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Apocalypse Survivors - Norwood #1
The Parade: Apocalypse Survivors
“Perhaps, like the scars left on the world we live in, the scars left on our species will take decades to heal – centuries even. May I – we – be forgiven for what we have done.”
Zoe Survivor You’ve heard from the heroes. Now get ready for the villains… In the latest instalment of his award-winning Apocalypse Survivors series, Aussie author Matt J Pike returns to where it all began with a new origin story – this one told from the perspective of the bad guys. But when life on earth has been all but wiped out by a comet, simple ideas of good and evil aren’t as simple as they appear. As the comet unleashes an ash cloud over the planet, stealing the sun and bringing on permanent winter, a brutal new era dawns for humanity. In a small corner of the world, in a broken city called Adelaide, a group of survivors gather on The Parade, a resource-rich shopping strip that offers shelter, warmth, water and food. What unites them is the simple desire to survive, what divides them is how far they're prepared to go to make that happen. In the power play for control of this frightening new world, one thing is clear. No one is getting through unscathed! There is no good and bad. Only survival.
Zoe Survivor You’ve heard from the heroes. Now get ready for the villains… In the latest instalment of his award-winning Apocalypse Survivors series, Aussie author Matt J Pike returns to where it all began with a new origin story – this one told from the perspective of the bad guys. But when life on earth has been all but wiped out by a comet, simple ideas of good and evil aren’t as simple as they appear. As the comet unleashes an ash cloud over the planet, stealing the sun and bringing on permanent winter, a brutal new era dawns for humanity. In a small corner of the world, in a broken city called Adelaide, a group of survivors gather on The Parade, a resource-rich shopping strip that offers shelter, warmth, water and food. What unites them is the simple desire to survive, what divides them is how far they're prepared to go to make that happen. In the power play for control of this frightening new world, one thing is clear. No one is getting through unscathed! There is no good and bad. Only survival.
237 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 11, 2023
24 people are currently reading
8 people want to read
About the author
Matt J. Pike
32 books53 followers*Matt donates money from each book sold to find a cure for Rett Syndrome, a neurological condition his youngest daughter has*
Like the legendary R M Williams, Matt was born in Jamestown in rural South Australia. But that’s where the remarkable similarities between these two end. While Reginald went from bushman to world renowned millionaire outback clothing designer, Matt is a complete dag who was lured by the city lights of Adelaide. Kindergarten in the big smoke was a culture shock, but it is here he first discovered his love of storytelling.
In high school that love found an outlet in a series of completely unflattering cartoons about fellow students and teachers alike. He survived long enough to further his art into a successful career in multimedia design but, like a zombified leech, the lure of the written word gnawed at him, forcing him to pen his first novel, the award-winning sci-fi comedy epic, Kings of the World. It was followed the next year by Amazon Australia dystopian sci-fi best-seller Apocalypse: Diary of a Survivor.
Matt donates part-proceeds of each book sold to find a cure for Rett Syndrome, a neurological condition the youngest of his three children, Abby, has. As a gorgeous Rett angel, Abby cannot walk, talk or use her hands in a meaningful way. So, not only is each of your book purchases a ticket to fantastically rounded, character driven, hilarious and poignant sci-fi awesomeness, it wraps you in a warm feeling that you’ve made a difference to people who deserve your help the most. Like the zombified leech it’s a no-brainer.
Like the legendary R M Williams, Matt was born in Jamestown in rural South Australia. But that’s where the remarkable similarities between these two end. While Reginald went from bushman to world renowned millionaire outback clothing designer, Matt is a complete dag who was lured by the city lights of Adelaide. Kindergarten in the big smoke was a culture shock, but it is here he first discovered his love of storytelling.
In high school that love found an outlet in a series of completely unflattering cartoons about fellow students and teachers alike. He survived long enough to further his art into a successful career in multimedia design but, like a zombified leech, the lure of the written word gnawed at him, forcing him to pen his first novel, the award-winning sci-fi comedy epic, Kings of the World. It was followed the next year by Amazon Australia dystopian sci-fi best-seller Apocalypse: Diary of a Survivor.
Matt donates part-proceeds of each book sold to find a cure for Rett Syndrome, a neurological condition the youngest of his three children, Abby, has. As a gorgeous Rett angel, Abby cannot walk, talk or use her hands in a meaningful way. So, not only is each of your book purchases a ticket to fantastically rounded, character driven, hilarious and poignant sci-fi awesomeness, it wraps you in a warm feeling that you’ve made a difference to people who deserve your help the most. Like the zombified leech it’s a no-brainer.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
August 15, 2023
The Parade is my first Matt J Pike novel. I was looking for some apocalyptic/dystopian books and came across it, so I clicked. Even though it is the fifth book in the Apocalyptic Survivor series, it is the first book in the Apocalypse Survivors Subseries, I never felt lost. And it is a great cover, that Matt designed himself.
My name is Zoe Carter, this is my story, and the story of all the members of the Norwood Hub during and after the impact of Comet 2014DM3 in April 2014.
How would you spend your time if you knew a comet would hit the Earth? Would you give up and part like it’s 1999? Would you be a prepper and gather resources, hunkering down to see who is left standing? Would you gather arms and weapons to protect yourself?
I love apocalyptic books, because I wonder what I would do. I think in desperate times, the best and the worst of humanity comes to light…and The Parade has a lot of the worst. Sometimes there is no choice, it’s a me or them situation.
Violence, vendettas, selfishness and greed – that’s what came out in us the most.
Of course, you have those who step up to lead, often through fear, and making sure they get what’s theirs first. When food runs out, they have a big target on their back. People have to have someone to blame. The simplest injury could mean death, as medical supplies run out or are non existent, not enough, or no doctors to help.
The ‘grenade’ event was quite clever.
An unlikely group of characters were drawn together for protection and survival. No one can predict who will survive and not all of them do. We have some sad moments, but that was to be expected. We have plenty of violence and death, and that was to be expected too. Your friend can quickly become your enemy. There are no winners in an apocalypse, just survivors. Would you be one of them?
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of The Parade by Matt J Pike.
My name is Zoe Carter, this is my story, and the story of all the members of the Norwood Hub during and after the impact of Comet 2014DM3 in April 2014.
How would you spend your time if you knew a comet would hit the Earth? Would you give up and part like it’s 1999? Would you be a prepper and gather resources, hunkering down to see who is left standing? Would you gather arms and weapons to protect yourself?
I love apocalyptic books, because I wonder what I would do. I think in desperate times, the best and the worst of humanity comes to light…and The Parade has a lot of the worst. Sometimes there is no choice, it’s a me or them situation.
Violence, vendettas, selfishness and greed – that’s what came out in us the most.
Of course, you have those who step up to lead, often through fear, and making sure they get what’s theirs first. When food runs out, they have a big target on their back. People have to have someone to blame. The simplest injury could mean death, as medical supplies run out or are non existent, not enough, or no doctors to help.
The ‘grenade’ event was quite clever.
An unlikely group of characters were drawn together for protection and survival. No one can predict who will survive and not all of them do. We have some sad moments, but that was to be expected. We have plenty of violence and death, and that was to be expected too. Your friend can quickly become your enemy. There are no winners in an apocalypse, just survivors. Would you be one of them?
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of The Parade by Matt J Pike.
November 9, 2023
I enjoyed this book, even though very different to what I usually read. It was believable as to what could happen if there was such a disaster. Can highly recommend
June 7, 2023
If you’ve read the Apocalypse series (if you haven’t stop what you are doing and go read it!) then you will be familiar with Comet Night, the lead up and the happenings after. In a strange way, it was nice to be back in this familiar world and the nods to our beloved Jack were very welcome! However, in The Parade we’re seeing Comet Night from a whole new perspective.
In the original series, these are the people we hated! As I read, I despised even seeing their names on the page. But now, after seeing things from their perspective it is clear. In the world after 12/4 there is no good or bad, only survival. This isn’t the story of the villains; this is the story of people doing all they can to survive the end of the world and each other.
Pike has an extraordinary talent for creating characters that you love and writing in a way that you feel you aren’t reading a book; you are there walking next to them. As you read, you’ll smell the ash, I found myself looking up at the moon and being grateful I could see it! This world, these characters, they stay with you, they become friends and it doesn’t matter which side of the Hub you’re with, you’ll feel for them.
Get comfy and bring snacks, because once the comet hits, you won’t be leaving The Parade!
In the original series, these are the people we hated! As I read, I despised even seeing their names on the page. But now, after seeing things from their perspective it is clear. In the world after 12/4 there is no good or bad, only survival. This isn’t the story of the villains; this is the story of people doing all they can to survive the end of the world and each other.
Pike has an extraordinary talent for creating characters that you love and writing in a way that you feel you aren’t reading a book; you are there walking next to them. As you read, you’ll smell the ash, I found myself looking up at the moon and being grateful I could see it! This world, these characters, they stay with you, they become friends and it doesn’t matter which side of the Hub you’re with, you’ll feel for them.
Get comfy and bring snacks, because once the comet hits, you won’t be leaving The Parade!
August 13, 2024
This book was entered in The Wishing Shelf Book Awards. This is what our readers thought:
Title: The Parade: Apocalypse Survivors
Author: Matt J. Pike
Star Rating: 5 Stars
Number of Readers: 15
Stats
Editing: 9/10
Writing Style: 7/10
Content: 7/10
Cover: 4/5
Of the 15 readers:
13 would read another book by this author.
12 thought the cover was good or excellent.
15 felt it was easy to follow.
13 would recommend this book to another reader to try.
Of all the readers, 7 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘plotting a story’.
Of all the readers, 5 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘developing the characters’.
Of all the readers, 3 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘writing style’.
15 felt the pacing was good or excellent.
12 thought the author understood the readership and what they wanted.
Readers’ Comments
“Cool dystopian novel with good character development. This is a story of survival, and what different characters will do to stay alive. Fab cover too!” Male reader, aged 54
“Dark, a bit gritty, mega-accessible in terms of writing style. Possibly it’d work better for a YA readership, but it was a fun, easy read for an old codger like me. You can’t beat a good apocalypse adventure!” Male reader, aged 67
“A wonderful book if you enjoy end-of-world thrillers. Gory, yes, exciting, yes. Plenty of dilemmas, oh yes!” Female reader, aged 34
“I enjoyed this novel a lot – which is surprising as I don’t normally do dystopian. But I recently read THG and enjoyed it, so I thought I’d try this book for the awards. I liked the protagonist, Zoe – fun to root for. The ‘parade’ setting is excellent, and the multi-themed story is a blast - betrayal, battling for survival, what’s right and wrong in a world with no laws. I’d recommend it to readers who enjoy dystopian with plenty of grit!” Female reader, aged 19
To Sum It Up:
‘An accessibly written, often gritty, apocalyptic adventure. A FINALIST and highly recommended!’ The Wishing Shelf Book Awards
Title: The Parade: Apocalypse Survivors
Author: Matt J. Pike
Star Rating: 5 Stars
Number of Readers: 15
Stats
Editing: 9/10
Writing Style: 7/10
Content: 7/10
Cover: 4/5
Of the 15 readers:
13 would read another book by this author.
12 thought the cover was good or excellent.
15 felt it was easy to follow.
13 would recommend this book to another reader to try.
Of all the readers, 7 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘plotting a story’.
Of all the readers, 5 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘developing the characters’.
Of all the readers, 3 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘writing style’.
15 felt the pacing was good or excellent.
12 thought the author understood the readership and what they wanted.
Readers’ Comments
“Cool dystopian novel with good character development. This is a story of survival, and what different characters will do to stay alive. Fab cover too!” Male reader, aged 54
“Dark, a bit gritty, mega-accessible in terms of writing style. Possibly it’d work better for a YA readership, but it was a fun, easy read for an old codger like me. You can’t beat a good apocalypse adventure!” Male reader, aged 67
“A wonderful book if you enjoy end-of-world thrillers. Gory, yes, exciting, yes. Plenty of dilemmas, oh yes!” Female reader, aged 34
“I enjoyed this novel a lot – which is surprising as I don’t normally do dystopian. But I recently read THG and enjoyed it, so I thought I’d try this book for the awards. I liked the protagonist, Zoe – fun to root for. The ‘parade’ setting is excellent, and the multi-themed story is a blast - betrayal, battling for survival, what’s right and wrong in a world with no laws. I’d recommend it to readers who enjoy dystopian with plenty of grit!” Female reader, aged 19
To Sum It Up:
‘An accessibly written, often gritty, apocalyptic adventure. A FINALIST and highly recommended!’ The Wishing Shelf Book Awards
February 14, 2026
“For those of us who made it through that night, we had become survivors. We had survived a moment. Of course, we had no idea what that tag meant at the time, or the baggage of our world, I know many would’ve been happy if the waves had taken them away.”
After completing Matt’s first Apocalypse series: Diary of a Survivor, I have since wanted and needed to know the story of the other side, that being of the bad guys, the Norwood crew and Matt sure delivered - thank-you for bringing us the Apocalypse Survivors series, where I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the perspectives of the other survivors.
It was an unpredictable disorderly war for control, full of fighting, loss, sides being formed and with the characters all searching for a home amongst the chaos.
We see how the Fat Man came to power, toilet paper becomes a valuable resource (I see what you did there Matt, well done..haha), there is rationing of food and everyone is on the hunt for weapons, as no one feels safe and they are unsure of who can be trusted.
The Norwood Crew were always classed as the “bad guys”, but maybe that is not the case for them all?? I’ll continue to find out when I pick up Book 2 to read, in the coming weeks - War Parade.
After completing Matt’s first Apocalypse series: Diary of a Survivor, I have since wanted and needed to know the story of the other side, that being of the bad guys, the Norwood crew and Matt sure delivered - thank-you for bringing us the Apocalypse Survivors series, where I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the perspectives of the other survivors.
It was an unpredictable disorderly war for control, full of fighting, loss, sides being formed and with the characters all searching for a home amongst the chaos.
We see how the Fat Man came to power, toilet paper becomes a valuable resource (I see what you did there Matt, well done..haha), there is rationing of food and everyone is on the hunt for weapons, as no one feels safe and they are unsure of who can be trusted.
The Norwood Crew were always classed as the “bad guys”, but maybe that is not the case for them all?? I’ll continue to find out when I pick up Book 2 to read, in the coming weeks - War Parade.
November 9, 2023
I've already read the original series (Apocalypse:Diary of a survivor) and absolutely loved them,
The Parade is from a different POV. Technically, the villains' version of events. Although Im not completely ok with calling them villains, gotta do what you gotta do to survive and all that. Anyway, I finished it in less than 24 hours!
As with the others I couldnt put it down! Funny, relatable and some downright irritating characters, which i always love!
The author manages to perfectly capture the feeling of helplessness i would expect to feel in such a situation, and the story moves at such a pace that you can feel how frantic things become.
Also, being set in my hometown (Adelaide) makes it feel even more real.
If you like an apocalyptic novel, then definitely give this whole series a read!
5/5 from me and one i will definitely be reading again!
The Parade is from a different POV. Technically, the villains' version of events. Although Im not completely ok with calling them villains, gotta do what you gotta do to survive and all that. Anyway, I finished it in less than 24 hours!
As with the others I couldnt put it down! Funny, relatable and some downright irritating characters, which i always love!
The author manages to perfectly capture the feeling of helplessness i would expect to feel in such a situation, and the story moves at such a pace that you can feel how frantic things become.
Also, being set in my hometown (Adelaide) makes it feel even more real.
If you like an apocalyptic novel, then definitely give this whole series a read!
5/5 from me and one i will definitely be reading again!
May 19, 2024
The Parade: Apocalypse Survivors and War Parade: Apocalypse Survivors 2
Welcome to the new world of Adelaide post apocalypse. A deadly comet, teaming up with a shattering tsunami determines the fate of Adelaide, Australia and the entirety of planet earth as we know it. The Parade and War Parade invite the reader to take part in the journey of shell shocked survivors of Adelaide’s iconic Norwood Parade during the days after Armageddon has crudely stomped on the world. This isn’t a case of not looking up, but looking around and navigating a radically changed world.
Reluctant leader Zoe Carter tells of life after 12/4 as survivors’ find their way – and their place - along the precinct of Norwood Parade, now unrecognisable under its blanket of thick grey ash and gloomy grey sky that has taken the sunlight hostage. After the cataclysmic ejecta that interrupted human existence, the shell shocked inhabitants of surrounding suburbs migrate towards the Parade: to help, to plunder, to lead, to follow, to mourn, to hope, and some to betray.
Zoe is a reluctant hero in the grey ashy shadows, and she is stunned at the atrocities committed by some of her fellow humans as their villainous personalities are let loose, Mad-Max style. She is haunted by the cruelties she finds herself capable of. Zoe is a tad flummoxed at finding herself being a leader combined with the thug life ... for the greater good. In a fight for survival after the comet-smashes-planet event, is anyone a clear cut hero or obvious villain?
Written in both first and third person the survivors of 12/4 are existing in a life that doesn’t come with a handy ‘Armageddon: A dummies survival guide’ or an afternoon off to watch Netflix and chill. The new world hopes for clean drinking water, hot showers, a speaker to play catchy tunes such as Jimmy Eats World The Middle (spoiler alert: the tune playing is a success!), or not being shot in the back – or front – by a narc. Or even worse, a friend.
The mix of sci-fi, dystopian and dramatic storytelling is interspersed with a smattering of humour, dismay and hope. The characters are a mix of relatable rogues, traumatised desperados, power hungry narcissists, unlikely alliances and allies, scoundrels and humble crusaders.
Readers of Matt J Pike’s may just encounter the symmetry crossover with the Global Ebook award winning Apocalypse: Diary of a Survivor series.
Themes – apocalypse/armageddon, friendship, relationship, survival, societal control, connection, human nature, trust, leadership, abuse of power, free will, fear, family, love.
Content Warnings – death, grief, guns, profanity, betrayal, verbal and physical violence and abuse.
Welcome to the new world of Adelaide post apocalypse. A deadly comet, teaming up with a shattering tsunami determines the fate of Adelaide, Australia and the entirety of planet earth as we know it. The Parade and War Parade invite the reader to take part in the journey of shell shocked survivors of Adelaide’s iconic Norwood Parade during the days after Armageddon has crudely stomped on the world. This isn’t a case of not looking up, but looking around and navigating a radically changed world.
Reluctant leader Zoe Carter tells of life after 12/4 as survivors’ find their way – and their place - along the precinct of Norwood Parade, now unrecognisable under its blanket of thick grey ash and gloomy grey sky that has taken the sunlight hostage. After the cataclysmic ejecta that interrupted human existence, the shell shocked inhabitants of surrounding suburbs migrate towards the Parade: to help, to plunder, to lead, to follow, to mourn, to hope, and some to betray.
Zoe is a reluctant hero in the grey ashy shadows, and she is stunned at the atrocities committed by some of her fellow humans as their villainous personalities are let loose, Mad-Max style. She is haunted by the cruelties she finds herself capable of. Zoe is a tad flummoxed at finding herself being a leader combined with the thug life ... for the greater good. In a fight for survival after the comet-smashes-planet event, is anyone a clear cut hero or obvious villain?
Written in both first and third person the survivors of 12/4 are existing in a life that doesn’t come with a handy ‘Armageddon: A dummies survival guide’ or an afternoon off to watch Netflix and chill. The new world hopes for clean drinking water, hot showers, a speaker to play catchy tunes such as Jimmy Eats World The Middle (spoiler alert: the tune playing is a success!), or not being shot in the back – or front – by a narc. Or even worse, a friend.
The mix of sci-fi, dystopian and dramatic storytelling is interspersed with a smattering of humour, dismay and hope. The characters are a mix of relatable rogues, traumatised desperados, power hungry narcissists, unlikely alliances and allies, scoundrels and humble crusaders.
Readers of Matt J Pike’s may just encounter the symmetry crossover with the Global Ebook award winning Apocalypse: Diary of a Survivor series.
Themes – apocalypse/armageddon, friendship, relationship, survival, societal control, connection, human nature, trust, leadership, abuse of power, free will, fear, family, love.
Content Warnings – death, grief, guns, profanity, betrayal, verbal and physical violence and abuse.
October 12, 2023
Read the first four books a couple of years ago. Not a bad yarn that had me engrossed for eight nights in total. The local Adelaide flavor was a bonus having grown up there. This book however is leaps and bounds ahead of the first four and is written much more professionally. It seems that Matt has found his stride. Character development is nicely done and the reader starts to feel that these people are real.
Looking forward to many more in the series hopefully.
Looking forward to many more in the series hopefully.
June 25, 2023
It's difficult to write a book about the same event/scenario as a previous book series and keep it fresh, but Matt has found a way, in part by changing the focus from a single character to an ensemble cast, but also by targeting a more grown up audience. While Diary of a Survivor was written for a Young Adult market, The Parade doesn't hold back quite as much with adult themes, including violence and language. This allows him to get right into the nitty gritty of a post apocalyptic world, and this along with a diverse group of engaging and (mostly) likable characters really draws you in. I found it an easy read, and the further I went along the harder I found it was to put it down right through to the explosive, emotional conclusion. If you enjoy this type of story, I would highly recommend you set aside a few evenings and get into it. 5/5
July 5, 2023
The Parade by Matt J Pike is an intriguing look at what life might be after a massive comet strikes the Earth. how would we survive such a hit? and would we want to?
although this was Book 5 in a series, i came into this cold and found that this made for a standalone tale. the characters were engaging and the dialogue was authentic. it was refreshing to see characters react and speak as real people might do. no lofty speeches here. and i loved the fact that the villain didn't start out as a bad guy. his intentions, initially weren't really bad but absolute power always corrupts, doesn't it?
to sum up, i enjoyed The Parade a great deal. highly recommended.
4 1/2 stars out of 5.
although this was Book 5 in a series, i came into this cold and found that this made for a standalone tale. the characters were engaging and the dialogue was authentic. it was refreshing to see characters react and speak as real people might do. no lofty speeches here. and i loved the fact that the villain didn't start out as a bad guy. his intentions, initially weren't really bad but absolute power always corrupts, doesn't it?
to sum up, i enjoyed The Parade a great deal. highly recommended.
4 1/2 stars out of 5.
June 22, 2023
This was very enjoyable! A really good story, a little different, it starts just before the world ends & that is one of my favourite subjects for this genre. I liked the characters & overall plot, nothing too new but a good mix of people makes for diverse situations & a good fun read! I will look for more by this writer & hope to read the next in this series!
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews