Thursday, September 5, 2013

Book Review - World War Z (JS)

World War Z by Max Brooks
 
 
Review by Jacqui Slaney
 
Now I have read a few Zombie books and played some of the usual electronic games, have found them particularly good, when you have had a rubbish day at work and you can take it out on someone. Actually, it’s a bit worrying how good my aim is getting!
 
Unlike most people who have read this book, I have not read the first instalment- the Zombie survival guide, but with the hype of the film, I thought I would give this one a go.
 
The description:
 
It began with rumours from China about another pandemic. Then the cases started to multiply and what had looked like the stirrings of a criminal underclass, even the beginnings of a revolution, soon revealed itself to be much, much worse. Faced with a future of mindless, man-eating horror, humanity was forced to accept the logic of world government and face events that tested our sanity and our sense of reality.
 
The book is set after the ‘war’ is over and is written as a series of interviews with people who were involved or affected by what went on, so you get a series of short stories really rather than one long tale.
 
This is quite effective as you gets lots of different nationalities, Americans, Japanese, British to name a few and different types of characters: children who grew up in the war, soldiers, and just everyday people whose lives are dramatically changed. There are some great descriptions of people in the entertainment industries reacting in horror, that now they have to dig ditches and tend crops as they usual career is now obsolete.
 
There is no flowing plot, but you find as you read each chapter, you get more and more pulled into it. It is gruesome, obviously, but even though some of the stories are short, you get to like the characters. Some that stick out are the K9 trainer, submarine officer and definitely the blind gardener, but I could name loads more.
 
Although these are separate stories, certain events are mentioned in each one and you have the running theme of how some countries were more prepared than others, and the very old story of the differing governments trying desperately to hang on to power though the world is falling apart around them.
 
This is a very enjoyable read, the way it is written makes the idea of the dead reanimating very plausible, and as the reader, you accept this with no problem. I would definitely recommend it for Zombie fans and those who are new to the genre
 
My rating: 10 out of 10
 

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