Considering how saturated the Zombie genre was and the success of Ready Player One and other stories about virtual reality, this story is something of a hybrid. Rather than mindless zombies, there are people with networked implants that are being controlled by an AI bent on destroying humanity. The concept works, and the main characters’ backstories are logical. The writing is solid, though I have one complaint.
*Spoiler Alert* There is tremendous sexual tension in the latter third of the book, with characters above voting age, yet nothing occurs. There is no need for anything graphic, but to at least address the situation by saying something akin to, “That night we recognized the spark between us and expressed our feelings physically for the first time,” would have been plenty. Instead, there are a couple of hugs following a few days of separation and anxiety between two (younger) adults who are amongst a mere handful of free-willed people on the planet. At this point it crosses the border from YA to Children’s lit.
Andrew B. Wehrlen is an excellent narrator. He has a unique style and is a terrific storyteller.