New Zombie Novel Offers Apocalyptic Twists
KT Volante’s new zombie novel, When the World Flipped, will have readers breathlessly following the adventures of Lacey and her fellow survivors when the world “flips” due to a strange virus that is turning the living into the undead. .
The novel begins when a flu virus has caused more patients than usual in the emergency room where Lacey works as a nurse. When patients start attacking the doctors and nurses, Lacey is forced to seek shelter. She ends up in a supply closet with another nurse and a security guard. Together, they manage to get out of the hospital and are joined on the way by a young doctor. Things get wilder and wilder as they are forced to fight back. As they make it to the safety of Lacey’s car, they watch in agony as her co-workers are robbed and murdered in the parking lot.
Afraid to go home or anywhere, the four of them stay together. Their first stop is a school where they try to rescue the children of Lacey’s fellow nurses. The visit does not go well. The infected are now everywhere, attacking and biting children in the schoolyard. Lacey ends up losing one of her friends, but rescuing some kids.
Survival now becomes the main focus for Lacey and her friends. Readers will fear for their safety and at the same time admire the decisions they make to ensure their survival. Lacey and her companions end up moving from one house to another until they find the perfect gated estate where they can feel safe. They can also get a bit of information on the situation before all telecommunications cease. A cable broadcaster explains:
“A virus, definitely not the flu, has swept the world in recent days. It starts with flu-like symptoms: body aches, fever, and chills. The fever builds until it burns the brain. Then, madness and violence takes control until the person dies. But they are not really dead, they reanimate. They move as if they were alive, but without mind or soul. This virus has changed our world. Many people now call it ‘The Flip.’ ‘ I pray we live long enough to see it go back. This will be our last live stream.”
Over time, Lacey herself comes to refer to the infected as LD, short for “Living Dead”, a term adopted by her peers. While most readers will be familiar with zombies and can imagine how they wander aimlessly looking for their next human lunch, what makes Volante’s zombies interesting is that while those who are bitten become zombies, the virus, whatever it is, also seems to affect. the dead. Those who haven’t been bitten but die a natural death, and didn’t even die from the virus, start to become LD as well. This situation results in, in one instance, Lacey having to stake a dear friend’s body after her death to make sure she doesn’t become an LD.
In order to survive, Lacey and her friends are forced to regularly venture into various stores to search for food and supplies. During these outings, they constantly battle LDs, but also meet other humans, in small groups, whom they befriend and bring back to their compound. Even a group of nuns eventually joins them.
But not all humans want to be their friends. Some don’t trust and some deserve not to be trusted. At one point, Lacey and a couple of her friends come into contact with other survivors who refuse to trade supplies, and then try to follow them home.
The adults also have the constant concern of caring for the children they have rescued. This situation is especially heartbreaking because the children have lost their parents and it is difficult for them to understand death, much less the horror they are experiencing. Children’s safety is always a top priority and a constant fear.
Readers will definitely feel a bond with these people. Numerous strong and distinct characters are in the book, with Lacey being the main one and the narrator. Lacey manages to stay strong despite losing her own husband. She assumes leadership of the group and keeps everyone safe until the last page when a situation erupts out of her control.
Volante ends the book with a real cliffhanger. A sequel, titled After the World Flipped, is planned for the near future. There are a lot of zombie novels out there, and I’ve read quite a few of them, so I can say that this is definitely one that stands out. The pace never stops, and Volante creates realistic characters that you bond with and even shed a few tears when they die.
