The Longest Midnight is the debut war/horror novel of J.J. Fowler, and whatever you’re expecting from the title, don’t trust any preconceived notions just yet. From the cover on it presents a very realistic military atmosphere, but this story is something completely different. With one of the most original zombie plots I’ve read in a long time, Fowler brings the reader into a very bleak future.
The story takes place in the future, where the zombie apocalypse is part of everyday life. With only a fraction of the world population still managing to stay alive, they somehow try to recover from the devastation. Among the survivors is Joshua Drake, a veteran with very little lust for life. For him staying alive has become a job, because there’s not much else to look forward to. And if the zombies don’t get them, cancer just might.
However, somebody started taking control of the zombies. Now they walk around with weapons, becoming more dangerous because they don’t need to energize, or fear death for that matter. It’s up to Drake and his platoon to neutralize this superior threat from behind enemy lines. What seems like a suicide mission gains hope when another dangerous enemy joins the fight against the zombies.
First off, I think the setting of the story is particularly interesting, mainly because it goes beyond the typical outbreak and the mass hysteria. Of course, it’s not the first time this idea has been used, but Fowler brings a few other elements to the plot as well. For example, the enemy Drake is forced to trust. Unfortunately, it would be a spoiler to reveal them, but I can say that you won’t see it coming.
Another element he brings to the table is his rather detailed execution. He doesn’t miss the softer points of guts flying everywhere and blood seeping into the sand. In terms of writing style, he shows a clear direction of where he wants to take the reader and he doesn’t disappoint. Fowler makes sure terror is hovering around every corner, which leads to some nail-biting moments.
What I really like about the book is the pacing and the dominant character focus on Drake. Fowler uses this to get straight to the point, which worked perfectly with the premise of the story. If there is one area where I wasn’t completely sold, it would be some of the dialogue at certain sections. There were tiny moments where I lost the connection with the characters, but overall I was highly entertained and couldn’t wait to see how it ended.
For a debut, I’m definitely impressed, both by Fowler’s creativity and his ability to share it with his readers. He pays attention to key points, which is how he keeps you inside the futuristic wasteland. Recommendation wise, I think this is a story for the larger horror audience. It has the gore, it has the action, and Fowler is able to pull it off. Even readers who don’t particularly like zombies could find it very entertaining. I invite all the military action junkies to take a stab at this one as they should like it as well!
Reviewed by Damnetha Jules
Damnetha is a staff writer, horror book and movie critic.
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