Raising Stony Mayhall

by Daryl Gregory

Paperback, 2011

Status

Available

Call number

813.6

Genres

Collection

Your library

Publication

Del Rey (2011), Edition: Original, Paperback, 448 pages

Description

Fantasy. Fiction. Horror. Literature. HTML: "Raising Stony Mayhall, like all of Daryl Gregory's stories and novels I've read, is so good that I grieved when I got to the last page, because I wanted it to just go on and on.". "A brilliant contribution to the literature of the fantastic. Heartfelt, fascinating, suspenseful, and terrifying, this book involves the reader as only the very best stories can: by entering our dreams--and nightmares.". "Compelling and creepy . . . evokes the best of Stephen King.". "A wickedly clever entertainment.". HTML: From award-winning author Daryl Gregory, whom Library Journal called "[a] bright new voice of the twenty-first century," comes a new breed of zombie novel--a surprisingly funny, vividly frightening, and ultimately deeply moving story of self-discovery and family love. In 1968, after the first zombie outbreak, Wanda Mayhall and her three young daughters discover the body of a teenage mother during a snowstorm. Wrapped in the woman's arms is a baby, stone-cold, not breathing, and without a pulse. But then his eyes open and look up at Wanda--and he begins to move. The family hides the child--whom they name Stony--rather than turn him over to authorities that would destroy him. Against all scientific reason, the undead boy begins to grow. For years his adoptive mother and sisters manage to keep his existence a secret--until one terrifying night when Stony is forced to run and he learns that he is not the only living dead boy left in the world. From the Trade Paperback edition..… (more)

User reviews

LibraryThing member Spiceca

*ARC from Goodreads* - What a fun read. This is a fast read (only took me a little over a day to finish) and has a good plot. I wouldn't be the first to say that this isn't your average Zombie story- the perspective is quite fresh and the ending, while not a completely tidy one, took me by

surprise.

Recommended for lovers of the Zombie genre (especially if you are tired of the same story told and retold).

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LibraryThing member gchristianson

I had no idea that this book was about zombies when I started to read it. If I had, I might not have read it. I am really tired of the vampire, werewolf, zombie books that have been published since the Twilight series . I avoid these kinds of books without hesitation. None of them seem to have an

original plot idea and feature the same type of characters. Boring!

I am happy to report that this book has something new to offer!

The character of Stony is well written with a unique quirkiness that endears him and his family to the reader. The story follows Stony through a childhood and adolescence in seclusion with only a few close friends aware of his existence. As he reaches adulthood, the plot gets a little weird, but I found that I was able to accept the strange twists in the plot because the character of Stony was so believable.

This book also includes some interesting social commentary and really made me think about some issues that I have not encounter in other books of this genre.

Stony is a character that stays with you long after you finish his story.

I would recommend this book for young adults as well as adult audiences.

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LibraryThing member omnia_mutantur

Daryl Gregory continues to pick up steam. I'm admittedly a sucker for zombie stories, but I think I would have enjoyed this even if I wasn't. It's funny, grim, clever without being smug, and self-aware.

There were some interesting twists in the plot, and a non-standard framing of zombies. There are

some deeply sweet moments such as when the main character realizing his sister had changed, years ago, her name to Crystal, and was now naming her daughter Ruby to give another layer of belonging to him(the character Stony).

Sweet, smart, sharp. Read it.

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LibraryThing member crazybatcow

I thought the book took longer to read than it really should have... I'm not sure why, exactly. I think I wanted more action, more Zombies, more plot, but all we really get is a 1/3 of a book about a boy growing up, and another 1/3 about political scheming/intrique. The remaining third, however,

was a pretty interesting story.

It was an interesting twist on zombiehood. And an interesting perspective. And even the resolution developed by the zombies made sense... I guess it just moved forward too slowly for me, and while you'd think there it was lots of character development that slowed the pace, this was not the case - all the characters, including Stony, were stereotypes and didn't show any growth over time (Stony was the same person at the end of the story as at the beginning).

And there is a little foray into the supernatural near the end that was out-of-place and in some way ruined the entire story... like it's a serious look at the difficulties of being different but don't worry, spirituality will make it all better.

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LibraryThing member MSFJones

Never did I think I'd read, let alone enjoy, a book about zombies, but I *loved* this.

LibraryThing member Robineliza

This book was one of the strangest books I ever read! I couldn't get in to the idea of someone raising a Zombie . (boring)

LibraryThing member jen.e.moore

I always forget how much I like that thing Daryl Gregory does until I read one of his books again. I'm not sure how to describe what that thing is - a little bit of it is playing against expectations, and a little bit of it is going that one level deeper than you expect it to go. Mostly, I think,

it's the depth of his characters: they go all the way down, like turtles at the bottom of the universe.

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LibraryThing member flying_monkeys

Rating: 4 of 5

Raising Stony Mayhall proved that "genre fiction" can not only entertain but also stimulate the brain, and tug at the ol' heartstrings. I've always believed that; yet, I tend toward cynic because of what is typically written, especially in "horror."

I loved how Gregory explored

"monsters" - who they are, what that word really means, are they the other side of the humanity coin or another species entirely? I have more to say, but I must fully digest my reactions first. Full review to come.

P.S. Daryl Gregory is now firmly on my must-read list and I have to read his other works pronto!

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LibraryThing member rivkat

Right after the zombie outbreak that was only suppressed after thousands of deaths, a single mother finds a dead young woman who’s just given birth … to a zombie baby. Stony doesn’t eat, but somehow he grows, hidden away from the government that would destroy him without hesitation. Full of

mordant wit, this story focuses successfully and closely on Stony’s desires for freedom, for understanding of his condition, for friendship and family; one can almost ignore the zombie apocalypse that threatens if anyone else starts turning. Best line, out of many choices: “Give a man a stick and he will beat you for a day. But give him a uniform, and he will beat you every day, then complain about how tough it is on his rotator cuff.” I still think We Are All Completely Fine might be my favorite of Gregory’s works, and I’m not a huge zombie fan, but this was a very good read.

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LibraryThing member NeedMoreShelves

This was, for me, quite a unique take on the zombie fiction genre. While it had a healthy dose of the blood & terror I expected, it also had a lighthearted sense of humor about itself that was really quite refreshing. Interesting musings on identity and discrimination and a setting in rural Iowa

gave the book depth and value for me. I was pleasantly surprised by this novel, and I would definitely read more by this author.

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LibraryThing member sturlington

This is different from any zombie novel I have ever read. After a zombie outbreak is put down by the government in the late '60s, a woman and her three daughters discover the body of a dead girl in a field during an Iowa snowstorm. The girl is holding a baby--a baby who is not alive but who still

moves (the title character). The family hides the baby and he inexplicably begins to grow. After he is involved in a car accident as a teenager, Stony must escape and discovers a network of zombies who have gone underground. This book had great characters, a fun plot full of conspiracies, and a unique take on the zombie story. I thought it was a blast.

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LibraryThing member Ralphd00d

One of the best zombie apocalypse stories I have read!

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