Jack and Ed, best friends, are the main focus of the book, as two radically different leaders. Jack, formerly shy and self-conscious, is now a headstrong fighter, eager to kill the `sickos' when they attack. Ed, previously popular and confident, is traumatized by the violence and unable to fight. He learns to lead in other ways, but can't help feeling like he is losing Jack's respect. The real treat however, is the vast host of secondary characters. From Bam, a gung-ho jock, to DogNut, a crazy but tough fighter, Higson gives them each a distinct personality and purpose. Higson doesn't treat the band of 14 and 15 year olds as young children, either. They make smart and sometimes not so smart decisions and they don't descend into chaos like the children in Lord of the Flies. In addition, because his characters are so capable, Higson rarely resorts to the type of dues ex machina so often found in zombie fiction, like the serendipitous cache of guns and food or a convenient salvation from another group as the zombies close in. Consider a situation when the party finds a museum full of guns, but no ammo. In their typical resourceful style, the kids attach bayonets or use the guns as clubs, rather than throwing them away as if they are useless. Keeping with zombie tradition, the ruthless undead don't discriminate between your favorite character and the one you hate the most. The death count is high, the violence intense, and the suspense tight enough to keep you up at night. While the epilogue occurs a whole year later, most of the book takes place in a few frantic days. The characters are always in motion physically and emotionally. Bottom line: This is one of the best zombie books ever written, extremely fast-paced, occasionally funny, and always smart. It doesn't stoop to quick fixes or cheap scares, has well drawn characters, and is a perfect example of how resourceful kids can be after tragedy.
