Review: Dead is All You Get (Tell Me When I’m Dead Book 2) by Steven Ramirez

A stellar sophmore installment to the Tell Me When I’m Dead series, Dead is All You Get ups the ante considerably, avoiding so many of the common clichés in zombie tales, for an original and well-rounded work of zombie fiction.

The first book in the series largely focused on the outbreak and the battles that our unlikely alcoholic antihero must fight to protect his new family and make it out on the other side alive. This second installment takes this basic plot and expands it into something truly shocking.

The zombie contagion was actually a covert government operation to create super soldiers, and the flesh-eating habits were an unfortunate side effect. However, the undead – the “draggers” – are beginning to change, becoming more intelligent, and even indiscernible from normal people. This unique twist on the repetitive “I want brains” theme of all zombie books makes this a much more interesting read, and one that you won’t be able to put down.

Dave Pulaski carries the novel with his hard edges and slowly softening heart, but his flaws are still impossible to miss. He is far from a noble knight on a white steed, but in this new ugly world, where the living are just as dangerous as the undead, Dave is a perfect protagonist. Hanging on strongly from the first novel is the philosophical bent to Dave – he might be a rugged old drunk with a mean streak, but he leans into the existential musings that being in such a hellscape inspires. There is humor sprinkled throughout the book as well, as some amount of gallows humor is warranted, and Ramirez is adept at keeping his tongue firmly in his cheek.

Unlike the first novel, the pacing in Dead is All You Get is much better, and the flow of the narrative feels more planned out. There is less jumping around and more connectivity throughout the entire story, and Ramirez seems more able to take his time and genuinely play with language, while also adding in just the right amount of suspense and purposeful action to keep readers flipping the pages. Patient prose interspersed with clever turns of phrase and plenty of surprises make this book smart and savagely entertaining.

As was the case for the first installment of this trilogy, this book is well-edited and easy to read, with few distractions or weak sections. The fact that Ramirez mostly veers away from the religious angle also makes this novel stronger, as it allows the plot to progress in a smooth, natural way. Nothing about this novel feels forced, and the author has obviously found his voice, with an excellent megaphone in the form of Dave Pulaski.

The final piece of this puzzle promises to be as cleverly written and thought-provoking as the first two books, which isn’t common praise for what could have been a zombie pulp novel. Instead, Steven Ramirez has driven a stake into the brain of this genre and created something new that is definitely worth the effort, and demands a read from fans of zombie fiction.