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Risk of Infection

Tom Conrad

Why we're reading this: My first novella.
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Sep 25, 2012 Beth rated it it was amazing

This novella is classic Tom Conrad. Quirky, dark, fun humour at its best. The kind of humour that only a funny guy from England can deliver. And, deliver he does.

Risk Of Infection takes place around the time of the London Olympics (taking place shortly this summer, 2012 for any of you living under a rock). The country of Britain is being taken over by flesh eating zombies and, of course, there’s the love-struck Frank Drake who feels the need to make sure his ex-girlfriend (who dumped him a year This novella is classic Tom Conrad. Quirky, dark, fun humour at its best. The kind of humour that only a funny guy from England can deliver. And, deliver he does.

Risk Of Infection takes place around the time of the London Olympics (taking place shortly this summer, 2012 for any of you living under a rock). The country of Britain is being taken over by flesh eating zombies and, of course, there’s the love-struck Frank Drake who feels the need to make sure his ex-girlfriend (who dumped him a year ago and he’s never gotten over her) is alright. Why? Well, that’s the quirky, dark and fun part.

He’s stuck in his father’s house with his father and older brother, Jack. It’s stifling in the house with the three of them, but it beats going outside and risking getting their brains eaten out of their heads by a rogue neighbour with the dreaded infection.

While trying desperately to get in touch with Hilary (who keeps ignoring his text messages), she ends up getting in touch with him. But her message is weird. She mentions to Frank that her boyfriend has a fever. Frank thinks she should leave her place, since that could be the beginning of the infection in the boyfriend. She refuses, but then her next message to Frank is just a jumble of letters that don’t make any sense. Frank is worried and decides that he’s going to risk his own life to go out to find Hilary.

Jack won’t let him go out by himself, and neither will his father. The three Drakes set out on a wild ride full of mayhem, adventure and zombies.

The games were supposed to be an advert for Britain. It was supposed to say something like:

‘Look the days of Empire may be behind us, but we’re not completely useless. Okay our trains don’t work, we don’t manufacture or produce very much, our society is pretty unequal, frustrated and miserable and it rains and awful lot, but one thing we do know how to do is throw a jolly good bash.’

But three billion people were no longer seeing a glimpse of a cool Britannia facade, of Union Jack clad cheerleaders leaping from open top red buses, of athletes using traditional pork sausages for skipping ropes and a William Shakespeare impersonator doing the long jump. Three billion people were now concentrating on infection. Britain was INFECTED!

They run into zombies from every direction, olympic athletes and the crowd alike eating limbs, noses and brains of those that are too stupid to be inside. Frank, his brother Jack, their father and Jack’s girlfriend, Roxy, are amongst those that are too stupid to be inside. But, infactuation can lead you to do crazy things. Crazy things like risking your life and those of your family, to rescue a girl that doesn’t love you anymore.

Risk of Infection is a coming of age story, a story of love, lost love and becoming a man when all he’s been before was a boy. He’s relied on his brother and father to get him out of situations before, but now Frank does what he can to help his ex-girlfriend. He would risk everything for her.

Does he make it to her in time? Will he become a zombie in the process? What about his family? He’s risked everything for them, and they’re along for the ride, never leaving his side.

I enjoyed this story and the humour, therefore I give this novella 5 stars.
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Jul 09, 2012 Tom Conrad rated it really liked it · (Review from the author)

Hopefully not your typical zombie/apocalyptic fare. A dark and irreverent love/coming-of-age story... with plenty of bite!

Another 4 star effort, by... uhm... me... :)

NB: I'm aware me reviewing my own book irks certain people! ...more

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