Red Hill

A Novel

By: Jamie McGuire

Narrated by: Emma Galvin, January LaVoy, Zachary Webber

Length: 9 hrs and 38 mins

Publisher's summary

When the world ends, can love survive?

For Scarlet, raising her two daughters alone means fighting for tomorrow is an everyday battle. Nathan has a wife, but can't remember what it's like to be in love; only his young daughter Zoe makes coming home worthwhile. Miranda's biggest concern is whether her new VW Bug is big enough to carry her sister and their boyfriends on a weekend escape from college finals.

When reports of a widespread, deadly "outbreak" begin to surface, these ordinary people face extraordinary circumstances and suddenly their fates are intertwined. Recognizing they can't outrun the danger, Scarlet, Nathan, and Miranda desperately seek shelter at the same secluded ranch, Red Hill. Emotions run high while old and new relationships are tested in the face of a terrifying enemy - an enemy who no longer remembers what it's like to be human.

Set against the backdrop of a brilliantly realized apocalyptic world, love somehow finds a way to survive. But what happens when the one you'd die for becomes the one who could destroy you?

Red Hill grabs you from the first page and doesn't let go until its stunning conclusion. This is #1 New York Times best-selling author Jamie McGuire at her unforgettable best.

©2013 Jamie McGuire (P)2013 Simon & Schuster

A Quick Death

Great story up until the rushed ending. suddenly, like the movies, characters lose their natural behavior so the author can create drama. They became stupid and lose peripheral vision.

Are the Lives Lost Worth Those Saved?

When I set eyes on this cover and realized that EMMA GALVIN teamed up to narrate another of McGUIRE’s works, I had to give it a listen. The combination of McGUIRE, GALVIN, and Zombies is so up my alley that friend Felicia @ The Geeky Blogger’s Book Blog was going to send me the audio to review. But alas, I had already cashed in an Audible credit and marked it “Read.”

You’ll spend a little over half of the book with our three narrators on the run toward RED HILL. Though I could totally feel their anxiety and fear, I had a hard time connecting with the characters and their storylines. But I knew once they all hit RED HILL, things would happen. And they do. Their lives start to intertwine and complicate. I guess messy and complicated should be expected when a zombie apocalypse is thrust upon you. The relationships I enjoyed the most were those of the college kids. They rewarded you with loyal and sweet to uncomfortable and questioning.

Scarlet, Scarlet, Scarlet. I think you caused me the greatest pain. I felt your actions were overly selfish and reckless. They diminished my views towards RED HILL and toward your badassness.

EMMA GALVIN is always a favorite and she doesn’t disappoint here. She captures the youthful hopefulness of our college characters. She made me care about Miranda and the things that burdened her heart plus want to protect those that were important to her. ZACHARY WEBBER‘s stiff, calculated resolve made Nathan hard to connect with on the run. But at RED HILL, it fit what his character needed to be. He had to keep calm for the sake of the children and hold down the fort. JANUARY LAVOY’s Scarlet was hard to read. She was kind of stoic. But in hindsight, it was really one of those creepy calms that has something unhinged bubbling underneath. She was protective and courageous, but it twists into something I couldn’t resolve myself to appreciate in the end.

It is one of those books that makes wonder if the lives lost were worth the ones saved.

basic storyline...

The storyline was basic. the character development basic. I got this book bc of Emma Galvin narration. she is good.

Needed more Action and Zombies

Red Hill is more of a character study than a non-stop zombie killing adventure. Scarlet’s character is at the center of the action- she’s the mother figure to the group, and also one of the best at taking down zombies, aka creepers/shufflers/teds. She holds on to the hope that she will be with her daughters again and that’s what keeps her going.

The story picked up steam for me once the gang got together at Red Hill. Before that time, they were isolated and dodging zombies separately, and my mind would start to wander. There’s lots of time spent on the journey to Red Hill. And with the shift in perspectives, I felt a little detached from the characters.

When the group meets up at Red Hill though, things get a little less predictable and a lot more dangerous. Character bonds are formed. The danger kind of sneaks up on you, and there are some whoa, I can’t believe this is happening moments. The slow pace of the novel makes any fight or death scene that much more impactful. And McGuire makes some bold choices with the conclusion that took me off guard.

I picked up the audiobook because I saw Emma Galvin was one of the narrators. Galvin reads Miranda’s part, January LaVoy is Scarlet, and of course Zachary Webber is Nathan. Galvin is very strong with action scenes and bringing the emotional intensity to her reading- she reads Divergent so this is right up her alley. LaVoy sounds age-appropriate for Scarlet, and you can feel her concern for her kids. Webber’s Nathan has a smooth, calm voice that’s perfect for the character. The narration is good, and sets the mood for the story. Emma Galvin’s intensity stands out among the trio but that’s also the nature of her character. The novel’s slow pace did make the audiobook feel longer than 9.5 hours.

Red Hill is zombie fiction, rather than NA or YA and is such a departure for Jamie McGuire I’m not sure it’s a natural fit for her NA/romance fans. Then again, with the focus not on zombie killing action, it’s not a slam-dunk for zombie lovers either. I’m not into zombies, but even I think there should have been more action and scares.

Red Hill may be a good choice for someone who reads fiction and wants to dip their toes in the zombie pool. There’s not too much romance and it’s not keep-you-up-at-night scary. It has a Walking Dead vibe to it, and you’ll be thinking more about how you’d survive in a zombie apocalypse.

Excellent

What did you love best about Red Hill?

The characters are realistic and likable. The convergence of the storyline was setup very well.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Red Hill?

When the children come home.

What does the narrators bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

/

If you could take any character from Red Hill out to dinner, who would it be and why?

/

Any additional comments?

Very entertaining

Love

What did you love best about Red Hill?

How all the peoples stories wove together

What was one of the most memorable moments of Red Hill?

The whole thing was good, how everyone reacted to the outbreak

What does the narrators bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

They brought the characters to life. I didn't like the person that voiced Miranda though

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yea

Soapier Than My Rubber Ducky

Very limited action. It is a character-driven book and I really didn’t care for the characters. They were pretty generic. They were not that interesting and since there was little action, you couldn’t learn about/care about them by what they do.

The narrators sounded great and the production values are above average. Of course they are limited due to the source material. Ex. There are a few sex scenes and yet the characters come across very stiff...no pun intended. The characters also don’t sound realistic or sincere when dealing with major issues/disagreements.

Another example takes place during the last third of the book. Two minor characters are introduced and something horrific happens. It is addressed quickly and then little follow up occurs. The main characters hardly show how horrible the incident was. If you’re writing a character driven piece, then your characters should dive in, react, grow, change. It is minimal here. Most of the actions/interactions of the characters are superficial. They seem so uninterested in their interactions.

This is a book published by a major publisher. It was written by an accomplished romance novelist. Booklist and others gave it great reviews. All I can say is that I read this twice and my opinion did not change.

Zombies, Guns, and Strong Females OH MY!

This is a great book, a strong women that refuses to give up yet remains true to herself and others. It is zombie like but zombies aren't the basis of the story the basis is faith, hope and overcoming tragic events. A little love mixed it helps. The characters are richly developed, I was attached from the beginning. Nothing hokey here just a well written story that pulls the heart strings, takes you away from reality with characters everyone can relate to. Enjoy! Highly recommend.

Extraordinary!!!!

Any additional comments?

Extraordinary!!!! This book was fan-freaking-tasic!!! Jamie really did on it on this. I wasn't sure how well it would be considering she writes NA, but she did not disappoint at all with this one. Just as wonderful as her other books :)

Pulse racing, thrilling ride that had me holding my breath at some points. Wonderfully written, and the story flows so nicely. There are parts where everything is linked together and you go 'WOW'.

This story is based on 3 main characters that are just trying to survive and make it to one place alive, Red Hill Ranch. 3 different points of view that even as they are separate, they are all linked together at some point.
I can't go into too much without giving away too much. It's just something you will finally understand once you read it yourself.

HIGHLY recommended, even if zombies are NOT your thing. This was book was great and if your a fan of Jame McGuire, you will NOT be disappointed.

Fantastic

What did you love best about Red Hill?

This story was fantastic !! I loved the story and the narration made the story amazing !!

What was one of the most memorable moments of Red Hill?

the ending is amazing it makes the story bloom.

Which character – as performed by the narrators – was your favorite?

Scarlett

If you could rename Red Hill, what would you call it?

Ted killers lol