Thanks to Mr Ripley of the excellent Mr Ripley’s Enchanted Books, I managed to get my hands on a proof copy of Charlie Higson’s new teen novel – The Enemy.
Look, here it is here…
I sat down to read this book last night, and didn’t move from that spot until I finished it some time after 3am. No matter how many times I told myself I’d read “just one more chapter”, I kept turning those pages, desperate to find out how the story ended.
But before I go into full-on gushing praise mode, here’s the official blurb:
Book synopsis
They’ll chase you. They’ll rip you open. They’ll feed on you… When the sickness came, every parent, policeman, politician – every adult – fell ill. The lucky ones died. The others are crazed, confused and hungry.
Only children under fourteen remain, and they’re fighting to survive. Now there are rumours of a safe place to hide. And so a gang of children begin their quest across London, where all through the city – down alleyways, in deserted houses, underground – the grown-ups lie in wait. But can they make it there – alive?
The synopsis really only pays lip-service to the story, though, as there are several strands running throughout the books – some of which tie up at the end, while others are left wide open for future books (of which I hope there are many).
On one level, this is a zombie story for teens, packed with rotting flesh, shuffling cadavers, and some scenes of full-scale gore. At its heart, though, this is a story about what it means to be a teenager, finding your own way in the world, and learning exactly who you are.
It is populated by a large cast of characters – some instantly likeable, others just the opposite, but all well-drawn and three-dimensional – and their interactions as friendships develop (and often crumble) sets this book well above the average horror novel.
Characters die – real characters, you’ve come to root for – and tragedy fills almost every chapter, but there’s a rip-roaring adventure in there, too, which will have you cheering almost as much as it’ll have you gasping with shock.
This is without question one of my favourite books ever, and it if isn’t an instant smash when it is released in September, I’ll welcome the zombie apocalypse with open arms.
No Comments on "The Enemy – Charlie Higson"