KILLER T by Robert Muchamore

          This is a near future Science Fiction novel that I found to have a good dollop of the dystopian about it.  It has a little bit everything: plague, zombies, mutants, gangsters and good old societal breakdown.  Doesn't sound exactly a laugh a minute does it?  However, told by Harry and Charlie there is a wit to the narration that sucks you in to their rapidly dissolving world.

From an explosion at a High School, through the world of illegal genetic modifications via gene warfare I could not help but compare the story to The Stand.  I think this was mainly because of it's main setting of Las Vegas and I did keep expecting Randall Flagg to make a cameo appearance.  In some ways this is a compliment to the author as The Stand is one of my all time favourite books and one that I re-read every couple of years.

The characters are well drawn and relatably flawed people who I could not help but empathise with.  From the trials of growing pains to trying to hold their lives together as the world falls apart they make bad decisions and good ones but you still want them to come out on top.  Maybe this is because they both had childhoods marred by loss but maybe it is because they are inherently interesting people.

Spread over several years we get to witness Harry and Charlie grow close, apart and close again against a backdrop of biological warfare which has decimated the world's population.  Throw in some mafia-esque dirty dealing and you end up with a fast paced thrilling ride that I did find hard to put down.

I RECEIVED A FREE COPY OF THIS BOOK FROM READERS FIRST IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW.