Which brings us to the final book, 2012’s Blackout, which we’re all coming fresh off the back of. And there is yet more ripping out of hearts, when Shaun discovers that there’s every likelihood George would have survived amplification, thanks to the reservoir condition she lived with, if only he hadn’t shot her in the head as per protocol – how do you live with that?! And if that’s not enough, the ending of this book gives us yet another shock (although let’s be honest, it’s one we were hoping for!). The only thing that is keeping Shaun alive is the desire to avenge his sister, but his sanity is on a knife edge.

Conspiracy comes to the fore, while the political arena is in the background for much of this book, which is narrated by an increasingly unstable Shaun after George’s death at the end of Feed. Set in 2040, a couple of decades after two man-made vaccine viruses combined to change the world with the threat of zombies, Feed is action-packed but at the same time thoughtful and challenging, with an ending that rips your heart straight out. The first novel is narrated by Georgia (George) Mason, a ‘Newsie’ who, with her adopted brother Shaun (an ‘Irwin’ – a breed of bloggers named after Steve Irwin because of their habit of poking things – in this case dead, or undead, things – with sticks!), and Buffy (a ‘Fictional’ as well as the team’s tech guru), have been selected to cover the presidential campaign of Peter Ryman on their news blogsite. While the undead are central and fairly crucial to the series, it is the twisting, turning politics, the science and the characters which I feel really make the books so darn cool. TEHANI: My favourite way to describe the first book of the trilogy, Feed (2010), is as a science fiction political thriller (with zombies). PLEASE do not continue unless you have no intention of reading this (very excellent) science fiction thriller (with zombies), or you REALLY don’t mind spoilers!

Up front, know that we WILL be discussing major spoilers for all three books. This series is impossible to review in full without spoilers for preceding books.

Newsflesh