Early Review: Apocalypse Cow

Apocalypse Cow

-       Michael Logan

Publisher: Doubleday Publisher – Published on 10^th May 2012

It began with a cow that just wouldn’t die. It would become an epidemic that transformed Britain’s livestock into sneezing, slavering, flesh-craving four-legged zombies.
And if that wasn’t bad enough, the fate of the nation seems to rest on the shoulders of three unlikely heroes: an abattoir worker whose love life is non-existent thanks to the stench of death that clings to him, a teenage vegan with eczema and a weird crush on his maths teacher, and an inept journalist who wouldn’t recognise a scoop if she tripped over one.
As the nation descends into chaos, can they pool their resources, unlock a cure, and save the world?
Three losers. Overwhelming odds. One outcome . . .
Yup, we’re screwed

Terry, lone survivor of abattoir attack and Lesley, Scottish reporter down on her luck, end up on the run in a countryside full of dangerous wildlife – from cows, pigs and rats to squirrels, cats and dogs, while Geldof, teenager with bad skin, out of control hormones and parents in full hippy mode is struggling to convince his parents of the danger. Each of these characters feels real – none of them are Bruce Willis or Angelina Jolie. What they are, are fully formed flawed and entirely likeable characters that you can’t help but root for. Even the secondary characters have great personality and leap off the page!

This is a serious comedic novel, or should than be a comedic serious novel? Either way, this book is a brilliant mixture of zombie horror and sheer ridiculous situations. The comedy is less laughter track and more awkward The Office style coming directly out of the situation and the characters. And this just gives the book a brilliant grounding in reality. I didn’t need to use a lot of imagination to picture the British government reacting in exactly this way! That said, the story is played completely straight with some very horrific scenes and the animal attacks not as scary as some of the human reactions to it.

The writing is confident and assured – and certainly doesn’t feel like a debut novel. Throughout I was both entertained and enthralled with the story and the characters. At times it reads like a straight forward zombie horror book, but then a twist happens which will have you in stitches. And if you find the idea of zombie cows funny, I promise by the end of the novel you will be looking twice at those bovine neighbours and making sure your beloved Fido goes out at night!

PS – Michael Logan won the first ever Terrry Prachett’s ‘Anywhere But Here, Any when But Now’ award – and I can see why! J

Recommended of fans of Mira Grant and Terry Prachett, 9 out of 10.