Sick

"In an exciting take on the zombie novel, Leveen shifts to horror while maintaining his trademark complex relationships and character-driven storytelling." ~ Publishers WeeklyBeneath the heat of the scorching Phoenix sun, a nightmare unfolds within the confines of a high school performing arts department as a group of misfit teens confronts a horror beyond imagination.When a viral plague sweeps through the city, turning its victims into bloodthirsty monsters, Brian's high school becomes a fortress and a prison. The imposing fence surrounding campus holds the infected at bay, but it also keeps Brian's sister, Mackenzie, and his ex-girlfriend trapped in different corners of the campus.Laura, Brian's ex, lives life shadowed by a crippling panic disorder. But the medication stashed in her backpack becomes a lifeline in a world gone mad -- if she can be reached. Time is running out as one of Brian's friends falls victim to the infection...As tensions rise, Brian's group of drama-kid survivors attempt to find Laura and Mackenzie, and escape the clutches of the infected before the darkness within their fellow survivors becomes more terrifying than the bloodthirsty hordes outside.Sick is a fast-paced tale of survival, loyalty, and the inescapable horrors of a world transformed. Join Brian and his band of misfits as they navigate the thin line between humanity and the monstrous...where salvation is uncertain...and survival comes at a chilling cost.Dive into the gripping horror of SICK now, but be warned: once you enter, there may be no way out.Praise for SICK"The gore and action will leave enthralled readers thrilled and then sated with each kill on either side."―Booklist"Between the pacing and the heroes’ salty, blue language (full of lovingly creative, genital-inspired insults), reluctant readers who love zombies will devour it, right up to the abrupt end."―Kirkus Reviews"Sick is well written, with great detail, even if it is a little gory."―VOYA MagazineAWARDSQuick Picks for Reluctant Young Readers list from YALSAInternational Reading Association’s 2014 Young Adults’ ChoicesGrand Canyon Reader AwardWestchester Fiction Award

From Booklist

“High school is full of monsters.” With a tagline like that it’s easy to guess where the zombie metaphor lives in Leveen’s first foray into horror. In the diverse, riot-prone, gang-dominated halls of Phoenix Metro High School, it’s not that hard to see how a zombie outbreak might begin without much fanfare. For Brian, a senior, the only people who matter are his friends; his sister, Mackenzie; and his ex, Laura. When Brian finds himself holed up in the school’s theater department while ravenous, geode-encrusted infected students run amok, killing or infecting everyone in sight, he, with the aid of his best friend and some drama kids, attempts an intense rescue operation for Mackenzie and Laura. The gore and action will leave enthralled readers thrilled and then sated with each kill on either side. However, Leveen’s violent romp isn’t without conscience. Community, humanity, and mortality all come under the microscope in this surprisingly earnest effort. Grades 9-12. --Courtney Jones

About the Author

Tom Leveen is an award-winning author and Bram Stoker Award finalist who has also written for the comic book series Spawn, and for BattleTech with Catalyst Game Labs.

Reviews

News