How A Loser Like Me Survived the Zombie Apocalypse


Fiction - Horror
258 Pages
Reviewed on 10/14/2017
Buy on Amazon

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Author Biography

The opening scene from Dawn of the Dead has really stuck with me and inspired the suburban opening for this zombie book. When I did crossfit, I would sometimes imagine I was getting ready for the apocalypse and what it would be like to make a last stand at a gym that felt like a mini-fortress. Throw in some self-doubt and a sabotaging ex, and voila!

    Book Review

Reviewed by Francine Zane for Readers' Favorite

In How A Loser Like Me Survived the Zombie Apocalypse by Steven Bereznai, Marty Melon starts off having a bad day. As if killing his lady-love-turned-zombie isn't bad enough, he finds himself fighting for survival with his bitch ex-girlfriend playing her same old underhanded self. With gay-best-friend Gary at his side and his childhood teddy bear, Teddy, giving him advice, he fights to survive both the zombies and the ex from hell.

I loved, loved, loved Marty Melon. You could set him down in the middle of any story and he would be the center of attention. Steven Bereznai has made him into a multi-dimensional good man who had to crawl out of the pit of juvenile dweebdom and recreate himself into a rock star boyfriend with a killer body, a loyal best friend, and just enough of a bad ass zombie killer to keep himself alive. His role in How A Loser Like Me Survived the Zombie Apocalypse adds just enough humor, compassion, fear, and vulnerability to take the book to a whole different level of entertainment.

Besides the human element, How A Loser Like Me Survived the Zombie Apocalypse provides a steady dose of horror, thrills, and well-thought out speculation as to how a population of zombies would act. The fact that some zombies maintained a degree of their humanity made what Marty and his crew had to do even more disturbing, but to some degree, the whole concept of being stuck in a zombie apocalypse with the one person he hated the most is even more horrific than the monsters outside.

Arya Fomonyuy

A story that starts in a deceptively light tone quickly gains momentum and becomes a horrific stand against the zombie apocalypse. How A Loser Like Me Survived the Zombie Apocalypse by Steven Bereznai follows the story of Marty Melon, a wannabe blogger and a young man who has just been dumped by a self-centered girlfriend. He develops a new relationship, and when an army of zombies invades his world, he sets out to defeat them. It’s a war of survival. But how does he do it? That is an interesting question for the reader to find out.

The story is told in an absorbing first person narrative, a voice that compels the reader to pay attention. The descriptions are detailed and eye-catching, recreating a world and habits that readers are very familiar with. Steven Bereznai knows how to bring life to the mundane, how to bring colors to life, and how to make readers feel close to his characters because he injects a powerful sense of humanity into them. The writing was great and I enjoyed the dialogues, the evocative style, and the strong narrative voice. The paragraph breaks are accomplished to great dramatic effect as well as other elements of formatting, making the entire reading experience an enjoyable one. I loved the witticism in the writing and the emotionally engaging and insightful passages. Bereznai weaves a lot of sense into the dialogues. How A Loser Like Me Survived the Zombie Apocalypse is suspenseful, gripping, and utterly delightful, a realistic story with powerful lessons on survival for readers. It was so good I couldn’t put it down.

Christian Sia

In How A Loser Like Me Survived the Zombie Apocalypse, Steven Bereznai weaves a story that will appeal to fans of fantasy, dystopia, sci-fi, and horror. Marty Melon is a loser. Dumped by Heidi, he is struggling to get ahead, working on starting a blog and has just started a new relationship with a beautiful girl who has a sexy figure, Steph. But it is not long before zombies invade the city and every life is in danger. He loses his girlfriend in a confrontation with the zombies and still can’t get over his blunders that have caused her to be bitten. The conflict escalates quickly as the reader follows a story of survival in the midst of the worst imaginable horrors, but how a loser and a less-than-average man does it is what this story is all about.

I was sucked into the story from the very beginning, from the moment I read the opening line: “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but the ones most responsive to change.” This was a great hook for me, but it was just a promise of what I was to find in the narrative. The prose is like nothing I have read before and the narrative voice is unique and compelling, seductive, actually. Steven Bereznai creates characters that readers will sympathize with immediately — real, convincing, and terrific. The plot is gripping, well-imagined and written to a perfect finish. The conflict is quickly introduced and it gains momentum pretty fast. How A Loser Like Me Survived the Zombie Apocalypse features powerful themes of love, survival, family, death, and friendship and they are so beautifully written into the plot. This is a spellbinding story with memorable characters, awesome plot lines, and a fascinating apocalyptic setting. A must-read!

Ruffina Oserio

How a Loser like Me Survived the Zombie Apocalypse by Steven Bereznai is listed as horror and it is one of the most terrific zombie books that I have read in years, not that I am a fan of horror, but this one was a delightful read indeed, because it felt real. Marty Melon has just suffered a devastating breakup and is now regaining his self-confidence, getting himself into shape and embracing a new philosophy of life. He is happy in a new relationship and enjoys his new activities. But all hell breaks loose when a horde of zombies invades his city. The rampage is quick and people are getting bitten, including his girlfriend. Now, it’s time for the loser-turned-athlete to stand up against a threat that could decimate his city. But worse of all, he is facing his ex-girlfriend again, and not on the best of terms. What follows is breathtaking and will surprise readers.

This novel starts like any general fiction story, and the reader is drawn into the world of the protagonist, a laid-back guy sharing ideas and spending time with his girlfriend, but the crisis point emerges without warning and the reader is pulled into a whirlwind of action. The conflict is powerful and readers will love the way Steven Bereznai handles it. The author shows exceptional mastery in the art of crafting realistic and compelling dialogues. It is rare to notice the blend of wit and insight in dialogues, but the author manages to do it brilliantly, infusing much zest into the lively conversations. The prose is great and the characters leap off the pages with enthusiasm. How a Loser like Me Survived the Zombie Apocalypse is a page-turner, laced with a rare sense of humor and suspense. It’s a story that is hard to put down.

Divine Zape

Character-driven and lighthearted, How A Loser Like Me Survived the Zombie Apocalypse by Steven Bereznai is an entertaining horror tale that explores what it takes to defeat a horde of zombies. We meet the young Marty Melon who has just recovered or is recovering from a terrible heartbreak, dumped by a crazy girlfriend. He has worked hard to get himself in shape, and is enjoying a new relationship. He is a loser who is now picking up the pieces of his broken life. But when everything seems to be settling down, tragedy strikes with zombies attacking quickly. Now he has to use his wits and new-found skills to beat them and another threat that is on its way; his ex-girlfriend.

Steven Bereznai has a captivating voice and I was immediately sucked into the narrative, mesmerized by the first person point of view. The pacing is great and the intelligent use of dialogues, coupled with vivid descriptions, makes the story an entertaining read. The paragraph breaks are stellar, creating great dramatic effect. The author has a gift for weaving insightful thoughts and emotionally charged passages into the writing. Character development is also exceptional and readers will be thrilled to follow the protagonist, a once broken young man finding his way to healing and working his way up to facing an army of dangerous creatures. The scenes are well-crafted and each is intense, quickening the reader’s pulse as they look forward to what will happen next. How A Loser Like Me Survived the Zombie Apocalypse is a work of great entertainment, constructed with a strong conflict that escalates into a terrific climax.