World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War in Around the World in 80 Books

Oct 03, 2014 Suvi rated it it was ok

Shelves: novels, _north-america, 2000s, horror, war, sci-fi

To make a zombie war realistic is commendable, and everything that comes with warfare is explored fairly satisfactorily by Brooks. People have varying degrees of survival skills and each handles the situation differently. Some find unexpected strength, some get disheartened, some act like complete asswipes etc.

As the outbreak starts in China and spreads all over the world, we see the success of governments depending on how seriously they take the threat and how well they have estimated their pow ...more

3 likes · Like · see review

Aug 26, 2009 Oana rated it liked it · review of another edition

I love the zombie genre and this book did not disappoint. In fact, having started reading it years ago and only picking it up again last week, I had to start it once more from the beginning. It's very exciting; answers a few questions I never thought to wonder about the zombie apocalypse; and was very international in scope, looking at the world reaction to a global pandemic. I also appreciated that Brooks included a number of female characters who were, mostly, strong people and soldiers.

The r ...more

1 like · Like · see review

May 20, 2014 alana rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: books-on-the-big-screen, fantasy, sci-fi, horror, audiobook

I think I need to actually read this book instead of listening to it. The execution of the audiobook is interesting as a different voice actor brings to life the character interviewed in each chapter. For the most part, I wasn't aware of when I was listening to a movie star, because of the accents they used (exceptions being Alan Alda, Rob Reiner, Martin Scorsese). The problem I found with the audiobooks was that the reporting style gave it the cadence and aura of the news. I found myself zoning ...more

Like · see review

Apr 01, 2011 Nadine in NY Jones rated it really liked it

Shelves: dystopian-and-post-apocalyptic, yikes, zombies, 100-best-of-21st-c, is-it-real-or-is-it-memorex

I'm so glad I got around to reading this finally! It's really well done (if you like the zombie thing, of course). I don't understand why this is shelved as YA in my library - it's not particularly YA at all. Sure, there's not any explicit sex or language, but ... you could say the same for Jane Austen, and THAT isn't shelved in YA ...

*

Once again I couldn't finish this before it was due. It's not that it's particularly dense, or particularly slow ... The book is set up as a series of interviews ...more

Like · see review

Mar 21, 2009 Madeleine rated it it was ok

Shelves: speculative-fiction, books-for-hipsters

I really can't believe "someone" recommended this to me as a "happy book" or at least less depressing and awful than the stuff i normally read about politics. Um hi it's about ZOMBIES. ZOMBIES are pretty depressing and awful if you ask me, not to mention creepy and sneaky and stabby. Eeeeeeeeek.

Ok so basically. There are two kinds of people in the world: those who "get" zombies, and those of us who don't. I am in the second group. At least I can comfort myself with the fact that if "the zombies ...more

Like · see review

Feb 27, 2013 Lori rated it it was amazing

Shelves: post-apocalyptic-dystopian

There is nothing that I didn't love about this book. It's not about zombies, really. It's about the human response to the zombie outbreak and infestation. It's written as an oral history so the book doesn't follow any particular characters which means you don't get attached to the people. It's the situations that are interesting. And, I must say I was a bit sad to find that my hometown, Wichita, didn't survive. Denver faired much better, I think.

As I was reading, I found myself constantly think ...more

Like · see review