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After The Virus

by Meghan Ciana Doidge (Goodreads Author)

3.73 of 5 stars 3.73 · rating details · 48 ratings · 26 reviews

After the virus decimates 99.9% of the world’s population, and all traces of humanity along with it, Rhiannon and Will are forced to move beyond their past fame, fortune, and personal demons to rescue a mute girl from the clutches of two warring cults.

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WARNING: this post-apocalyptic love story contains mature situations, violence, and language.

Kindle Edition, 239 pages

Published May 30th 2011 by Old Man in the Crosswalk Productions

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Jul 15, 2011 Gertie rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: zombie afficionados, post-apocalyptos, romantics

Shelves: post-apocalyptic_fiction, aw-authors

Everyone has their own idea of what makes a good apocalyptic fiction book (or book in general). One thing that I usually need in order to enjoy a book is likable characters — characters with a moral code that relates to our own non-apocalyptic ones are kind of hard to come by in this genre, because most post-apocalypse stories focus on survival, and the things people will do to live. Not very nice things.

The main male in this book, Will ("Tex"), is the sort of guy who clearly sees the world a ce...more Everyone has their own idea of what makes a good apocalyptic fiction book (or book in general). One thing that I usually need in order to enjoy a book is likable characters — characters with a moral code that relates to our own non-apocalyptic ones are kind of hard to come by in this genre, because most post-apocalypse stories focus on survival, and the things people will do to live. Not very nice things.

The main male in this book, Will ("Tex"), is the sort of guy who clearly sees the world a certain way and wants it to stay that way. He spends his time trying to keep/make the world a better place, a place he can live in. The main female character Rhiannon does something early on in the book that made me like her right away. Small spoiler here, happens early in the book though, so may be fine for you to read. The female lead was a bit more mysterious. Initially I really liked her, but I found myself questioning that judgement later in the story. She seemed to have a soft spot for a few others, but then outside of that seemed to be a bit cold and sometimes ruthless or selfish. There were also what seemed to me to be hints at a darker past, which I may have been misunderstanding. At any rate, I felt like her character could have been explored more, particularly since she felt like a more central figure than anyone else in the book.

Technically this is a zombie book. For me, it was more of a romance and survival story, which just happened to have a few zombie-like folks here and there. They were a part of the backdrop that could have had a more prominent presence, more frightening or dangerous, but they ended up coming off as essentially just another danger of the new world, so to speak.

There are a lot of nicknamed people in this book -- One Ear, Buddy, Big, etc. This is usually a literary device I enjoy. I have to admit though, I did sometimes get a little confused about who was who. I'm not sure if it was me or the way it was written though. Maybe I just get too impatient to store up names properly. :-P

The author swears a lot. Well, actually, the character Rhiannon swears a lot. I don't mind that, I swear a lot too. Sometimes I even like it. It does however contribute to that coldness of character I had a little trouble figuring out. Was she always like this? Just after the virus? If before, then why?

One thing that bothered me was the use of double hyphens, but I believe this is a side-effect of the format of the book, which will likely be remedied in future versions.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. The price was right, it was surprisingly clean of type errors for a self-published book. The story was fun, not overly complicated (which I sometimes like), and the straightforwardness and likable characters were somewhat refreshing. I read a lot of apocalyptic fiction and sometimes it gets a little complex and heady, and it's nice to read something a little more to the point sometimes.

If you enjoy apocalyptic stories and are looking for a light summer read on your Kindle, pick this one up.(less)

4 likes · like · see review

Jul 01, 2012 Kat rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: apocalypse, virus, 2012-read, updated

What would happen if a virus decimated most of the worlds population, leaving the remnants of humanity to fight it out over territory, food and women? After the Virus takes a popular idea and gives it a unique twist by taking two formerly famous people and throwing them together in a world torn apart by greed and desperation, with some freaky Infected thrown in for good measure.

Opening with a tense escape scene, as Rhiannon flees her captors who are using women as baby-machines, we are introduce...more

1 like · like · see review

Sep 16, 2012 Susan Tydings rated it 5 of 5 stars

I was prepared for "just another" post apocalyptic zombie novel. I was delightfully surprised to read an engaging story with interesting characters with depth. There are good guys, bad guys who become good guys, and a few very bad guys. The story revolves around a heroic man, a brave and gorgeous woman, a cute & initially odd child named Snickers, and a dog. What's not to love? The story line leads you on an atypical journey, with twists & turns. There are lovely moments of man helping h...more

2 likes · like · see review

Jan 06, 2012 Misty Baker rated it 4 of 5 stars

Ahhh…Fall. My favorite season. Not, for the reasons you might expect however. Yes, I am quite happy to be rid of the daunting 118 degrees Texas heat, but cooler weather, and only 1 deodorant pit-stop a day pales in comparison to Fall’s true, most glorious of perks…Zombies.

Oh yes. Fall is the season for “Chiller” TV, “Zombie Girls from Mars” marathons and more importantly, post apocalyptic literature. With Halloween in the not-so-distant-future, I get to lose myself in the slightly demented minds...more

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Oct 11, 2011 Scott Gray rated it 4 of 5 stars

Deftly mixing post-apocalyptic survivor thriller tropes with a wickedly morbid sense of humor, Meghan Ciana Doidge's "After the Virus" manages to be both the funniest and most kick-ass action/adventure narrative i've read in ages. (Not exactly a spoiler, but skip this but if you like to be completely surprised when you read: "The Boss, completely focused on Snickers, turned to violently vault the girl across the room. Instead, he discovered the three-inch-heel of her previously so impractical sh...more

3 likes · like · see review

Jul 30, 2011 Patrick D'Orazio rated it 4 of 5 stars

Quite a few post apocalyptic novels have attempted to inject love and romance into their pages. Some do it by cramming it into a high action, gore splattered story, while others let it flow more gradually into the mix, letting it germinate based on circumstances surrounding the characters-people pushed together and sharing the horrors that surround one another, so they come together to push back the nightmares. Meghan Ciana Doidge is one of the few storytellers who pushes the love story up front...more Quite a few post apocalyptic novels have attempted to inject love and romance into their pages. Some do it by cramming it into a high action, gore splattered story, while others let it flow more gradually into the mix, letting it germinate based on circumstances surrounding the characters-people pushed together and sharing the horrors that surround one another, so they come together to push back the nightmares. Meghan Ciana Doidge is one of the few storytellers who pushes the love story up front and center. There are a couple of other books I have read that have the relationship between two main characters stand as the key element, but this is the first that I would categorize as a true romance tale.

This story surrounds the two main characters, Rhiannon and Will, as they live their separate lives after the apocalypse...if you can call it living-especially for Rhiannon, who begins the story captured and put into what amounts to a baby mill. Over 99% of the world's population has died, and the barbaric pockets of survivors are lead by men who need as many healthy women to breed as possible. But Rhiannon is special. She is an actress and a world class beauty that has caught the eye of the local boss, who wants her all to himself. She escapes, but throughout the rest of the story is pursued by the boss's men, who are intent on bringing her back to him. Will, on the other hand, is a man who has chosen to live his life alone, in a small, remote town where he dutifully takes to the task of cleaning out the dead bodies and restocking the stores and and maintaining the hotel. But Will just wants to be left alone, which creates friction when other survivors come across his little Shangri La who are looking for a place to stay. He eludes danger with them, and on one of his trips to find more supplies, comes across a mute nine year old girl he dubs Snickers (that was what she was eating when he finds her) and though she is skittish, brings her back to his place to live with him. Rhiannon, who manages to escape her captors, stumbles across Will's town and finds herself reluctantly feeling that this new place could be home. Of course, due to the character's actions and the other desperate survivors that surround them, things do not go at all well for them. Will and Rhiannon are thrust into the wider world, with other survivors, desperate for heroes, latching on to Will. Rhiannon gets captured again, and Will realizes that he has a greater responsibility in the world than he had hoped or wanted, but will accept, if it will allow him to save the woman he is falling in love with.

The story flows very well and I liked the characters the author developed. Snickers and the dog B.B. allow Will and Rhiannon to focus their efforts on something more than their awkward, fumbling steps toward the realization that they belong together, and draw them closer throughout the story. Some would call this a zombie story, but more to the point, it is an apocalyptic love tale with a smattering of infected creatures that perhaps resemble zombies, though they are a side point altogether. As the author states clearly, this is a story that pays homage to other author's tales, including one of my favorite books of all time, The Stand. It is about people living, loving, and struggling after the world has crumbled; trying to put the pieces back together and start again, which requires reluctant heroes and leaders, and symbols of hope that can stand against the devastation that not only a virus can do, but what men can do to one another.

The areas of concern I had with this story were a couple of main distractions that I think took away slightly from the tale. First and foremost, the use of pronouns when it came to stating who was speaking and thinking were confusing. One character would be speaking or would be in action one paragraph, and the next would start out with "he" or "she" and would be referring to an entirely different character. This was consistent throughout the story, and while it is something I got used to and started to expect, it disrupted the story when I had to figure things out more than once. The other issue I had was with the nicknames given to various characters. I totally understand and appreciate them for characters that pass by in a story and become nothing more than minor details, but when they become key characters, and when their real names are learned, those nicknames need to evaporate, or at least used less liberally-it caused confusion, and in some cases didn't make much sense. Especially when it is really only one person who creates the nickname and doesn't necessarily speak it out loud, but just as a device to remember them, but in no time, everyone else is using it as well. This works when a few characters call Will "Tex", but not so much when a character is dubbed "Stupid" early on in the tale, but even when his real name is provided that dismissive moniker is used up until the very end of the story.

Rest assured, these issues were not deterrence for me in reading or completing this book. It is a solid tale, with well fleshed out characters and a story that has a place in the PA pantheon as unique because it is a true love story. I know this is the author's first book, and my gripes are minor issues that are a sideline to her ability to tell a tale. I look forward to checking out more of her work as it is released.(less)

3 likes · like · see review

Nov 13, 2012 Heller rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary, m-f, post-apocalypse, zombies

I think the best thing about post-apocalyptic stories is how they make me feel. Scared. Freaked out. Disturbed. Angry. Hopeful. This book gives me all that.

99.9% of the world has been wiped out by a virus. The remaining infected are being used as bloodhounds by the immune and sustained through the blood and flesh of the immune. There is no transference of the plague, you were either immune or you were dead and the last of humanity is battling it out to see who comes out on top. The insane, the...more I think the best thing about post-apocalyptic stories is how they make me feel. Scared. Freaked out. Disturbed. Angry. Hopeful. This book gives me all that.

99.9% of the world has been wiped out by a virus. The remaining infected are being used as bloodhounds by the immune and sustained through the blood and flesh of the immune. There is no transference of the plague, you were either immune or you were dead and the last of humanity is battling it out to see who comes out on top. The insane, the messiah complexes, the loners, the killers, the rapists.

There's an interesting take on celebrity obsessed culture here as well and how being famous causes the survivors to look at you as a more special human being. This is the story of Rhiannon, the world's top box office actress, she's an immune and she's being hunted/stalked by "The Boss" he wants her and her face is on magazines and billboards everywhere so it's hard to hide. Rhiannon is incredibly tough, she uses the knowledge gleaned from her various roles and movie sets to escape and get as far away from the city as possible.

She meets up with Will. Will is a former NFL quarterback who has his own kind of fame to deal with in this new world. He's an upright, moral man living in times where that is a pretty unique thing to be. He's a loner and has been cleaning up a small town, clearing the dead away. In his travels he finds a young 9 year old girl, she doesn't speak but he names her Snickers for the chocolate bars she's eating when he finds her. He makes a home for her and invites Rhiannon and her rotweiller companion to join them.

They create a rather sweet little family but the peace doesn't last long as Rhiannon's past catches up with her and Snickers gets caught up in the crossfire.

There's an interesting structure to this book. The chapters flip from Rhiannon's perspective to Will's and we follow them on their journeys. I enjoyed that about this read quite a bit. One thing that I didn't like: (view spoiler)

This was a really interesting read for me. Compelling characters with an intruiguing concept. A recommended read for fans of post-apocalyptic fiction.

(less)

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Sep 19, 2011 Michelle rated it 4 of 5 stars

After the Virus is a Post Apocalyptic novel by Meghan Ciana Doidge from Old Man in the CrossWalk Productions.

Book Blurb:

After the virus decimates 99.9% of the world’s population, and all traces of humanity along with it, Rhiannon and Will are forced to move beyond their past fame, fortune, and personal demons to rescue a mute girl from the clutches of two warring cults.

My thoughts:

Rhiannon is an actress - or was an actress, before the world went to hell. A virus swept the land, killing all but a...more

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Sep 08, 2012 Andrea rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: post-apocalyptic

A dystopian thriller, with parallels to some kind of zombie apocalypse, but altogether different. The 'infected' are dying of a virus, but are not dead or reanimated, though they share the same hunger of their zombie-cousins, a hunger for the blood and flesh of the immune, which strengthens and sustains them.

Within this setting, a group of the immune have set up a baby factory within the city, kidnapping women to breed new humans. It is from here that Rhiannon, our female protagonist, escapes, b...more

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Aug 26, 2011 Heather (HeadshotHeather) rated it 4 of 5 stars

A virus decimates all but 0.1% of the world's population and with such a small percentage of humans still attempting to survive the line between what a person will and will not do to survive is drawn. Rhiannon is...or should I say was a woman well-known to many, but in this new world she is a prize to be captured and used to breed the spawn of "the Boss" Will or Tex as some call him is a the type of man you want in this type of world...hell in any world. He's a good guy who does his best to what...more A virus decimates all but 0.1% of the world's population and with such a small percentage of humans still attempting to survive the line between what a person will and will not do to survive is drawn. Rhiannon is...or should I say was a woman well-known to many, but in this new world she is a prize to be captured and used to breed the spawn of "the Boss" Will or Tex as some call him is a the type of man you want in this type of world...hell in any world. He's a good guy who does his best to what is right. In his travels he comes across a young girl eating a Snickers bar. She is unwilling or unable to take, so she dubs her Snickers and takes her under his wing, in time this duo come across Rhiannon, who joins them for a while. Later, for reasons that seem make sense to her, Rhiannon leaves Will and Snickers and that's when the trouble really begins. (Oh and there are undead in this, but they don't pay a large role other than as a sort of tracker for the Boss's cronies to find more of the living)

After the Virus i s an interesting tale of good vs evil and just how far man will go to ensure the survival of their species and let me tell you there are some images you do not want the world to be created in. There are a few zombie/post-apocalyptic books that have added a touch of romance, but our author, Meghan Ciana Doidge, has optioned to have the romance be a fairly large part of the story, which was refreshing for a change. It was not overly mushy, so guys...don't worry. I loved the 3 main characters, but Snickers was my favorite. She was a smart cookie even if she didn't speak. Oh and B.B. I love her...she's the dog and she is awesome! There were many other characters, all with nicknames and there were a few times where I got a bit confused as to who was who, but overall it was not distracting. I had a bit of a hard time with the Boss and who he ended up being, but that is a matter of my personal preference of believablity.

There are undead in After the Virus. However, while they are a threat and our protagonists still have to be careful they are not a major part of the story except to act as trackers for the living.

Overall, After the Virus is a great story about people living, loving and trying to rebuild their lives in a world that has crumbled with the scourge of the earth nipping at their heels to get what they have or who they have with them.(less)

2 likes · like · see review

Jul 23, 2011 ABookVacation rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is a very interesting zombie novel, zoning in more upon how disturbing the world has become after a virus wipes out all but 1% of the population. While zombies are a small portion of the novel, the main spread deals with the left over humans and how they are attempting to take over what little is left of the world. This novel is different from all the other zombie/dystopian novels I’ve read, and it was refreshing and attention-grabbing, causing me to read it all in one sitting.

I enjoyed th...more

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Nov 22, 2012 Tania rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I read this book in two sittings - one evening, and the morning after. The writing style is punchy and the plot makes it a little hard to put down. I wasn't sure if I liked the author's habit of giving the "what happens next" away at the end of each chapter, but I got used to it and it bothered me less and less as I got through the book.

I know nothing about zombies. I know there are some fanatics out there, so I thought I should be clear about that. i had read that this was a zombie novel, but...more

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Jul 16, 2012 Apocalyptic Fiction rated it 4 of 5 stars

A famous actress meets a star college football quarterback, they fall in love and adopt a nine-year old girl…the only problem is that the world has ended, a devastating virus has killed 99% of the human population, some portion of the population has become bloodthirsty zombies and most of those that are immune are ruled by psychopathic lunatics. After the Virus by Meghan Ciana Doidge is not your typical love story. In fact, it ranks up there with some of the more violent and gruesome post apocal...more

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Sep 30, 2012 Janae Smith rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Couldn't wait to get my hands on the book but alas exams and homework had to come first.I'm a die hard fan of post apocalyptic worlds so I dove right into this action packed-adventure where a virus has wiped out most of the population except for those that were immune. Society in most places has left and its everyone for themselves. Rhiannon the main
antagonist is fascinating as she is being sought after by the boss and soon comes to love the man she met (Will) and the young girl (Snickers). Well...more

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Jun 20, 2012 Georgeanna rated it 4 of 5 stars

I'm at 42% in the Kindle for iPad version and I'm starting to get really tired of this woman being kidnapped every few pages. I think everything else is great--the writing, the editing, and the main plot are all very enjoyable. Loving the dog and the cute kid, too. And the hero is the 'strong, quiet' type. My favorite:-)
I received a free copy of this book for review. I will finish it and come back to edit my review. I hope she either stays kidnapped for a while, or gets free for a while, though....more

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Oct 15, 2012 Karen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: post-apocalyptic, favorites, zombies, books-i-won

This was a great little book with a fresh take on the post-apocalypse. What happens to the rich and famous movie starlets and football quarterbacks who survive a virus that decimates 99% of the population? I loved this book! It took me a few chapters to get used to the writing style, but once B.B. the dog enters, I was completely and utterly enthralled and couldn't stop thinking about it in between reading times. At times I was gasping in horror at what these characters endured. But, the ending....more

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Dec 23, 2012 Charlie Kravetz rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Mature adults that enjoy horror stories.

This review is for the Kindle edition ebook.

An exciting, fast-moving, horror story.

In a time when we just passed the “end of the world”(December 21, 2012), this book was great! The end of the world, as we know it. Zombies, as you don’t know them. A few people, immune to the virus that erased humanity, left to live their lives out. A young man, a young woman, a young child in need, a lot of terror, and no one with answers.

This is a book with a lot of horrible things in it. It really fits right in...more

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Nov 26, 2011 Felicia A rated it 4 of 5 stars

Non-zombie focused post-apocalyptic tale of love, life, survival and morals...not necessarily in that order.

I thought this was a well thought out tale, non-gory (even though there was a virus and "infected"), and had all the elements for a full and complete story AND an actual ending. Though the story COULD be continued, it ended well and with enough closure, which not all the books in the genre do.

I thought there was a missed opportunity for Will's tale to be expounded upon (with Big's help), a...more

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Apr 11, 2013 Brad T. rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013, apocalypse-disease, end-of-the-world

ok, not a bad book. Lots of gratuitous violence which is always good in a dystopian tale. I found parts of the book confusing and hard to follow but I still enjoyed it. The ending was ridiculously sappy though. Could have done without that. Maybe its just that I am a guy, who knows? enjoyable nonetheless.

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Oct 10, 2011 Sarena rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: plague, post-apcalyptic

a romance novel with some lame attempt to be a sci-fi post-apocalypse story.

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Nov 04, 2012 Tracy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: e-books, here-comes-the-apocalypse, my-ebooks, zombies, adult-romance

This was a really fun quick read. Mostly a love story but with zombies and pure evil to spice up the true love.

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Jun 30, 2012 Nadir rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: novels

Entertaining if a bit over the top. Nice to see a female lead character in an "action" role.

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Jan 21, 2013 Mary rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: lendable

New take on the apocalyptic end of the world theme

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Apr 09, 2013 Leanne Holmes rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

great book

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Nov 09, 2012 Tera rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Finished in a day really good book I recommend !

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Feb 16, 2013 Kemi rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: zombies, young-adult

I've given 'After the Virus' 2 stars mainly because I just found myself unable to remain interested near the end. I didn't find 'Rhiannon' to be particularly likable and whenever it came to her chapters I would just find myself becoming annoyed.

Overall it wasn't a bad book at all, 'After the Virus' is very different from all the other Zombie/Post-apocalyptic books that I've read, but for me I guess I found to be just okay.

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Aug 21, 2012 Darlene marked it as gave-it-a-try-not-into-it-now

Shelves: text-to-speech-enabled, apocalyptic, bookrooster-for-review, complimentary-copy, kindle, kindle-books-i-own

This starts out too gruesome for me. I may try it later though. Friends who don't mind that may like it and I would love to see their take on it. This was a BookRooster copy so I can't loan it. Sorry.

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May 21, 2013 Shantel marked it as to-read · review of another edition

May 21, 2013 Anne-claire marked it as to-read · review of another edition

May 18, 2013 Crystal marked it as to-read · review of another edition

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About Meghan Ciana Doidge

Meghan Ciana Doidge is an award-winning writer based out of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. She has a penchant for bloody love stories, superheroes, and the supernatural. She also has a thing for chocolate, potatoes, and sock yarn.

Novels: After The Virus, Spirit Binder, and Time Walker

Novellas: Love Lies Bleeding

More about Meghan Ciana Doidge...

Books by Meghan Ciana Doidge

Spirit Binder (The Cascadian Chronicles #1)

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“Life made you get your hands dirty; life was vengeful if you tried an easy route.” — 15 people liked it

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