Zurvival Saturday (109) Review: Sheila: Baby's First Zombie Apocalypse by Brian Malbon

This week I'll be reviewing the upcoming release Sheila: Baby's First Zombie Apocalypse by Brian Malbon.

Author: Brian Malbon
Genre: Horror, Zombies
Expected Publication: October 31, 2014

ADD TO GOODREADS/ Pre-Order

Third Floor, Apartment 305.
Down the hall, second bedroom.
Her name is Sheila.


No one is left. City streets are abandoned and only the monsters walk free, ravenous and searching for human flesh. Wendell Jenkins walks alone, an ordinary man driven by a dark mission, one he knows will likely end his life.


But the last request of a dead woman concerned for the welfare of her child leads him to a wrecked slum with a dead man in the living room and a live baby in a crib. Wendell will have to use all of his wits to keep her alive. Because the dead are hungry, and they will not rest until they have her.


Can man and baby survive their wild ride through this zombie apocalypse?

ReviewI know this is going to sound weird but Sheila totally reminded me of the first Ice Age film but instead of Prehistoric Mammals you have humans tasked with saving a baby and instead of wise cracking sabertooths you have Zombies looking to devour everyone. All the story needed was some catchy traveling music and it'd be all set.  All joking aside, what made Sheila so interesting was that the story involves a baby as one of the main characters. Yes, other stories have had children in them but they are usually limited to background characters or at best secondary leads whose lives are cut short early into the story. I liked how the Author tackled traveling with a baby through Zombie infested territory and also the heartbreak of knowing that should you fail to keep them safe they have no way to protect themselves from the hungry jaws waiting to tear their flesh apart. In a way, a babies life in a Zombie Apocalypse is way worse because at least you understand what's going on. After reading Sheila I shudder to think about all those helpless infants stuck alone unable to fend for themselves with death by Zombie or starvation being their only means of escaping this mortal coil. Gives me goosebumps just typing that. Now even though I liked Sheila, I did take issue with a few things in the story. First off, I understand why Wendell chose to revisit every single conversation he had with his wife the day everything turned to pot but at some point I just wanted him to push down all those regrets and focus on the present. Mourning has a time and place and will come naturally but for the here and now I'd have rather he treated her as dead and gone than living in I should of done this, said that, tried harder to care land.  Secondly, while I liked the characters enough none were really memorable save Wendell & Sheila. Sure, I remember aspects about the other characters, like the boat Captain stressing out about being spread too thin, the guy with the dogs who chose to never give them proper names, the neighbor who didn't want to die alone and the list goes on....but in the week since reading this I can't remember any of their names and that bugs me. Lastly, I hated how sappy the ending was. I know, I know, I should be happy the way things wrap up but you know, I wasn't. While I certainly didn't want everyone dying I definitely saw things playing out differently with some of the survivors especially Sheila.  Final Thoughts Despite the story lagging in some areas and my dissatisfaction with the ending, I am really happy to have read this story. Sheila was more than just a story about a man running from monsters with a baby in tow, trust me, this easily could've turned into quite a gag (hence my Ice Age reference above) but instead it's a much deeper story about compassion and humanity in a world where survival of the fittest reigns supreme. I definitely recommend Sheila to those of you looking for more of a human focus in their Zombie apocalypse. With that being said, I'll be rating Sheila: Baby's First Zombie Apocalypse by Brian Malbon ★★★★.  *Review copy provided by Author. All opinions are my own and I was not compensated in an which way  for providing them.

About the Author

Born in Ontario, Canada, Brian Malbon has been all across Canada as a professional driver – from bus to truck to heavy mining equipment. He is a former volunteer firefighter, video editor and film student (with a single credit on imdb.com), a husband and a father of two wonderful little girls. Brian has always had a passion for writing and creating new worlds, and a morbid fascination with horror movies. His particular terror of zombies coupled with his newfound worry for his baby daughter led to the creation of Sheila, his first novel. Brian lives in Northern Alberta with his family.

Follow Brian: Website / Goodreads / Twitter

------------------------------------------------------------------

Out of curiosity, Have you heard of this book before? 

If so, Do you plan on reading it?

Have any recommendations for other stories I should check out?

 Leave me your answers in the comments below or feel free to tweet me them @Hermyoni  

Well that about wraps up this weeks Zurvival Saturday. Like what you see? Please share! I thank you if you do.  Want to check out past Zurvival Saturday's? Click Here