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mia_bee's review against another edition
3.0
It's not gonna win a pulitzer any time soon but it was an easy, entertaining read.
vikingwolf's review
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Going to eat at his mother's house and beg her for rent money is not high on Zed's list of fun days out-neither is finding her mauled and his zombie stepdad biting him. After passing out from the fever of the infected bite and ending up arrested for murder, Zed is in jail when all hell breaks loose in town. Even if he can escape, is there anywhere safe?
I liked Zed. He is the original anti-hero, a guy who is a bit of a waster and scrounges money from his parents, and knows pretty much nothing about surviving prison or zombie apocalypses. He has no clue how to identify a brand of weapon never mind use a gun, which is refreshing, or how to hot wire cars. He relies on Murphy to help him escape. Murphy is a great character and I get the image of Michael Clarke Duncan(The Green Mile, Armageddon)when I think of him. Zed and Murphy are well developed characters who aren't superheroes, who get things wrong and who get into trouble. They are believable and real, and this is part of why I liked the book. You are certainly rooting for them, which is a must in a zombie book!
It's not easy to find a different kind of zombie plot without it going too far away from traditional zombies, but this book has something different. There are those who are infected and die straight away, coming back as zombies. Then there are those like Zed who survive the initial infection-'slow burners' who aren't zombies but they aren't fully human now either and nobody knows when they will turn so nobody trusts them. Slow burners can evade the zombies in some cases but not in others which was intriguing. We get a small bit of back story on the outbreak in Africa without info dumps or lots of scientific stuff-for the most part Zed and the reader are both guessing about what else is happening with government and infection rates.
The plot itself is good. This is a zombie book that is FULL of zombie attacks and dangerous situations, sneaking around looking for supplies, rescues, crazy plans...all the things you want in your book. The action sequences are well written and explosive and there is a good mixture of gore and tension throughout. I'm hoping to get a look at the second part depending on price but I recommend this to traditional zombie and horror fans.
I liked Zed. He is the original anti-hero, a guy who is a bit of a waster and scrounges money from his parents, and knows pretty much nothing about surviving prison or zombie apocalypses. He has no clue how to identify a brand of weapon never mind use a gun, which is refreshing, or how to hot wire cars. He relies on Murphy to help him escape. Murphy is a great character and I get the image of Michael Clarke Duncan(The Green Mile, Armageddon)when I think of him. Zed and Murphy are well developed characters who aren't superheroes, who get things wrong and who get into trouble. They are believable and real, and this is part of why I liked the book. You are certainly rooting for them, which is a must in a zombie book!
It's not easy to find a different kind of zombie plot without it going too far away from traditional zombies, but this book has something different. There are those who are infected and die straight away, coming back as zombies. Then there are those like Zed who survive the initial infection-'slow burners' who aren't zombies but they aren't fully human now either and nobody knows when they will turn so nobody trusts them. Slow burners can evade the zombies in some cases but not in others which was intriguing. We get a small bit of back story on the outbreak in Africa without info dumps or lots of scientific stuff-for the most part Zed and the reader are both guessing about what else is happening with government and infection rates.
The plot itself is good. This is a zombie book that is FULL of zombie attacks and dangerous situations, sneaking around looking for supplies, rescues, crazy plans...all the things you want in your book. The action sequences are well written and explosive and there is a good mixture of gore and tension throughout. I'm hoping to get a look at the second part depending on price but I recommend this to traditional zombie and horror fans.
danielv64's review against another edition
4.0
Really good so far, interesting take on the zombie theme, main character is likable, one of those books you fly through and then want more.
barbtrek's review against another edition
4.0
I was in the mood for zombies and this fit the bill. The writing wasn’t perfect but there was enough splatter to make up for it.
Something about the phrase “what do you mean” annoys me. It may just be a pet peeve of mine. It just seems like a lazy conversation insert. More realistically someone would respond with something more specific like “what do you mean eating brains??” Nope, see, even that sounds stupid. You should more specifically ask someone to elaborate. Not just say “what do you mean?” The response to that phrase should always be “what do you mean, ‘what do I mean’?” OK, I guess I’m done with that rant.
Something about the phrase “what do you mean” annoys me. It may just be a pet peeve of mine. It just seems like a lazy conversation insert. More realistically someone would respond with something more specific like “what do you mean eating brains??” Nope, see, even that sounds stupid. You should more specifically ask someone to elaborate. Not just say “what do you mean?” The response to that phrase should always be “what do you mean, ‘what do I mean’?” OK, I guess I’m done with that rant.
cascadianriot's review against another edition
3.0
Super entertaining, easy reading page turner. Just what i was looking for.
dollfacegurlcoleah's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
<Spoiler> So I absolutely love dystopian , Apocalypse , Zombies ( my absolute favorite), The Slow Burn series I'd an amazing new take on a "Zombie" style infection....but with a twist, these are not all mindless dead monsters. The pigment challenged monsters are not one size fits all.... in fact there are all kinds of levels of brain function, and aggression, or lack of it. Not everyone infected is dangerous. But mostly everyone not infected, is afraid of everyone showing signs of infection. It backs up the old rule, people fear what they don't understand. Zed and Murphy are hilarious, brave , and bad ass! These are amazing, heart pounding , heart warming , and even heart breaking books! The entire series is a MUST READ!!!!!
loveablepuddle's review
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
emadisonc's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
The great “why” questions of life very suddenly held zero importance. There was only one real question. Did I want to live or not? There would be no room for ambivalence, no room for anything but a desperate drive to survive another day, at whatever cost. Anything less would likely lead to death.
leigh_reidelberger's review against another edition
1.0
If you're looking for a super quick read to whet your zombie appetite, then by all means, check this book out.
Don't expect World War Z.
Don't expect anything good.
It's cheesy soda pop lit.
Don't expect World War Z.
Don't expect anything good.
It's cheesy soda pop lit.