Review of Hedgehogs by Iseult Murphy

"RECOMMENDED" - A positive reading experience. This book provides the reader a satisfying experience, especially if the reader is already a fan the genre. This may not hold true for readers outside the genre. This book approaches the level of a contemporary traditionally-published book in its genre. This book met or exceeded the minimal editing quality of a traditionally published book. If spelling or mechanical errors were present, they were rare, hard to notice, and didn't detract from the novel's overall experience. The novel's structure (plot, characters, flow, dialogue, etc.) allowed reader to reasonably experience the story without unnecessary effort or distraction.  The story met genre expectations, though did not necessarily bring anything new to the literary form. ​

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​TITLE: Hedgehogs: Zombie hogs attack in this hilarious horror comedy mashup
PUBLISHER: Self-Published
AUTHOR: Iseult Murphy
GENRE(S): Comedy, Horror
PUBLICATION DATE: July 26, 2022
AMAZON REVIEWS/RATINGS AT DISCOVERY: 34/4.6 Star Average
AMAZON KINDLE RANKING AT DISCOVERY: #553,699 
WHY IT GOT MY ATTENTION:
This author and I are in the same X writing community, hence book cover popped up on my feed. The title is blatantly campy and is almost as long as the blurb. Hell, the title is the blurb. Come to think about it, with a title like that this book doesn't need a blurb. I'll tell you what this novella is, it's a 1980s straight-to-VHS-horror-flick. It's like Attack of the Killer Tomatoes, or The Evil Dead, or Fright Night. The cover hits all those feels dead-on (win). Sometimes horror is intentionally funny because it's so bad it falls into the campy realm. Horror is not easy to write, especially in this age of desensitized readers. Comedy is difficult enough on its own.  Intentionally trying to make horror funny is EXCEEDINGLY DIFFICULT.  I read the sample, expecting a big fail because, even for what appears to be a campy novella, this is ambitious project for any writer. What did I find? Tension, instant character development, and what might be a promising set-up.   
DATE PLACED ON CANDIDATE LIST: 14 July 2025
​STATUS: Selected for February 2026 Review

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The Review

BOTTOM LINE UP FRONT -  Short but satisfying, Iseult Murphy's "Hedgehogs" is "The Secret of NIHM" meets "Dawn of the Dead." This novella is a fun and original take on the zombie genre for horror lovers, but not necessarily for those looking for a laugh. 

PLOT 

Harry is a hedgehog who lives in a burrow on the edge of a farmer's field. One night, a seductive aroma summons the hedgehogs to a midnight feast of dead bugs. Those that partake in this devil's dinner are transformed into bloodthirsty zombies. Somehow, Harry manages to override his instincts and resist the aroma's siren call. He flees across fields, roads, and ditches, with the hedgehog horde fast on his heels. Along the way, he desperately warns all he encounters, yet few listen and quickly meet their doom. Finally, Harry and several other creatures barricade themselves in a human lair and prepare for the zombie hedgehog apocalypse.

Amazon lists this as a "Comedy Horror Mashup." I didn't find the story funny. The premise is clearly amusing, but the novella's execution was, in my opinion, fully serious. It wasn't that there were comedic setups that failed—there were no comedic setups at all. The author seemed to forget this was supposed to be a comedy and instead executed (and fairly well) a full-blown horror plot. The book may be campy in a 1980s straight-to-VHS way, but it's still straight-up horror. On the surface, the novella had the potential for absurdity, but the author executed it in a sincere manner, without a drop of tongue-in-cheek humor.

​And as the reader, I was good with that. I enjoyed the way it was written, and as I plowed through the story, I quickly forgot it was supposed to be comedic.

THEMES

The central theme of this novella is "RUN!"An underpinning theme is that when a terrified hedgehog goes running by, screaming warnings of impending zombie doom, one should listen. Once again, the premise is amusing, but the author infuses the concept with dead-serious terror. She doesn't treat the protagonist with anything except legitimate sincerity.

Okay, there were other themes too. Murphy infuses positive elements of compassion, and even loyalty and friendship, into this unique novella. Harry forms temporary cross-species alliances with other creatures—like a fox and a cat—who band together to survive. I particularly enjoyed the budding friendship between Harry and the mouse Tina. Harry also represents themes of personal courage and listening to your better sense even when everyone around you is doing something you know isn't right. It's through listening to that inner voice of reason, and not giving in to blind instinct, that Harry avoids the dark fate that engulfs all the other hedgehogs.

​Maybe I'm overthinking this. On second thought, the only real theme here is "RUN!"

CHARACTERS

For serious horror, I would classify the character development in Hedgehogs as exactly what it should be. Murphy doesn't treat her protagonists with absurdity and only a touch of campiness. Harry is a hedgehog living his best hedgehog life on the edge of a farmer's field. Confronted with the horde of hedgehog cannibal undead, he flees in terror. Harry desperately doesn't want to become dinner—or a zombie. This is his entire character arc: don't die. Yet, packaged in this straightforward, seemingly two-dimensional character, Murphy builds surprising depth in a short period of time.

​The other creatures—mice, dog, cat, etc.—are like Harry: trapped within the confines of their species traits. They have to rise above these traits to cooperate and survive in an alliance of convenience.

SETTING

The novella takes place in rural/suburban environment amongst the small creatures, both wild and domestic. The setting is appropriately functional  the plot, nothing more or less. 

STYLE, PACING AND LANGUAGE

This is where Hedgehogs really shines. It moves—and moves fast—exactly like it should. Murphy never slows anything down for exposition or extended narrative. As a result, the book is charged with ample tension and suspense. I kept thinking, “Why are you stopping to warn these creatures, Harry? Don’t you know the zombies are right on your tail? Less talk, more Sonic! Dammit, run!”

​All the running culminates in a satisfying climax. The ending was appropriately campy, and I would not have been happy with any other ending.

RECOMMENDATIONS

This book is firmly horror, and for readers who love horror. It hits right at the heart of the genre with an original and creative approach. Would Hedgehogs appeal to readers beyond the horror genre? Probably not. Someone reading the Amazon description looking for laughs will be disappointed. I think the novella would be better served if the title just said Hedgehogs.

I also think this would make a good movie. If Pixar made horror, this would be their screenplay.Was I disappointed that the novella wasn’t a “hilarious mashup”? Not in the least, because I fully enjoyed the story Murphy delivered. The novella left me satisfied. The author clearly knows the horror genre, and this novella serves as a showcase for her writing skills. I look forward to reading more of this author’s work.