The Girls Guide to the Apocalypse by Daphne Lamb
Genre: Post-Apocalyptic, Humor
Publication Date: August 11, 2015
ISBN: 978-1513701189
Available Formats: Paperback, eBook
Rating: 4 Stars

Most post-apocalyptic stories lately are full of zombies and other monsters. But what most people forget—and only a few stories show—is that the real monsters will most likely be the humans. Forget running from the undead, and instead worry about the living.

The Girl's Guide to the Apocalypse shows the darker side of humanity and somehow still makes you laugh while doing so. Verdell, our heroine, starts out the story as a data entry clerk in an office, somehow ends up being blamed for the death and destruction that happens around her. If someone could find a way to blame the apocalypse itself on her, they probably would. In truth, all she's trying to do is survive, and not get caught by the cannibals and roving gangs, but somehow rumors and misunderstandings keep following her.

At times, I wanted to smack Verdell, who spent way too much time trying to rely on others instead of standing up for herself, especially given the track history of people either abandoning her or turning around and blaming her. She has a few moments of brilliance, such as in her standoff with UCLA, that redeem the character and add to the amusement. In a strange twist, Verdell becomes the person that no one wants… but at the same time, everyone wants to capture her.

The situations that she falls into are extreme to the point of being absurd, but everything falls into an interconnected storyline that ties the characters together from the start to the finish. This is a post-apocalyptic tale that doesn't take itself too seriously, and yet somehow manages to show us how horrible people could be in the events that take place, becoming a strong message with a humorous tone that you won't quickly forget.

Review previously posted on Shaykitteh’s World of Books.

About Shay:

An avid reader and reviewer, Shay VanZwoll has often bemoaned the fact that there aren’t enough hours in the day to read, often staying up in the wee hours of the night curled up with a book or her Kindle. When she isn’t reading, she is a freelance editor and proofreader, providing services priced for Independent and Small Press authors. For more information, please visit http://evproofreading.com.