Julianne Snow

“There is no hell, only Carnival.” This is one of the quotes in the book Carnival 13 and it’s a good description of what you can expect from this book. What could be more fun then going to a carnival? Brian doesn’t think its fun but his girlfriend Polly does. Brian is not happy and he gets even unhappier when they meet up with a group of friends at the Carnival and decide to explore together.

They soon find out that this is no ordinary carnival. Brian finds himself getting violently ill in a freak show and he doesn’t remember certain things. It gets worse when he imagines pushing one of his friends off a building and then sees a sadistic clown do the deed. The group starts dying one by one, they can’t escape the carnival and the freak show wants to keep Brian permanently as a serial killer clown.

Carnival 13 is a different kind of book, its a novel written by 13 horror authors with each one wrote one chapter and their goal is to shock you. Think of it like a group of horror authors sitting in a circle, one starts the story and then the next one continues it trying to be scarier then the previous author. Carnival 13 is a fun experiment in writing with all profits from the book going to Scares That Care.

I was excited when I heard about Carnival 13 because I love books about sideshows and carnivals and I like a lot of the authors involved in the project such as Julianne Snow, Armand Rosamilla, John Everson and Anne Michaud. All the authors in this book manage to deliver some scary moments using a classic horror setting of a traveling carnival. This book has a set of conjoined twins that are a little crazy, a perverted midget, a bearded lady, the fattest man on earth, killer clowns and deformed babies that are just as vicious as they look.

Carnival 13 is a fun creepy roller coaster and I found myself thinking that it would make a great cheesy horror film. Because you have 13 authors telling the story, I found it got a little confusing at times. There were things that didn’t get explained well and some of the characters were underdeveloped. If one author was writing the book it would have bothered me but I think the main point in this book was to scare you and try something that hasn’t been done before. Make no mistake about it, Carnival 13 delivers some great scary moments.

My favorite parts of this book were the scenes in the freak show when Polly and Brian see a mermaid and other oddities. I also liked in the beginning where a man is making fun of the freaks in the carnival and a clown comes up behind him and makes him sorry. I also liked how Brian debated on whether to listen to the clown that controls him or help his friends escape the carnival.

The absolute best part of the book was Terrence and Agnes trying to survive after a test of strength. The two are given a little backstory that makes you care about them and then they have to escape from some pretty frightening creatures. The Fattest Man On Earth will really make you cringe. If you don’t buy Carnival 13 for the horrifying moments get it because it’s a good experiment in fiction writing or because the profits go to a good cause.… (lisätietoja)

Day three, the day it all begins with one very insightful lesson:

"Our escape was narrow but our lesson important -- never stop to stare"

I want to go on and on about how wonderful this collection of days is. It was a brilliant idea and with Julianne's forensic background she was able to bring to the plate not only a scientific take but her own passion for the genre. We as readers are immersed in a daily fight for survival. From the early days. Unlike with The Walking Dead where Rick wakes up much later, this is them riding the wave of infection out of Toronto. I cannot remember how many times I cringed and held my breath and a few times a tear rolling down my face. Just such a well wrought story. Flushed out from the original web series, it brings to light the power of individuals in the need and desire to survive.

There are parts of these days that definitely make this a mature read. The video games have rated most zombie games as Mature (17 and above) I would have to label this read with the same. Not because there is tons gore and violence, there is but it is not in a gratuitous amount. Specifically there are scenes with particularly small individuals that I would not want my 16 year year old, let alone the younger ones, reading just yet.

The subject of zombies and a zombie apocalypse is popular to the point of being a viral constant (heh viral) on the net and in other media formats, such as books and movies. So how does one make it original enough to go grab this one up? Why should you buy it? Well because of the unique approach the author has taken. The strength in her prose as well as the sociological and cultural questions asked and answered each night as her protagonist and others in the group wrap up the day up on a random hijacked and ever diminishing wireless signals. The laptop; her last precious attachment to her past. The questions and the struggles this group of survivors face is monumental and has just enough of an edge to make it a bit fantastic but also very believable. You feel the intensity of the day with them, as they try to bunk down for the night, you are on the edge of your seat with anticipation and train-wreck like obsession. Julianne does not disappoint!

I am leery of I keep going on I will give to many spoilers. But can say honestly that this was an adventure I started taking on her blog and have been thrilled to have it flushed out and in a single novel. One note, this is worth reading for one specific reason... other than what I mention about.. the virus is not discriminatory. That is all I will share but I encourage you think about the statement and let your imagination wander enough to have you click and buy the book, you won't be disappointed.

Recommended for zombie enthusiasts, survivalists and those needing to prepare for the ZA.
triggers - Violence over all and in regards to children in one scene.

What would you do? How would you survive? During the first 33 days after patient zero follow a group of survivors as they are faced with the challenges of staying alive and ahead of the horde.

It is spring and the dead are defrosting their teeth and arising from the snow drifts..

Days with the Undead is finally here!… (lisätietoja)

I recently read Days With The Undead by Julianne Snow. This is a story of what happens when the dead rises and take over the planet, but its more then that. Days With The Undead is a survival manual that hopefully will save your life during the zombie apocalypse. The main character is a pathologist named Julie and her tale is told through a series of blog posts which started three days after Brooks VanReit rose from the dead.

Julie and her four companions are trying to escape ground zero and find a place where the dead have not taken over. They have a lot of challanges ahead of them including dealing with zombie chipmunks.

I really enjoyed how the story was told. The description of the dead coming to life in the hospital was great. I loved the way the people in the hospital reacted and the cover up that went on because the authorities didn’t know what they were dealing with. Another good scene was when the main characters we’re fighting the undead in a park and they have to decide if there survival is more important then rescuing two kids surrounded by the undead. At this point the survivalists had made it clear that surviving went above everything else. I didn’t know how the situation was going to go and to me that made it the best part of the book.

I also liked all of the different people that the five survivors meet on the journey. Not everyone reacts the same to the plague sweeping across the U.S. and Canada. Some people have lost all hope, Some people want to steal what ever they can get their hands on and some people just want to pretend its not happening. There is one funny scene in particular where a group of people are protesting the undead’s march across America.

What makes Days With The Undead different from other zombie novels that I’ve read is that its all told in first person. You get to hear Julie and her companion’s back stories as told by Julie. You also get Julie’s perspective on how society is falling apart and their plan on how they are going to survive. As the story moves along, you get to see her attitude change from being positive to loosing hope, to regaining hope as it looks like they may find an answer to their problems. If you like a good bloody zombie tale then you will love this one.… (lisätietoja)