Dead Man Stalking (The Morganville Vampires #4.5) By: Rachel Caine (Book Review)

***This review will contain spoilers***

Summary:

Living in West Texas is sort of like living in Hell, but without the favorable climate and charming people. Living in Morganville, Texas, is all that and a takeout bag of worse. I should know. My name is Shane Collins, and I was born here, left here, came back here—none of which I had much choice about.

Another great short story from Caine! It was nice to have the point of view of a different character than Claire. Shane plays a huge part in the series but we have rarely seen a emotional side to him thus far. I love when authors write short stories because it adds a different level of intimacy with a character that we might not have experienced otherwise through the series.

Zombies in Morganville? I guess with vampires around it wouldn't be surprising that a different type of undead would be around and of course creating havoc in Shane Collins life. And of course who else would be behind Shane's abduction than daddy dearest. Shane's dad just never knows when to quit but he was able to raise a zombie by having this mystical tattoo that he got in Mexico by an old priest who knew about the practices of the Aztecs. Dig up a fresh 'ish' body and some vampire blood and you've got yourself a zombie. Makes you wonder what else there could be out there. We've got vampires and now zombies, what's next? Werewolves? That would be so cool. 

Of course, the vampire used to raise the zombie was newly turned Michael. Despite the sheer hatred Shane has for the undead in general, at the end of the day Michael is still his best friend and roommate. The second he saw Michael he knew he had to end things quick and I guess that was what he needed to finally face his dad and beat him down like he has done to him for so many years. It's definitely a bittersweet moment when you finally stand up to a parent who has abused you for yours. The child in you feels proud and courageous to finally stand up for themselves but on the flipside you also feel sadness and guilt for the situation. I know from my experience when I finally had enough of my mother's abuse it felt great to finally stand up for myself and say enough is enough but there's still a part of you that is sad from the entire situation. Parents should be the guiding light in their child's life. Unfortunately, a lot of people should not be parents. 

Rating:

5 stars on 5! I liked seeing this side of Shane that we typically aren't privy to. This short story was Shane's way of also closing the chapter on his dad. No matter how much his dad says he cares, he'll never care more than killing vampires. However, this definitely was a bonding moment between Shane and Michael. Michael was literally tied and weakened but Shane wouldn't let his hatred of vampires overshadow the fact that they're best friends. Loved this short story! Definitely, recommend this read if you've already read the series or are in the process of reading it.