by Racquel Marie
Feiwel & Friends, 2025. 336 pages. Horror.
Flora Braddock Paz has always considered herself weak. But half a year into the global outbreak of a rabies mutation that transforms people into violent, zombielike "rabids," she and her older brother Cain are still alive. With their mom dead, their dad missing, and their LA suburb left desolate, they form a plan: to venture to their secluded family cabin in northern California, their best chance at a safe haven – and maybe even seeing their dad again. The dangers of the world have changed, but so has Flora. Still, their journey upstate is complicated by familiar faces, hidden truths, and painful memories of the family making this trip last year. For Flora, one thing inevitably remains: no matter how far you run, death is never far behind.
I haven't read very many apocalyptic stories that feature queer or neurodiverse characters, and this one refreshingly has both. The sibling dynamics between Flora and Cain seemed very true to life. This spooky little read has its fair share of violence and gore, but it mainly centers on community, family, and belonging. This wasn't nearly as nightmare-inducing as the bone-chilling œuvre of Stephen King and the like (but I did have to pause when a certain inevitable scene involving the dog Biscuit came around... but don't worry, the dog doesn't die).