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AM13 Outbreak #1
Lockdown
Leah's practical joke has spiraled way out of control. Now everyone seems convinced that the apocalypse is coming - in the form of zombies. The government is calling the virus AM13, and is advising – or more like forcing - everyone to stay indoors while they 'clean up the mess'.
Leah tries to persuade everyone that it was all just a horrible mistake, however she starts to see there may be more truth to it all than she first thought.
Leah tries to persuade everyone that it was all just a horrible mistake, however she starts to see there may be more truth to it all than she first thought.
194 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 9, 2014
250 people are currently reading
856 people want to read
About the author
Samie Sands
61 books304 followersSamie Sands is the author of the AM13 Outbreak series, published by Limitless Publishing. She's also had short stories included in Amazon best selling anthologies and work featured on Wattpad.
To follow Samie's work, please check out her website and social media.
To follow Samie's work, please check out her website and social media.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews
September 14, 2024
An excellent read.
I loved the title and the cover, and I thoroughly enjoyed the book. It got off to a slow start, and Leah, the main character, did do my head in but the story was good it is my type of book, and I couldn't put it down till I finished it.
I loved the title and the cover, and I thoroughly enjoyed the book. It got off to a slow start, and Leah, the main character, did do my head in but the story was good it is my type of book, and I couldn't put it down till I finished it.
December 18, 2016
Lockdown (AM13 Outbreak #1) by Samie Sands is the most unique and disturbing kind of zombie type book I think I have read. It takes the zombie virus to a whole new level. It brings it to your home town, to your family, it makes you feel like you are there and experiencing the fear of living with the scare. It makes you think, what would I do? Would I stay in the lockdown and obey or would I try to get to my family? How would I survive? This is such a great book, you almost forget it is a book! The characters seem so realistic. The plot is great with so many twist and turns. So many surprises it will make you squirm. Loved it! Great job! Don't normally read zombie books anymore because they get so repetitive but this is certainly different.
February 13, 2016
I received this book from the author in exchange of an honest review.
I was truly, honestly looking forward to this book, but I just have to face it, I am disappointed. The first part of the book was slightly boring and also annoying, the second part felt unreal (mostly with how the apocalypse/infection was handled and how the days seemed to pass), weird, but also was quite exciting with quite a few parts with of zombie action and gory situations.
I really did like that the book started off with before the zombie stuff happened. Many zombie books begin when it starts, or when it is already going on for some time. I haven't read many zombie books were we read about the few weeks before hell breaks loose. It was truly interesting to see how it went from that they thought it was a hoax, to slowly, but surely it was more believed. Still you had people who would go out, or those that didn't report their sick loved ones. At one point there was a bicycle dude just cycling outside, and I was like: "Wait, what? Are you an idiot? Stupid? Or something else. Why would you go out and risk things?" But I can also imagine why people were outside, it all seemed like just a big joke, even though government and other big organizations picked up on it and were showing more and more evidence. Zombies aren't something you would truly expect to happen/to show up.
As the book progressed we went from just a few zombies, to houses full of zombies and zombies on the streets. What amazed me is that phone and several other things still worked. Generally these things are the first to die. Either due to people overusing it to reach their loved ones, or because of other reasons.
But while I do like that a book starts with before the zombies arrive, it was also a bit boring after a while. And the first part does take quite a bit of the book. Leah's attitude, how she cared more about a guy and her reputation than thinking that it might be serious, I just wanted to shake her around.
Leah, where do I start with her. At times I was annoyed with her, for sending that mail to her boss (seriously, how stupid are you to not check it before you sent such stuff), for her believe that everything was a hoax, even when seeing the zombies. It was just kind of frustrating. Also her stupid idea of just breaking out and leaving a perfectly safe and good place. Yeah, girl, that sounds fab, let's just go outside with all those critters of doom. That sounds terrific, absolutely wonderful. Most brilliant plan ever. *rolls eyes* Sure, I can imagine why she did it, but come on, couldn't she have waited a bit longer than a few days? After all she saw in the latter days of her office lockdown, I thought she would gain some more brain cells.
It also got a bit boring to see her pine for some guy who is clearly not interested in her while the whole world around her collapse. And let's not forget that she apparently thought she would need hair straighteners when she was packing her bags. Please, girl, you got better stuff to pack and better things to worry about than your precious hair.
Throughout the book she makes some incredible idiotic decisions. Like leaving that bag for her friend. Yeah, girl, it is nice of you to care, but those are some very precious provisions, you can leave some and then take the rest. It was a bit silly. Maybe she was still in shock from all the zombie stuff, but it just stood out. Even as the days pass miss Leah cares more about other things that finally taking some action and also kill some zombies. Poor Jake, he has to do all the brutal work.
And seriously, how stupid are you that you dive into a store, without checking before you enter stuff? Just dive to the chocolate, and then magically find out about zombies. *sighs*This girl won't survive long with this attitude.
Also her stupid remarks, for instance: "As we pass fields, I try to ignore all the animals. They're wasting away, it's awful. Maybe no one is feeding them now they can't go outside." Yeah, I think those farmers and other people have better things to do then to go outside and be a walking target for some hungry zombie. :) Or maybe they are already zombies. Either way, seriously girl, priorities.
Jake was a great character, but also really mysterious. He was a great character and he kicked some zombie asses with his epic axe. I loved how he tried to help out Leah, how he tried to make sure she was safe and doing OK.
What happened in Chapter 24/25. Sorry, but wtf? Why this, why this all of the sudden. Sorry, I don't mind if this kind of stuff happens as the story progresses and it actually fits the story, but after that happened this happens? Bleh, bleh and bleh. Just a bit too magical and too sudden. It felt like it was added for the sake of it. Oh we did this and that, now lets do this and then we can progress to this and that. Bleh, bleh and more bleh!!!
And what happens after that? Well, I am sorry but I don't see Leah surviving very long. But she is the main character, so she will live, no matter who gets killed to save her, or what ever she does. Hey, I see a guy in a cage with all kinds of freaky zombies, let me save him! *sighs*
And I am not normally the kind of woman who goes boohooo about girls and them needing to do stuff on their own. I don't mind it if girls rely a bit on a boy, but in this book it was just a bit sad. Leah just fell apart if she didn't have a male companion who would do all the dirty work for her. I seriously doubted how she would survive through this apocalypse many times in this book.
The zombies were also a bit lacklustre in this book. While there was some action, there were some chases, mostly they were just in the background, always lurking about, always a danger, but apparently not that much of a danger. At least that is how it felt to me. After a while the book turned a little bit less creepy for me, and more like a book about a girl who hasn't got a clue how to survive, cares more about how she looks and her vegetarian diet, makes enormously stupid decisions and remarks. Instead of following the antibiotics instructions (they should have that) she just takes as many as she can. She reminds me a bit of what would happen if you would drop Barbie in a zombie apocalypse.
The ending was not only very disgusting, but also a big freaking what the hell? I was kind of prepared for it, but it still shocked me. Especially what she did at the end, what she did to them. How could she do that? I know what she is, but she seemed still sane at times. :( I won't spoil anything, you will have to read it to find out what happens in the last few pages.
All in all, I am sad that I didn't like the book, it truly sounded like a great book and I was really interested in it, but it just wasn't what I liked.
Review first posted at http://twirlingbookprincess.com/
I was truly, honestly looking forward to this book, but I just have to face it, I am disappointed. The first part of the book was slightly boring and also annoying, the second part felt unreal (mostly with how the apocalypse/infection was handled and how the days seemed to pass), weird, but also was quite exciting with quite a few parts with of zombie action and gory situations.
I really did like that the book started off with before the zombie stuff happened. Many zombie books begin when it starts, or when it is already going on for some time. I haven't read many zombie books were we read about the few weeks before hell breaks loose. It was truly interesting to see how it went from that they thought it was a hoax, to slowly, but surely it was more believed. Still you had people who would go out, or those that didn't report their sick loved ones. At one point there was a bicycle dude just cycling outside, and I was like: "Wait, what? Are you an idiot? Stupid? Or something else. Why would you go out and risk things?" But I can also imagine why people were outside, it all seemed like just a big joke, even though government and other big organizations picked up on it and were showing more and more evidence. Zombies aren't something you would truly expect to happen/to show up.
As the book progressed we went from just a few zombies, to houses full of zombies and zombies on the streets. What amazed me is that phone and several other things still worked. Generally these things are the first to die. Either due to people overusing it to reach their loved ones, or because of other reasons.
But while I do like that a book starts with before the zombies arrive, it was also a bit boring after a while. And the first part does take quite a bit of the book. Leah's attitude, how she cared more about a guy and her reputation than thinking that it might be serious, I just wanted to shake her around.
Leah, where do I start with her. At times I was annoyed with her, for sending that mail to her boss (seriously, how stupid are you to not check it before you sent such stuff), for her believe that everything was a hoax, even when seeing the zombies. It was just kind of frustrating. Also her stupid idea of just breaking out and leaving a perfectly safe and good place. Yeah, girl, that sounds fab, let's just go outside with all those critters of doom. That sounds terrific, absolutely wonderful. Most brilliant plan ever. *rolls eyes* Sure, I can imagine why she did it, but come on, couldn't she have waited a bit longer than a few days? After all she saw in the latter days of her office lockdown, I thought she would gain some more brain cells.
It also got a bit boring to see her pine for some guy who is clearly not interested in her while the whole world around her collapse. And let's not forget that she apparently thought she would need hair straighteners when she was packing her bags. Please, girl, you got better stuff to pack and better things to worry about than your precious hair.
Throughout the book she makes some incredible idiotic decisions. Like leaving that bag for her friend. Yeah, girl, it is nice of you to care, but those are some very precious provisions, you can leave some and then take the rest. It was a bit silly. Maybe she was still in shock from all the zombie stuff, but it just stood out. Even as the days pass miss Leah cares more about other things that finally taking some action and also kill some zombies. Poor Jake, he has to do all the brutal work.
And seriously, how stupid are you that you dive into a store, without checking before you enter stuff? Just dive to the chocolate, and then magically find out about zombies. *sighs*This girl won't survive long with this attitude.
Also her stupid remarks, for instance: "As we pass fields, I try to ignore all the animals. They're wasting away, it's awful. Maybe no one is feeding them now they can't go outside." Yeah, I think those farmers and other people have better things to do then to go outside and be a walking target for some hungry zombie. :) Or maybe they are already zombies. Either way, seriously girl, priorities.
Jake was a great character, but also really mysterious. He was a great character and he kicked some zombie asses with his epic axe. I loved how he tried to help out Leah, how he tried to make sure she was safe and doing OK.
What happened in Chapter 24/25. Sorry, but wtf? Why this, why this all of the sudden. Sorry, I don't mind if this kind of stuff happens as the story progresses and it actually fits the story, but after that happened this happens? Bleh, bleh and bleh. Just a bit too magical and too sudden. It felt like it was added for the sake of it. Oh we did this and that, now lets do this and then we can progress to this and that. Bleh, bleh and more bleh!!!
And what happens after that? Well, I am sorry but I don't see Leah surviving very long. But she is the main character, so she will live, no matter who gets killed to save her, or what ever she does. Hey, I see a guy in a cage with all kinds of freaky zombies, let me save him! *sighs*
And I am not normally the kind of woman who goes boohooo about girls and them needing to do stuff on their own. I don't mind it if girls rely a bit on a boy, but in this book it was just a bit sad. Leah just fell apart if she didn't have a male companion who would do all the dirty work for her. I seriously doubted how she would survive through this apocalypse many times in this book.
The zombies were also a bit lacklustre in this book. While there was some action, there were some chases, mostly they were just in the background, always lurking about, always a danger, but apparently not that much of a danger. At least that is how it felt to me. After a while the book turned a little bit less creepy for me, and more like a book about a girl who hasn't got a clue how to survive, cares more about how she looks and her vegetarian diet, makes enormously stupid decisions and remarks. Instead of following the antibiotics instructions (they should have that) she just takes as many as she can. She reminds me a bit of what would happen if you would drop Barbie in a zombie apocalypse.
The ending was not only very disgusting, but also a big freaking what the hell? I was kind of prepared for it, but it still shocked me. Especially what she did at the end, what she did to them. How could she do that? I know what she is, but she seemed still sane at times. :( I won't spoil anything, you will have to read it to find out what happens in the last few pages.
All in all, I am sad that I didn't like the book, it truly sounded like a great book and I was really interested in it, but it just wasn't what I liked.
Review first posted at http://twirlingbookprincess.com/
October 3, 2019
Leah is a researcher for a local station, the only journalism job she could get. To impress a prankster co-worker, she finds a zombie video online but sends it to her boss Jamie by mistake. Soon her colleagues are all investigating the story which no longer seems to be a hoax. *sigh* I liked the idea of stumbling across a real outbreak when you think you are seeing a good fake up. That was pretty much all I liked. Leah is a total airhead. She doesn't like her job so instead of doing it, she spends her work time on Facebook and YouTube, gossiping with her colleague Michelle or drooling at Jake. Her desperation at trying to get his attention is cringeworthy and she is always whining on about something. Her hangover, her looks, not having Jake, her job, whether her colleagues are laughing at her, losing a job she hates...it's never-ending. She is vain, lazy, annoying and ditzy. She is also pretty dumb and you don't ever want to follow any of her plans. She drove me mad!
The story is also really slow. We get all of Leah's woes about Jake, her job, the drunken night out, Jake, her insecurities, Jake, the prank going to Jamie so she fears losing her job and more Jake. It then goes on to Jamie quizzing her and then investigating the video, and getting everyone to look into proving it is not a hoax. Meanwhile Leah continues to fret over Jake and it is boring. The plot then goes on to the discovery that it is not a hoax, the planning of a strategy and the truth coming out but it just takes forever for something to happen. I was bored with it all and all I wanted was to see Leah being eaten but it didn't seem likely so I DNFed it.
The story is also really slow. We get all of Leah's woes about Jake, her job, the drunken night out, Jake, her insecurities, Jake, the prank going to Jamie so she fears losing her job and more Jake. It then goes on to Jamie quizzing her and then investigating the video, and getting everyone to look into proving it is not a hoax. Meanwhile Leah continues to fret over Jake and it is boring. The plot then goes on to the discovery that it is not a hoax, the planning of a strategy and the truth coming out but it just takes forever for something to happen. I was bored with it all and all I wanted was to see Leah being eaten but it didn't seem likely so I DNFed it.
September 21, 2017
Read them ALL TOGETHER! Seriously!
Brraaaaaaiiiiins! No, no... Wait! It was just a joke!
In fact, in the series that I’m going to talk today, there is no place for a whimsical approach. Anyway, this thing about zombies that eat brains is bullshit. Apart from a few movies and the new TV series iZombie (where eating brains have a reason), which actually have more or less comic accents, in all the other movies, books and whatever you want, the zombies are interested in any little piece of meat and not just in brains. Enough with this jabber!
However, at one point, with this Brains expression I wanted to start the review, but after reading the whole series I thought it would sound too lame and crappy. If I were to choose now a key word, not that this would be mandatory, but just like a little artistic trick, it would be Sucker Punch. Oh yeah, this is the appropriate one! And for this reason, I would like to start with a little recommendation, even if I know that neither the author nor those who promote these books can do much about this issue, but who knows? In my opinion, at least in electronic format, the books should be available as a bundle or omnibus.
Why? Well, let me explain why. The three books are too much connected, that is, what happens in the first volume will find its completion in the third. In my opinion, I think they were originally designed as a whole. Why they came up separately is not my problem or in my power to do anything about it, but to give an advice. Maybe you wonder why I fuss about it. Because anyone who entered on a book site and found out a new series, by principle will not buy the whole series without trying the first volume first. And that would be the problem with this series, at least in my opinion. Now, let me explain a bit more thoroughly. Chill, it's gonna be without spoilers. I'll beat around the bush with grace... as usual. NO SPOILERS in my reviews!
So... the first book: Lockdown.
You know that, usually, in the US zombie movies or books the hero, most of the times, is a macho dude with or without a hairy chest, an ex Marines, a SEAL, a Black Ops operator or whatever you want or, if it's a woman, she will be a badass girl with which you don’t wanna mess up with unless you wanna be rough up badly and the guns are blazing around all the time. The British, on the other hand, are the opposite. They have the habit of choosing as main characters ordinary people without any prior combat training. Ah... about fire arms, you better not even think about it. Usually, they can hardly find a hammer or a pipe and if by what fortunate event they find an ax… oh boy… they start to behave as if they have found Excalibur!
Let's get back... a good part of the book I wondered if to continue or give up reading. The main character was so labile, so introspective that I was baffled. If Lockdown was a nineteenth-century novel, it would be called Tribulations of a Giddy Young Woman Braving the New World. She drove me nuts with her throes: why did I do that, but I didn’t, I should have to do it or should not, it was because of me or it wasn’t. I was about to shout “Enough! Stop it, goddammit!” But... but... suddenly everything changes. Everything gets other valences and... near to the end here comes the gut punch. What a twist! A very cool one! I thought the author would go down that road and continue the story from that angle. I'm not telling you which, only that this approach has not been used much in the zombie stories. Too few are written from this perspective.
Number 2: Forgotten
The author changes the characters. OK, ok, it doesn’t matter. Let's get it on with the new ones. At first, I was a little disappointed, but I recovered quickly. Because the second volume is more focused, more careful with the development of the story and of the characters. Sure, we don’t get rid of introspection, but here this process is very well folded up on the characters. You'll have some more action, but as I've mentioned above we’re in the UK. There are not really Hollywood-type action scenes. But it doesn’t matter anymore. The story will follow its course and will accrue tension precisely through the changes and torments to which the main characters are subjected. And ... when you less expect ... it will come the second punch. The new twist will take you out of the rhythm. I know some of you like the story to continue sometimes more linearly and you become attached to some characters. But life isn't fair, isn’t it? So, buckle up!
The third one: Extinct
We don't even have to fuss with it. The end is written right in the title. And yet... something will not fall as you would expect. In this volume, everything will become grimmer, more complicated, in other words: shit will hit the fan really bad. As I was saying at the beginning, all the events from the first volume and the second one will find their perfect completion in the third. Oh, I have almost forgotten: the third twist! The last one, but also the most terrible. Obviously, it was supposed to be paramount of the story. And that is why I believe that these books must be regarded as a whole and not as standalone volumes. Okay, you can do what you want and read any of them, but...
Though I don’t like this expression, I could say that all in all, the story is worth reading! Go over all of the impediments I told you about and you'll see that you will like it in the end. It's not The Walking Dead, but it doesn’t have to be. The series has its own charm and this is all that matters. And to be naughty till the end, although it is not a great revelation, I ask you: what HEA is possible when the Extinct will come?! Again, buckle up!
Now, in the end, I would like to remind to those of you who have found out or tell to those that don’t know that the one who created the pattern of the zombie we are used to now has passed away this summer. Without George Romero (1940-2017) and its Night of the Living Dead (1968), not so many books would have been written, nor would they have made so many movies. He is the one who modified the ghoul from the Haitian voodoo stories in the ravenous human flesh eater of the zombie apocalypse.
R.I.P., man... zombie fans from all around the world will never forget you!
Happy reading!
GZM
https://mythicalbooks.blogspot.ro/201...
Brraaaaaaiiiiins! No, no... Wait! It was just a joke!
In fact, in the series that I’m going to talk today, there is no place for a whimsical approach. Anyway, this thing about zombies that eat brains is bullshit. Apart from a few movies and the new TV series iZombie (where eating brains have a reason), which actually have more or less comic accents, in all the other movies, books and whatever you want, the zombies are interested in any little piece of meat and not just in brains. Enough with this jabber!
However, at one point, with this Brains expression I wanted to start the review, but after reading the whole series I thought it would sound too lame and crappy. If I were to choose now a key word, not that this would be mandatory, but just like a little artistic trick, it would be Sucker Punch. Oh yeah, this is the appropriate one! And for this reason, I would like to start with a little recommendation, even if I know that neither the author nor those who promote these books can do much about this issue, but who knows? In my opinion, at least in electronic format, the books should be available as a bundle or omnibus.
Why? Well, let me explain why. The three books are too much connected, that is, what happens in the first volume will find its completion in the third. In my opinion, I think they were originally designed as a whole. Why they came up separately is not my problem or in my power to do anything about it, but to give an advice. Maybe you wonder why I fuss about it. Because anyone who entered on a book site and found out a new series, by principle will not buy the whole series without trying the first volume first. And that would be the problem with this series, at least in my opinion. Now, let me explain a bit more thoroughly. Chill, it's gonna be without spoilers. I'll beat around the bush with grace... as usual. NO SPOILERS in my reviews!
So... the first book: Lockdown.
You know that, usually, in the US zombie movies or books the hero, most of the times, is a macho dude with or without a hairy chest, an ex Marines, a SEAL, a Black Ops operator or whatever you want or, if it's a woman, she will be a badass girl with which you don’t wanna mess up with unless you wanna be rough up badly and the guns are blazing around all the time. The British, on the other hand, are the opposite. They have the habit of choosing as main characters ordinary people without any prior combat training. Ah... about fire arms, you better not even think about it. Usually, they can hardly find a hammer or a pipe and if by what fortunate event they find an ax… oh boy… they start to behave as if they have found Excalibur!
Let's get back... a good part of the book I wondered if to continue or give up reading. The main character was so labile, so introspective that I was baffled. If Lockdown was a nineteenth-century novel, it would be called Tribulations of a Giddy Young Woman Braving the New World. She drove me nuts with her throes: why did I do that, but I didn’t, I should have to do it or should not, it was because of me or it wasn’t. I was about to shout “Enough! Stop it, goddammit!” But... but... suddenly everything changes. Everything gets other valences and... near to the end here comes the gut punch. What a twist! A very cool one! I thought the author would go down that road and continue the story from that angle. I'm not telling you which, only that this approach has not been used much in the zombie stories. Too few are written from this perspective.
Number 2: Forgotten
The author changes the characters. OK, ok, it doesn’t matter. Let's get it on with the new ones. At first, I was a little disappointed, but I recovered quickly. Because the second volume is more focused, more careful with the development of the story and of the characters. Sure, we don’t get rid of introspection, but here this process is very well folded up on the characters. You'll have some more action, but as I've mentioned above we’re in the UK. There are not really Hollywood-type action scenes. But it doesn’t matter anymore. The story will follow its course and will accrue tension precisely through the changes and torments to which the main characters are subjected. And ... when you less expect ... it will come the second punch. The new twist will take you out of the rhythm. I know some of you like the story to continue sometimes more linearly and you become attached to some characters. But life isn't fair, isn’t it? So, buckle up!
The third one: Extinct
We don't even have to fuss with it. The end is written right in the title. And yet... something will not fall as you would expect. In this volume, everything will become grimmer, more complicated, in other words: shit will hit the fan really bad. As I was saying at the beginning, all the events from the first volume and the second one will find their perfect completion in the third. Oh, I have almost forgotten: the third twist! The last one, but also the most terrible. Obviously, it was supposed to be paramount of the story. And that is why I believe that these books must be regarded as a whole and not as standalone volumes. Okay, you can do what you want and read any of them, but...
Though I don’t like this expression, I could say that all in all, the story is worth reading! Go over all of the impediments I told you about and you'll see that you will like it in the end. It's not The Walking Dead, but it doesn’t have to be. The series has its own charm and this is all that matters. And to be naughty till the end, although it is not a great revelation, I ask you: what HEA is possible when the Extinct will come?! Again, buckle up!
Now, in the end, I would like to remind to those of you who have found out or tell to those that don’t know that the one who created the pattern of the zombie we are used to now has passed away this summer. Without George Romero (1940-2017) and its Night of the Living Dead (1968), not so many books would have been written, nor would they have made so many movies. He is the one who modified the ghoul from the Haitian voodoo stories in the ravenous human flesh eater of the zombie apocalypse.
R.I.P., man... zombie fans from all around the world will never forget you!
Happy reading!
GZM
https://mythicalbooks.blogspot.ro/201...
September 29, 2017
Leah Watton is crushing hard on Jake, the office practical joker. She decides to fake a zombie report and email it to him. Unfortunately she also includes her boss on the email and he decides to run it as news. Leah freaks out and is afraid that she is going to lose her job and apartment and half to move back in with her mom and dad. But then the English government announces a lockdown to protect people from those infected with AM13. But after a couple days Leah, Jake, and Michelle can’t stand being locked up at work and make a break for it. Of course that it when things go to hell.
There are two things that stand out to me with this book. The first one is how you start a couple weeks before the actual breakout of the zombie virus. You don’t usually get that much before the outbreak and I think it added to this story. It also made the story feel more real with your everyday people and not some bad ass super Hollywood actor, Marine, etc. On the bad side this made the beginning of the book really drawn out.
Leah reminds me of most people today. The only thing that really matters to them is their own little bubble. She is fretting about losing her job over this video she shared and her feelings towards Jake. But then the apocalypse happens and here she is, so worried about herself and her looks and Jake that she should have bit the big one several times if Jake didn’t save her. Annoying as she was, she is very realistic and what many people would do if they faced the same situation.
I loved the originality of this story. Although the story was slow in the beginning it did pick up pace and will leave you with one heck of an ending. I did not expect that one. I really liked this story and I’m so glad that I have the other two books, Forgotten and Extinct to jump into right away.
I received Lockdown from Silver Dagger Book Tours for free. This has in no way influenced my opinion of this book.
There are two things that stand out to me with this book. The first one is how you start a couple weeks before the actual breakout of the zombie virus. You don’t usually get that much before the outbreak and I think it added to this story. It also made the story feel more real with your everyday people and not some bad ass super Hollywood actor, Marine, etc. On the bad side this made the beginning of the book really drawn out.
Leah reminds me of most people today. The only thing that really matters to them is their own little bubble. She is fretting about losing her job over this video she shared and her feelings towards Jake. But then the apocalypse happens and here she is, so worried about herself and her looks and Jake that she should have bit the big one several times if Jake didn’t save her. Annoying as she was, she is very realistic and what many people would do if they faced the same situation.
I loved the originality of this story. Although the story was slow in the beginning it did pick up pace and will leave you with one heck of an ending. I did not expect that one. I really liked this story and I’m so glad that I have the other two books, Forgotten and Extinct to jump into right away.
I received Lockdown from Silver Dagger Book Tours for free. This has in no way influenced my opinion of this book.
December 9, 2017
I received this ARC for review purposes only.
The worse office blunder has happened to Leah Warren. She has sent a prank video of a zombie break to her boss Jamie by mistake in a mass e-mail. Now she has to deal with the fall out. Being brought into the boss' office is like sent into the principal's office in school. Nobody wants to go there. Especially when your crush's desk is right there in vicinity to him. Just like Jake's is . Jake, the one night stand you had at the office party, at your best friend Melissa's insistence no less. But Leah doesn't get yelled at, no she gets praise for breaking a top news story! Doesn't her boss understand that the virus in the video was a joke That its not going to happen! Even the government thinks it is serious. They impose a lockdown and enforce it to the letter. Rounding up the infected for some devious experiments. Hunting down the survivors like cattle. A refreshing new start of a new zombie Apocalypse series. I could not put it down. I cannot wait for the next one!
The worse office blunder has happened to Leah Warren. She has sent a prank video of a zombie break to her boss Jamie by mistake in a mass e-mail. Now she has to deal with the fall out. Being brought into the boss' office is like sent into the principal's office in school. Nobody wants to go there. Especially when your crush's desk is right there in vicinity to him. Just like Jake's is . Jake, the one night stand you had at the office party, at your best friend Melissa's insistence no less. But Leah doesn't get yelled at, no she gets praise for breaking a top news story! Doesn't her boss understand that the virus in the video was a joke That its not going to happen! Even the government thinks it is serious. They impose a lockdown and enforce it to the letter. Rounding up the infected for some devious experiments. Hunting down the survivors like cattle. A refreshing new start of a new zombie Apocalypse series. I could not put it down. I cannot wait for the next one!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 30, 2017
Lockdown is the first book in the AM13 Outbreak series.
It starts out pretty normal, with main character Leah browsing the internet for a video to "prank" her crush with rather than doing her job. However, she accidentally sends this video to her boss, who then begins to take it more seriously than she expected. And when she starts getting hounded, she starts to freak out. She has no idea why this prank has gotten so out of control. Until things start to spiral into a hellish nightmare.
Leah and her co-workers are stuck in their office during the government sanctioned lockdown while things are supposedly "taken care of." Leah, however, doesn't want to be stuck inside. She and two others decide to ignore the lockdown and try to find their families to make sure they're safe instead.
What starts out as a pretty simple journey turns into a fight for survival when Leah and her co-workers realize the lockdown really was put into place for their own safety. Do they make it to safety? Do they find their families? Read it and find out.
I found Lockdown to be a bit slow at first. Leah was kind of frustrating, mostly because she was a little on the immature side. She really only thought about herself and what her crush would think of her. She just wanted to impress him. And she spent a lot of the book questioning why her prank video was being taken so seriously. She questioned why her name had been released with the news report involving the video. And she had moments where you kind of wanted to shake her and tell her to wake up. That her prank video wasn't just some fake thing she found on the internet, and that she'd best start believing in zombies.
Leah did get a little better later on in the book. She wasn't as frustrating once things got going. And her friends/co-workers, Michelle and Jake, were two characters you found yourself liking more than her on occasion.
The one thing that bothered me was that there was no real closure for one of the characters. I don't want to spoil anything, but one character disappears at one point, and by the end of the book, you're still unsure what happened to them. Did they get bitten and die? Did they somehow manage to survive? Unless I missed something, that's never resolved.
Overall, though, Lockdown is a pretty good start to a very interesting zombie apocalypse/horror trilogy. It's definitely a book that will hook you and make you want to read the other two books in the series.
I give it 4 stars.
It starts out pretty normal, with main character Leah browsing the internet for a video to "prank" her crush with rather than doing her job. However, she accidentally sends this video to her boss, who then begins to take it more seriously than she expected. And when she starts getting hounded, she starts to freak out. She has no idea why this prank has gotten so out of control. Until things start to spiral into a hellish nightmare.
Leah and her co-workers are stuck in their office during the government sanctioned lockdown while things are supposedly "taken care of." Leah, however, doesn't want to be stuck inside. She and two others decide to ignore the lockdown and try to find their families to make sure they're safe instead.
What starts out as a pretty simple journey turns into a fight for survival when Leah and her co-workers realize the lockdown really was put into place for their own safety. Do they make it to safety? Do they find their families? Read it and find out.
I found Lockdown to be a bit slow at first. Leah was kind of frustrating, mostly because she was a little on the immature side. She really only thought about herself and what her crush would think of her. She just wanted to impress him. And she spent a lot of the book questioning why her prank video was being taken so seriously. She questioned why her name had been released with the news report involving the video. And she had moments where you kind of wanted to shake her and tell her to wake up. That her prank video wasn't just some fake thing she found on the internet, and that she'd best start believing in zombies.
Leah did get a little better later on in the book. She wasn't as frustrating once things got going. And her friends/co-workers, Michelle and Jake, were two characters you found yourself liking more than her on occasion.
The one thing that bothered me was that there was no real closure for one of the characters. I don't want to spoil anything, but one character disappears at one point, and by the end of the book, you're still unsure what happened to them. Did they get bitten and die? Did they somehow manage to survive? Unless I missed something, that's never resolved.
Overall, though, Lockdown is a pretty good start to a very interesting zombie apocalypse/horror trilogy. It's definitely a book that will hook you and make you want to read the other two books in the series.
I give it 4 stars.
September 25, 2017
I liked the concept behind the stories in this series, it was different than the usual zombie tales.
Lockdown: Although it made a change for the story to start before the ‘outbreak’, the first half of the book was painfully slow, but worth sticking with for the latter half.
It’s written from Leah’s point of view and has a twist that you may, or may not, see coming. Leah, herself is an annoying person, who without a man to ‘look after’ her would have been one of the first to die!
Forgotten: The second book has new characters and alternates between Alyssa and Ethan’s points of view, alongside the report/journal written by Dr. Jones. This story is tenser than the first and the characters are more developed and likeable. The story itself had unexpected twists and was fun to read, although the portrayal of the ‘mindless’ zombies, doesn’t sit well in the context of the book!
Extinct: Another change of characters in the final book, this time told from Georgie’s perspective, and dealing with life in the island sanctuary, ‘safe’ from the zombies (or not)! This book wrapped up most of the threads and loose ends well, but not all of them. There are still unanswered questions… maybe it’s not the final book of the series!
*I voluntarily reviewed Advance Reader Copies of these books.
Lockdown: Although it made a change for the story to start before the ‘outbreak’, the first half of the book was painfully slow, but worth sticking with for the latter half.
It’s written from Leah’s point of view and has a twist that you may, or may not, see coming. Leah, herself is an annoying person, who without a man to ‘look after’ her would have been one of the first to die!
Forgotten: The second book has new characters and alternates between Alyssa and Ethan’s points of view, alongside the report/journal written by Dr. Jones. This story is tenser than the first and the characters are more developed and likeable. The story itself had unexpected twists and was fun to read, although the portrayal of the ‘mindless’ zombies, doesn’t sit well in the context of the book!
Extinct: Another change of characters in the final book, this time told from Georgie’s perspective, and dealing with life in the island sanctuary, ‘safe’ from the zombies (or not)! This book wrapped up most of the threads and loose ends well, but not all of them. There are still unanswered questions… maybe it’s not the final book of the series!
*I voluntarily reviewed Advance Reader Copies of these books.
November 15, 2017
What a roller coaster! I loved reading a zombie book not set in the USA. It's so different there, so the situations and reactions are very different.
At first I was curfuddled by Leah, the main character. She was so stuck in her own head with doubts and negative thoughts that she ended up causing more problems then she already had and miss so many things by her assumptions. But in a way, I could kind of relate to that. As the story went on, she grew on me, and then things started to really get crazy! Of course I won't say how because I don't want to ruin the story. But let's just say I just sat there and stared for a while at the last thing that went down! What a concept! I did NOT see that ending coming! Can't wait to start the next one!
**Edited to add... After digesting this point of view, I have found that I absolutely LOVE it! It was definitely a shock at first, and not expected, but that is just one of the things I love so much about this awesome series!
At first I was curfuddled by Leah, the main character. She was so stuck in her own head with doubts and negative thoughts that she ended up causing more problems then she already had and miss so many things by her assumptions. But in a way, I could kind of relate to that. As the story went on, she grew on me, and then things started to really get crazy! Of course I won't say how because I don't want to ruin the story. But let's just say I just sat there and stared for a while at the last thing that went down! What a concept! I did NOT see that ending coming! Can't wait to start the next one!
**Edited to add... After digesting this point of view, I have found that I absolutely LOVE it! It was definitely a shock at first, and not expected, but that is just one of the things I love so much about this awesome series!
March 12, 2017
Spunky N Sassy Rating: 4.0
~~~~~~~~~~Tracy's ★★★★ Review~~~~~~~~~~
Leah Watton sends what she thinks is a joke video to her office crush Jake Colton, but unfortunately she sends it to her boss who doesn't think it is a joke but the real thing. This video shows a virus named AM13 which turns the infected into mindless zombies. The truth of the video incurs a government lockdown in which Leah and her co-workers are locked in at work. The only thing Leah wants to do now is escape this lockdown and get to her family, but what waits for her outside the security of the fences may be more than she can handle.
I really liked this story and the characters were very believable. I think the only thing that I can say about this book was that the story dragged a little in the beginning and the fact that Leah buried herself within her mind for weeks on end wasn't enjoyable to read. Overall I enjoyed the action in the later part of the book.
~~~~~~~~~~Tracy's ★★★★ Review~~~~~~~~~~
Leah Watton sends what she thinks is a joke video to her office crush Jake Colton, but unfortunately she sends it to her boss who doesn't think it is a joke but the real thing. This video shows a virus named AM13 which turns the infected into mindless zombies. The truth of the video incurs a government lockdown in which Leah and her co-workers are locked in at work. The only thing Leah wants to do now is escape this lockdown and get to her family, but what waits for her outside the security of the fences may be more than she can handle.
I really liked this story and the characters were very believable. I think the only thing that I can say about this book was that the story dragged a little in the beginning and the fact that Leah buried herself within her mind for weeks on end wasn't enjoyable to read. Overall I enjoyed the action in the later part of the book.
July 2, 2015
4 Stars!!!
Woa, what a seriously cool storyline this book had; it was so different! I loved the idea and story so much, but the main female, Leah, was quite annoying which is probably kept me from giving the book 5 stars… I really was not a fan of hers. However, I did like how the heroine was not your typical badass you see in most of these books. She was a regular girl. The book began with the pre-zombie apocalypse which was awesome, so you got a bit of an insight into the world before it all came crashing down.
Leah's co-worker Jake (who she was crushing on majorly) always sent around joke e-mails, so she thought it would be funny to send him one back…about a zombie virus. But she accidentally included her boss in the e-mail. Certain she was about to be fired, she was shocked to the core when her boss took the story seriously and began broadcasting it all over their news station. She was sure she was going to be the laughing stock of….well…everyone when her name was brought into it as the girl that discovered the video about the AM13 virus. But then the government announces there is going to be a mandatory lockdown, to rid the streets of anyone infected with the virus. Sounds like a good plan to contain things quickly….right? WRONG! Things begin quickly spiraling out of control. Many do not take it serious at first, and even Leah is not believing there is any truth to this story. Until her and her co-workers witness first hand the virus in action.
When Leah, her best friend Michelle, and Jake decide to break out from the lockdown, no one was prepared for what they would be faced with on the outside.
The entire book was not a lot of in your face zombie gore (although there def was some), and the beginning was a totally unique idea. The further you got into the book, the more the intensity picked up until you hit the end. THE END. Seriously, it was such a WTF moment that I did not expect. I want to rave on and on about the genius of having her POV the way the author did, but I can't without giving anything away. I was confused for a bit. Then I was just downright shocked and disgusted (in the best way possible). For me, the ending alone should be given 7 stars! I am so glad I was recommended this book. It def did not let me down.
Woa, what a seriously cool storyline this book had; it was so different! I loved the idea and story so much, but the main female, Leah, was quite annoying which is probably kept me from giving the book 5 stars… I really was not a fan of hers. However, I did like how the heroine was not your typical badass you see in most of these books. She was a regular girl. The book began with the pre-zombie apocalypse which was awesome, so you got a bit of an insight into the world before it all came crashing down.
Leah's co-worker Jake (who she was crushing on majorly) always sent around joke e-mails, so she thought it would be funny to send him one back…about a zombie virus. But she accidentally included her boss in the e-mail. Certain she was about to be fired, she was shocked to the core when her boss took the story seriously and began broadcasting it all over their news station. She was sure she was going to be the laughing stock of….well…everyone when her name was brought into it as the girl that discovered the video about the AM13 virus. But then the government announces there is going to be a mandatory lockdown, to rid the streets of anyone infected with the virus. Sounds like a good plan to contain things quickly….right? WRONG! Things begin quickly spiraling out of control. Many do not take it serious at first, and even Leah is not believing there is any truth to this story. Until her and her co-workers witness first hand the virus in action.
When Leah, her best friend Michelle, and Jake decide to break out from the lockdown, no one was prepared for what they would be faced with on the outside.
The entire book was not a lot of in your face zombie gore (although there def was some), and the beginning was a totally unique idea. The further you got into the book, the more the intensity picked up until you hit the end. THE END. Seriously, it was such a WTF moment that I did not expect. I want to rave on and on about the genius of having her POV the way the author did, but I can't without giving anything away. I was confused for a bit. Then I was just downright shocked and disgusted (in the best way possible). For me, the ending alone should be given 7 stars! I am so glad I was recommended this book. It def did not let me down.
July 12, 2014
Oh my goodness! The ending of this book alone is worthy of 5 little bookie monsters! Lockdown is unlike anything I've read recently.
Leah is trying to impress a guy... and, as usually happens, she's made a fool of herself. At least she thought she did. Jake is the office practical joker and Leah thought that she could grab his attention by sending him a completely fake video about a virus that is spreading... and turning people into zombies. Only, instead of sending it to Jake she sends it to Jamie, her boss. She fears for her job, believes that she will have to move back home and face the disappointment of her parents, lose her apartment and quite possible her best friend, Michelle. But Jamie doesn't take it as the joke it was meant to be and runs a news story on it. Things just snowball from there.
But perhaps the video wasn't as fake as she thought it was. Now the government is imposing a mandatory lockdown. Then Leah witnesses firsthand the horrors of AM13 (that's what the government has dubbed this new virus). In her panicked state of mind she decides she can't stay cooped up in the office; she needs to get to her family. And it seems she isn't the only one locked down in the office that feels this way. Leah, Michelle, and Jake make plans to sneak off and get to their respective families. They have no idea what really lies ahead of them. The trio goes through so much in such a short amount of time.
Once this story gets you in its clutches, it won't let go until the very end.
The only part that I do wish would have been expanded a little more is when Leah runs into Mike. You get the feeling that he knows something more than he's letting on, but then he just disappears. I have a couple of scenarios running through my head... who knows what really happened.
And the ending... it's twisted and I love it!!
For lovers of the zombie genre, you will eat this one up! Even those who aren't lovers of the genre, there are components of other genres present enough to appeal to a broad audience. It's a quick read... I got through it in a couple of hours. A perfect summer, zombie fun read!
Leah is trying to impress a guy... and, as usually happens, she's made a fool of herself. At least she thought she did. Jake is the office practical joker and Leah thought that she could grab his attention by sending him a completely fake video about a virus that is spreading... and turning people into zombies. Only, instead of sending it to Jake she sends it to Jamie, her boss. She fears for her job, believes that she will have to move back home and face the disappointment of her parents, lose her apartment and quite possible her best friend, Michelle. But Jamie doesn't take it as the joke it was meant to be and runs a news story on it. Things just snowball from there.
But perhaps the video wasn't as fake as she thought it was. Now the government is imposing a mandatory lockdown. Then Leah witnesses firsthand the horrors of AM13 (that's what the government has dubbed this new virus). In her panicked state of mind she decides she can't stay cooped up in the office; she needs to get to her family. And it seems she isn't the only one locked down in the office that feels this way. Leah, Michelle, and Jake make plans to sneak off and get to their respective families. They have no idea what really lies ahead of them. The trio goes through so much in such a short amount of time.
Once this story gets you in its clutches, it won't let go until the very end.
The only part that I do wish would have been expanded a little more is when Leah runs into Mike. You get the feeling that he knows something more than he's letting on, but then he just disappears. I have a couple of scenarios running through my head... who knows what really happened.
And the ending... it's twisted and I love it!!
For lovers of the zombie genre, you will eat this one up! Even those who aren't lovers of the genre, there are components of other genres present enough to appeal to a broad audience. It's a quick read... I got through it in a couple of hours. A perfect summer, zombie fun read!
June 11, 2017
The main character (the P.O.V. we get) spends half the book not believing in the zombie apocalypse - even though is everywhere on the news and the government has already confirmed everything. This is kind of annoying, this way we lost a lot of information because Leah (I don't even remember if that's really her name) just refuses to research about it.
Also, she spends too much time worrying about body/clothes/judging others to my taste. And that's not even consistent, she would go from "oh my gosh I need to be skinny" to "people should love for whom I am" to "Jake is never going to love me, I'm fat" a hundred times on one page. And she's not even fat, so it's not like it's some kind of representation.
Also, she spends too much time worrying about body/clothes/judging others to my taste. And that's not even consistent, she would go from "oh my gosh I need to be skinny" to "people should love for whom I am" to "Jake is never going to love me, I'm fat" a hundred times on one page. And she's not even fat, so it's not like it's some kind of representation.
April 14, 2015
Leah Watton, a young news researcher, accidentally sends her boss an email about a fictitious AM13 virus that turns people into walking zombies she saw on the YouTube. The TV station runs the story as news and her name gets mentioned as the source. People start believing this is real, her house is besieged by reporters, and she is dismayed by what is happening. Leah cannot believe a hoax story is being taken seriously. However, the English government announces a lockdown and people must stay at home to prevent getting infected. Reports start coming in about people wandering the streets aimlessly, attacking anyone they see, and Leah realizes this is for real. Seeing the world go totally insane, she decided to see her parents, perhaps for the last time. What transpires will leave the reader shocked.
‘Lockdown’ takes a familiar theme: a virus escapes and threatens to destroy mankind. However, Samie Sands tells this story from a young woman’s point of view, drawing the reader into her life as normality disappears, replaced by chaos and an end of everything. Leah Watton’s psychological struggle with a new reality is well handled, drawing the reader into her turbulent world. Samie Sands has written ‘Lockdown’ in an easy conversational style, leaving the reader confident he/she is in the hands of a professional.
‘Lockdown’ takes a familiar theme: a virus escapes and threatens to destroy mankind. However, Samie Sands tells this story from a young woman’s point of view, drawing the reader into her life as normality disappears, replaced by chaos and an end of everything. Leah Watton’s psychological struggle with a new reality is well handled, drawing the reader into her turbulent world. Samie Sands has written ‘Lockdown’ in an easy conversational style, leaving the reader confident he/she is in the hands of a professional.
April 10, 2015
When I sat down to read Lockdown, Samie Sands' debut novel, I expected it to be the usual fare: protagonist assembles a ragtag group of survivors to outwit the zombie apocalypse and score one for human kind. What I got was something surprising and more severe.
To say that Lockdown is different than a typical zombie apocalypse story doesn't quite give it enough credit, but to tell you what truly sets it apart would be giving away some of the surprises that at its core make it so enjoyable to read. Samie's approach to how the world ends is unique in my readings, and at the same time, undeniably human and real.
The story opens centering around Leah, a normal girl with normal problems. Her life doesn't stretch much farther than the streets of her neighborhood and, all told, we don't see much more than that by the end of the story either. It's a fascinating arc that manages to provide all the drama and strain of an undead contagion without overwhelming the reading by having to provide a global scale.
It's a fun read with frustratingly real characters - and I am happy to see that Samie has not only kept this universe alive in a sequel, but has a number of novellas involving new characters from the same struggling human race as well.
To say that Lockdown is different than a typical zombie apocalypse story doesn't quite give it enough credit, but to tell you what truly sets it apart would be giving away some of the surprises that at its core make it so enjoyable to read. Samie's approach to how the world ends is unique in my readings, and at the same time, undeniably human and real.
The story opens centering around Leah, a normal girl with normal problems. Her life doesn't stretch much farther than the streets of her neighborhood and, all told, we don't see much more than that by the end of the story either. It's a fascinating arc that manages to provide all the drama and strain of an undead contagion without overwhelming the reading by having to provide a global scale.
It's a fun read with frustratingly real characters - and I am happy to see that Samie has not only kept this universe alive in a sequel, but has a number of novellas involving new characters from the same struggling human race as well.
Read
January 1, 2016I'm not going to lie here, I try to always be honest in my reviews - the whole first half of this book bored me. There were times that I wanted to stop reading because it was very repetitive at the beginning. It was just Leah, working, and trying to get around after her "joke" came out and lets not forget about her crush on Jake.
Leah has a crush on one of her coworkers and in an attempt to make him laugh she accidentally sends an email to her boss, instead of Jake. She sends her boss a phony zombie attack, which turns out to be true and turns her whole world upside down. Now they are under lockdown and all wanting to figure out what happened to their families.
I liked some of the characters, like Michelle. She was a funny character that seemed real and likable. Leah was another one but there were times that she annoyed me. The only character that I was wary about was Mike. I think that's because of how he was introduced, I always get annoyed in zombie books when people are too trusting.
The last part of the book saved it for me, that was a plot twist that I did not see coming for some reason. It's something that I probably should have known was going to happen but didn't. It was surprising and that reason alone is why I will read book two.
Leah has a crush on one of her coworkers and in an attempt to make him laugh she accidentally sends an email to her boss, instead of Jake. She sends her boss a phony zombie attack, which turns out to be true and turns her whole world upside down. Now they are under lockdown and all wanting to figure out what happened to their families.
I liked some of the characters, like Michelle. She was a funny character that seemed real and likable. Leah was another one but there were times that she annoyed me. The only character that I was wary about was Mike. I think that's because of how he was introduced, I always get annoyed in zombie books when people are too trusting.
The last part of the book saved it for me, that was a plot twist that I did not see coming for some reason. It's something that I probably should have known was going to happen but didn't. It was surprising and that reason alone is why I will read book two.
April 25, 2015
LOCKDOWN by Samie Sands
The main character in the book, Leah, stumbles across an article on the Net and it all begins…
Her paranoid thoughts take us from the beginning of this horror story – actually it takes her days to realize that it’s a true story – even after the Government declares an official Lockdown – to the very end which is the best surprise ending this reader has seen in a long time.
The government urges the people to stay indoors for the duration of this “disease.” But do they? Of course not and soon Leah sees “the infected” outside her office window and is horrified.
She and two office workers decide to leave and find their families before it is too late. Will they make it in time? What horrors await them out there? LOCKDOWN is such a well-written fear-filled book told from the point of view of young Leah as we travel along with her, paranoia and all, to her final overwhelming acceptance of the situation she finds herself in.
Highly recommended by author Lila L. Pinord who also writes suspense/horror novels.
The main character in the book, Leah, stumbles across an article on the Net and it all begins…
Her paranoid thoughts take us from the beginning of this horror story – actually it takes her days to realize that it’s a true story – even after the Government declares an official Lockdown – to the very end which is the best surprise ending this reader has seen in a long time.
The government urges the people to stay indoors for the duration of this “disease.” But do they? Of course not and soon Leah sees “the infected” outside her office window and is horrified.
She and two office workers decide to leave and find their families before it is too late. Will they make it in time? What horrors await them out there? LOCKDOWN is such a well-written fear-filled book told from the point of view of young Leah as we travel along with her, paranoia and all, to her final overwhelming acceptance of the situation she finds herself in.
Highly recommended by author Lila L. Pinord who also writes suspense/horror novels.
May 3, 2016
When I first read the blurb to Lockdown, mind you this really isn't my normal reading material, I found myself very intrigued. So we meet Leah, and yes I did actually like Leah, who did something stupid and well the media took hold of it, and well things start coming to light within the world, hence the world going on Lockdown. I found, for me that it was a little slow and I did struggle through it, BUT that's just me and the type of books I like to favor,
When I was reading, I was thinking, I am probably going to give it 3 stars, then that last chapter and the ending well that was awesome, ok it probably makes me twisted, but with that ending I bumped it up to 4 stars. Reviewed for HeadTripping Books by Carolyn.
When I was reading, I was thinking, I am probably going to give it 3 stars, then that last chapter and the ending well that was awesome, ok it probably makes me twisted, but with that ending I bumped it up to 4 stars. Reviewed for HeadTripping Books by Carolyn.
May 3, 2016
When I first read the blurb to Lockdown, mind you this really isn't my normal reading material, I found myself very intrigued. So we meet Leah, and yes I did actually like Leah, who did something stupid and well the media took hold of it, and well things start coming to light within the world, hence the world going on Lockdown. I found, for me that it was a little slow and I did struggle through it, BUT that's just me and the type of books I like to favor,
When I was reading, I was thinking, I am probably going to give it 3 stars, then that last chapter and the ending well that was awesome, ok it probably makes me twisted, but with that ending I bumped it up to 4 stars. Reviewed for HeadTripping Books by Carolyn.
When I was reading, I was thinking, I am probably going to give it 3 stars, then that last chapter and the ending well that was awesome, ok it probably makes me twisted, but with that ending I bumped it up to 4 stars. Reviewed for HeadTripping Books by Carolyn.
March 16, 2015
When Leah decides to pull a prank at work, she has no idea how seriously people will take it. Soon, everyone’s convinced a zombie invasion is on the way, everyone but Leah. While I’m not a big fan of the zombie genre, this book is such a great twist that it’s worth reading. Written as a stream of Leah’s thoughts, Lockdown is original, fresh, funny and thrilling with a unique voice. I loved it.
I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for a review, and I’m so glad I was. My only critique is the cover, which doesn't do justice to how well written this book is.
I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for a review, and I’m so glad I was. My only critique is the cover, which doesn't do justice to how well written this book is.
May 3, 2016
I really liked the depiction of an average and flawed young woman struggling to understand what's happening during the beginning of a zombie apocalypse The author creates realistic characters and the missteps they make.I love zombie fiction and this book was a nice little treat.I'm really looking forward to reading more in this series.I would recommend this book to any fan of the Zombie genre.I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
May 6, 2014
Best zombie book I've ever read - not just horror and gore but so much more!
May 23, 2014
Paperback version of Lockdown
September 28, 2014
i didn't like it .
i guessed the plot from start to end and was let down by how bored i became
I'm sure that other people would enjoy the book but i felt no connection to it
i guessed the plot from start to end and was let down by how bored i became
I'm sure that other people would enjoy the book but i felt no connection to it
October 21, 2014
A refreshingly new take on a somewhat overdone theme. Those of you looking for a different Zombie book - this is it
March 3, 2017
To be honest, I didn't go into Lockdown with high hopes. It was free on Kindle Unlimited, and it sounded better than the cheap romance fare that makes up most of the selection there, so I decided to give it a try.
It wasn't terrible. I'll give it that. The whole thing gives the impression of just being a really long, relatively good-quality creepypasta you could find on the internet somewhere. Sands has potential. The concept had potential.
The Pros
- Interesting concept, done slightly differently from your average "zombie" story. Rather than being in the thick of things throughout, the main character initially doesn't take the threat seriously, and the situation seems to develop around her in the background for some time.
- Unprepared, unexpert lead. Leah isn't a badass, tough-as-nails, yank-out-the-bullet-with-my-teeth survivor type. She doesn't even know that hardcore end-of-the-world "preppers" exist until well into the story. She needs a huge amount of help from others and frequently makes stupid but realistic decisions. While I'm no huge fan of Leah's, I can appreciate the novelty of placing a more average human into a zombie story.
- A somewhat realistic depiction of what might happen if something like AM13 were to really break out. Not everyone follows the rules; people behave like people and do stupid things rather than obeying orders. Not everyone takes the threat seriously even once it's well upon them.
The Cons
- Leah is annoying. You're forced to see the story through her eyes, but you're not going to like her. You really won't feel that bad for her despite the horrible things going on. She's an airhead, plain and simple, with very little depth of character. She spends a lot of time crying or wanting to cry.
- The narrative is rushed and sometimes feels disjointed. Time passes in weird ways within chapters. Leah frequently goes to sleep and wakes up within two sentences. Days pass in a single paragraph.
- The characters, including Leah, are shallow and go through very little development. Or maybe they are deeper than they seem, but you spend so little time with them that it's hard to tell. Many characters had the potential for good dialogue and conversations that might have helped the reader to empathize with them more, but Sands doesn't delve into this at all.
- The way in which the virus threat comes to light and the government responds to it is just... weird. Why is Leah's boss so desperate to get the story out there when it's clear Leah herself doesn't even believe it? Why does ? Why does anyone go along with this like it's no big deal? Why does no one seem especially scared? It's as though all of the characters know what's going to happen and just go along with the story. I know I said earlier that some people not taking things seriously made the story more realistic, and that's true, but certain characters who should have known better also seemed oddly calm about the whole thing.
- Plot holes/unanswered questions. Clearly, Sands is trying to set up her sequels, but it takes away from the quality of the book at hand and makes it feel unpleasantly unresolved and rushed.
- First person, present tense. This is just a pet peeve of mine. Don't like it and never did. It always makes the writing sound amateurish, which contributed to the aforementioned creepypasta feel.
The Final Verdict
Lockdown isn't horrible. If you get it for free, especially, it's worth it if all you want is a fairly quick, fairly mindless read. It's like a subpar action movie--it's fairly entertaining and you won't likely feel like you entirely wasted your time on it. It's just rather disappointing to see a concept that could have been really engaging and interesting fall flat because of shallow, static, and sometimes annoying characters, lack of meaningful dialogue, and overall rushed writing.
It wasn't terrible. I'll give it that. The whole thing gives the impression of just being a really long, relatively good-quality creepypasta you could find on the internet somewhere. Sands has potential. The concept had potential.
The Pros
- Interesting concept, done slightly differently from your average "zombie" story. Rather than being in the thick of things throughout, the main character initially doesn't take the threat seriously, and the situation seems to develop around her in the background for some time.
- Unprepared, unexpert lead. Leah isn't a badass, tough-as-nails, yank-out-the-bullet-with-my-teeth survivor type. She doesn't even know that hardcore end-of-the-world "preppers" exist until well into the story. She needs a huge amount of help from others and frequently makes stupid but realistic decisions. While I'm no huge fan of Leah's, I can appreciate the novelty of placing a more average human into a zombie story.
- A somewhat realistic depiction of what might happen if something like AM13 were to really break out. Not everyone follows the rules; people behave like people and do stupid things rather than obeying orders. Not everyone takes the threat seriously even once it's well upon them.
The Cons
- Leah is annoying. You're forced to see the story through her eyes, but you're not going to like her. You really won't feel that bad for her despite the horrible things going on. She's an airhead, plain and simple, with very little depth of character. She spends a lot of time crying or wanting to cry.
- The narrative is rushed and sometimes feels disjointed. Time passes in weird ways within chapters. Leah frequently goes to sleep and wakes up within two sentences. Days pass in a single paragraph.
- The characters, including Leah, are shallow and go through very little development. Or maybe they are deeper than they seem, but you spend so little time with them that it's hard to tell. Many characters had the potential for good dialogue and conversations that might have helped the reader to empathize with them more, but Sands doesn't delve into this at all.
- The way in which the virus threat comes to light and the government responds to it is just... weird. Why is Leah's boss so desperate to get the story out there when it's clear Leah herself doesn't even believe it? Why does ? Why does anyone go along with this like it's no big deal? Why does no one seem especially scared? It's as though all of the characters know what's going to happen and just go along with the story. I know I said earlier that some people not taking things seriously made the story more realistic, and that's true, but certain characters who should have known better also seemed oddly calm about the whole thing.
- Plot holes/unanswered questions. Clearly, Sands is trying to set up her sequels, but it takes away from the quality of the book at hand and makes it feel unpleasantly unresolved and rushed.
- First person, present tense. This is just a pet peeve of mine. Don't like it and never did. It always makes the writing sound amateurish, which contributed to the aforementioned creepypasta feel.
The Final Verdict
Lockdown isn't horrible. If you get it for free, especially, it's worth it if all you want is a fairly quick, fairly mindless read. It's like a subpar action movie--it's fairly entertaining and you won't likely feel like you entirely wasted your time on it. It's just rather disappointing to see a concept that could have been really engaging and interesting fall flat because of shallow, static, and sometimes annoying characters, lack of meaningful dialogue, and overall rushed writing.
June 27, 2017
**This book was reviewed for Limitless Publishing via Netgalley
*****Spoilers warning
Lockdown is one of many in the post-apocalyptic subgenre that utilises disease as the source of the apocalypse. In this case, it is the AM13 virus, a disease at first believed to be part of a hoax. Leah, our protagonist, sends a zombie virus video to her boss by mistake. He latches onto it as a vital news story, which freaks Leah out. As things become more serious, a quarantine procedure known as Lockdown is put into place. As journalists and news researchers, Leah’s boss declares that his employees will sleep on the property during Lockdown. Despite seeing some truly awful things beyond the gate leading to the news building, Leah, and two coworkers flee the office to seek out families. Outside, amongst the infected, they witness truly horrific events. They aren't properly prepared to rough it for several days, and have no weapons against the infected and rogue humans alike. Can they get to where they are going in one piece?
This story was an interesting take for me. I dislike zombie fiction, but I quite enjoy medical disaster apocalyptic fiction. Lockdown has a bit of a meandering, rambling quality though. It is written first person, from Leah’s perspective. It almost, at times, seemed very stream of consciousness. I had trouble feeling anything for Leah. There just wasn't much personality there to capture my attention. The first person perspective also didn't lend itself to developing attachments to Jake and Michelle either. None of the characters had any real development at all. There is no hero or heroine arc, and sadly the ending is about what I expected- everybody dies gruesome deaths. That final outcome I may have felt differently over if the lead, or others, had done anything remotely heroic. Even out in the world, their challenges seemed quite bland. The parts that talked about the virus itself were most interesting to me. I would have loved to know what was going on in the wider world.
📚📚📚
*****Spoilers warning
Lockdown is one of many in the post-apocalyptic subgenre that utilises disease as the source of the apocalypse. In this case, it is the AM13 virus, a disease at first believed to be part of a hoax. Leah, our protagonist, sends a zombie virus video to her boss by mistake. He latches onto it as a vital news story, which freaks Leah out. As things become more serious, a quarantine procedure known as Lockdown is put into place. As journalists and news researchers, Leah’s boss declares that his employees will sleep on the property during Lockdown. Despite seeing some truly awful things beyond the gate leading to the news building, Leah, and two coworkers flee the office to seek out families. Outside, amongst the infected, they witness truly horrific events. They aren't properly prepared to rough it for several days, and have no weapons against the infected and rogue humans alike. Can they get to where they are going in one piece?
This story was an interesting take for me. I dislike zombie fiction, but I quite enjoy medical disaster apocalyptic fiction. Lockdown has a bit of a meandering, rambling quality though. It is written first person, from Leah’s perspective. It almost, at times, seemed very stream of consciousness. I had trouble feeling anything for Leah. There just wasn't much personality there to capture my attention. The first person perspective also didn't lend itself to developing attachments to Jake and Michelle either. None of the characters had any real development at all. There is no hero or heroine arc, and sadly the ending is about what I expected- everybody dies gruesome deaths. That final outcome I may have felt differently over if the lead, or others, had done anything remotely heroic. Even out in the world, their challenges seemed quite bland. The parts that talked about the virus itself were most interesting to me. I would have loved to know what was going on in the wider world.
📚📚📚
August 11, 2023
The main character (the P.O.V. we get) spends half the book not believing in the zombie apocalypse - even though is everywhere on the news and the government has already confirmed everything. This is kind of annoying, this way we lost a lot of information because Leah (I don't even remember if that's really her name) just refuses to research about it.
Also, she spends too much time worrying about body/clothes/judging others to my taste. And that's not even consistent, she would go from "oh my gosh I need to be skinny" to "people should love for whom I am" to "Jake is never going to love me, I'm fat" a hundred times on one page. And she's not even fat, so it's not like it's some kind of representation.
Also, she spends too much time worrying about body/clothes/judging others to my taste. And that's not even consistent, she would go from "oh my gosh I need to be skinny" to "people should love for whom I am" to "Jake is never going to love me, I'm fat" a hundred times on one page. And she's not even fat, so it's not like it's some kind of representation.
May 28, 2020
Lockdown
(AM13 Outbreak #1)
by Samie Sands
Limitless Publishing, LLC
Limitless Publishing, LLC
Mystery & Thrillers
Sci Fi & Fantasy
Pub Date 21 Apr 2016
I am reviewing a copy of Lockdown through Limitless Publishing and Netgalley:
Leah Watton's was pulling practical joke in order to impress a crush, unfortunately it spiraled way out of control. The prank was an online video she had planned on using to get Jake Colton’s attention. He is the cute, blond-haired, blue-eyed co-worker she's had a crush on for months. But she accidentally ends up sending the video to her boss who buys into every gory detail. After a mass panic follows, Leah comes to the realization that the video was no act.
The government is calling the virus AM13. The outbreak spreads and citizens are forced to stay indoors while they assess the gravity of the illness. Most people are quarantined in their homes, but Leah, Jake, and Leah's best friend Michelle are some of the unlucky few who are stuck at work when the Lockdown occurs. It is at work where she is Quarantined that Leah encounters a woman who is infected. The contaminated woman has devoured one of her coworkers, but that isn’t Leah’s only problem, she doesn’t know if she should stay at work as ordered, or does she ignore Government orders, break free, and try to reunite with her family. She can't do it alone-after all, because Leah has none of the skills needed to survive-but with Michelle and Jake by her side, not even a contagious virus and a sea of the dead can keep her from... Breaking out of the Lockdown...
I give Lockdown four out of five stars!
Happy Reading!
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