Deadbreak: A Zombie Apocalypse Thriller

by Jorge Sánchez

Next Generation Indie Books Award WinnerIndie Reader Discovery Awards Winner for Best Action/AdventureCities are in ruins, supplies are scarce, and brains are on the menu. To survive, Jeremiah will need his wits, a little bit of luck, and lots of ammo.Before Deadbreak—the day three years ago when the dead rose from their graves—the idea of spending my days outrunning animated corpses and contemplating how to properly season rodents wasn’t exactly on my radar. But here we are. The world has turned upside down, and I’ve had to learn new skills. Archery. Looting. Melee combat against bandits and the occasional cannibal. Most of the meaningful conversations I have are with my dog. Don’t judge. It sure beats chatting up your neighbor when he’s missing his tongue and cerebellum is his staple food. Somehow, through a combination of blind luck and a strong desire to give the zombie apocalypse the finger, I’ve survived this long. My goal is to make it to the Pacific coast, find my daughter, and create some semblance of a new life. Minus that middle finger. Pretty sure someone’s eaten it by now. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Great Read. Ok so I read ALOT. And while waiting for my very long list of followed authors to pop out my next fix I read suggested material and some features that pop up on here. Some are hit and miss, some I stop 3 chapters in and wonder if it's cliff notes version of a real story. However I found this little gem yesterday and it is THE best thing I've read in a few weeks. Gritty, funny, great characters, zombies, bad guys and more guns and one liners than you can shake a rotten limb at. Highly suggest it. ★★★★★ One of the best zombie books I've read in a long time. I've loved the zombie genre for a long time, but, for me, they have to be about the people, rather than the zombies as the #1 focus. These are disaster stories, and how the people get through them. This had everything I want in a zombie great characters, good dialogue, a story that progresses. Too often they break down to kill zombie, blood everywhere, on to next fight. This has characters who remind me of what one of the best, Mark Tufo, does. ★★★★★ A well written stand alone book. Sure it is post zombie apocalypse, but does that mean one can't find a witty main character with a loyal dog making their way across the country like a couple of pinball trouble magnets on a quest? Well worth the read. ★★★★★

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

343 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 27, 2018

About the author

I received an Electrical Engineering degree from California State University Long Beach, where I began writing short stories and terrible movie scripts between morning lectures and afternoon labs. I live in California with my wife and two dogs.

Reviews

[Elena Linville-Abdo · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNFed at 45%.

The start of this book was rather fun... until I realized that the protagonist was a typical Gary Stue. Yup, the kind that succeds at everything, no matter the odds; is better at decision-making than anyone else; so on and so forth.

All men admire him or hate him, and those who hate him are just jealous of his awesomeness.

There is absolutely no character progression or character growth for Jeremiah because, guess what, he is already the most interesting man on earth...

Oh, and his jokes grew old pretty quick. Hard pass on this series.

[Stitching Ghost · Rating 3 out of 5]

Carl's Grandiose Zombie Adventure is really giving Z Nation vibes, complete with various kinds of zombies, locales with their own weird little flavors and groups of bumbling evil and idiotic villains. It's not that our guy's really too bad ass, he's not, he's lucky for the most part and others are just so stupid he comes out on top by the strength of his luck and love for guns. Oh, and let's not forget the humor, Carl (I don't care that his name's supposed to be Jeremiah, you can tell me 135 times that it is, and it won't change a thing spiritually he's a Carl) never stops with the wisecracking which was fun at first but wasn't balanced with the depth that would have made him compelling. So yeah, much like Z Nation I was relieved when it finally ended (I never finished watching Z Nation actually).

I have to give Sánchez credit for writing a dog character that wasn't insufferable (although I could have done without the parts where Carl made up his answers in his head).

If you haven't read as many zombie novels as I have, your mileage with this one might vary greatly but personally I found it relied too much on easy tropes and cheesy humor. The humor had its moments though and I have to give the author credit for sticking with it all the way through, it's clear that he did put effort into polishing this book and sticking to his vision.

[Cori · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reread in 2024- still as good as the first time.
___________________
Thank you to Netgalley for a copy of this book. All views and opinions are my own.

I loved this book! With Halloween fast approaching, I wanted something along the vein of wholesome horror. Is that a thing or completely contradictory? Anywho. When I saw this on Netgalley, I wanted it. I'm also such a sucker for zombie stories.

Jorge Sánchez is hilarious. The continual movie and pop culture references had me cracking up, his "your mom" jokes were juvenile in the best way, and the overall sarcasm was the perfect balance of self-deprecating and cheeky. Also, his arguments with Joe were precious. I should mention...Joe's a dog. Joe was my buddy. He is the buddy we all want, but rarely deserve.

And yet, at the heart of this story are themes of family and sacrificial love and dedication. Such a great read! I am definitely looking for more of Jorge's work. If you are a post-apocalyptic, zombie, and/or survival vibes fan, check this book out! One of my favorites I've read in a while.

I'd rate this book an R for strong violence and gore, horror and themes of peril, mentions of rape, cannibalism, torture, drug and alcohol use, swearing, and other adult themes and humor.

[Tracy P. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good first zombie book from author Jorge Sánchez. Strong character development and especially appreciated the writing for Jenny's character. She is a super smart Veterinarian who is also a bad ass fighter and excellent shot. Joe the dog is also a phenomenal addition the plot, adding much humor and fun antics to the storyline. Hope to see more in the zombie genre from this author in the future.

Much appreciation to narrator James Fouhey for his consistency in giving separate and easily distinguishable voices to all (male and female) characters throughout and making 'Deadbreak' much more exciting than reading alone could.

[Lou Jacobs · Rating 5 out of 5]

A group of multi-national scientist converge in the jungles of Brazil. Intent on exploring a virgin cave system deep in the interior of the dense jungle. Unfortunately as a byproduct of their blundering into unknown territory, they unleash a horde of unusual ants laden with a never heard of fungus. As the scientists converge on the airport to return home, most are coughing and feverish. Two days later the gates of hell open. The six legged bastards had delivered a fungus to the unsuspecting human hosts, which swept through the population like a fire-storm. People were dropping like flies , only to be reanimated moments later. The President, on her last address to the American public, tells the nation that the epidemic has reached critical mass and authorization for a nuclear strike had been given in an effort to stop the infection.. Radiation sickness became as big as a problem as the zombie fungus. Think about it! How can something that's already dead die from radiation exposure. Instead and even more lethal mutant was created .. a "Glowie" .... thirty percent bigger and with a faster metabolism ,even hungrier for fresh human flesh and brains. They even took their time while slowly savoring a screaming victim.
Our intrepid hero is Jeremiah Reid ... an average man, with neither combat or law experience. And, yet in his years long quest to find his daughter Penny ... the last vestige of pre-apocalypse normality, he has morphed into the ultimate zombie killing-machine. Penny was originally staying with his dead wife's parents on a farm in Vermont. After fighting both zombies and marauding armies of cutthroats, thugs and convicts, he arrives in Vermont to find the farm deserted and ransacked, scattered with bodies of both his in-laws and zombies. He finds a note spray painted in the garage, indicating Penny was taken to Fort McPherson in Georgia by his army buddy, Colonel James "Commander" Richie. Ultimately his quest leads him to a desolated Fort McPherson with a grotesque tableau of death and destruction. He finds a note telling him that James took Penny on the last flight to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. His journey finds him following multiple rumors in an attempt to find a boat to Hawaii.
At times he finds himself looking for rats or mice for lunch. .... they do make a tasty meal in these times of diminishing food and supplies. Add a potato and a carrot and a dash of Tabasco and you've got a great stew. Along the way, Jeremiah has adopted a series of dogs, that he calls "Joe" ... most prove to be excellent zombie hunters. Jeremiah considers paranoia an essential survival skill. The CCB, Concerned Citizens Brigade controls large swaths of the Northwest ... which he encounters on his travels in an attempt to reach Seattle. They were notorious for taking women and children as slaves, raping the women and killing the men on sight. Basically a gang of convicts, thugs, and murderers.
Jorge Sanchez spins a zombie apocalypse yarn that is action filled and yet, poignant in displaying both the power and necessity of love and friendship in the struggle for survival His ease of formulating multi-dimensional characters and great dialogue, along with liberal sprinkling of quirky humor, leads to a propulsive gritty page-turner. Thanks to NetGalley and Jorge Sanchez for providing an Uncorrected Proof in exchange for an honest review. This is by far the best Zombie-Apocalypse novel I have had the pleasure to read. Sanchez is certainly on my radar for future reads!
(at readersremains.com and mysteryandsuspence.com)

[Dianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

The world as we know it ended three years before, now mankind has become “monsterkind” as zombies attack those who have survived and those who have survived will stop at nothing to remain so. One man will move heaven and earth, as well as the hell ON earth to get to his young daughter. All he has to do is traverse the continent and stay alive, not really knowing if his daughter lived or has become one of the undead, herself.

Sounds pretty dark, foreboding and like so many other post-apocalyptic tales, right? UM..NO…because Jorge Sanchez has a keen sense of humor that is both dry and as hilarious as survival against all odds by an average “Joe”named Jeremiah can be!

Welcome to DEADBREAK and prepare to become one of Joe’s shadows on his danger-ridden journey. Just so you know, it’s okay to chuckle, to gasp and to say, “Hey, Jeremiah, I can relate! You are my kind of unlikely hero!” I do have to say, though, that Joe was my personal favorite!

Get ready to face off against zombies and more, all while struggling to survive, find food, protection and everything you never realized you’d need, including lots of crazy luck! A great read that makes for an amazing escape from our own reality!

I received a complimentary copy from Jorge Sanchez! This is my honest and voluntary review.

Series: Deadbreak - Book 1
Publication date : December 27, 2018
Publisher: Jorge Sanchez
Genre: Post-apocalyptic | Dystopian
Print length : 343 pages
Available from: Amazon
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[OutlawPoet · Rating 3 out of 5]

So this has a lot of good reviews and it's possible that I've just read way too many zombie books, but I found this kind of underwhelming.

And really, it could be me.

I think if you don't really read z-poc books, you'll get a kick out of the action, the adventure, the humor and the dog. I mean...the author can write.

But if you've read a lot of it, it's got every single zombie trope ever. It's just so predictable. I did love the dog.

I'd like to read the author again, but maybe in something zombie free.

[Ed · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fast, fun read about a very tough but witty survivor and his dog battling Zombie's and assorted bad guys in an excellent post-apocalyptic thriller.

[Mariel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Deadbreak by Jorge Sanchez squarely fits the mold for zombie action stories. Sanchez combines a typical zombie plot and cast of characters with a voice that was entertaining and leads the narrative.

The novel’s action sequences were strong and its plot remained light on its feet. I felt fully engaged, more than once almost missing my bus stop while reading on my way to work. The story grew even stronger when it took time away from the action - which got exhausting and repetitive by page 150 - and let the characters linger in moments of calm. Here description and emotional depth shone through in surprising ways. These scenes suggest that there may be something beneath the surface of the novel and that these characters have depth, even if that something is buried and the depth not fully explored.

Sensory details kept us close to the action and provided color to the story. Sanchez has an excellent grasp, too, on the complications of community and the settlements he creates for the novel each feel unique and believable.

However, the story doesn’t often step off the gas from its headlong blood-and-guts joke fest. As such, it didn’t often allow us moments to see its heroes in human moments. The plot was solidly constructed, and its settings interesting. The novel’s characters, though, were more archetypes than people, and the protagonist, Jeremiah Reid, felt like a bundle of inconsistencies.

Aspects of Jeremiah’s story or personality were dropped in at moments when they would be most useful, or most funny, but not fully realized. Often his stated beliefs did not align with his actions. Additionally, Jeremiah’s daughter is not present enough in the narrative to form a connection with, and so his mission feels superficial.

Though we are given plenty of moments where Jeremiah chooses to act to protect others, he remained difficult to like. He clung too closely to the macho one-man-army stereotype and what flaws he had felt more like stickers attached to his image and played for laughs than actual problems that impacted the narrative.

Numerous pop-culture references and in-jokes cut into the timelessness of the novel and broke immersion. Jeremiah’s voice felt like an attempt to combine the rugged lone survivor with the flippancy of Deadpool. This does provide a nice counterbalance to the typical intensity found in zombie media, but it does not do enough to take away from his character weaknesses and, more than once, furthered my dislike for Jeremiah.

All of that said, the novel checks the boxes of its target audience, and I recognize that may not be me. Deadbreak is the perfect book for die-hard fans of the zombie genre looking for a break from doom and gloom. The humor did make me laugh out loud at times and the text has energy. I cannot say that this book was boring, and for a reader looking for excitement, Deadbreak might fit the bill.

[Carolyn F. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This guy's jokes were so corny, it reminded me of my husband. I just can't imagine bringing your daughter back to where there are raping, cannibal, nut jobs when it seems okay where she's at. Why not start a life there? Good book though.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good, solid zombie story with zero romance and lots of shooting. Pretty amazing how the main character never quite gets so hurt he dies, and slightly (!) unrealistic at how fast he gets up after getting knocked down. But that lends itself to the scruffy, pirate-kind of guy that he is. The mental picture of him is pretty roughed up.

He also seems to know how to do a lot of things that he otherwise wouldn't have in his life before the apocalypse. Still, this disbelief is easy to suspend in light of the fact that he's had a couple of years to learn how to adapt. Some people just do well with that.

So despite the whole thing being slightly convenient, it's a great story with tons of action. The pacing is great. Just about the time you think things are going to be fine, they go crazy again. This main character has guts, I'll give him that!

James Fouhey is fabulous in his audiobook performance. My one slight criticism is that he didn't distinguish the male character's voices all that distinctly. But that's a small thing; I pretty much always knew who was speaking. This narrator knows what he's doing.

[RedRedtheycallmeRed · Rating 3 out of 5]

While fast paced and entertaining, I wished for fewer wisecracks and more emotional heft. Jeremiah never stops cracking jokes, even when he's in a life-or-death situation, and eventually it started grating on my nerves. Even during the most serious moments there are jokes peppered throughout.

There's a lot of action, and while that makes for entertaining reading, I started to roll my eyes at the amount of times Jeremiah narrowly escaped death and how many times he was seriously injured.

The author is definitely obsessed with guns and for me that was a dreadfully boring part of the book. So many guns! So many different kinds (with way too detailed descriptions)!

Joe the dog made for a pretty awesome sidekick, and I loved the relationship between Jeremiah and Joe.

[J.S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I puffed on the cigarette. The nicotine had a calming effect. I let the butt fall from my lips and looked Forest in the eye. “I am the terror that flaps in the night. I am the scourge that pecks at your nightmares.”
He looked confused. “What?”
People just don’t appreciate the classics anymore. Darkwing Duck is right up there with Tolstoy and Dostoevsky when it comes to realist fiction. Ah well.

I have these friends, Dave and Gina, the nicest people you could ever hope to have as friends. And Dave's one of the funniest people I know. And one day somebody says, "Dave you're so funny! You guys must be laughing all the time." And Gina answers real quick: "Oh, we stopped laughing a long time ago." That's kind of how this book is.

Jeremiah Reid is kinda like a wise-cracking Rambo, except he's not ex-military or anything like that - he's just learned it all in the school of hard-knocks that exists after "Deadbreak" - the zombie apocalypse. He's trying to find his daughter, Penny, who might be safe in Hawaii. Along the way he runs into a lot of zombies, a lot of really crazy bad people, and a few nice sane ones. Among the last group is Jenny, a former college volleyball player/veterinarian. Picture Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver in Aliens) except taller (actually scratch that - it turns out Weaver is 6' tall, so...). Then add Joe to the group. He's a dog. He's also probably the most likable. Together they're going to leave a trail of blood, guts, and zombie brains from Montana to Hawaii.

Alright, so the jokes start to run thin real quick in this first person novel. But at the same time it helps to balance against all the machismo talk of guns (lots of detail here) and blood and guts (too much detail sometimes). Funniest is when Jeremiah is talking to the dog. Granted, we only get Jeremiah's side of the conversation, but it's pretty funny. And Jeremiah has a habit of running into the worst humanity has to offer in the apocalypse. It's kind of a by-the-numbers out-of-the-frying-pan-into-the-fire zombie book, but fairly entertaining. I had intended to offer 3 stars for the overboard violence as well as the excessive profanity, but the ending was nice. And I'm a sucker for nice endings so I guess I'll round up to 4.

[Elizabeth Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easily one of the best books I've ever read!

It's not easy to keep me interested, book-wise, anymore. I've gotten quite snobby in my judgments. I'm known to ONLY read to ten percent through the book and then quit because it's too boring or the writing is haphazard or I couldn't connect to the characters etc etc. But this book? Holy crap. I absolutely loved it! I originally picked it up because one of the reviews I read said it contained snappy one liners: that doesn't do it justice! This author could easily be a comedian 😂 I laughed so hard at certain points that my spouse was concerned for my sanity. It's not just a comedic tale though. The author navigates you through the gamut of realistic emotions that normally plague survivors of an apocalyptic zombie wasteland. Joe the dog was one of my favorite characters. The "talks" that he and Jeremiah have were absolute gold! I'd watch that as a tv show! In fact, this would be awesome turned into a movie. As long as they cast the right actors! Jeremiah is a MUCH funnier Indiana Jones\Owen Wilson's character from Zomieland. I truly hope this author has a ton of written work because I can't wait to dive in! 😍

[Zombie Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hard to explain what I didn't like about this book. Its well written, the story arc is interesting and the narrator does a good job. I think it's because its told in first person that it is so irritating. Its like sitting next to a guy at a bar while he goes on and on about himself. The main character is cocky in an overly self assured kind of way, like he is winking at us whenever he tells us about something he did (or is about to do) that should be slick (only its not, because he just said it was and winked at the camera). Some may like this kind of thing, but not for me. Three stars for the writing and story idea.
I hope others enjoy it more.

[Shellie Brewer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow this book is amazing!

Love it so much was all action and tons of bad peop!e and even had me laughing out loud. Loved it!

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid satisfactory messy four star read !!! Bit of humour and human characters you care about round it up nicely and who couldn’t love Joe .. TeamJoe all the way !!

[Kris McCracken · Rating 3 out of 5]

Right, so it’s not Dostoyevsky. It’s not even Defoe. But if you fancy a zombie romp with the emotional depth of a puddle and the body count of a small war, “Deadbreak” hits the spot nicely.

There’s no use pretending this is high art. It’s every post-apocalyptic trope shoved into a duffel bag and fired from a cannon. Wisecracking loner with a tragic past? Tick. Morally grey survivalists? Tick. Surprisingly competent dog who, for reasons never explained, disappears somewhere around page 240 like a stunt double who called it a day. Still annoyed about that, by the way. I liked the dog.

Jeremiah Reid, our rugged hero, is equal parts Nathan Drake and that bloke at your local pub who won’t shut up about CrossFit. He’s allegedly doing all this for his daughter, though she barely shows up and left me feeling about as emotionally invested as I am in other people’s tax returns. Every so often, he’ll get misty-eyed about her, then immediately go back to slaughtering the undead and anyone else who looks at him funny. Character consistency is not the book’s strong suit.

It is funny, though. Some of the jokes are properly sharp. Others are deliberately naff, but you get the feeling Sánchez knows exactly what he’s doing. It’s got that wink-at-the-camera vibe, like it’s not taking itself too seriously, even when someone’s intestines are being used as a plot device.

There’s a surprising sincerity beneath all the headshots. The book does try to say something about family, sacrifice, holding onto your humanity, etc. Unfortunately, it’s doing this through a bloke who behaves like a walking contradiction. What Jeremiah says he believes in and what he actually does are wildly different things. It’s like watching someone preach pacifism while kicking over bins.

I stayed engaged, though. Can’t deny that. The pacing’s tight, the action’s relentless, and it never stops long enough for you to ask, “Hang on, why would he…?” Which is probably for the best, because if you start tugging at threads, the whole jumper comes apart.

If you’ve consumed enough zombie media to predict the next scene by smell alone, this won’t surprise you. Every twist is visible from orbit. But if you want something bloody, fast, occasionally funny, and weirdly upbeat for a book full of death, “Deadbreak” delivers. Just don’t expect to care too much about the people in it. Or the dog. Wherever the hell he went.

[Ana on the Shelves]

Ryan Reynolds and his dog kicks ass in the zombie apocalypse. That could be the one line description of this action packed book written by Jorge Sánchez.
Our hero is not Mr Reynolds, but could very well be. His name is Jeremiah Reid and his canine partner is Joe, the adorable zombie-killer machine. For three years, when Deadbreak happened and the dead started to walk, Jeremiah had been looking for his daughter and kicking some royal undead ass.
Entertaining, funny and ridiculously badass, this is a total recommend for all the zombie lovers out there.

[Mrs Rj · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love a good post-apocalyptic zombie tale and this one doesn’t disappoint. From the first page you are immersed into a world of survival, fear and the best and the worst sides of humanity. Littered throughout with the right balance of gore, humour and tension the story flies at a breakneck pace.

The protagonist in the book is on a mission to find his daughter, a character who has a black humorous take on the worst of situations. This creates a world where despite the violence and constant threat of a zombie attack, things never get too heavy.

A book about desperate people living in desperate times, where ratburgers are a delicacy, man’s best friend is a dog and an expose of the darker side of human nature. A really great read!

[Gys Schwim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full speed , excellent read

Non stop action and not the usual problem on problem. Excellent humour and love the dog. Their conversations is a blast 😁😁😁

[Eden · Rating 5 out of 5]

So much fun!

This was great! I love zombie books and this one is chock full of zombies, actual preparedness info, and humor. And I love that it didn't end on a cliff-hanger.

[Preeti · Rating 2 out of 5]

Final: 2.5 stars

Entertaining, inconsistent, a little bit sexist.
Better than your average indie zombie novel.

[Ali Emard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a good book. Witty comments throughout the book ease a lot of the serious, uncomfortable issue that arise while reading.

[Jodi · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dieses Buch lag wohl zu lange auf der Wunschliste, den scheinbar bin ich raus aus dem ganzen Zombie-Gezeugs. Die Geschichte mochte mich von Anfang an nicht so recht zu packen; trotz Hund. Mehr und mehr zeigte sich auch, dass wir es hier mit einem typischen "männlicher Held saves the Day" zu tun haben. Nachdem sich der Hauptcharakter dann irgendwie noch ein eigenes Harem zugelegt hat, musste ich mich ernsthaft fragen, ob ich dieses Buch weiterlesen möchte. Die Antwort seht ihr hier.

Ach ja, liebe Autoren - Seitenzahlen sind sehr praktisch und hilfreich.

[Barb · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really good zombie novel. I enjoyed the main character’s sense of humor. But, it was a bit unbelievable how the he could always get himself out of trouble with very little help. I would’ve liked to learn more about what happens next with this group of characters.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was good...

I did like the story, I just felt like it was so drawn out. I ended up skipping pages. But once I got to the end, I was glad I kept reafing.

[Mr Greig Ritchie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed the audio version of this. The book is written in first person narrative and rips along at a great pace. A zombie apocalypse novel that had hints of the fall out games and the mad max universe.

[Whitley Cadarette · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was planning on giving this four stars, but the author threw in a Darkwing Duck quote toward the end. Five stars for referencing a delightful cartoon.

[Red · Rating 3 out of 5]

First off, the audiobook is amazing, seriously. It helps the corny first person POV(which often threatens to drag things down). Jeremiah isn't so much a perfect character as his ego is likely the only way he's alive. He's had many "Joes", that is to say, the first hour of this book basically was all about the many "Joes" he'd had and how each one's lives went. We start on Joe4 as I call them.

Joe4 sounds impossibly well trained in a world without good treats or rewards but we'll let it pass. Jeremiah is an asshole, a charmer, and an annoying lout, but he's funny. I suppose being funny pays his bills, but it does not amuse everyone around him.

For a zombie story, this is pretty by the books. Zombies, survival, somehow humans are assholes instead of banding together and not trying to eat each other. My kingdom for an apocalypse where the main enemy is the zombies and really, here, we had a perfect enemy: the glowies.

So I'm at this moment seven hours out of eleven in, things really dragged for me once Lucille appeared. I guess it's the zombie story curse for Lucilles, they cannot be a good sign or a good woman.
It was really hard to take cannibalistic people drugging their human meat up seriously. You can't just cook all of that out. It made me have flashback to Green Inferno where they cooked the weed-stuffed body. Those cannibals are getting kronked and turnt.

I think as soon as the first seperation happened I was unimmersed. It wasn't hard to be pulled out but it wasn't hard to slip back in. Joe4 might be one of the best written characters in the book besides Jeremiah, although Jeremiah's best moments are when he's talking to Joe4. I half the time cannot stand him talking to Jenny, after a certain point that girl really needs to cut him off and just move onward.

“The dead roam the earth and the internet's down.”

The main plot is Jeremiah's search for his daughter, and I just feel like it comes and goes too often. It's a side plot when it should be the main focus. It comes and goes and it's near around the three-fourths part where he's so focused on diamonds and this search for his daughter that I don't get why it comes and goes. And even in the moment about the diamonds, he's more fixated on a blouse that his wife had which by all logic should be long gone.

And somehow after a serious scene, a chicken is Jeremiah's one true fear. And the scene is as ridiculous as it sounds. Since when is he Link fighting Cuckoos? Turns out in all of the world, Jeremiah's deepest fear is alektorophobia, a fear of chickens after he was five at a farm.

By all logic he'd have moved on from every fear he has due to three years of endless hell, but okay, Jeremiah, you be you.

We cut from such ridiculousness to -once more- a serious scene. Which the tonal whiplash carries here or there to the point you get removed from the immersion abruptly then dive back under the water and stay there for however long the book allows.

The whole hoof in mouth disease outbreak took me by surprise. It's one of those someone did their research sort of moments. The kind of thing that does happen in apocalypses, a simple sickness taking out entire populations due to limited resources. The chosen sickness is a bit odd, but possible, I'd suppose.

[Resuming.]

The book is a bit of a mess but it all works out in the end(go figure) and it's not terrible. I don't really think it's a good "read", but it's definitely a good listen.

If you can get the audiobook, read by James Fouhey this is a four star book. Otherwise it's a 3.5 star book, and I don't think I'd have gotten very far in without James reading this work.