Scan barcode
galidar's review against another edition
4.0
Terrorism, Bioengineering, Black Ops Military branches...and Zombies.
This is the best way to do a short description of the elements guiding Patient Zero, but it hardly does the series justice to just leave it there.
Joe Ledger gets thrust into a world he couldn't imagine after having to kill the terrorist he shot in the head a second time. With a solid writing style, and a main character who acknowledges he is more than a little insane, the book carries through a fantastic story and continues on through the subsequent books in the series.
A quick list of elements in the other books:
- Clandestine organizations bent on world domination or destruction
- Unicorns
- Biblical plagues
- Vampires
The books also have a tendency to jump back and forth from the perspective of Joe Ledger and whoever is the opposition of that book, giving a nice amount of foreshadowing to the whole thing. Highly recommended.
This is the best way to do a short description of the elements guiding Patient Zero, but it hardly does the series justice to just leave it there.
Joe Ledger gets thrust into a world he couldn't imagine after having to kill the terrorist he shot in the head a second time. With a solid writing style, and a main character who acknowledges he is more than a little insane, the book carries through a fantastic story and continues on through the subsequent books in the series.
A quick list of elements in the other books:
- Clandestine organizations bent on world domination or destruction
- Unicorns
- Biblical plagues
- Vampires
The books also have a tendency to jump back and forth from the perspective of Joe Ledger and whoever is the opposition of that book, giving a nice amount of foreshadowing to the whole thing. Highly recommended.
mllejoyeuxnoel's review against another edition
3.0
This is totally the Michael Bay project of books. Doesn't always make sense, characterization is second to one-liners, all the female characters are basic archaically sexist archetypes, and the writing is mediocre at its very best... but DAMN - IT IS GREAT FUN! EXPLOSIONS! ZOMBIES! NON-STOP ACTION SEQUENCES! I'm hella on board to read the rest of these as a guilty pleasure.
laurajaylive's review against another edition
3.0
I was recommended this series by a friend, and though it was well written and had a good story line, I find that it was not my style. I can see why my friend enjoys this series, but it's just not for me. With that being said, I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys reading books about zombies, fighting/military-type scenes, and corruption.
badseedgirl's review against another edition
5.0
Patient Zero by Jonathan Maberry is the first in his “Joe Ledger” novels. Now this generally considered a horror novel. In fact it was nominated for a 2009 Bram Stoker award. It would not be inaccurate to call this a “zombie” novel. After all there are zombies in the novel, but to me this was more of a thriller that just happened to have zombies in it. The terrorist could have just easily have used some other virus.
This novel had a real “James Bond” feel to me. Look, you have the Department of Military Sciences, a secret government agency with access to a vast array of technological advances and the right and obligation to kill for the good of the country. The characters even make jokes about being James Bond. Not that Joe Ledger could ever be mistaken for 007. Joe is more than a little course compared to James.
I very much enjoyed this novel. Joe ledger was a wonderful character. The reader is only given hints to traumas in Joe’s background. There is definitely a back story, and I am hoping to learn more about him in future novels.
This novel had a real “James Bond” feel to me. Look, you have the Department of Military Sciences, a secret government agency with access to a vast array of technological advances and the right and obligation to kill for the good of the country. The characters even make jokes about being James Bond. Not that Joe Ledger could ever be mistaken for 007. Joe is more than a little course compared to James.
I very much enjoyed this novel. Joe ledger was a wonderful character. The reader is only given hints to traumas in Joe’s background. There is definitely a back story, and I am hoping to learn more about him in future novels.
songwind's review against another edition
4.0
This is a high-tempo, well thought out and multifaceted blend of horror, military fiction, and clandestine spy novel.
Where this novel shines is in the variety of its characters. The series main character, Joe Ledger, hits most of the beats of this sort of novel. He's over the top badass, bordering on unbelievable. Burning sense of purpose, etc etc. But he's also broken by his past, thoughtful, considerate of others, makes mistakes. Other characters are similarly layered. Secondary and background characters don't have as much time to shine, and one principal in particular goes out of their way to hide what goes on under the surface. But I was invested in what happened to Echo team and the DMS, and in a different way in the antagonists.
The threat was detailed enough to pass the suspension of disbelief threshold. The choice to use radical mideastern terrorists as one part of the antagonists was handled deftly, without slipping into condemnations of whole peoples or religions, and without cookie cutter villains.
Not my every day fare, but when I'm in the mood for this sort of thing, Joe Ledger will be high on my list.
Where this novel shines is in the variety of its characters. The series main character, Joe Ledger, hits most of the beats of this sort of novel. He's over the top badass, bordering on unbelievable. Burning sense of purpose, etc etc. But he's also broken by his past, thoughtful, considerate of others, makes mistakes. Other characters are similarly layered. Secondary and background characters don't have as much time to shine, and one principal in particular goes out of their way to hide what goes on under the surface. But I was invested in what happened to Echo team and the DMS, and in a different way in the antagonists.
The threat was detailed enough to pass the suspension of disbelief threshold. The choice to use radical mideastern terrorists as one part of the antagonists was handled deftly, without slipping into condemnations of whole peoples or religions, and without cookie cutter villains.
Not my every day fare, but when I'm in the mood for this sort of thing, Joe Ledger will be high on my list.
cindylchap's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
book_nerd_bri23's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
informative
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
Typically not a sci-fi reader, I did thoroughly enjoy my first taste of the Joe Ledger novels, Patient Zero. Terrifyingly realistic, this was not your standard military read. Joe Ledger is a Baltimore cop with a skill set that attracts the eyes of the DMS, a secret branch of the military. Something more than terrorism threatens the Freedom Bell dedication ceremony in Philadelphia and Ledger and his newly banded crew race against the clock to save humanity.
Although this was fiction, the possibility that some terrorist group is planning on unleashing zombies on the nation is fathomable. I found that although I know absolutely nothing about the military, this was super easy to follow and overall was a very enjoyable read. I am looking forward to continuing the series in the near future.
rachelellyn's review against another edition
5.0
Yeah, this was good! I adored the third person limited writing style. I was there... with Joe... but then I was there... with Amira. Maberry's writing kept me listening for hours!
karinlib's review against another edition
3.0
Well this is better than I expected, considering I am not a huge zombie fan. There's a hint of Tom Clancy and James Bond in the plot.