16/05/2026
What a fantastic review. Have you got your copy yet?
Book Review: What Do Zombies Dream About? by Eva Jean (AKA K Cave) Tag Till We're Dead-horror podcast
First of all, I want to say that I absolutely loved the artwork on both the cover and throughout the book by Alan Birch. The illustrations really embody the characters and the overall atmosphere of the story — especially the golfing guy! The images also add a fun dynamic to the novella, making it feel unique among zombie stories.
Another aspect I loved was that the novella is written in second-person narration. I had never read a book in this style before, so it immediately immersed me in the story, making me feel as though I was experiencing everything firsthand, including all the anxiety and fear the character goes through. From the very beginning, you are thrown straight into the action as you approach your house with your heart racing, staring at the dilapidated front door while listening for any sound that could mean death is waiting nearby. Eva Jean’s writing style cleverly creates a heightened sense of tension and anxiety, and I found this incredibly fun because it was such a different experience from my usual reading style.
You soon meet Sally, a neighbour and mother, and together you may have to make some very harsh choices regarding one of her family members. The zombies in this book are terrifying because they can move fast, and when they die, they let out a low groan — almost like a zombie SOS call — that attracts hordes of other zombies. I absolutely loved this concept.
I also loved the humour woven throughout the story, especially the description of one child who has become a zombie:
“He was never that fast when he was alive, preferring to sit and stagnate and play video games. Now he’s undead, he’s like a goddam zombie athlete.”
Another striking feature of the zombies is their appearance: glowing red eyes, green skin, and blackish-green slime for blood. The imagery throughout the book is vivid and memorable.
There is great humour throughout the novella, and I especially loved the scenes in the kitchen where you and Sally search for weapons, considering items such as rolling pins, bread boards, and metal fish slicers — some of which even appear on the front cover. One particularly funny moment is when you wonder whether bananas could be shoved into the zombies’ eye sockets to blind them.
I also enjoyed the deepening relationship between your character and Sally as you both realise that you truly have each other’s backs. I loved the references to iconic strong female characters such as Joan of Arc, Ripley, She-Ra, and The Bride from Kill Bill. Your character may imagine herself as one of these powerful heroines, but in reality she only has a gun with one bullet and a wooden rolling pin. Yet the desperation to survive strips away all the unnecessary things in life — work politics, meaningless decisions, and buying things you do not need.
Together, you spend time clearing rooms to make sure there are no unwanted guests hiding inside, though you may end up finding one or two wanted guests instead. This added an unexpected and emotional twist to the story.
Amid all the chaos and mayhem, I really appreciated the themes of teamwork, safety, and human connection. In most zombie apocalypses, I think that is exactly what we would all be searching for — people we can trust and survive with.
There was so much fun to be had reading this novella. One of my all-time favourite films is Shaun of the Dead, so this book was an absolute win for me.
Another great addition is the snippets at the end featuring some of Eva Jean’s other writing under the name Karen Cave, taken from her Tag Till We’re Dead podcast. I thoroughly enjoyed these and definitely need to take the time to listen to the podcast properly on my daughter’s Spotify account.
A definite 5/5 for me — imaginative, funny, tense, and incredibly entertaining.
