This book had an interesting premise. A somewhat solid foundation for a series, with enough work done for character growth, but...
The author had one oThis book had an interesting premise. A somewhat solid foundation for a series, with enough work done for character growth, but...
The author had one of his characters joke about how he used too many poop jokes and all I could think of was 'You got that right. Waaaaaay to overused.' There was also how many times the F word was used. Seriously, I've put in time in some pretty heavily male dominated work environments, and I have absolutely never heard other guys swear so much unless the person they were swearing at had done something that had truly endangered someone's life. As another reviewer put, it was like the dialogue was written by a fourteen year old who was writing how he thought a strong man talks.
Another gripe, and this one is only minor- but the use of pop culture. Early in the book, one of the main characters saves the lives of the victims of a store robbery. What were the names of the two Sheriff's Deputies that responded to the call? Rick and Shane a la The Walking Dead... Yeah.
While I appreciated the attention to certain aspects of survival, I didn't connect with the main character. Every supply run began with a hangoverDNF.
While I appreciated the attention to certain aspects of survival, I didn't connect with the main character. Every supply run began with a hangover and a gulp of rum, every day ended with a massive bender. Not to mention the talk about bodily function.
Two stars for the attention to attention to detail about the necessity of survival such as food. But overall, I wasn't engaged with the story....more
This book has revived my flagging interest in the zombie genre. After a slew of books with main characters that made the stupidest decisions imaginablThis book has revived my flagging interest in the zombie genre. After a slew of books with main characters that made the stupidest decisions imaginable and somehow managed to survive, it was refreshing to read a book where the main character was actually competent- and was supported by a cast of characters who were competent and interesting- and that actually had developed personalities and not just the 'I'm a new character here for one paragraph to advance the plot' type. Also, the action sequences are very well done.
Overall, interesting storyline, interesting characters, the plot advanced at a steady pace and the action sequences were believable. Five stars easily earned....more
I wrote in my review of the previous books (a box set) that I doubted I would go onto the next book (i.e. this one). I really wished I hadn’t. EverythI wrote in my review of the previous books (a box set) that I doubted I would go onto the next book (i.e. this one). I really wished I hadn’t. Everything that I disliked about the previous books is only magnified.
For a start: NO ONE CARRIES EXTRA AMMO ON THEIR PERSON. Dan is a trained cop and not once does it occur to him to carry an extra magazine on his person, even when he has spare ammo and HE KNOWS HIS GUN IS RUNNING LOW ON AMMO AND HE KNOWS HE IS POSSIBLE GOING INTO A HOSTILE SITUATION WHERE AMMO WILL BE NEEDED. To quote my previous review “I understand that sometimes, losing a gun/running out of ammo is needed to build extra tension in a story.... BUT AT EVERY SINGLE CONFRONTATION- Every. Single. One. The survivors lose their food, their water, their guns, their ammo and their mode of transportation. Every. Single. Time.” The author used the same tired and predictable plot points to set up the story- rinse and repeat between the books.
No matter what the scenario- zombies, hostile people, being tricked, robbed, abandoned… NONE of the survivors learn from past mistakes.
Too many characters introduced and then discarded. Too much confusion, lack of direction, and stupid people that never learn. I see no point in continuing this torture. Finally tapping out. One star. ...more
A somewhat interesting start, but I kind of drifted away. Yes, I found the concept interesting, but some of the scenarios had me shaking my head in coA somewhat interesting start, but I kind of drifted away. Yes, I found the concept interesting, but some of the scenarios had me shaking my head in confusion...
Like, does NO ONE KNOW TO CARRY SPARE AMMO TO RELOAD? Every gun is just a one use thing that, once the ammo in the gun is depleted, it is discarded because no one thinks of bringing extra ammo on their person. It's whatever is in the gun will do, leave the extra ammo in the car we are using THAT WE WILL NEVER USE AGAIN BECAUSE WE WILL LOOSE THAT TOO... and the survivors keep finding more guns, more ammo, more food, more cars. Even the cop we meet at the start of the book doesn't carry extra ammo in his utility belt... I understand that sometimes, loosing a gun/running out of ammo is needed to build extra tension in a story.... BUT AT EVERY SINGLE CONFRONTATION- Every. Single. One. the survivors loose their food, their water, their guns, their ammo and their mode of transportation. Every. Single. Time. And the ammo wastage is unbelievable- or else the survivors turn into highly trained marksmen over long distances and get kill shots every time. There is no in-between. It got very annoying.
Then there is the naming. There is a character called Sam who owns a store. Whenever I saw he was on a page, I groaned because the author alternated between calling him 'Sam' and 'the store owner' in alternate sentences... and it got real tiresome, real fast.
Oh, and in the middle of a zombie apocalypse, you would think that after been nearly killed, being robbed and nearly killed, being ambushed and nearly killed, you would learn not to trust every hitchhiker with a sob story.
Seriously debating whether to get the next book....more
Overall, this is an interesting book, and any fan of the Resident Evil series will enjoy it. There are interesting littlTwo and a half to three stars.
Overall, this is an interesting book, and any fan of the Resident Evil series will enjoy it. There are interesting little factoids about the why and the politics of certain decisions that were taken. You get the feeling that the author genuinely admires the creators and the fact that the RE series was responsible for the creation of the survival horror genre of video games ensures its inclusion in the pages of video game history. The author gives extremely detailed info regarding the producer/management aspect of the games development.
However, there are no five stars, and the reasons are simple- it got far too repetitive. How many times does the author need to repeat hat he speaks Japanese in the introduction? How many times, and in how many permutations, can he say that the original Resident Evil was released in 1996 (or, indeed, repeat the release dates of nearly every other games released between 1996 and 2006)? Dull, boring, repetitive and reads like filler.
Another flaw with the book, and to paraphrase another review: you simple don't get an understanding of the artistic process and the creative choices made in any of the games development.
What I am about to go into may seem, um, pedantic and long winded, but I think it highlights my point. The author is dealing in hindsight and as a fan and takes the games as fixed points, their release was inevitable, and it's almost as if he doesn't care about the little details as to why certain decisions were made relating to the artistic side of thing to the point that, at least on one occasion, he misidentifies some details and ignores others. I am referring to RE:4 here mainly. He identifies Dr. Salvador as wearing a backpack over his head, when in reality it was a burlap sack, and the Bella Sisters (who also were burlap sacks and also wield knives) are ignored. Why was the creative decision made to have the town Doctor don a sack and become a rampaging chainsaw killer who could kill the player with one strike? Another example is Resident Evil: Zero. He doesn't examine the creative choice as to why the main villain is a copy of Dr. Marcus which is made up of leeches- just a passing remark that implies it was lampooned by critics. Another (prime) example of this choice is the name of the book itself- Itchy, Tasty. Taken from the first game and a file found within it that demonstrates how the T-Virus degraded a persons mental faculties before they turned into a zombie- there is no discussion why this part of the transformation was dropped in later releases, even though, in RE:2, we actually see someone turn into a zombie due to infection.
What I am trying to say is-- the economic and management history of the Resident Evil series between 1996 and 2006 is covered. They are interesting in and of themselves. But the creative history is almost none existent. 2.5/3 stars...more
I can't believe how quickly I got through this book... Wow... Once it got me in its grip it grip, this book didn't let me go.
It can't be denied the siI can't believe how quickly I got through this book... Wow... Once it got me in its grip it grip, this book didn't let me go.
It can't be denied the similarities between this book and World War Z by Max Brooks. The author admits in his intro that this book was inspired by WWZ. While I enjoyed World War Z, there are things in this book I enjoyed more.
Many others have noted the similarities between WWZ and this book, but in ways that make me think they didn't read the authors note at the beginning. But this book is just different enough to stand apart. As others have noted- this book is darker than WWZ. I really felt a rising sense of dread from those 'interviewed,' far more than I did from those in WWZ.
Even comparing the stories of those who had a 'face to face' with zombies, or the initial outbreaks, they feel more tangible in this book. Mainly because of the timing. For many interviewed in WWZ it's been more than ten years since they last faced a zombie, and twenty since the original outbreak. In this book, its only ten years since the outbreak and with at least one person interviewed, a zombie attacks in the middle of the interview. The danger still feels present, more present and real than in WWZ- it's only been a year since Irelands last outbreak in this book.
Then there was the political angels. For me, there was a scene in WWZ that made me think Max Brooks didn't understand the political situation between the UK and Ireland- or, at the very least, he left the political situation between the two countries vague in the 'present' day of WWZ. Not so in this book. You know what the political relationship is like right off the bat, and you get to see how Ireland dealt with an outbreak, and how a discovery by an Irish scientist was used by a Chinese man to survive and how some politicians were planning to use this discovery to expand their borders. The politicians in this book feel, well, more like politicians, and more, well human. You don't feel like the Prez who led the U.S. during the crises is Holier than thou- there is enough hints dropped that he was a greasy little weasel that grabbed hold of an opportunity. You meet the secessionist leader of a U.S. state, and you feel she is justified in leading her state in breaking away- until you realise everyone in the country went through the same problems as her and its implied that she is a revenge fill person who is using her new office to settle old scores.
What I am trying to say is, WWZ laid the groundwork and this book progressed many of the unexplored ideas. Five stars....more
**WARNING** This review may seem long and rambling**WARNING**
I'm giving up... I really struggled with this book, even though I got the audiobook versi**WARNING** This review may seem long and rambling**WARNING**
I'm giving up... I really struggled with this book, even though I got the audiobook version. Nineteen and a half hours into a twenty-seven-hour book and I'm finally checking out. The narrative was so... disjointed, and at times contradictory. It was like the author didn't know what he wanted to say with a particular character.
One example is Greer Morgan. She is rescued from her trailer park by one of her neighbours, a young man of similar age to herself, but they have no car, so the young man peddles them to safety on a bike, to the point of near collapse from exhaustion- but Greer kept her machete handy, because this is a man, and he was just waiting for a chance to drag her into an abandoned building and do the nasty with her, even if he is on the verge of collapse. Several days later, when she is by herself, Greer comes across a different man. Does she treat this drunken stranger who is given her the drunk side-eye the same way she treated the man who saved her? Nope. Within five minutes of meeting him, and not even knowing his name, she is laying down and dragging him on top of her. It was so out of character for her, considering how she had treated nearly every other male character she had meet up to that point.
There were foundations laid for storylines that led nowhere- the married Master Chief Petty Officer who wanted to get off the infected aircraft carrier and home to his husband and kids. Only one half of this story arc is covered. On a side note, this character exemplified the dumbassery of the characters in this book- picture the scene. A Master Chief Petty Officer arrives on the bridge of an Aircraft Carrier in the middle of a squadron of other ships and sees a news report about an infection ON THE MAINLAND. He is then informed that he is the highest-ranking person on the bridge at that time and thus he has command of the ship- every single legitimate commissioned officer has somehow vanished. He is also informed that at least one ship of their squadron has dropped out of formation and his heading for home port at full speed, another is manoeuvring in circles and all communication with the flagship with the Admiral has been lost. There is also an infection among the crew that is causing violence of the flight deck. What is his assessment? We do nothing. We don't look for ways to restore the command-and-control structure of the ship. We don't attempt to make contact with the other ships in the squadron. We don't use the Marines on board ship to contain the violent crew. We don't head back to port, because 'we could bring the infection to the mainland.' (<- Totally forgetting the news report, he saw only a minutes before, and which was still playing on a tv monitor nearby). Was it any wonder what remained of the crew on the bridge rebelled against him when they got a chance? He was literally paralysed with fear and indecision.
We hear about how white people are acting out on their racist urgings against Hispanics in San Diego, but we never see it, we only see armed Hispanic gangs roaming the streets, looting houses and 'liberating' people (mainly women) from their safe zones. The African American news producer who makes an impassioned speech to his work colleagues that they should not paint minorities as violent simply because the first outbreaks happened in low-income areas, and who then proceeds to beat another news producer to death because of her political views.
Do you see what I am saying here? There is a see-saw effect here. Greer Morgan goes from been wary of men, to practically dragging a stranger on top of her. The African American news producer states that minorities are not inherently violent, then proceeds to beat someone to death because he dislikes her political views. I could go on with such stories, but I would feel like pounding my head on a desk if I did.
If you notice something lacking here, you are right. I was surprised how little zombie action there is in this zombie book. I didn't keep an accurate count, but it seemed like for every five minutes of zombie action, we got half an hour to an hour (or more) of character monologue, running off on tangents not really related to the zombies. The scenes on the aircraft carrier were perhaps the best scenes of a zombie outbreak, but they were over quickly. There was a passing comment about zombie animals, but it was only two or three sentence, and end up with something along the lines of 'they only ate humans, not other animals. Further proof we humans deserve death.' How could you gloss over such a cool & scary concept as zombie animals and then try to shoehorn it into a condemnation of the human race?
Two stars, because there were some cool scenes and great ideas in the book, but poor execution....more
I will admit, there were times when I faltered with the book, but there were enough high notes to keep me interested, and the epilogue peake4.5 stars.
I will admit, there were times when I faltered with the book, but there were enough high notes to keep me interested, and the epilogue peaked my interest for what may come....more
Overall, it kept me engaged, and set up the next book pretty well.
One thing I had trouble with-- Jamie. I know she is a smart zombie, but she's ten yeOverall, it kept me engaged, and set up the next book pretty well.
One thing I had trouble with-- Jamie. I know she is a smart zombie, but she's ten years old... I don't need to hear some of the things her warped zombie mind came up with....more
A bit slow to start, and very nearly went on the abandoned list early on, but I'm glad I stuck with it. Once the pace picked up, I was engaged with thA bit slow to start, and very nearly went on the abandoned list early on, but I'm glad I stuck with it. Once the pace picked up, I was engaged with the story. 4.5/5 stars....more
As you would expect from a collection of short stories, it's hit and miss. There were some great stories, and some terrible one. There were some that As you would expect from a collection of short stories, it's hit and miss. There were some great stories, and some terrible one. There were some that had some great ideas and others where I was going "What was the author thinking?" Three stars....more
It didn't really catch my attention. The pacing was all over the place. It had some interesting scenes, but not enough to keep me interested.It didn't really catch my attention. The pacing was all over the place. It had some interesting scenes, but not enough to keep me interested....more
This book really wasn't for me. Normally, I enjoy books that have a bit of detail, but the detail was in the wrong place for me-- nearly two full paraThis book really wasn't for me. Normally, I enjoy books that have a bit of detail, but the detail was in the wrong place for me-- nearly two full paragraphs given to a background character, describing her appearance and the flavour and type of crisps she was eating. Overall, there was to much tedious detail. I ended up quitting it, thinking I would get back to it, but I haven't looked at it in a month. One star....more
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