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mxsallybend's review against another edition
4.0
As my eyes lingered over the first pages of The Plumbers, I wondered whether I really wanted to read about a plague right now. I mean, it’s really hard not to see the COVID-19 parallels in Terry M. West’s latest offering. As those same eyes raced over the final pages, however, I realized this is precisely the kind of story I wanted to read.
I wanted to laugh at a virus. I wanted to scoff at society. I wanted to cheer on ordinary heroes. I wanted to face the horror and the dread and the sorrow and come out the other side.
I wanted . . . I daresay I needed . . . The Plumbers.
There’s a lot going on in this slender novella, and it all works. There’s horror in the fast-moving ravenous zombies, comedy in the friendship between Liam and Pierce, thrills aplenty in the fight against the zombies, satire in the breakdown of a wealthy community, and sorrow in the loss of friends and family.
The surrealism of the two men careening through mobs of zombies in their van, telling dirty jokes as they casually toss pipe bombs out the window, is utterly brilliant . . . just as the shocking horror of a woman who’s had enough, who chooses to face mortality on her terms, is devastatingly poignant. Yeah, it’s a cliché, but this is a book to make you laugh and cry, and that emotional catharsis is something we need, especially in how its shared with Liam.
I expected something lighter from Terry, something more consistently comedic, but the dark turn to soul-searching horror and the emotional weight of the ending is what makes The Plumbers such a solid read. Definitely recommended.
https://femledfantasy.home.blog/2020/10/22/book-review-the-plumbers-by-terry-m-west/
I wanted to laugh at a virus. I wanted to scoff at society. I wanted to cheer on ordinary heroes. I wanted to face the horror and the dread and the sorrow and come out the other side.
I wanted . . . I daresay I needed . . . The Plumbers.
There’s a lot going on in this slender novella, and it all works. There’s horror in the fast-moving ravenous zombies, comedy in the friendship between Liam and Pierce, thrills aplenty in the fight against the zombies, satire in the breakdown of a wealthy community, and sorrow in the loss of friends and family.
The surrealism of the two men careening through mobs of zombies in their van, telling dirty jokes as they casually toss pipe bombs out the window, is utterly brilliant . . . just as the shocking horror of a woman who’s had enough, who chooses to face mortality on her terms, is devastatingly poignant. Yeah, it’s a cliché, but this is a book to make you laugh and cry, and that emotional catharsis is something we need, especially in how its shared with Liam.
The world’s always had teeth. All it did finally was knock down the cardboard fort we were hidden behind. It showed us how ridiculous, tiny, and vulnerable we really are.
I expected something lighter from Terry, something more consistently comedic, but the dark turn to soul-searching horror and the emotional weight of the ending is what makes The Plumbers such a solid read. Definitely recommended.
https://femledfantasy.home.blog/2020/10/22/book-review-the-plumbers-by-terry-m-west/
johnlynchbooks's review against another edition
5.0
Terry M West returns with a new novella, his twist on a zombie novel. The CRUD is making everyone sick, meanwhile Liam and Pierce must still go on about their lives while avoiding CRUD.
Through and Through, this is a dark comedy/horror. The relationship between Liam and Pierce is believable. The dynamic between the two of them is a crude joke telling nature and I think Terry nailed that part. It’s not all jokes here, west brings some gruesomeness here, and from what I’ve heard, there’s more to come. Give this one a try, it’s the best kind of bananas.
Through and Through, this is a dark comedy/horror. The relationship between Liam and Pierce is believable. The dynamic between the two of them is a crude joke telling nature and I think Terry nailed that part. It’s not all jokes here, west brings some gruesomeness here, and from what I’ve heard, there’s more to come. Give this one a try, it’s the best kind of bananas.
howlinglibraries's review against another edition
I don't think this one is quite for me, but it's not because there's anything wrong with the book — I think I'm just not in the mood for the jokes right now. That said, I can see The Plumbers appealing to a LOT of readers (especially anyone looking for a similar feel to Shaun of the Dead or something along those lines), and I could see myself giving it another go some time when I'm more in the mood for a comedy/horror cross-over!
biancarosesmith's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars.
Darkly funny, unique and a lot of fun!
This is a really fun read and a unique take on virus horror stories. Perfect timing too with COVID-19 still rampant! (Also, I swear it’s a coincidence I’ve read two virus horror stories in the past week
Darkly funny, unique and a lot of fun!
This is a really fun read and a unique take on virus horror stories. Perfect timing too with COVID-19 still rampant! (Also, I swear it’s a coincidence I’ve read two virus horror stories in the past week
spookyoctopusreads's review against another edition
4.0
Liam and Pierce gave me some serious Tucker & Dale Vs. Evil vibes, and I was totally digging it. The first time I saw that movie, I loved everything about the characters. They are goofy and real. They are relatable and the type of people you could run across just about anywhere. That is exactly how Liam and Pierce were portrayed in this story- totally likable "real" characters. I think one thing that West did very well in this novella was the well thought out characterization which really created a sense of immersion in the story. You could feel yourself riding in the plumbers' van right along with them to their next job. The humorous banter between the two sometimes had me giggling to myself, and Pierce especially had some awesome lines that helped to keep the light mood of this horror/comedy.
As the story plays out, we learn that Liam and Pierce are two normal guys who lead relatively mundane lives as plumbers, except this particular day turns out to be far from mundane. The men take on a job in one of the parts of town that has been overridden with "the crud." In other words, there are zombies crawling around this part of town. The job starts off easy enough, until the men hear some strange sounds like the husband of the house may be distressed in a room adjoining the upstairs bath. Then....all hell breaks loose and the story goes from 50 to 100 in a matter of pages.
It's rare that you get a zombie apocalypse story quite like this one. I love a good zombie story, and when you throw in some humor and witty banter, it just seals the deal. The only downfall for me was that I actually wanted more zombies! Through much of the book, we get a lot of build up and background building for the relationship between Liam and Pierce. I feel that this background building may have been done in hopes of providing more installments of this unlikely zombie fighting duo? Well, at least those are my hopes. :) I recommend that you pick this one up if you're down for a fast paced zom-com, and let's be real, who wouldn't be down for a zom-com?
**Thanks to Terry M. West for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.**
As the story plays out, we learn that Liam and Pierce are two normal guys who lead relatively mundane lives as plumbers, except this particular day turns out to be far from mundane. The men take on a job in one of the parts of town that has been overridden with "the crud." In other words, there are zombies crawling around this part of town. The job starts off easy enough, until the men hear some strange sounds like the husband of the house may be distressed in a room adjoining the upstairs bath. Then....all hell breaks loose and the story goes from 50 to 100 in a matter of pages.
It's rare that you get a zombie apocalypse story quite like this one. I love a good zombie story, and when you throw in some humor and witty banter, it just seals the deal. The only downfall for me was that I actually wanted more zombies! Through much of the book, we get a lot of build up and background building for the relationship between Liam and Pierce. I feel that this background building may have been done in hopes of providing more installments of this unlikely zombie fighting duo? Well, at least those are my hopes. :) I recommend that you pick this one up if you're down for a fast paced zom-com, and let's be real, who wouldn't be down for a zom-com?
**Thanks to Terry M. West for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.**
mathe's review
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death
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