Description

John Green meets Stephen King in this original take on the zombie apocalypse by author T. Michael Martin, which ALA Booklist called "the best of the undead bunch" in a starred review.

Seventeen-year-old Michael and his five-year-old brother, Patrick, have been battling monsters in the Game for weeks. In the rural mountains of West Virginia—armed with only their rifle and their love for each other—the brothers follow Instructions from the mysterious Game Master. They spend their days searching for survivors, their nights fighting endless hordes of "Bellows"—creatures that roam the dark, roaring for flesh. And at this Game, Michael and Patrick are very good. But the Game is changing. The Bellows are evolving. The Game Master is leading Michael and Patrick to other survivors—survivors who don't play by the rules. And the brothers will never be the same.

T. Michael Martin's debut novel is a transcendent thriller filled with electrifying action, searing emotional insight, and unexpected romance.


  • A Desperate Game of Survival: To protect his little brother from the terrifying new reality, seventeen-year-old Michael pretends it’s all a game. But as the "Bellows" evolve and the rules change, keeping up the lie might be the deadliest challenge of all.
  • A Brother’s Keeper Tale: With only a rifle and their love for each other, Michael and Patrick face down a world of monsters. Michael will do anything to protect his brother, but the greatest threat may not be the undead—it may be other people.
  • Survival Horror with a Heart: Praised as "John Green meets Stephen King," this novel combines pulse-pounding action with the raw, emotional story of two brothers holding on to each other at the end of the world.
  • A Terrifying New Kind of Undead: Forget shambling zombies. The "Bellows" are fast, they hunt in the dark, and they can mimic your voice to lure you into the open. In the mountains of West Virginia, their screams are the last thing you’ll ever hear.

About the author(s)

T. Michael Martin is a novelist and vlogger who holds a BFA in filmmaking from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. He and his wife, Sarah, live in Indianapolis.

Reviews

“In a new take on the zombie apocalypse, 17-year-old Michael and his 5-year-old, autistic brother struggle to find safety in the mountains of West Virginia…. It packs an emotional wallop, particularly when it comes to Michael’s determination to protect his sibling.” - School Library Journal

“A stunningly intelligent, thrilling story about family and love that just happens to include some zombies.” - John Green, New York Times bestselling author of The Fault in Our Stars

“Provocative, action-packed and unexpectedly stirring, full of twists and turns that you’ll never see coming, T. Michael Martin’s The End Games will shock and move you.” - Pittacus Lore, author of I Am Number Four

“With more heart (and brains) than any zombie book has a right to and then some,The End Games is a deeply imaginative and soulful book from one of the most exciting new writers I’ve read in ages.” - Bennett Madison, author of The Blonde of the Joke

“It’s full of both jaw-dropping action and heart-twisting beauty. It’s a thrill ride that makes you think and feel: terrifying and joyful, funny and moving.” - Sara Zarr, National Book Award Finalist for Story of a Girl

“The End Games is my kind of book. It’s tense right from the first chapter - and believe me, it stays tense. It plays startling games with your head - lots of twists and surprises. A great read from a great new talent.” - R.L. Stine, bestselling author of the Goosebumps series

“The End Games is my favorite kind of zombie story: utterly thrilling, deeply moving, beautifully written, and entirely unputdownable. A must read!” - Carrie Ryan, author of The Forest of Hands and Teeth

“Watching Michael as he struggles to find a safe haven in a world that has gone to hell is thrilling and utterly engaging. This is not just a monster novel; it is a tale of terror worthy of the early, great Stephen King.” - Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA)

“It’s full of both jaw-dropping action and heart-twisting beauty. It’s a thrill ride that makes you think and feel: terrifying and joyful, funny and moving. In so many ways The End Games is the book I was waiting for and didn’t know it until I had it in my hands.” - Sara Zarr, National Book Award Finalist for Story of a Girl

“This is one of the sharpest, most unexpected zombie novels I’ve read in a long time.” - Mira Grant, bestselling author of the Newflesh trilogy

“The End Games clutches the reader with chilling action, cushioning the gore with the love shared between two brothers, leaving enough cracks in the despair so that the reader is allowed to hope that humanity will trump all.” - S.A. Bodeen, author of The Compound

“Martin’s debut is the best of the undead bunch, meshing relentless action, intelligence, and emotion in a way that recalls Patrick Ness’ The Knife of Never Letting Go (2008)....Very. Exciting. Book.” - Booklist (starred review)

“Martin covers familiar territory—zombies, conspiracies, post-apocalyptic romance—but does so with style in this exciting debut novel. . . . the West Virginia setting, tense action, devoted fraternal relationship, and Michael’s lovers-in-dangerous-times romance with a girl named Holly will keep teens hooked.” - Publishers Weekly

More by T. Michael Martin

More Survival Stories

More Action & Adventure

More Young Adult Fiction

More Siblings

More Family

More Monsters

More Zombies

More Coming of Age

More Supernatural

More Thrillers & Suspense

More Apocalyptic & Post-Apocalyptic

More Science Fiction

More Paranormal, Occult & Supernatural

More Horror

More Holidays & Celebrations