The End Games [9780062201812]

Overview

John Green meets Stephen King in this original take on the zombie apocalypse by author T. Michael Martin, which ALA Booklist called "the best of the undead bunch" in a starred review.

Seventeen-year-old Michael and his five-year-old brother, Patrick, have been battling monsters in the Game for weeks. In the rural mountains of West Virginia—armed with only their rifle and their love for each other—the brothers follow Instructions from the mysterious Game Master. They spend their days searching for survivors, their nights fighting endless hordes of "Bellows"—creatures that roam the dark, roaring for flesh. And at this Game, Michael and Patrick are very good. But the Game is changing. The Bellows are evolving. The Game Master is leading Michael and Patrick to other survivors—survivors who don't play by the rules. And the brothers will never be the same.

T. Michael Martin's debut novel is a transcendent thriller filled with electrifying action, searing emotional insight, and unexpected romance.

• A Unique Zombie Apocalypse: Forget what you know about the undead. In the mountains of West Virginia, Michael and his little brother Patrick fight "Bellows"—terrifying creatures that roar for flesh and are evolving in frightening new ways.
• A Brother's Protection: To shield five-year-old Patrick from the trauma of their new reality, seventeen-year-old Michael has turned survival into a game, complete with rules and instructions from a mysterious "Game Master."
• Survival Horror with Heart: Fans of emotionally-driven thrillers will love the powerful connection between two brothers, armed with little more than a rifle and their fierce love for each other against a world of monsters.
• An Unreliable World: Just when Michael thinks he has the Game figured out, the rules begin to change. The Game Master is leading them to other survivors, but these new players don't follow the rules, and the danger is greater than ever.