Title: Zombie
Candy
Review: First impressions can make or break a book,
and in 17 chapters zombies were only mentioned a handful of times. I patted myself on the back for getting that
far in a zombie book without any zombies to speak of. So many times I wanted to
stop reading Zombie Candy because it wasn’t turning out to be nearly as funny
as other reviewers had made it seem. I
had hoped that by the time I had reached chapter 17 I would be laughing so hard
my stomach would hurt. Instead I was so bored I could barely keep my eyes open.
The story is about
Candace, a slightly overweight cooking teacher. She is married to Larry, a
zombie movie loving, cilantro eating, sex addict. The author made sure that
the character of Larry was virtually unlikable, as there was no way the reader
was going to sympathize with him and his unsavory ways. Candace tries
everything to keep her marriage alive by dressing as sexy as she can, but due
to life she has gained some weight which her Russell Crowe lookalike husband
loves to point out. When Candace finds
another woman's bra in her husband’s bag she decides to confront her husband in
front of their dinner guest and friends.
I felt the first half of the book was a very long version of the reality
television show, Cheaters. Only in this drawn out episode of Cheaters, the
reveals of his infidelity and escapades take up the bulk of the running time.
The revenge is still sweet, but it would have been much sweeter had the book
not taken 48 chapters to finally pay off.
The chapter bounces
back and forth from the present day to Candace's past in Italy where she spent
a semester, met and dated a man, and fell in love. I found this to be tedious because I felt
what could have been succinctly described in 6 chapters or fewer was drawn out
into 17 chapters. For example, in
Chapter 5 the author makes a big deal about Candace driving her car and almost
being attacked by a sick man who sneezes blood onto her shirt. It didn't add to
the story except to make Larry even more the bad guy which we already
understand at this point. The author
brings in Annie Candace's best friend and war veteran who is now a private
investigator. Annie and P.I. partner
Salvatore investigate Larry for several chapters, a fact which again, doesn't
really add much except to further illustrate the idea that Larry is a dirt bag
and won’t change.
I really never felt
connected to Candace. She seemed whiny for the first half of the book and the
second half she is almost absent from the narrative. I enjoy the revenge aspect, and how creative
Candace was at systematically dismantling her husband’s life and how she went
about getting back at him for sleeping with more than 88 women. It is at this point that zombies are finally
brought into the story, and in that respect, it was a nice twist and a somewhat
fun way to get back at Candace's Zombie loving husband.
The book felt like it
just ended without much closure. If it had, it would make the book feel more
complete in my eyes. They reference the
titular Zombie Candy once and if the reader doesn't pay attention they will
completely miss it. I was hoping for
something along the lines of Zombieland humor and gory, goofy fun but instead I
could it turned cyclical and boring until the last few chapters. It doesn't add anything to the zombie genre
and it only mention zombies a handful of times, and then then, not until the
end.
I connected with Annie
as she watched her friend try to figure out her life, and how she never stepped
in until Candace asked her for help. She was a good friend who did everything
she could to help Candace find out the truth and gain closure.
I had a difficult time
with all the inconsistences I found in Zombie Candy. For example the author has
Candace tell her husband about family secret and says he never told
anyone. Than right towards the end of
the book the author has Candace tell her best friend the same secret and he
says "No one knows not even Larry."
Yet Candace told her husband the same story several chapters earlier.
I loved that at the
end of the book they had all of Candace's recipes that are mentioned throughout
the book. That was a nice touch.
Despite the book being
described as a black comedy, I didn't not find this book to be a very effective
black comedy unless you consider the last few chapters dark and funny. This is not a book about zombies as it is
about relationships and the extremes Candace takes to get rid of her soon to be
Ex-Husband.
There are lot depictions of sexual scenes and
some language but not as much as I had expected for the topic that is
discussed.
Publisher: Published May 21st 2012 by Frederick
Lee Brooke
ISBN: 9781477491409
Copyright: 2010
Pages: 264
Quick Review: 21/2 stars (out of 5)
Synopsis: You know early on, from the color of
the inappropriate bra in the opening scene, that Zombie Candy is going to be a
black comedy. Most people could sympathize with the male obsession for sex and
zombie movies, but who would put up with a husband who covered every dish with
cilantro?
Frederick Lee Brooke
serves up another literary treat with this bizarre and comical tale of love and
betrayal. Candace Roach enlists her best friend Annie Ogden (our favorite
sleuth from Doing Max Vinyl) to find out what her husband is really up to on
his weekly business trips – but their home-cooked aversion therapy gets out of
hand and hurtles along an astonishing highway of the undead.
Home from Iraq but
unsure about her future, Annie Ogden isn't your typical woman sleuth. Her best
friend, Candace Roach – gourmet cooking instructor, owner of a house in Tuscany
– isn't your typical wronged woman either. Candace teaches gourmet cooking, and
loves nothing more than orchestrating a four-course meal full of flavorful
surprises and artistic touches. A selection of her recipes is found in an
appendix to the book.
But with each shocking
discovery in the investigation of her husband, the friendship between Candace
and Annie is further put to the test. Candace ultimately takes matters into her
own hands and, in an elaborate ruse, stages a nightmarish zombie drama in which
her husband plays the starring role.
Weaving elements of mystery,
horror and romance in a story that starts in Chicago and ends in a quaint
medieval town in sun-drenched Tuscany, Zombie Candy transcends any single
genre. Embark on a journey that will tickle your taste buds as it wakes up your
funny bone.
Author Biography: I love meeting other readers and authors
on Goodreads. My first book, Doing Max Vinyl (An Annie Ogden Mystery) came out
in May 2011. Annie's last name gives away my Chicago roots. Doing Max Vinyl is
now also available in paperback format.
The second Annie Ogden
mystery is available now. To celebrate, I'm organizing a giveaway which will
end on July 21, 2012!
Mostly I spend my time
writing, but I also like to cook for our family of five. Three out of five have
to eat a gluten-free diet and I don't eat meat, so we are very creative in the
kitchen. I share some of my favorite recipes in the second Annie Ogden mystery.
Today's featured event is...
Super Big Finale Contest. Oops, pardon me… I dropped over $750 in prizes on the ground. Gasp! That’s right. This is our biggest contest yet, and, frankly, it’s the most fun. I mean, what’s more fun than dressing up and taking snazzy pics or telling wacky jokes–and getting paid to do it? Well, okay, that’s just plain awesome. There are three separate contests, each with awesome prizes. Enter them all or pick your favorite, but do come out and play, wontcha?
Come celebrate with Novel Publicity and author Frederick Lee Brooke as we close down the Zombie Candy whirlwind tour with a big ol’ bang! Read on for the deets, and get ready to party rock!
GO HERE FOR MORE INFO & TO ENTER!
