Book Review: Devils Unto Dust by Emma Berquist

Devils Unto Dust by Emma Berquist
Genre: Horror
Release Date: 10th April 2018
Publisher: Greenwillow
Source: Publisher
Add it: Goodreads
Rating:

Willie has always survived. No matter what life in Glory, Texas, has thrown at her. The sickness that swept through the state and turned most living creatures into terrifying shakes. Her own mother succumbing to the disease. Her father disappearing into saloons and gambling and liquor. Willie survives. And she'll make sure her younger brothers and sister do, too.

Then her good-for-nothing father steals a fortune from one of the most merciless shake hunters in town, and Willie is on the hook for his debt. With two young hunters as guide, Willie sets out across the desert to find him, and make him pay up.

But the desert holds many dangers—and the shakes are only a few of them. This is no place for the weak.

You guys have been sitting on this book! I read Devils Unto Dust when it first came out, and let me tell you that it’s THE zombie Western that you’ve been waiting for.

Devils Unto Dust is a debut novel, and yet it feels as though Berquist has years of writing experience. She drew me in right away with the desert landscape and the adorable family that are trying to survive the apocalypse. Not only was the writing descriptive and lush, the characters were easy to connect to and gripped me from the very start.

I was addicted the entire time, and I’m so, so pleased that I picked up this debut. I only regret not shouting about it sooner! Devils Unto Dust is super intense and action-packed, and I couldn’t put the book down once I’d started it. Now that I’m talking about it again – over a year later – I kind of want to revisit this world in either a sequel (PLEASE) or a reread.

I loved the cross between a Western and zombies, and it’s something that I suddenly need more of in my life. If you’re a fan of zombie horror or survival stories, then this is definitely the book for you. If you love reading about families and siblings doing anything for one another then THIS IS THE BOOK FOR YOU.

While Devils Unto Dust isn’t an all time favourite, it’s one that has clearly stuck with me, and will probably continue to stick with me over the years. I’ve already read the author’s sophomore novel, Missing, Presumed Dead, and I can’t wait to see what she comes out with in the future.