Married with Zombies by Jesse Petersen (book review)
Bad relationships. I’m sure we’ve all had them and managed to get though to the other side. But in ‘Married With Zombies’, author Jesse Petersen takes it to a new level.
Our lead characters, Sarah and David, are on the cusp of a breakdown. They rarely communicate and when they do, it’s to argue. Their marriage counsellor isn’t helping much and seems to be exacerbating the situation. Oh and she’s just eaten her previous appointment and is hungry for more.
The couple’s first-world dilemmas soon pale in comparison to the bigger picture with the undead taking over Seattle and killing everyone they know faster than you can say ‘Shaun Of The Dead’. Their combined plight soon brings them closer together, although I would personally argue that if a couple needs a common enemy to stay together, maybe there’s no hope for them.
Written entirely from Sarah’s perspective, her thoughts about her husband and their life can be quite sweet. They can also be very annoying. There’s only so many times I want to hear someone complain about not being able to check their emails or that meat will be a thing of the past. I guess I would probably be thinking and doing the exact same thing but still, get over it.
I’m also unsure about how adaptable the couple really would be. If we look to a series like ‘The Walking Dead’, the most capable characters are a former sheriff and a huntsman. The others are learning from them and surprising themselves. Whereas here, Sarah is an office drone and David is a bit of a layabout but they seem to pick up survival skills quite easily. Granted some of their lessons are hard-learned but they have a bit of an easy ride.
All criticisms aside, ‘Married With Zombies’ is a fun book and the first of a trilogy. I’ll definitely be interested to see where they go next with this series.
Aidan Fortune
March 2013
(pub: Simon and Schuster. 241 page small enlarged paperback. Price: £ 7.99 (UK). ISBN: 978-1-84983-297-7)
check out websites: www.simonandschuster.co.uk and www.jessepetersen.net
