Dana Fredsti’s Plague Nation picks right up after the events of her first zombie installment Plague Town. Ashley Parker has survived the zombie plague that took her town out slowly and is a “wild card”, meaning that a bite from a zombie will not affect her at all as she has immunity. Added to that, she gets a few cool perks like heightened senses. Unfortunately, just as they think all is well, the entire country is becoming infected, with big cities to small, podunk towns falling to the virus.
The undead have been defeated in Redwood Grove, CA, but reports of similar outbreaks are coming in. What seemed to be an isolated event is turning into a pandemic. The last thing Ashley Parker wanted when she went to college was to join the military, but she is one of a select few who are immune to the virus. Gifted with enhanced speed, strength, and senses, she’s recruited by a shadowy international organization that’s existed for centuries, its sole purpose to combat the zombie threat.
Dark secrets begin to emerge, and when an unknown enemy strikes, Ashley and the other zombie hunters—known as “wild cards”—embark on a desperate mission to reach San Francisco. If they fail, the plague will sweep the nation unchecked. And the person she cares for most may die. Or worse.
Don’t get me wrong, I liked the book. However, I found the character of Ashley Parker a little too cartoonish in some parts which made me roll my eyes and sigh audibly. With that said, it’s a blood solid zombie book with lots of geek overtones and pop culture references. It makes me feel like Dana wrote this book as a geek for geeks and geek enthusiasts. Ashley Parker overall is an awesome heroine who holds her own very well. I’d like to see if the character matures in the next book. And I certainly hope there is a third book. You can find Plague Nation in stores now!
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