I first learned about LezVIRUS from a twitter post by Whizz Buzz Books in September, 2018 (I only mention the date because, after I finished reading, I noticed this book was released in 2017). I’ll admit, erotic horror stories are not what you’ll usually find in my library, but I am a fan of zombie and post-apocalyptic fiction and parodies. Based on the synopsis (written below) I thought I’d hit the trifecta with this book.
When I first opened the book, I was expecting this story to be a humorous rehashing of a typical zombie thriller (think Night of the Walking Dead meets The L Word). I was wrong.
The story is centered around a group of women who’re trying to survive in a world quickly being consumed by a deadly virus unlike anything seen before. Infected males show an increase in primitive violent traits, engaging in brutal fights which leave the streets of Los Angeles littered with bodies. The infected women, on the other hand, become ravenous lesbians who feast on the orgasmic pleasures of intercourse with their fellow woman.
I feel ridiculous writing this summary. But, if you’re thinking this story would be the literary version of how Scary Movie parodied, well, scary movies (which I did – see definition of parody) you’d be wrong.
At first, I felt duped into buying something I didn’t want, but I paid $4 for the eBook and I was determined to finish it. As I continued to read, I became intrigued by the story line but became worried it would fall flat without the security blanket of a comedic overtone. By the end of the book, I was no longer upset at my misunderstanding of the synopsis.
As I wrapped up the final chapter, I knew Jimerson had pulled off something special with this book. She had successfully written a story about a lesbian-plague epidemic which read like a real survival thriller.
While I’d love to give this story more praise, there are a few lingering issues which need to be addressed. The story (in its eBook form) has several grammatical and spelling errors which made it difficult to read at times. I’m happy I finished the book, but I wouldn’t be surprised if many readers were unable to finish the story.
To better understand the book’s strengths and weaknesses, let’s break it down:
Synopsis
A horror erotic parody- the story focuses on a college student named Sarah who suffers from a slight case of homophobia. She appears to be the only one noticing all the lesbian-related content that plagues the news headlines, in which her friends pass off as just more ‘fake’ news. Sarah is having to question whether her paranoia is getting the best of her or is she witnessing the uprising of a lesbian zombie apocalypse. (Amazon description)
The Pros
- This book takes a unique twist on the apocalypse genre. With a book focusing on something as outlandish as a zombie-like lesbian plague, it would’ve been easy for the author to write something cringe-worthy and written it off as a bad comedy. To the author’s credit, she didn’t take the easy route and created something which, at times, felt like a legitimate horror story.
- The story line is well thought out and progresses well from beginning to end. Although the synopsis explains how the book follows the story of Sarah, it actually encompasses the lives of several female survivors who bond together as they try to ride out this disaster together.
- The ending (which I won’t spoil) sets itself up nicely for a sequel.
The Cons
- This book reads like a first draft and is in dire need of editing. The entire story is riddled with spelling, grammar, and formatting errors.
- The characters need more development. We get some background on a few characters, but what’s revealed doesn’t strengthen the characters as much as it should. As a result, I never felt a connection to any of the characters which left me unfazed by their respective fates.
- In addition to the characters, the world needed to be developed more as well. The most I got out of this story was it took place in modern day Los Angeles and it was hot … really hot. There were several opportunities for the author to describe the post-apocalyptic city – such as when they went out for supplies – but aside from the expected abandoned cars, there wasn’t much in the way world development.
Conclusion
I give this book a rating of 3/5 stars.
As previously mentioned, the story has a foundation which is compelling and unique but the consistent errors make it very difficult to read. If Jimerson took the time and invested in a professional editor and released a second edition with more well-rounded characters and no errors, I honestly think this could be a great horror/thriller story.
Interested in getting this book? Buy it now on Kindle and paperback.
46 Series Entertainment 