Apocalypse Z: The Beginning of the End

Apocalipsis Z #1

by Manel Loureiro, Pamela Carmell (Translator)

The dead rise…

A mysterious incident in Russia, a blip buried in the news—it’s the only warning humanity receives that civilization will soon be destroyed by a single, voracious virus that creates monsters of men.

Humanity falls…

A lawyer, still grieving over the death of his young wife, begins to write as a form of therapy. But he never expected that his anonymous blog would ultimately record humanity’s last days.

The end of the world has begun…

Governments scramble to stop the zombie virus, people panic, so-called “Safe Havens” are established, the world erupts into chaos; soon it’s every man, woman, and child for themselves. Armed only with makeshift weapons and the will to live, a lone survivor will give mankind one last chance against…

Apocalypse Z

Genres: Zombies, Horror, Fiction, Post Apocalyptic, Science Fiction, Apocalyptic, Dystopia

397 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

International bestselling author Manel Loureiro was born in Pontevedra, Spain and studied law at Universidade de Santiago de Compostela. After graduating, he worked in television, both on-screen (appearing on Televisión de Galicia) and behind the scenes as a writer. His Apocalypse Z trilogy—The Beginning of the End, Dark Days, and The Wrath of the Just—took him from the blogosphere to bestsellerdom, earning him acclaim as “the Spanish Stephen King” by La Voz de Galicia. Loureiro continues to reside in his native Pontevedra.

Manel Loureiro trabaja como abogado en Pontevedra. Mientras estudiaba derecho en la Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, compatibilizó sus estudios con varios trabajos de televisión, primero como presentador de diversos programas y más tarde como guionista, momento en el que descubrió su faceta como escritor. Apocalipsis Z es su primera novela, tras haberse convertido en un fenómeno de culto en Internet, donde ha sido leída por miles de personas de todo el mundo.

Reviews

[mark monday · Rating 3 out of 5]

blog entry 2/4/2014

hi everyone. this is mark monday, wasting your time again with some insignificant random musings while the highly significant zombie apocalypse is happening to us all. Apocalypse Wow! well, we all have our own coping strategies and mine is staring at my navel and then reporting back my findings via this blog. I'm sure teh interwebs will go down soon enough and I will have to switch to my journal (who will ever read it??), but for now at least I am online and ready to ramble to the world at large. to whoever is reading this, oh wait- whats that soundoutside

ok, I'm back. just some more of those damned cannibalistic looters trying to scale my iron gate. not a day goes by without having to deal with them. they are worse than the zombies! well fortunately I keep my pots full of hot oil on a low simmer, ready to cope with such annoyances from my balcony. the humorous expressions they have while dealing with my various surprises!

today I want to talk about a book I read recently, Apocalypse Z by Manel Loureiro. not the most escapist of fiction to choose from given the circumstances, I know, but I figured I could learn some things. so let's start with that, what I learned:

- get a high quality wetsuit! zombies apparently cannot bite through them.

- don't go to any so-called 'Safe Zones'! those are deathtraps. supermarkets for zombies. Black Friday extravaganzas for zombies.

- get to a boat but know how to use a boat! that's a good one. I can't tell you how frustrating it is for me here in San Francisco, right on the coast, but totally unable to- oh wait asec

back again. well, Paul in the apartment next to mine finally turned. those crazy moans, I could hear them through the wall. poor old guy. I knew it was going to happen so I took the precaution of knocking him out and tying him down to his bed in advance. he was clearly upset when he woke up and insisted that the bite would heal... but I just don't take risks these days. farewell, Paul. you were a good neighbor. and a hoarder, thank God! canned food that will last me and my cat for weeks.

just realized I didn't give a synopsis for Apocalypse Z. ok: a nice lawyer in Spain deals with the zombie apocalypse. he really is a genuinely nice guy and that was a pleasure to read in this genre full of badasses and cynical people and mean people and military types and rapists and murderers etc. he was a nice, normal guy with no particular skills except for an interest in scuba diving and boating. the best thing of all: his love for his cat! man that was endearing. I totally get him. I would never leave Digsy behind and he felt the same way about his cat. it was pretty awesome to read about how much he went through just to make sure his cat was safe. imagine having to deal with a dog during the zombie apocalypse!

the novel's first half is a series of blog entries (the second half a series of journal entries) and that of course reminded me of Feed. now I liked Feed well enough but sometimes it just tried too hard and felt really implausible. lots of young adult bullshit. that was not the case with Apocalypse Z. it felt super realistic. and because we are mainly with just one nice guy and his cat (for a little over half the novel), the book was actually a pleasant experience. pleasant! a pleasant zombie novel! but it's true. for the most part. Apocalypse Z was enjoyable because it had a 'normal' protagonist, a cat, and a series of very realistic reactions to the zombie apocalypse. and it started out a bit slow, which I liked. I got to know our hero, got to like him. he never really surprised me but that's fine. I liked him, which is more than I can say for any of Feed's (non-)characters. but what Feed has that Apocalypse Z lacks is resonance. despite my irritations with Feed, it truly moved me at times. despite how pleasant and enjoyable a time I had with Apocalypse Z, I don't know if it will stick with me in the sameWHATTHEFUCK HE'S ESCAPING

and I'm back. whew! that was a close call! one of my annoying downstairs neighbors somehow chewed through his ropes and almost made it out the gate! thank God for my fast response time. he would have been devoured by zombies and where would that have left me? I'll tell you where - without a handy food source! what a selfish prick. he and his roommate annoyed me for years with their noisy antics but with this apocalypse happening, I really need them around. they have a lot of meat on those bones and me and my cat are not planning on starving to death any time soon. I will be damned if I let them get away. well I suppose I'm damned anyway, lol!

so to wrap up, I enjoyed Apocalypse Z quite a bit. it was fun, it felt surprisingly realistic, and it was good to finally have a nice protagonist to root for. yay for nice guys! we're a dying breed.

[Zain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely worth five stars!

I gave this book five stars because I barely put it down! Until I read this book, I had never read a book about the zombie apocalypse from another country. Manel Louriero’s diary approach was something new to me at the time and I felt it was very effective.

Using this point of view helped me to suspend my disbelief and enjoy the story as it was happening.

A fabulous five stars. 💫💫💫💫💫

[lana · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not sure how this book got such consistently high ratings. Perhaps I'm not familiar enough with standards in the Zombie Apocalypse genre.
While this was entertaining enough to finish, I struggled with many of the details. I understand the necessity of suspension of disbelief, but a story must be internally consistent.

The narrator's cat is some kind of superhero. I cannot, in any world, imagine sticking a cat in a barrel with holes in it and floating down a river... and having that cat remain silent. Same with walking the cat through a downpour with a shoelace tied to his collar. The cat never bolts when you would expect any sane cat to, and always comes to its owner when needed. How the narrator wrestles a zombie while the cat is tied to his wrist without crushing the cat or getting scratched, again, unbelievable.

There are also issues with noise- characters will make noise despite knowing (and often making use of the fact) that noises attract zombies. There is little logic to where zombies are or when they will appear, or how many of them there are, etc. (Maybe that fact is zombie canon?)

Wearing a wetsuit is clever- neoprene is hard to bite through. But has the author ever worn one? They are thick and hard to move in- no one is agile on land in a wetsuit, and they are sweltering. Wearing one in the oft-described heat should cause the narrator to pass out. Yet this man uses his wetsuit as zombie combat armor.

The narrator is covered, repeatedly, in zombie blood and other fluids (once while a zombie is beheaded above him) and never gets anything into his eyes, mouth, or nose? He cuts his hand in the hospital, covers it with a butterfly closure, never finds a latex glove, and despite fighting more zombies (and the zombie fluids all over the hospital) is never infected. Sigh.

And finally, the young woman that the narrator runs into at the end happens to be very clever, absolutely stunning, and 17 years old. She also manages to capture the cat and stuff him into a bag, despite this cat's general genius and inability to be separated from its owner. Perhaps the cat got himself caught on purpose, to lead the narrator to this woman and their basement sanctuary. Because of course- this teenager flirts with the narrator. By nibbling on his ear when the narrator is scared in an elevator. You know, if I were jumpy and terrified and concerned about zombies biting or scratching me, I would freak out if someone unexpectedly nibbled my ear. Just saying.

[Tracy P. · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Beginning of the End is an exciting start to the Apocalypse Z series. Written by Spanish author, Manel Loueiro, this is the story of a regular guy who - (pre-apocalypse) had a fantastic life working as a lawyer and tons of friends - suddenly finds he is fighting for his life when the zombie apocalypse upends the world. I like how the story is told from his (protagonist) POV as he confronts and fights through the horrors that have become his new day-to-day existence. Lots of great zombie action intertwined with intriguing character dialogue and introspection.
The translation by Pam Carnell is well done and Narrator Nick Podehl does a fantastic job as the solo narrator for all (male and female) characters. He also seamlessly voices multiple accents and keeps pace with all the peaks the valleys with precision. Amazing.
Up next - (Apocalypse Z, #2).

[Ana Cristina Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

A mí los apocalipsis zombies me gustan más que los pasteles de nata, y si están ambientados en Galicia eso ya es un topping de virutas de chocolate.

Esta es la primera parte de una trilogía, que translada un fenómeno básicamente anglosajón a nuestros lares y creo que lo hace con bastante acierto, a la manera de la saga Los caminantes de Carlos Sisí, que también me parece apreciable.

Conocemos el relato del fin del mundo a través de los medios de comunicación, mediante el personaje de un abogado que vive solo y se enfrenta boquiabierto y auto-confinado a la pandemia imparable – sí, sí, fantasía pero… os suena de algo? A través de sus diarios vamos siguiendo un día a día muy realista y por momentos verosímil, de manera que, sobre todo en la primera parte, se ha sacrificado la acción para lograr esa sensación de afrontar hechos terribles desde lo cotidiano.

En conjunto me ha resultado interesante y bastante entretenido, con buenos personajes secundarios. Quizá las 400 páginas puedan resultar algo excesivas y en algunos momentos la trama decae, pero ya se sabe que todas las historias de zombies siguen un patrón con pocas variantes.

Creo que es un buen ejemplo de literatura de género bien narrada y bien ambientada.

[Shannon · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was really frustrating. The first 70% of the book was a 3 star book. Mildly interesting, good setting. Then it just got bad. The hero is TSTL. I mean really? You know "those things" are attracted by sound, by your own admission you're not a very good shot, and you have a relatively soundless speargun! And yet you use the glock?
And ok I love my cat. But if during a zombie apocalypse she wonders off through an infested hospital I can't justify putting the guy I'm traveling with and myself in danger to go search for the cat! And to split up to do it! Don't get me started on why they're at the hospital anyway.
The reason this is 2 stars instead of 3 is because of the character at the ending. This is a spoiler.


The MC meets a "16 or 17, at the most" girl and he notices her perky breasts. Really? A kid? It gave me a few definite eww moments.
If you want an outstanding zombie book read World War Z by Max Brooks or the Zombie Chronicles by Mark Clodi.

[Repellent Boy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5 Las noticias son cada vez más alarmistas. En Rusia comienza el brote de una especie de virus que vuelve loco y agresivo a quien está expuesto a él. Poco a poco, este virus va corriéndose por todo el mundo, hasta que llega a todos los lugares. Varios meses después el mundo ya no es lo quera, y todo está devastado. Nuestro protagonista lleva todo ese tiempo encerrado en su piso, pero sabe que pronto tendrá que salir a fuera, entre esas criaturas.

Nos encontramos ante una típica historia de zombies, con todos los elementos necesarios que requiere el género, pero esta vez, ubicado en España. Uno de los puntos fuertes es, sin duda, esta ambientación española, concretamente en diferentes zonas de Galicia. Me ha gustado como el autor nos iba haciendo un recorrido por Pontevedra o Vigo.

A su favor también encuentro que se lee de forma muy rápida y con bastante facilidad, aunque haya partes más amenas que otras. El arco en el hospital me ha parecido genial, pero otros, como los de la búsqueda del "paquete" se me hicieron menos útiles para la trama y demasiado largos.

Por otra parte, no me ha terminado de convencer el modo de contar la historia a través de escritos del protagonista, porque se centra demasiado en él, y no da pie a que conozcamos en profundidad a otros personajes. Y lo que menos me ha gustado es que en 431 páginas, la primera mujer que aparece, lo hace en la 401. Todos los personajes que aparecen, secundarios o más imporantes, son hombres hasta ese momento, y me dio un poco de coraje.

Aún así, como digo, es una lectura amena y entretenida, sin mucha profundidad, pero perfecta para pasar un rato divertido a los que, como yo, amamos el terror en todas sus vertientes. Deseando ver por donde sigue la saga con el segundo volumen.

[Nad Gandia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Recuerdo que nos pasábamos unos cuantos compañeros de clase esta novela como si fuese un porro. Desde entonces han pasado unos cuantos años, aunque me cueste creerlo y por aquel entonces estaba muy en boca de la literatura fantástica el género de los zombis. Algo que siempre me ha encantado a través del cine de George Romero, o la increíble novela de Brooks, Guerra Mundial Z, que considero, la mejor de su género literario.

Ahora bien, tras muchos años y muchas otras tantas lecturas, como en normal, los gustos van cambiando con el tiempo, con eso no quiero decir que he dejado de lado el mundo de los zombis, ni mucho menos. Ya que, de vez en cuando, me cae alguna peli del género. Me refiero más a la construcción de la novela, a la forma en la que está narrada y la manera en la que se desarrollan los acontecimientos. A pesar de que está decentemente escrito y, siendo una de las primeras novelas del autor, no lo desmerece, me dan la sensación de que el avance tiene como manera de bloque de hormigón pesado, con muchísimos clichés rarunos, rozando lo rancio. Una cosa es escribir cosas fuera de lo común y provocativas, otra es, por prejuicio mismo del autor soltar frases con calzador y muy rancias, de ponerse las manos en la cabeza. Fuera de eso, para mí, lo mejor es el principio de la novela, es entretenida, pero sin más. Leí la trilogía original en su día y la disfruté bastante, pero como he dicho los tiempos cambian, y la percepción que tenemos sobre algunas novelas cambian con nosotros, este es el caso.

Me he encontrado con algo diferente a lo que encontraba. Más allá de esa sensación, la narrativa me ha parecido absurdamente lenta en algunos momentos, incluso innecesarias. Aquí se queda esta trilogía, por el momento, aparcada.

No obstante, sí que seguiré conociendo alguna novela del autor, sobre todo las que ha publicado recientemente, a pesar de que no soy demasiado fan de Planeta.

[Stitching Ghost · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really liked the beginning of the book and I thought it was heading to an easy 4+ stars, the journal format worked and things moved along at a snappy but not rushed pace. Unfortunately at around the 50% mark the entries started getting more like chapters in a novel than like journal entries.

Then the main character proceeded to become rather annoying with his constant repetition of where other characters were from (it's ok, we know that Prit is Ukrainian and we know that there were Pakistanis in the boat's crew, you can stop padding the word count). After that he managed to become gross too, with multiple mentions of perky breasts and sexy adult body on a teenage girl (the MC is 30 the girl is 17), that's going to be a no from me bro.

[John Podlaski · Rating 5 out of 5]

I do not generally read zombie novels, but with the inception of "free" books for my Amazon Kindle - every genre is now worth exploring. Once I started this book, I could not put it down. Apocalypse Z: The beginning of the End is so realistic, I had to stop reading on occasion just to make sure that I was reading a book and this wasn't really happening.

A man and his best friend, an orange ball of fur cat, watch as the world crumbles around them. A deadly virus, unleashed from a secret location in Russia, is killing everyone it touches. The news reports from around the globe are vague - sharing way more questions than answers. People are dying at an alarming rate - the pandemic spreading rapidly across the globe. People are stooping to cannibalism. Within two weeks, all communication ceases. They find themselves all alone - except for those groaning "creatures" stumbling around outside.

What makes this story unique is that the main character is like the reader of this book; daring to move forward without knowing the truth about what is taking place around him. His survival is based upon instinct and "on the job training" as he leaves the security of his fortress-like home to learn more and to seek out other survivors. The author is very descriptive throughout the book, painting such clear pictures, that will leave some readers with mouth agape and stomach queasy. In his quest, the main character doesn't always do the right thing, which sometimes caused him to be trapped without any visible way of escaping. I believe his furry friend shared its nine lives with his beloved owner.

I do highly recommend this book and look forward to the next installment to see how this story continues. Great job Manel!

John Podlaski, author
Cherries - A Vietnam War Novel

[Dean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Manel Loureiro in Apocalypse Z delivers all the ingredients needed for a f** of a bitch Zombie horror novel!!!

As a young boy I watched "Dawn of the Dead" by George Romero, and immediately was hooked on the Zombie genre...

I will continue the series...
The audio book also very good!!!

[Aleksandra Royzen · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is nothing better than a good apocalyptic Zombie read. And this one just hit the spot for me! It had everything I seek in this sort of a book: gore, horror, suspense, and of course humor.

This might sound weird but this book is sort of realistic, in a way... Don't worry I know the book is about zombies. And zombies are not real, right?? But the novel reads real. First of all the main character is a simple sort of a guy. And he acts and reacts to things like a regular guy. Not some macho warier who keeps stock piles of guns and knows karate. All that is going for him is clear head and common sense. And the fact that he carries a cat around just and humor to the whole plot.

I also kind of like that action takes place in Europe. This change of locale was quite interesting to me. Since most zombie apocalypse books I read take place in US, and most of the time you don't know and unaware what is going in on in the rest of the world.

Overall highly successful and entertaining zombie read. That I 100% recommend.

[Anthems · Rating 3 out of 5]

Libro ventilado en dos días y medio y no me extraña: adictivo y trepidante. La nota es de 3,5 estrellas. No me gusta nada la temática "zombie" en los libros; en el cine sí, mucho, la destrucción de la raza humana sea por desastres naturales o vírico-biológicos siempre me ha entusiasmado, tendencias misantrópica que tiene uno, vaya.
¿Y por qué digo esto? Pues para que veáis que, pese a no emocionarme nada el tema, el libro me ha gustado, y no poco.

Manel Loureiro narra la historia en primer persona, sin revelarte el nombre del protagonista, a modo de blog virtual y luego de diario; sin ostentación, sin florituras, narrativa expeditiva y concisa, no por ello desprovista de calidad, directa al lector, y tremendamente eficaz: a mí algún pasaje me ha generado auténtica sensación de angustia vital.

No todo son halagos. El autor abusa mucho de frases tipo "la situación era escalofriante", "el momento era comprometido" (esta me ha matado, comprometido un holocausto zombie, comprometido es otra cosa) o "era una imagen atroz".
No sé, cansa que el autor te diga lo que tienes que sentir contantemente, igual a alguien la antropofagia le resulta morbosa, cosas peores se han visto, como votar a VOX, por ejemplo.
Otro punto negativo es que según se acerca el final el libro pierde ritmo, a mí la fase autopista-concesionario-hospital se me ha hecho tediosa, sin la atmósfera fresca y sorpresiva de las primeras 250 páginas.

Además el libro resuelve callejones sin salida de forma totalmente inverosímil, con justificaciones poco satisfactorias, o, directamente, sin explicación alguna. Vamos, que tiene sus fisuras. Todo ello me lleva a redondear hacia abajo la puntuación en astros.

Seguiré con la saga.

[Vagner Stefanello · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review in Portuguese from Desbravando Livros:

Aproveitando um pouco essa vibe "apocalipse zumbi" que eu estava passando algum tempo atrás, resolvi ir mais a fundo nisso e ler algo relacionado ao tema. Alguns me diziam para ler as obras inspiradas no seriado The Walking Dead, outros para ler Guerra Mundial Z, mas a série que realmente me chamou a atenção foi Apocalipse Z, do autor e advogado espanhol Manel Loureiro.

Sorte minha que consegui a versão em inglês numa promoção da Amazon. Vamos ao que interessa:

Ao contrário da grande maioria dos livros que desbravei até hoje, O Princípio do Fim é narrado em formato de blog/diário, sempre em primeira pessoa, com o personagem principal, um advogado, contando os acontecimentos que se passaram e trazendo uma perspectiva bem interessante, dinâmica, fácil de se entender e acompanhar e que dá aquela vontade de saber mais.

Somos apresentados inicialmente a um advogado, cujo nome não nos é revelado, que mora na região de Pontevedra junto com o seu gato Lucullus, um dos personagens à parte nesse livro.

Certo dia, notícias estranhas começam a ser transmitidas na televisão: conflitos na região da Rússia devido à uma explosão, algo sobre algum grupo rebelde estar atacando uma base militar russa. Até aí tudo bem, né? E se do nada os vôos para todo o país fossem cancelados? E se alguns relatos de ataques começassem a se espalhar por toda a Rússia e chegassem às fronteiras com outros países?

Algo sobre um surto de determinado tipo de doença estar surgindo também é dito pelos investigadores, tudo como se fosse algo extremamente normal e dentro do cotidiano, ainda mais pela Rússia ser um local conhecido por ter tantos conflitos. A não ser que a lei marcial (utilizada quando uma autoridade militar toma o controle dos assuntos de Estado) entrasse em vigor.

Aí sim a gente sabe que o negócio começa a ficar feio.

E esse é o grande trunfo do livro. TUDO parece extremamente real. Com a narrativa em 1ª pessoa, fica fácil se colocar na pele do personagem e começar a se sentir aflito com essas notícias todas de conflito. A atmosfera de apreensão se espalha pela cabeça do leitor conforme as páginas vão avançando e as coisas começam a ser desvendadas. Aeroportos são fechados, estradas são bloqueadas, toques de recolher começam a valer e o uso de máscaras é considerado obrigatório.

"Fear travels faster than a dust cloud...and it's already in the wind."

Tudo parece tão distante e surreal no começo, mas à medida que as notícias se aproximam da Espanha, o advogado começa a se preocupar. Comunicados do presidente vão ao ar, "tranquilizando" a população e prometendo que tudo ficará bem. É óbvio que não, cara! Sai dessa cilada, Bino!

Chega o momento que, quando os tais mortos-vivos, que aqui no livro são chamados de não-mortos, finalmente aparecem em Pontevepedra, o choque inicial é grande. Isolado em seu bairro, juntamente com seu bairro e um vizinho com ideias meio malucas, o advogado tranca-se dentro de casa e fica por lá. Como era costume seu antes de tudo eclodir, os "ranchos" nos supermercados e lojas garantem um bom tempo de isolamento com seu gato. Tempo esse que não dura para sempre.

Com vários capítulos curtos e de rápido avanço, percebe-se um bom desenvolvimento dos personagens ao longo da trama. Mesmo aqueles secundários, que só resolvem aparecem após uns bons % do livro, podem ser chamados de principais, pois a sua importância na vida do advogado é vital, seja ela para o bem ou para o mal, como vocês descobrirão muito em breve.

O foco inicial dessa obra é na luta dos (poucos) sobreviventes contra os não-mortos/zumbis, mesmo que certos conflitos humanos também façam parte de alguns capítulos. Imagino que na sequência eles serão mais bem explorados, mas por enquanto gostei do que vi. Um livro simples, sem rodeios, com um tipo de narrativa diferenciado, sem tantos diálogos, mas com bastante tensão envolvida.

"We never surrendered. We always kept in our hearts the most noble, beautiful feeling that sets human beings apart: hope."

E o relacionamento do personagem principal com seu gato então? Algo digno de ser comentado e admirado. Mesmo que o felino pareça ser uma grande distração nessa hora de terror, Lucullus é o último elo do advogado com a vida que tinha anteriormente, é o que o permite não entrar em desespero e surtar com todo o apocalipse ao redor, ainda mais sem receber notícias da sua família. Cito também Pritchenko, um soldado ucraniano que acompanha o advogado durante essa jornada.

Apocalipse Z é uma leitura bem intrigante, cheia de conflitos e que fez com que eu me sentisse em um apocalipse zumbi, o que era a minha intenção inicial ao procurar esse livro. Recomendadíssimo!

[Laura Díaz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lo he escuchado en audiolibro y así se vive mucho más. Está narrado de manera emocionante. Esta semana veré la película para comparar.
Tiene un final abierto porque es trilogía pero la historia me ha encantado y el autor escribe muy bien, aunque de momento estoy servida de esta trama, leeré los siguientes libros seguro.
¡iLo recomiendo!!

[rominaia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yo era una persona anti mascotas...si hubiera leído este libro hace un año mí reacción habría sigo diferente. Le hubiera dicho al protagonista, no seas bobo (disculpen la mala palabra) dejá al gato y salvá tu vida pero... tuve mí primer gato el año pasado y a los dos meses se me murió...y lo peor , el gato me robo el corazón ..así que la pérdida, en plena cuarentena cerrada, fue terrible.

Esta historia no es solo una historia de zombies....es una historia de supervivencia y por supuesto de amor ...¡¡¡¡¡hacía un gato!!!!!

Nuestro protagonista, del cual no sabemos su nombre , pero si sabemos que fue abogado , es una persona bastante despierta e inteligente que hace lo imposible por salvar su vida y la de Luculo, su gato. Para mí es el principal personaje de esta historia , porque aunque no esté en toda la narración, uno lo tiene siempre presente.

Está escrito es forma de diario y se Lee rápido.

Realmente aprendí un montón sobre que hacer y no hacer en un apocalipsis zombie, he aquí algunos tips:

- Evitar ciudades grandes, a mayor cantidad de personas mayor cantidad de zombies.
- Buscar un vehículo apto para el transporte.
- Armas para defenderse.
- Cuidado en quien confías.

Y hay más pero les dejo a ustedes la tarea de listarlas para estar preparados mentalmente y que no los agarre desprevenidos.

En conclusión, a mi, la anti zombies, me gustó mucho este libro , tiene una buena dosis de humor ácido, sarcasmo e ironia y he largado carcajadas en los momentos más horrorosos.( No sé si esto habla muy bien de mí 🤣🤣🤣) lo recomiendo!!!!

[Xabi1990 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Leído - y comentado esto de debajo-en 2012.
Le propuso Dpmtommy para el Club de Lectura y aunque no salió elegido le puse en lista de espera. El tema de zombies está de moda por ciertas series de la tele -que no he visto- y me apetecía leer algo de esto.

Resultado : muy satisfactorio. 1ª novela de una trilogía, cortita, fácil de leer y escrita en un tono coloquial muy cercano. La primera persona ayuda a meterse en la angustia del protagonista. Y que la acción se desarrolle en Vigo en vez de las acostumbradas geografías americanas tambien ayuda.

Como me la he devorado en un plis-plas hoy mismo empiezo con la segunda parte.


EDITO : Zampada la trilogía completa. Mantengo la opinión general y la valoración, aunque obviamente las sagas pierden la "frescura" de la primera parte.

[Michelle Morrell · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this up through the Kindle lending library to have as an emergency book, but once I started it I read it pretty much straight through.

Yes, another zombie apocalypse, this time focusing on Spain, one man and his cat and a whole lot of "walking undead".

I could tell that this was translated from another language, there were times when an adjective wasn't quite right, or a scene was just a bit off. Still, it was entertaining. Nice(ish) guy tries to make sure his family is okay, tries to help out his neighbors and others he comes in contact with, does everything in his power to keep his cat alive, and blogs his way through the first confusing and unsettling weeks of the outbreak.

Still, a couple of complaints:

1) He has solar electricity and a walled in compound, yet goes stir crazy after just a couple of days. Really? Dude, that's called a cushy staycation, no need to go traipsing around the zombies!

2) No one ever calls them zombies. If it looks like a duck and eats the flesh of the living like a duck ... .

3) Skeezy, skeezy observations about the luscious and ripe underage girl. Write her 18 and go for it, but 16? Skeezy.

Still, I'll read the next book most likely, as long as the strange lawyer with the thick rubber wetsuit, cat on a string and fixation on adolescent boobs doesn't completely jump the shark.

[Jeff Swesky · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm kind of surprised by so many high ratings for this book. Okay, the concept is cool: a blogger giving a post by post history of the Zombie Apocalypse. But I've read a lot of blog posts by many different writers, and most are written with so much more creativity and detail. Loureiro's prose reads so basic, almost juvenile. I don't get a feel for the narrator as a character and the details come from the news have almost no punch. For these reasons, I didn't get much past the first 12-15 posts. It just couldn't keep my attention, because I didn't believe it or emotionally connect with the narrator. He doesn't even seem to get too worked up about all this worrisome news out of Russia.

Also, since these are blog posts, he could've had a little more fun with it. Maybe had a few comments from his readers/followers on the posts--different voices. And began to have a larger following with each post. Obviously, this book wasn't for me, but seems to have a lot of fans. But is it for the literary quality or the gimmick?

[Emma Sea · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is terrible! Boring, poorly paced, nothing evocative . . . it brings zilch of interest to the zombielit genre. The author gives me no reason to care about the MC or anyone he encounters.

The structure gave me hope this would be interesting. The story is a series of diary entries which the MC begins, on his psychologist's advice, in an effort to get over the death of his wife. His first efforts at writing coincide with the onset of the zombie outbreak. Loueriro has failed to take advantage of any of the possibilities this offers (e.g. what the MC really thinks about getting stuck with two nuns to protect) and instead falls prey to every pitfall. There is no sense of an internal conversation, or search to know oneself and one's responses to extraordinary death and terror. "I think I'm going to throw up" (p. 56) is as honest as it gets.

1.5 stars. It was too bland to get a one star. One star books at least usually prompt some emotion in me, even if that emotion is rage.

Do not waste your time. There is nothing for you here.

[María E. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Debo decir que me aproximé a este libro con mucha prevención y escepticismo. No me gustan, en general, las historias de zombies, pero había oído hablar muy bien de ella, a gente cuya opinión me merecía mucha confianza, así que me decidí a abrirlo. Cuando vi que estaba escrito a modo de diario contado por el protagonista mi escepticismo creció aún más (no me gustan los diarios, ni siquiera he sido nunca capaz de escribir uno).
A pesar de todo, decidí darle una oportunidad y empecé a leer, y 2 páginas después estaba ya irremediablemente atrapada en esta historia, y aprovechaba cualquier momento y lugar, para leer un poquito más. Es emocionante, trepidante, emotiva. Incluso después de acabarla, me decidí a ver la serie "The walking Dead", a la que me había resistido con uñas y dientes.
Así que le debo a Manel Loureiro haberme aficionado a las historias de zombies. Estoy deseando leer Los días oscuros y La ira de los justos. Ya os contaré.

[Olethros · Rating 3 out of 5]

-Cotidianidad durante el apocalipsis zombi.-

Género. Narrativa Fantástica.

Lo que nos cuenta. Diario de un anónimo abogado gallego que vive acompañado por su gato Lúculo y que cuenta sus actividades cotidianas, las reformas y mejoras que hace en su casa mientras comenta las noticias de los medios de comunicación que le llaman la atención, destacando un asalto guerrillero en Daguestán a unas instalaciones secretas que parece haber creado un desorden importante en la zona. Novela que comenzó como un relato corto por capítulos en un blog para terminar siendo una de las obras españolas más famosas sobre zombis. Primer libro de la serie Apocalipsis Z.

¿Quiere saber más de este libros, sin spoilers? Visite:

http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com/...

[Karen’s Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually enjoyed this more than I thought I would. I listened to this on audio and thought the narration was well done. It wasn’t until about halfway through that I realized one of my favorite narrators was performing this book, Nick Podehl! No wonder I enjoyed it!

Although this was your typical zombie scenario, I felt like we got to experience the end of the world as we know it right along with the MC. This was told in a journal format and I liked it.

The best part for me, and something I’d not seen before, is how attached the MC is to his cat and he goes to extremes to save his beloved pet.

I’ll definitely be checking out book 2!

[Yvette · Rating 2 out of 5]

I struggled to make it past the 1/3 mark, I was so bored. I wanted to like this book. There was plenty to charm me: It was a unique premise for a zombie story. It was about a guy and his cat trying to survive, which definitely hit an emotional chord or three. It was more serious, rather than over-the-top.

Although there never seemed to really be a climax, all of the people and situations the main character encounters are interesting. However, both the initial writing and the translation work seem to be a bit bad.

The translation is painfully dry. There are a few glaring grammatical errors, many awkward sudden changes in tense that leave the author's meaning unforgivably unclear. Example: Main character is planning out what he's going to do later, then suddenly the tenses change to "is" doing halfway through the planning, and suddenly we're in the middle of it actually happening. Maybe? I'm still not sure.

Weak plot. I'm talking plot holes, unnecessary diversions, weak character development.

Poor writing that can't be blamed on translation. The character will say "I'm so shocked and horrified" or "Oh boy, that was scary!". It is weak and not very believable. A journal simply makes for poor storytelling when the main character isn't a good storyteller, jumps around awkwardly, etc. There's very little voice in his writing, aside from a cheesy sense of humor that doesn't match up with his bland descriptions of himself as "I'm sitting here absolutely shocked". Etc.

Maybe this book will please you as much as it seems to have pleased all the other reviewers. But maybe it will leave you frustrated for wasting your time.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review posted at: Read, Rinse, Repeat

The information emerging from Russia is full of contradictions. The government insists there is no problem, and yet health care workers from around the world have been summoned. Is it the West Nile virus? Ebola? Nearby countries are shutting their borders and ordering vaccinations. But against what? Nevertheless, the mysterious virus spreads throughout the world as official information slows to a trickle. Blogs report infected individuals exhibiting extreme aggression, attacking other people.

Apocalypse Z is written in the form of a daily journal by a young Spanish widower which gives the story a sense of urgency and immediacy. The unnamed narrator, along with his cat, Lucullus, must make a decision: When society has fallen, is it wiser to seek refuge among other survivors, or should you tough it out on your own? I suppose every form of apocalypse requires a different approach, but in the case of zombies, the answer is clear: stay away from huge clusters of humans, lest you all become dinner.

The narrator exhibits intelligence not often seen during a zombie apocalypse. What does he wear to battle zombies? A neoprene wetsuit! Genius - it's form-fitting, so zombies can't grab hold of him easily, he's covered from head to toe, and most important - neoprene is not easy to bite or claw through.

It's hard to find unique stories in the zombie genre anymore, and I won't claim that this one breaks new ground. But the combination of exciting action, good depictions of violence, and genuine intelligence exhibited by the lead character make this an enjoyable read.

[Rachel (TheShadesofOrange) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars
This was a fun piece of zombie fiction told through journal entries of a survivor. The narrative was a good balance between serious subject matter and humorous musing. Cat people will enjoy the main character's feline companion who played a major role in the story. I liked that this novel was written from a non-American point of view, providing a wider perspective on the pandemic. While not the most original story, I would recommend this one to anyone who enjoys a good zombie novel.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent zombie apocalypse book by Spanish author Manel Loureiro, translated by Pamela Carmell.
It has everything a good zombie story needs; plenty of gore, characters to root for, top level fear factor, horrendous situations that stress you out...and hope for humanity amongst the terror.

Yes, what a classic this is. If I had read this at the beginning of the pandemic I would have had a complete meltdown!!!

I'm thrilled to note there are at least two more books in the series so I need to take a deep breath and steady my heart to go on with the story.

[Repix Pix · Rating 5 out of 5]

Es la mejor trilogía zombie que he leído. Encima ambientada en España. Manuel Loureiro escribe muy bien y los libros son muy emocionates y creíbles.

Ahora me apetece volver a releer la saga entera. ;)

[Badseedgirl · Rating 3 out of 5]

I need to start out by saying that the version of Apocalypse Z: The Beginning of the End that I read was an English translation of the original Spanish version. Because of this I am going to be giving some benefit of the doubt when it comes to reviewing this book.
My first love has always been zombies. I picked this audiobook up in September of 2017, and then it languished for the next 2 years. During that time I might have read one too many Zombie novels of questionable quality and it turned me off. But in January of 2021, I decided that it was time to delve into my growing pile of TBR books piling up in my Kindle and on my bookshelf. And so I started reading Apocalypse Z: The Beginning of the End.
I really liked 98% of this book. My biggest problem was the introduction of a 17 year old female survivor, with perky breasts. Yes, he described her breasts. Our hero and protagonist in the book is in his late 20’s early 30’s. Can you see where I am going here? I could have done without the Lolita subplot, even though it was only hinted at the end of the book. I can see the writing on the wall for book two.
Five years ago, I would take this moment to rake the author and our protagonist over the coals about rescuing the cat, not once, but multiple times, because I mean come on people…. It’s a cat! But I have spent the last three years with a partner who loves me, but would hamstring me in a minute, if it would save the cat! So I’m letting that one pass. Trust me it is a real thing.
All and all, this is a solid 3 star book. I will eventually read the rest of the books in the series; hopefully it won’t take me another 2 years to do it.

[Ciarrah, MHA · Rating 1 out of 5]

The way he talks about this 17 year old girl's body is disgusting.