Chasers

October 15, 2012
Four teens struggle to survive in a post-apocalyptic New York City. After Jesse, Dave, Anna and Mini, 16-year-old youth ambassadors for the United Nations, are tossed around in a massive subway explosion, they emerge on the streets of the city to see people drinking from fire hydrants and rivers--and bodies. The teens take refuge in the Rainbow Room in Rockefeller Center, using the high vantage point to survey the remnants of Manhattan and plot their escape from the zombielike people they call Chasers. As Jesse scouts the bridges and tunnels, he learns that perhaps the Chasers are not as inhuman as they appear. Phelan, an Australian like narrator Jesse, uses slang judiciously, with minimal impact on the book's overall readability. Jesse's perceptions of New York City seem to come from a different era, with gangs and graffiti, though the author deserves credit for accurate geography. Secondary characters are given rough outlines, but they lack the nuance to add much to the narrative. In attempting to deviate from the normal zombie arc, Phelan fails to develop the Chasers as satisfyingly scary, making them awkward at best. Additional content includes both a discussion guide and an author question-and-answer section. Overall, unlikely to satisfy any real thirst for adventure. (Adventure. 12-14)

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April 1, 2013

Gr 7-9-Jesse, 16, is representing Australia in the UN Youth Ambassadors program. He and three friends are riding the subway when a huge fireball hits. Upon awakening, Jesse discovers that everyone has been killed except for him and his companions. They quickly make their way to the street and find the city in ruins. There are other survivors, but something is wrong with them. They have a strange look in their eyes and are drinking out of puddles-in fact, they drink anything, including blood. Pursued by these zombielike people, whom they dub Chasers, Jesse and his friends run to 30 Rock to take shelter, get a good view of the Big Apple, and decide what to do next. The first in a series, this book does not stand out from the rest of the genre but will keep zombie fans turning pages. Unfortunately the most interesting part of the novel comes from a twist at the end that will make readers reflect on Jesse's tale in a new light. Consider only where teens have an insatiable appetite for zombie tales.-Erik Carlson, White Plains Public Library, NY

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