And Then I Woke Up

normally if i made it 65% through a book i was hating i would force my way to the finish line bc i hate giving up but today im choosing peace and kindness toward myself by dnfing because for a week now every time i think of opening this book the author appears in my room and yells at me ITS ALL ABOUT MENTAL ILLNESS DO YOU GET IT? DO YOU GET IT? SOCIETY... until i start crying so hard i throw up

In this fake news era, this was a gripping read and it puts a brand new and inventive spin on the whole 'zombie story'. It's hard to say more about this novel without spoiling it, but I really liked it and I was consistently surprised by it from the beginning to the end.

“My favourite dreams are the ones in which I'm forgiven.”

i found the writing style to be pretty corny and overdone, and i kept cringing at the dialogue. like, i often hate when a book is told from the POV of the protagonist speaking directly to the reader (e.g. “well... you can proooobably guess what happened next

I wasn't expecting to enjoy this story as much as I did. I found myself engrossed in the pages and unable to put it down because I was so invested to see what was going to happen next.

This was such an interesting and unique idea that I hadn't seen done before. It truly plays on the idea that not everything is what it seems and false narratives told often by manipulative and/or seemingly charismatic people can have damaging effects.

And Then I Woke Up left me guessing and wanting more. I can't wait to see what else this author comes up with.

Rating: 2.8 leaves out of 5Characters: 2/5 Cover: 5/5Story: 1/5Writing: 3/5Horror: 3/5Genre: Horror/Fantasy/ScifiType: AudiobookWorth?: NahHated Disliked It Was Okay Liked Really Liked Loved FavoritedRead over 50% of the book and had to DNF. The book dragged and was so slow that you end up forgetting what the hell you are reading. It's sad since the whole point of the book would have been AMAZING. Who wouldn't be scared of a virus or disease that had you thinking the world went to shit with zombies? That is what got me wanting to read the book in the first place but DEAR GOD the way it was written was so poor. Having someone TELL you the story instead of you being immersed in it... just kinda sucks. I get that the author wanted us to be in the head of the person in the book but... it wasn't connecting.

“Night means darkness, darkness means introspection, introspection dredges up all kinds of monsters and my god, do those bastards keep us busy until dawn.”

“I was never ambitious, but I was practical. As a kid, I pretty much lived in the library. I read voraciously, because words on a page felt committed in a way words said out loud were not”

“I never asked for this. I have never claimed to be special; I only want my life to be normal, easy. A world I can face each day without being overwhelmed with anxiety.”

“And then I wake up and this, this is what happened.
And then I wake up.
And then.”

Like me, the vibrant book cover with what looks like a dark doodle done during detention and graffiti don't more than likely caught your eye. For me, this and The Beast in Aisle 34 were instant pickups on the basis of cover alone, as I perused the horror selects shelf of a quaint local bookstore. And Then I Work Up is a pensively deceiving novella that lures you in with the unreliable narrator's promise of a zombie apocalypse with a reality bending twist.

Without getting deep into spoiler territory, I'll just say that this brisk read paints an interesting tale of just how powerful storytelling can truly be. How do you know what's real if this infection distorts your ability to differentiate between reality and monstrous nightmare. Subtle jabs at news media outlets, propaganda, social media, overwhelming technology, pop culture consumption, political allegories to Trump's unfortunate and eye-opening stint as president of the United States, and even some COVID crossover. Author Malcolm Devlin connects the shaping of narrative directly to the causation and cure of his unique widespread flesh tearing infected. It's the type of story that will have you thinking about its themes throughout your day, as what can be more relatable and prevalent throughout our days than stories and how we each perceive them through our own lenses and biases.

This novel was brilliant. I loved the premis, the story and the ending. I've never really been into zombie stories before and if this was simply that I probably wouldn't like it either. But this story, the narrative, is so good and well thought out. 

I love that while reading you also see in the narrator how he questions things even after you are explained how to world works and what is real. He still constantly questioning himself and putting in effort is believe the truth. It made me start thinking what if this is all a story too. Especcially how it ended with Leila. It was so amazing and kind and completely fucked up at the same time.