I didn’t really know what to expect when I picked up Midland.  There are so many zombie apocalypse stories out there right now that they tend to meld together.  However, Midland was, I thought, excellent…and original in its characters and plot.  It felt like a zombie western to me.

In this novel we meet Sam.  She has been living in the desert, in a mesa top farm, with her family, caring for her mother and younger siblings.  She’s not you’re normal 15 year old, as she’s been hardened by the role she’s been forced to take.  She decides that she must go into town to find medicine for her mother, and this is where the adventure begins.  Suffice to say, Sam is a total badass.  If there were a zombie apocalypse, I would totally follow her anywhere.  I would put Sam in the same badass category as Katniss Everdeen.  She’s the female YA version of Daryl Dixon.  She rules.  I love her.  Complicated, tough and well-written female heroines are hard to come across, in my experience.   She is awesome.

This book has it all – horror, a little bit of romance, adventure.  What really carries this story, however, is Scott’s writing style.  It’s fluid and easy to follow, and it keeps you on the edge of your seat.  There were parts that I literally found myself holding my breath or grasping my blanket tightly.   I could not put this book down from the first chapter, and by the end – when I was finally able to breathe again – I had a smile on my face.  I give this book 4.5 stars; it is easily one of my favorites this year.

Wow!  Comparing Sam Grace, the lead character from Midland, to Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games.  Or even to Daryl Dixon, the cross bow-welding anti-hero from The Walking Dead.  Big shoes to fill, but Sam can do it.

Again, thanks to Sara and Crystal.  I hope to post further reviews shortly.

Scott