A review by geofroggatt
Husk by Corey Redekop

4.0

Husk remains one of my favorite books that surprised me. I have a deep core memory surrounding this book. I remember my road trip to Tofino, British Columbia where I visited a small secondhand bookstore. I picked this book up on a whim and bought it because of the cover art. I read it throughout the entire trip, in the cabin, on the beach, and during the entire road trip home. Outlandish and emotional, this humorous novel centers on Sheldon Funk, a struggling actor who dies in a bus restroom only to awaken during his autopsy and attack the coroner. Fleeing into the wintry streets of Toronto, Sheldon realizes he’s now a zombie—as if he didn’t have enough on his plate already. His last audition, reading for the reality television series House Bingo, had gone disastrously wrong. His mother is in the late stages of dementia, his savings are depleted, his agent couldn’t care less, and his boyfriend is little more than a set of nice abs. All Sheldon has to his name is a house he can barely hold onto and a cat that is more pillow than mammal. Now he also has to contend with decomposition, the scent of the open grave, and an unending appetite for human flesh—and on top of it all, there’s another audition in the morning. In order to survive his death without literally falling apart, Sheldon must find a way to combine his old life with his new addiction, which would be a lot easier if he could stop eating vagrants. A hysterical take on fame, love, religion, politics, and appetite, this is the story of the “everyzombie” people long to be. Content warning for death, dementia and gore. I loved this book for having a gay protagonist who’s story and conflicts have nothing to do with being homosexual. I loved the humorous story and writing style. Sheldon was a hilarious character and I couldn’t help but root for him, even when I shouldn’t. I loved where the story began and where the story ended. The story took some ridiculous turns but embraced the hilarity of the storyline and situations. I would love to reread this now that I’m older and can see some of the deeper commentary that went over my head the first time that I read this book. I highly recommend this book if you’d love a good zombie romp.