Saturday, April 20, 2019
Book Review #SpringHorror #Readathon The Dead Run by Adam Mansbach
This is my first book choice in the Seasons of Reading Spring into Horror Readathon.
Synopsis: "On both sides of the border, girls are going missing and bodies are beginning to surface. It’s a deadly epidemic of crime that plunges a small-town police chief into a monster of an investigation he's not equipped to handle. An ancient evil has returned, and now everyone—the innocent and the guilty—must face their deepest terrors."
The main character, Jess Galvan, is wrongfully imprisoned in a Mexican jail. His only hope of escape comes with a deal to transport a weird package across the Mexican border within 24 hours. If he succeeds, he will be a free man. Along the way he will encounter all the typical horror types (not really typical at all) .. corrupt police officers, prostitutes, biker gangs and of course demons/zombies.
When I picked up this book to read, I really had no idea what I was about to experience. I must say I was pleasantly surprised by the book, that was written by the author who I knew wrote "Go the F**ck to Sleep", although, I still have not read that book. After I read this book, I couldn't get the smile off of my face. Not because the book is funny, although, in some high tension spots, it is exactly that. Not that I felt fulfilled after reading the book, because that is not the type of read it is.. at all. No, it was because this book was absolutely FUN to read.
Oh, sure! There was tons of gore in the book. Mostly described at a topical level that kind of makes you swallow twice, just to make sure nothing comes up. Sure, there was a lot of characters that didn't make sense and a story line that borders on the absurd...but it all comes together and works beautifully. This book was a fantastic read and really hard to put down. A real "page turner" as it were. The lead character may curse mightily throughout the story, but the plot grabs you from the first page and doesn't let you go. This is a horror/thriller/supernatural/zombie/noir story that really shouldn't work, but it absolutely DOES! Part of the magic is Mansbach's writing style. His character development is solid, the action scenes are vivid and the plot twists are numerous and seamless. You are on a roller coaster ride with no brakes, and at Mansbach's mercy to let him throw whatever piece of action/horror he wants to throw at you.
The plot is impossible to predict because the author injects a bit of paranormal fun into the story at just the right times. As a result, anything can happen... and it usually does. The story does stay rooted in the real world in Mexico which just adds to the believability of the story and the characters. Although violent, The Dead Run is a first-rate horror novel, written to entertain to the fullest. I absolutely recommend this book for the pure fun of reading something, in a style you have never experienced before.
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So glad you got such enjoyment from this horror read. It sounds amazing! Definitely adding it to my wishlist. Hope you continue to enjoy the readathon. :)
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