Sorry I have not posted for a while, but I took a trip Down The Road with Bowie Ibarra, its not like we had a choice though, the city was being over run by zombies and it was time to get out of dodge.
Alright, I admit I didnt actually go anywhere, but this book sure took me places.
As an author of one of the coolest zombie novels on store shelves, Bowie Ibarra was able to hit on some important aspects that other novels never even consider, because they are too busy just being a horror story.
As soon as the novel began, Ibarra made the story personal by having the main character, George Zarragosa, look around his apartment and take into account the things he did not need to help him survive escaping the city, and yet days before could not live without, like his The Big Lebowski dvd, or his music c.d. collection. This forced me to look around and consider all the things I own and consider important right now, but would happily do without for my own survival.
George as the main character has a healthy distrust of intrusive big goverment, and this theme continues to resurface constantly through out the novel, and even takes open jabs at Fema doing more harm then good for protecting citizen in fema camps, and how those in control will always end up abusing their power. It doesnt matter if your a gang leader surviving in a city, or a fema camp guard who rejoices in stirring up racial conflict for personal enjoyment over the people who depend on you for protection. This Libertarian theme reappears throughout Down The Road, making a good point that individuals who are responsible can do better than organized groups who rule through the threat of force, like our own goverment, and the images Bowie Ibarra was able to paint in my mind showed that without freedom and free will, there really is no difference between armed gangs and goverment.
This reminds me of one of my favorite Libertarian quotes:
"A society that robs people of the fruits of their hard labor with the threat of violence and calls it income and property taxes, is not really a society.....it is a mob that is held together by institutional gang violence."
Time for the G.R.E.A.T. score!
G ore: the descriptions of shambling corpses was spot on and and well written, as was the attacks on living people. 8.0
R ealism: very realistic, Bowie Ibarra was able to show the break down of society and the abuse of power and more than once made me think to the fema disaster we all remember as Hurricane Katrina. 8.5
E ntertainment: Once I started reading, I had no choice but to finish the story, and I am looking forward to reading the sequels. 8.75
A ction: The pace of the story was great and kept me in suspence, like the scene where he broke into the local school, I could not put the novel down. 8.0
T hrills: the zombies were always a constant threat, even when they thought they were safe, the zombies remained a background antagonist adding a sense of dread the entire time. 8.0
The total G.R.E.A.T. score is: 8.25 out of 10 !
I definatley recommend adding this to your growing zombie library. Those of you who are survivalist minded, will get plenty of ideas to help you navigate a societal collapse scenario.
Well, it is time for me to sling my pack over my back and head on Down The Road, but before I go let me ask you this:
Will George make it to his final destination safe and sound, or is there a final surprise waiting on his door step. You will have to read Down the Road by Bowie Ibarra to find out.
Thanks for reading and until my next post, I will be shuffling along with the lost.
Jimmy Blue Eyes
www.jimmyszombieblog.com
www.thewalkingdeadfanclub.com
