"What if the H1N1 vaccination wasn't just a preventative measure against swine flu? It seemed like the flu came out of nowhere and yet, in no time at all the government manufactured a vaccination. Were lab workers diligent, or could the virus itself have been man-made?
Chase McKinney works as a dispatcher at 9-1-1. Taking emergency calls, it becomes immediately obvious that the entire city is infected with the walking dead. His first goal is to reach and save his two children. Could the walls built by the U.S.A. to keep out illegal aliens, and the fact the Mexican government could not afford to vaccinate their citizens against the flu, make the southern border the only plausible destination for safety?"
When the government rushes the administration of the H1N1 flu vaccine without proper testing, those who received the vaccine turn into predatory cannibals. What makes VACCINATION particularly disturbing is that these zombies don't fit into a predictable category. Survivors are faced with a bevy of infected; from the slow and stumbling to fast, savage and organized. There is no way to tell what danger is lurking around each corner, keeping this reader on the edge of her seat. Told from the perspective of Chase McKinney, divorced emergency dispatcher for the Rochester Police Department, VACCINATION is rich with blood, guts, and intense circumstances. On a mission to reconnect with his children, Chase weighs the risks of aiding those in imminent danger against the threat they pose to his singular purpose; rescuing his son and daughter and heading to a presumed safe Mexico. With a dead cell phone battery and last communication cut short after fleeing their mothers home, Chase and gang travel the four harrowing miles to his apartment in hopes that his children had to foresight to go there.
I am a huge fan of authors who think outside the box, and even more so when they are able to pull personal experience into their writing. I know what your thinking, how is that possible when writing about zombies? Tomasso allows us a peek into the beginnings of a zombie outbreak that we rarely get to see. At work answering 9-1-1 calls when society crumbles, our main characters reaction is not only believable but will draw you in and make you think. We often get to see the the fate of first responders in an outbreak, but getting to see the emotional impact on those fielding the calls for help was a real treat.
There is no shortage of F-bombs dropped in VACCINATION, which is just fine with me. Personally, if I were to stare into the maw of a zombie, I don't think I would have the sense to clean up my potty language ("oh fudge" just doesn't seem to convey the same sentiment). In fact, I'm guessing the obscenities that would spew from my mouth would make even the baddest of the bad blush.
Tomasso explores a humanity left dormant in the infected with graceful elegance. While we get glimpses into that unexpected possibility throughout the book, I would have loved digging deeper down that rabbit hole and see what he would have gifted us with.
Simply put, however, VACCINATION is on fire! I wasn't left with unanswered story lines and the writer successfully concludes the story while still leaving it open for a sequel. (Coincidentally, I'm told that VACCINATION is the 1st release in a trilogy, so be on the lookout for more from the talented Phillip Tomasso!)
If you would like to pick up a copy on Amazon, click on the above book jacket. Click here to view on Goodreads
You might also like: