What do you think?
Rate this book
Anti-Sentient
Butler, Linda J.
176 pages, Paperback
First published April 26, 2012
412 people want to read
About the author
Linda J. Butler
2 books11 followersFrom the age of ten, I wanted to read adult novels. I remember sneaking The Godfather from my Mother's bag and being captivated. I tried to read The Autobigoraphy of Malcolm X next, but I just couldn't wrap my mind around the the concepts and the language. It would become a favorite book of mine as an adult, and always remind me of my mother and her love of reading.
I fell in love with horror the first time I saw Night of the Living Dead. It was in black and white, and looked like a documentary. I was convinced it was real, and I was terrified. Then I read the Exorcist and was scarred until adulthood.
After years of being a worker bee with no direction, I re-entered the academic world and rediscovered my love for literature and found my voice as a writer.
My first novel includes, clinical trial studies, bipolar disorder, zombies and familial discord. I tried to create real characters, situations that can be visualized, and an occurance made more disturbing because it's plausible.
I fell in love with horror the first time I saw Night of the Living Dead. It was in black and white, and looked like a documentary. I was convinced it was real, and I was terrified. Then I read the Exorcist and was scarred until adulthood.
After years of being a worker bee with no direction, I re-entered the academic world and rediscovered my love for literature and found my voice as a writer.
My first novel includes, clinical trial studies, bipolar disorder, zombies and familial discord. I tried to create real characters, situations that can be visualized, and an occurance made more disturbing because it's plausible.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
July 2, 2012
First off let me say I thoroughly enjoyed this book and recommend it. The story is interesting and fast paced, the zombie origin is well thought out,the zombies truly creeped me out, and the characters (in the first half/three quarters of the book) are well drawn and believable. That being said this book is way too short. The last half felt rushed, and the characters loose something in the rushing towards an end to the story.
December 1, 2012
THIS REVIEW IS FOR THE AUDIOBOOK VERSION.
DISCLAIMER: I received a free copy of this book for review purposes.
My problem with the book is the woman hired to do the narration. While I appreciate her efforts to convey emotion, they were simply too overwrought. This made many of the characters seem shrill, hysterical, and instantly unlikeable. It also undermined the growing horror of the story, because rather than a gradual realization of the threat and a corresponding increase in fear, the characters are already having full-blown panic attacks over every last little thing five minutes into the story.
Another problem is her attempt to do male voices. Admittedly this is a challenge for any voice actor portraying a character of the opposite gender, but hopefully the end result is competent enough to fade unnoticed into the background while the listener focuses on the dialogue. The listener should not be too busy face-palming to actually pay attention to the story, but alas, this is what happened. The male voices in this audiobook sound not like the subtle work of a professional but like a vexed wife doing an unflattering imitation of her husband by pitching her voice comically low.
Lastly there is the narrator's basic everyday speaking voice, which is used to convey exposition and description. Something about the cadences and timber suggested an elderly woman to me. There's nothing inherently wrong with that, but it is a bit odd to hear a grandmotherly voice describing a corpse gnawing on live man's intestine.
I can't speak to the quality of the underlying work because the entire five or so hours of the audiobook I was far too distracted and aggravated by the narrator. Voice acting is a damn hard job, no argument here. In fact since you're working only with your voice and not with facial expressions and gestures and costumes the argument can be made that it's more difficult than traditional acting. But the job of an audiobook narrator is to act as a vehicle for the story, not to completely derail it by becoming more noticeable than the words being spoken.
Most of the reviews for the book itself seem to be positive, so do yourself a favor and buy a paper and ink copy.
DISCLAIMER: I received a free copy of this book for review purposes.
My problem with the book is the woman hired to do the narration. While I appreciate her efforts to convey emotion, they were simply too overwrought. This made many of the characters seem shrill, hysterical, and instantly unlikeable. It also undermined the growing horror of the story, because rather than a gradual realization of the threat and a corresponding increase in fear, the characters are already having full-blown panic attacks over every last little thing five minutes into the story.
Another problem is her attempt to do male voices. Admittedly this is a challenge for any voice actor portraying a character of the opposite gender, but hopefully the end result is competent enough to fade unnoticed into the background while the listener focuses on the dialogue. The listener should not be too busy face-palming to actually pay attention to the story, but alas, this is what happened. The male voices in this audiobook sound not like the subtle work of a professional but like a vexed wife doing an unflattering imitation of her husband by pitching her voice comically low.
Lastly there is the narrator's basic everyday speaking voice, which is used to convey exposition and description. Something about the cadences and timber suggested an elderly woman to me. There's nothing inherently wrong with that, but it is a bit odd to hear a grandmotherly voice describing a corpse gnawing on live man's intestine.
I can't speak to the quality of the underlying work because the entire five or so hours of the audiobook I was far too distracted and aggravated by the narrator. Voice acting is a damn hard job, no argument here. In fact since you're working only with your voice and not with facial expressions and gestures and costumes the argument can be made that it's more difficult than traditional acting. But the job of an audiobook narrator is to act as a vehicle for the story, not to completely derail it by becoming more noticeable than the words being spoken.
Most of the reviews for the book itself seem to be positive, so do yourself a favor and buy a paper and ink copy.
January 5, 2014
"Anti-Sentient" or: "Characterization in Times of Trouble".
Essentially a short story about 1000 zombies somehow throwing an entire urban center into chaos, Ms. Butler jars the reader into and out of Family-Guy-esque, non-sequitur character-defining segues, with little heed for pacing. While I appreciate getting to know my protagonists, these segments come at the expense of the story. I am most of the way through the book, and know everything about the characters, except why I should care about them. Oftentimes, whole pages are devoted to events with, at best, tangential relation to the plot.
The affliction itself is interesting in origin, but the overarching message of the story frequently eclipses itself with needless perspectives of disposable characters and ham-handedness. Where Romero's messages were pokes, Anti-Sentient is a clumsy punch. Ultimately, in a book this surprisingly short for its price, there are simply too many pages wasted to justify any higher praise, or even a recommendation. I do intend to finish the book, in hopes that, high off of some surprise ending, I can change this review... but I'm not holding my breath.
EDIT: Good thing I did not hold my breath. The book takes a bizarre, clichéd, turn for the worse in its last few pages, and then tries to throw a haymaker in the last 10 words, revealing a gaping plot hole in the closing sentence. There was no climax, no resolution, no development. No one changes, nothing is improved, nothing is learned, nothing of value is lost. Yikes.
Essentially a short story about 1000 zombies somehow throwing an entire urban center into chaos, Ms. Butler jars the reader into and out of Family-Guy-esque, non-sequitur character-defining segues, with little heed for pacing. While I appreciate getting to know my protagonists, these segments come at the expense of the story. I am most of the way through the book, and know everything about the characters, except why I should care about them. Oftentimes, whole pages are devoted to events with, at best, tangential relation to the plot.
The affliction itself is interesting in origin, but the overarching message of the story frequently eclipses itself with needless perspectives of disposable characters and ham-handedness. Where Romero's messages were pokes, Anti-Sentient is a clumsy punch. Ultimately, in a book this surprisingly short for its price, there are simply too many pages wasted to justify any higher praise, or even a recommendation. I do intend to finish the book, in hopes that, high off of some surprise ending, I can change this review... but I'm not holding my breath.
EDIT: Good thing I did not hold my breath. The book takes a bizarre, clichéd, turn for the worse in its last few pages, and then tries to throw a haymaker in the last 10 words, revealing a gaping plot hole in the closing sentence. There was no climax, no resolution, no development. No one changes, nothing is improved, nothing is learned, nothing of value is lost. Yikes.
June 3, 2013
"Anti-Sentient" by Linda J. Butler is the story of Abby, her boyfriend and some of their neighbours as they are trying to escape an apocalyptic Zombie epidemic in LA. The phenomenon has been created by a new psycho-pharmaceutical trial, something which Abby's father is responsible for.
As you can imagine, the personal conflicts in this story and the side-theme of drug testing and its ethics make this book a particularly gripping read with more than 'just' Zombie action.
I found the beginning slightly too slow for my personal liking, I think we could have dived into the esacpe from the apartment block to the drug company's headquarters faster; at the same time the characters and their backgrounds had been set up nicely through the thorough introduction.
It was difficult to stop reading once the action started and I congratulate the author for the well written ending.
very enjoyable.
As you can imagine, the personal conflicts in this story and the side-theme of drug testing and its ethics make this book a particularly gripping read with more than 'just' Zombie action.
I found the beginning slightly too slow for my personal liking, I think we could have dived into the esacpe from the apartment block to the drug company's headquarters faster; at the same time the characters and their backgrounds had been set up nicely through the thorough introduction.
It was difficult to stop reading once the action started and I congratulate the author for the well written ending.
very enjoyable.
November 22, 2012
Anti-Sentient
By Lind J Butler
Narrator Lisa Cartmell
Date 2012
Length : 5 hr, 9 min. 55 sec.
Story
This is a post apocalyptic book with a focus on strained relationships, which gives it a rather unique twist, how do you survive in a world bent on destroying you if you can't trust your own father? Read this book and find out.
Production
Narrator Lisa Cartmell did a good job in narrating this book, capturing and keeping a grip on my imagination as she takes me from one character to the next.
Recommendation
Any new adult, young adult, horror, thriller post apocalyptic genre lover will absolutely adore this book.
It is a 5 * read for sure, and I am so glad I got to read it…..
Keep an eye out for this one; she is going to be a household name before you know it.
By Lind J Butler
Narrator Lisa Cartmell
Date 2012
Length : 5 hr, 9 min. 55 sec.
Story
This is a post apocalyptic book with a focus on strained relationships, which gives it a rather unique twist, how do you survive in a world bent on destroying you if you can't trust your own father? Read this book and find out.
Production
Narrator Lisa Cartmell did a good job in narrating this book, capturing and keeping a grip on my imagination as she takes me from one character to the next.
Recommendation
Any new adult, young adult, horror, thriller post apocalyptic genre lover will absolutely adore this book.
It is a 5 * read for sure, and I am so glad I got to read it…..
Keep an eye out for this one; she is going to be a household name before you know it.
October 28, 2012
I will admit the cover freaked me out a bit but once I got on to the reading I was hooked and read it in one sitting :)
This was such a refreshingly NEW take on Zombies. I loved how the author used a drugs trial as the start. I really enjoyed this book and is a MUST read for anyone who likes a good gritty read :)
EXCELLENT!!!!!!!!!
May 19, 2012
Ms. butler quickly established characters you could care about and one despicable one you hope gets his just reward. If you're a fan of zombie stories , this one takes off quickly and never stops. A fun and scarey read!
July 25, 2012
its a great read that move quickly into what everyone is reading it for...ZOMBIES. A very well thought out story that introduces characters you relate to and grow to know quickly and is definitely a must read.
October 16, 2012
Butler comes up with some novel ideas towards a by now well played out genre. That being said, what really soured me in this book was the characters. Aside from being two-dimensional, they seemed to have their lives and jobs pulled from the bucket labeled Hip Jobs for Characters.
June 19, 2012
Easy, enjoyable read. Some really funny lines (in a sick, twisted kind of way.) Quick but fairly solid character development.
July 2, 2012
This is a really scary book, a real page turner. I don't even read this genre, but I couldn't put it down. I really recommend it!
July 3, 2012
Edge of you seat, nail biting a must read!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 11, 2012
zombies in LA !
July 6, 2018
Honestly, this is one of the worst books I've read. I'm not even sure why I finished it. The plot is kind of dumb and nonsensical. 1300 zombies somehow throw all of West LA into chaos, and the characters run in to gangs of dozens of zombies or more several times throughout the book. So apparently a sizable portion of the zombies are concentrated in the area where the characters happen to be. What terrible luck!
Also, the characters are all cliches. This is actually kind of funny, because each time time a character is introduced, their personality is explained to the reader in 3-5 paragraphs, and that's all you need to know. There is absolutely zero characterization through action. You don't learn about Abby's insecurities through her behavior or her interactions with her boyfriend, you learn about them because the first time she's introduced the narrator simply tells you who Abby is and what she's like. When it's time to deal with Abby's familial conflicts, the narrator just explains her personal history to the reader. Abby the character never gives any real indication of her personality.
However, I can (and often do) forgive nonsensical plots and cliche characters if the book is saying something interesting, or is well-written. This book isn't. Here is the entire concept of the story: the pills used to treat mental illness turn people into figurative zombies, what if there were a treatment that turns them into literal zombies!? Now that you've read that sentence, you don't need to read the book.
But what made it truly unpleasant to read is its construction. There is no art here. I would say the prose is utilitarian, but that would imply that it actually serves its function, which unfortunately isn't the case here. Transitions made no sense. It jumps from one character's perspective to another's at random. Action scenes are described in such a way that events seem to occur at random, with no warning or even indication that a development was even possible. Also, in my version of the book (Barnes and Noble ebook) there were numerous typos (mostly missing quotations marks), which made the whole experience even more irritating.
Also, the characters are all cliches. This is actually kind of funny, because each time time a character is introduced, their personality is explained to the reader in 3-5 paragraphs, and that's all you need to know. There is absolutely zero characterization through action. You don't learn about Abby's insecurities through her behavior or her interactions with her boyfriend, you learn about them because the first time she's introduced the narrator simply tells you who Abby is and what she's like. When it's time to deal with Abby's familial conflicts, the narrator just explains her personal history to the reader. Abby the character never gives any real indication of her personality.
However, I can (and often do) forgive nonsensical plots and cliche characters if the book is saying something interesting, or is well-written. This book isn't. Here is the entire concept of the story: the pills used to treat mental illness turn people into figurative zombies, what if there were a treatment that turns them into literal zombies!? Now that you've read that sentence, you don't need to read the book.
But what made it truly unpleasant to read is its construction. There is no art here. I would say the prose is utilitarian, but that would imply that it actually serves its function, which unfortunately isn't the case here. Transitions made no sense. It jumps from one character's perspective to another's at random. Action scenes are described in such a way that events seem to occur at random, with no warning or even indication that a development was even possible. Also, in my version of the book (Barnes and Noble ebook) there were numerous typos (mostly missing quotations marks), which made the whole experience even more irritating.
October 16, 2012
The very first home that I ever owned was a small bungalow that was built in the 1920's. Electricity had been added after the home was built. There were all kinds of switches and plugs that were random, at best. I had no idea what went with what. For me, the easiest way to figure things out was to just start pushing buttons and flipping switches. It was an effective experiment and certainly helped me figure things out.
But what happens when the switches that you are flipping are genetic markers? Anti-Sentient is about a medical firms efforts to find relief for those who suffered from depression. Little did they know that by flipping a switch to turn something off, that they would be turning something on. In this case something deadly.
Anti-sentient is a fast paced novel that removes zombies from the realm of fiction by bringing them in the realm of possibility.
I thoroughly enjoyed it. I'm sure you will too.
But what happens when the switches that you are flipping are genetic markers? Anti-Sentient is about a medical firms efforts to find relief for those who suffered from depression. Little did they know that by flipping a switch to turn something off, that they would be turning something on. In this case something deadly.
Anti-sentient is a fast paced novel that removes zombies from the realm of fiction by bringing them in the realm of possibility.
I thoroughly enjoyed it. I'm sure you will too.
January 21, 2014
Where do I start? This book is about an experiment that has gone horribly wrong. I'll say it has a few warnings between the lines. You might want to stay away from clinical trials especially if genetic manipulation is involved. Technically they aren't zombies in the conventional sense of the term, however they mostly act that way.
I thought the storyline was really good and the book is well-written. It took me a few hours to read and I had a hard time putting it down because I had to see what was going to happen. I'm looking to reading the next book in the series. For me it was just the right mix of horror and sci-fi elements.
I thought the storyline was really good and the book is well-written. It took me a few hours to read and I had a hard time putting it down because I had to see what was going to happen. I'm looking to reading the next book in the series. For me it was just the right mix of horror and sci-fi elements.
August 21, 2013
This was a well written novel with great character development. The zombies are used as vehicles to bring out the personalities and emotions of the various individuals in this story. The relationship between Abigail and her father is the driving force behind the plot of this novel.
This is not just a tale about zombies, but instead it’s a story about how real live humans react to dead zombies. The way Linda Butler handles the reactions of her various characters makes for a great novel.
This is not just a tale about zombies, but instead it’s a story about how real live humans react to dead zombies. The way Linda Butler handles the reactions of her various characters makes for a great novel.
July 27, 2014
3.5 stars, marked down to 3 because of typos, the occasional bit of bad grammar and the flagrant misuse of semi-colons. This was a good enjoyable story with nice characterization, but would have been better if edited. Some parts of the story seemed very rushed, which was strange interspersed with the characters' detailed backstories.
August 15, 2013
Finally a fresh take on zombies! A young woman and her boyfriend watch people killing one another outside of their window. Her father offers them shelter. Little did they know the nightmare that was waiting on them. I absolutely fell into this story and did not want it to end. The only part that threw me was the ending. When you get to it you'll understand why I am confused. WaAR
July 6, 2015
No me gusto paRa nada, mal desarrollo de los personajes, final abrupto y sin sentido, la trama tiene muchisimas fallas y aunque la literatura zombie es por definicion, cliché, este libro hace uso y mal uso de los mismos,, nada recomendable!
April 17, 2014
Sadly my dear friend and first time author Linda passed away last week from Breast Cancer... She fought a good fight... This book was excellent and so sad she didn't finish her second.. But she got to live her dream and have this published... Please give a read in Linda's honour....
June 16, 2013
Too choppy, too junked up, too stupid! I didn't like any of the characters or connect with them
Which is kinda important for a "zombie eats your face off "book!!
Which is kinda important for a "zombie eats your face off "book!!
September 10, 2014
Really quick read! Not a whole lot of substance but I was totally okay with it because it was essentially nonstop action! I really enjoyed this book!
June 21, 2015
Great story - I loved the characters!
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews