Rowan Rook

A mysterious plague sweeps the population of the planet, killing off without explanation a significant percentage of humanity. Those remaining face a new kind of mortality, with life expectancy severely reduced to a few years, if that. At the same time a glut of violent killings emerges, the manner of death different from the end the plague brings. Soon the people left are faced with a threat they are unprepared for.

Following his mother’s death Mason continues residing in the family home with his older brother, a relationship characterised by many unresolved tensions. His young girlfriend has also moved into the house after losing her family, and she struggles with a debilitating illness. Mason, by chance, witnesses a killing. From that moment he is marked and his fate bound with an underground group eager to remain in the shadows.

I don’t read a great deal of Y/A genre fiction but picked this one up as it is generously given away free with newsletter signup on the author’s website, and I like to stretch my reading choices where I can. For me, the strongest aspects of this novel are the sections dealing with Mason and his adjustments to the various drastic changes that come to him in quick succession. The theme of sinister and apocalyptic events invading the suburban is well trod, but here this works, as the characterisation is good, especially at the beginning of the novel, as Mason begins to come to terms and process what is happening, both to himself and his wider world. In places I was reminded of the film Once Bitten from 1985, not in tone, as that is (or attempting to be) heavily comedic, but in the juxtaposition between the routines of daily life—which are still in place in Mason’s world, school included, despite the ravages of the international pandemic—and the very alarming transformations he’s experiencing on a personal level. The dynamics between Mason and his brother, and Mason and his girlfriend, are well drawn, and add depth and poignancy.

I somehow didn’t feel as absorbed by the underground world Mason becomes involved with. I suspect this is a case of my taste just not chiming with the direction the novel chose to take.

So I’m conflicted in giving an overall rating, but will settle for 3.5 as fair, as although it’s not quite for me I can see the book’s merits and it is overall well executed.… (meer)

Night Plague is a gripping story with amazing detail that throws you right into the world. The author does an amazing job as a storyteller to keep you reading until you've hit the end at an abrupt stop, making you curse the fact that it's already over. As much as I stray away from the typical vampire story, the synopsis left no evidence of such, pushing me to buy it immediately.

Before continuing on through the story, I had one thought pass my mind as it just started introducing vampires.
"The girl Once named Sorrel Falley swung herself inside. Inside. She was inside his room."
My thought: What happened to the whole 'vampires can't step foot inside your house unless you invite them' thing?

Even with that thought, the more I continued on, I found that they weren't just vampires, they were... zompires (zombie x vampires). I get that the author wanted to differentiate themselves from the normal vampire fad that has been plaguing the bookstore shelves and movie/tv screens, so this was most definitely an unexpected twist for me.

Then, I was hit with something that completely threw me off (in the bad way).
"Perhaps the strain was designed to produce a breed of biological weapons -- super soldiers."
My thought: Umm... What? All of a sudden, I find myself in a sudden plot that vomited The Walking Dead, Dracula, and Halo? As much as I know that Sci-fi Horror can work, if done right (ie Aliens), I'm not 100% sure if this was even necessary. I understand the scene was them just putting theories into play on how they are vampires, but seriously? I'd need some sort of logic or some sort of back story or something if you're going to throw out some super soldier stuff.

Regardless of the very few bothersome things within the content, I very much enjoyed this book. I think I told myself several times that I would put the book down to do other productive things. Next thing I knew, it was late at night and I finished the book. This book will definitely suit thriller-lover's bookshelves/e-reader shelves very well and I highly recommend it to those looking for something new to read within this genre!… (meer)