Scan barcode
whatyoutolkienabout's review
5.0
I adore horror and a lot of Tim Lebbon’s other work but being someone who is also rather concerned about climate change I was excited to dive into this one and I have to say I was not disappointed in the least. We get Lebbon’s mastery of horror from a new angle. A pseudo survival horror and best of all, because I love fungi in all it’s weird and wonderful forms, a sort of cordyceps fungi that is potentially going to infect the wider world.
Now I never go in for full or any spoilers if I can help it. So what I will say is the writing is fantastic and the pacing really brings home the urgency. The first couple of paragraphs easily set the scene, including the broken friendship between activists and those who would exploit the earth further for the minerals it can offer. This in itself was a good set up since we have two groups of people from different ethical and political view points who will potentially have to work together to get out alive. I will say I wasn’t particularly fond of any of the characters, besides Bethan and Goyo, but given this is an horror book I wasn’t planning to get attached anyway!
I did enjoy the survival aspect as well as the dangers. I also liked how this was ultimately left a little ambivalent to if the contagion was natural, a type of fauna or flora from eons ago or something more. Lebbon does a great job at creating a local tradition and folklore around the contagion as well. And that ending was perfect, even if it left me wanting more.
The final thing I liked about this is it did make you think. Yes this is fiction but could something like this be lurking frozen in permafrost and what could happen if or when it’s released. If you love horror and particularly eco-horror this is one you can’t miss.
Now I never go in for full or any spoilers if I can help it. So what I will say is the writing is fantastic and the pacing really brings home the urgency. The first couple of paragraphs easily set the scene, including the broken friendship between activists and those who would exploit the earth further for the minerals it can offer. This in itself was a good set up since we have two groups of people from different ethical and political view points who will potentially have to work together to get out alive. I will say I wasn’t particularly fond of any of the characters, besides Bethan and Goyo, but given this is an horror book I wasn’t planning to get attached anyway!
I did enjoy the survival aspect as well as the dangers. I also liked how this was ultimately left a little ambivalent to if the contagion was natural, a type of fauna or flora from eons ago or something more. Lebbon does a great job at creating a local tradition and folklore around the contagion as well. And that ending was perfect, even if it left me wanting more.
The final thing I liked about this is it did make you think. Yes this is fiction but could something like this be lurking frozen in permafrost and what could happen if or when it’s released. If you love horror and particularly eco-horror this is one you can’t miss.
henripop's review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
teaandtales1's review
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
This book was so frustratingly bad. So many characters making the worst decisions over and over again.
charliettea's review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
Among the Living was a decent contagion & climate change horror. I found it to be fast-paced and filled with gruesome imagery. It's a 3/5 for me, and I think maybe just something about the characters put me off, not sure how to explain.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence and Body horror
ol1ygat0r's review
4.0
This was awesome, a brutally violent horror-thriller that felt grounded in real fears. Set against a backdrop of climate change, two rival teams of explorers converge upon a remote island off the coast of Alaska. What they will discover has the potential to eradicate the planet. Absorbing and scary not only from the body horror but the wider ideas at play, this is cerebral, existential horror that never loses grip on the compelling, pulse pounding story at its heart.
brigitte66's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
philippa14's review
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Fun horror romp through the snow! And we all know, due to recent events the real horrors are contagious 😷
eljamison's review
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
nika_nix's review
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This was just okay. It started off really strong, the beginning was very creepy and intriguing but the further the story went, the more bored I got. I didn't cared for any of the charcters, except for maybe Goyo, and I definitely I didn't give a single fuck about Dean's and Bethan's drama from the past, it felt super unnecessary for the whole story. The plot was a bit repetitive and I feel like this could've been a novella or a short story and it would've been more effective.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore and Blood
greyreads's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25