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Lilith Saintcrow
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Cotton Crossing (1) Paperback – February 13, 2019

by Lilith Saintcrow (Author)
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 129 ratings
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Season One of the hit serial!

Cotton Crossing was a dead end, but not for Ginny Mills. She’s just marking time, getting experience in the county library system, before moving back to a decent urban environment. Then the phones stop working.

Lee Quartine knows there’s no way the pretty girl at the library will even look at him. Especially since he can’t open his mouth. He knows he’s a hick, but when the power starts going out and the woods are full of strange creatures, it’s good to have someone around who can build a fire. And kill.

Ginny, Lee, and their small band of survivors can’t stay put, and moving is dangerous. The infected are shambling in the hills and the concrete canyons of cities.

It’s gonna be a long trip…

Previous page
  1. Book 1 of 4
    Roadtrip Z
  2. Print length
    330 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    Lilith Saintcrow, LLC
  5. Publication date
    February 13, 2019
  6. Dimensions
    4.25 x 0.69 x 7 inches
  7. ISBN-10
    0999201336
  8. ISBN-13
    978-0999201336
  9. See all details
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Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Lilith Saintcrow, LLC (February 13, 2019)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 330 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0999201336
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0999201336
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 8.6 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 4.25 x 0.69 x 7 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 129 ratings

About the author

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Lilith Saintcrow

Lilith Saintcrow

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Lilith Saintcrow lives in Vancouver, Washington, with a library for wayward texts.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
129 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Danni
5.0 out of 5 stars I've been in a book slump for so long, ...
Reviewed in the United States on October 20, 2017
Verified Purchase
I've been in a book slump for so long, but Ms Saintcrow has blown that slump away with this book. Her words are magic and are food for my hungry imagination. This is one of those books where you find yourself hiding in the bathroom or closet, away from those who would interrupt, just so you can keep reading. I'm already greedy for more.
One person found this helpful
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titania86
4.0 out of 5 stars A promising start to a new zombie series
Reviewed in the United States on October 2, 2018
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Cotton Crossing is a dead end of a place. It's a small town with little opportunity, but Ginny Mills is gaining experience as a librarian in the county system in order to be more competitive in a bigger city after a year or two. Lee Quartine, on the other hand, lives there to have a simple life after military service. He has a crush on Ginny and checks out loads of books to have an excuse to talk to her, only to chicken out every time. When a slew of people get sick and weird things are all over the forest, a missed connection and a job are the least of their worries.

Cotton Crossing portrays the start of a zombie apocalypse started by the US government on accident. It isn't the first time that something extra has been added to the year's flu vaccines that has been proven to benefit the population in some way. This one was supposed to make people heal faster, but it somehow made them into zombies instead. At first, it appears that there just happens to be rioting in some major cities until those cities are then quarantined and cut off from all communication. City after city goes dark, leaving Cotton Crossing a little puzzled. They go on with their everyday lives until it isn't possible anymore. Throughout the book, small vignettes from the perspective of a minor character show who they are, what they're doing, and how they turn into a zombie. I loved these micro-stories because each one is like a small piece of the mosaic that makes up the town to show how the infection is moving.

The zombies are fairly standard. They have grey, blind eyes, foam at the mouth, and have ability to move quickly. My favorite part of these zombies is the familiar mixed with the horror of undead. Many point out clothing or a trait typical to that person only to have it marred by the rotting flesh and animalistic need to eat people. The disease starts with flu-like symptoms such as fever and vomiting until it progresses into convulsions that lead to their death. Many people's criticism of fast moving and quickly infected zombies is that it simply wouldn't go beyond a city or two, but in this case, those flu vaccines went all over the US. It's hard to tell how far the infection has gone, but it's definitely all over the US.

The main characters are interesting, nuanced people. Ginny is marking time in the small town, dreaming of bigger, better things, and dealing with her overly dramatic family. She's frantic once she loses contact with them and vows to find them in one of the quarantined areas. I personally think the plan is horrible as she doesn't know survival or fighting skills, but I understand the need to care for family. Lee, on the other hand, has no family connections and is just trying to enjoy a simple life. When people are shot in the streets and zombies attack in broad daylight, Lee switches modes. He keeps cool, commands panicked people, and keeps them as much out of harm's way as he can. He also recognizes the frazzled state of the military, indicating that the situation is much worse than he sees. Lee is mostly quiet and keeps to himself, but his warm, caring actions towards Ginny and other civilians really shows what kind of person he is.

Cotton Crossing is a good start to a zombie series. So far it has 3 books and is still going. If you'd like to receive it chapter by chapter as a serial, go here and subscribe. I personally like purchasing the books, but I'm intrigued at the series as a whole. Everything from the mode of infection to the characters is well done and establishes a world where the zombie apocalypse is just starting. I especially like the small references like the underground government organization being called Umbrella Corp. The zombie scenes are scary and suspenseful while feelings bloom between Lee and Ginny. It's a nice balance and I want to know what happens.
One person found this helpful
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WitchyWomyn
5.0 out of 5 stars Saintcrow still has it!
Reviewed in the United States on December 27, 2018
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Excellent story from an excellent author! The ending is a bit abrupt, tho, and leaves you hanging. Never did like that in a book. Bit, well written and an excellent read.
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Krissyclarkmckee
4.0 out of 5 stars I always love a Lilith Saintcrow book!
Reviewed in the United States on September 21, 2017
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Lilith Saintcrow is one of a small handful of authors included on my auto buy list. No matter the subject matter, she never fails to tell a story that thoroughly engrosses me. Her characters are always different and three-dimensional and the plots are well thought out, interesting, and never repetitive. This zombie story, which had a little bit of an old-school Stephen King feel to it mixed with Lilith's own wonderful style, quickly drew me in and kept me turning pages far past my bedtime. My ONLY complaint and the reason for 4 stars is that I was not ready for it to end at a little less than 290 pages. Hoping the next volume in the trilogy is longer!
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S. Rayball
5.0 out of 5 stars Pulse pounding
Reviewed in the United States on May 18, 2018
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This story creeps up on you. Zombies and romance are entertaining, but this story had TENSION, like scary music building to danger or the character walking down a dark hallway after you’ve heard the thump. I sweated through this book. It was worth every penny and I’m buying book 2 now.
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LJ
5.0 out of 5 stars A fun new series
Reviewed in the United States on December 1, 2017
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This is the first of a series. I enjoyed the world-building. The reader gets a feel for the small town they characters are living in before they start their road trip. I am looking forward to the rest of the series.
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Rice
5.0 out of 5 stars Frightening
Reviewed in the United States on December 16, 2017
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From the warm familiarity of down-home characters in a small town, the sudden and frightening descent into terror as neighbours begin to attack lifelong friends is startling and gripping. The end coming to small town rural America not with a bang, but with a rattling growl. Could not put this down. Moving on to second book now.. Fans of walking dead should love this.
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KMags
2.0 out of 5 stars It's OK
Reviewed in the United States on October 4, 2018
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I give it 2.5 stars.

Have you ever watched a movie and felt you liked the characters, but the storyline was lacking? That's how I feel about Cotton Crossing. For a zombie apocalypse book there wasn't much excitement. I kept waiting for the storyline to pick up, but no, it was pretty much at a steady pace throughout the whole book. I would like to continue reading the next two books because I do like the characters, but I don't think the price is worth it. (Book 2 has less pages than 1 and book 3 has less pages than 2 and yet they're still $4.99)

Zombie apocalypse series I like:
The City Series by Sarah Lyons Fleming
The Hunt Chronicles by J.D. Demers
Born by Tara Brown

Lastly, I don't think I can ever read this again but I loved it: Thicker Than Blood by Madeline Sheehan and Claire C. Riley
2 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Fussimist
4.0 out of 5 stars Would have been better if it hadn’t just ended
Reviewed in Canada on May 23, 2018
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I get that this is part of a series, but I really hate it when a book ends before the story does. Especially when there isn’t even a story arc wrapped up. The writing is awesome though, the characters well-defined, and the story interesting enough to keep going. However, I would recommend waiting until the whole series is finished before starting it or you may be disappointed.
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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 11, 2017
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cant wait for next book !
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elle
5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic
Reviewed in Australia on January 11, 2018
Verified Purchase
Lilith's books always take me to another world. The plot is not a new one, but the characters and the way it all unfolds make the trip worth the effort.
One person found this helpful
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