Let me start by being very up front about this audiobook. I had started to listen to it about a month or 2 before. And I had to put it down. It was so hard to get into. Issues with the narrator (just sounding so young and sorta boring), the character (just sounding too damn naive and too victimy for my liking. I could not feel anything for this guy. And also my state of mind. I had listened to an audiobook of a version of this as a short story in an anthology. And I thought it was going to be about that character. I was disappointed to find it was in the same universe but not the same character. I was bummed. I put the audiobook down and went to something else.

But then I thought I would give it a second chance. I'm glad I did! Now I won't lie. I put this audiobook down for days at a time. I could not listen any longer. I grew agitated and impatient with the naivety of the character. I grew antsy to be honest. Where were the zombies?! It seemed every turn of the figurative chapter there was another obstacle. I just couldn't take it any more. But I persevered. 

Apparently just like the character. I found myself so involved with this character that when something bad would happen I would shut the book down for a day or two. 

This story is of a world after the zombies. Now there are zombies. Straggler shamblers as I like to call them. But the real monsters are the humans. The world is the monster. Zombies are nothing next to cannibals and just mean ass nasty ass people. It'c cruel in a way that's tangible. That's real. That's...possible. And that's a fear on a level worse then zombies. The author pushes this world on to you and you cannot escape. You may look away but you won't be escaping. When you come back, the emotional nature of cruelty is there. But slowly, every so slowly...humanity comes around. Small as it is. In pockets. In little pieces of the world untouched by humans.

For those not knowing the story. It's zombies. Duh. It's infection. Check. But it's infection with a 20 year incubation period for you to zombie out and eat your kin. Imagine that. Getting bit and then having to wait around to see if you turn. And when you get in contact with a zombie, maybe just that blood drop or that little scratch?

You become Posi+tive.

This audiobook is like a bag of Halloween candy. Even if you aren't into one writer's style (and there was one I wasn't too fond of) you still eat the whole dang bag.

It's a great idea going on here. A triptych of books. All about the end of the world. Before, during and after. Each author writes 3 stories, one for each book. So it's like watching a Twilight Zone marathon. I'm already onto the second book as I write this. I loved listening to my old faves like Maberry, Wellington, Grant and Sigler. And now I'm introduced to quite a few more authors I must now look up.

What I like is the variety of stories. I mean, yes, they are about the end of the world. But some are realy subtle. Some are way out there. Some took the very interesting approach of going back in time to see the end of the world. I was moved at how quiet and sparce some stories were. And then others jam packed. I was able to also get a good dose of my fave medical sci fi jargon in there as well. 

Not to mention the narrators. Some of my faves doing what they do best. Bringing audio to a visual mind. I found myself finding any excuse to listen to this book. I found myself lying in bed for hours at a time going through these stories till they permeated my sleep...and dreams in some cases. Some were frightening. Some were interesting. Some...were terrifying. What I enjoyed was that all of them had than genuine emotional feeling to them. I mean you are there with the characters. Some going through the last hours of the end of the world. You hold your breath. Imagining what it would be like. To finally be at that end. It's a bit soul wrenching. Absolutely terrifying. Knowing there is no way out of....the end of the world. 

The good, the bad and the omg it's over I'm going to go cry me a zombie river. 

The good. I loved listening to this series. And I guess this is the 'end' of that world. It started with a hurricane carrying zombie cooties. It drifted into zombie who could swim! How do we top that? Jump 8 years later. And zombies are...mutating! There seems to be a level of zombies and then there is that ONE zombie dude. You know. The reminds you of a bloody tampon? Yeah. That one. 

Also I have to give props to a great narrator here. His name is Todd McLaren. He has an amazing way with both genders and all ages...and er...zombies too. Seriously. He doesn't over do it. It's subtle. And each character has their own intimate nuances. He seriously brings to life each character. Each scene. After 4 audiobooks worth, you just feel he's in your head...only talking to you. Great work. You know a narrator can make or break a story for you. I've put down audiobooks before over a bad reading.

Anyways..the ugly? Yeah jesus zombie gore! It's not so much the zombies that had me squirming. It's the injuries done to the living. Like seriously I was feeling every single punch and break and tear. It was like how does this guy know this pain?! 

And now the bad. I dunno. I loved this audiobook. I loved the journey. But it felt like it just didn't have anywhere to really...go? It felt like the last 3 hours were leading up to an awesome build up. Come to find that it wasn't that big of a build up in the scope of things. And what you thought was the reason for the ending? Eh. They gave it up and then some more story. Just...I dunno. Left me wanting a bit more. I wanted to know more about the virus. The zombie dude, Nate, the special can't get zombie cooties dude. I really like when they delve into the medical of zombie stuff. 

But still. I'm not complaining! This audiobook was one I purposefully would lie in bed early for. Go on bike rides to listen to. Take walks around my neighborhood for. That's how I know I was in it to win it.

So. What can I say about this audiobook? 

The plot: Does that matter? It's zombies. During an outbreak. There are survivors. The Dead World series is pretty much a known. The plot is to show you a series of characters and what happens to them. Their growth and or demise. The end. Pretty simple. Straightforward. But always a great listen! I never get enough. They are like Skittles!

The plot plot? Hurricane whatever leaves the waters full of zombie cooties. A woman and her family are one main character group. A man and his sons, the other. This differs from his previous books in the series. Before there were multiple characters. This there are mainly two story lines. Both amazing. Both covered in complexities of family drama. Shades of colors where on the outside merely looks black and white.

What was really great was the female protagonist. She wasn't a weak woman who turned 'Ramboesque' via her zombie shenanigans. This was a strong woman to begin with. But with flaws and insecurities. She didn't turn into Wonder Woman either. This character was done with realness. I could relate to her. Look up to her. She wasn't crazy. Or overly sexual who could take bullets without messing her lipstick. Her character reminded me of one of my favorite writers, Marge Piercy. A line of her goes something along the lines of 'a strong woman is a woman strongly afraid'. And that hits it. The strength of this character was to be brave in spite of her fears and how she dealt with it. 

What I love about zombie books isn't always about the zombies. It's about the growth of the characters. You watch them arch through their story line. You grow to regard them as family. This is especially true with listening to an audiobook. Their voices are there with you. 

I'm now on to the last book 'Mutated'. It's going to be a fun ride!

You know the zombie titles I read all merge into one after a while. But in this case..there is a reason. This is the second in a series of Dear World books. Pretty much a hurricane in the gulf coast comes baring zombie cooties. They quarantine the area. But yeah. zombies do the illegal border crossing on out of there. What I liked about this story is what I also didn't like. But that's not to say I didn't love this book. It's the generic zombie survival story. And I'm well aware of that. I'm not looking for Zombie Masterpiece Theater here. I like that there are a number of storylines with a number of different people. And they all eventually converge into one final plot. What's also nice is that some bad guys end up going good and some good guys turn out to be full on creepers. And I hadn't a clue when I started reading this. You do get involved with the people. That kept me interested. What I didn't like is that these were not the people from the first book. And they are all gone in the next one. The narrator was awesome. At first I was like this guy has the Texas twang down and it's getting on my nerves if everyone speaks like this. But then suddenly we are in Vegas and Cali and I'm like is this the same guy? He really pulled off the voices. And there are quite a few. I was able to follow along with who was who just by accent and tone alone. It did wrap up the story line. But I wished I could find out more about them. Which I guess is a sign of a good story.

Also, my listening time is severely diminished since my work commute is 15 minute via bike. So I'm going slower then last year. But still trucking along religiously in listening to these audiobooks! I stopped trying to listen before bed. I was getting creepy zombie dreams. No bueno