Raising Stony Mayhall

Starred review from May 30, 2011
Richly textured settings and nuanced characters mark this introspective novel, in which Gregory (The Devil's Alphabet) further expounds on his fascination with an altered human condition set against a mundane backdrop. In 1968 Iowa, at the height of the epidemic of the living dead (LDs) that are beaten back only with mass killings of the afflicted, Wanda Mayhall finds and cares for a baby LD who inexplicably grows and ages, despite his dead, unhealing flesh. Stony spends his childhood hidden away, voraciously reading; his adolescence organizing with fellow LDs; and his adulthood in government incarceration, finally breaking out. Stony's curiosity about his own condition and unique origins lead him to study the LDs, resulting in some startling insights about the nature of the diseaseâand the nature of humanity. Like many survivors of terrible trauma, Stony hides his pain behind cynicism and brutal matter-of-factness: "One morning his mother asked him why he looked so tense. Did he look different? He tried to remember what his face felt like before he understood that the world was trying to kill him." His unique narration elevates this zombie story well above others of its kind.

Starred review from July 1, 2011

Driving home in a winter snowstorm, Wanda Mayhall and her three daughters come upon the corpses of a young woman and her infant, frozen by the side of the road. When the infant opens its eyes, Wanda realizes the child is one of the living dead. In spite of everything they know about the zombie outbreak and the ruthless measures taken to prevent its spread, the Mayhalls keep the child, naming him Stony. In doing so, they cross a line that has repercussions encompassing a new vision of what it means to be alive. The author of The Devil's Alphabet and Pandemonium has written a masterly tale of love that defies standard limits. Stony Mayhall emerges as a unique character, defined by the people who love him, at war with his own identity, and driven to create his own definition of "being human." VERDICT Part superhero fiction, part zombie horror story, and part supernatural thriller, this luminous and compelling tale deserves a wide readership beyond genre fans. Highly recommended.

Copyright 2011 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.