Thank you Netgalley, Alaric Cabiling and Asylum Art Press for the eArc of Below.

The premise of this book sounded promising, a post apocalyptic zombie horror in the grimy, dirty slums of the Philippines. From the POV of Min Arnaiz, a young lad, trying to survive this world that a street drug turns the user into a Zombie. The detail of the slums, what Min and his friends have to eat gets under your skin. It's surprising that they would ever survive in normal circumstances , let alone in a Zombie nation. It felt gritty and the world building of the village of Tondo, Manila is well detailed.

The timeline of the narrative itself has some small flashbacks of Min and his friends as Min makes his escape from the Philippines to get to New York City to find " Below " a safe space for non zombies. They are clearly marked and does well to character build Min. I did, however find this book a little too slow paced for me
3 stars

What a letdown. I'm sorry to be negative ... but this was awful: pointless, senseless, and a waste of a good idea. We have a zombie apocalypse resulting from a new variety of meth in the Philippines. Hmm! There's hints that this is about racism and colonialism but there's no clear link. The apocalypse begins but nothing makes any sense. Everyone's turning into a zombie. Perhaps the best and most chilling moment is when the lead and friends (about 12 years old) stumble upon their long lost buddy who's hitting up the drug and is barely alive. Our hero escapes to the states as the zombie rush reaches a critical point, He lands in New York ... and immediately gets addicted to drugs. Right. The addiction itself is ridiculous. The author quotes a lot of "Google scholar" material but clearly has no grasp on addiction. And where are these drugs coming from? America is on lockdown because of the zombification going on around the world but somehow heroin is streaming in. But this is just a small thing that receives most of the attention. Reading between the lines, all infrastructure, from electricity to the Internet, is completely unaffected even while society shuts down for several years. This is some kind of alternate speculative history because the lead gets covid. Yup! We've got the corona alongside the shabu. Why? Well, who knows. This is just supposed to be "horrific" ... as in scary, not a mess. We're also privy to a few heroic moments that feel extracted from an action video game and also, unsurprisingly, make zero sense. Like opening the underground waterways to wash out the zombies ... but somehow the lead survives, the only one somehow not washed away, even while zombies were gnawing on his bones ... of course, he doesn't last long ... he escapes only to be gunned down while turning into a zombie himself. Look, I get the sense this is the author's first book. The technical skill and hint at a unique perspective is there. But I can't in good conscience recommend this one. Leave it to the zombies and try again.

*Below* by Alaric Cabiling is a stunning debut that marks a triumphant return to the realm of literary horror. This novel captures the essence of classic horror masters like Stephen King and Peter Straub while carving out its own unique niche. Cabiling's vivid prose and elaborate detail bring the terrifying world of a modern zombie pandemic to life, set against the gritty backdrop of Tondo, Manila.

The story of *Below* is both haunting and compelling, as it explores the devastating impact of a zombie phenomenon triggered by tainted street drugs. The congested slums of Tondo provide the perfect setting for a frantic, unrelenting horror that keeps readers on the edge of their seats. The protagonist, Min Arnaiz, offers a deeply human perspective on the apocalypse, narrating a harrowing journey from the chaotic streets of Manila to the sewers of New York City.

Cabiling's ability to blend striking imagery with stylish prose makes *Below* a standout in the genre. The novel's exploration of themes such as survival, courage, and the indomitable human spirit elevates it beyond a simple horror story. Min's transformation into a reluctant hero is both inspiring and heartbreaking,

Oof.

I really enjoyed this, if enjoy is the right word. I think what I appreciated most was the through line of basic human kindness that's typically missing from zombie stories, and never even close to the amount in this book.

This is a book of two parts, The Zombie genre has been done to death and this section adds nothing new to the story. To be fair I would say this of any Zombie, flesh-eating, virus-spreading yarn - it is all a bit boring and repetitive.

The other part is the story of living in the slums and scavenging for a living. Children are forced to do this to get a scrap of plastic, copper, or gold to help feed their families. The writing here has real depth. You can smell the smell, feel the heat, and breathe in the dust. For the 'real' story alone I give this book 3 stars