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Reviewed by Asher Syed for Readers' Favorite
In Alexander Semenyuk’s Sea Diary of Johnny Unknown, Johnny, an orphaned factory worker hoping for a fresh start, boards a passenger ship filled with migrants, businessmen, and families on their way to a distant shore. On his very first night at sea, he hears the voice of a woman singing in the darkened corridors, where he encounters Emilia, a performer whose fascination with him leaves him really unsettled. Not long after, a violent outbreak erupts aboard the vessel when passengers begin dying and then inexplicably rising again with savage hunger. As expected, panic is quick to filter through the cabins and decks, where Captain Stanislas tries to impose order with barricades and rifles. Johnny discovers that the infection traces back to something secretly transported in the cargo hold and its hidden purpose on the voyage. With the ship isolated in open water and trust diminishing among the survivors, Johnny must fight through mounting terror and confront the source of the catastrophe.
Alexander Semenyuk’s Sea Diary of Johnny Unknown is a fast-paced maritime survival story, mixing infection, zombie terror, and mythic siren lore. Tension builds quickly, and the author accomplishes this effectively with Johnny's direct, journaling perspective. Alongside Johnny is Mira, who has a love for fencing and a bit left over for Johnny, and as she is a woman with her own ideas about her future, I definitely liked her the most. The thriller elements do rock the boat, complete with a dining hall experience gone terribly wrong, and charging hordes of the undead that drive the ordeal into open flames and chaos. I love that there is a predator-hunting-predator element. Perhaps Semenyuk's greatest skill as a writer is turning the ship into an arena. The cargo hold feels positively claustrophobic, while the mast is a desperate perch above the sea. Readers who appreciate excellent maritime horror and ocean-bound terror in the spirit of classic shipboard nightmares will adore this story. Very highly recommended.
