'The sickness struck everyone over fourteen.
First it twisted their minds.
Next it ravaged their bodies.
Now they roam the streets -
crazed and hungry.'
With its scenes of horror, a deadly zombie virus and kids ruling London, The Enemy is the ideal young adult novel. A sickness has spread across London, England (as far as they know - it could be the whole world) infecting anyone over the age of fourteen. The lucky ones died from the unknown, zombie virus, whilst the others turned into actual zombies - losing their minds, sense and emotion to the deadly disease (not forgetting how it transformed their bodies; blood and boils all over the place). This leaves any child under fourteen, boy or girl, to fend for themselves in this dark, post-apocalyptic world.
Being the first novel in Charlie Higson's five part series, The Enemy follows the lives of numerous children, with the plots all intertwining, over the space of a few weeks. Living in the supermarket Waitrose (whilst the less fortunate children live in Morrissons) they scavenge for food, murder any zombie grown-ups they come across and even fight each other, but most importantly, they must survive. Even from the first few pages of the book you are exposed to the lengths that human beings, even ones as young as nine, go to in order to live.
The novel is simply written yet has abundant description, is fast-paced and draws the reader in. Every element needed to tell an adventure story. What I liked most was that it is set in London. Being from London myself, I could imagine the tourist places mentioned, the underground and even the supermarkets. It made the story seem all the more real, and all the more possible.
I can't wait to read the next books in the series (and yes, I have bought the next two already) so expect some more reviews! (And thanks to my brother for picking the book up in the first place!)
Author: Charlie Higson
Genre: Young Adult, Horror, Post Apocalyptic, Fiction
Published: 2010, Puffin
Pages: 407
My rating: ★★★★★
Favourite quote: 'We can't lose all we believe in. Our sense of right and wrong,' said Maxie. 'Just to survive.'
'Just to survive? There's no just about it. Survival is everything.'
The Enemy by Charlie Higson on Goodreads
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