Rent Breathers: A Zombie's Lament

An interesting take on the zombie phenomenon: some individuals come back to life, but rather than hunt for human flesh, they must struggle to survive in a cruel world. The undead are ostracized by family, friends, and society at large. They are also treated as something below an animal, which has some basic rights to life. I was quite entertained by the concept and the book itself. There were some things like the romance between Andy and Rita and the “venison” that threw me off a little. Despite these minor things, I really got a kick out of this book!

S.G. Browne has crafted a highly compelling novel with unusual subject matter. Breathers: A Zombie's Lament centers on Andy Warner, a recently re-animated zombie with a permanently shattered leg and destroyed vocal chords. He begins to feel a great sense of unrest in his position as a second class citizen in America. The living dead have no rights and are constantly the targets of harassment, ***ault, and trips to the pound for leaving the house without a human guardian. With the encouragement of his local chapter of Undead Anonymous, Andy dedicates his time to improving conditions for his fellow reanimated corpses. While Breathers does have a consistent streak of dark humor, I would be reluctant to refer to it as a humor book. The quotations on the back cover would lead you to believe that this book is similar to Max Brook's Zombie Survival Guide: it's not. If anything, it packs the emotional heft of the best episodes in Brooks World War Z. Browne produces a moving narrative with believable characters and disturbing situations. My strongest suggestion is not to look at the back cover of the book before reading. The summary quickly reveals a plot twist that is not exposed until more than midway through the book. There aren't even direct repercussions from it until the last 50 pages. If you want a unique read and can stomach some unsettling descriptions of reanimated corpses, but no real straight-horror content, Breaters is an excellent, engaging, fast read. Just don't be surprised when you realize how emotionally invested you are in the fight for zombie rights in America.