What if the neighbors turned into zombies

Ever wonder what ordinary folks would do if faced with a zombie outbreak?

Terri Higdon's Surviving a Zombie Apocalypse in Big Turtle Texas takes that thought and creates a humorous and harrowing tale of six individuals trapped in a dollar store.

The book begins on the third day of a zombie outbreak, and our group is in a unique predicament. They are barricaded in the store's office, with low supplies and a makeshift restroom with a trashcan and Texas Golf Digest for toilet paper.

There is no explanation of the outbreak—only a description of how and when the attack commenced. 

Descriptions of the demise of several patrons are darkly humorous. For instance, a Sunday school teacher has her neck ripped out by the owner of a topless nightclub. Another store customer riding a scooter fails to outrace a couple of 80-year-olds with bad knees and hips. After becoming infected, the scooter victim continues to motor about the store as if shopping.

The survivors are:

·Mr. Moore, the store manager.

·Sarah, the assistant manager.

·Roseline and Bud, store employees.

·Ben and Jennifer, store customers.

After just a few days, Sarah emerges as the group's leader. Her warrior spirit, common sense, and ability to dispatch zombies with a fire axe prove valuable in keeping the crew alive.

The chain-smoking Roseline, who sports a bee-hive hairdo, is Sarah's most able lieutenant. Bud, a shy, almost mute young man, seems a loser, but he slowly comes of age as the novel progresses. Mr. Moore is not much help and is notable only for his love of Skittles. Ben and Jennifer, lifelong residents of Big Turtle, are wannabe Britishers who spout British slang and are obsessed with teatime and wine.

The group has access to interior and exterior cameras, which allow members to monitor the number of infected people roaming in and around the store. Much to the group's dismay, Sarah begins to plot an escape from the store.

"Look, the odor is so pungent here I can taste it," Sarah says. "Out there, we have an opportunity for survival, for life, for preserving humanity, and for breathing fresh air."

The group breaks for the nearby Piggly Wiggly to stock up on essentials. They continue to a house to spend the night, feast on Little Debbie snacks, and use an actual toilet. They hope to find a vehicle to transport the group to a nearby national forest park and set up shop in a fire lookout tower.

The action sets the stage for numerous cat-and-mouse scenarios with the infected. Nothing goes to plan, as one might expect. The group discovers another survivor in the Piggly Wiggly and welcomes him into the fold. Later, the man, a ham radio enthusiast, picks up a message from Camp Hope in Serenity, Texas. 

The camp promises food, shelter, and medical treatment. Sarah is mesmerized by the speaker's voice.

"The voice sounds deep, confident, and gentle at the same time. I know at that moment that a trip to Serenity, a mere three hundred miles away, is imminent," she says.

The group makes a relatively uneventful journey to Camp Hope, where things appear safe and secure. In time, Sarah discovers the camp's true nature. This revelation leads to a tumultuous ending that hints at a hopeful future. The book turns darker after the group arrives at Camp Hope, and the humor, so evident in the early going, fades somewhat.

Now, not much is new in Higdon's tale. I did enjoy the small-town setting and the band of regular folks. They make mistakes and fumble about. They are not the Delta Force, but they make do.

Anyone familiar with The Walking Dead or 28 Days Later knows safe havens never work out well. However, even with that awareness, Higdon's tale is enjoyable and contains enough zombie thrills to satisfy fans of the genre.

I give the novel four stars. The plot is familiar, but Higdon hits all the right notes that zombie apocalypse lovers expect. The small-town setting and deft use of humor are highlights.

I invite you to tag along with Sarah and the not-Seal Team Six and see how real folks survive in a world of flesh-eating friends and neighbors.