The Dead is the second book in Charlie Higson's jaw-dropping zombie horror series for teens. Everyone over the age of fourteen has succumbed to a deadly zombie virus and now the kids must keep themselves alive. Well I wanted them to be proper horror books. Modern kids are a lot harder to scare and impress there I was because they’ve had access to so more. They’ve watched all those TV series, DVDs and stuff online, so if you’re writing them a scary, gory horror book, they want it to be as intense as the stuff they’ve seen on-screen. It’s very important not to talk down to kids, and to give them something which they think is quite grown-up and hardcore. Kids themselves are very good at self-censoring. If they don’t like something, if they think it’s too strong for them, they’ll simply stop reading. It’s the thing about a book, you can’t force someone to read it. Can't wait for the next instalment? This edition contains the first chapter of the mind-blowing first chapter of the second book The Dead. Franny – David's head farmer at the palace. She wears glasses and overalls, and seems to have feelings for David. Maxie Maxie* is Arran's second-in-command. She's a plain-looking girl with a no-nonsense attitude, but when things start getting ugly (as they are bound to get in such circumstances) she's strong enough to retain her humanity, even as those around her slip into savagery.

Books 1-3 in the killer series from bestselling author Charlie Higson. The enemy is closer than you think.Achilleus - The best and most skilled fighter in the Waitrose crew. He can be moody and sarcastic, but he is a valuable member of the group because of his fighting skills. He blames Freak for the incident at the pool that cost Deke and Arran their lives. It's such a fast paced and engaging story, and I was on the edge of my seat for the duration of the book. There are characters you'll hate but can still feel for, and characters you just want to hug, and characters you'll be terrified for. It's gory and violent and creepy and gross, but I just couldn't put it down. And I think I'm going to try and read one of these books a week over the next six weeks to keep the story fresh in my mind. Maxie argues with David after the battle, angry that Freak is dead and Achilleus was nearly killed, to which David says he thought they were all on the same team. Maxie replies by saying she is not sure if she wants to be on the same side any more. Meanwhile, Achilleus is being healed by Rose, the palace's lead medic, when he is interrupted by a small kid from the Squatters camp. The boy asks if he can be Achilleus's assistant, to which Achilleus agrees, naming the boy Paddy the Caddie. Franny – David's head farmer at the palace. She works hard. She wears glasses and overalls, and seems to have feelings for David. He worked as producer, writer, director and occasional guest star on Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased) from 2000 to 2001. Subsequent television work has included writing and starring in BBC Three's Fast Show spin-off sitcom Swiss Toni. He is currently starring in Tittybangbang series 3 on BBC Three and has appeared as a panellist on QI.

Well what more could you ever want from any book, film, or TV show ever really? One of the things I love is that you haven’t pulled any punches with the violence and horror in The Enemy, which could have been controversial – was this a conscious choice? Wiki - A boy around twelve or thirteen, he seems to know everything and so is called Wiki, his real name is Thomas. He, like Ed, Justin and Kwanele, is originally from Rowhurst. Day 5 - Shadowman, Ben and Bernie look for bombs, Shadowman sleeps at Trafalgar, Mr. Three broadcasts signal. Ed and Jordan make it to the Tower of London, where Jordan dethrones Tower leader Tomoki Ford. He does not throw Tomoki's crew out, but rather lets them stay as their own group. My favorite scene, however, took place toward the end. Two hardcore guys have an intense fight to the death. Oh my word. I could barely read it, yet I was fascinated. There was so much tension and repulsion and the stakes have never been higher. Shout-out to Achilleus, the fighter I was rooting for. Sorry you didn't make my "favorite characters" list, buddy, but sometimes you scared me.On the last legs of the journey, the Holloway crew comes to a battle between about twenty grown-ups and five kids. The crew manages to massacre the grown-ups, but only manage to save one kid, and they leave the others behind. Upon reaching the palace, they are greeted by David King, who has crowned himself leader of the palace crew. He takes the Holloway crew on a tour of the palace, having his guards take the surviving girl to the medical bay. Later that day, they have dinner in the palace dining room, and partway through the feast Ollie leaves the table to do some "snooping". Alicia - A girl who accidentally pours boiling water on her legs. Whitney goes to help her giving Paddy and the Young-Bloods a chance to get outside. The zombies are largely there as action propellents, inciting the kids into ill-planned action. Once they serve their purpose, they are largely left behind to focus on the social dynamics of the children, so zombie-fans beware. Were you questioning why I mentioned Lord of the Flies?

The Holloway crew are survivors. They've fought their way across London and made it to the Natural History Museum alive - just. But the fight will never end while the Enemy lives, unless there's another way. . . Finn- Finn is a tall strong boy, who is friendly and kind. He goes along with DogNut on the mission to find his missing friends, he has an injured arm in the third book which is in a sling, this means he is mostly unable to do much, which really annoys him, as he feels powerless. He remains at the Natural History Museum.

The book takes place in an alternate universe in London, England, where a mysterious disease has infected every adult on Earth and turned them into something akin to voracious, cannibalistic zombies. With only children under fourteen years old remaining uninfected, the survivors must band together to fight against the threat of the adults and the threats presented by other groups of survivors. Bluetooth- One of Saint George's bodyguards, he wears a suit with a Bluetooth earpiece, which he is named after.