Monster Island

Monster Island

David Wellington
2006

David Wellington's Monster Island takes a very different approach to the horror genre. It is very rare (for me at least) to find any novels on Zombies that are good. When you think of zombies in any written form they are manly found in comics or graphic novels. Zombies overall are just a visual monster. It's almost like you have to see it in order to really believe it. Zombies just don't have the same structure as say Vampires or Werewolves. The characters just don't get that same reaction as they would with other monsters. I believe it is because of the inability to commutation between humans and zombie. That inability to communicate head on with the enemy leaves the story dry and the audience longing for something more, when reading a novel. Which is why you see more zombies on the big screen then in novels, unless it's that Jane Austen's parody, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.

David Wellington's monster island is written a way that makes keeps you interested just because you get to hear from all sorts of character's personal points of view. When I first started read it, it sort of reminded me of the way Dracula was written. Not in a journal type of format but just jumping back and forth to people's personal point of view at first seemed to be a little intimating, but it was actually easier to catch on then Dracula and then the rest just flows out.

The character that I found most interesting is Gary Fleck. His character is something that I have personal never seen done when it comes from to the genre of  Zombie. His character is zombie, however he is able to retain a high level of self awareness of his actions. So basically he is a person who knows that they are a zombie and is able to control themselves in actions and thought process. I have never seen a character like that, expect John Marston in Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare, but thats a video game, which is entirely different cause you play as the zombie. Anyway the reason I find it so fascinating, is because this is what people wish for in zombies apocalyptic situations. If a loved one is bitten they hardly care that they turn into a zombie. They care about the fact that their flesh is hanging off their bones. They don't care that their is blood and ooze coming from their mouths and that they now have taste for human flesh. No, they don't care about that. What gets most people is the fact that their minds are now lost forever, and if you mind is lost then you might as well be considered dead. That is when strings are severed and killing zombies seems much more easier. Cause without the conscious mind of a human then you might as well consider yourself shooting at dead cow meat.