Publishers Weekly
★ 03/05/2018
In Berquist’s blistering debut, it’s 1877, and strong-willed 17-year-old Daisy “Willie” Wilcox is struggling to support her three younger siblings in the desert town of Glory, Tex. The sickness that killed Willie’s mother has ravaged the country, creating “shakes,” the cannibalistic infected people who roam outside Glory’s protective fences. Willie’s father has run off, and when two men claim that he stole $400 from them, Willie is given a week to find and retrieve him. She reluctantly hires two shake hunters, brothers Benjamin and Curtis Garrett, to accompany her across the unforgiving desert. Willie narrates, taking readers on a harrowing journey across a searing desert filled with ghost towns and the walking dead. Exploring the bonds of loyalty, friendship, and bravery in the face of impossible odds, Berquist cleverly riffs on the work of Cormac McCarthy, blending the excitement and harsh beauty of the frontier with a straight shot of zombie terror. This wild western will delight horror and adventure fans alike. Ages 13–up. Agent: Heather Flaherty, Bent Agency. (Apr.)
From the Publisher
A tale of survival as gritty as its desert setting. Stubbornness, strength and survival come head to head with blowing sands and creeping sickness in this feminist tale.” — Mindy McGinnis, author of the award-winning The Female of the Species
“I could vividly feel the heat, desperation, heartache and hope. Devils Unto Dust is truly a zombie western with heart!” — Kristin Trevino, Irving Public Library
“Much like the undead Willie fights, once this story grabs you, it won’t let go. Prepare to be consumed.” — Ryan Graudin, award-winning author of Wolf by Wolf
“Berquist cleverly riffs on the work of Cormac McCarthy, blending the excitement and harsh beauty of the frontier with a straight shot of zombie terror. This wild western will delight horror and adventure fans alike.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Dark and gritty, this ...novel doesn’t shy away from death or danger. Berquist wonderfully balances the pace of the plot. ...Full of surprising twists and turns, this is a story of determination and perseverance as well as survival in hard times.” — School Library Journal
“Die-hard fans of the zombie genre will find a new, carefully hewn setting to sink their teeth into and a gritty protagonist to root for. ...an audacious climax and Willie’s nerves of steel elevate this suspense adventure. A refreshing genre-bender.” — Kirkus Reviews
“All the hallmarks of a classic Western are here, from the greasy bad guys to the stoic gunslinger on a quest to a dusty Texas setting...A girl with a gun and a slew of shambling zombies make for quick entertainment, and Willie’s desert trek will have readers riveted.” — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
“With a setting unlike any other in young adult fiction—where horror meets western—and a fast-paced narrative with strong characters, Berquist’s debut, genre-bending novel is sure to entice the zombie-loving crowd as well as adventure seekers.” — Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA)
“Berquist strikes an appealing balance between the Western and “infected” genres. ...all sorts of readers should be drawn in to this absorbing hybrid tale in which the people are far more monstrous than the monsters.” — The Horn Book
Ryan Graudin
Much like the undead Willie fights, once this story grabs you, it won’t let go. Prepare to be consumed.
Kristin Trevino
I could vividly feel the heat, desperation, heartache and hope. Devils Unto Dust is truly a zombie western with heart!
The Horn Book
Berquist strikes an appealing balance between the Western and “infected” genres. ...all sorts of readers should be drawn in to this absorbing hybrid tale in which the people are far more monstrous than the monsters.”
Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA)
With a setting unlike any other in young adult fiction—where horror meets western—and a fast-paced narrative with strong characters, Berquist’s debut, genre-bending novel is sure to entice the zombie-loving crowd as well as adventure seekers.
Mindy McGinnis
A tale of survival as gritty as its desert setting. Stubbornness, strength and survival come head to head with blowing sands and creeping sickness in this feminist tale.
Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
All the hallmarks of a classic Western are here, from the greasy bad guys to the stoic gunslinger on a quest to a dusty Texas setting...A girl with a gun and a slew of shambling zombies make for quick entertainment, and Willie’s desert trek will have readers riveted.
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
All the hallmarks of a classic Western are here, from the greasy bad guys to the stoic gunslinger on a quest to a dusty Texas setting...A girl with a gun and a slew of shambling zombies make for quick entertainment, and Willie’s desert trek will have readers riveted.
School Library Journal
02/01/2018
Gr 9 Up—This debut novel is set in an alternate history of the American West. People live in fear of "shakes," who become infected after getting sick and then feed on other humans and spread the infection. Sixteen-year-old Daisy "Willie" Wilcox and her family live in the relative safety of Glory, TX, where she cares for her three younger siblings after her mother dies. Glory, a fenced-in town, is ruled by The Judge—a much-feared figure who doesn't care that his people are struggling to pay the monthly fee for his protection. When Willie's drunk father steals money and flees, it becomes her responsibility to get the money back. This sets her off on an adventure with the Garrett brothers, shake hunters who also act as guides to track down her father. Hunters aren't known to be trustworthy, often killing the very people they were paid to protect. Dark and gritty, this dystopian novel doesn't shy away from death or danger. Berquist wonderfully balances the pace of the plot. The main characters are realistic and avoid pitfalls of instant love and abrupt personality changes; even when learning to trust one another, the protagonists stay true to themselves. Full of surprising twists and turns, this is a story of determination and perseverance as well as survival in hard times. VERDICT A great addition to any YA collection.—Rebecca Greer, Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative, FL
JULY 2018 - AudioFile
Guitar chords reverberate as Berquist’s gritty postapocalyptic Western opens. An infectious disease ravages post-Civil War Texas, transforming people into ravenous corpses known as shakes and cutting off train access and Northern aid. Narrator Devon Sorvari captures Daisy “Willie” Wilcox’s slight drawl and pragmatic tone as she sustains her close-knit siblings in a fortified town where they are surrounded by the dead and controlled by a man called The Judge. When saddled with her absentee father’s debts, the resilient teen reluctantly hires shake hunters to accompany her across bleak and treacherous terrain to find him. Sorvari’s keen depictions reflect characters faced with difficult decisions and experiencing intense emotions in this immersive alternate history. Spare prose and an insightful performance reveal heartbreaking strength, beauty, and hope in a world dominated by loss. J.R.T. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
2018-02-05
After her father gambles the family into debt, Willie traverses a desert crawling with the undead to find him.Willie, a white teen, lives with her Pa, younger brother Micah, and 7-year-old twin siblings in Glory, a small town fenced off from the surrounding desert. Her mother passed away from the sickness that turns people into shakes—zombie analogs. Shakes roam the desert, and their disease spreads easily; only hunters and barbed wire keep them in check. One day hunters arrive at Willie's door looking for her gambling Pa—he's stolen $400, and if it's not returned, it's on Willie and her siblings. Willie's full of gumption, so it isn't long before she's decided to go after her Pa. She sets off with a couple of hunters, bluffing that she can pay their full fee. Danger comes at them from all sides—shakes, hunters, heat, and dust storms pummel them along the way. And though Willie thinks she's risking an awful lot venturing into the shake-filled desert, she has no idea of the unthinkable surprises in store. Die-hard fans of the zombie genre will find a new, carefully hewn setting to sink their teeth into and a gritty protagonist to root for. Tropes abound, but an audacious climax and Willie's nerves of steel elevate this suspenseful adventure.A refreshing genre-bender. (Western/horror. 14-18)
