and, like Holden, he never gets enough page time for my liking. The fact that this was Loki and Holden for 99.5% of the story (with Inez butting in with the others for that last .5%) made it a joy to read. This story returned the series back to its roots for a moment, back to where it all started and why – exploring the lives and deaths of each character, letting us get to know them better.

Reading about Loki's final day before he died was gut-wrenching as I'd always known it would be, because my theory about his death was right. But that didn't help me when it came to reading through how he felt and what he did that day, to deal with the bullies. What I'd have loved was to see the aftermath; to see his bullies punished beyond his little threat before his death, to see them face the consequences of what they'd done. Maybe then I'd feel that somehow he got the justice he deserved, even if it happened all too late.

The plot is a little reminiscent of another sci-fi story I've read, the Haven Prime series, so imagining and navigating the post-apocalyptic world with Loki and Holden was familiar somehow and a nice progression of their journey.

I'm still angry at the way that Inez – and now Gabe!? – have tried to pain Loki as some kind of reckless, dangerous villain who is going to do something so stupid that it will get them killed. The incident on the train aside (which actually wasn't wholly his fault) all he's ever done is defend, protect and look out for the entire group. I'm so glad Holden is on his side and offers the understanding and support he needs, because, quite honestly, I 100% agree with Loki that Inez is a bully.

She's pushy, arrogant and thinks that she knows best, despite having only been with them for half the time or less than that than they've all been a group. She just waltzed in and took over a spot that was never hers, without asking anyone how they felt. And the way people like Seyah and Teddy fawn over her is sickening. It's so easy to see what Loki meant when he talked about her being a bully and probably being popular, because it's a truth I've seen since the start. Inez is just a female version of Brody! She steps on people to show her fan-base that she's the most powerful and popular.

~

Favourite Quote

“Yes, Inez had helped save them from a gruesome death on the train – admittedly cleaning up the mess Loki had inadvertently made – but she was also a bully.” ← couldn't agree more with you, Loki.

[Christy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hands down, this was my favorite episode. It was raw, emotive, and terrifying. Not because anything awful happened but because we've had three episodes go by where no one has died and we are four from the end. Everything is looking too good to last.

"What's scarier than a zombie?" Holden asked.
Loki stopped and gave Holden a sober look."People."

I love that this episode is titled after music referenced within the episode. We're Dead in this Ghost Town is a Shiny Toy Guns song and is a perfect compliment to the episode. Now I want a ReMade soundtrack; one song for each episode.

This episode mirrors the moments prior to Loki's ReMade encounter and his exploration of the ghost city. He's brought Holden along for the adventure, which has the makings of a disaster but actually bonds the pair together. I'd ship these two if I didn't know better.

Holden trailed behind Loki. “This city reminds me of some of the levels. Reminds me of pretty much every post-apocalyptic movie and video game I’ve seen.”

By now, we know there's something not right about this world. Is this someone's screwed up vision of the world? Have our ReMades dropped into their own version of purgatory? Either way, they're now not only facing killer bunnies, killer machines, unicorns...But dragons. Yep, dragons. I was feeling major Bioshock vibes this episode.

Everyone had something to contribute and was playing the role they were suited to.
I've been saying all along that this rag-tag team of people seems too perfect to be coincidence. Now I'm wondering even more why no one is exploring why Umta stays so quiet when they're speculating about the world.

He imagined that when he died, he would respawn safely at home as if none of this had happened. If only real life let you create save points so you could go back to your previous game and try again with the benefit of added experience.

We knew previously that Loki faced cyber-bullying and that had lead to his eventual death by suicide. In this episode, we get even more backstory that adds to the depth of his character and the tragedy that lead to his death. I just want to hug him. I'm so glad he has a second chance.

Is anyone else reading/listening to ReMade? I hope so, because it's my favorite new adventure this fall!

[Carrie (The Butterfly Reader) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really like Loki and feel so bad for him. He's trying his hardest to do what he thinks is right and keep the group safe. I also do see a leader forming for this group and I don't like who it's going to be. yeah... after this episode I just like Holden so much more. He's the only character so far that has gotten a POV that I have no problem with.

I love how Loki and Holden bonded. It's nice to see that friendship in this serial. There is not a lot of friendships here. Just people trying to outdo the other or survive. So this is really nice. I think it will be very good going forward. I hope to see more friendships in the future.

They finally go into the city and find a lot of things that are useful, find what seems like a safe place. They also discover dragons! Yes, dragons! I don't even know how they are going to work themselves into the plot but it's going to be pretty cool to see!

Thanks to NetGalley for the chance to review this serial.

Lastly, this would not be a review of ReMade without my talking about the things that bother me about it. This episode has a comment about how white guns with guns don't get shot. Yep. The authors seem to love Buzzfeed and MTV way too freaking much. Only a few more to get through and I can be done with this. Can't wait.

[CT · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this series has been a see-saw experience so far, and this is one of the “see” episodes.

A lot goes on in this episode as the group explores the bright lights in the distance which turns out to be an abandoned city that runs on some sort of autopilot. The primary focus of the story is on Loki and Holden, who are able to strike an honest friendship since they partnered up in the exploration visit. Loki was given a lot of depth in this episode, and reminds me a bit of one of the characters in E. C. Myers’ other book, Silence of Six. Holden, who was introduced in the first episode, is given a bigger spotlight apart from Seyah.

The writing style is very descriptive and gave me a mind visual of the city and in particular, one of the modern malls within the city. New creatures are introduced, which adds to the wonder and fear of the characters.

I received a copy of this episode from the publisher via NetGalley.

[CrazyCat (Alex) · Rating 5 out of 5]

With only four more episodes to come I still don't know what actually happened to these kids and what the endgame is. I cross my fingers that they get some needed rest in this city. But with how things usually go around them my hopes aren't that high, I think there are more problems coming for them.
And I found it heart breaking reading the rest of Loki's story. He's dead because some kids thinking bullying is okay, that's just a game, not thinking about other peoples feelings. Now I understand Loki better, but I still don't like him carrying a gun. It makes me uneasy to think about kids running around with guns. It is easy to misread situations and causing accidentally shooting someone.

***Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review***

[Donna Maguire · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed all of the different installments and parts to this series, you really do need to read them in order but if you are a fan of the Hunger Games, or the Maze Runner series these books are for you. Another enjoyable edition and looking forward to see how this one ends, and if there is going to be another series as I've really enjoyed this one.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this serial, though it did have some sensitive topics (bullying, suicide, school shootings), but I thought it was handled well. It was nice to get a better idea of who Loki was and why he is the way he is. I would recommend this book. 5 out of 5 stars.

[Karina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loki again, finally!

And some dragons, which Loki decides to name with an apt pop culture reference. A creepy mall in a creepy city, Holden's fear of zombies, some time for badass fashion. But, of course, mostly Loki and what happened before all this.

[Mandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd really like to go exploring with these kids.

Check out my recap—and join the discussion—at Forever Young Adult.