Zombie Apocalypse Running Club

by Carrie Mac

When twins Eira and Soren escape from their survivalist home into a world overcome by zombies, there's only one way to stay run!

Eira and Soren are queer twins living with their survivalist parents when a plague starts spreading that turns people into zombie-like monsters. They disagree with their parents about a lot, but they can't deny that their way of life keeps them safe while much of the world perishes--for now. When it becomes clear that their safety won't last, the twins decide to strike out on their own.

They don't get far before encountering the one remaining person in the closest their friend Racer, a gold medal-winning Special Olympics champion. Racer is appalled at the twins’ slow speed and tells them that their survivalist skills aren't worth anything if they can't outrun the monsters. He sets them on a training regimen that comes in handy when they embark on the bigger journey ahead of them.

On their trek they find friends, enemies, and even love. But with zombies on their heels at every turn, will they ever be able to slow down?

Genres: Young Adult, Dystopia, Horror, Zombies, LGBT, Audiobook, Fiction

292 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 13, 2024

About the author

Four-eyed bookworm, tattooed queer, storyteller nomad mama to two unschooled earthlings, based in East Van, overlooking the shipyard cranes and always ready for the next most amazing giant tiny little big wonderful something to capture my attention.

Or:

When Carrie Mac was born, her right eye gawked off in one direction while her left eye looked the other way. Well meaning adults thought she was a changeling and so they wrapped her up and put her on the porch for the fairies to take back, please and thank you. It was snowing. It was dark. No fairies came. The same well meaning adults decided she'd catch her death out there. So they brought her in and kept her after all.

She's read millions of books, and has sat happily at the feat of a legion of storytellers. She is equally fascinated by disaster and grace. car wrecks, hurricanes, plagues, and genocides on the one hand, small and stunning everyday miracles on the other. She sometimes wishes she were a pirate. She'd often wished she'd run away and joined the circus when she had the chance. She spends a great deal of time in the company of her imagination, and when she isn't, she's wide eyed and awed by this planet and the people running amok all over it.

Reviews

[Jamie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Eh, nothing really happens in this one. I mean, sure, there's the zombie apocalypse at the very beginning and that's definitely a nail-biter, but then the main characters just kind of wander around killing zombies? Everything comes easy to them, there's no real conflict (other than the occasional zombie) or climax, and then they waltz into the ending of the book and everyone (presumably) lives happily ever after. The story also time-jumps quite a bit, especially toward the end. At one point the characters reach a Very Important Destination only to find that a Very Bad Thing has happened, and then the author pretty much writes “and then four days passed” and the Very Bad thing is resolved almost instantly without the characters doing anything of note.

There is plenty of romance in this novel, although it's all of the unconvincing insta-love variety. There's no real chemistry between either of the two couples, and the only thing they really seem to have in common with each other is being LGBTQ+. Which, I mean, maybe you have to be a little less picky during a zombie apocalypse, what do I know? But one couple goes from perfect strangers to making a cutesy couple name (think “Brangelina” for Brad Pitt and Angelia Jolie) within 24 hours and just … no.

Also, don't expect much from the “running club” aspect because it is superficial like the rest of this book and it's mostly just the characters taking their running club t-shirts on and off.

Basically, this one started out super good and then it just kind of … wasn't. I found myself almost rooting for the zombies just so that I could feel some sort of an emotion while reading this book, because it is literally the most underwhelming apocalypse novel I've ever read.

2 stars.

P.S. — Want to know if the horses live? Yes, but two get left behind at one point, never to be seen again. There's also a chicken death.

[Aly · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 stars

I love zombie books and the title and cover of this one yanked me in. This is a fun take on the zombie apocalypse, with a lot of humor and new friends, plus a ton of queer rep and love.

This is so quick and I enjoyed the main character and her brother getting away from their oppressively religious father and getting to be themselves. I always enjoy a found family element and Racer is pretty adorable. His insistence on recruiting people for the running club was sweet and really made a difference in their survival too!

I thought the story read a bit young and most things came too easily to the group. I would have liked more tense moments and for the characters to work a bit harder before the happy ending.

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own. Thank you to Crown Books for Young Readers and NetGalley for the copy.

[Em Fasano · Rating 2 out of 5]

My only real gripe with this book was the inability to pick a trope/setting. Is it a western? Is it mideaval? Is it general modern apocalypse? Dystopia? Though the characters were fun to meet, the order of events felt rushed (especially towards the end). Another thing is how the conflict is not discovered until the end of the book. Had the Tars been more reoccurring characters with smaller conflicts, it would've made the dissapointment at not finding the original children's village so much more devastating. In my opinion, there was too much setup and not enough plot advancement. Had we been dropped in the middle of the twins' journey, it would've been much more engaging. Nevertheless, I like the tie-in and suspense from the prologue to part two. Didn't hate reading it, but definetly not my favourite.

[Julia Willer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was okay. It was very YA which was okay but I felt the story could’ve been a little more dramatic. The ending was very sweet!

[Lauren Stoolfire · Rating 3 out of 5]

Zombie Apocalypse Running Club by Carrie Mac isn't quite what I was expecting it to be at all. Tonally, it's something else. It also reads a bit younger than I thought it would as well, but honestly it that mostly works for it given the characters. I did appreciate that their is a good found family element and the sense of humor. I'm glad I listened to the audiobook because the production and narration was great.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was actually pretty decent. I liked all the characters and that they had their own journeys to go on. The apocalypse seems to be the metaphor for the difficulties of navigating life when the world at large is against you.

2025 Pop sugar reading challenge # 17 a book about a run club

[Therearenobadbooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun survival YA novel that occurs more or less one year after the zombies started to spread across the world. A suspected biological weapon created by the Russians. The zombies' goal is to bite and spread more of their condition but this is also a great way of pointing out that sometimes people are more dangerous.

The wins Eira and Soren don't just want to get away from the zombies, but also from their father whose values (at any level: social, political, religious, etc) are completely opposite of theirs. They need to improve their stamina and running skills to avoid the zombies, and a friend will help them. In this apocalypse there is still time for love interest and for coming out and strengthening one's identity.

Eira's voice/ point of view is my favorite with humor and a bit of sarcasm. They are skillful with a sword and knives, which is very cool. Some of their father's lessons weren't completely useless when it came to survival. 

Thank you author and publisher for the copy.

[Valerie Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 stars.I enjoyed the literal storyline and also the metaphors about escaping oppressive religious mindsets as a queer person when everyone around you is falling for the bullshit like zombies, and I did love how queer it was in general, but as a zombie apocalypse story it didn't quite land for me. We didn't spend enough time on the emotional aspects for me personally. A quick read read though, so overall fairly enjoyable. I did the Eira/Cosmo relationship happened too fast and felt too shallow to be endgame? Also Cosmo was kind of an asshole. They never really answered for their assholery - Soren literally had to yell at them multiple times - and everyone just kind of moved on. I was surprised they ended up being the main love interest and Eira didn't rescue Lola from the Tars.

[Natasha Di Simone · Rating 2 out of 5]

Things I liked:
1. “Savvy”
2. “Gertrude & Alice” (the swords and the couple)
3. Racer (star of the book)
4. The ending

Things I didn’t like:
1. Eira & Soren’ dad (and his views on everything)
2. The Tars
3. “The Beige kids”
4. The zombie apocalypse narrative

I get that the zombie apocalypse is supposed to be an extended metaphor for the plight of marginalized groups (BIPOC/2SLGBTQIA+ communities), and I appreciate the grit and fight they showed through it all, but the story itself fell a bit flat, like it was trying to do too much too quickly.

[As You Wish · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is probably the only zombie book I've actually finished. I loved the characters and seeing how they confronted their external and internal problems. There were a lot of twists and also what a great idea for how the zombie virus exists. Maybe it's been done before, but see above I don't read zombie books.

I honestly did not expect this to end on a happy note, so thank you for that! I had actual tears in the last chapter.

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zees

Another new take for me on a zombie story. This one deals with a group of younger people coming to terms with both the zombies and themselves. Maybe a bit too close to home in coronovirus times with all the wild stories surrounding it, but a well written story. This is a zombie story my kid might like.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love post-apocalypse stories and I love, love zombie apocalypse stories! This was an unusual take on the zombie apocalypse and I appreciated it. I am here for the both the queer representation and the disability representation in this cast of characters!

[Haley]

DNF @ 134pgs/45%

The title/description are a bit deceiving about the general mood + topics covered in the book (not why I stopped reading, but good to know going in)

The pacing was off for me and the writing style was not very engaging.

[Danielle Nichole · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is probably a four star. But two gay teens raised by Bible-thumping Doomsday Preppers that work at a Ren Faire is such a specific thing that apparently I like reading about.

Read by Shannon Tyo. #booksin25

[Michelle Murray · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 rounded up to 3

[Amy · Rating 1 out of 5]

The cover and blurb/summary for this book are very deceiving. With bright colors and a quirky title, you'd think this would be full of humor or at least some kind of odd mix of humor and real deep life/death stuff. However, that's not what I found in the opening chapters of this story. The heavy religious theme put me off entirely, yet I kept going hoping we'd get past it at some point. The twins were interesting, but they did not act like twins or like siblings at all. The zombies came and I felt nada. I don't know if there's a point where it changes into a more lighthearted, fun, exciting story because I DNF'd at page 50.

Thanks, but it was just not my type of book.

[Netgalley ARC]

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like the character development and the overall journey these characters took to escape in more ways than one. I really liked seeing queer representation especially for characters who grew up with the Bible and church so much at the forefront. Even the idea of the zombie running club was pretty cool. What I think wasn’t working for me was the constant moving around and never really spending time getting to know the new place. I get they are in a zombie apocalypse there were times where the pace just felt too rushed and then times where is was too slow. If you really like zombie apocalypse stories this might be for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an earc of this book.

[Lydia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book. Great title and zombies. I just could not get into it and did not finish it. I did not like the main character and the style of writing. I am sure others will like it.

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House Children’s for the ARC

[Amy Street · Rating 3 out of 5]

Generously giving this one three stars because of the queer representation and because I love a zombie apocalypse story but it wasn't great. One dimensional characters, uneven plotting and a way-too-tidy ending.

[Kenya Starflight · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've come to see zombie books as mental popcorn -- nothing with a ton of substance, but if done right some light entertainment. Zombie Apocalypse Running Club tries to have a little more weight by tackling issues of LGBTQ acceptance, the overlap between "preppers" and far-right extremists, and how the end of the world brings out the best and the worst in people. But in the end, it amounts to not much substance but still quite a bit of enjoyment.

Eira and Soren are twins chafing under their survivalist father's thumb, hoping to plan their escape and live as their openly queer selves. But the zombie apocalypse interrupts their plans, and soon they find themselves fleeing everything they know and love. As they try to plan their next move, they run into Racer, a Special Olympics champion who invites them to join the Zombie Apocalypse Running Club -- because according to him, the best defense against zombies is being able to outrun them. As the unlikely trio keep traveling, running into the walking dead, a nonbinary gunslinger, bigoted survivalists, and other threats, they find themselves growing more comfortable in their own skins the farther they're from home.

Given that this is a zombie book, there's a LOT of violence, most of it against the undead (though a few non-zombie people do die along the way). But it's not nearly as gory as some zombie books get, and for the most part it remains lighthearted even when tackling issues such as homophobia, far-right extremists, and the apocalypse. This is helped by the characters, who are well-done and snarky and mesh relatively well together. I wish some of them had shown up earlier in the novel, though -- about half the cast doesn't show up until the final third, by which point we barely get to know them.

There are other elements of the book that end up not amounting to a whole lot. A big deal is made about the twins' birth certificates, only for it to not amount to anything in the end. Same with the Tars, a survivalist enclave that uses violence to get its way, and even the titular running club. And the end feels somewhat abrupt, as if the author ran out of time and decided to wrap things up as quickly as possible. At least it's a hopeful ending...

This book has a lot in common with a zombie itself -- bloody, falling apart, a little dumb, and shambling along to a haphazard conclusion. But it's still fun, and it's nice to have an apocalypse novel with queer and disabled characters.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

One might not expect a zombie apocalypse to have a silver lining, but for Eira Helvig, there is. A little over a year previously, a mysterious virus emerged in Russia that spread rapidly around the world, effectively turning anyone infected into zombie-like creatures. Lucky for Eira, her father is a doomsday planner, content in his ability to protect his family from just such a danger. But Eira and her twin brother are both queer; this does not fit into her father’s ideal world, and with the zombie apocalypse comes the unexpected opportunity for the two youth to leave the confines of their rigid home life and embrace their true identities.

With eerie similarities to the COVID pandemic, this novel truly captures the very real sentiments that could appear in the wake of another, more brutal disease. Eira and Soren have had to hide their identities from their hyper-conservative father in order to survive, yet they support one another as they investigate their romantic feelings for others. The danger and intensity of this hidden existence is one that readers can feel through the pages of the book, and they will push for Eira and Soren to find a way to survive not only the outside world but their immediate lives at home, as well.

The narrative jumps through time in some instances, though the progression is more or less linear after the first few chapters. This design permits readers to understand the intensity of the current situation as well as the events that led up to its arrival. With some humor, romance, danger, and heart, this book feels both accessible and real despite its speculative nature. And the possibility of a pandemic like the one described in the pages of this novel often seems disturbingly as though it is more fact than fiction. Fans of LGBTQIA+ characters, the intensity of surviving zombie hoards, and the ubiquitous quest for discovering oneself despite the many challenges found in life, will appreciate the approach and delivery of this novel. It is a good addition to library collections for mature young adult readers.

[Frank Chillura (OhYouRead) · Rating 4 out of 5]

There really is nothing like an end of the world zombie book to get the blood pumping and make you feel alive. Zombie Apocalypse Running Club wasn’t an edge of your seat thriller featuring zombies, but I was definitely worried that all of them would make it out alive. And even though this is YA, that is NOT always the case.

Eira (she/her) and Soren (he/him) are two queer twins living in their own worst nightmare. Their father is religious fanatic who moved his family out into the middle of nowhere to become survivalist. The only good thing about the situation they find themselves in is that they know how to use weapons to survive. So when the outbreak hits, they do what they’ve been taught to do… live.

They run away from their home months into the end of the world under the guise of a supply run and don’t look back. Well… they look back at some point, but it isn’t for a bit of time. Along their way, they meet an incredible cast of characters, including Racer, a Special Olympics gold-medal winning boy with down-syndrome who teaches them how to run, creating the club that also is the title of the book.

This has Non-Binary rep, Sapphic and Achillean rep, Disability rep… and undead rep, if we are to be fully inclusive! It has the level of inclusion I’m here for! It even has bigots, which I’m not here for, but when you have religious fanatics who live out in the middle of nowhere and want to live by the word of god, sometimes (I’m being nice with that one) you also have people who don’t like LGBTQIAP+ people. 🤷🏻‍♂️

I’m always here for a dystopian, end of the world, post-apocalyptic, and/or zombie book. And I’ve said it once, I’ll say it always… ESPECIALLY when it’s queer!

[Yuuto · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

When I first read the summary for this book, I was intrigued, and I truly hoped it would be a good story.

It did not disappoint.

Imagine, if you will…sudden outbreak of something that sure seems like zombie infections, something that apparently has been dormant in random people up until now. Also imagine that you live in a family and community made up of super religious, homophobic, racist, anti-vaxxer, flat-earther, right-wing, “I’ve got a bunker and a billion guns so I can go underground and be safe from Woke” nutjobs. Also imagine that you’re queer and gotta hide that.

And then zombies show up while you’re at Ren Faire with your family, and things go south very quickly.

This was such a high stakes story, but it was so good, and also incredibly creepy at times. I do feel like the running club bit did eventually wind up taking a backseat to everything else going on, but it was very important earlier in the story. And since the newly turned zombie were those fast-moving zombies, they definitely needed all the help they could get to train and increase chances of survival.

It was so good to see a happy ending to this book as well, because honestly, I was getting worried as I started running out of pages! 😂 Mostly worried that it was going to end abruptly or on a cliffhanger, and those are the worst when you least expect them.

All in all, though, this was a solid read, definitely recommend it if you like zombie books.

[Baroness Ekat · Rating 4 out of 5]

really 3.25 stars but I rounded up.

The Helvig twins, Eira and Soren grew up in an extreme doomsday prepper/survivalist family, with their source of income mostly coming from their father selling swords and weapons at ren fairs. Eira has learned how to fight with a sword and bills herself as the Viking Giantess, taking on all comers at the fairs. Soren has a way with bees and food. But then the zombies come.

For over a year the family hides at their homestead, but the twins find that they need to escape. They know their born-again father will not accept the fact that they are both queer. So they feign going on a foraging trip and escape out into the world. They come across another survivor - Racer, a Special Olympics champion who is looking for his brother. He works with them both to increase their stamina and speed with running because they need to avoid the zombies as they look for others. Thus the Zombie Apocalypse Running Club is truly formed.

+++++

For a YA dystopian Zombie story, it was ok. The fact that Eira kept bringing up her size was my biggest complaint (pun intended). Like for the first half of the book it was mentioned several times a chapter.

I also would have liked more tension with the Tars (the kinda bad guys) rather than the sporadic interactions that just felt forced.

all in all, I've read better but I've read worse in regards to YA Zombie dystopian books. But this book does not encourage me to look for more by this author.

[April · Rating 3 out of 5]

Zombie Apocalypse Running Club, or ZARC for short, has all the hallmarks of any other zombie story: gory, reanimated corpses intent on killing the few remaining humans, the struggle to survive and find edible food, and the conflict between factions of survivors, some of whom are kind and some of whom are cruel. The twist here is the focus on LGBTQ+ characters.

Eira and Soren are home-schooled queer twins who were raised by an ultra-conservative, religious, homesteading father in the Pacific Northwest. They were planning on running away from home before the zombie apocalypse hit, but they didn’t want to abandon their younger sister, Liv. Eventually, Eira and Soren decide to strike out on their own, zombies or no zombies.

As they search for safety, the twins reconnect with family and old friends against all odds and make new ones, but the world is more dangerous than they could have anticipated, even for teens who are skilled survivalists.

Overall, I enjoyed the book. Although the plot was a little predictable, and the ending seemed rushed, I appreciated the representation of diverse characters, especially a cooler than cool transgender cowboy named Cosmo and Racer, a champion Special Olympics runner who coins ZARC and is the best running coach in the apocalypse.

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Children’s for providing me with the ARC.

[MaggieDay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Random House for giving me access to this book.

Soren and Eira are twins raised by their ultra-conservative, Christian parents who don't know they are queer. It just so happens that there is a parasite outbreak that causes its victims to become zombies. The twins ask to leave their family compound and go to their family's cabin as a birthday present. Instead, they run away and go into town. The only survivor they find is Racer, an athlete in the Special Olympics with Down's Syndrome. He creates the titular running club to train Soren and Eira; the faster they run they easier it will be to escape the zombies.

I liked this book more than I expected. Racer is exceptionally well-described. His Down's Syndrome is simply a part of him, and the other characters don't talk down to him and even stand up for him when others make derogatory remarks. I also liked the author's decision to use "fast" zombies which I believe are more frightening and suspenseful. The only fault I can find is how quickly the end comes. It seems a little rushed to tie up all the loose ends. I would be interested in a sequel describing how society rebuilds.

[Annie Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're looking for a fast-paced, thrilling read, Zombie Apocalypse Running Club is it! 🧟‍♀️💨 The action never slows down, and I couldn’t put it down! The story takes place in Seattle, which I LOVED 🌧️🏙️—the city’s fog and rain just add to the whole post-apocalyptic vibe.

What I really appreciate is the LGBTQ+ inclusivity 🌈👩‍❤️‍👩👨‍❤️‍👨—it feels so refreshing and real, and it adds depth to the characters without it feeling forced. The representation is spot on, and it just makes everything feel more authentic and meaningful. ✨

Also, even though it's packed with action, there’s just the right amount of spice 🌶️🔥 (low spice, which is great if you prefer that!)—I enjoyed the heart-pounding moments but didn't feel overwhelmed by anything too intense. 💓

If you’re into stories where characters bond, run for their lives, and face zombies head-on while embracing who they are, you NEED to read this book! 💥🏃‍♂️🏃‍♀️🧟‍♂️

Highly recommend for fans of action, LGBTQ+ rep, and Seattle-based settings! 🤩📚

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. Zombie Apocalypse Running Club by Carrie Mac isn't your typical zombie apocalypse story. Sure, there are flesh-hungry monsters, but the real heart of the novel lies in its relatable characters and the conflicts that feel all too real, even without the threat of the undead.

Zombie Apocalypse Running Club uses the fantastical premise of a zombie apocalypse to explore the very real struggles of teenagers. The characters are funny, flawed, and easy to connect with. Ultimately, it's a story about facing your fears, embracing life's unexpected opportunities, and finding the courage to be yourself – even in the face of a zombie apocalypse.

This book is a great choice for anyone who enjoys a good coming-of-age story with a twist, or for anyone who needs a reminder that sometimes, the biggest challenges we face aren't the undead, but ourselves.

[Alanna King · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want a t-shirt! 2 reasons I’ve rated this book so highly: inclusivity and found family. I think the whole zombie thing was really a ruse designed to showcase the wonderfulness portrayed and acknowledgement of Racer and Down’s Syndrome in and his brotherhood with Eddie, the librarian now in a wheelchair. AND Eaia and Soren’s sibling relationship and their new found families. This has to be one of the best portrayal’s of belonging ever….imagine how the HungerGames/Divergent/Maze Runner phenomena would have changed things if there were kids with disabilities and non-binary genders and sexualities? Damn. This was a good read. I don’t think everyone would pick it up at first glance, but anyone who does pick it up will enjoy it and think deeply about what really matters.

[Air · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the YA queer apocalyptic novel you were looking for. Want zombies they strangely remind you off a disease ridden pandemic? A time jump to the post part of the apocalypse? Well here you’ll get it all. Because this is a crazy contagion that started in Russia and took over the world.

A conservative, morally opposite, and hard to understand father pushes his kids away. They’re ready to leave and find the love they know they deserve and it all gets crazy from there! Eira and Soren are ready to take matters into their own hands. Definitely give this a try!

Thank you to the author and tbrandbeyond tours!