Description
Hi, I’m Alex. Welcome to the end of the world.
Have you ever had a secret so big you’d rather the world just ended than having to tell anyone?
Alex has one. Then the world actually ended!
When his city is overrun by the undying – reanimated, bloodthirsty corpses – Alex realises that simply surviving the apocalypse is not enough. To truly live, he must finally come out to his tough and distant big brother, Brody, before it’s too late.
But it’s not exactly the kind of thing you bring up while dodging death, fighting your way through hordes with a huge, living-dead beast on your trail. Then Alex glimpses a boy with a beautiful smile out there, all alone in a world full of monsters and he knows…If he stays silent, he’ll be no better than the walking dead.
But what if Alex speaks up and loses the only family he has left?
The world may be over. But Alex’s story is just beginning.
Review
Alex has known for some time that he is gay. He has never told anyone or acted on his feelings, but he decided to send out a post on New Year’s Eve to finally tell the world. The problem is that the end of world beat him to it - the apocalypse started and no one ever read his post.
Now zombies are roaming free, trying to bite and infect any survivors. Unfortunately, Alex’s parents did not survive, and now his much older half-brother Brody has returned and is determined to keep Alex safe. Brody disappeared after an injury ruined his hopes of a successful sporting career and he only used to visit home randomly, but the tough life that he has lived prepared him for this new harsh world.
Brody has improvised a barrel for Alex to hide in while he properly despatches any undead that they encounter. But Alex can’t hide forever.
They decide to leave the city and try to reach Brody’s mum’s farm, but the trip there is treacherous and there is no guarantee that they will make it.
Alex is scared of losing the only family he has left, and fighting zombies in an apocalypse does not seem like an ideal time or place to come out. But Alex knows he must live the truth and come out to Brody. Can he bring himself to tell Brody the truth?
And will they ever find a place to call home?
This is a terrific story of coming out, bravery, family connections, being able to write your own story, and surviving to build a better new world. It is fast-paced and wonderfully written, and suitable for readers aged from 12 to 16 years.
