Title: The Boy on the Bridge

Author: M R Carey

From the back: Once upon a time, in a land blighted by terror, there was a very clever boy.

The people thought the boy could save them, so they opened their gates and sent him out into the world.

To where the monsters lived.

The gist: I completely loved Carey’s The Girl with all the Gifts. I thought it was excellent, and it was by far and away one of my favourite reads of 2015, and a refreshing take on the zombie genre. So I picked up The Boy on the Bridge with a certain degree of trepidation – a sneakiness, if you like… because it had a lot to live up to and I didn’t want to put it off.

And, sneakiness or no sneakiness, I’m happy to say it was one damn fine read, soooo much fun. I loved that it was set in the same world as The Girl with all the Gifts but with different characters – a prequel, if you like, although honestly each book stands alone in its own right. Without getting too spoiler-y, suffice to say that the dynamics and issues for the characters are different between the two stories, so even though we’re in the same world, were getting two distinct takes on it.

One thing I love about Carey’s writing is that it feels like you’re reading a film. The pace is fast (don’t start reading it if you’ve got to get up early in the morning… I speak from experience), and the characters (particularly Stephen, a young, autistic scientist) are well drawn and addictive.

This book has it all – relationships, politics and zombies. What better way to distract yourself from the world?

Favourite line: “It rains on the just and the unjust.”

Read if: You want a zombie story that’s as much about the humans as the monsters.

Read with: Popcorn, and a pad to jot down your zombie survival plans.

Get it: The Boy on the Bridge by M R Carey