Book Review: Gil's All Fright Diner by A. Lee Martinez

Gil's All Fright Diner by A. Lee Martinez

ZPAA rating

Teens and up

Gore level

4 out of 10--Considering all the horror standards (zombies, vampires, werewolves, elder gods, horny teenagers) in this book, the gore is not over the top. There's a reappearing blood spot on the floor, some battles that are bloody but not graphically detailed. There are some drippy undead folk about.

Other offensive content

Lots of bad language, including plenty of f-bombs; plenty of sex from a variety of characters; drinking alcohol; bad attitudes; smoking; occult practices.

How much zombie mythology/content

The zombies in this story are your standard shuffling dead minions. Nothing new to report here.

How much fun

The book has a lighter touch and many comic elements, including a great scene where the heroes are surrounded by a herd of zombie cows. Oh, and the occult incantations work best in pig-Latin. Ucho-may unny-fay!

Synopsis & Review

This story tells the adventure of two friends, Earl the vampire and Duke the werewolf, who drift into Rockwood, a small and dusty southwestern town. They stop at a diner for a late night snack. They stay to fight zombie assaults and repair the gas line out back. Why? Loretta the owner is charming enough and they are low on gas. What could go wrong in a backwater town like Rockwood?

Well, the town has had a lot of supernatural activity for a long time. That's why people assume Gil, the original owner of the diner, just vanished a few years ago. The diner does have that blood stain that keep reappearing whenever it's cleaned. So something fishy is going on.

The book is an entertaining read but a bit juvenile in its attitudes and tone. Surprisingly, the content is a little more mature than I thought necessary. The plot takes a little while to get going but it picked up momentum in the second half of the book. The humor is good though the comparisons to Douglas Adams on the back of the book are wildly exaggerated.