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The Haunted Country
The ROAD Meets OF MICE AND MEN
Charlie and his sister, Cindy, are going to die.
Charlie knows this deep inside his bones.
The World has become a dark and cold place where the dead have risen and taken over the world. But they’re not the worst threat. With a small number of the living stumbling around to survive, humanity’s biggest problem is itself. Since the end of civilisation, people have tried to kill or enslave the brother and sister. Everyone who’s tried to take care of them since the dead started rising has died. They’ve died horribly.
It only makes sense that Charlie’s and Cindy’s number will soon be up, as well. If the dead don’t get them, the living surely will.
They should already be dead.
Charlie is only fifteen. His sister, who’s severely mentally handicapped, is twelve. Together they can barely survive other survivors. Enter Grant, a gun wielding badass who accidentally saves their lives and then wants nothing to do with them. A reluctant hero, he eventually decides to take the brother and sister under his wing. Is he enough to take them where they can live free of the ever hungry dead and other, psychotic survivors? Or will he join the others who’ve tried to help only to end up food for the dead.
Charlie and his sister, Cindy, are going to die.
Charlie knows this deep inside his bones.
The World has become a dark and cold place where the dead have risen and taken over the world. But they’re not the worst threat. With a small number of the living stumbling around to survive, humanity’s biggest problem is itself. Since the end of civilisation, people have tried to kill or enslave the brother and sister. Everyone who’s tried to take care of them since the dead started rising has died. They’ve died horribly.
It only makes sense that Charlie’s and Cindy’s number will soon be up, as well. If the dead don’t get them, the living surely will.
They should already be dead.
Charlie is only fifteen. His sister, who’s severely mentally handicapped, is twelve. Together they can barely survive other survivors. Enter Grant, a gun wielding badass who accidentally saves their lives and then wants nothing to do with them. A reluctant hero, he eventually decides to take the brother and sister under his wing. Is he enough to take them where they can live free of the ever hungry dead and other, psychotic survivors? Or will he join the others who’ve tried to help only to end up food for the dead.
262 pages, Paperback
Published December 11, 2015
About the author
Jason White
10 books490 followersI am a podcaster with Weird Reads. I also BookTube as Jason's Weird Reads. I am a writer of horrific dark fiction.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
December 8, 2016
I served as a beta-reader on this one and loved it. :)
December 8, 2016
BETA read this one--fantastic characterization that doesn't "flinch" at pivotal moments.
November 16, 2016
16/11/2016 - I have review copies of this book! To grab your review copy just email me at booklovercatlady@gmail.com
How did this actually happen? That this book lover and reviewer actually really, really liked a zombie post-apocalyptic book! Bring out the streamers! Author Jason White may have converted me to more fiction featuring the lumbering undead! Genius. Honestly - I have avoided this genre for years.
What a surprise package this was. It has a LOT going for it. Let's take a 15 year old boy, he has lost everything and the world is not a safe place anymore. The undead and even other human beings are the enemy and they are everywhere. He has to look after his severely handicapped sister who is only 12. Wow - that in itself had me hooked. That is a lot of responsibility going on there. They are survivors.
I fell in love with both characters very quickly. Was cheering them on through every harrowing encounter! Enter a new character - a rough and ready hard man who takes pity on the children and takes them under his wing on the quest to survive. I loved plot and characters a huge amount.
This is non-stop action from page one, it had me hooked really quickly. I was fascinated with some of Jason's rather graphic descriptions of the different undead, both young and old I found out! Not nice zombies at all. I loved the whole darn concept! You are endeared to our young heroes, desperate for them to survive this new hell on earth where nobody can really be trusted. Or can they?
There are quite a lot of difficult scenes, so not for the squeamish but I am ashamed to say if the zombies were getting brain-bashed I was cheering it on! Get the buggers! Ahem...calming down.
I was genuinely very surprised I enjoyed this book so much.
This one gets 4.5 stars from me, the only reason I did not give it a full 5 stars was that by the end I found some scenes a tad repetitive but if you love horror, love the undead, love it when the little guy wins then don't miss The Haunted Country. I have a new author that I love.
Thanks so much for reading my review! To follow more reviews, be alerted to awesome online author events and HUGE book giveaways and more come on over to: https://www.facebook.com/BookloverCat...
To follow me on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/promotethatbook
To enquire about joining my VIP book reviewers team: http://goo.gl/forms/GWMOvlofZg
To enquire about my varied and affordable book publicity services: http://goo.gl/forms/eVwa2HFKnK
How did this actually happen? That this book lover and reviewer actually really, really liked a zombie post-apocalyptic book! Bring out the streamers! Author Jason White may have converted me to more fiction featuring the lumbering undead! Genius. Honestly - I have avoided this genre for years.
What a surprise package this was. It has a LOT going for it. Let's take a 15 year old boy, he has lost everything and the world is not a safe place anymore. The undead and even other human beings are the enemy and they are everywhere. He has to look after his severely handicapped sister who is only 12. Wow - that in itself had me hooked. That is a lot of responsibility going on there. They are survivors.
I fell in love with both characters very quickly. Was cheering them on through every harrowing encounter! Enter a new character - a rough and ready hard man who takes pity on the children and takes them under his wing on the quest to survive. I loved plot and characters a huge amount.
This is non-stop action from page one, it had me hooked really quickly. I was fascinated with some of Jason's rather graphic descriptions of the different undead, both young and old I found out! Not nice zombies at all. I loved the whole darn concept! You are endeared to our young heroes, desperate for them to survive this new hell on earth where nobody can really be trusted. Or can they?
There are quite a lot of difficult scenes, so not for the squeamish but I am ashamed to say if the zombies were getting brain-bashed I was cheering it on! Get the buggers! Ahem...calming down.
I was genuinely very surprised I enjoyed this book so much.
This one gets 4.5 stars from me, the only reason I did not give it a full 5 stars was that by the end I found some scenes a tad repetitive but if you love horror, love the undead, love it when the little guy wins then don't miss The Haunted Country. I have a new author that I love.
Thanks so much for reading my review! To follow more reviews, be alerted to awesome online author events and HUGE book giveaways and more come on over to: https://www.facebook.com/BookloverCat...
To follow me on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/promotethatbook
To enquire about joining my VIP book reviewers team: http://goo.gl/forms/GWMOvlofZg
To enquire about my varied and affordable book publicity services: http://goo.gl/forms/eVwa2HFKnK
January 12, 2016
I really enjoyed this release from author Jason White.
I normally don't read apocalyptic horror, however I wanted to give this story a go and I was quickly sucked into the world that White had so skilfully created for his two main characters - Charlie, and his younger disabled sister, Cindy.
The story begins with enough darkness, violence and destruction to keep any horror fan glued to the page. I am an obsessive reader of horror, so I'm not easily disturbed, however there were scenes in this novel that really made me flinch whilst reading - which of course, isn't a bad thing.
I really liked that the two central characters were young siblings, and in particular, Cindy's disability lent the story a really distinct and unique aspect. I loved how White sensitively described and explored her as a character.
The Haunted Country follows the two characters as they experience a dark world, where the death rise to live and the promise of danger lies around every corner. The author builds the tension nicely, and definitely leaves you wanting to read more and more as the story progresses.
It's a hard one to put down, at times.
I think this debut full length release from Jason White is a really good read. Nothing quite like anything I have read before.
I sincerely believe this is one writer to look out for in the future.
I normally don't read apocalyptic horror, however I wanted to give this story a go and I was quickly sucked into the world that White had so skilfully created for his two main characters - Charlie, and his younger disabled sister, Cindy.
The story begins with enough darkness, violence and destruction to keep any horror fan glued to the page. I am an obsessive reader of horror, so I'm not easily disturbed, however there were scenes in this novel that really made me flinch whilst reading - which of course, isn't a bad thing.
I really liked that the two central characters were young siblings, and in particular, Cindy's disability lent the story a really distinct and unique aspect. I loved how White sensitively described and explored her as a character.
The Haunted Country follows the two characters as they experience a dark world, where the death rise to live and the promise of danger lies around every corner. The author builds the tension nicely, and definitely leaves you wanting to read more and more as the story progresses.
It's a hard one to put down, at times.
I think this debut full length release from Jason White is a really good read. Nothing quite like anything I have read before.
I sincerely believe this is one writer to look out for in the future.
March 1, 2016
Apocalyptic Horror. Good first novel
Jason White's first novel starts off well with an interesting take on the post apocalyptic world with using a strong sense of character and adding an original twist by making the hero care for his disabled sister.
The story told in the first person creates an interesting feel as they go from episode to episode often facing dangerous foes, terrain and people in equal manners. The plot devices used are well handled though at times the genre does run a little old hat which White is very careful to put an original twist to recapture some uniqueness.
The story does keep you well interested and keeps you reading from one cliffhanging chapter to the next.
For a first novel, this is an extremely good starting point that has piqued my interest to just see what he pulls out of the hat next. I feel at the moment, he is still finding his footing with prose and style but he certainly seems to be heading down the right twisted road.
A highly recommended story to read due to his independent twist on a subgenre that is starting to run out of steam. Luckily,, White has added a bit more fuel to keep one interested.
Jason White's first novel starts off well with an interesting take on the post apocalyptic world with using a strong sense of character and adding an original twist by making the hero care for his disabled sister.
The story told in the first person creates an interesting feel as they go from episode to episode often facing dangerous foes, terrain and people in equal manners. The plot devices used are well handled though at times the genre does run a little old hat which White is very careful to put an original twist to recapture some uniqueness.
The story does keep you well interested and keeps you reading from one cliffhanging chapter to the next.
For a first novel, this is an extremely good starting point that has piqued my interest to just see what he pulls out of the hat next. I feel at the moment, he is still finding his footing with prose and style but he certainly seems to be heading down the right twisted road.
A highly recommended story to read due to his independent twist on a subgenre that is starting to run out of steam. Luckily,, White has added a bit more fuel to keep one interested.
February 5, 2016
Sometimes, the worst thing about the zombie apocalypse is the living. Definitely true in this super dark tale from Jason White, as Charlie and his developmentally challenged little sister try and navigate the post-apocalyptic landscape without losing themselves in the process. Good luck with that.
There were a few continuity issues toward the end which distracted me a little bit, but other than that, this one flowed smooth. Zombie stories get stale for me sometimes, but Jason kept this one fresh enough to keep my attention and had me flipping pages late into the night. Well done. 3+ Stars.
*To be fair to Jason, I don’t often read synopsis before I start reading and mistakenly thought this was a ghost story (because I am a dumbass and just glanced at the title) and if I knew ahead of time it was a zombie read I may have gone in with a different set of eyes.
There were a few continuity issues toward the end which distracted me a little bit, but other than that, this one flowed smooth. Zombie stories get stale for me sometimes, but Jason kept this one fresh enough to keep my attention and had me flipping pages late into the night. Well done. 3+ Stars.
*To be fair to Jason, I don’t often read synopsis before I start reading and mistakenly thought this was a ghost story (because I am a dumbass and just glanced at the title) and if I knew ahead of time it was a zombie read I may have gone in with a different set of eyes.
November 22, 2016
Good read
Even though I enjoy watching the Walking Dead series every Sunday, reading about zombies has never really interested me. But reading a story that engages me is a whole other thing.
This story was very action filled and drew you in from the first chapter. The constant 'what the hell can happen next,' was constantly on my mind until the end. This was a great, engaging story and I recommend it to all.
Even though I enjoy watching the Walking Dead series every Sunday, reading about zombies has never really interested me. But reading a story that engages me is a whole other thing.
This story was very action filled and drew you in from the first chapter. The constant 'what the hell can happen next,' was constantly on my mind until the end. This was a great, engaging story and I recommend it to all.
January 11, 2016
Mind Blowing
This story was highly entertaining! The inter-character relationships were amazing. Excellent action, intense suspense and drama and wonderful gore! Highly recommend this to all fans of modern horror!
This story was highly entertaining! The inter-character relationships were amazing. Excellent action, intense suspense and drama and wonderful gore! Highly recommend this to all fans of modern horror!
December 28, 2015
I had the extreme pleasure of reading an advance copy of Jason White's new book. The Haunted Country chronicles the journey of a desperate, violence-hardened boy and the sister he must care for in a post-zombie-apocalypse world. White creates a world of depravity, violence, and sorrow that immerses his readers into the story. Charlie, our protagonist, is the most human--despairing and empathetic--character I've seen or read in this genre. Desperation and hope fight for control of Charile--and the entire world--in this brilliant debut.
February 12, 2016
thank you for letting me review
oh my god what a book
I was glued to the book
there was so much darkness
so much distructoin so
much volince in the book
so good scences made me jump
but tats a good thing I love horror
of any kind
oh my god what a book
I was glued to the book
there was so much darkness
so much distructoin so
much volince in the book
so good scences made me jump
but tats a good thing I love horror
of any kind
March 16, 2017
This book is based on the short story Surviving the Fittest the author wrote a couple of years ago, which I only recognized while reading the author's introduction. But I immediately remembered having read that short story back then and, most importantly, that I loved it. Based on this background, I was even more eager to dive into the Haunted Country (again) and reacquaint myself with Charlie and his sister Cindy.
The world is roamed by zombies for a while now, and fifteen-year old Charlie and his mentally handicapped sister Cindy are always on the run, each day fighting to survive the undead, but also the remaining living. Turns out that the living are even more dangerous, because their twisted minds are not predictable at all.
Each encounter with other survivors is a new guessing game - Charlie can never be sure whether they meet fellow humans or sick bastards out for 'fun' or an easy way to get their stomachs filled. While Charlie and Cindy do meet several decent people who help them, this seems to be the exception. More often than not they are captured and abused by men who took the zombie outbreak as an opportunity to unleash their depraved inner demons.
However, Charlie always manages to find a spark of hope in the darkest moments, preventing him from despairing and giving up. Especially the ending, while tragic and heartbreaking, shows that there is still hope to be found. But with humanity as the most precious treasure to protect, this story also shows how it can all to easily be turned into its ugly opposite.
This novel lives from its exceptional characterizations, and sometimes I had a hard time to bear what cruel fate awaited Charlie and Cindy. It only occurs very rarely that a book still manages to shake me, but this one definitely did! While this of course is a zombie story, the undead provide only the background setting for a much greater threat and once more, the real monsters turn out to be those still living...Highly recommended!
(Thanks to the author and Booklover Catlady Publicity for providing a copy of this book - all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased)
The world is roamed by zombies for a while now, and fifteen-year old Charlie and his mentally handicapped sister Cindy are always on the run, each day fighting to survive the undead, but also the remaining living. Turns out that the living are even more dangerous, because their twisted minds are not predictable at all.
Each encounter with other survivors is a new guessing game - Charlie can never be sure whether they meet fellow humans or sick bastards out for 'fun' or an easy way to get their stomachs filled. While Charlie and Cindy do meet several decent people who help them, this seems to be the exception. More often than not they are captured and abused by men who took the zombie outbreak as an opportunity to unleash their depraved inner demons.
However, Charlie always manages to find a spark of hope in the darkest moments, preventing him from despairing and giving up. Especially the ending, while tragic and heartbreaking, shows that there is still hope to be found. But with humanity as the most precious treasure to protect, this story also shows how it can all to easily be turned into its ugly opposite.
This novel lives from its exceptional characterizations, and sometimes I had a hard time to bear what cruel fate awaited Charlie and Cindy. It only occurs very rarely that a book still manages to shake me, but this one definitely did! While this of course is a zombie story, the undead provide only the background setting for a much greater threat and once more, the real monsters turn out to be those still living...Highly recommended!
(Thanks to the author and Booklover Catlady Publicity for providing a copy of this book - all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased)
July 14, 2016
The Haunted Country by Jason White is a look at what happens to civilization during the zombie apocalypse. The dead may be walking around, but they are the least of our young protagonists worries. The Haunted Country follows a young fifteen year old boy and his mentally handicapped sister, as they try to survive the horrors of this new world. White has created a world full of horror and heartbreak. We are shown early on that the real threat is not the walking dead, but the remnants of humanity. Our characters face off with some terrible monsters disguised as fellow survivors.
Jason White does a good job of creating a strong sibling bond with our main protagonists and does not forget to include the brooding and reluctant hero. The story is typical of many in the zombie genre, but White does not shy away from putting our young protagonists through some horrible and heartbreaking situations.
There are several critical moments in the story that will leave readers teary eyed and broken hearted. White does not waste any time getting right into the action and does a good job of keeping the reader involved in the story from the very first chapter. Every chapter and every character plays an important role in the novel's overall plot.
The Haunted Country is a good read for zombie and apocalyptic genre fans. White digresses from many in the genre by including the realistic possibility of what a survivor would go through when trying to make it with a disabled family member. White includes all of the horror and gore many fans of the genre crave and leaves the reader satisfied. The Haunted Country is a great debut novel and a fantastic start for Jason White and I look forward to reading more from him!
http://novelideareviews.blogspot.com/...
Jason White does a good job of creating a strong sibling bond with our main protagonists and does not forget to include the brooding and reluctant hero. The story is typical of many in the zombie genre, but White does not shy away from putting our young protagonists through some horrible and heartbreaking situations.
There are several critical moments in the story that will leave readers teary eyed and broken hearted. White does not waste any time getting right into the action and does a good job of keeping the reader involved in the story from the very first chapter. Every chapter and every character plays an important role in the novel's overall plot.
The Haunted Country is a good read for zombie and apocalyptic genre fans. White digresses from many in the genre by including the realistic possibility of what a survivor would go through when trying to make it with a disabled family member. White includes all of the horror and gore many fans of the genre crave and leaves the reader satisfied. The Haunted Country is a great debut novel and a fantastic start for Jason White and I look forward to reading more from him!
http://novelideareviews.blogspot.com/...
January 3, 2016
Apocalyptic Horror. Good first novel
Jason White's first novel starts off well with an interesting take on the post apocalyptic world with using a strong sense of character and adding an original twist by making the hero care for his disabled sister.
The story told in the first person creates an interesting feel as the go from episode to episode often facing dangerous foes, terrain and people in equal manners. The plot devices used are well handled though at times the genre does run a little old hat which White is very careful to put an original twist to recapture some uniqueness.
The story does keep you well interested and keeps you reading from one fluctuated chapter to the next.
For a first novel, this is an extremely good starting point that has piqued my interest to just see what he pulls out of the hat next. I feel at the moment, he is still finding his footing with prose and style but he certainly seems to be heading down the right twisted road.
A highly recommended story to read due to bits independent twist on a subgenre that is starting to run out of steam. Luckily,, White has added a bit more fuel to keep one interested.
Jason White's first novel starts off well with an interesting take on the post apocalyptic world with using a strong sense of character and adding an original twist by making the hero care for his disabled sister.
The story told in the first person creates an interesting feel as the go from episode to episode often facing dangerous foes, terrain and people in equal manners. The plot devices used are well handled though at times the genre does run a little old hat which White is very careful to put an original twist to recapture some uniqueness.
The story does keep you well interested and keeps you reading from one fluctuated chapter to the next.
For a first novel, this is an extremely good starting point that has piqued my interest to just see what he pulls out of the hat next. I feel at the moment, he is still finding his footing with prose and style but he certainly seems to be heading down the right twisted road.
A highly recommended story to read due to bits independent twist on a subgenre that is starting to run out of steam. Luckily,, White has added a bit more fuel to keep one interested.
January 16, 2016
i have read so many zombie books that it is always interesting to find one with a twist.
The twist in this is a 15 year old boy looking after his 12 year old mentally disabled sister through the zombie apocalypse.
There is a lot of violent and disturbing material from the start and again this book iterates that people are the real monsters.
The twist in this is a 15 year old boy looking after his 12 year old mentally disabled sister through the zombie apocalypse.
There is a lot of violent and disturbing material from the start and again this book iterates that people are the real monsters.
November 23, 2016
I enjoyed reading this book although i usually don't read apocalyptic horror.
This book takes us on a journey of a desperate boy and the sister he must care for in a post zombie apo calypse world.
There is enough action,suspense,horror and gore to keep the reader engaged.....not to forget several heartbreaking moments....
Excellent debut novel ......
This book takes us on a journey of a desperate boy and the sister he must care for in a post zombie apo calypse world.
There is enough action,suspense,horror and gore to keep the reader engaged.....not to forget several heartbreaking moments....
Excellent debut novel ......
December 26, 2017
A Classic!
This is one great book! Like
most, I've read my fair share of post apocalyptic stories, but this one stands head and shoulders above them. Charlie and every character he comes into contact with jump off the page, full of reality and genuine human emotion. This book will linger with and haunt you long after the last page. I'm definitely now a fan of Jason White.
This is one great book! Like
most, I've read my fair share of post apocalyptic stories, but this one stands head and shoulders above them. Charlie and every character he comes into contact with jump off the page, full of reality and genuine human emotion. This book will linger with and haunt you long after the last page. I'm definitely now a fan of Jason White.
Currently reading
April 6, 2017Received from the author in exchange for an honest review via the Media Bitch Literary Agency on Goodreads
My Rating System:
* couldn't finish, ** wouldn't recommend, *** would recommend, **** would read again, ***** have read again
My Rating System:
* couldn't finish, ** wouldn't recommend, *** would recommend, **** would read again, ***** have read again
January 22, 2016
The Haunted Country
This is a dark but incredible debut novel. As with many post apocalyptic novels, the living can be much worse than the dead. Jason White doesn't pull any punches when it comes to the evil in men's souls.
The characters are well defined, and the plot is filled with suspense, horror, and a palpable sadness. Jason White is an author worth watching.
This is a dark but incredible debut novel. As with many post apocalyptic novels, the living can be much worse than the dead. Jason White doesn't pull any punches when it comes to the evil in men's souls.
The characters are well defined, and the plot is filled with suspense, horror, and a palpable sadness. Jason White is an author worth watching.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews