Mad World (Mad World, Book 1) by Laura Lascarso

Innocence and first love in an apocalyptic world. When Cipher comes across a teenager surviving on his own he offers a place in his group of young scavengers as they search for safety and a new home in the Promised Land. 


From the blurb:

First love, found family, and zombies.

It’s been seven years since a rabies-like virus decimated the human population. Those who haven’t turned Rabid from the fever are struggling to survive. When Cipher, leader of his band of misfits, encounters a young man digging in his garden in a sunny suburb of South Carolina, he doesn’t know what to make of him. Alone and with all of his limbs intact, the teen seems to be thriving and yet, there is the matter of the Rabid-like groans emanating from the second-story window.

Joshua doesn’t trust this rag-tag gang of youth who’ve infiltrated his home and nicknamed him “Kitten.” He certainly doesn’t trust the clever, black-eyed killer who’s good with a blade, but he’s tired of waiting for his brother to return home, and he’d rather join this band of scavengers than be left all alone. He’ll journey with them to Atlanta and figure out his next moves from there.

Cipher’s first priority is to protect his found family, which now includes this vexing young man who challenges his authority at every turn. How will he maintain order among his tribe? More importantly, how will he guard his heart?

MAD WORLD is a zombie-esque dystopian for those who crave survivalist stories with a dollop of angst and dash of spice. This new adult MM romance is the first book of a trilogy which will follow the same couple until they reach their hard-won happy ending.


SNik's review:

First in series (Mad World). Apocalyptic. YA. Grumpy/sunshine. POC representation. Found family. Slow burn. Dual POV. Heed content warnings. Mild cliffhanger as the series continues. 

In a world ravaged by a zombie type virus, Cipher and his group of young scavengers find Joshua living on his own. Joining the close-knit group, Joshua hopes to find his brother and maybe travel to a special place called the Promised Land where they can build a new life and survive together in safety away from Rabids. 

This story is an interesting mixture of horror and innocence and I enjoyed the relationships built between all of the characters including Cipher and Kitten (Joshua). The adventure was suspenseful, the found family special in the easy acceptance of each member in the group, and the romance sweet with a balance of inexperience on Kitten’s side with Cipher’s hard lived maturity. I’m actually glad there wasn’t unending darkness in this book, and found it an entertaining read.


Mad World is currently available as an e-book and paperback and can be read as part of your Kindle Unlimited Subscription