I have a strong stomach for horror and gore but I whole book about zombies vomiting and bowels exploding 🤢🤮

This is good zombie horror. It was entertaining. Don’t get too attached to any characters because no one is safe in a zombie horror. This was not a new twist on a zombie horror. The underdogs being the janitors in a high society neighborhood because the only people who can stop the zombie apocalypse.

In a 200+ page book the chapters are looooooong. There is only 8 chapters in the whole book but there is enough page breaks to take a break when needed.

Genre: Horror
APK: Ebook
Pages: 229
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Series or Standalone: Stand-alone

Thank you Dark Sky Publishing for a free copy of Janitors vs the Living Dead for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a review copy.

This is a very refreshing zombie novel. It takes a lot to get and keep my attention with zombies these days, but Janitors vs. the Living Dead was so much fun. The book reads like an action movie, and has a root cause I don't think has been explored much in zombie fiction. These zombies are grosssss, y'all. Zombies are objectively disgusting anyway, but these zombies are even worse than usual. Trust me. Overall, the book has some really cool ideas executed very well. I was unfamiliar with the authors, but am delighted to see they have an extensive back catalog, so I'll definitely be checking those out. 4 stars

This book is heavy on the “gross” elements, which is typically what I steer away from in horror. I did not get the desired experience of being scared from this book so I had to put it down. Readers that are wanting to feel grossed out will enjoy this one. I am more into horrors with extreme violence and heavy overarching themes and this one is different. The cover is neat though!

I appreciate the opportunity to leave this honest feedback voluntarily.

I was not prepared for the way this book started. It immediately throws you into the chaos of a deeply unsettling scene featuring a misogynistic abuser and his brutal demise. If shock value was the goal, the author certainly succeeded.

> She thought of cutting him into pieces and tossing him in the lake but she worried he’d end up rising to the top because shit always floats.
>

Lines like this set the tone—dark, grotesque, and laced with a grim sense of humor. This book is definitely for fans of body horror. If you’re squeamish, tread carefully. It doesn’t push the envelope too far by modern genre standards, but someone picking it up based on the title alone might be in for a nasty surprise.

The writing leans heavily into visceral imagery, sometimes to great effect:

> The moniker stuck to them all like feces on a bathroom wall….
>

Not exactly poetic, but certainly evocative. However, there’s something that feels off about the way racial and ethnic aspects are handled. Most of the janitors in the book are Latino/a, which leans into a stereotype in a way that feels uncomfortable. It’s not overtly offensive, but there’s an underlying ickiness to it that’s hard to ignore.

The book does bring an interesting twist to the zombie genre with sentient undead and zombie POVs. That’s not something we often see, and it adds a fresh perspective. Unfortunately, the execution leaves something to be desired. There are inconsistencies in the storytelling that make the narrative feel amateurish. For example, a character doesn’t know what an orchestra pit is in one sentence, then is talking about a gala in the next. If the intent was to portray memory loss, it needed to be done with more finesse.

Ultimately, I found myself skimming the last half of the book. The premise had promise, but the execution didn’t hold my attention. If you love body horror and don’t mind a few narrative stumbles, you might find something to enjoy here. But for me, it just didn’t land.

I am not going to give this a rating anywhere else just because I don’t think it’s for me. I do think it is a good book and I think others would really like it however I dnf’d at 53%.

*Thank you to NetGalley, the authors and publisher for an advanced copy!*

Mopocalypse Now!”

Finally, a zombie novel that dares to ask: What if the real last line of defense against the undead was a group of overworked, underpaid janitors who’ve had enough?

Janitors vs. the Living Dead delivers everything you never knew you needed—mop-wielding mayhem, industrial-strength disinfectant used as a weapon, and breakroom banter that’s somehow sharper than the machetes. These custodial warriors don’t just clean up messes; they annihilate them.

The action is relentless, the humor is darker than a school bathroom at 5 AM, and by the end, you’ll have a newfound respect for the people who take out the trash—especially when the trash bites back.

This zombie book is fast paced, the action starts immediately. This not your typical zombie book it has a lot of elements to which consist of gore, lots of vomit, explicit scenes and downright just gross. This book takes place in the beautiful desert setting of Arizona, where we explore a janitorial staff called the SCUM crew. They work in an exclusive neighborhood that caters to the rich and famous. What starts off as a night full of overtime and dealing with uppity people is a night full of terror and a fight for survival.
I enjoyed the book had a very good back story explaining the origin of the parasite that made people zombies. The characters were believable and seem like people you’ll know. Once the action started it didn’t end until the very last page.
Definitely give this book a read as it has a nice spin on the zombie genre. If you want to read a book with a different take on zombies and want to be grossed out, this is the book for you! I do not recommend this for anyone who has a weak stomach. Will definitely be reading more from these authors.
Thank you to Michelle Garza, Melissa Lason, NetGalley, Dead Sky Publishing- Death’s Head Press for providing me with an ARC! I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This book was both vile and disgusting. I loved it! It left me feeling queasy from reading, but I wanted to know how it all ended. This was a fun read that doesn't take itself too seriously. If you like Shaun of the Dead, this would probably be a good book for you! It definitely has good splatterpunk scenes! I read this book strictly based on the title and cover art and it did not let me down. I fully expected it to be a wild, erratic, nasty ride and it was all that plus some!

On the downside, there were many spelling and grammatical mistakes throughout the book. I skipped over the first several because all books have mistakes, but I eventually started to track them and there are enough that it lessened the enjoyment for me. This includes using the wrong word several times, the wrong spelling, missing words, missing letters in words, and even conversations that appear to have been edited and wasn't fully removed. I counted more than a dozen of these issues. I hope this gets fixed before publishing because it's a great book otherwise, and would make a disgustingly great horror movie!

I absolutely adore this weird, gross little book. It is everything I love in a good horror book. There’s gore, profanity, hilarious characters, and so much more. Definitely a 5 star read for me!

Thanks so much to the authors, the publisher and NetGalley for providing me this eARC in exchange for an honest review. I've read some of The Sisters of Slaughter works in the past but that did not prepare me for this extreme horror slaughterfest. Janitors vs. The Living Dead reads like that classic zombie movie from the 80s, Return of the Living Dead. Full of humor, gore, horror and great death scenes makes this book stand out for me. I thoroughly enjoyed this reading and look forward to delving further into their catalog. Highly highly recommended.

I really appreciate what this book tried to do, I love a zombie story. But overall I think it failed when it comes to writing characters. None of them were particularly likable but also they talked like overly stereotypical tropes. It often got repetitive in how it described zombies and gore. But had a few decently fun scenes.

7/10

What’s more terrifying than wealthy obnoxious country club snobs, zombie-infected wealthy obnoxious country club snobs!
Janitors vs The Living Dead is a non-stop roller coaster ride of action, guts, gore, and bodily juices that doesn’t stop from start to finish.

As over the top with its themes, as it is with its violence, and I mean this in the best way possible.

If you are in the mood for a book that reads like a Romero film, unfurls like a gonzo film in your head, this might just be the book for you!

Set in an exclusive country club in Arizona, the crazy Dr obsessed with his research unknowingly brings in a virus, one that turns people into intelligent zombies like humans, with a mission to infect.

But never fear, the stoned janitors are here to save the day!

While it isn’t going to win a Booker Prize, it is engrossingly written and kept me held from start to finish as I consumed this book in a single session overnight.

Includes: body horror, swearing, gore, general over-the-top violence, drug use, and some discussions around domestic violence.

Janitors vs. The Living Dead is an interesting take on the zombie genre. I appreciated focusing on janitors and thought the virus/organism/zombification was inventive.

The book has medium gore. I wasn't ever super grossed out, but some people might be. There's some nice body horror as well.

There were a couple inconsistencies.

Overall, it's a fun way to spend an afternoon or evening.

3.5 rounded up.
This reads like watching a zombie flick! It’s fast paced, gross, and fun. I’m from Arizona so naturally I was inclined to read it! I enjoyed the spin on normal zombies. All the puking was disgusting and the worms were a unique addition. Don’t worry, disgusting is good here.
Thank you netgalley and the publisher for the arc copy!

Gory? Hell yeah! Scary? Yepp! A interesting plot? Absolutely! Characters worth caring for? All the way! Do I need to read it? Yes, yes and yes to the yes!

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars!

What a nasty little time this was. Was it gorier than I usually prefer? Yes. Very much so. However, I think some people will really love that aspect of this, so even if it wasn't my favorite part, it's not a knock overall. But it wasn't all gore and body horror. The character work was really well done, and the scum crew was filled with likable characters. This was a super solid read.

There is a part where David is said he can't smell due to a kick as a child but he can smell the leader of the dead later. Think this is a mistake it was around page 56 out of 165 for me then when he drops the dog back and ends up in the house he can smell the Dr!! Anyway apart from that it was fun and I will leave my review on Goodreads.

My review.....

Great fun this. Nice little twist on the zombie genre. This was an ARC from NetGallery. A small rich closed set of elite houses in a gated community face up to a day of absolute mayhem and bodily fluids whilst an ancient parasite tries to take everyone over. Great stuff fully recommended.

This book had a great plot with intriguing characters. I’ll definitely be looking out for more from this author.

Janitors vs. The Living Dead by Sisters of Slaughter (Melissa Lason & Michelle Garza) is a grotesque, blood-soaked thrill ride that doesn't hold back. Packed with body horror and more bodily fluids than you'd ever want to imagine, this story grips you with its fast-paced chaos and unapologetic gore.

The undead here aren’t your typical shambling zombies — no, these are rich, spoiled golfers gone terrifyingly feral. Who knew privilege could turn so grotesque? The carnage is so vivid and visceral that I genuinely felt nauseated a few times (Mind you, I read this in my lunch break. Terrible decision).

If you're in the mood for something over-the-top disgusting, revolting, and brilliantly disturbing, this riotous tale is for you. Just be sure to have a strong stomach — or at least a barf bag handy!

Great edition to the zombie genre. Has everything you would want, blood, guts, fun characters and zombies! I enjoyed the aspect of seeing how janitors would handle the situations and thought it was an overall great read.