Good stuff! Partly funny, partly horrifying. Interesting new slant with the some of the zombies able to take over governments--tempting to think how they would've handled the shutdown recently. ( )

The Story

How did we get here? Well, I guess it started with the economy and lack of faith in our country, Britain. People were struggling to get by, not knowing how to amen ends meet, even with working double or triple jobs. Kids weren't going to school most days, with teachers continually striking. There really wasn't much to look forward to.

The government thought they could fix it all, by bringing back belief in out country, helping bring back the 'Great' in Britain. Most of us didn't agree with their plan to host a 'New Festival,' but we didn't get a choice in the matter. So, off the government went to spend more money than ew had on this festival, rather than putting money back into the people.

Most of us were against it, purely for the fact that they were spending money we didn't have and spending it on a worthless festival. However, some people were against it for a different reason entirely. One that would change the face of Britain, and the world, forever.

If only the government had listened to them. If only they had paid attention, then we wouldn't be were we are now - fighting to stay alive in this zombie apocalypse.

* * *

These are the accounts, news and remnants of that event. It seems so long ago, but it all makes sense now. Perhaps you'll understand why it happened and what made us the way we are, from these historical details. Perhaps...

My Thoughts

I have always been a great lover of zombie books, when they are done well. Often they take on the same story - disease/infection turns human to zombie, zombie turns more humans to zombies, world infected, people try to fight back and usually win...somehow. However, this story is very different. It isn't a mere account of the days the zombie plague started, and then a story from there. It is the remnants of the world, as these events took place. It reminds me of how we see news, often with snippets of what is happening, pieces of clues left behind and we piece together the whole story.

That is the direction Stephen Jones took, and it worked so well. You are taken to a time when Great Britain was suffering and it would do anything to bring its proud country back. The government hatched a plan to host a festival and would avoid any delays to make it possible, even health and safety issues. Even if those issues involved a once dormant section of the plague.

From that fateful few days, we begin to get letters, news snippets, diaries and recordings of actual people's accounts of the events. We watch, read and hope for the best as they turn or watch those around them turn.

The news style writing gives us the feeling that we are right there, living in this world, and reading about the latest news on the zombie threat. We are there as the enemy turns into something more and we are there to pick up the pieces and decide where to go next.

I loved this style of writing and found that it was a fun, new way to take on a zombie story. It left things interesting, action-filled and was able to give us a full account of the world, without making it feel forced. It does mean that you have to be prepared that there isn't one main character or place, but more a collage of people and places to create a world of mains.

The pace of the story is excellent, as were are given enough time to learn about each account and character, as well as gaining needed details on the progression of the zombies, but the story doesn't linger or grow boring. It also moves swiftly enough that you get the sense of urgency and fear.

The characters are deep, even though we are only with them for short periods of time. We learn enough about them to grow fond of them and know what to expect from them, but are not stuck dwelling on a single character as the story moves on.

OVERALL: I love this take on a zombie threat. It is detailed and fast-paced, and gives you a feeling that you are actually there. The way it takes on the story in news, letters, etc it makes you feel as though it could really happen. I would highly recommend this story to new adults and above - perhaps age 16 + due to some sections being graphic. Though it could be handled by 14s. I would highly recommend having a go at this book if you are a zombie lover, a thriller lover and/or you want something a little deadly for Halloween. ( )

Despite reading and watching a lot of horror, I’ve always avoided Zombies, as they were the one thing which really made me, well, scared. Having gotten into The Walking Dead recently, I seem to have overcome that fear, and now seem to be making up for lost time!

Zombie Apocalypse was one of my recent purchases, along with World War Z, which I haven’t yet read. Both of these books seem to be made up of various accounts of events, using transcripts etc, but I have a feeling they are rather different in their approach. Obviously I can’t say for sure until I read it, but I get the impression that World War Z is meant to be more serious, whereas Zombie Apocalypse has a rather dark humour running through. I’ve seen reviews comparing them, but they really need to be assessed in their own strengths.

Zombie Apocalypse is a ‘mosaic’ book, made of various accounts, taking us from before the zombies, to it’s outcome. There are news reports, diary entries, police reports etc, but it’s been bought up to date with twitter conversations, emails and blog entries. Although it follows a rough timeline, the stories don’t connect – it does read like a collection which has been pulled together.

These accounts have different authors, and that does show. It also means that the different styles will be liked or disliked by various readers. I for one found the blog entries caused me the most amusement (people really will blog about anything!) and the diary entries from a 13 year old girl were my overall favourites. I also enjoyed the setting, which is mainly London – it’s always good for us UK readers to see something set where we know.

Reviews appear mixed for this one, and I guess I can see why. Personally speaking, I found it highly enjoyable, and loved the unusual style. It’s not to be taken seriously, and you’re bound to have sections which you prefer over others. There’s a lot to recommend it though, and I shall be looking out for the second book, Zombie Apocalypse Fightback.

This book was a bit of an impulse buy, largely made because I was told I could get a book for free as I had two from a 3 for 2 section. All I can say is that I am glad I effectively got it for free as opposed to paying good money for it.

The concept itself is a good one, collecting an anthology of material from different authors and putting it all together like documents gathered after the event of the crisis. The effect was to be something along the lines of World War Z, and I was looking forward to a bit of nice brainless zombie fiction (apologies for the brains pun). Unfortunately having such a mixture of authors means that the really poor writers had nowhere to hide, being shown for all their dreadfulness against some really good pieces. This is the reason why I haven't given this book a lower score; there are some little gems in there, but overall, I was not impressed.

C- "Must try harder, see me after class" ( )