Deadline by Mira Grant is the second book in the Newsflesh series. This series takes place in a post apocalyptic society that has been ravaged by a virus that turns people into zombies. The series follows news bloggers from the After The End Times as they try to tell the truth and expose the news in this new complicated society. The world is filled with the constant threat of infection and things are not as they appear.
The first book left readers with a huge cliffhanger which required the second book to switch narrators. Shaun is really messed up from the death of his sister and he still talks to her (and she talks back). When a researcher shows up on their door having faked her own death with major information about the virus Shaun and his co-workers risk their lives to fight for the truth.
This was an excellent second book in the series. The books were plotted very well and the little pieces that carried through from the first book made for fantastic reading. This book is both exciting and scary and intellectually interesting at the same time. Grant succeeds in making a science fiction/horror novel that's terrifying and intelligent at the same time. If you've read my reviews before you'll know that I'm always complaining about books that are too long, this book rings in at 500 pages and I tore through it finishing it in less than two days. Although I think this and the last could have both been split in half (to spare readers from a huge wait till the next in the series). Grant is not afraid to kill off her characters (and does so) which puts the readers on the edge of their seat every time there is a zombie attack.
Appropriateness: This is an adult series that crosses over well to teen readers. The main characters are motivated young people (in their late teens/early twenties) who lead an exciting life fighting for what they believe in. The action and mystery keep readers engaged. There is one sex scene in this book (and none in the first) that is ADULT however, it only happens once (and is easily skipped for those who are uncomfortable by sex) and this book could not be categorized as a romance at all. There is little to no substance abuse (because you can't fight zombies if you're on something) I recommend this book to fans of science fiction and horror (it falls equally in both genres) 15+
