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The First Days (As the World Dies #1)

by Rhiannon Frater (Goodreads Author)

3.91 of 5 stars 3.91 · rating details · 3,553 ratings · 616 reviews

Rhiannon Frater’s As the World Dies trilogy is an internet sensation.The first two books, The First Days and Fighting to Survive, have won the Dead Letter Award for Best Novel from Mail Order Zombie.The First Days was named one of the Best Zombie Books of the Decade by the Harrisburg Book Examiner.AmericanHorrorBlog calls Rhiannon Frater “a writer to watch.”

The morning th

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ebook, 240 pages

Published July 5th 2011 by Tor Books (first published August 14th 2008)

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May 26, 2012 Giselle rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: zombies, horror, adult

Zombie stories are my guilty pleasure. They're exciting, full of action, gory, but they terrify me to bits. Surviving a zombie apocalypse is no easy feat. So, as expected, I read this with my heart pounding from start to finish, knowing that these people are most likely doomed no matter what, because zombies always win… always. It was such a rush!!

An incredibly frightening zombie story- The First Days, as the title conveys, starts at the very beginning of a zombie apocalypse. People are getting...more Zombie stories are my guilty pleasure. They're exciting, full of action, gory, but they terrify me to bits. Surviving a zombie apocalypse is no easy feat. So, as expected, I read this with my heart pounding from start to finish, knowing that these people are most likely doomed no matter what, because zombies always win… always. It was such a rush!!

An incredibly frightening zombie story- The First Days, as the title conveys, starts at the very beginning of a zombie apocalypse. People are getting bitten, then turn on others to feed. No one knows what's happening, but after Jenni sees her family succumb to this horror, she flees. This is not easy for her. Being a mother myself, that beginning is incredibly heartbreaking. I just kept imagining being in her shoes, seeing my children turn into monsters in front of my eyes. Uncomprehending. The tangible emotions in this story is a big part of why it's such a chilling read. It makes it extremely realistic. The setting, the pace, the reactions; it's all how I imagine it would happen if the zombocalypse were to start today. It really makes you think.

We meet a lot of different types of personalities during this story. The panicked, the determined, the optimist, and the destroyed. Rhiannon greatly portrays how society would react to such terror. Our protagonists are two strong females who go through remarkable depths to help each other, as well as strangers they meet down the road. These women are incredibly intelligent. They don't let their emotions turn them incompetent- which is the only way you're able to survive in this new world. I grew immensely fond of both of them. I even felt like I knew them; they were so real. We also have a band of eccentric supporting characters who make their way into these women's lives. Each one adds a little bit of charm, even humor, to this otherwise somber story. I didn't care much for the added romance in the novel at first, though. It felt a tad artificial, mostly due to its hastiness. However, I realized afterwards that people in such situations would have a tendency to develop feelings at an accelerated pace, hence making theirs probable. It also does give a nice breather from the constant anxiety and panic, so it was never seen as a negative point.

Zombie movies are all about horror and gore, but The First Days is so much more. You will grow to know and care for these people. You will see how, in a zombie world, new rules have to apply, hard choices have to be made, you can't take ANYTHING for granted, and no one is safe, ever. It will strip you to the core!

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For more of my reviews, visit my blog at Xpresso Reads (less)

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Mar 20, 2012 Buggy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: walkers, shelf-12, end-of-days, horrors

On the heels of my Walking Dead obsession, THE FIRST DAYS fit the bill perfectly and I would recommend it to anyone who’s a fan of the zombie genre. From the very first page I was hooked, I mean how could you not be both intrigued and freaked out by passages like this …

“Tiny fingers. So small. So very, very small. The fingers pressed under the front door of her home were so very small. She couldn’t stop staring at those baby fingers straining frantically to reach her as she stood shivering on t...more On the heels of my Walking Dead obsession, THE FIRST DAYS fit the bill perfectly and I would recommend it to anyone who’s a fan of the zombie genre. From the very first page I was hooked, I mean how could you not be both intrigued and freaked out by passages like this …

“Tiny fingers. So small. So very, very small. The fingers pressed under the front door of her home were so very small. She couldn’t stop staring at those baby fingers straining frantically to reach her as she stood shivering on the porch.”

Jeez, and it only gets better too. Fast paced, scary and gore filled, Rhiannon Frater has created an imaginative and haunting new world here and I wasn't ever entirely sure where she was going to go with it. She never lets the pace up either; every chapter has some form of chaos, action or horror involved. Probably because this was first written as an online serial (later self published and now released by Tor books) There’s also hints of humour (mostly in the absurd) romance, and a multitude of new and interesting Zombie personalities. Old granny zombie comes to mind, still clutching her very much alive cat as it tries to claw its way free from her arms.

Both the main characters are unique and interesting. Jenni is pretty screwed up and had a tendency to be all over the place (huh?) but I still found it refreshing to read about a zombie apocalypse from the female perspective. (Think Thelma and Louise meet George A Romero) All the secondary characters they contact along the way (living and dead) leave lasting impressions too and I can’t wait to continue on with this trilogy.

The story begins with those tiny fingers; they belong to Jennie’s baby who, along with her young son has just been eaten by her abusive husband. All three have risen, transformed forever into ravenous zombies. Just as her husband manages to break through the living room window a truck pulls up, the female driver yelling at her to get in. The driver is Katie, a former prosecutor who has just lost her wife but somehow in the mayhem managed to secure a truck, a weapon and a dog. The two form an instant bond and hit the road, trying to get out of the infested city.

With no real plan Jenni suddenly remembers that she has a stepson away at camp so they head out to rescue him. Throughout this read our characters kept having revelations; like sexual orientation or how many members are in the family. This was somewhat annoying but at least it kept me guessing. Before long Katie and Jenni discover the joys of watching zombie heads explode, how the rules (established in the movies) don’t necessarily apply and to what means their world has changed forever.

They eventually meet other survivors; a husband and wife team holed up in a gun store and a large group of refugees building a walled fort in a small Texas town -where the girls decide to settle. Here we meet Travis and Juan, the love interests and leaders who set about establishing a new safe community while the dead scratch endlessly at the outside walls and the survivors slowly begin to turn on each other. Cheers
287jb4(less)

24 likes · like · see review

May 21, 2013 Ashley - The Bookish Brunette rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: zombies, favorite

OH. MY. GOD. Where do I start? From the very FIRST paragraph- I was hooked!

Jenni- with an 'i' is standing on her front porch staring at "tiny fingers" trying to claw their way out from underneath the front door. Her terror IS MY terror from the very beginning, as she recounts the events of her family being transformed into flesh eating zombies before her very eyes.

Her abusive husband had come home the night before claiming that a homeless man had bitten him, slept on the couch and Jenni was awak...more

15 likes · like · see review

Dec 24, 2012 Book Chick City rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: horror, zombies, book-list-2011, favorites

"The First Days" is the first book in a new zombie series by Rhiannon Frater. Originally self-published all three books in the series are now being released by Tor US in fairly quick succession. As soon as I heard about this series I knew I had to read it, and squealed with delight when Tor offered me the first book to review - well, you know how much a love the zombies ;)

"The First Days" is an action-packed, character-driven novel and was immensely enjoyable and fun to read. I had difficulty pu...more

9 likes · like · see review

Oct 28, 2011 Bonnie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: eek-the-creepies, zombies-like-brains, adult, dystopian-post-apocalyptic

Interested in more of my reviews? Visit my blog!

No one… except for Rhiannon Frater. Her vision of a Zombie Apocalypse was far more gruesome, gory, slightly funny and violently delightful.

The Characters
Katie is an ex-prosecutor (in pre-zombie days) who was married to the love of her life, Lydia. When Katie drove back home to get Lydia, well… Lydia was in the front yard chewing on the mailman. So, Lydia didn’t make it past the first day so Katie flees and seeks shelter somewhere and ends up runni...more

13 likes · like · see review

May 28, 2013 Ian rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: zombies and the people who love them

Recommended to Ian by: Stacia ~ Mistress of Mediocrity

Shelves: c-zombies, b-urban-fantasy

This book reminds me of so many movies. It’s Thelma & Louise meets Mr & Mrs Smith meets Pulp Fiction meets The Killer meets The Day of the Triffids.

It’s something of a Bullet Ballet with two very cool heroines killing zombies in just about every way imaginable. Everything from bull bars to shovels and of course bullets. There is so much carnage in this book that it becomes cartoonish which is pretty much par for the course with zombies.

It’s over the top, up in your face, and pretty dam...more

6 likes · like · see review

May 02, 2012 Kara rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: goodreads-giveaway, 2012-reading-challenge, animals, annoying-protagonist, bloody-as-hell, horror, post-apocalyptic, own, texas, zombies

The First Days started kind of iffy for me. It ended kind of iffy for me too. There were things I liked about this book, but unfortunately there will be a lot more complaining in this review than praising. There were a lot of technical issues, and as I read an older copy of this book, there's a good chance this book may have been further edited, but I have to write my review based on what I read.

I hated the dialogue in this book. Especially at the beginning. Either it got better the more that I...more The First Days started kind of iffy for me. It ended kind of iffy for me too. There were things I liked about this book, but unfortunately there will be a lot more complaining in this review than praising. There were a lot of technical issues, and as I read an older copy of this book, there's a good chance this book may have been further edited, but I have to write my review based on what I read.

I hated the dialogue in this book. Especially at the beginning. Either it got better the more that I read, or I just got used to it. But it was super choppy in the beginning and the dialogue tags were excessively excessive. It was an issue of editing. Too many dialogue tags will jolt a reader out of the story and make the writing seem amateurish. For me, it really interrupted the flow of the narrative and kept me from getting as involved in the story as I could have. So right off the bat, I was annoyed with this book.

Then there were the exorbitant amount of adverbs: Katie said softly, Katie said firmly, Jenny nodded thoughtfully...etc. It was really obvious too. Every page was loaded with adverbs. I have a feeling this was Rhiannon Frater's first book, and to be honest, it was kind of obvious. I am sure she learned how to fix these issues the more that she wrote, but there were a lot of beginner's mistakes made here.

Then there was this (quote taken from the book): I noticed at least five gallons of extra gas loaded up in those red canisters in the back of your pickup." I rolled my eyes after reading that. I might be the only one saying this, but I think it's a bit too convenient to have extra gas just laying around in the back of trucks during a zombie invasion.

The plot was fine. A bit more telling v. showing than I would have preferred, but I enjoyed it. I didn't find it anything special, but it was a solid zombie book with a decent amount of suspense. I was left feeling disappointed because almost everyone I know loved this book and I felt like I was missing something. The plot did not blow me away like it did so many others. And I think a lot of that had to do with the fact that I found most of the characters pretty flat. And the one character that wasn't flat was one of the most annoying characters I have ever had the agony of encountering.

Jenni. Oh Jenni. I wish you would take a long walk off a short pier. You seem to be one of those characters that readers either love or hate. But I could not stand you. The things you did and the things you said...made no sense. I understand that your life was difficult. I don't even blame you for being glad you got away from your abuser of a husband. But your kids just got killed and turned into zombies yesterday. They are out somewhere roaming around, eating people. And here you are, worried about Katie flirting with Travis. Worrying about whether or not Travis likes you. Regretting saving the town librarian from zombies just because she is pretty and intelligent. You said some pretty catty things about her, and I don't much care for catty women. You're a lousy mother and a shitty friend. I don't like you. I kind of think some of the things you did were over-the-top and not something a real human would do, and that would be the author's fault. But for the most part, I just wasn't a fan of your personality. I had a hard time getting into any scene you were in. I wanted the zombies to eat you. But somehow, on top of all your annoying characterizations, you were a zombie killing badass. That's the one thing about you that I liked. I really hope in future books you become more likable.

Look, I really like zombie books. So will I read the next one? Yes. Did I have a lot of problems with this book? YES. But do I think the series has the potential to get better? Absolutely. I'm not in a hurry to read the next book, but when I get around to it, I will gladly read it. It was suspenseful, fun, and gory. (less)

15 likes · like · see review

May 06, 2012 Carol rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: zombie lovers

Shelves: apocalypse, zombies, female-lead

At the heart of it, aren't most zombie books/movies the same? The crisis starts and the challenge becomes dodging flesh eaters while reuniting and rediscovering humanity. One of the things I love about the apocalypse is that everyone is prey. Division of sexes, ages, races, sexualities all become so arbitrary when it's human versus undead. What do people do then? Further divide or overcome difference?

This book? Cherry Twizzlers all the way, baby. You know, you eat one and it's cherry goodness, s...more

12 likes · like · see review

Jan 10, 2013 Leea rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

After finishing The First Days the first book in the As the World Dies trilogy. I came to one conclusion about all Zombie books. The main characters have only two choices in this world:

Plan A. Let what happened crush you, or in Jenni and Katie's case let the lose of those you love bring you to inaction. Then ultimately you will join the reanimated dead.

Plan B. You could put your big girl panties on and fight with everything you have.

They had to keep calm. They had to keep strong. They had to su

...more

10 likes · like · see review

Jun 07, 2012 Stacia ~ Mistress of Mediocrity rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Fans of the book Angelfall or the t.v. show Walking Dead

Recommended to Stacia ~ Mistress of Mediocrity by: Regina

Shelves: adult

Back by request. It's time for another game of :
Photobucket

THIS was round 1.

Onward to round 2. *Edit* All spoiler tags are safe to click on. The tags are only here for the purpose of the game.

Although, really, this could have been "dude" round 2. More than a few instances had me thinking the word again. How could you not, when there's blood and guts flying everywhere?

And here we go...

An abused housewife is forced to leave her house in a hurry when her jackhole husband and two children (one of whom was a to...more

29 likes · like · see review

Jul 04, 2012 Jord¥n rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: adult, favorites-of-all-time, zombies, horror, summer2012

Loved! Was hooked from the beginning with the tiny fingers.

4 likes · like · see review

Mar 15, 2012 Jenni Arndt rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: purchased-ebook

You can read all of my reviews at Alluring Reads.

I bought the first days after reading many glowing reviews on GoodReads, I went into it with pretty high expectations. I wouldn't say I was let down per se, but my expectations definitely were not met with this one. The First Days by Rhiannon Frater is about two women essentially banding together to face an unexpected zombie apocolypse. It chronicles their journey to save Jenni's stepson and get to a safe haven in a small Texas town. The book star...more You can read all of my reviews at Alluring Reads.

I bought the first days after reading many glowing reviews on GoodReads, I went into it with pretty high expectations. I wouldn't say I was let down per se, but my expectations definitely were not met with this one. The First Days by Rhiannon Frater is about two women essentially banding together to face an unexpected zombie apocolypse. It chronicles their journey to save Jenni's stepson and get to a safe haven in a small Texas town. The book started off with a bang! The opening scene was gut wrenching and heartbreaking all in one and it got me super excited for what was to come.

Lets start off with what I liked about this book. I liked the zombie scenes, I liked the girls kicking some ass and not taking any names. There's something about two bad ass chicks warding off hordes of zombies that is just so cool, and those parts of the book were great (I really wish there was more.)

Now for what I didn't like. There was way too many filler emotional scenes for my taste. If I had to read about what someone was feeling in that exact moment one more time I was ready to snap. I understand it's a zombie apocolypse and people are going through some stuff and don't know how to deal with it, but I wanted more action and little less emotion. I also despised Jenni, and I mean I loathed her. One day she is witnessing the most horrific thing a mother could ever witness and 24 hours later she has turned into a 14 year old schoolgirl flirting with the first man she sees. Yes, I know she had it rough in her marriage, but something like that sticks with you, for a few days AT LEAST. I found her dialogue and actions to be irritating as all hell. Another aspect that I don't understand is why Katies real sexuality was kept a secret for the first half of the book, why was that necessary? For me the connections in this book felt way too forced and everyone came onto eachother way too strong for me to find it believable.

That being said, the action scenes were pretty sweet, but definitely few and far between. I don't think I'll be recommending this one to anyone looking for an Alluring Read.(less)

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Mar 14, 2012 Greta is Erikasbuddy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Zombie Lovers

Recommended to Greta is Erikasbuddy by: Sunny

Shelves: sunny-says, i-love-my-library, zombies

Do you have a plan in case of a zombie attack?

I have to admit that I've never really thought about it.

It's not like a tornado where I'd go hide in my basement.
That would be dangerous because it would be full of zombies.

Nor would it be like when there is a fire because the neighbors would be zombies and more than likely the Fire Department would be too.

My first instinct will be to put my cats into their carrier thus slowing me down because I now have to lug thirty extra meowing pounds. This also...more

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Oct 12, 2011 Melankalia rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I cannot understand what everyone sees in this book. I was expecting "Thelma & Louise" plus zombies, and that's...sorta...where it started, but it just got worse and worse as it went along. To begin with, the (somewhat) interesting action scenes did not in any way make up for having to hear about everyone's feelings every three seconds. About halfway through the book, I felt like I'd gone from "Thelma & Louise" + zombies, to "The View" + zombies. I think if it had been written in first p...more I cannot understand what everyone sees in this book. I was expecting "Thelma & Louise" plus zombies, and that's...sorta...where it started, but it just got worse and worse as it went along. To begin with, the (somewhat) interesting action scenes did not in any way make up for having to hear about everyone's feelings every three seconds. About halfway through the book, I felt like I'd gone from "Thelma & Louise" + zombies, to "The View" + zombies. I think if it had been written in first person that aspect might not have been as awful, but that's not saying much. And don't even get me started on the paragraphs that try to cram in what all of the characters are doing/feeling.

"Katie felt wetness flowing down her own face as she pulled Jenni into an embrace. Jason threw his arms around both of them while Jack barked for attention. Katie kissed both Jenni and Jason on the cheek firmly, then hugged them again. It felt delicious to be alive and with them once more."

Seriously? We don't need to know what everyone is doing after each tiny bit of action. Honestly, I swear we don't. Also, note to authors: Having your character "feel delicious" when they've just survived nearly being eaten by zombies is, at best, really lame.

The other thing that bothered me was how often observations were made when the writing should've been more background.

"The first obstacle was in plain view. The library had a set of glass double doors with a small foyer between them. Trapped in the entryway was an old man, dead, hungry, and beating on the interior door. It was kind of funny that he still clung to his library book."

Now, if these were someone's thoughts, I would've had no problem with them. But this is only one example of the many descriptive paragraphs between dialog, where there is no clear point of view as to who is making the observation.

In conclusion, if you can manage to ignore all the touchy feely stuff this still makes for a fairly uninteresting zombie book with subpar writing. At least that's my opinion on it.(less)

23 likes · like · see review

Jan 22, 2010 Steph rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Lovers of zombies & Rhiannon Frater's writing

Shelves: 2010, 2010-favorites, series-ended, featured-favorites, author-favorite, author-웃, series-i-love, series-book1, hubster-read

As the World Dies: The First Days is a fantastically scary zombie read that has you cheering the strong survivors until the end in a "world {that} had slid sideways into hell."

The story begins with Jenni, ...a strange, strange girl in a strange, strange world", muttering to herself while watching "those tiny fingers ... pressed under the door ... tips of tiny fingers raw and skinless". We quickly come to realize that those tiny fingers belong to her now undead son. Somehow she manages to flee t...more

7 likes · like · see review

Apr 16, 2012 Karen rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I really wanted to like this book. The imagery is striking, but the writing left a lot to be desired. It felt barely edited, and the quality of the writing kept pulling me out of the story. I couldn't stay interested because from the beginning, small details kept confusing me. The whole part with the baby fingers under the door was so convoluted. We kept jumping from the husband to the other kid to the baby and how she felt about the house and random mentions of blood and it felt way overdone. T...more

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May 05, 2012 Andrea Caro rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Nobody.

Recommended to Andrea by: I don't know, but I want to slap them.

Shelves: abusive-relationship, ebook, annoying-character, awesome-concept-wasted, dumb-heroine, dystopias-or-post-apocalyptic, love-triangle, please-hire-an-editor, read-in-2012, romance, zombies, series, horror, survival

Could it be? Is this really a zombie novel with two bad ass heroines kicking butt and taking names? Oh. No. It isn't.

I'll give Frater credit where credit is due: this story starts off like a really awesome slap in the face. We're introduced to Jenni, who is staring at the tiny baby fingers of her toddler son reaching under a crack in her door. Why? Because her abusive and zombified husband is having him for a snack. Her other son has been bitten by her husband, too, and is trying to claw out of...more

10 likes · like · see review

Mar 30, 2009 Eva Leger rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: anyone who already loves this type fo book and/or zombies & anyone who likes fiction really

Recommended to Eva by: Felicia A

Shelves: b-fiction, zombies-vampires-demons, preqs-seqs-series

I'm almost at a loss as to what to say here because I know next to nothing about zombies or this type of book. I picked this up for two reasons and two reasons only. One was because the reading challenge I'm doing this spring has a task where I needed to read a sci-fi book. I asked my friend Felicia what she would recommend and she sent me this book. I figured that at worst I would be able to plow through it and at best it would be milding entertaining. I've always been way more of a non-fiction...more I'm almost at a loss as to what to say here because I know next to nothing about zombies or this type of book. I picked this up for two reasons and two reasons only. One was because the reading challenge I'm doing this spring has a task where I needed to read a sci-fi book. I asked my friend Felicia what she would recommend and she sent me this book. I figured that at worst I would be able to plow through it and at best it would be milding entertaining. I've always been way more of a non-fiction person because it seemed to be more worthwhile in a way, like I was always learning something, that the reading wasn't just frivolous fun.
Well, this was an immense amount of fun although I wouldn't call it frivolous at all! I loved it! I can't wait to read the sequel and then the third installment!
I was and still am amazed at how Frater was able to make everything, not just some parts, everything, realistic as hell. It scared me. And I mean, it scared me bad. I'm not by nature a jumpy person but this book really got me thinking the whole 'what-if' scenario all throughout.
I'm thrilled that I found a new genre to read and I will always remember this book as being the first great zombie book I read!
The characters were out of this world (literally), if I had to pick a favorite I don't know where I would start. I like Juan a lot....and Nerit- she's awesome as hell. Katie and Jennie, the two main characters in the first one make the best team and Frater has their personalites matching perfectly without making them the 'same'.
The plot line and situations they had to go through were absolutely riveting. I found myself wanting to page through a little bit to "just see what happened" numerous times although I made myself wait and the end result was even more delicious.
I would recommend this to anyone who is looking for a new genre to get into, anyone who enjoys different types of fiction, anyone who likes horror stories and/or liked being scared, damn near anyone in general really. To not read this would be missing out...seriously. At least give it a shot. Like I told Felicia- I would have laughed in the face of anyone if someone would have told me I'd like this kind of story. Even up until a week ago I'd have laughed my ass off.
Hopefully the second is just as good as this one because I can't wait to find out what happens next. The ending of this was just right- she left it so the reader is wanting more but also so you're surprisingly "full" too.

(less)

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Jan 06, 2012 Felicia rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011-read, kindlepurchase2011, physical-owned, signed-copy

Bought for Myself
Overall Rating 5.00
Story Rating 5.00
Character Rating 5.00

NOTE: I picked this up because of Ashley, The Bookish Brunette. She was right this book sticks with you and that is a good thing!

What I Loved: Realism! I wish there was a way to accurately describe just how realistic The First Days truly was. From the moment the story begins until the Epilogue, everything read like a true account of what it was to run into the Zombie Apocalypse. It brought up a million questions: What woul...more

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Jun 08, 2012 Jessi rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: cillian-murphy

So The First Days is a fast paced zombie thriller where the two lead characters are women,running for their lives from very fast and unexplained zombies. The unexplained Zombie is nothing new, a lot of Zombie films are the same,one morning you wake up and an undead person is in your house and if you get bit you will be a zombie,so I will not bitch about how did this happen? and no background and such as this was the girls story and they are cut off from any real news,so we should not know or hav...more

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Sep 16, 2011 Trudi rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: zombie junkies and group in peril addicts

Shelves: apocalyptic-types, horror, zombies, survive-this, 2011-reads, group-in-peril, pulp-is-king, series, infection

If you like fast-paced, action-packed, gore-filled, apocalyptic zombie stories, then this is one you don’t want to miss. I had a helluva good time reading it even though at times a few of the characters (Jenni) and some of the dialogue seriously grated on my nerves.

In Book 1 of a trilogy, Frater offers up a textbook genre zombie story, borrowing a lot from Romero canon (who she gives ample homage to) and a little from Danny Boyle (damn those quick-moving zombies!!) So while there are really no...more If you like fast-paced, action-packed, gore-filled, apocalyptic zombie stories, then this is one you don’t want to miss. I had a helluva good time reading it even though at times a few of the characters (Jenni) and some of the dialogue seriously grated on my nerves.

In Book 1 of a trilogy, Frater offers up a textbook genre zombie story, borrowing a lot from Romero canon (who she gives ample homage to) and a little from Danny Boyle (damn those quick-moving zombies!!) So while there are really no surprises here, or anything “new”, The First Days still manages to be a quick, fun, ruthless portrait of well … the first days of a zombie apocalypse: the panic, confusion, shock, grief, terror and insanity.

At first I questioned the seething hatred experienced by some of the characters – why they should so immediately loath the zombies and lust to kill them. Something about that wasn’t ringing true to me. Killing anything is pretty traumatic and I felt it would take longer for survivors to become adept at it or need more time to fuel the flames of their hatred. But maybe when you lose everything in one vicious blow and you have these vile “things” in front of you that only want to tear you apart and eat you alive your priorities and your rationality change pretty quickly. I’m sure people’s minds would snap in most cases, and fear and rage are pretty interconnected emotions. While some of the overkill seemed out of place, at the same time Frater is probably completely spot-on in her observations of human behavior.

There is also a scene at the beginning of the book that makes this book worth picking up. (view spoiler)

The writing is rough in places, but it does get stronger as the novel goes on, and what Frater lacks in finesse, she more than makes up for in her ability to write incendiary action scenes.

For two-thirds of the novel I didn’t feel attached to any of the characters, but I was pleasantly surprised when by the end I was beginning to feel like I “knew” them, even though I still didn’t like them very much. I’m invested now though, and cannot wait to read on in the series. This is the utmost compliment to Frater – I do need to know what happens next and so will you I bet.
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Aug 21, 2011 Shelley aka Gizmo's Reviews rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011-releases, zombies

*Rating* 3.5
*Genre* Zombies/Horror/Science Fiction

*Review*

The First Days premise is easy to understand and follow as Rhiannon Fraters characters find themselves running and fighting for their lives, while trying to live in a world where everything they ever knew has suddenly changed for the worse.

The First Days is often vivid in its descriptions of the killings the main characters partake in order to remain alive for another day. It’s a story about facing the reality of a zombie-apocalypse whil...more

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Mar 28, 2012 Kami rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Kami by: Lori

Shelves: favorites

Even though I was bawling, and will be forever scarred by the first few pages in this book, I still gave it 5 stars.
This book was great! I love Jenni's craziness, and Katie's strength. They make a great duo of bad ass zombie killing chicks.

I love that this book didnt sugar coat the reality of what a zombie apocalypse would really be like. It was real, and damn if it didnt hit straight to your heart. I easily identified with the characters. I totally understood Jenni's desire to kill the zombies....more

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Jun 04, 2012 Dichotomy Girl marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Had to send this back to the library...will have to get again in the future.

I got this from the library a few days ago, and read the first 5 pages or so last night. Is it because I have an 11 month old baby that I was so grossed out? I had this mental picture of my little girl as a Zombie trying to eat us! Of course in the light of morning I remember that she doesn't have any teeth and a baby Zombie trying to gum your brains just doesn't seem as scary :)

1 like · like · see review

Oct 19, 2009 Shanon rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: horror, urban-fantasy, dfc-1, 2009, dystopia-apocalyptic, zombies

I have never been afraid of zombies - but I am now!

This book is so intense that I ended up with a cramp in my hand because I was holding on to the book so tightly. GOODNESS!

Action packed and fast paced. Readers should be warned that it is fairly graphic in it's descriptions. I found the first chapter to be the most difficult to get through so if you can make it through it then you have no worries about being able to handle the rest.

Loved the characters and I'm really worried that some of my fav...more

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Jun 10, 2013 Scrittevolmente rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Ho letto “Il primo giorno” in occasione del decimo hangout del Booksclub via hangout, che potrete vedere tramite il video qua sotto, dove parliamo diffusamente (e con un sacco di spoiler) del libro.

La mia opinione personale è che questo sia un buon libro, uno di quelli che consiglierei a chi si avvicina per la prima volta alla letteratura zombie e vuole qualcosa da leggere che non sia troppo pesante.

Detto questo, i difetti: trovo che il libro senta molto il fatto di essere nato come semplice rac...more

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Feb 10, 2013 Kim rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: vine

I couldn't give this book four stars for reasons that other reviewers have well-covered: a checklist plot line and some aspects, such as the romances, are forced. (Seriously, a couple weeks into survival mode is way too early for anyone to be worried about getting a new dad.) And yet, the book is worth reading because the author explores human cognition and reactions to the initial event in ways that are more realistic than most books. For example, the government is not in evil cahoots with the...more

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Dec 15, 2012 Procrastinador Diletante rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Primeira parte de uma trilogia que é considerada um clássico no que diz respeito a livros de zombies. Começou por ser uma short story que depois foi desenvolvida pela autora após pedidos de inúmeros leitores. E as primeiras linhas são inesquecíveis, com uma mãe a olhar para a porta fechada da entrada de sua casa, enquanto que do outro lado os seus filhos e marido a tentam alcançar para a devorar. Mas a partir daí o leitor depara-se com um problema - a autora está a escrever um livro em que tenta...more

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Oct 24, 2012 Edgar Ortiz rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is one of the best books i have read so far. This book does a really good job on explaining the background of how the place they use to be in has turn into disaster. This book may sound like the rest of them in some of the chapters, but the reality is that to me this book is like no other. The book involves blood splaters, terror, comedy, and most of all love, the disaster of losing love ones and the person you really love.

During the beginning of the book a Jenni is a mom that watches her...more

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Aug 27, 2012 NyiNya rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Nothing new here, except for the main characters being lesbians. The zombies are typical, and so is the plot...would you care to guess what it is? Did someone say "A hardy band of survivors makes its way toward hoped for shelter; en route they meet and are eaten by the usual ghouls, some survive." Well, whoever said it gets the prize. Actually, everyone says it in every Grade C Zombie book.

Zombie genre is of course, not to be confused with any other genre. It's the gore that counts, not the dial...more Nothing new here, except for the main characters being lesbians. The zombies are typical, and so is the plot...would you care to guess what it is? Did someone say "A hardy band of survivors makes its way toward hoped for shelter; en route they meet and are eaten by the usual ghouls, some survive." Well, whoever said it gets the prize. Actually, everyone says it in every Grade C Zombie book.

Zombie genre is of course, not to be confused with any other genre. It's the gore that counts, not the dialogue or the plot, for the most part. The books sound as though they are written by and for fourteen year old boys. Sure you have to suspend disbelief, but there should be some basic realism. For instance, in The First Days, the survivors develop almost uncanny survival skills overnight, from sharpshooting to hand-to-hand combat...the kind that special forces troops might take a year of training to perfect. The dialogue is impossible...no humans talk that way, and the characters are caricatures.

Our heriones, thelesbians, are beautiful. Of course. One is a beautiful blonde lesbian with large bosoms, the other is a beautiful brunette lesbian with large bosoms. Apparently ugly lesbians or the ones with small bosoms don't make it into zombie books or are eaten early in the proceedings. In fact, ugly people don't make it into this book period. Or not for long. Old, fat, unattractive? It's like banging a zombie dinner gong. And everyone is not just beautiful, but ethnically beautiful. Oh yeah. Black and Beautiful. Hispanic and Beautiful. We have a rainbow coalition of beautiful here.

The book begins with battered housewife Jenni barely escaping her zombified husband. She is rescued by High Powered Attorney Kate who is mourning the loss of her partner. She and Jenni are attracted to one another. Wooo wooo. They are also attracted to men. Woo Woo and Woo! Hey, lots of teenage boys read zombie books. This is obviously a little meat for the (young) wolves. They are even attracted to the same man, giving the plot yet another twist, and believe you me, there are plenty of plot twists to go around here. Pu-Lenty. And most of them aren't even visible from less than two miles away.

Kate and Jenni head to Texas where they hope to find shelter. Along the way, the collect a group of survivors recycled from other zombie books, with the big difference being their aforementioned Beauty. The dialogue is stilted, the action is typical. Nothing new here. This plot has come back from the dead so many times, it's down to bare bones. Please, please somebody, let this plot RIP. Give us something new to chew on. This is part of a trilogy. Do yourself a favor. Skip the entire bunch. If you have not already read it, go look up "Day by Day Armageddon" by J.S. Bourne. Now that's a book that will frighten you to bits and is decently written and well plotted.

Zombie books and "Walking Dead" on AMC are my guilty secret. Don't tell anyone I reviewed this.

NN (less)

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topics	posts	views	last activity
Zombie Apocalypses with a little romance!	6	46	Jan 08, 2013 06:28pm
similar books?	7	42	Jan 06, 2013 04:56pm
First Days vs Walking Dead	10	82	Dec 17, 2012 01:49pm
Fast or Slow Zombies?	16	45	Aug 05, 2012 05:00pm
BTS Book Club: The First Days	1	7	Jul 22, 2012 10:27pm

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About Rhiannon Frater

Rhiannon Frater was born and raised a Texan. Though she has lived in various towns all over the state, she finally settled in Austin, Texas where she met her husband and worked as a governmental consultant.
During her travels for her job, she was inspired to write the story of two women fleeing into the Texas Hill Country in an attempt to survive the zombie apocalypse. Originally published as a se...more

More about Rhiannon Frater...

Books by Rhiannon Frater

Fighting to Survive (As The World Dies, #2)

Pretty When She Dies (Pretty When She Dies, #1)

As the World Dies: Untold Tales Volume 1

The Last Bastion of the Living: A Futuristic Zombie Novel

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Quotes from The First Days

“So, basically, I'm risking my life because you pansies don't want to pick up tampons.” — 19 people liked it

“Wow! I'm more of a badass than I thought.” — 18 people liked it

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The First Days (As the World Dies #1)

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