Review: State of Decay by Peggy Martinez

State of Decay
by Peggy Martinez

Despite what you’ve been told, the Apocalypse doesn’t begin with fire raining down from the heavens, nor does it begin with the human race falling down on their faces in supplication before a triumphant god. No, the sounds of the Apocalypse are much more terrifying than that, and I should know … I’ve heard them, and hearing the world tumble into chaos around me is not something I’ll ever forget.


My name is Melody Carter.
 
A Boeing 767 fell from the sky and wiped out most of my neighborhood. But, that's the least of my worries.
 
My list of "Things I'm Most Worried About" shifted dramatically when my dad told me that charred corpses tried to make a meal out of their rescuers ... I'm thinking yours would too.
 
This is my story.
 
It's not for the faint of heart.

Published January 20, 2014 by CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform 

    

My Thoughts

I am a huge fan of zombie fiction, and State of Decay nails it!

I have had the State of Decay novellas on my "to-read" list for quite some time now, and I'm glad I finally pushed them to the top of the list.

It is amazing that Peggy Martinez is able to pack so much character and plot into these short pieces! Her writing is perfect for this length of book. She gets to the point, and leaves out all the unnecessary words. Every part is wrapped up very nicely; I don't feel like the story has been lopped in half at all.

I love that the main character is sassy and a kick-ass girl, thanks to the training she got from her military dad. It makes her comfort with a handgun strapped to her leg and an M4 slung across her back more believable. She is strong, yet vulnerable in some ways, and so very likeable. It's impossible not to cheer for her to survive, because she "...wasn't going down without a fight."

I adore Peggy Martinez’s writing—the gory details, from the “stench of the putrid bodies, hot and bloated by the summer sun” to rotten fluids seeping out of zombie skulls.

"No matter how many times I would have to stick my knife into the skull of the undead until rotten fluids seeped out, I'd never get used to the reek."

I find it fascinating when an author describes a scene with so much detail that I find myself in the midst of the sights, sounds, and even scent of the setting. I love being transported to their imaginary world. Peggy Martinez did that for me with State of Decay.

"Have you ever tasted the scent of rot and decay on the back of your tongue? It's no palate pleaser, that's for sure."

In Part Two of State of Decay, we learn the origin of the virus. Peggy Martinez crafted a fascinating—and terrifying—story to the virus’s source as a jungle parasite. I’m not a doctor or a scientist, but it seems a believable enough story. That’s what makes it terrifying. The irony of how our technology mutated the virus—a technology created to heal us—is not lost on me.

I love the theme of Part Three: What is the point of surviving if you lose your humanity in the process? What does everything matter if we let ourselves turn into a different breed of monster?" Thought-provoking questions in a world of undead monsters. 

"What was the point of survival if you lost yourself in the process?"

One of the things I like most about the last novella in the series is the chapter titles. You'll have to read it for yourself, but I thought they were clever. Each of them brought a smile to my face, even amidst the zombie killing chaos.

State of Decay is filled with more action than you expect, of course lots of zombie gore, and characters you love and connect with easily. And some you love to hate.

I love a good series that leaves me feeling satisfied, and Part 4 wraps it all up nicely. Though there is still some heartache and loss in the last novella, we're left with a feeling of hope. What more could you ask for in a zombie apocalypse?

"We were beginning to have hope again. And where there is hope, there is life. And that's more than any of us had had in a very long time."

Though all four of them have quite a few spelling and homophone issues that can be easily corrected with a simple proofread, they don't overly distract from the plot.

State of Decay is easily in my Top 10 list of favorite zombie reads.

About Peggy Martinez

Peggy Martinez is a homeschooling mom of one boy and four girls. She has been married to her soul mate, Omar, since January 2000. She enjoys reading, writing, soap making, all things aromatherapy, and Twizzlers- lots of Twizzlers. She dreams of one day owning a small homestead, raising some chickens along with her children, growing a large garden, and eventually taking a dream vacation to Greece. It isn't too far fetched to think you could happen upon her and her husband having a conversation about religion, political conspiracies, a zombie apocalypse, or gangster movies.

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