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Zombie RiZing #1
Scared to Beath
*Gold Medal Winner, Juvenile Fiction, 2015 Global Ebook Awards*
When these guys say school is hell ... they mean it. Before the Zombie RiZing began, teachers were the scariest things in the classroom. But these days, Elizabeth Baker and her friends know what real monsters look like. Holed up in High School Name, they face a new battle every day, from vicious fellow survivors and hungry zombies to their ever-dwindling food supplies. Then there's Sonny, whose farts could be smelt all the way from the Moon. If the apocalypse was a martial art, this crew wouldn't even be white belts. But with danger closing in on all sides, they must somehow train up, arm up and become an elite fighting force. If only the dark magic fuelling the undead could work on humans too...
When these guys say school is hell ... they mean it. Before the Zombie RiZing began, teachers were the scariest things in the classroom. But these days, Elizabeth Baker and her friends know what real monsters look like. Holed up in High School Name, they face a new battle every day, from vicious fellow survivors and hungry zombies to their ever-dwindling food supplies. Then there's Sonny, whose farts could be smelt all the way from the Moon. If the apocalypse was a martial art, this crew wouldn't even be white belts. But with danger closing in on all sides, they must somehow train up, arm up and become an elite fighting force. If only the dark magic fuelling the undead could work on humans too...
70 pages, Paperback
First published December 18, 2014
11 people are currently reading
18 people want to read
About the author
Matt J. Pike
26 books54 followers*Matt donates money from each book sold to find a cure for Rett Syndrome, a neurological condition his youngest daughter has*
Like the legendary R M Williams, Matt was born in Jamestown in rural South Australia. But that’s where the remarkable similarities between these two end. While Reginald went from bushman to world renowned millionaire outback clothing designer, Matt is a complete dag who was lured by the city lights of Adelaide. Kindergarten in the big smoke was a culture shock, but it is here he first discovered his love of storytelling.
In high school that love found an outlet in a series of completely unflattering cartoons about fellow students and teachers alike. He survived long enough to further his art into a successful career in multimedia design but, like a zombified leech, the lure of the written word gnawed at him, forcing him to pen his first novel, the award-winning sci-fi comedy epic, Kings of the World. It was followed the next year by Amazon Australia dystopian sci-fi best-seller Apocalypse: Diary of a Survivor.
Matt donates part-proceeds of each book sold to find a cure for Rett Syndrome, a neurological condition the youngest of his three children, Abby, has. As a gorgeous Rett angel, Abby cannot walk, talk or use her hands in a meaningful way. So, not only is each of your book purchases a ticket to fantastically rounded, character driven, hilarious and poignant sci-fi awesomeness, it wraps you in a warm feeling that you’ve made a difference to people who deserve your help the most. Like the zombified leech it’s a no-brainer.
Like the legendary R M Williams, Matt was born in Jamestown in rural South Australia. But that’s where the remarkable similarities between these two end. While Reginald went from bushman to world renowned millionaire outback clothing designer, Matt is a complete dag who was lured by the city lights of Adelaide. Kindergarten in the big smoke was a culture shock, but it is here he first discovered his love of storytelling.
In high school that love found an outlet in a series of completely unflattering cartoons about fellow students and teachers alike. He survived long enough to further his art into a successful career in multimedia design but, like a zombified leech, the lure of the written word gnawed at him, forcing him to pen his first novel, the award-winning sci-fi comedy epic, Kings of the World. It was followed the next year by Amazon Australia dystopian sci-fi best-seller Apocalypse: Diary of a Survivor.
Matt donates part-proceeds of each book sold to find a cure for Rett Syndrome, a neurological condition the youngest of his three children, Abby, has. As a gorgeous Rett angel, Abby cannot walk, talk or use her hands in a meaningful way. So, not only is each of your book purchases a ticket to fantastically rounded, character driven, hilarious and poignant sci-fi awesomeness, it wraps you in a warm feeling that you’ve made a difference to people who deserve your help the most. Like the zombified leech it’s a no-brainer.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
March 13, 2015
This review is for the Zombie RiZing books: Scared to Beath & A Fate Worse Than Beath.
When I first looked at these books, my automatic thought was The Walking Dead on AMC channel. I wasn’t too sure, thinking it was going to be a a little replica of the show. However, it wasn’t what it seemed and it really does actually take on a kids approach on how living with Zombies would be. Although I must say, I probably wouldn’t read these books to any young child, as there are some words and phrases that aren’t suited for them. I would probably recommend children 9 and up, depending on what you parent’s think. :) These books were really creative though, guiding you on adventures about these children and teacher trying to survive in the Zombie world. Actually, as I was reading them and picturing it in my head, I could see these series as like a show on cartoon network or something. Another thing I liked is that in the book, it addresses an illness called Rett Syndrome, and part of the proceeds of these book sales, go to help finding a cure for it, so it’s definitely a read for a good cause.
The illustrations, done by Steve Grice, throughout the books were really well done. They are little chapter books, so there isn’t a picture on every page. However, when there were pictures, they were very well explained and tied in to what the pic was, or what scene was going on. Once you see the illustrations, I’m sure you’ll understand what I mean about seeing it as a cartoon show. ;) I was able to read the first two books in this six part book series, so there’s definitely more to come.
My thoughts? Very creative; I think that children of the appropriate age would enjoy this book series very much. Like I said though, it’s not suited for younger children. So if you are looking for a book to take a bite out of, consider these ones…especially since there’s more to come.
When I first looked at these books, my automatic thought was The Walking Dead on AMC channel. I wasn’t too sure, thinking it was going to be a a little replica of the show. However, it wasn’t what it seemed and it really does actually take on a kids approach on how living with Zombies would be. Although I must say, I probably wouldn’t read these books to any young child, as there are some words and phrases that aren’t suited for them. I would probably recommend children 9 and up, depending on what you parent’s think. :) These books were really creative though, guiding you on adventures about these children and teacher trying to survive in the Zombie world. Actually, as I was reading them and picturing it in my head, I could see these series as like a show on cartoon network or something. Another thing I liked is that in the book, it addresses an illness called Rett Syndrome, and part of the proceeds of these book sales, go to help finding a cure for it, so it’s definitely a read for a good cause.
The illustrations, done by Steve Grice, throughout the books were really well done. They are little chapter books, so there isn’t a picture on every page. However, when there were pictures, they were very well explained and tied in to what the pic was, or what scene was going on. Once you see the illustrations, I’m sure you’ll understand what I mean about seeing it as a cartoon show. ;) I was able to read the first two books in this six part book series, so there’s definitely more to come.
My thoughts? Very creative; I think that children of the appropriate age would enjoy this book series very much. Like I said though, it’s not suited for younger children. So if you are looking for a book to take a bite out of, consider these ones…especially since there’s more to come.
May 3, 2016
This book was entered in The Wishing Shelf Book Awards. This is what our readers thought:
Title: Scared to Beath
Author: Matt Pike
Star Rating: 4 Stars
Number of Readers: 15
Stats
Editing: 7/10
Style: 8/10
Content: 7/10
Cover: 8/10
Of the 15 readers:
11 would read another book by this author.
9 thought the cover was good or excellent.
5 thought the characters were the best part of the book.
15 thought having a child with a disability in the story was really good.
9 felt it was too short.
Readers’ Comments
‘I thought this book was good. The monsters were sort of scary but not that much. I like the way they battled them with the different tools. It was bit short for me.’ Girl, aged 11
‘The hero was fun to follow on her adventure. I liked that she had a gang to fight the zombies with, although they weren’t much good at first. They got better though. The cover and the blurb made me want to read this book.’ Boy, aged 10
‘I liked the author’s style of writing with a good balance of pace and character/setting description. This is an excellent start to a set of horror/adventure books for kids. Sadly, it was too short for the 10 and 11 year olds in the class and the cliffhanger, although exciting, frustrated the children’ Male teacher, aged 52
‘This story was brill. I liked everything about it. I also liked that there was a girl in it with a disability. That was really cool!’ Boy, aged 11
‘My 12 year old enjoyed this book for The Wishing Shelf Book Awards. She thought cover was excellent and she really got into it. She liked that there was not too much character description but lots of pacey adventure.’ Mother, aged 40
‘Fun and exciting. A Red Ribbon winner and highly recommended for any 9 – 12 year old.’ The Wishing Shelf Book Awards
Title: Scared to Beath
Author: Matt Pike
Star Rating: 4 Stars
Number of Readers: 15
Stats
Editing: 7/10
Style: 8/10
Content: 7/10
Cover: 8/10
Of the 15 readers:
11 would read another book by this author.
9 thought the cover was good or excellent.
5 thought the characters were the best part of the book.
15 thought having a child with a disability in the story was really good.
9 felt it was too short.
Readers’ Comments
‘I thought this book was good. The monsters were sort of scary but not that much. I like the way they battled them with the different tools. It was bit short for me.’ Girl, aged 11
‘The hero was fun to follow on her adventure. I liked that she had a gang to fight the zombies with, although they weren’t much good at first. They got better though. The cover and the blurb made me want to read this book.’ Boy, aged 10
‘I liked the author’s style of writing with a good balance of pace and character/setting description. This is an excellent start to a set of horror/adventure books for kids. Sadly, it was too short for the 10 and 11 year olds in the class and the cliffhanger, although exciting, frustrated the children’ Male teacher, aged 52
‘This story was brill. I liked everything about it. I also liked that there was a girl in it with a disability. That was really cool!’ Boy, aged 11
‘My 12 year old enjoyed this book for The Wishing Shelf Book Awards. She thought cover was excellent and she really got into it. She liked that there was not too much character description but lots of pacey adventure.’ Mother, aged 40
‘Fun and exciting. A Red Ribbon winner and highly recommended for any 9 – 12 year old.’ The Wishing Shelf Book Awards
February 2, 2017
I am an anti zombie person no apology. I cannot suspend belief long enough to accept a being eating flesh and not processing it for food. Show me zombie poo and I might reconsider, or a zombie catching a nap. I love the diversity of Elizabeth's crew, but where do they go for Burger Kings?
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews