Growlers by John Black

Andrei, Lili and their seven year old son, Mat, spend Christmas with Lili’s parents, Dan and Maria, in their tiny apartment in a small village in the Balkans. Wrapped up in their family vacation, they don’t notice the world ending until the utilities are cut off and their neighbors start growling like bears. With no food, water or heat in the depths of winter, the family is forced to leave the apartment to survive, but have they stepped out of the frying pan straight into the fire?

Growlers is a zombie story with a touch of vampirism thrown in. I loved the blend of humor, horror and emotion. I found the thought of humans growling like bears disturbing.

What made this book for me was the characters. I loved the family dynamic, the banter between the husband and wife and the love between the grandparents. If the world was ending, I’d want someone like grandpa Dan on my side. He’s a legend.

Another aspect I liked was how the family had multiple threats to face. Winter in the Balkans is no joke, and the snow and freezing temperatures were almost more dangerous than the growlers. Reading about how the family had to battle the elements to survive added extra depth and the inclusion of a pack of hungry feral dogs ramped up the tension.

I look forward to reading the next book in the series.

I award Growlers…

Growlers is available for $1.36 ebook and $8.63 print book on Amazon.