The Last Weekend

Nick Mamatas
The Last Weekend Cover

The Last Weekend or How I Wasted 14 Days of Reading Time

Badseedgirl
12/30/2015
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This is a publication by the publisher Night Shade Books for the 2014 British release of The Last Weekend by Nick Mamatas. This novel annoyed me right from the minute I opened the package, and read the review quote by Brian Keene. The quote starts with "The Last Weekend is a headshot to a tiresome trope...." Ok that is some pretty cheeky words from a man who has written not one, not two, but no less than EIGHT zombie novels. Talk about biting the hand that feeds you. I'm not sure that this was the best quote to be using on a "zombie trope" novel.

And the thing is, this isn't even a zombie novel. Yes, there are some zombies in it, but they are just background. They are used as a prop to show and support the narrator, named Charlie's slow decent into drunken self-destruction. In this novel people, hired by the city of San Francisco to kill zombies, or more specifically people about to die, are called "Drillers" because they are issued a cordless drill to drill a neat hole in the dying person's head. This is a most undesirable job and only the desperate or crazy will or can do it for very long. Of course Charlie is a driller.

I'm not sure is the author meant to do it, but Charlie has to be the most narcissistic, pompous douche-bag I have ever read about. In addition to being a "Driller," pre and post zombie outbreak, Charlie wanted to be a writer. He displays every tired, overused, and clichéd aspect of the "struggling writer." I swear about 30 pages in I just wanted to punch his whiny ass to the ground and then kick in his pompous mouth.

Because the character was so completely unlikable, it made it incredibly hard for me to enjoy the novel. I will say Mr. Mamatas was able to write some strong women voices, unfortunately they were also; a. self-absorbed, b. crazy, or c. and romping combination of both.

I finished this novel because I got it as a giveaway and I felt the only way to be able to give it an honest review was to finish it. I did it, I did not like it, and I would have a hard time recommending it to people.

1 of 5 stars