Review – The Zombies of Lake Woebegotten by Harrison Geillor (4/5 stars)

I got a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.  Being a native Minnesotan and fan of zombie books this book definitely caught my attention.  It was a well done book and very entertaining.

When the town drunk finds that his dead fish are trying to bite him he suspects funny business.  Soon news starts rolling in from the Twin Cities that the meteor shower last night caused everything dead to rise up (humans, animals, etc)…and once things rise they are very hungry.  The town of Woebegotten has a couple of things going for it; it’s really fricking cold and the population is fairly low so they should be at low risk.  Unfortunately the town has be harboring a serial killer and the dead bodies of his victims come out to play, not to mentioned what happens when a dead grizzly strolls into town.  Between your normal small-town shenanigans and all the crazy residents, Lake Woebegotten will have a heck of a time getting things back under control.

This was a well done book.  There are a lot of plot points going on all at once, the characters are interesting, and the book is well-written and engaging.  It’s obviously a parody of Garrison Keillor’s Lake Wobegon Days, for those who aren’t familiar.  This is definitely a read for adults only, there is a lot of kinky stuff going on under the surface of Lake Woebegotten, and of course a serial killer and some zombies (both human and animal).

It is very amusing and very funny at points.  For example at one point there is a discussion of whether or not bugs come back from the dead (a moot point in MN in the winter) and what will happen in the summer when the mosquitos come out….  It was fun to read about something set in my home state.  Northern MN is fairly accurately depicted and the description of the eyeball freezing cold accurate.  So those of you warm climate people reading this, no the cold and the things it makes happen are not exaggerations!

The characters have a lot of depth and are very amusing.  You have an old man who is a serial killer, a wife who wants to murder her husband for his…ah..very physical affection for his car, and a African-American deputy whose trying to hold the town together.  Oh, and don’t forget the town dominatrix, the bible thumping priest, and the conspiracy nut.  They all come together in a sort of dysfunctional family.  The writing style was very readable and reminds a bit of Christopher Moore.  The story is nicely wrapped up too, which I always enjoy.

Overall I enjoyed it and am glad that I read it.  A good read for fans of parodys or zombie humor.  A somewhat similar book in tone is Night of the Living Trekkies, for you zombie humor fans out there.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
– 100+ Reading Challenge
– Zombies! Reading Challenge