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Where the Dead Go to Die
There are monsters in this world. And they used to be us. Now it's time to euthanize to survive in a hospice where Emily, a woman haunted by her past, only wants to do her job and be the best mother possible.
Post-infection Chicago. Christmas.
Inside The Hospice, Emily and her fellow nurses do their rounds. Here, men and women live out their final days in comfort, segregated from society, and are then humanely terminated before fate turns them into marrow-craving monsters known as ‘Smilers.’ Outside these imposing walls, rabid protesters swarm with signs, caught up in the heat of their hatred.
Emily, a woman haunted by her past, only wants to do her job and be the best mother possible. But in a world where mortality means nothing, where guns are drawn in fear and nobody seems safe anymore – at what cost will this pursuit come? And through it all, the soon to be dead remain silent, ever smiling. Such is their curse.
This emotional, political novel comes from two of horror’s freshest voices, and puts a new spin on an eternal topic: the undead. In the spirit of George A Romero meets Jack Ketchum, Where the Dead Go to Die it is an unforgettable epilogue to the zombie genre, one that will leave you shaken and questioning right from wrong…even when it’s the only right left.
It won't be long before that snow-speckled ground will be salted by blood.
Post-infection Chicago. Christmas.
Inside The Hospice, Emily and her fellow nurses do their rounds. Here, men and women live out their final days in comfort, segregated from society, and are then humanely terminated before fate turns them into marrow-craving monsters known as ‘Smilers.’ Outside these imposing walls, rabid protesters swarm with signs, caught up in the heat of their hatred.
Emily, a woman haunted by her past, only wants to do her job and be the best mother possible. But in a world where mortality means nothing, where guns are drawn in fear and nobody seems safe anymore – at what cost will this pursuit come? And through it all, the soon to be dead remain silent, ever smiling. Such is their curse.
This emotional, political novel comes from two of horror’s freshest voices, and puts a new spin on an eternal topic: the undead. In the spirit of George A Romero meets Jack Ketchum, Where the Dead Go to Die it is an unforgettable epilogue to the zombie genre, one that will leave you shaken and questioning right from wrong…even when it’s the only right left.
It won't be long before that snow-speckled ground will be salted by blood.
197 pages, Paperback
First published November 28, 2016
63 people are currently reading
2266 people want to read
About the author
Aaron Dries
19 books291 followersAvid traveler, former pizza boy, retail clerk, kitchen hand, aged care worker, video director and copywriter, Aaron Dries was born and raised in New South Wales, Australia. When asked why he writes horror, his standard reply is that when it comes to scaring people, writing pays slightly better than jumping out from behind doors. He is the author of the award-winning House of Sighs, and his subsequent novels, The Fallen Boys and A Place for Sinners are just as--if not more--twisted than his debut. Feel free to drop him a line at aarondries.com. He won't bite. Much.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 172 reviews
May 12, 2023
This story was hard to read. I must have started it 2 or 3 times, but I'd find something else to read. Something easy. This was hard. From the very first sentence, and into the next chapter I knew that I would end up broken-hearted.
See, I love zombie stories. This wasn't a good, old fashioned kill 'em and eat 'em kinda story. This tale involved feelings. I found myself caught up with these people almost immediately. I couldn't help myself, as the author's did a damn fine job building all these people up. That's what made this story so hard. Eventually, you have to say goodbye to everyone. Sometimes it's a hard goodbye. In this case, a death-rattle.
Those damned picketers and their stupid, willful ignorance.
I went back and forth on my rating for this book. I'll settle on 4 stars. Mostly because there is a lesson to be learned from this book.
That's one of my favorite things about so called horror. It's not only horrible, but there is often a multilayered meaning.
See, I love zombie stories. This wasn't a good, old fashioned kill 'em and eat 'em kinda story. This tale involved feelings. I found myself caught up with these people almost immediately. I couldn't help myself, as the author's did a damn fine job building all these people up. That's what made this story so hard. Eventually, you have to say goodbye to everyone. Sometimes it's a hard goodbye. In this case, a death-rattle.
Those damned picketers and their stupid, willful ignorance.
I went back and forth on my rating for this book. I'll settle on 4 stars. Mostly because there is a lesson to be learned from this book.
That's one of my favorite things about so called horror. It's not only horrible, but there is often a multilayered meaning.
March 13, 2022
I didn't expect to go through a whole range of emotions for a short read. Definitely a unique take on the living dead and how we as a people address them. Out of all the situations I have read about, this seems to be the most realistic to me. Plenty of blood and gore to go around, but that ending is a tearjerker. Bring plenty of tissues!
December 19, 2016
WOW! HOLY CRAP ON A CRACKER! THIS BOOK!
FYI: This book is on kindle unlimited right now if anyone is interested.
This is one of the coolest zombie novels I have ever read. It's not a long book at all, I would consider it a novella of sorts.
Sooooo, those that have the zombie virus are put into hospice care in hospital wards. Those that are lucky and have family members etc. that want to do that sort of thing. There are still the few out there that have to get gunned down or try to eat you and stuff. They are called zombies, smilers, or bone-eaters. These zombies like bones, the spine being the most tasty I guess.
Anyhoo, so you have Emily that took a job at one of the facilities as a nurse. She has a little girl named Lucette and a past they ran away from.
Lucette is 12 and goes to school while Emily is at work and she gets off in time to pick her up from school so it all works out. Until the stupid day Lucette does something stupid at school and gets suspended until after the holidays. AND Emily takes her to work with her and tells her to stay in the break room. <--Okay, this is the part to me, where stupid kicks in, you don't take your kids where there are people that will turn into zombies if they are not put down in time. (Now lets back track)
Oh and here is a little picture what was in the kindle version of a smiler and his family member.
So, there are only a few people working at the hospice because . . . . well, do I have to state the obvious?
There is a dude who is a jerk that works there, Mama Metcalf who is in her 70's and is a volunteer (I love her by the way) and the boss lady who's name I just forgot, right this minute, I just forgot it!!!!
There are some other randoms that were not really mentioned too much.
Outside the place you have the protesters that are there every day basically going on about killing the zombies.
Then you have The Crowners - they come in and do the crowning. They are the killers, they take them out when they are at that point of turning.
There is a boy named Robby that is only 12 years old that was dropped off by his parents. They wanted nothing to do with him. And Robby wasn't bitten, he got infected in a horrific way that I will not say in my review. Everyone there tries to make it better for Robby. Emily even lets Lucette visit him - um, NO! <--STUPID ON AISLE FIVE!
So there is a whole story line in the present and past with Emily and there are a few fun times to be had at Christmas and New Year with Emily, Lucette and Mama Metcalf. Then the cray sets in as always.
The Crowners have arrived to take care of another patient. Some nut job from the protestors gets in and kills one of the workers inside. In all of the time wasted with cray cray, the patient (sorry they are called guests) turns and starts eating people. Yeah, but one ole Crowner takes that zombie out with a bullet to the head.
The book has plenty of blood and guts and ewww parts and a hand job which is also ewww because of reasons so it's a little graphic for the youngsters.
I loved the book and that ending! Uggg, I wanted to smack so many people I didn't know where to start first! But all kidding aside I thought the book was an awesome take in the zombie world.
MY BLOG: Melissa Martin's Reading List
FYI: This book is on kindle unlimited right now if anyone is interested.
This is one of the coolest zombie novels I have ever read. It's not a long book at all, I would consider it a novella of sorts.
Sooooo, those that have the zombie virus are put into hospice care in hospital wards. Those that are lucky and have family members etc. that want to do that sort of thing. There are still the few out there that have to get gunned down or try to eat you and stuff. They are called zombies, smilers, or bone-eaters. These zombies like bones, the spine being the most tasty I guess.
Anyhoo, so you have Emily that took a job at one of the facilities as a nurse. She has a little girl named Lucette and a past they ran away from.
Lucette is 12 and goes to school while Emily is at work and she gets off in time to pick her up from school so it all works out. Until the stupid day Lucette does something stupid at school and gets suspended until after the holidays. AND Emily takes her to work with her and tells her to stay in the break room. <--Okay, this is the part to me, where stupid kicks in, you don't take your kids where there are people that will turn into zombies if they are not put down in time. (Now lets back track)
Oh and here is a little picture what was in the kindle version of a smiler and his family member.
So, there are only a few people working at the hospice because . . . . well, do I have to state the obvious?
There is a dude who is a jerk that works there, Mama Metcalf who is in her 70's and is a volunteer (I love her by the way) and the boss lady who's name I just forgot, right this minute, I just forgot it!!!!
There are some other randoms that were not really mentioned too much.
Outside the place you have the protesters that are there every day basically going on about killing the zombies.
Then you have The Crowners - they come in and do the crowning. They are the killers, they take them out when they are at that point of turning.
There is a boy named Robby that is only 12 years old that was dropped off by his parents. They wanted nothing to do with him. And Robby wasn't bitten, he got infected in a horrific way that I will not say in my review. Everyone there tries to make it better for Robby. Emily even lets Lucette visit him - um, NO! <--STUPID ON AISLE FIVE!
So there is a whole story line in the present and past with Emily and there are a few fun times to be had at Christmas and New Year with Emily, Lucette and Mama Metcalf. Then the cray sets in as always.
The Crowners have arrived to take care of another patient. Some nut job from the protestors gets in and kills one of the workers inside. In all of the time wasted with cray cray, the patient (sorry they are called guests) turns and starts eating people. Yeah, but one ole Crowner takes that zombie out with a bullet to the head.
The book has plenty of blood and guts and ewww parts and a hand job which is also ewww because of reasons so it's a little graphic for the youngsters.
I loved the book and that ending! Uggg, I wanted to smack so many people I didn't know where to start first! But all kidding aside I thought the book was an awesome take in the zombie world.
MY BLOG: Melissa Martin's Reading List
June 2, 2018
….ZZZZZZZZZZ...
……….…..……Z…..
……….…..…Z……..
……….…..ZOMBIE
……….…Z.……….
……….Z....………..
…..…Z……………..
…ZZZZZZZZZZZ
HOSPICE CARE
"Where the Dead Go to Die" by Aaron Dries and Mark Allan Gunnells Is a book dealing with bad thing happening to good people, or at least those trying to be good, or people trying to do the right thing.
One thing for sure the authors know how to manipulate your emotions by introducing characters the reader wants to root for. A young child who recently lost her father to the zombie infection. Her nurse mother at the limit of her endurance trying to keep her family alive and safe while she works in a hospice care unit caring for the dying and infected, some one must do it.
What's that sign over the entrance to Hell ? "Abandon Hope All Ye Who Enter Here".
This is a unique take on the ZOMBIE tale.
……….…..……Z…..
……….…..…Z……..
……….…..ZOMBIE
……….…Z.……….
……….Z....………..
…..…Z……………..
…ZZZZZZZZZZZ
HOSPICE CARE
"Where the Dead Go to Die" by Aaron Dries and Mark Allan Gunnells Is a book dealing with bad thing happening to good people, or at least those trying to be good, or people trying to do the right thing.
One thing for sure the authors know how to manipulate your emotions by introducing characters the reader wants to root for. A young child who recently lost her father to the zombie infection. Her nurse mother at the limit of her endurance trying to keep her family alive and safe while she works in a hospice care unit caring for the dying and infected, some one must do it.
What's that sign over the entrance to Hell ? "Abandon Hope All Ye Who Enter Here".
This is a unique take on the ZOMBIE tale.
December 15, 2016
WHERE THE DEAD GO TO DIE, by Aaron Dries & Mark Allan Gunnells, is a zombie novel, of a sort, but unlike any of the cliched stereotypes I've become inured to. The opening sentence alone baited me in:
"The dead roam those halls."
In a world where people infected with a certain virus--one that causes excruciating pain, a rictus smile to permanently form on their faces, and severe nightmares--soon die, only to revive as a particularly nasty form of bone-eating zombie, people are living in a constant state of fear. What makes this novel stand out so well to me is that it isn't about the "zombies" after they become as such, but rather the horrible agony they endure BEFORE the initial death and change occur. This book takes into account not only the feelings and emotions of those unaffected, but also those that ARE, and know what is going to inevitably happen to them.
". . . the world had claws. Complacency killed."
No longer could one go to the park without being vigilant to the possibility of an attack. Some clung to the old ways, afraid to admit what was happening around them.
". . . formalities were important. They help trick us into thinking things are normal again."
The rest of the population branches off into two opposing viewpoints: those that want humane treatment for the infected until the end, and those that want to see their heads blown off at the first signs of infection. Hoping to make a positive difference, Emily begins work at an understaffed Hospice for the "Smilers", as they are "unofficially" called. Along with her is her daughter, Lucette.
With a cast of characters whose emotions are so brilliantly portrayed--even those infected--the authors give us a story so powerful in its telling that you will not want to put it down once you start. We have here the fierce love of a mother for her only child, the bond between those who are aware that they have but a limited time to live, the care and compassion of those trying to ease the suffering of the infected, and of course, the horrifying "mob mentality"of those who want to rip apart the victims of this infection, on sight.
". . . What was it about a common cause that made everyone look like everyone else? Hatred devolved people somehow . . . Made them legion . . . "
Everyone in this story is human.
And every one of them have their flaws.
The only difference is on whether or not they want--or are able to--hide them.
". . . Who needed a silly disguise when one was already so adept at wearing the mask of complacency?"
Young Lucette is much like any child of ten; curious, sometimes spiteful, and quite quick to learn how to take advantage of a situation. She once mused: ". . . there were advantages to keeping quiet; one of the many ways of attaining knowledge was to become invisible and let the real world play out."
Aside from some flashbacks of Emily and Lucette's past, the novel takes place primarily in and around the Hospice building. You can practically smell the scents and the odor of death filling the halls. Yet these workers keep on. It was not unusual to have a family member "dump" some infected relative at their door, and never again visit. The sorrow I felt for these people was genuine--even knowing how they would turn out if not "terminated" just before the final change.
". . . The source of her bitterness was how two people could read the same text and interpret the words so differently. And yet they don't realize the truth . . . "
This novel will put you through innumerable emotions. The collaboration between the two authors worked so well, I'm intrigued to see what they come out with next.
And that ending . . . nothing short of perfection, in my humble opinion.
Highly recommended!
*I chose to read an e-copy of this book from the publicist for review. All opinions are completely my own.*
In a world where people infected with a certain virus--one that causes excruciating pain, a rictus smile to permanently form on their faces, and severe nightmares--soon die, only to revive as a particularly nasty form of bone-eating zombie, people are living in a constant state of fear. What makes this novel stand out so well to me is that it isn't about the "zombies" after they become as such, but rather the horrible agony they endure BEFORE the initial death and change occur. This book takes into account not only the feelings and emotions of those unaffected, but also those that ARE, and know what is going to inevitably happen to them.
". . . the world had claws. Complacency killed."
No longer could one go to the park without being vigilant to the possibility of an attack. Some clung to the old ways, afraid to admit what was happening around them.
". . . formalities were important. They help trick us into thinking things are normal again."
The rest of the population branches off into two opposing viewpoints: those that want humane treatment for the infected until the end, and those that want to see their heads blown off at the first signs of infection. Hoping to make a positive difference, Emily begins work at an understaffed Hospice for the "Smilers", as they are "unofficially" called. Along with her is her daughter, Lucette.
With a cast of characters whose emotions are so brilliantly portrayed--even those infected--the authors give us a story so powerful in its telling that you will not want to put it down once you start. We have here the fierce love of a mother for her only child, the bond between those who are aware that they have but a limited time to live, the care and compassion of those trying to ease the suffering of the infected, and of course, the horrifying "mob mentality"of those who want to rip apart the victims of this infection, on sight.
". . . What was it about a common cause that made everyone look like everyone else? Hatred devolved people somehow . . . Made them legion . . . "
Everyone in this story is human.
And every one of them have their flaws.
The only difference is on whether or not they want--or are able to--hide them.
". . . Who needed a silly disguise when one was already so adept at wearing the mask of complacency?"
Young Lucette is much like any child of ten; curious, sometimes spiteful, and quite quick to learn how to take advantage of a situation. She once mused: ". . . there were advantages to keeping quiet; one of the many ways of attaining knowledge was to become invisible and let the real world play out."
Aside from some flashbacks of Emily and Lucette's past, the novel takes place primarily in and around the Hospice building. You can practically smell the scents and the odor of death filling the halls. Yet these workers keep on. It was not unusual to have a family member "dump" some infected relative at their door, and never again visit. The sorrow I felt for these people was genuine--even knowing how they would turn out if not "terminated" just before the final change.
". . . The source of her bitterness was how two people could read the same text and interpret the words so differently. And yet they don't realize the truth . . . "
This novel will put you through innumerable emotions. The collaboration between the two authors worked so well, I'm intrigued to see what they come out with next.
And that ending . . . nothing short of perfection, in my humble opinion.
Highly recommended!
*I chose to read an e-copy of this book from the publicist for review. All opinions are completely my own.*
December 18, 2016
Not your typical
A grim and sad christmas horror tale with well developed characters and world-building: in the last days of the outbreak, infected are not killed on sight but "guests" in caretaker institutes until their "passing".
Really loved for good the slow start, the premise, the flashbacks, the pace changes (terror strikes the reader fast and unexpected) and the gut-wrenching ending.
One of the best, intense and darkest books I've ever read.
Highly recommended to all horror lovers.
Happy holidays.
December 4, 2019
Trees rot. And bone eaters must bite the dust.
This story is absolutely heartbreaking...
I guess it would slot into the post apocalyptic genre as it is about a world with zombies.
The book takes a different approach to zombies, humanizing the infected people. As the zombie virus takes time to mutate, infected people are segregated to live out their days until they are executed humanely.
In the initial zombie outbreak many were killed either through the spread of the illness or by being attacked. Once people were educated on how contagious the virus was among humans and more hospices were created, zombie numbers diminished.
This is the story of Emily and her 10 year old daughter Lucette. Emily is a nurse in an understaffed hospice and it is her job to care for those slowly being transformed into zombies.
Some patients are almost comatose while others are quite characters but nothing has prepared Emily for the day 12 year old Robby gets dumped at the hospice.
This zombie world has become a political debate and has split the population in two. One side of the population wants an infected person killed immediately while the other side battle to help the infected humanely.
If you love your typical brain dead zombie this isn't the book for you. If you want to read about an infected from two sides this is the book but be prepared to have your heart broken...
This story is absolutely heartbreaking...
I guess it would slot into the post apocalyptic genre as it is about a world with zombies.
The book takes a different approach to zombies, humanizing the infected people. As the zombie virus takes time to mutate, infected people are segregated to live out their days until they are executed humanely.
In the initial zombie outbreak many were killed either through the spread of the illness or by being attacked. Once people were educated on how contagious the virus was among humans and more hospices were created, zombie numbers diminished.
This is the story of Emily and her 10 year old daughter Lucette. Emily is a nurse in an understaffed hospice and it is her job to care for those slowly being transformed into zombies.
Some patients are almost comatose while others are quite characters but nothing has prepared Emily for the day 12 year old Robby gets dumped at the hospice.
This zombie world has become a political debate and has split the population in two. One side of the population wants an infected person killed immediately while the other side battle to help the infected humanely.
If you love your typical brain dead zombie this isn't the book for you. If you want to read about an infected from two sides this is the book but be prepared to have your heart broken...
December 28, 2023
I'll try my best to do this book justice with a review, but it isn't every day that you find a new favorite zombie book of all time.
Where the Dead Go to Die is a fresh take on the zombie apocalypse that I've never seen before. In a future where the zombie infection takes months, sometimes even years to change a person into the inevitable, government agencies set up hospice centers to allow the would-be walking dead a safe place to be taken care of while they live out their final days in some semblance of dignity and calm.
The book follows a young mother named Emily who's starting her new job as a nurse at one of these hospice centers, and throughout it, we get the chance to grow attached not only to her and her daughter Lucette, but also a wide panel of side characters who are human, flawed, and impossible not to empathize with. Dries and Gunnells are masters at developing these characters until they feel like they could walk right off the pages, which means it hurts that much more whenever any terrible fate befalls one of them.
Where the Dead Go to Die is perhaps the first piece of zombie media of any form to break my heart so thoroughly; if you need proof, I'm fighting tears just typing this review, thinking about some of the characters and how much better they deserved. I adore horror stories that can cut to the heart of me and this one didn't let me down. I feel like I'm going to mourn this story for a long time, and for me, that's a mark of a genuinely memorable read.
I can't wait to read more by both of these authors and I cannot recommend this book highly enough. It takes place around the holidays, but you could easily read it at any time of year. Whether you typically enjoy zombie tales or not, I highly suggest picking this up if you like emotional horror stories with a lot of heart. 5 stars, easy. Thanks for the heartache, Dries and Gunnells. 💔
✨ Representation: one Black side character, one queer side character
✨ Content warnings for:
———
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Every day has its destiny. The cracking icicle that's almost ready to fall. A branch weighed by too much snow, soon to break. Clouds that try and try to hold in their water, only to fail, and in doing so fulfill their meaning in the world. An architecture of inevitability, that this was fated to be. The destiny of this day: Bloodshed. It would begin with a single drop.
Where the Dead Go to Die is a fresh take on the zombie apocalypse that I've never seen before. In a future where the zombie infection takes months, sometimes even years to change a person into the inevitable, government agencies set up hospice centers to allow the would-be walking dead a safe place to be taken care of while they live out their final days in some semblance of dignity and calm.
The book follows a young mother named Emily who's starting her new job as a nurse at one of these hospice centers, and throughout it, we get the chance to grow attached not only to her and her daughter Lucette, but also a wide panel of side characters who are human, flawed, and impossible not to empathize with. Dries and Gunnells are masters at developing these characters until they feel like they could walk right off the pages, which means it hurts that much more whenever any terrible fate befalls one of them.
Where the Dead Go to Die is perhaps the first piece of zombie media of any form to break my heart so thoroughly; if you need proof, I'm fighting tears just typing this review, thinking about some of the characters and how much better they deserved. I adore horror stories that can cut to the heart of me and this one didn't let me down. I feel like I'm going to mourn this story for a long time, and for me, that's a mark of a genuinely memorable read.
I can't wait to read more by both of these authors and I cannot recommend this book highly enough. It takes place around the holidays, but you could easily read it at any time of year. Whether you typically enjoy zombie tales or not, I highly suggest picking this up if you like emotional horror stories with a lot of heart. 5 stars, easy. Thanks for the heartache, Dries and Gunnells. 💔
✨ Representation: one Black side character, one queer side character
✨ Content warnings for:
———
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December 17, 2024
“No. It won’t take us! RUN!” That command blurred with the whine of the alarm until there was only one ear-piercing squawk that Emily feared would never end. Were she to survive this, she was sure it would loop in her head forever in both waking and dreaming lives, twin reflections of each other where monsters lurked."
⚠️Graphic content, child molestation/rape, animal cruelty, homophobia
-tells the story of Emily who works in a hospice where humans infected with the zombie virus live out their final days until they are 'humanely' terminated.
-bleak, heart-wrenching and atmospheric from start to finish. The last 50 pages was bloody, tragic and heart racing. I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would. This stays with you after you read it. Love the few illustrations included.
-I still think it was majorly stupid of Lucette to make that move ..girl... 🤦♀️🤦♀️🤦♀️
5✨
⚠️Graphic content, child molestation/rape, animal cruelty, homophobia
-tells the story of Emily who works in a hospice where humans infected with the zombie virus live out their final days until they are 'humanely' terminated.
-bleak, heart-wrenching and atmospheric from start to finish. The last 50 pages was bloody, tragic and heart racing. I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would. This stays with you after you read it. Love the few illustrations included.
-I still think it was majorly stupid of Lucette to make that move ..girl... 🤦♀️🤦♀️🤦♀️
5✨
February 15, 2017
This isn’t how things were supposed to happen.
I was supposed to be me.
Not this.
I was caught a bit off guard by this one.
How good it was.
How good it is.
Awesome.
So very well done and original.
An extremely fresh look at a sometimes tired and overdone trope.
Damn. This was good.
This is how it’s done.
Love, loss, desperation and the FSU. Next stop, Corridor 3. The Ministry is watching and the Crowners have been summoned. It’s about to go down, in a big way.
5 Stars and the highest recommendation!
I was supposed to be me.
Not this.
I was caught a bit off guard by this one.
How good it was.
How good it is.
Awesome.
So very well done and original.
An extremely fresh look at a sometimes tired and overdone trope.
Damn. This was good.
This is how it’s done.
Love, loss, desperation and the FSU. Next stop, Corridor 3. The Ministry is watching and the Crowners have been summoned. It’s about to go down, in a big way.
5 Stars and the highest recommendation!
December 3, 2016
Review copy
Been a while since I've read a great opening line, but this one drew me right in...
The dead roam those halls.
Emily Samuels is starting new job and the protesters were out in force, complete with signs reading, "LIFE IS 4 THE LIVING","BRING OUT UR DED", 'NO TOLERRENCE FOR BONE EATERS", "LET' FINISH THE JOB".
Where the Dead Go to Die is a decidedly different take on the zombie apocalypse...
"No, no, no! We don't say zombie here. Nor do we refer to our guests as 'smilers', or 'bone eaters' or whatever else it is you hear over there in the Russian quarter, it won't fly here, Emily. There's a reason those offensive B movies and trashy novels about the infected have been withdrawn from circulation and banned."
In the world created by authors Dries and Gunnells, once infected it can take years before the "dead' become hungry. As a result the ministry has established long-term care facilities where they can stay until they absolutely need to be terminated. It's not brains these zombies cry for. Here, the infected crave sugar, fats, and with time, marrow.
Where the Dead Go to Die is a captivating story, powerful in the way its told. In some ways a comment on elder care as much as it is a story about zombies. A story with a great deal of humanity, yet filled with gore and...hope. At one point I was actually moved to tears.
There are several illustrations interspersed throughout the the book. Each character was rich with authenticity and the storytelling is a cut above...
The pigeon rolled trying to flap itself right again. Only it was too late. It entangled itself in the barbed wire lining the lunch area fence. Meta thorns pierced the bird's fragile hulk, and the more it tried to fight the stronger that hold became. The pigeon screamed until the pain became too much, and the cooed itself into stunned resignation.
Using a zombie tale to tell a story of the turbulent times we live in seems nothing short of inspired
Not sure whose idea it was to use instructions on creating an origami crane to open each of the Interludes in the story, but that was really inspired.
Where the Dead Go to Die is published by Crystal Lake Publishing and is available in both paperback and for the Kindle. If you subscribe to Kindle Unlimited you can read it at no additional charge. Also, if you are an Amazon Prime member you can read it for FREE using the Kindle Owners Lending Library.
From the authors' bios...
Aaron Dries was raised in a small New South Wales town in Australia. Among his many jobs is a stint as an aged-care nurse, experience which came in handy in creating the backdrop for Where the Dead Go to Die. Aaron graduated from the University of Newcastle with a Bachelor of Communication, majoring in creative writing and video production. As a filmmaker, he won a number of awards for his short films. When he is not writing, Aaron is thinking about writing, or upcoming film projects. He is also an avid traveler.
Mark Allan Gunnells loves to tell stories. He has since he was a kid, penning one-page tales that were Twilight Zone knockoffs. He likes to think he has gotten a little better since then. He loves reader feedback, and above all he loves telling stories. He lives in Greer, SC, with his husband Craig.
Been a while since I've read a great opening line, but this one drew me right in...
The dead roam those halls.
Emily Samuels is starting new job and the protesters were out in force, complete with signs reading, "LIFE IS 4 THE LIVING","BRING OUT UR DED", 'NO TOLERRENCE FOR BONE EATERS", "LET' FINISH THE JOB".
Where the Dead Go to Die is a decidedly different take on the zombie apocalypse...
"No, no, no! We don't say zombie here. Nor do we refer to our guests as 'smilers', or 'bone eaters' or whatever else it is you hear over there in the Russian quarter, it won't fly here, Emily. There's a reason those offensive B movies and trashy novels about the infected have been withdrawn from circulation and banned."
In the world created by authors Dries and Gunnells, once infected it can take years before the "dead' become hungry. As a result the ministry has established long-term care facilities where they can stay until they absolutely need to be terminated. It's not brains these zombies cry for. Here, the infected crave sugar, fats, and with time, marrow.
Where the Dead Go to Die is a captivating story, powerful in the way its told. In some ways a comment on elder care as much as it is a story about zombies. A story with a great deal of humanity, yet filled with gore and...hope. At one point I was actually moved to tears.
There are several illustrations interspersed throughout the the book. Each character was rich with authenticity and the storytelling is a cut above...
The pigeon rolled trying to flap itself right again. Only it was too late. It entangled itself in the barbed wire lining the lunch area fence. Meta thorns pierced the bird's fragile hulk, and the more it tried to fight the stronger that hold became. The pigeon screamed until the pain became too much, and the cooed itself into stunned resignation.
Using a zombie tale to tell a story of the turbulent times we live in seems nothing short of inspired
Not sure whose idea it was to use instructions on creating an origami crane to open each of the Interludes in the story, but that was really inspired.
Where the Dead Go to Die is published by Crystal Lake Publishing and is available in both paperback and for the Kindle. If you subscribe to Kindle Unlimited you can read it at no additional charge. Also, if you are an Amazon Prime member you can read it for FREE using the Kindle Owners Lending Library.
From the authors' bios...
Aaron Dries was raised in a small New South Wales town in Australia. Among his many jobs is a stint as an aged-care nurse, experience which came in handy in creating the backdrop for Where the Dead Go to Die. Aaron graduated from the University of Newcastle with a Bachelor of Communication, majoring in creative writing and video production. As a filmmaker, he won a number of awards for his short films. When he is not writing, Aaron is thinking about writing, or upcoming film projects. He is also an avid traveler.
Mark Allan Gunnells loves to tell stories. He has since he was a kid, penning one-page tales that were Twilight Zone knockoffs. He likes to think he has gotten a little better since then. He loves reader feedback, and above all he loves telling stories. He lives in Greer, SC, with his husband Craig.
January 22, 2024
I liked this one. It appeals to your emotions. It's not your everyday zombie story. It occurs several years after there has been a zombie apocalypse, and a solution has been normalized in society.
You see, once initially bitten, they each still have their human feelings...that is until they are completely turned. It has been discovered that there is a grace period between when they are first bitten and when they become a 'smiler' or a full-blown, bone eating, killer of a zombie.
In the grace or in-between period, you are still you, still have your personality, but you start to feel ill little by little, until the signs show that you are almost to the smiler/full zombie stage.
After you are first bitten, you are supposed to turn yourself into and be registered at the zombie hospice center in Chicago. There, you will be humanely taken care of by the hospice nurses until you are at the turning point. Once the turning point has arrived, the 'crowning people' will come in, give you morphine to make you comfortable and safely euthanize you (the zombie way) so you do not cause harm to anyone.
This, in theory, is how it is supposed to work. A nice, well-oiled system.
Also, there are daily angry political protesters outside the hospice. The nurses and volunteers have to pass by them every day, coming to and leaving from work. They seem to get worse each day.
Of course, things would be great if all went to plan, but of course, they don't. One small thing happens one day. Then a big unexpected terrible thing happens! Followed by some most hanous bad stuff, and the next thing you know, all hell breaks loose.
I really liked a kid zombie named Robbie in this book and felt sorry for him. He had a sad story and was so sweet. A nurse named Emily was super sweet and really took good care of him.
Emily ended up needing to take her little girl to work with her when she couldn't go to school and told her to stay in the break room to color. Earlier, she had told her about Robbie, and she ended up visiting him. They became friends for a short time. She made him an origami crane that he liked, and she taught him how to make a bat. Too bad they couldn't stay friends, though. It was sad.
Anyway, being a zombie book, as you probably guessed, this doesn't end well, but I really liked getting to know all the characters, and I would recommend this book. It's a lot different than your usual zombie trope, which is what made me want to read it.
You see, once initially bitten, they each still have their human feelings...that is until they are completely turned. It has been discovered that there is a grace period between when they are first bitten and when they become a 'smiler' or a full-blown, bone eating, killer of a zombie.
In the grace or in-between period, you are still you, still have your personality, but you start to feel ill little by little, until the signs show that you are almost to the smiler/full zombie stage.
After you are first bitten, you are supposed to turn yourself into and be registered at the zombie hospice center in Chicago. There, you will be humanely taken care of by the hospice nurses until you are at the turning point. Once the turning point has arrived, the 'crowning people' will come in, give you morphine to make you comfortable and safely euthanize you (the zombie way) so you do not cause harm to anyone.
This, in theory, is how it is supposed to work. A nice, well-oiled system.
Also, there are daily angry political protesters outside the hospice. The nurses and volunteers have to pass by them every day, coming to and leaving from work. They seem to get worse each day.
Of course, things would be great if all went to plan, but of course, they don't. One small thing happens one day. Then a big unexpected terrible thing happens! Followed by some most hanous bad stuff, and the next thing you know, all hell breaks loose.
I really liked a kid zombie named Robbie in this book and felt sorry for him. He had a sad story and was so sweet. A nurse named Emily was super sweet and really took good care of him.
Emily ended up needing to take her little girl to work with her when she couldn't go to school and told her to stay in the break room to color. Earlier, she had told her about Robbie, and she ended up visiting him. They became friends for a short time. She made him an origami crane that he liked, and she taught him how to make a bat. Too bad they couldn't stay friends, though. It was sad.
Anyway, being a zombie book, as you probably guessed, this doesn't end well, but I really liked getting to know all the characters, and I would recommend this book. It's a lot different than your usual zombie trope, which is what made me want to read it.
November 30, 2016
Review: WHERE THE DEAD GO TO DIE by Mark Allan Gunnells and Aaron Dries
I'd long ago grown weary of the sane-old same-old common to much zombie fiction, so I'm much gratified to come upon WHERE THE DEAD GO TO DIE, a fine collaboration from two excellent horror authors, a novel which turned my emotions upside down and topsy turvy. Yes, the authors proclaim their intention to expose and explore emotions, and reading this has left me emotionally wrung out [not to mention both awestruck and quite terrified]. Indeed, the human condition can produce both the worst of monsters...and the heights of angels. WHERE THE DEAD GO TO DIE is timely and apropos horror, finely-tuned, uproariously scary [again, fear the living, the self-righteous who see evil everywhere but within], and a masterstroke.
I'd long ago grown weary of the sane-old same-old common to much zombie fiction, so I'm much gratified to come upon WHERE THE DEAD GO TO DIE, a fine collaboration from two excellent horror authors, a novel which turned my emotions upside down and topsy turvy. Yes, the authors proclaim their intention to expose and explore emotions, and reading this has left me emotionally wrung out [not to mention both awestruck and quite terrified]. Indeed, the human condition can produce both the worst of monsters...and the heights of angels. WHERE THE DEAD GO TO DIE is timely and apropos horror, finely-tuned, uproariously scary [again, fear the living, the self-righteous who see evil everywhere but within], and a masterstroke.
December 22, 2020
A fun, new twist on the zombie trope. This book reminded me of a movie where everything is gray and moving in slow motion but then it speeds up at the end and everyone is screaming and everything is on fire.
This isnt a fast paced typical zombie story where brains are the main focal point. It's a much more human story that is very relevant to society today. A great, quick read for a cold winter night.
This isnt a fast paced typical zombie story where brains are the main focal point. It's a much more human story that is very relevant to society today. A great, quick read for a cold winter night.
September 19, 2021
Yet another twist on the zombie genre, ‘Where the Dead Go to Die’ focuses on a hospice where the living dead are taken care of until it’s their time to end their ‘existence’. I was all set to give this four stars, but thought what the hell. It is such a good story and so well written that I just had to give it that extra star in the hope that others would give it a try. Dries and Gunnells, both together and individually, are producing some great horror stories despite being very much under the radar.
January 26, 2020
2.5 stars, rounded to 3
Unfortunately, the book did not live up to my expectations.
And that's my review folks 😑
PS: you can see more art from Ben Baldwin who designed the cover on his website benbaldwin.co.uk
Unfortunately, the book did not live up to my expectations.
And that's my review folks 😑
PS: you can see more art from Ben Baldwin who designed the cover on his website benbaldwin.co.uk
January 29, 2020
This started off well, with a really interesting premise (hospice for zombies) but then nothing happened and then nothing else happened and then zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz......
December 15, 2021
I loved this book so much! The setting was on point and really hit the mark for me. There is something about a facility where death is lurking around every corner that just does it for me. The characters were all amazing. The likeable and unlikeable characters equally. Another aspect of this that I did enjoy was the illustrations. There weren’t that many but the ones that were added really added to the atmosphere. Another plus was the narrator for the audiobook. She did a fantastic job. With all that being said this would’ve been a five star read for me were it not for that ending. It just left me underwhelmed. Nevertheless still worth a read! It truly is fantastic.
December 6, 2016
Why did I read Where the Dead Go to Die?
This was a simple case of being in the mood for a new horror release. I try at all costs to get away with selecting books without reading the descriptions. That's not always possible, but when Crystal Lake Publishing offered up Mark Allan Gunnells's new release, I said yes without knowing it was a zombie book. I'm glad I did! I'm not sure I would have said yes so quickly if I had known the subject matter, and that would have been unfortunate.
The Strengths
The biggest strength for me was the nurse/caretaker perspective. Where the Dead Go to Die is not your typical zombie book - we are talking zombie hospice here - and it added some new things to the zombie genre.
I also enjoyed the characters (even though I victim blamed the hell out of all of them).
The Weaknesses
It was a rough start. I was pretty confused in the beginning trying to piece things together. There were also similes galore which scared me more than anything else, but eventually it all came together. Once the back story got going and all of the holes started filling in, I was solidly along for the ride. I had to give it a good 20%, but it was totally worth it in the end.
Would I recommend Where the Dead Go to Die to others?
Yep. I keep expecting the day to come where I've had my fill of zombies, but today is not that day. As long as folks like Aaron Dries and Mark Allan Gunnells keep coming up with original ideas, I'll be there.
3.5 stars
This was a simple case of being in the mood for a new horror release. I try at all costs to get away with selecting books without reading the descriptions. That's not always possible, but when Crystal Lake Publishing offered up Mark Allan Gunnells's new release, I said yes without knowing it was a zombie book. I'm glad I did! I'm not sure I would have said yes so quickly if I had known the subject matter, and that would have been unfortunate.
The Strengths
The biggest strength for me was the nurse/caretaker perspective. Where the Dead Go to Die is not your typical zombie book - we are talking zombie hospice here - and it added some new things to the zombie genre.
I also enjoyed the characters (even though I victim blamed the hell out of all of them).
The Weaknesses
It was a rough start. I was pretty confused in the beginning trying to piece things together. There were also similes galore which scared me more than anything else, but eventually it all came together. Once the back story got going and all of the holes started filling in, I was solidly along for the ride. I had to give it a good 20%, but it was totally worth it in the end.
Would I recommend Where the Dead Go to Die to others?
Yep. I keep expecting the day to come where I've had my fill of zombies, but today is not that day. As long as folks like Aaron Dries and Mark Allan Gunnells keep coming up with original ideas, I'll be there.
3.5 stars
January 14, 2020
"There was nothing like death to make you want to cling to what little you had left."
Where the Dead Go to Die is not your average post-apocalyptic zombie book. Not in the slightest. This story goes a step up and humanizes the infected, placing them in hospice care before their transition. This book explores acceptance, understanding, love, death, grief, and loss. It explores humanity at its core and how divisive we can all be, if we did not already know that. But we get divisive over some of the silliest things. And fear is a root cause of a lot of that divisive and ignorance.
I read this one in two sittings and could barely put it down that first time. Each page just flowed so easily and both Dries and Gunnells to an excellent job of collaborating and creating a story that is so unique and compelling. Who would have ever guessed that I could be moved by a "zombie story?" But this one is a gem and I highly recommend it!
4.5 stars - rounded up for Goodreads!
Where the Dead Go to Die is not your average post-apocalyptic zombie book. Not in the slightest. This story goes a step up and humanizes the infected, placing them in hospice care before their transition. This book explores acceptance, understanding, love, death, grief, and loss. It explores humanity at its core and how divisive we can all be, if we did not already know that. But we get divisive over some of the silliest things. And fear is a root cause of a lot of that divisive and ignorance.
I read this one in two sittings and could barely put it down that first time. Each page just flowed so easily and both Dries and Gunnells to an excellent job of collaborating and creating a story that is so unique and compelling. Who would have ever guessed that I could be moved by a "zombie story?" But this one is a gem and I highly recommend it!
4.5 stars - rounded up for Goodreads!
November 30, 2021
This was so brutal yet AHhhhhhmazing!!
This book!! THIS DARN BOOK!!! Ughh! My heart hurts!
This is the kind of horror I love!! No holding back! No hands to cover your eyes… just pure HORROR! I’m not talking about “blood and guts” kind of Horror, I’m talking about “this sh*t could happen in real life, gut-wrenching, heart-aching” kind of Horror!
I loved it! I absolutely loved it…. Even though it had me weeping!! But hey… that’s when you know it’s good! If a book can make you emotional… you got a winner! This was an absolute WINNER!!
This book!! THIS DARN BOOK!!! Ughh! My heart hurts!
This is the kind of horror I love!! No holding back! No hands to cover your eyes… just pure HORROR! I’m not talking about “blood and guts” kind of Horror, I’m talking about “this sh*t could happen in real life, gut-wrenching, heart-aching” kind of Horror!
I loved it! I absolutely loved it…. Even though it had me weeping!! But hey… that’s when you know it’s good! If a book can make you emotional… you got a winner! This was an absolute WINNER!!
December 9, 2016
Creepy and disturbing, but mostly just really really sad.
Some hella real feels for a book that's about undead monsters who claw the spines out of people and eat their bones.
Some hella real feels for a book that's about undead monsters who claw the spines out of people and eat their bones.
December 19, 2022
Ahh, the mixed emotions of cursing out the authors at the end of a book, wanting to stand up and applaud, and laughing because your body needs to respond somehow to the information given but nothing seems appropriate.
There are many social issues raised in this book which are all too common in todays world. If you change the disease in this book you could probably put “based on true events” on the cover, which is sad.
There are many social issues raised in this book which are all too common in todays world. If you change the disease in this book you could probably put “based on true events” on the cover, which is sad.
December 16, 2019
Emily Samuels moves herself and her daughter from warm South Carolina to Chicago right before the holiday season. Anyone living in the Midwest would call you an absolute moron for making that decision this time of year but, Emily felt as if she had no choice. They could no longer remain in the South. Memories that now equate to emotional baggage fill every corner of The Palmetto State. As if moving to a region of the country with unforgiving winters at Christmas time isn’t bad enough, Emily has accepted a position as a nurse at a long term care facility, while a contagious infection plagues the country turning citizens into soldiers of the undead, referred to as “Smilers”.
Being a care giver of any kind is difficult. There is the constant moral and ethical struggle of doing what is best for your patient, while also following protocols. Often the outcomes are conflicting. Emily is no stranger to these dilemmas, especially when a young man by the name of Robby is admitted to the Hospice. Children should not be getting admitted to Hospices in the first place so when Emily learns of how Robby contracted this fatal infection, the weight on her shoulders increases.
With this knowledge tugging at her heart strings, her daughter Lucette being suspended from school until after the new year has begun and the constant mob of protesters outside of the Hospice every single day, it’s surprising Emily is able to keep it together as long as she can.
I am usually pretty skeptical when it comes to zombies. It has been done so many times that I usually skip right over it. This story was different. While the book isn’t very long, most of it focuses on Emily as she tries to keep shit running smoothly in all aspects of her work and personal life. I liked that. It was not what I was expecting. We get to meet a few strong females in the director of the Hospice and one of the volunteers that made me want to just keep reading about their day to day lives as they live and work along side the infected. Naturally, the story gets a little wild in the later chapters but, how can you have zombies without even a little blood?
Other than the fact that my favorite character in this novel was done SUPER dirty, there was one part of the story that I found upsetting: the protesters. When I read horror, there are often several emotions that I feel can be relatable to the everyday reader but, not many of the events are. The protestors in Where the Dead Go to Die were one of the few times that I have read a horror story and could relate everything they represent into the current state of our society. The protesters stand outside of this Hospice facility day in and day out, in the dead of a midwestern winter, shouting and berating employees about how “wrong” it is to care for the infected and make them as comfortable as possible before they turn. They’re as good as dead, right? These protesters spit on people. Spit! Our society has become the epitome of a cancel culture. It seems like you cannot go one full day without hearing about how everyone is offended by everything and those who do not agree with whatever group is shouting the loudest is sought out and destroyed. Dramatic yes but, it feels like that most days. By all means, stand up for what you believe in but, take into consideration all the Emily Samuels out there and don’t be a goddamn turd.
Being a care giver of any kind is difficult. There is the constant moral and ethical struggle of doing what is best for your patient, while also following protocols. Often the outcomes are conflicting. Emily is no stranger to these dilemmas, especially when a young man by the name of Robby is admitted to the Hospice. Children should not be getting admitted to Hospices in the first place so when Emily learns of how Robby contracted this fatal infection, the weight on her shoulders increases.
With this knowledge tugging at her heart strings, her daughter Lucette being suspended from school until after the new year has begun and the constant mob of protesters outside of the Hospice every single day, it’s surprising Emily is able to keep it together as long as she can.
I am usually pretty skeptical when it comes to zombies. It has been done so many times that I usually skip right over it. This story was different. While the book isn’t very long, most of it focuses on Emily as she tries to keep shit running smoothly in all aspects of her work and personal life. I liked that. It was not what I was expecting. We get to meet a few strong females in the director of the Hospice and one of the volunteers that made me want to just keep reading about their day to day lives as they live and work along side the infected. Naturally, the story gets a little wild in the later chapters but, how can you have zombies without even a little blood?
Other than the fact that my favorite character in this novel was done SUPER dirty, there was one part of the story that I found upsetting: the protesters. When I read horror, there are often several emotions that I feel can be relatable to the everyday reader but, not many of the events are. The protestors in Where the Dead Go to Die were one of the few times that I have read a horror story and could relate everything they represent into the current state of our society. The protesters stand outside of this Hospice facility day in and day out, in the dead of a midwestern winter, shouting and berating employees about how “wrong” it is to care for the infected and make them as comfortable as possible before they turn. They’re as good as dead, right? These protesters spit on people. Spit! Our society has become the epitome of a cancel culture. It seems like you cannot go one full day without hearing about how everyone is offended by everything and those who do not agree with whatever group is shouting the loudest is sought out and destroyed. Dramatic yes but, it feels like that most days. By all means, stand up for what you believe in but, take into consideration all the Emily Samuels out there and don’t be a goddamn turd.
March 23, 2025
My first ever zombie book, and what fun I had! I scare easily and hate gore, but had no problems reading Where the Dead Go to Die. The plot rolled along swiftly, the characters engaged me and both the zombies and the humans' decline into zombiehood were suitably chilling.
I found the concept of people infected with the zombie virus being cared for in a hospice as the disease gradually takes hold an intriguing one. Maybe this isn't original in the history of zombie literature, but for me it certainly was.
The ending isn't a happy one and I felt like strangling a particular character, but I liked that it provoked a strong emotional reaction in me. Overall a great, scary, thought-provoking read.
I found the concept of people infected with the zombie virus being cared for in a hospice as the disease gradually takes hold an intriguing one. Maybe this isn't original in the history of zombie literature, but for me it certainly was.
The ending isn't a happy one and I felt like strangling a particular character, but I liked that it provoked a strong emotional reaction in me. Overall a great, scary, thought-provoking read.
December 5, 2016
After being involved in a community of horror aficionado’s for over a decade now, it’s always a treat to come across new voices in the genre – those you can ascertain (without any great prodding) have an instinctual and genuine love of the genus. Though only new to this reviewer, of course. Because - as all of us working in the field today know intimately – purveying the landscape of horror in its written form is a lifelong pursuit, one that begins prematurely and is never completely abandoned. Although Where The Dead Go To Die is my first introduction to both authors on show, I foresee a relationship forming that is permanent.
As hinted by the title, this is a novel that tackles a zombie apocalypse – but of the type we seldom encounter. Here, the carnage is like background music to the greater whole: a whole that sheds a spotlight on the domestic aspect of family and relationships. Primarily, the novel is a dissection and foreshadowing of how these units respond to an enigmatic infection … and how bonds are forged and weakened by a threat that (although for the most part contained) still looms visceral and menacing in everyday life.
Emily Samuels is a single mother working as a nurse in a hospice interred with the infected. A latent disease, almost a year can transpire before the septic succumb to the labels of Smiler or Bone Eater. During this incubation period, it falls to staff like Emily to ensure this slow transition is tempered with just enough humanity to keep relatives and the populace happy. For in this realm, even the word zombie has been regulated to the shadows; books and movies dealing with the theme subjected to censorship. Of course, there are those who oppose such flagrant liberalism – who frequently picket the hospice and demand the soon to dead have no right to existence. It’s a heady concoction; a deft social commentary echoing Romero’s penchant for the same formula.
Here, the authors have painted a strong protagonist. But overall it’s the supporting characters who steal the more memorable scenes. There’s Emily’s daughter Lucette, a young girl forced to bear intimate witness to her own father’s sluggish demise. There’s Mama Metcalf, a durable member of the staff who briefly takes on the mantle of surrogate mother and grandmother. Inside the hospice, new arrivals are a constant … including young Robbie, a boy whose baptism into the undead is as taboo as it is heartbreaking. Against the backdrop of a snow-laden Chicago Christmas, all of the players converge in a showdown of wiles, death, and prejudices.
To give more away here would be an injustice to what lies in store. Though rest assured this is also a novel containing enough graceful and (at times) poetic prose that it reads much like the origami motif the authors have chosen interweave throughout. In essence, a flat piece of paper has been sculpted into a beautiful yet horrific work of art.
Note: Where The Dead Go To Die also contains many lush illustrations by the author.
December 20, 2020
Tired of zombie stories? They’re all the same and no one has anything new to say in that particular sub-genre? I get it. I’ve read two books in recent memory that had something new to say and didn’t just involve hordes of mindless brain-munchers overwhelming a gritty group of survivors. One of those books was River of Souls by T.L.Bodine. and this is the other - the brainchild of authors Mark Allan Gunnells and Aaron Dries.
What really separates Where the Dead Go to Die from other zombie lit is that it’s not really about the zombies. It’s a story that takes place post-apocalypse and sure, zombies are involved, but the main focus is on the people. Especially those working in the care ward where, well, I guess where the dead go to die. A type of hospice care to help future zombies transition from infected to undead with dignity and love.
Dries and Gunnells craft a world where zealots gather outside the hospice, protesting and resisting empathy, not trying to hide the resemblance to pro-lifers gathered outside a family planning clinic. In this bleak world - I mean it’s the zombie apocalypse, and this is the best thing you have to do? - the story focuses on the people who pass the protestors every day to bring a bit of humanity to the newly infected and doomed people living there.
The story focuses on Emily, a new nurse on the ward and a transplant from warmer climes, but for me, and seemingly blatant by the authors, it’s Robby we immediately invest in. The back cover doesn’t tell you why, so I won’t go into it either, but suffice it to say if you become emotionally invested in your horror when children are involved, this one knows precisely which buttons to push.
To my great shame, I haven’t read enough Gunnells to know how much of his style makes its way into this book, but Dries is certainly on display here. Situations and plot themes that are far from surface level, as well as shocking gore when might least expect it point an accusatory finger at the Aussie author. Despite my lack of expertise of Gunnells’ style, there are no points in the story where changes of voice or style are jarring. Rather the story flows seamlessly all the way through.
Emotionally charged with depth and a lot to say, Where the Dead Go to Die is a poignant piece of holiday horror that doesn’t need to be read in December. I’m putting it here to keep myself honest, I’ll be checking out more of Mark Allan Gunnells’ work.
What really separates Where the Dead Go to Die from other zombie lit is that it’s not really about the zombies. It’s a story that takes place post-apocalypse and sure, zombies are involved, but the main focus is on the people. Especially those working in the care ward where, well, I guess where the dead go to die. A type of hospice care to help future zombies transition from infected to undead with dignity and love.
Dries and Gunnells craft a world where zealots gather outside the hospice, protesting and resisting empathy, not trying to hide the resemblance to pro-lifers gathered outside a family planning clinic. In this bleak world - I mean it’s the zombie apocalypse, and this is the best thing you have to do? - the story focuses on the people who pass the protestors every day to bring a bit of humanity to the newly infected and doomed people living there.
The story focuses on Emily, a new nurse on the ward and a transplant from warmer climes, but for me, and seemingly blatant by the authors, it’s Robby we immediately invest in. The back cover doesn’t tell you why, so I won’t go into it either, but suffice it to say if you become emotionally invested in your horror when children are involved, this one knows precisely which buttons to push.
To my great shame, I haven’t read enough Gunnells to know how much of his style makes its way into this book, but Dries is certainly on display here. Situations and plot themes that are far from surface level, as well as shocking gore when might least expect it point an accusatory finger at the Aussie author. Despite my lack of expertise of Gunnells’ style, there are no points in the story where changes of voice or style are jarring. Rather the story flows seamlessly all the way through.
Emotionally charged with depth and a lot to say, Where the Dead Go to Die is a poignant piece of holiday horror that doesn’t need to be read in December. I’m putting it here to keep myself honest, I’ll be checking out more of Mark Allan Gunnells’ work.
February 7, 2017
4.5 Stars
Where the Dead Go to Die by Aaron Dries was a pleasant find thanks to my friends here at Goodreads. I have turned off from the whole over played, been there done that post apocalyptic genre for quite some time now. I mean enough is enough and I simply don't care for it anymore. It is funny how going main stream proves the old adage that too much of...well, just about anything is not good.
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"Evolve or die. That’s all there has ever been."
Dries gives us a post apocalyptic story that includes zombies but it is really about so much more. This is a character study, a study of the human condition, as well as a study in love. The story is fast paced and a lot happens in a short time. The writing is fun and descriptive...
"A smiler. A bone eater. A zombie. No matter what it was called, the outcome was the same. Jordan was bleeding, and if he was bleeding—(don’t say it!) —then he would, in time, become one of them. Emily swiped again, connecting with the side of the creature’s head. A chunk of decomposing flesh with an ear attached slapped the earth, maggots flew through the air. The man rolled off her husband’s chest. Blood jetted across Emily’s sneakers. The bone eater thrashed, long legs kicking, revealing the nub of its cock and withered balls. That’s where Emily aimed her next swing. Thud. She castrated it with a single arc, drew the shovel back and ground the genitals into a pulp. Inky soup ebbed from the mess left behind, slow as honey, and her victory just as sweet."
Emily is a good protagonist with a heartbreaking backstory...
"Emily nodded, accepting his help. Care givers needed to care, it was as simple as that, and she thought it wrong to stand in the way of that. Given time—and from the look of it not much—Death would be the one to sever that relationship, and when it did, Vick would adopt the empty glare of those forced to live without purpose. Emily had witnessed this too many times."
Well I guess, Where the Dead Go to Die proved to me that the post apocalyptic genre still has some teeth. I enjoyed this book, more so because of my loathing of the over done genre. This is an easy zombie book for me to recommend.
Where the Dead Go to Die by Aaron Dries was a pleasant find thanks to my friends here at Goodreads. I have turned off from the whole over played, been there done that post apocalyptic genre for quite some time now. I mean enough is enough and I simply don't care for it anymore. It is funny how going main stream proves the old adage that too much of...well, just about anything is not good.
---
"Evolve or die. That’s all there has ever been."
Dries gives us a post apocalyptic story that includes zombies but it is really about so much more. This is a character study, a study of the human condition, as well as a study in love. The story is fast paced and a lot happens in a short time. The writing is fun and descriptive...
"A smiler. A bone eater. A zombie. No matter what it was called, the outcome was the same. Jordan was bleeding, and if he was bleeding—(don’t say it!) —then he would, in time, become one of them. Emily swiped again, connecting with the side of the creature’s head. A chunk of decomposing flesh with an ear attached slapped the earth, maggots flew through the air. The man rolled off her husband’s chest. Blood jetted across Emily’s sneakers. The bone eater thrashed, long legs kicking, revealing the nub of its cock and withered balls. That’s where Emily aimed her next swing. Thud. She castrated it with a single arc, drew the shovel back and ground the genitals into a pulp. Inky soup ebbed from the mess left behind, slow as honey, and her victory just as sweet."
Emily is a good protagonist with a heartbreaking backstory...
"Emily nodded, accepting his help. Care givers needed to care, it was as simple as that, and she thought it wrong to stand in the way of that. Given time—and from the look of it not much—Death would be the one to sever that relationship, and when it did, Vick would adopt the empty glare of those forced to live without purpose. Emily had witnessed this too many times."
Well I guess, Where the Dead Go to Die proved to me that the post apocalyptic genre still has some teeth. I enjoyed this book, more so because of my loathing of the over done genre. This is an easy zombie book for me to recommend.
November 7, 2019
It’s years after the infection started. The smilers are no longer hunted and killed on sight. Instead, they are tended to in facilities, allowed to spend remaining days with as much dignity as possible. Care givers tend to their needs until their last breath.
Emily is one of those care givers. She’s there to help them, give comfort and support, and protect them from others and themselves. She thinks she’s an ordinary woman. A single mother trying to make ends meet. I think she is brave. There’s still a risk of infection if careless. She watches as the night screams fade and the patients change. become the smilers, right before the end. Doesn’t shy from the dirty work. She’s already been through it on a much more personal level.
Where The Dead Go To Die is what I call a quiet horror story. It’s those hushed little scenes in between the ordinary ones that make the most impact. I know they have importance and stay in the back of mind, to be brought out later when the authors uncloak more.
I was so swept up in this story. The political machinations and moral ramifications bounced around in my head. The authors made me forget this was fiction and made me really think, Think how I would navigate this world, How I would feel about the smilers. Whether I might be one of those I looked down upon in the story or one of those I looked up to. How could I know? That questioning was very deep. Several times I actually stopped reading to contemplate what I’d just experienced.
And all through this quiet horror story, I knew bad things were coming. The quiet would be shattered by things horrific. The infrastructure would crumble. Things wouldn’t be contained. And the horror would become a roar.
This was an original and engrossing spin on zombie stories. I came away from it thinking I had to see what else these two authors had written. And I’m still catching myself thinking about what occurred in these pages.
I received a complimentary copy. My review is voluntarily given.
Emily is one of those care givers. She’s there to help them, give comfort and support, and protect them from others and themselves. She thinks she’s an ordinary woman. A single mother trying to make ends meet. I think she is brave. There’s still a risk of infection if careless. She watches as the night screams fade and the patients change. become the smilers, right before the end. Doesn’t shy from the dirty work. She’s already been through it on a much more personal level.
Where The Dead Go To Die is what I call a quiet horror story. It’s those hushed little scenes in between the ordinary ones that make the most impact. I know they have importance and stay in the back of mind, to be brought out later when the authors uncloak more.
I was so swept up in this story. The political machinations and moral ramifications bounced around in my head. The authors made me forget this was fiction and made me really think, Think how I would navigate this world, How I would feel about the smilers. Whether I might be one of those I looked down upon in the story or one of those I looked up to. How could I know? That questioning was very deep. Several times I actually stopped reading to contemplate what I’d just experienced.
And all through this quiet horror story, I knew bad things were coming. The quiet would be shattered by things horrific. The infrastructure would crumble. Things wouldn’t be contained. And the horror would become a roar.
This was an original and engrossing spin on zombie stories. I came away from it thinking I had to see what else these two authors had written. And I’m still catching myself thinking about what occurred in these pages.
I received a complimentary copy. My review is voluntarily given.
June 9, 2021
The world is a very dark place. There’s a contagion on the loose and if you catch it, you will die, but not before you basically become a zombie. You lose your mind while your facial features develop into a never-ending rictus smile. Then near the end you want to eat peoples’ bones and because you have enormous strength at this time, you pull out their spinal cords and nibble on the discs. Lots of people want all Smilers, Bone Eaters, and Zombies dead, but other people want them put into hospices, so that they can receive care and die with dignity. It’s one of these hospices where Emily goes to work. She knows it’s dangerous, but she feels she has to do it. All Emily wants is to keep her daughter, Lucette, safe in an unsafe world. This story focuses on Emily, the other workers in the hospital, Lucette, and one particular infected boy, Robbie, who Lucette has become friends with. Of all the dark stories I’ve ever read, this may well be the darkest. I had a really hard time putting it down. There were some chuckles in this one, provided by Mama Metcalf. I thought this was a good story and I liked it. It was a good length and created lots of curiosity for the reader, always wondering how bad the ending will be, because it doesn’t take long to realize that this story doesn’t end well for anyone. I also appreciated having illustrations. They were especially creepy.
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