by Wendy Bull

Created on: April 21, 2008   Last Updated: February 11, 2009

It took me ages to get round to reading this and ages to get through it. This was not because it was a bad book and in fact if time had allowed me to I would have opened it in the morning and not closed it until my eyes shut at night. That's how much I enjoyed it in fact and although a lot of Stephen King fans have enjoyed this it does not seem to come across in the reviews I have read here and elsewhere and this surprised me.

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Clayton Riddell, known as Clay is on his way home after sealing the deal on a very lucrative drawing contract that will finally allow him some financial security and he is thinking about how pleased his ex-wife and son will be with his good news when he finally sees them.

Stopping at the ice-cream van for something to cool him down, the girl in front of him takes a call on her mobile phone. That is on the fourth page of the story and that is where the terror and carnage starts for Clay. The Pulse that has been emitted over the mobile phone signals is turning everyone who was listening at the time into a throat ripping, ear eating zombie and it is not getting any better.

The remainder of the book tells us how Clay begins a terrifying journey to find his son, where he meets new friends who help and heed and new enemies. The Raggedy Man being the leader of the phone crazies, as they are called, is particularly hot on Clay's heels for good reason and is using all the telepathic power he can muster to scare Clay and his group and keep them in check for the finale he has planned for them. Clay and his group are led by dreams and personal courage to complete the mission and the reason for still being alive.

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I have to say I really enjoyed this whole book. I have read that it has been likened to The Stand by King but although I see a few similarities most of it was fresh for me and I read it as a story in it's own right, not anything affiliated with another story and this seems to be the best way to go about it. Don't go in with high expectations and don't go in with low, go in as though you have not read Stephen King before and you will not be disappointed. I have never needed to do this though as I do love King and have only ever come across one book of his that I thought was really boring but if you have read a lot of reviews that are not quite so appealing than think about what I have said.

Clay is a great character for me. He is pretty tough having to face up to what is happening around him with everyone turning crazy before his eyes and

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