School Library Journal Review
Gr 9 Up-A zombie apocalypse has shaken the world, but a team of fearless survivors are fighting back. With them is an unusual hero. Sparky, a golden retriever, seems immune to the zombie virus and serves as a courageous attack dog when things get tough. The group must band together and face a new challenge: a deranged (but still human) police officer. Based on a tabletop board game, this story tries to add a twist to the popular zombie survival narrative with faithful, yet deadly, Sparky but unfortunately falls flat. The human characters, who dominate the work despite the attempts to highlight Sparky, are relatively clichéd and one-dimensional. They are each introduced with a brief description of who they were before the apocalypse, but with the exception of brash and disruptive Forrest, they are indistinguishable, making the narrative hard to follow. While Sparky is a novel idea, he gets relatively little screen time in comparison. The art is adequate but lackluster. -VERDICT A pale imitation of stronger zombie or postapocalyptic fiction. Recommended only for libraries with big fans of the board game.-Maryanne Olson, Queens Borough Public Library, NY © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
Beginning a series based on the eponymous board game, this follows a group of survivors during a brutal winter that they spend trying to avoid getting eaten by zombies. They find themselves hunkered down in a warehouse with a unique weapon: a fighting, zombie-immune dog! Sparky is a sweet golden retriever and a superhero of sorts. In this blend of humor and horror, readers will notice lots of character types that should be familiar from the game. The stereotypes feel intentional and add to the humorous tone. While it has plenty of gore, dread, and foul language, those ingredients don't consume the story; this book is fairly tame compared to many zombie comics. The artwork is dark, and the characters appear cartoony. There are several flashbacks of Sparky before the apocalypse, and in those panels rendered in completely muted tones, only his red cape and collar stand out. Recommend to older teens and new adults who enjoy The Walking Dead but are looking for some lighter fare.--Temple, Suzanne Copyright 2018 Booklist
School Library Journal Review
Gr 9 Up-A zombie apocalypse has shaken the world, but a team of fearless survivors are fighting back. With them is an unusual hero. Sparky, a golden retriever, seems immune to the zombie virus and serves as a courageous attack dog when things get tough. The group must band together and face a new challenge: a deranged (but still human) police officer. Based on a tabletop board game, this story tries to add a twist to the popular zombie survival narrative with faithful, yet deadly, Sparky but unfortunately falls flat. The human characters, who dominate the work despite the attempts to highlight Sparky, are relatively clichéd and one-dimensional. They are each introduced with a brief description of who they were before the apocalypse, but with the exception of brash and disruptive Forrest, they are indistinguishable, making the narrative hard to follow. While Sparky is a novel idea, he gets relatively little screen time in comparison. The art is adequate but lackluster. -VERDICT A pale imitation of stronger zombie or postapocalyptic fiction. Recommended only for libraries with big fans of the board game.-Maryanne Olson, Queens Borough Public Library, NY © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
Beginning a series based on the eponymous board game, this follows a group of survivors during a brutal winter that they spend trying to avoid getting eaten by zombies. They find themselves hunkered down in a warehouse with a unique weapon: a fighting, zombie-immune dog! Sparky is a sweet golden retriever and a superhero of sorts. In this blend of humor and horror, readers will notice lots of character types that should be familiar from the game. The stereotypes feel intentional and add to the humorous tone. While it has plenty of gore, dread, and foul language, those ingredients don't consume the story; this book is fairly tame compared to many zombie comics. The artwork is dark, and the characters appear cartoony. There are several flashbacks of Sparky before the apocalypse, and in those panels rendered in completely muted tones, only his red cape and collar stand out. Recommend to older teens and new adults who enjoy The Walking Dead but are looking for some lighter fare.--Temple, Suzanne Copyright 2018 Booklist
