Paul Tremblay wrote a zombie book! Well, a “zombie” book. Late to the game, as usual, I write this review acknowledging that this would have hit a lot different a few months into the Covid quarantine days but alas, I only started picking Tremblay up last year. Regardless…Paul Tremblay wrote a zombie book!

Fast paced from page one, “Survivor Song” is a nail-biting, grief stricken, platonic love story that I could not put down if you paid me to. A couple real pretentious knuckleheads complained about the dialogue and character believability (oh no, women talked!) in the reviews a couple years ago and I’d hazard a guess that they aren’t real fun at parties. What’s the litmus test for how to behave in an apocalypse? I think Tremblay really knocked it out of the park with all of the characters, including the more…cough conservative cough, players.

That being said, this is was a really quick read. The book technically only encompasses a day and we’re supposed to feel Real Big Feelings (TM) about what’s happening to who and how and where. I was able to do that because I’m an Emotional Guy (TM). This book could be a challenge for readers who struggle with macro vs. micro level impact stories: you’re picking up a 300 page book that’s about two people making decisions about survival and it’s going to make you a little sad and also a little happy maybe. If you need a bigger apocalypse story read the Bible or something.

5/5 Paul Tremblay could write the phone book and I’d read it.