The Junkie Quatrain

By: Peter Clines

Narrated by: Christian Rummel, Therese Plummer

Length: 3 hrs and 54 mins

Publisher's summary

Audie Award Nominee, Original Work, 2013

Six months ago, the world ended. The Baugh Contagion swept across the planet. Its victims were left twitching, adrenalized cannibals that quickly became know as Junkies. Civilization crumbled as people created isolated safe havens to hide from the infected... and the possibly infected. Now, as society nears a tipping point, lives will intersect and intertwine across two days in a desolate city.

The Junkie Quatrain is four tales of survival, and four types of post-apocalypse story, because the end of the world means different things for different people. Loss. Opportunity. Hope. Or maybe just another day on the job.

©2012 Peter Clines (P)2012 Audible, Inc.

Another entry in the post-apocalypse/zombie genre

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

Sure, if it were on special for <$5 or in a library.

This set of short stories is fairly generic but there really isn't a lot in the genre that isn't generic these days. It's pretty well put together, usually revealing exposition through events/action that seem natural and remain interesting. The twist on the progression of the "rage virus" style zombie virus and how it impacts the world and the characters in it is a nice touch too.

I couldn't tell for sure if it was being self aware when a character mocked a couple of standard zombie tropes then immediately explained that, in fact, this other standard zombie trope was exactly how it happened. I think it was being self aware but it was a very clumsy nod to the audience if it was and just a silly ego trip from the author if it wasn't. It was just odd.

The biggest problem is that the stories get gradually less interesting as you progress to the point where the fourth and final one contains almost entirely redundant or predictable information. This is partly due to the interconnected nature of the stories. I'd already filled in the bits of the story missing from the second story and the fourth is largely a retelling of that one with more detail from a different perspective. But none of the extra detail is anything other than what I'd expected/imagined. This is also partly due to the cardboard cutout "I'm a total professional bad ass" caricature the focus of the final chapter is.

The second story - which is heavily interlaced with the fourth - is also an array of very thin caricatures. The third story is mainly exposition - two characters in a room talking through the zombie crisis, how it began and what to do about it.

Only the first story gives any kind of insightful perspective on one of it's characters.

Which scene was your favorite?

Learning more about Holly's family situation toward the end of the first "quatrain".

Was The Junkie Quatrain worth the listening time?

If you're into post-apocalyptic and/or zombie stories then yes. It's pretty shallow. It's a genre targeted piece and if you're not a fan of the genre you're not likely to get much from it.

Any additional comments?

Quilt isn't a name. It's a duvet or doona. It's downy soft too, which is nice.

If this is ever made into an octet then I hope the author calls another professional bad ass Snugglerug.

Not really worth it

Clines is overall a very good author - his story "14" is one of my favorites. This one however....

Even a really great story wouldn't be worth spending much money or a credit on for such a short book (less than four hours). And though it is well written I wouldn't call it very good.

I suppose the problem comes down to the format. This is a compilation of four short stories. Each story crosses over, but only mildly, except for the last two. There is no resolution for any of them. In the end it's just a series of events with no outcome. If you can get it on sale for just a couple of bucks it might be worth it, but otherwise don't bother.

readable

Any additional comments?

read this after "14", not bad, short and kind of typical for its type of horror book

It's a Whole New Zombie Apocalypse!

Peter Clines has earned his zombie spurs with his superhero zombie universe series, Ex. Now in the Junkie Quatrain he has created a whole new zombie apocalypse which he introduces in 4 sharp novellas. There’s a lot to love here, so let me take them point by point.

First, the zombies are great. They aren’t the walking dead, but the shattered remains of a virus-ridden humanity. They’re fast and they will chase you until they drop from exhaustion. They are ravenous, eating anything that moves. They have a pack mentality—but not every zombie gets to be part of the pack and they turn mercilessly on their own at the first sign of injury or other weakness. And best of all, Clines realizes this is not sustainable. Hunger and the elements will eventually end this zombie threat (or at least greatly reduce it). And because it was caused by a virus it is potentially curable. All of this makes these zombies feel very different from most other series.

Second, civilization hasn’t fully collapsed. The CDC is still working, trying to find a cure. Enclaves have developed. At one point, we learn that the U.S. is looking at 92 million deaths—horrific, but not The Walking Dead. There is still hope that civilization can be saved or at least salvaged.

Third, Clines gives us great characters in each of the novellas. These are people we can sympathize with (and in at least one case that was very surprising). They also have challenges that make sense and it was easy to imagine myself in their positions in most of the cases.

Best, however, was the way that each of the novellas intersected with each other. This really pushed this collection over the top into a simply great story and shows how thoroughly Clines thought everything out. It also means, however that the story does not advance very far chronologically. Clines better be planning to write volume 2.

A story in search of an ending

Four overlapping stories that tie together well, but it just ends with no resolution. There needs to be something to wrap up the stories. I felt like I had read a mystery where the last third of the book was missing.

Short but good

Highly recommend. I was able to listen to this for free, and it introduced me to a new author thank you audible!

I wanted more

This felt like the beginning of a really good novel, but then abruptly ended. I loved the way it was told from each of the character’s perspectives and then converged at their meetings. I was just caught off guard when the story suddenly ended.

Wow!

Fantastic book. Highly entertaining, Well Crafted, excellent ProductionValue and it lets you know where you can get more. Thank You Mr. Cline.

Four degrees of Kevin Bacon

A few days in the life amidst a zombie apocalypse from 4 overlapping POVs, each in a 1 hour novellla.
I wouldn’t call this a story because it starts in the middle, explains the beginning in pieces via the four novellas, but ends abruptly without any resolution for the world or most of the characters.
Fine for a $1 purchase, and it would be a good teaser if this was a prequel to a later book, which I’d be willing to purchase on sale.

Great Reimagining of "Zombie"

Any additional comments?

Peter Clines does an excellent job in reimagining the zombie sub-genre. I enjoyed the twists in the 4-in-1 story's perspective. I really wish there was more to it. I feel a reader would enjoy more stories from any of the protagonists, and one antagonist, that are followed in the tale. Excellent work!