Qualified editor and review specialist Hannah Jones recently read and then reviewed Rise of the Huskers. This is what she had to say:
"I read the first book in the Raven Falconer series a few months ago,
having been blessed with a free copy, and I was immediately hooked,
which is saying something because I DO NOT READ zombie books. Ever. I'm
am a person who does not like gore, even entertaining gore. Well, I was a
person who didn't like entertaining gore. I am that person no more.
Larsen has changed that with this series.
Larsen is very
knowledgeable about what to do in this book. This second installment is
much more disturbing than the first, which set up the back story of the
heroine and her group of friends well enough that I really cared what
happened to them in this book and was truly invested in their lives and
struggles, emotional and physical. We get to see the girls in their
weakest and strongest moments in this book, which draws some complexity
into them and endears them more to me.
Because I like the girls
so much and love their personalities, I wanted more of them in the book.
The story focuses on three different P.O.Vs, and they were done very
well with perfect cross-over, but I wanted more of the friendship from
the girls because I'm a dramatist at heart. I would not take off for
that, however, as the story is well paced and kept me reading, engaged
and intrigued.
The only reason the book is a 4.7 in my book (a
rating not applicable for Goodreads and I will not lower the rating of
such a well written book) is because I felt that the Native struggle
played upon some Cowboy vs. Indian themes that make the Native "other"
something not as good, as virtuous, as the protagonist. I do not think
that was the purpose, however. I think the purpose was to add a new
element to the book outside of the husker scare, and that was
successful.
Larsen was actually very careful in handling the
struggle, and did show that there were, indeed, some virtuous people on
both sides, some scared people on both sides, people on both sides that
struggled with something unfathomable. I have a feeling complexity will
be integrated into this relationship, and am eager to see how it goes.
The struggle certainly adds a dimension of suspense and fear that would
not be present with a simple zombie vs. human novel.
I also
really appreciate, from this novel, the complexity of the huskers. We
get to see the undead point of view and it's not as easy as it seems to
be in the stale themes we see on the tv and read in so many zombie
books. I love that Larsen added these other elements to bring the zombie
novel up to par. This author is a must read in thriller, suspense,
drama and adult fiction. I highly recommend this book and all books by
Larsen. I read this book in a matter of hours, and I read the first book
just as quickly. And now, I have to wait for the third book, which is
agonizing."
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