Disclosure: I received this book to review. Opinions shared are mine.

Becoming a prepper suddenly sounds like a really good idea.  Why, you ask?  Just read The Dead Circle by Keith Varney to find out!

While the language was a bit too strong for me in some places, I found the story to be highly engaging.  Varney painted a truly horrifying picture of the world post-apocalypse.  It deterred me from any intention I ever had about visiting Detroit, that’s for certain! In some parts the horror scale was pretty disgusting in its descriptions, but the rest of the book wasn’t overly gory.  The worst parts are fairly skimmed over.  Overall, I’d rate this a 3.5 out of 5. For the Walking Dead on your Christmas list, this book will be a dream (or nightmare) come true. 

The Dead Circle’s characters were realistic; I found myself rooting for even for the victims of the strange virus who seemed to be out of their minds.  It was difficult to read of the children who were afflicted, so be prepared for some sadness in these pages.  Chris and Sarah, the main characters, were the proud owners of a historic library-turned-home.  It was a charming way to introduce this sweet couple, and I desperately clung to hope for their survival.  As for the peculiar illness which seemed to strike without prejudice, it was fatally horrible.  It was impossible to tear away from the image in my mind, much like it’s difficult to look away from a car accident while driving past.  You know it’s the worst scene, yet you must have a peek.

I love the way that Varney ended the book. Wait, no, I didn’t. I hated it. Oh, I can’t decide!! There were so many ways the story could have gone down, and I felt like the author really nailed the suspense with the ending. I can absolutely visualize this book as a movie! Would I go see it? Definitely, but only if my husband sat beside me holding my hand the whole time (and if I had a blanket to cover my face during the scary parts.) After I finished reading The Dead Circle, I passed the book along to my brother in law. He’s a bonafide zombie fanatic, and I know he will love it.

There were a few issues in the book that bothered me a little bit.  First, the flashbacks in the story were written in past tense, while the “current” scenes were written in present tense.  It was hard for me to switch back and forth in my mind.  Secondly, there was an overwhelming lack of comma usage throughout the text.  It irked me to no end!   I realize that I tend to sprinkle commas into my writing like an oversalted stew, but there are some places where this type of punctuation is necessary.  I started to keep track of it, then decided to give up.  The story was far too interesting to keep such a list.  Besides, I wouldn’t want Keith Varney scrubbing my posts for grammatical errors.  The Dead Circle is marketed as an adult contemporary apocalyptic zombie thriller. With the removal of some sexual references and profanity, this could easily be modified to be a middle grades or young adult book (which is what I’d prefer).  As it stands now, I wouldn’t allow my teen to read it, though.  Just bear it in mind if you decide to give The Dead Circle dance a try!  Check out the rest of the tour to see what other readers had to say. Plus, be sure to enter the giveaway below!

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Originally from small town Vermont, Keith Varney is an award-winning musical theater writer and actor. He has written Book, Music and Lyrics in various combinations for I GOT FIRED (Best American Musical – DIMF), ELWAY: THE MUSICAL, THE OTHER SEX, JOSHUA: THE MUSICAL, PIE EATER & SCOOBY DOOSICAL. He has also written songs for Submissions Only, Hot Mess in Manhattan, See You Lighter, My Mother is a Sex Therapist & Dystopia Gardens. As an actor he has performed professionally in musicals including Les Miserables, The Producers, The Full Monty, Titanic and I Got Fired(Best Actor in a Musical – DIMF). He has a degree in classical voice from the Eastman School of Music. He now lives in Astoria NY with his wife Jillian, who is a Broadway actress. “The Dead Circle” is his debut novel. For more information, please visit www.keithvarneywriter.com.     Website | Facebook | Twitter @keithvarney 

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