The Pretty Dead
David Martin Stack
eBook
(Small Change Press, June 1, 2011)
A mysterious virus threatens to turn the world into mindless zombies. The infected exhibit early symptoms of extreme conformity. When the virus outbreak hits a small Catholic high school in Louisville, KY, naturally nobody notices. Blake always dreamed of being in a rock and roll band. His twin sister M. dreamed of saving the world. It looks like they’ll both have their chance. On their sixteenth birthday, the twins’ father disappears, accused of embezzling millions of dollars to cover gambling debts. In the months of shame and change that follow their father’s disappearance, the twins struggle to deal with the ordinary evils of high school - like cliques, detention, and driver’s exams - while an extraordinary evil gathers around them. It turns out it’s not just their imaginations - the cool kids really are trying to destroy them. Not to mention Blake’s feelings for his ex-girlfriend - which he thought had long since died and were buried - are coming back big time. But she’s into one of his jerk friends, and it’s eating him alive. Nevertheless, with three friends and three chords, the siblings form a garage band where they bury their trouble under loads of distortion. The rocking new band provides a perfect cover for them to go underground to expose a secret political conspiracy bent on taking over the world. Pursued by ghoulish g-men, infected teachers and classmates, and a rival band of goth-rockers who want to force a deadly battle of the bands, the twins are called to become bigger heroes than just your average Guitar Hero.