Zombie Moose of West Bath, Maine

Hinton (Souvenirs) fills this strange tale with quirky Maine residents who react unpredictably to the presence of a brain-eating moose in their midst. At the story’s outset, the animal is an ordinary young bull, but after encountering a swarm of black flies and then consuming some rotten leftovers disposed of in the woods, the moose’s appetite changes. His first victim is animal control officer Scott Anderson, after which the moose selects tourists for his attacks. Failed biologist Gaige LaRoche is certain that there is some logical explanation and tries his best to find a cure. Others do not take such a level-headed approach. Lottie Day was a witness to Scott’s death and is certain that the moose was sent by Satan. Idalene Richie, the governor’s ambitious chief of staff, sees the crisis as a way to simultaneously crush her old foe, Gaige, and further her own career. While many of the characters behave bizarrely, that doesn’t really make the book funny, and the moose’s attacks aren’t particularly frightening, leaving this as nothing more than an odd souvenir from Maine. [em](BookLife) [/em]