Review: Tell Me When I’m Dead by Steven Ramirez

The zombie genre has exploded in recent years, and unfortunately, so many similar stories have begun to run together, making it less of a desirable avenue for both writers and readers. However, there is still hope for this genre niche in the form of Tell Me When I’m Dead by Steven Ramirez. The first book in a trilogy, this slow-burning thriller does far more than simply promote an everyman into a zombie-killing hero, introducing readers to a uniquely compelling protagonist.

Leading this novel from start to finish is Dave Pulaski, who is not the type of character you’d expect to be headlining a series, but his many imperfections are what make him fascinating from the start. Dealing with emotional trauma and teetering sobriety, Dave suddenly finds himself in the midst of a miniature zombie apocalypse as a contagion afflicts his small town in California. As you might expect, someone like him, on the brink of self-destruction, probably isn’t in the best headspace for the end of days, making him an amusing and strangely relatable central character.

Supporting this antihero is a ragtag cast of eccentric folk in town, some of whom make it to the end of this book, and others who turn into flesh-eating monsters along the way. There are more than a few opportunities for dark humor with this ensemble, and Ramirez is skilled at finding them, as he has shown time and again in his fiction.

Although the book begins with a flash-forward scene, letting readers know that things are going to get wild, the first half of the novel is largely exposition on a long fuse. The pacing struggles at times, and while the story is largely character-driven, a few more peaks and valleys of action would help with narrative flow. Some of the technical details concerning the plague and other bits of research seem rushed or only superficially explored, almost as though the book is missing sections, so the narrative is somewhat uneven.

Additionally, the religious overtones throughout the book are a bit unexpected and don’t seem to fit with the energy and style of the story. There are so many introspective elements to the novel, and organic moments of philosophy, that some of the faith-related elements feel artificial. That being said, the narrative is thematically consistent, guiding how readers will think and feel by the final page, so Ramirez certainly makes his message clear.

In terms of grammatical issues, the book is well-edited and clean, making the reading experience smooth and enjoyable. The relatively short chapters also help drive the action along through some of the slower moments in the first half of the book. Fortunately, things heat up in the second half, and by the time you catch up chronologically to that horrifying scene that kicked the book off, you’ll be hooked.

Overall, Tell Me When I’m Dead is a gritty, pulse-pounding read that never loses its sense of humor, for an original and well-rounded work of zombie fiction. With a bit more polishing and patience, this book could go from good to great, but it is an enticing start to a new series.