by Eric Shelman
Synopsis
Something happened to the earth. Inexplicable. Not a product of man, but of nature. Now Flex Sheridan and Gem Cardoza must do all they can to protect Flex's six-year-old niece Trina and find ways to survive a massive outbreak that has caused most of humankind to metamorphose into the walking dead.
Enter Hemphill "Hemp" Chatsworth. He is a scientist who has expertise in epidemics, as well as a mechanical engineering degree. He's doing all the important work, setting up a mobile lab in which to experiment on the zombies and learn what drives them. But he must also learn what will defeat them.
Charlene "Charlie" Sanders is a punk rock-loving, crossbow-wielding firecracker who rivals only Gem Cardoza in her sharp wit and fighting capability. She'll join with Hemp in his lab to help him learn what they all need to know in order to stay safe.
Review
I purchased this book on Amazon (Kindle) and gave it 5 out of 5 stars on Amazon and Goodreads.
Purchase Dead Hunger: The Flex Sheridan Chronicle on Amazon.
There are a lot of zombie books on the market right now. I've come across some great ones and I've come across some that were just "good". This one falls in the "great" category. I originally purchased this book because Eric Shelman has a friendly, fun Facebook presence. I figured I would show my support and buy one of his books. I wasn't expecting to like it as much as I did.
First of all, the characters are fun and refreshing. Flex, the main character, is just an ordinary man whose main interest is staying alive in the changed world while keeping his loved ones safe. He has a huge heart and is not afraid to show it. At the same time, he is realistic and doesn't back down from making difficult decisions when he has to. Shelman does an excellent job balancing these two characteristics, creating an unforgettable, albeit imperfect hero. The other characters introduced in the book are just as likable, but this is Flex's story so the main focus is on him in this book.
The second reason Dead Hunger: The Flex Sheridan Chronicle gets 5 stars is because there are some unique twists when it comes to the zombies in this story. I appreciate Eric Shelman making the characteristics and actions of his zombies just a little different than most. I'm not going to explain what I mean by that. That would spoil it for new readers.
Shelman weaves just the right amount of humor into the many intense scenes that take place in the book. This doesn't create a distraction, however. What it does, is make the book more realistic to me. We are often the cause of our own comedy and Flex Sheridan is no exception. As I stated above, he is imperfect and I love that there is humor in that.
A couple times, the story gets a little bogged down with details when it comes to weapons and vehicles, but this was only a minor issue for me. The rest of the story more than makes up for those moments.
The advantage to finding a series later, rather than sooner, is I don't have to wait for the next book to be written. I will definitely be reading the next several installments of this series as soon as I can!
Purchase Dead Hunger: The Flex Sheridan Chronicles
About the Author (in his own words)
Wow. Damned zombies. Who ever thought I'd go from my first book, a story of an abused child in 1870's New York being rescued by the ASPCA to zombies? Yes, the first book is true - all the rest, except for my second book on Mary Ellen Wilson - the little abused girl - are fiction. Serial killers, witches, and of course, my most popular books to date, the Dead Hunger series.
I sing. I write. I paint. I collect microphones, but only new awesome ones. My quirkiest thing is that I have over 200 videos on YouTube. Yes, they are of ME singing. It's cuckoo, I know. Another weird tidbit? My Van Morrison Brown Eyed Girl cover has over 3,500,000 hits. Yes, over 3.5 million.
So check out my writing. Download a sample for Kindle if you like. I think you'll like my style, because I write how people talk. I don't write how geniuses try to tell you to write. So conversational is my style, and I like to keep the shit real.
Thanks for reading! Visit my web page at www.ericshelman.com. I'll keep you updated on my new releases! You can also email me if you want to order shirts or autographed books. ALSO, look me up on Facebook - it's AuthorShelman there, too.
Thanks!
~ Eric
Connect with Eric Shelman on Facebook and Twitter.
Visit Eric Shelman's website here.
