Daphne Lamb

I selected this because I thought it might appeal to my library's teen population, partly because of the excellent cover and also because of the subject matter. Unfortunately, I don't think it's a great fit for our collection. The story is clearly a sarcastic poke at stereotypes, but the humor fell a bit flat for me. Much of the humor/sarcasm was mocking in a way that didn't land for my taste, and while there was an effort to send up a racist character it felt less like a send up/deconstruction of racism and more like I was just reading about that-wacky-racist-haha-isn't-that-funny. Might be a fit for a larger collection, but not ours.

I received a review copy from NetGalley.… (más)

This book reminds me of Six of One and Seven Will Out, that I read and reviewed recently. I don't really "get" most humor - I make jokes all the time, don't get me wrong, but most things marketed as funny I don't find funny, and please don't make me sit through a comedy movie because I won't - they just aren't funny and usually make me hurl.

I struggled a bit with the other two books I read, because I could tell it was supposed to be funny, and I could see the humor in the jokes, but eh. The humor fell short. I liked/enjoyed the books for other reasons, but the jokes... eh.

This one is a bit different.

It's a spoof on the apocalypse, and other than some minor editing issues, it's well done / well written for the most part (there's some missed periods, commas, and a few places where the you're and your's got mixed up). There were a few inconsistencies with the plot that bothered me though (for example she keeps talking about having to go to the bathroom, and then she goes, and then the very next page she's complaining about how it had been hours since she had gone to the bathroom when it was very obvious it only a few minutes had passed). The characters are extremely one dimensional - which I actually liked, and to me, really worked in the book. I wish the main character, Verdell, was a little more likable. I get that she's supposed to be an idiot/childish/selfish/self-absorbed/etc., but really? Losing two people she cares about at least a little in the blink of an eye and not one tear shed? Not a moment spent on "man, that sucks"? Nothing? REALLY?

The humor didn't really crack me up, but I did at least smile in a few places and wanted to laugh out loud a couple of times. The bathroom humor got really, really old - we get it, it sucks to use the bathroom in the apocalypse.

All in all, though, I really did enjoy this one. The characters are so bad, you have to keep reading, and the crap that happens to Verdell makes you want to find out how the idiot gets out of this one. The author might've left the ending open to a part two, and I have to admit, I would definitely read the next book in the series if that happens, and I liked the book enough that I wouldn't mind reading another one of Lamb's books.

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I received this book from the author in exchange for my honest views… (más)

Comedy meets apocalypse, in this new off-beat novel by debut author Daphne Lamb.

The synopsis is spot on, and describes this book perfectly. The lead character is a modern slacker, reminding me of a mix of Ginger from Gilligan's Island, and any modern millennial stereotype. While her personality is off-putting, it's realistic for the outlined story, and adds a twist to a plot that usually has readers enthralled with suspense and darkness. Not this book - the story overall stays light and almost fluffy, focusing on one person's personal outlook, as opposed to the state of the world after disaster hits.

The depiction of the outward symptoms caused by the apocalypse, and the causes of the apocalypse itself, were entertaining. They were all fairly tangible, layered with a tint of humor and nonsense, that just may be more realistic in real life, than the darker novels of the post-disaster genre.

In this take of the apocalypse, the reader gets a glimpse of surviving as a "regular" person. As someone who doesn't necessarily rise to the occasion, and automatically become a bad-ass zombie fighter, or something of the like. We see what it might be like, as a couch potato or minimalist, simply going through a new set of motions in order to survive a new, rougher world.

For fans of post-apocalyptic novels, who may be looking for a different take to the standard stories, this book may entertain you.

*I received an eCopy of this book from Xpresso Book Tours, to read in exchange for an honest review.… (más)