By Geno McGahee
Activity in the city is as normal as usual with people in their own worlds, hooked on the technology that we all have become used to depending on when a warzone erupts. MELTDOWN by C.A.S. Novel pulls no punches in this book, immediately jumping right into the action and setting the tone. You are immediately relating the activity in the beginning to the terrorist attacks of 9/11 and the London bombings.
The madness begins and it becomes a battle for survival for the survivors of this disaster…a disaster that has given birth to these zombies that travel in packs and leave death behind. It was incredibly compelling. It shows just how quickly the world can collapse and is really a reflection on our dependence on technology. When it collapses, what does the human race do? MELTDOWN explores that with some zombie fun and this aura of mystery that I found really enjoyable.
The characters are true to life and easy to relate to. I was really impressed with the broken heroes in MELTDOWN. At times, the idea this terrible event becomes a positive for some of them as they soul-search. When one of the characters talks about his ex-wife’s perception of him and now he’s the protector of a woman and child, I immediately supported him and the visuals are so good that I felt as if I was there with the trio as they tried find safety.
The survivors unite and then the pieces of the puzzle begin to come together. Much of the time, the conclusion of this sort of story can make it or break it, and the author seemed to know this. The ending is very satisfying.
MELTDOWN is as much a reflection of our society as it is a fast-paced zombie experience. A good story connects with the reader and I found a great connection with the characters and found the story very interesting. C.A.S. Novel was able to put 8 characters together, each well developed and believable, into a situation that brought out these very real reactions and emotions. This story really captures the fears of the time. I highly recommend it.