
Author: James Cheetham
Publisher: Wild Child Publishing
REVIEW:
Terry and Suzanne are two strangers thrown together. Terry, on his way home from the US to Canada, meets Suzanne in exceptional circumstances. Together, they fly a small plane in an attempt to flee the madness that has overtaken the world. A 'virus' has been spreading—a virus that kills, yet allows the dead to come alive again, to wreak havoc on the living as zombies.
However, the plane crashes, and Terry and Suzanne must find a place of safety or risk becoming zombies themselves. They happen upon a small farm. Glenn, the farmer, seems reticent to allow them entry into his home at first. And who can blame him? He has endured untold horrors since the viral outbreak.
The threesome form a bond and realise that they must leave Glenn's farm and find a safer place, for the wandering dead make their presence felt in more ways than one… Terry's urge to find his wife and children overrides his own safety. Suzanne's need to assuage inner demons is a difficult task. And Glenn must learn to accept that his previous actions before meeting Terry and Suzanne were ones he had to take—he had no choice.
With the greatest snow storm that the trio have ever experienced swirling around them, they make their way to Terry's home. His empty home… Survival instinct kicks in, and all three people must come to terms with who they are, what their lives had been like, and what their lives will become. Fighting to stay alive, with supplies running out fast, they must acknowledge that the world as they knew it has changed beyond all recognition and venture into the unknown in their attempt to reach a zombie-free sanctuary.
Cabin fever sits waiting to claim the trio in its web of insanity, while the weather connives to keep them indoors. However, cabin fever and the elements didn't bargain on human survival instinct being so strong, and the threesome venture outside with determined bravery.
Will Terry find his family? Will Suzanne combat OCD? Will Glenn ever forgive himself for his past actions?
A fabulous read that chilled my bones at times—a fantastic exploration into three people's personalities and how they coped with a world gone mad, while attempting to stave off the insanity that lurks at every turn. Prairie Frost is a must read for all horror enthusiasts. I really do recommend this book. An excellent look into the human psyche, the kind of look that made me examine what I would do in such a situation. And the zombies! Marvellous! They are weird, quirky, frightening and, at times, endearing. Mr. Cheetham pens a fine tale, in my opinion. Bravo, sir!
Review by Lovely Butterfly at Cocktail reviews
http://cocktailreviews.wordpress.com/2007/12/05/seasons-of-the-brittle-harvest-vol-1-prairie-frost-wild-child-publishing/