ENTRADA BOOK REVIEWS

His Name Was Zach

By Peter Martunaec

Pages: 486 ISBN: 9781729489871 Date Reviewed: October 8, 2019 Release Date: April 2, 2019     Available at:

His Name Was Zach is an outstanding piece of literature that will charm a wealth of emotions from every reader. Peter Martuneac has created a simple story, by its structure, but by doing so he has allowed the character development to shine through; truly a beacon in the darkened story world. This truly makes the novel stand out from the crowd as rather than focusing on the action and bloodshed that often becomes the main focus in zombie themed books he generally pulls focus back to the human side and the overall character development.

The reader sees the titular transform in so many different ways, from the gruff ex-marine, to a caring and protective father; all while he battles insurmountable odds and his own demons. To see the progress this character makes when thrown from surviving in the Wild and defending his daughter against horrors, human and zombie, to finding love and peace only to have chaos rain down on his life once again, is a serious delight to read. Every emotion driven word is etched into the reader's mind making them feel every single one as they delve deeper into this fictional world.

While Zach is the main character his daughter Abby steals practically every scene she is in, and pretty much the entire show. Due to Peter Martuneac's expert character portrayal readers young or old will adore Abby, her optimism and kind-heartedness even when faced with severe hardships and horrors no child should see.

Now while the character development and human interactions of the novel are certainly one of the highlights from chapter to chapter, Martuneac hasn't forgotten about the expected tropes that come with a zombie filled literary world. The exceptional use detail within the nail-biting action scenes throughout the story will have readers on the edge of their seat in bated breath hoping beyond a hope that their favorite characters will survive. The level of realism within these scenes is refreshingly inescapable and a true testament to Martuneac's skillful creative story telling.

While most would have settled with the zombies as the main villain in the novel the author has gone one step further in creating a human villain for the characters and readers alike to both despise and fear. The level of detail within certain scenes can make them an uncomfortable read because of the detail and craftsmanship gone into each and every page; the reader truly is zapped into the mind of the characters. His Name Was Zach utilizes this main villain throughout the narrative, always keeping the reader on their toes that he could be around the next corner set to destroy the lives of Zach, Abby and their friends. It's not often that such a despicable character is created leaving the reader with no questions as to whether he is the villain. Peter Martuneac has his audience hooked from chapter to chapter waiting, hoping and wishing that the character will finally meet his demise.

His Name Was Zach by Peter Martuneac is a gripping nail-biting read from beginning to end and a true testament to his creative craft. While the title hints at certain aspects of the novel, due to its use of past tense, nothing will prepare the reader for the rollercoaster of action and emotion that is contained within each chapter. Literal tears will be shed as every loss is felt and mourned not only by the characters but the reader too.

"Never start a confrontation with those things, or you'll bring down hordes of them."