The war happened. The strain of flu that began turning people into zombies was real, and the Torchers were created to fight the very real threat. Flamethrowers are the weapon of choice: only fire can destroy the virus and kill the host at a distance. 15 years later, Josh can't get enough of the video game based on what happened. He is addicted to killing meatbags, and racking up points with his best friend. Despite his mother's disapproval, he's been sneaking around, playing it on the sly.
When the best player in the game, Charlie, sends him a note to meet up, he isn't sure what to think. He's heard rumors about IRL (in real life) games, but that's just an urban legend, right? Charlie is a girl - imagine that, who says girls can't game? She tells him about an IRL that's going on, and invites him to join up. Dream come true...or so he tells himself. He suits up, gets his own flame thrower (how cool is this?!) and gets filled in on the game. Clatter, their benefactor, has designed some animatronic fake zombies and sets up all the games. People from outside pay top dollar to gamble and watch it play out. Members of the team get bonuses for killing z's. This could even be lucrative...although it also seems kind of illegal...
The games get more and more intense, team members are constantly getting hurt or dropping out. As time goes on, Josh starts to suspect that there is more to the game than anyone is letting on. Then there's Z: a drug that Clatter is manufacturing. It makes you feel like a zombie. It's like nothing he's ever known, and playing the IRL on Z is addictive...just like his relationship with Charlie.
Things take a turn for the awful, and Josh realizes he is involved in something so much worse than he realized. Can they possibly find a way out of this mess?
This quick read is great for gamers, zombie lovers, and male readers.
"Now he understood why Charlie liked it. The Z had really helped him get into the zombie mood. He'd seen things differently, felt things differently. Everything had been more intense - primal. He'd hunted the Torchers liike they were animals, smelling them out and following the sound of their hearts beating," (Ford pg. 144, 2010).*Library Link*
If you liked this, check out:
Suicide Notes by Michael Thomas Ford
Rot and Ruin by Jonathan Maberry
The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan (Forest of Hands and Teeth, Book 1)
Ford, M. T. (2010). Z. New York: HarperTeen.
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