PUBLISHER: Audible Studios
PUBLICATION DATE: July 13, 2010
FORMAT: Unabridged audiobook
LENGTH: 6 hrs and 38 mins
GENRE: Horror/Zombies, Science Fiction/Apocalyptic
Start intercept: Sporadic reports indicate chaos and violence spreading through U.S. cities. An unknown evil is sweeping the planet. The dead are rising to claim the Earth as the new dominant species in the food chain. Intercept complete.
In your hands is the handwritten journal depicting one man's struggle for survival. Trapped in the midst of global disaster, he must make decisions; choices that ultimately mean life, or the eternal curse to walk as one of them. Enter, if you will, into the world of the undead.
MY REVIEW:
I love apocalyptic survival stories, and the start of this series reminds me of The Walking Dead…where zombies are scary and not cheesy!
The story is told entirely in epistolary fashion through the main character’s (“MC”) journal entries. A Naval Aviation Officer, whose name is never mentioned, chronicles the worldwide collapse due to a viral outbreak that begins in China. The US government sends medical military staff overseas to help out, but one of the doctors gets sick and is sent back home due to the inadequate care in the area. Thus, begins the spread of the virus to other parts of the world. The highly contagious disease causes victims to lose their motor function and act in an erratic manner, and it is transmitted through a bite. The victim dies and then returns to life, seeking to spread the virus to others. The undead are drawn to noise, and they can only be killed by trauma to the brain. People are ordered to stay indoors, and the MC prepares to hole up inside his home by stockpiling ammunition and other essentials and to reinforce the entrances to his home. A neighbor, John, makes contact with him using a flashlight. They soon are forced to leave the area, fleeing with John’s dog in tow. You gotta love a MC who refuses to leave someone’s dog behind! On the run, they rescue other survivors including a couple with a young girl and the group rallies together.
It's during a time of crisis when we see one’s true nature: To be selfless or selfish. The MC is definitely selfless. He risks his own life to save others and puts himself in danger again and again. With his military training and background in aviation, he is built to survive. If it’s the end of the world, you definitely want this guy on your side! He is a great hero to this story, and I really like John as well. The men take turns carrying John’s dog as well as the little girl. These are good men who look out for others, so you can’t help but root for them! When the government orders the use of nukes on the most infested cities, the nukes actually have the opposite effect on the zombies. Instead of destroying them, the radiation actually changes them and makes them more cunning. The story is fast-paced, but the ending comes abruptly. I’m looking forward to reading the next book in the series, Day by Day Armageddon: Beyond Exile.
Narrator Jay Snyder is new to me, and I thought he suited the MC. You would think that a book of journal entries would be boring, but Snyder doesn’t make it so. He conveys the emotions of the MC, whether that’s fear, despondency, anxiety, or hopefulness.
MY RATING:
4 stars!! It was really good, and you should put it on your TBR if you enjoy horror/zombie or science fiction/apocalyptic stories!
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This sounds good and I am curious about the journal entry style.
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