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I don't know what prompted me to buy this one. Was it Bigfoot? Zombies? 99 cents? Maybe it was free. It certainly wasn't the author, as I've never read anything by Nick Sullivan. It was way back in 2017 (yes, and I'm just now getting around to reading it), so I don't remember, but having finished it, I'm kinda bummed that I waited so long to get around to it. Possibly because I'd read one zombie/Bigfoot mash-up that was god-awful and I was to afraid to risk diving into this one. All I can say is, this is what a zombie/Bigfoot mash-up should be.
When the book starts out, you might think you're in for a run-of-the-mill zombie novel, as we're introduced to two survivalist/reality TV stars who are quickly dispatched by a couple of zombies. The attack is witness by a young Sasquatch, who senses something isn't right. The humans are moving around, yet they smell dead. The creature, known as Bright Eyes, retreats and rushes back to warn his troop and urges the alpha to pack up the family and leave. Silverback, the alpha, won't be told what to do by a young upstart, and, thinking it's just the youngster's wild imagination, he insists Bright Eyes take him to where these Dead-Alive creatures are. Right away Silverback knows something isn't right, but his pride won't let him back off. He's the alpha, after all, so he attacks the Dead-Alive humans, and while he kills them permanently, he's also bitten in the process.
Meanwhile, another reality TV star (Survivor Guy Russ) is planning his latest episode when his agent proposes a Sasquatch hunt. Russ is at first hesitant, thinking it will derail his serious show about surviving in the wilds, but he learns that the expedition will be fully funded and he'll have reknowned primatologist Sarah Bishop to accompany him. The primatologist's father had spent time with a Bigfoot, who we later learn to be Bright Eyes, but alas, there was no evidence and he was ridiculed and drummed out of academia for fabricating the entire thing.
Soon, the reality TV cast ventures into the forest where the late Dr. Bishop had had his Bigfoot encounter with the hopes of encountering Bright Eyes, not knowing the terror they are about to face. Will man and beast be able to work together to eliminate a mutual threat or will man's fear of the unknown be their downfall?
I have to admit, I almost put this one aside early on because of the Bigfoot POV. Normally something like that wouldn't be an issue, but when there are curse words sprinkled through the cryptid's thoughts, it just didn't sit right with me. Suspended disbelief is one thing, but a cursing Bigfoot was just a little too much. Thankfully, Sullivan found his footing where the creatures were concerned, and I was thankful I pushed past this blip in the road.
As I mentioned earlier, not too long ago I read a zombie/Bigfoot mash-up that I thought was awful. There was no character development, and the author seemed more focused on the chain of events than the characters. I can see the point, as the author ended up killing off all (or most) of the human characters, so I think the author was justifying it by thinking the characters are just cannon fodder for the rest of the story so why bother letting the reader get to know them. I feared Sullivan might make that same error--you need to know the characters if you're expected to feel anything when they are sent to meet their maker--and I'm glad to see he didn't. And it wasn't just the human characters he developed; he also developed his cryptids, assigning them their own personalities, so you came to care for them as well. They weren't just stupid beasts traipsing through the woods.
In addition, Sullivan too great care developing his story line; it wasn't just a zombie Bigfoot crashing through the forest, killing indiscriminately, and the zombies aren't just thrown in as a way to advance his plot, which is something he leaves you wondering about until you're a good way into the book. You find yourself thinking, "How do they (the human characters) not know about the zombies?" but it all falls into place eventually. I also like that the author pulls from Native American folk lore and brings other creatures into this; while they don't actually make an appearance, Sullivan ties in the zombies with the Wendigo, and at the end, while he does wrap up the story he's telling in this book, he does introduce another creature that leaves the door wide open for a follow-up novel, which I hope is coming out soon.
If zombies are your thing, but you're also a fan of Bigfoot fiction, this is one to definitely check out. Highly recommended.
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