Zombie stories are full of so many relatable themes and ideas that elevate them beyond simple horror tales. They explore ideas about humanity, society, relationships, and technology. We all ponder whether or not we have what it takes to survive and tend to throw those opinions out to the main characters of the zombie stories that we watch or read whenever we notice them doing the opposite of what we think they should do.
But one thing that makes a zombie story so compelling is the spontaneous decision making that characters have to constantly battle. The more correct decisions they make, the longer they survive. And the best characters have something to survive for. In the case of The Zombie Protector by Mae Johnson, that something is family. Below is my review of The Zombie Protector followed by an interview with Johnson.
The Zombie Protector plot summary
Fourteen-year-old Ellie is a survivor of a zombie outbreak. With her is her 12-year-old sister, Ronnie, who, incidentally, is a zombie. But Ronnie doesn’t attack humans. Instead, she protects Ellie, warning her of dangerous situations with a series of grunts that Ellie has learned to interpret.
Ellie and Ronnie are on their way to a lab which may have a cure for Ronnie. Along the way, they meet a group of survivors living in underground tunnels. And they team up with this group to eventually make it to the lab. But things take a turn for the worse as the lab, and those working inside, turn out to be more dangerous than the zombies themselves.
The story
The plot of The Zombie Protector was much different from my expectations. I was expecting more of a YA plotline, similar to Warm Bodies, which might contain a love story or a more girl-centric storyline involving sisters. Instead, the story feels more like Day of the Dead. The zombie outbreak has been going on for three years when the story opens, giving the survivors time to learn how to survive in this post-apocalyptic world once the initial chaos and panic has died down.
The events leading up to this story are glossed over in quick flashbacks or brief exposition between characters. Ellie is haunted by the deaths of her parents, but she admits that it’s when her sister receives her fateful bite that she really despaired as she assumed that meant that she would be going at it alone. As a result, she’ll take Ronnie any way that she can get her, zombie or not, and that provides a unique and interesting spin on the classic zombie storyline. Her goal is to cure her sister, but above that, she must protect her and vice versa.
The characters
Johnsson tells the story from Ellie’s point of view. She has a youthful yet mature voice that comes through in her narration. She doesn’t become the unlikely leader of this group of mostly full-grown men that they team up with, nor is she the timid girl who needs to be saved. She’s just another member of this makeshift squad who is flying by the seat of her pants in this ruined world like the rest of the survivors.
The supporting characters also all have their distinct personalities and voices. Each one interacts with Ellie in unique ways. One refreshing element was that none of them get creepy with her. In fact, she’s treated like a little sister, annoying to some, vulnerable to others, yet comes in handy when they need her.
The villains are your typical stock characters, evil scientists or mindless guards who attempt to thwart their plans. They do what they’re supposed to do in this story – mess everything up for our heroes.
My recommendation
I recommend The Zombie Protector to your average zombie story lover. The story has a lot of unique elements to it in terms of the dynamic between the two sisters, though I would have loved to have seen more of their backstory explored.
The book is very plot-driven versus character driven, and I think that the best zombie stories get you to root for the characters more than the stories. Ellie is a likable, nerdy kid, but she starts to take a backseat to the male characters as she meets up with the other survivors. It’s realistic plot-wise, but it also did make me lose interest a bit in the middle. I also would have liked to have seen more of a resolution at the end of the story, though it seems to be setting up for a sequel.
There’s also not a lot of gore or language. So, it makes for an easy transition for young teens looking to get into zombie stories. And that is a cause that I can definitely support.
My rating
An interview with Mae Johnsson
How did you come up with the idea for The Zombie Protector?
My sister and I were joking around, talking about what we would do and where we would go if we happened to survive an apocalypse. It got me thinking that it could be something I could write about. I liked the idea of two young sisters, who share a close bond, trying to survive in a zombie world. I love zombie stories, so there was never any question about the apocalypse being due to anything other than zombies.
What zombie stories inspired your book?
None specific. I just love zombies. I have since I first saw the movie Resident Evil.
How did you come up with the idea of making Ronnie a non-lethal zombie? Was there a reason behind making her the younger sister versus older than Ellie?
Since the characters of Ellie and Ronnie are based on me and my sister, I imagined us in the situation they were in and it didn’t matter what she had become, I just couldn’t picture her hurting me. Then it became interesting to think about how a zombie that didn’t want to hurt humans would exist in the new world and how she would interact with others. That the characters are based on us is also the reason that Ronnie is Ellie’s younger sister, since I’m the oldest one.
Do you think you would survive a zombie apocalypse?
I’m not sure that I would want to. But if it happened, then I would probably try to stay alive. Although, there would be a lot of complaining. The searching for food, trying to stay away from zombies and crazy people, all of that I could handle. It’s the lack of showers that would get to me.
What was the most fun part to write? The most challenging?
The entire book was fun to write. There wasn’t any part of the book that felt challenging. I felt I knew my characters really well. So, I never wondered what they would do or how they would react in a certain situation. That helped in moving the story along.
Did you do any research for this book (viruses, weapons, survival skills, etc.)?
I did a little research on various things but mostly I used things that I’ve read long before I started to write this book, such as the tunnels used by the Viet Cong during the Vietnam War. Those were the inspiration for the Tumbleweed tunnels in the book, although with a hopefully lighter feel to it. I didn’t want the harshness of actual life to be felt. I wanted the reader to feel that there was a realness to what was happening but not so real that one gets depressed.
Who is your favorite character?
As a writer, Ellie is my favorite, since that character allowed me to write whatever sprung to mind. Otherwise, I would say that my favorite character is Luke, since he’s a mellow and caring person who knows who he is and what he stands for and would never let anyone sway him from that.
What’s next for you?
I’m working on the sequel to The Zombie Protector.
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Excellent review and interview as always, Laura! Your blog is great!
Thanks for reading!