[Review] Red Hill by Jamie McGuire

Red Hill
Jamie McGuire
October 1, 2013
 Atria Books

Copy provided for review by publisher

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When the world ends, can love survive?

For Scarlet, raising her two daughters alone makes fighting for tomorrow an everyday battle. Nathan has a wife, but can’t remember what it’s like to be in love; only his young daughter Zoe makes coming home worthwhile. Miranda’s biggest concern is whether her new VW Bug is big enough to carry her sister and their boyfriends on a weekend escape from college finals.

When reports of a widespread, deadly “outbreak” begin to surface, these ordinary people face extraordinary circumstances and suddenly their fates are intertwined. Recognizing they can’t outrun the danger, Scarlet, Nathan, and Miranda desperately seek shelter at the same secluded ranch, Red Hill. Emotions run high while old and new relationships are tested in the face of a terrifying enemy—an enemy who no longer remembers what it’s like to be human.

Set against the backdrop of a brilliantly realized apocalyptic world, love somehow finds a way to survive. But what happens when the one you’d die for becomes the one who could destroy you?

What does the end of world, cleaning up zombies, and emotional baggage have in common?   It is the basic premise of the latest book I read.  Red Hill by Jamie Maguire for me was a pretty good read and I liked it well enough.  This book like most zombie movies, comic books and novels is not really about zombies but people surviving and trying to make the most of a bad situation.

Red Hill is about three people caught up in the middle of a zombie outbreak and trying to find their way to a safe place to hide out.  This safe place just happens to be a ranch out in the middle of now where called Red Hill.  The book is told from three points of view: Scarlett a mother separated from her children, Nathan a father just trying to save his little girl, and Miranda a confused college girl.  What do all these people have in common?  They all find their way to Red Hill and all their stories of how they made it to Red Hill are interwoven and they find that the world is not such a big place after all.

I liked Red Hill well enough it had everything I expect in a zombie survival story.  There was heart break, terror, and there was also the silver lining that makes it all seem like it's not so bad.  My heart went out Scarlett as she waited day after day for her daughters.  I cheered when she was able to find some happiness with man she didn't even know she needed.  My heart broke for Miranda because how do you fall with in love with one boy when the one that has always been there for you is lying in the next room.  This book is littered with emotional baggage and people trying to let it go so they can survive not only zombies but day to day to living without all our modern conveniences and easy distractions. I did like the message I took from the story is that you have to let go and do something or it will eat you up until you are like a zombie just going through the motions.  That sometimes you have to learn to only survive but live again.  I liked a quote in the book when Nathan says "Who would have thought the end world would be the best thing to happen to me." 

In the end I enjoyed Red Hill it was an entertaining zombie survival story.  Did it add anything new to the genre?  No, but I still recommend it to readers looking for a good story.  The tales of love were heart breaking and full of courage.   I thought she did a good job of showing how relationships change and reform in a world with no rules.  I give Red Hill three point five laser pistols and round up to four laser pistols because in the end I like the layer hope that ran through the story.