From the cracked minds of Matthew Leo and Melissa Leo-Pahl:
Comes a story of survival, hardship, and love in the throes of the Zombie Apocalypse!
A mind altering super-drug paired with a mutagenic virus, sweeps the world and covers it in chaotic death, leaving only a sparse handful of the living left to inherit what remains.
From different states, and all walks of life, these young survivors awake to find their world shattered beyond repair, seeking one another out, eyes ever watchful, as death and the undead await them around every blind corner.
And from the ashes rises the Zombie King! A man with secrets of his own, his past, hidden in the shadows. Food is scarce now for the undead. His biggest secret, puts him at the top of the food chain! This indeed spells trouble, for our “fortunate” survivors.
May fortune favor the foolish!
I’m really picky about the books that I read that are about zombies, but this book really intrigued me. I must say, I wasn’t disappointed when I started reading this story either. Melissa and Matthew do such an awe inspiring job of weaving you through the lives of these characters, and not getting you lost in the mix.
These two amazing writers take you along as you walk through the life of these characters as they deal with a Zombie apocalypse. You get to see what each character has to go through before they are all brought together. There’s Charlie who is one kick butt chick and can definitely handle her own, but don’t let her tough exterior deceive you, inside she breaks down every time she has to take down a Zombie. Then there is little Fayte. She may be 7 years old, but there is a reason why she’s made it as far as she has by herself, don’t let those little girl looks fool you. There Ellie and her brother Jace, Ellie is trying to be brave to help her brother and do what she can to survive, but really she’s just terrified. Jace still doesn’t fully understand what’s really going on, being locked in a whole will do that do you, but once he finally realizes that life is no longer what it was before, he’s determined to do what needs to be done to help his sister survive. The Junction City boys are a group of down to earth boys that are doing whatever they can to make sure they see another day. To make light of things and not let themselves go crazy, they started to make a game of this, don’t get them confused, they take this seriously but you can only be so serious for so long before you go crazy. Then there is Byron, he’s the most interesting of all I think. He’s got a few secrets (I mean, who doesn’t) and you’ll say “Ahhhhhh” once you find out what some of them are.
Then there is the one that started this all. Patient Zero. He lets you see what goes through a Zombie’s mind, but once things start to change, so does he. Soon he changes the whole game and these characters lives are put on the line. They thought they were in danger before, if only they knew what was in store for them now.
Throughout this story, Melissa and Matthew do such an amazing job of bringing these characters to life right before your eyes, and it’s amazing. You’re on the edge of you seat wondering what’s going to happen next to these characters and hoping they will all make it in the end.
I’m really excited to see what these two come up with next. If its’ anything like this story, I’ll be picking the book up for sure! Such an amazing debut book guys!
Let me begin by saying this is the first zombie book I have read. In the past, I never really thought I would find them appealing. Well, that is no longer the truth…ZDRM is AWESOME!!!! I had a really hard time putting my Kindle down once I started. I kept telling myself one more chapter, but I didn’t really listen. I just had to get to the last page to see what happened and who survived!
Almost everyone has been taken out in a horrible virus epidemic, but yet not all of them are dead. Some of them are “undead” and survive on the bodies of the living and the dead. Matthew and Melissa do a great job in describing the devastating and terrifying epidemic that has hit the world. I felt like I was there because they engaged all of my senses throughout the story. I could literally see the horrible aftermath, from the dead bodies to the airplanes that had fallen from the sky. I could smell the death and decay, hear the zombies shuffling as they made their way through the streets, and taste the death in the air. When a writer can involve me that deeply in a story, he or she has amazing talent. This brother and sister writing duo does just that. I felt at times I was watching a movie unfold…yes, it was that good!
Not only was the book thrilling and had me wanting more, I loved the characters. Like the vivid detail in setting the scene, the characters are detailed just as vividly. I felt like I was a part of this group of survivors. They took their time in telling the reader how they survived and their backgrounds and how they came together to survive without miring you down with too much detail. Each of the characters are flawed and have secrets, but they really come together and form a sort of family. Despite those flaws and secrets, every one of them is able to contribute in the fight for survival. I can’t pick one character that is my favorite, because I liked them all. Let me just say…Fayte is a unique heroine. It’s ironic that such a brave soul can come in such a tiny package. And I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Patient Zero, truly terrifying. Yet, I felt empathy for him in some sense with his struggle as he realizes what is happening to him. He is trying to save some small piece of the human side of him, but the solution is horrifying. I can’t imagine the terrifying realization that you know you are losing a piece of you humanity with each passing moment. The ending of the book was quite intriguing and impressive. I didn’t see that twist coming, and it just make me anticipate the next book in the series.
Again, a thrilling and mesmerizing book. Yes, I used mesmerizing in reference to a zombie book. The way in which Matthew and Melissa write is mesmerizing! Seriously, it takes quite a writer to make me feel empathy for a zombie!!!! If you are looking for a book that is thrilling and a book that literally pulls you in and won’t let you go, this is the book for you! Great job! Can’t wait to read more in the series.
Melissa Leo-Pahl
Melissa grew up in coastal North Carolina. With the Marine Corps at her back and the sandy beaches beckoning her face on, she learned that nothing could hinder her imagination.
When an opportunity to finally write a novel with her brother had presented itself, she leapt at the chance. Add a few sugar and coffee induced, cross-country phone conversations later, and the idea of Zombies Don’t Ride Motorcycles was born.
She has two more series in the works. Whiskey Diaries (A Romantic Comedy) and The Guardians Series (Sci-Fi/Paranormal/Urban Fantasy). Both coming soon.
Melissa currently resides in the frozen north of Minnesota, where she lives with her family and those cute dogs she’s always tweeting about.
Amazon * Goodreads * Facebook * Twitter
Matthew Leo
Matthew Leo was born in North Beach Maryland. He is the oldest of four siblings. Blah Blah Blah. What you really want to know is how he got into writing! His first short story in the 1st grade was a wonderful epic of Ninjas rappeling into a McDonalds and the hero beating them up to save the day. He continued to write short stories and even over 200 poems to credit before graduating high school. He has rubbed elbows (talked over the internet) with such great writers as Piers Anthony and Stephen Brust. His is inspired by the works of Shakespeare, Anne Rice, and the great Steven King. Through reading he has developed his own unique style of writing. His own unique voice.
With that voice he partnered up with his sister, a long life dream, to write the worlds first Zombie Apocalypse Epic Series: Zombies Don’t Ride Motorcycles.
He has plans in the works for putting his finger into many pies, most notably in the genres of Fantasy, Vampire, Erotic Thrillers, and of course one For Dummies book. 🙂
Devilishly Delicious Book Reviews 