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Omega Days #1
Omega Days
Eight million walking dead stalk the San Francisco Bay Area, with more on the way. Scattered refugees - a priest with a bloody past, a college girl turned sniper, escaped San Quentin inmates and others - will quickly learn the three most important rules of survival: Make your bullets count. Don't fall behind. Don't...get...bitten!
Fast-paced and packed with zombie action, Book One of the Omega Days series lights off the apocalypse with a scream, and tears California to pieces!
Fast-paced and packed with zombie action, Book One of the Omega Days series lights off the apocalypse with a scream, and tears California to pieces!
293 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 20, 2013
99 people are currently reading
1603 people want to read
About the author
John L. Campbell
15 books144 followersJohn L. Campbell was born in Chicago, lived all over the U.S. and attended university in both North Carolina and New York. His novels include the zombie apocalypse series, The OMEGA DAYS Novels. All have been Amazon bestsellers, and book one, OMEGA DAYS, remained on the horror bestseller list for 17 weeks. Book five, THE FERAL ROAD, released in November 2016. In addition, Mr. Campbell is the author of two collections of horror and suspense, a novella based on actual events, and under his pen name ATTICUS WULF he released yet another novella and the supernatural/historical thriller, A JUDGE FROM SALEM.
In 2013 his short fiction piece COURAGEOUS LITTLE PHILOMENA'S WONDROUS BAIT was nominated for a Pushcart Prize, and in 2014 he served as a juror for the Bram Stoker Awards. A member of both the International Thriller Writers and the Horror Writers Association, Mr. Campbell is active on the horror and comic convention circuits, and is represented by the Jennifer DeChiara Literary Agency in New York.
He resides in New York with his family, where he is continuing his work on the OMEGA DAYS series, as well as other projects.
In 2013 his short fiction piece COURAGEOUS LITTLE PHILOMENA'S WONDROUS BAIT was nominated for a Pushcart Prize, and in 2014 he served as a juror for the Bram Stoker Awards. A member of both the International Thriller Writers and the Horror Writers Association, Mr. Campbell is active on the horror and comic convention circuits, and is represented by the Jennifer DeChiara Literary Agency in New York.
He resides in New York with his family, where he is continuing his work on the OMEGA DAYS series, as well as other projects.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 179 reviews
January 23, 2019
This review can also be found at Carole's Random Life in Books.
I had fun with this zombie book! I saw this book featured at Chuckles Book Cave by my blogger friend, Chuckles, and decided that I would give it a try after finding out that my local library had a copy. I ended up reading the entire book in a single day so I guess you could say that I enjoyed it. It was really one of those books that was hard to put to put down. I am so glad I decided to give this book a try.
This was one of those books that tell a story through a lot of different stories. The book starts right as the zombie outbreak starts and nobody is quite sure what exactly is going on. We meet Skye, a college student, as she is moving into her college dorm with her family's help. Father Xavier Church has an unfortunate event occur that leaves him questioning so many things before the world completely changed. Angie is out filming her reality TV show with her uncle and crew and find that just getting home with the changes in the world will be a challenge. We also meet a Russian pilot, a couple of escaped convicts, a writer, and other assorted characters.
I liked getting all of these different perspectives. Each character had a different situation as that outbreak started and it was very eye-opening to learn how these very different characters dealt with such an impossible situation. Of course, all of the characters that lead these stories are strong characters who are smart, resilient and handle themselves well. Not everyone they come in contact can say those things and often things will end badly for them.
I thought that this story was exciting. There are some pretty intense situations and living conditions for all of the characters are quite harsh. I was happy to see a lot of zombie action in the book and even more happy that a lot of that action is rather brutal. What can I say, I like a bloody book. All of the different threads in the story did start coming together as the book progressed and I am quite excited to see where things will go in the next installment.
I would recommend this book to fans of zombie stories. I thought that this was a well-written story that proved to be quite the page-turner. I look forward to reading more of this exciting series soon.
Initial Thoughts
I had fun with this one. This book is told from a lot of different perspectives. Some of the characters are only around for a small amount of time and there are a lot of pages between their appearances. At the very end of the book, things do start to come together. I liked seeing the progression of the zombie epidemic through all of these different perspectives. We see a priest, a college student, a writer, a pilot, and even a couple of inmates dealing with this new world. I found this to be a quick and entertaining read and will most likely try to continue with the series.
Book source: Library
I had fun with this zombie book! I saw this book featured at Chuckles Book Cave by my blogger friend, Chuckles, and decided that I would give it a try after finding out that my local library had a copy. I ended up reading the entire book in a single day so I guess you could say that I enjoyed it. It was really one of those books that was hard to put to put down. I am so glad I decided to give this book a try.
This was one of those books that tell a story through a lot of different stories. The book starts right as the zombie outbreak starts and nobody is quite sure what exactly is going on. We meet Skye, a college student, as she is moving into her college dorm with her family's help. Father Xavier Church has an unfortunate event occur that leaves him questioning so many things before the world completely changed. Angie is out filming her reality TV show with her uncle and crew and find that just getting home with the changes in the world will be a challenge. We also meet a Russian pilot, a couple of escaped convicts, a writer, and other assorted characters.
I liked getting all of these different perspectives. Each character had a different situation as that outbreak started and it was very eye-opening to learn how these very different characters dealt with such an impossible situation. Of course, all of the characters that lead these stories are strong characters who are smart, resilient and handle themselves well. Not everyone they come in contact can say those things and often things will end badly for them.
I thought that this story was exciting. There are some pretty intense situations and living conditions for all of the characters are quite harsh. I was happy to see a lot of zombie action in the book and even more happy that a lot of that action is rather brutal. What can I say, I like a bloody book. All of the different threads in the story did start coming together as the book progressed and I am quite excited to see where things will go in the next installment.
I would recommend this book to fans of zombie stories. I thought that this was a well-written story that proved to be quite the page-turner. I look forward to reading more of this exciting series soon.
Initial Thoughts
I had fun with this one. This book is told from a lot of different perspectives. Some of the characters are only around for a small amount of time and there are a lot of pages between their appearances. At the very end of the book, things do start to come together. I liked seeing the progression of the zombie epidemic through all of these different perspectives. We see a priest, a college student, a writer, a pilot, and even a couple of inmates dealing with this new world. I found this to be a quick and entertaining read and will most likely try to continue with the series.
Book source: Library
November 7, 2024
I know that these days almost every other piece of zombie content wants to be compared to it but in this particular case I think the comparison to The Walking Dead is apt, for better or worse. Much like some season of The Walking Dead it's all over the place introducing characters and dropping them unceremoniously, there's a lot going and sometimes so much so that it seems drawn out even though it isn't. A lot of the character archetypes you found in TWD are there too. There's also the same kind of death fake offs that nullify some of the sense of stakes if they are not paired with some real casualties that do pack some punch, whether or not it will be the case with this series remains to be seen. For some reasons I also got pretty strong The Stand vibes from this book (possibly because of the preacher on one side and the televangelist on the other).
The story is good enough but the writing style and constant switching from one character to the other didn't work for me, I wish we could have stuck with each character for longer.
Will I come back to this series: I got the second installment first so I guess I might as well.
The story is good enough but the writing style and constant switching from one character to the other didn't work for me, I wish we could have stuck with each character for longer.
Will I come back to this series: I got the second installment first so I guess I might as well.
May 2, 2013
This was a zombie book. It was compared to The walking Dead, um NO. It was a bunch of characters, all in different chapters, most of them not intersecting, A LOT of unanswered questions with a cliffhanger. But I don't really care about the cliffhanger because I probably won't read book 2. I was really hoping there would be more depth with the characters and this could have easily happened if the author had pared down all of the sub plots and focused on two or three. I think there were no less than 7 sub plots that I can remember off the top of my head. I didn't grip me, it didn't make me read page after page. I took over a week to read (yes, I was busy and couldn't read as much as usual).
I general LOVE zombie books, but part of that love is the distopian aspect, and there was very little in that regard. Just lots and lots and lots of zombies. They wore me out!
Would I recommend? Only for die hard, hard up, I NEED a zombie fix, type person. Otherwise, skip over this one.
I general LOVE zombie books, but part of that love is the distopian aspect, and there was very little in that regard. Just lots and lots and lots of zombies. They wore me out!
Would I recommend? Only for die hard, hard up, I NEED a zombie fix, type person. Otherwise, skip over this one.
June 3, 2013
Brilliant zombie book. Came across this as a recommendation, so glad I bought it. Plenty of action and characters to get your teeth into haha. I love how the action starts straight away, boom and the apocalypse is up and running. This ends on a cliffhanger so really can't wait to read part 2, hopefully not too long too wait . Definitely recommend this book !
October 9, 2024
Viele Sichten auf das Omega (Zombie) Virus
In dem Buch Die letzten Tage (Omega Days 1) von John L. Campbell, geht es um verschiedene Personen, wie Pater Xavier Church, Skye Dennison, Peter Dunleavy, Angie West und um noch ein paar andere. Jeder versucht in dieser Zombieapokalypse zu überleben und nicht gebissen zu werden.
Wir als Leser begleiten Ihren Weg und wie sie mit den Zombies oder wie sie auch genannt werden Drifter klar kommen. Jede Personen erlebt den Ausbruch des Omega Virus anders, manche haben mehr Glück zu beobachten wie sich der Virus verhält und andere nicht.
Meine Meinung:
Ich fand den Schreibstil flüssig zu lesen und spannend geschrieben. Auch wenn es am Anfang einige Personen gibt, die vorgestellt wurden kam ich schon nach kurzer Zeit damit klar, diese auseinander zu halten und fand die Sichtwechsel auf den Ausbruch des Omega Virus auch sehr spannend. Mit einigen Charakteren konnte ich mich anfreunden und mit anderen eher nicht, wie Peter. Das Ende der Geschichte ist abgeschlossen, aber macht neugierig darauf wie die Geschichte weiter geht.
Fazit:
Mir gefällt die Geschichte sehr gut, sie beschreibt den Ausbruch des Omega Virus sehr gut und zeigt, wie es sich verhält und was es mit den Überlebenden und den Toten anstellt. Eine klare Empfehlung von mir für Zombie Fans.
In dem Buch Die letzten Tage (Omega Days 1) von John L. Campbell, geht es um verschiedene Personen, wie Pater Xavier Church, Skye Dennison, Peter Dunleavy, Angie West und um noch ein paar andere. Jeder versucht in dieser Zombieapokalypse zu überleben und nicht gebissen zu werden.
Wir als Leser begleiten Ihren Weg und wie sie mit den Zombies oder wie sie auch genannt werden Drifter klar kommen. Jede Personen erlebt den Ausbruch des Omega Virus anders, manche haben mehr Glück zu beobachten wie sich der Virus verhält und andere nicht.
Meine Meinung:
Ich fand den Schreibstil flüssig zu lesen und spannend geschrieben. Auch wenn es am Anfang einige Personen gibt, die vorgestellt wurden kam ich schon nach kurzer Zeit damit klar, diese auseinander zu halten und fand die Sichtwechsel auf den Ausbruch des Omega Virus auch sehr spannend. Mit einigen Charakteren konnte ich mich anfreunden und mit anderen eher nicht, wie Peter. Das Ende der Geschichte ist abgeschlossen, aber macht neugierig darauf wie die Geschichte weiter geht.
Fazit:
Mir gefällt die Geschichte sehr gut, sie beschreibt den Ausbruch des Omega Virus sehr gut und zeigt, wie es sich verhält und was es mit den Überlebenden und den Toten anstellt. Eine klare Empfehlung von mir für Zombie Fans.
January 19, 2020
I read these last week and simply cannot wait until the fourth one comes out. One of the best zombie series ever.
How does this compare to what I've noticed as cliches in horror fiction when it comes to zombies?
1) Police & Military turn against the populace instead of zombies.
Actually NO! This does not happen in the book (well...not in the first two, and not entirely in the third either). The police and first responders seem to die almost immediately at the start of Omega Days. Now, this is a contemporary America, fully aware of zombies in film & TV...when the chaos happens (and it seems to spread and go out of control a la Dawn of the Dead really really fast), cops and paramedics go running up to ghouls munching on corpses in road with handcuffs and first aid kits. The fact that they were aware they were fighting zombies, but not shooting them in the head, or in one instance a soldier putting a slain fellow soldier in the back of the vehicle filled with civilians because "can't leave one of ours behind" (hint: that didn't turn out so well for those in the backseat with that body) struck me as especially stupid.
2) Government Response is Half-Assed
Half and half. It looks like there was some attempt at "safe zones" (hint: didn't turn out so well for everyone that went there), the National Guard seemed to mobilize in record time, only to die just as fast as the police and ambulance drivers, but one of the main characters is a Russian helicopter pilot, only visiting to buy helicopters for his country and stays to help. Overall though, military might not winning the day.
3) Clergy Goes Insane
Half and half. There's a good priest, evil televangelist. The evil televanglist part I thought a taaad contrived, but every book needs a villain (besides millions of flesh eating zombies).
4) Life's losers find their niche in apocalyptic world and go on powerhungry murder/rape spree
Yep, there is this.
5) Hero gets saddled with plucky orphan child.
Actually, of the various main characters in the book, the priest gets a rag tag bunch of people he's in charge of (man with heart condition, teenage girl, angry electrician or something); the writer finds himself responsible for a group of hippies and falls in love with a deaf mute; the TV host practically collects children.
All total, 3/5 for classic tropes. My only complaint is that some of the ancillary characters did not get fleshed out enough (no pun intended). And while the body count is pretty high, when folks did die, I had to go hmm a lot and try to remember what their significance was. I know I say this in so many reviews, and perhaps old mysteries and novels have spoiled me, but I would looove a list of characters at the front with brief synopsis.
This one follows the start of the outbreak (basically everyone everywhere was screwed all at the same time, which stretches disbelief for me a bit) as the separate main groups finally meet up at cliffhanger at the end.
How does this compare to what I've noticed as cliches in horror fiction when it comes to zombies?
1) Police & Military turn against the populace instead of zombies.
Actually NO! This does not happen in the book (well...not in the first two, and not entirely in the third either). The police and first responders seem to die almost immediately at the start of Omega Days. Now, this is a contemporary America, fully aware of zombies in film & TV...when the chaos happens (and it seems to spread and go out of control a la Dawn of the Dead really really fast), cops and paramedics go running up to ghouls munching on corpses in road with handcuffs and first aid kits. The fact that they were aware they were fighting zombies, but not shooting them in the head, or in one instance a soldier putting a slain fellow soldier in the back of the vehicle filled with civilians because "can't leave one of ours behind" (hint: that didn't turn out so well for those in the backseat with that body) struck me as especially stupid.
2) Government Response is Half-Assed
Half and half. It looks like there was some attempt at "safe zones" (hint: didn't turn out so well for everyone that went there), the National Guard seemed to mobilize in record time, only to die just as fast as the police and ambulance drivers, but one of the main characters is a Russian helicopter pilot, only visiting to buy helicopters for his country and stays to help. Overall though, military might not winning the day.
3) Clergy Goes Insane
Half and half. There's a good priest, evil televangelist. The evil televanglist part I thought a taaad contrived, but every book needs a villain (besides millions of flesh eating zombies).
4) Life's losers find their niche in apocalyptic world and go on powerhungry murder/rape spree
Yep, there is this.
5) Hero gets saddled with plucky orphan child.
Actually, of the various main characters in the book, the priest gets a rag tag bunch of people he's in charge of (man with heart condition, teenage girl, angry electrician or something); the writer finds himself responsible for a group of hippies and falls in love with a deaf mute; the TV host practically collects children.
All total, 3/5 for classic tropes. My only complaint is that some of the ancillary characters did not get fleshed out enough (no pun intended). And while the body count is pretty high, when folks did die, I had to go hmm a lot and try to remember what their significance was. I know I say this in so many reviews, and perhaps old mysteries and novels have spoiled me, but I would looove a list of characters at the front with brief synopsis.
This one follows the start of the outbreak (basically everyone everywhere was screwed all at the same time, which stretches disbelief for me a bit) as the separate main groups finally meet up at cliffhanger at the end.
June 16, 2014
Our Review, by LITERAL ADDICTION's Pack Alpha - Chelle:
*Copy gifted in exchange for an honest review
Omega Days is the first novel of the OMEGA DAYS series by John L. Cambell and it was a thoroughly enjoyable read!
Very much like The Walking Dead on paper, it follows the tale of several groups in the wake of the Omega Virus outbreak & the utter & complete Zombiepocalypse that ensues.
It was well written, and while I noticed that several reviewers didn't enjoy the different groups chronicled throughout, it felt real to me. If an outbreak is pandemic, it's unrealistic to follow just a single group. And as they merged, in unexpected ways, it was interesting to follow.
Speaking of the characters, they had depth and were relatable, and I really liked that there wasn't a set stereotype throughout. The main threads were all diverse and allowed for the introduction of plenty of human psyche drama throughout, not just the obvious underlying tale of trying to survive. I could see each and every scenario happening in real life should something of this magnitude ever come to pass.
This is one of those books - like a good, cheesy, classic horror movie - that will have you yelling at the characters out loud "don't do it" and using OMG like a mantra. :)
And while I loved the book, I loathed the ending; though thankfully, I saw that there's a second book (Ship of the Dead) coming in October.
Bottom line, if you like your zombie fiction, gritty, dirty, and chock full of not only zombie action but the utter horrors of human nature, this is a good book for you.
*Copy gifted in exchange for an honest review
Omega Days is the first novel of the OMEGA DAYS series by John L. Cambell and it was a thoroughly enjoyable read!
Very much like The Walking Dead on paper, it follows the tale of several groups in the wake of the Omega Virus outbreak & the utter & complete Zombiepocalypse that ensues.
It was well written, and while I noticed that several reviewers didn't enjoy the different groups chronicled throughout, it felt real to me. If an outbreak is pandemic, it's unrealistic to follow just a single group. And as they merged, in unexpected ways, it was interesting to follow.
Speaking of the characters, they had depth and were relatable, and I really liked that there wasn't a set stereotype throughout. The main threads were all diverse and allowed for the introduction of plenty of human psyche drama throughout, not just the obvious underlying tale of trying to survive. I could see each and every scenario happening in real life should something of this magnitude ever come to pass.
This is one of those books - like a good, cheesy, classic horror movie - that will have you yelling at the characters out loud "don't do it" and using OMG like a mantra. :)
And while I loved the book, I loathed the ending; though thankfully, I saw that there's a second book (Ship of the Dead) coming in October.
Bottom line, if you like your zombie fiction, gritty, dirty, and chock full of not only zombie action but the utter horrors of human nature, this is a good book for you.
January 12, 2016
John L. Campbell has created the quintessential zombie series with his novel, Omega Days, and this is only the first novel in his Omega Days Series. Without skipping a beat, Omega Days jumps right into the zombie apocalypse with amazing adventures and some very unique characters.
Campbell does an incredible job creating characters you just know you are going to love and some others you just know you are going to absolutely despise.
Omega Days shows that it is not just the walking dead the survivors need to be afraid of, but their fellow survivors as well. The characters in this novel are not your typical apocalypse survivors. Campbell has given the title of survivor to some very unlikely individuals and he makes them true heroes and makes the overall story a more realistic adventure for the reader.
Fans of The Walking Dead, Fear the Walking Dead, and The Strain will fall in love with Omega Days. This is the novel zombie aficionados have been craving! This is going to be an amazing zombie apocalypse series and one that will keep the reader involved from the very beginning.
http://novelideareviews.blogspot.com/...
Campbell does an incredible job creating characters you just know you are going to love and some others you just know you are going to absolutely despise.
Omega Days shows that it is not just the walking dead the survivors need to be afraid of, but their fellow survivors as well. The characters in this novel are not your typical apocalypse survivors. Campbell has given the title of survivor to some very unlikely individuals and he makes them true heroes and makes the overall story a more realistic adventure for the reader.
Fans of The Walking Dead, Fear the Walking Dead, and The Strain will fall in love with Omega Days. This is the novel zombie aficionados have been craving! This is going to be an amazing zombie apocalypse series and one that will keep the reader involved from the very beginning.
http://novelideareviews.blogspot.com/...
July 8, 2013
Oh the life we will live if Zombies come a knocking (or more like bumping) on our doors!
This is one of the better Zombie books that I have read and I have been reading a lot. While I do not believe in spoilers, I will warn that this book is just the beginning of something bigger and I do hope for at least a second follow up as I want to know what becomes of the characters.
After you, the reader, get used to bouncing from story (or person/s) to story and grasp what is going on the book ends! Of course, I want more as I really liked some of the characters. I found the authors take on the undead very interesting and how the undead are not necessarily called or deemed as "Zombies".
However, this IS a Zombie book and is not really anything original in the world of Zombies.
Yet, if you are looking for a nice little read (especially if a follow up book is written) this is a nice addition at an affordable price.
Happy Zombie Hunting!
PS: I don't like spoilers, so I try to write my reviews without letting the cat (zombie or not) out of the bag-
This is one of the better Zombie books that I have read and I have been reading a lot. While I do not believe in spoilers, I will warn that this book is just the beginning of something bigger and I do hope for at least a second follow up as I want to know what becomes of the characters.
After you, the reader, get used to bouncing from story (or person/s) to story and grasp what is going on the book ends! Of course, I want more as I really liked some of the characters. I found the authors take on the undead very interesting and how the undead are not necessarily called or deemed as "Zombies".
However, this IS a Zombie book and is not really anything original in the world of Zombies.
Yet, if you are looking for a nice little read (especially if a follow up book is written) this is a nice addition at an affordable price.
Happy Zombie Hunting!
PS: I don't like spoilers, so I try to write my reviews without letting the cat (zombie or not) out of the bag-
September 15, 2014
So close to that five star mark, but for an irritating error...
The characterizations were good, the action was good, descriptions were good. I particularly liked what I refer to as the "No Great Loss," section, a similar section to what Stephen King had in the uncut version of "The Stand." A great mix of characters, from those who were somewhat prepared to those who had no idea what they were doing. Lots of tragic deaths that I didn't quite expect.
The only thing that stopped this from being a five star book was because two separate characters referenced the zombies as "something from a movie" and "zombies," yet neither knew to shoot them in the head.
Recommended for fans of the genre and post-apocalyptic fiction.
The characterizations were good, the action was good, descriptions were good. I particularly liked what I refer to as the "No Great Loss," section, a similar section to what Stephen King had in the uncut version of "The Stand." A great mix of characters, from those who were somewhat prepared to those who had no idea what they were doing. Lots of tragic deaths that I didn't quite expect.
The only thing that stopped this from being a five star book was because two separate characters referenced the zombies as "something from a movie" and "zombies," yet neither knew to shoot them in the head.
Recommended for fans of the genre and post-apocalyptic fiction.
June 3, 2014
I'm only 100 pages deep and I can't put this book down. Right off the bat it starts with utter chaos. Many of these reviews complain about all the different story line of characters but I don't see that an issue because the story's flip flop back and fourth so fast it is not hard at all to keep track at all. So far this is a great great book I absolutely love it
June 29, 2014
Omega Days
Author: John L. Campbell
Publisher: Berkley Books
Published In: New York, NY, USA
Date: 2013
Pgs: 360
REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS
Summary:
The Omega Virus is spreading. The infected are here. A priest forsaking his vows, a orphaned college coed, and the scion of a reality gun show franchise find themselves in the middle of the swarming undead. The end is here. But the dead are rising. The end of the world has arrived, the Omega Days. The quick, the strong, the determined...maybe they’ll survive...maybe not.
Genre:
Adventure
Apocalypse
Disaster
End of the World
Fiction
Horror
Science fiction
Survivalist
Urban fantasy
Zombies
Why this book:
Zombies. I’m a sucker for zombies.
This Story is About:
courage, survival, sadness, family, treachery, nobility
Favorite Character:
Father Xavier. Ex-Marine. Failed priest. Lost soul. Great character.
Least Favorite Character:
Brother Peter, televangelist, former Airman in the United States Air Force, missile technician who before his evangelical career was honorably discharged from the Air Force only because the higher ups didn’t want the reasons he was mustered out to turn into a media circus. A missile technician who believed that his was a holy mission to safeguard America’s ability to bring God’s fire unto his enemies. Put all those factors together and I don’t just actively dislike this character, I can safely say I hate this dude. I hope that the survivors who make up his flock kill him before the zombies get a chance to.
Character I Most Identified With:
I loved Hank Lyons, saving himself and his Jack Russell Terrier. All the way up until he couldn’t go any further and they were trapped...and nature took its course. This was difficult for me to read. Very well done. But, way, way difficult.
The Feel:
Run for your lives. Perfect feel for a zombie novel.
Favorite Scene:
The firestation bolthole in a zombie apocalypse is one of the best ideas I’ve seen in this kind of fiction ever.
The gringos were not their people. Great scene.
The Jack Russell Terrier scene is sad. Great. But sad.
Pacing:
The pace is awesome. This book is a page flipper. You don’t want to put it down.
Plot Holes/Out of Character:
Hmm Moments:
The awakening you can see coming for Carney, the con escapee from San Quentin. Course, he could just be a scumbag criminal who never sees the path to redemption even in a world that is remaking itself in a burgeoning apocalypse.
If you don’t trust someone in the zombie apocalypse, three things may happen; either you’re going to abandon them, you’re going to kill them, or they are going to kill you. We were supposed to see TC and Maxie coming. Bud saw Maxie coming and let the better angels of his judgement get in his way. And he reaped what he sowed. It’s the letting a viper close to your heart. And I hate it when it comes up, especially in a great story. There’s enough tragedy here without adding human tragedy and treachery. But humanity being what it is, there would be a metric crap ton of human treachery to go round.
Why isn’t there a screenplay?
Casting call:
Dwayne Johnson as Father Xavier...or Carney for that matter. Both roles would be something he could, pardon the context, eat up. Or Danny Trejo as Father Xavier.
Steve Buscemi as Maxie. He can play sleaze. Maxie is pure sleaze.
Ted Danson as Alden. He can do quiet determination and pain. He could project the depth of this character well. Or as Calvin. Could see him as a hippie commune, big family leader. Could see Will Patton in either of these roles as well.
Last Page Sound:
I’m worried. I’m almost at the end of the book and there are still a lot of irons in the fire.
Well crap. It ends...but it doesn’t end.
Still wish I could give it 6 stars.
Too many moving parts with no resolution.
Author Assessment:
This book reminds me a lot of World War Z. I loved that. I love this. Good stuff.
Editorial Assessment:
Well done.
Knee Jerk Reaction:
instant classic
Disposition of Book:
Library
Would recommend to:
friends, family, colleagues, everyone, genre fans
Author: John L. Campbell
Publisher: Berkley Books
Published In: New York, NY, USA
Date: 2013
Pgs: 360
REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS
Summary:
The Omega Virus is spreading. The infected are here. A priest forsaking his vows, a orphaned college coed, and the scion of a reality gun show franchise find themselves in the middle of the swarming undead. The end is here. But the dead are rising. The end of the world has arrived, the Omega Days. The quick, the strong, the determined...maybe they’ll survive...maybe not.
Genre:
Adventure
Apocalypse
Disaster
End of the World
Fiction
Horror
Science fiction
Survivalist
Urban fantasy
Zombies
Why this book:
Zombies. I’m a sucker for zombies.
This Story is About:
courage, survival, sadness, family, treachery, nobility
Favorite Character:
Father Xavier. Ex-Marine. Failed priest. Lost soul. Great character.
Least Favorite Character:
Brother Peter, televangelist, former Airman in the United States Air Force, missile technician who before his evangelical career was honorably discharged from the Air Force only because the higher ups didn’t want the reasons he was mustered out to turn into a media circus. A missile technician who believed that his was a holy mission to safeguard America’s ability to bring God’s fire unto his enemies. Put all those factors together and I don’t just actively dislike this character, I can safely say I hate this dude. I hope that the survivors who make up his flock kill him before the zombies get a chance to.
Character I Most Identified With:
I loved Hank Lyons, saving himself and his Jack Russell Terrier. All the way up until he couldn’t go any further and they were trapped...and nature took its course. This was difficult for me to read. Very well done. But, way, way difficult.
The Feel:
Run for your lives. Perfect feel for a zombie novel.
Favorite Scene:
The firestation bolthole in a zombie apocalypse is one of the best ideas I’ve seen in this kind of fiction ever.
The gringos were not their people. Great scene.
The Jack Russell Terrier scene is sad. Great. But sad.
Pacing:
The pace is awesome. This book is a page flipper. You don’t want to put it down.
Plot Holes/Out of Character:
Hmm Moments:
The awakening you can see coming for Carney, the con escapee from San Quentin. Course, he could just be a scumbag criminal who never sees the path to redemption even in a world that is remaking itself in a burgeoning apocalypse.
If you don’t trust someone in the zombie apocalypse, three things may happen; either you’re going to abandon them, you’re going to kill them, or they are going to kill you. We were supposed to see TC and Maxie coming. Bud saw Maxie coming and let the better angels of his judgement get in his way. And he reaped what he sowed. It’s the letting a viper close to your heart. And I hate it when it comes up, especially in a great story. There’s enough tragedy here without adding human tragedy and treachery. But humanity being what it is, there would be a metric crap ton of human treachery to go round.
Why isn’t there a screenplay?
Casting call:
Dwayne Johnson as Father Xavier...or Carney for that matter. Both roles would be something he could, pardon the context, eat up. Or Danny Trejo as Father Xavier.
Steve Buscemi as Maxie. He can play sleaze. Maxie is pure sleaze.
Ted Danson as Alden. He can do quiet determination and pain. He could project the depth of this character well. Or as Calvin. Could see him as a hippie commune, big family leader. Could see Will Patton in either of these roles as well.
Last Page Sound:
I’m worried. I’m almost at the end of the book and there are still a lot of irons in the fire.
Well crap. It ends...but it doesn’t end.
Still wish I could give it 6 stars.
Too many moving parts with no resolution.
Author Assessment:
This book reminds me a lot of World War Z. I loved that. I love this. Good stuff.
Editorial Assessment:
Well done.
Knee Jerk Reaction:
instant classic
Disposition of Book:
Library
Would recommend to:
friends, family, colleagues, everyone, genre fans
April 30, 2014
Zombie fiction just never gets old to me. I’m not sure why, but it might be because I love reading all of the different visions of how a zombie apocalypse could go down. Some authors depict a post-apocalyptic world as horrific; others show it as only a minor nuisance. But one thing they all seem to agree on is that the zombies will be hungry! OMEGA DAYS is a new entry into the zombie genre, but it has a lot of bite (pardon the pun). This novel is a force to be reckoned with, and much like George A. Romero, I bet John L. Campbell will soon be a name that is consistently synonymous with the term ‘zombie’.
If you’re not familiar with the Greek alphabet, ‘omega’ is the last letter. In the Bible, God refers to Himself as the ‘Alpha and Omega’, or the beginning and the end. Thus, the title for this book is very fitting since it details, basically, the ‘end days’ of humanity.
OMEGA DAYS is written well, with simple prose and non-flashy sentences. I enjoy the writing style Campbell uses because he is descriptive but not overly so. I never once felt bogged down with too much information. On the flip side, I never needed more elaboration, especially when it came to the action. Campbell is a straight-forward writer, which makes for a pleasant reading experience.
The characters are vivid and believable, and I particularly like how they are not all stereotypical ‘survivalists’. A priest, a college freshman, and a gun show reality-star…they just don’t get much more diverse than this. But these unique individuals make the story even more believable, as they are everyday people who are thrust into a horrifying scenario.
And speaking of the characters, I really like how Campbell weaves a lot of human drama into the tale. In many places, the zombies are just a backdrop to the drama that is taking place between the characters. This is very reminiscent of THE WALKING DEAD, and therefore one of the huge draws for me.
OMEGA DAYS is a heck of a zombie debut, and I highly recommend giving it a look. The book hits store shelves next week, so make a note.
If you’re not familiar with the Greek alphabet, ‘omega’ is the last letter. In the Bible, God refers to Himself as the ‘Alpha and Omega’, or the beginning and the end. Thus, the title for this book is very fitting since it details, basically, the ‘end days’ of humanity.
OMEGA DAYS is written well, with simple prose and non-flashy sentences. I enjoy the writing style Campbell uses because he is descriptive but not overly so. I never once felt bogged down with too much information. On the flip side, I never needed more elaboration, especially when it came to the action. Campbell is a straight-forward writer, which makes for a pleasant reading experience.
The characters are vivid and believable, and I particularly like how they are not all stereotypical ‘survivalists’. A priest, a college freshman, and a gun show reality-star…they just don’t get much more diverse than this. But these unique individuals make the story even more believable, as they are everyday people who are thrust into a horrifying scenario.
And speaking of the characters, I really like how Campbell weaves a lot of human drama into the tale. In many places, the zombies are just a backdrop to the drama that is taking place between the characters. This is very reminiscent of THE WALKING DEAD, and therefore one of the huge draws for me.
OMEGA DAYS is a heck of a zombie debut, and I highly recommend giving it a look. The book hits store shelves next week, so make a note.
July 19, 2014
One question I have about many zombie novels is, Why in the hell do people want to head south or stay in the south? Why would anyone head for a city? Ok that was two questions, but I'm entitled I think since I read the book. My spidey sense tells me one should head to the northern states during a zombie apocalypse. It also tells me to head for someplace that's not populated. Several people in this novel do the exact thing that I'm talking about and I sat there and shook my head wondering why. Now that I got that out here are some of my thoughts.
This book had more characters than a George R.R. Martin novel. For a while I thought I was going to need a notebook just to keep track of who was who. I felt that so many characters were introduced that didn't need to be. A couple of pages and their life ended right there. Instead of throwing them helter skelter into the middle of the book, they would have been better in a novelette. I just didn't see the significance of stuffing them in mid-book.
The characters that did stick around seemed to have no difference in their voices until almost 1/2 way through the novel. I had no favourite character until the middle of the book when the characters started taking on different personalities. I think that was when I actually started getting into the book. For a while the novel was sounding way to "zombie cliché's".
All in all this was not a bad novel. I'm actually looking forward to what may come next.
This book had more characters than a George R.R. Martin novel. For a while I thought I was going to need a notebook just to keep track of who was who. I felt that so many characters were introduced that didn't need to be. A couple of pages and their life ended right there. Instead of throwing them helter skelter into the middle of the book, they would have been better in a novelette. I just didn't see the significance of stuffing them in mid-book.
The characters that did stick around seemed to have no difference in their voices until almost 1/2 way through the novel. I had no favourite character until the middle of the book when the characters started taking on different personalities. I think that was when I actually started getting into the book. For a while the novel was sounding way to "zombie cliché's".
All in all this was not a bad novel. I'm actually looking forward to what may come next.
April 16, 2015
This book put me through a roller coaster that is for sure! This story is told from multiple POV (at times he does head hop but it somehow works and I was able to over look it.) and you get into the heads of random groups of people, good and bad, during a zombie outbreak. This one runs fast and kinda crazy! These aren't fast moving zombies but the author seems to spin an original take on this world and the virus. You get nice little tidbits and maybe a clue of those the virus started but the doctor is then killed. I would really like to encounter another person who knows what's going on. There has to be an underground group, there has to RIGHT!
There were times that this book rode a Walking Dead line. With the whole 'every human left alive is bad' deal. But you actually find goodness in the craziest places and the author redeems some of the bad humans. I do have a favorite character, and I have already shipped her with one of the men. Oddly enough this said man ends up saving her in a hoard and I was squeeing.
Then--the author--choose this character to stick in a tree and toss metaphorical rocks at her the entire book and how it ended with her!!!! I was screaming and asked for a spoiler from someone who read it lol
I'm sorry I had to know if my girl was in the next book! As far as zombie series goes, this is a total win. Very well written with gender equality and everything I LOVE about a zombie book!
*I purchased a copy of this book from my local bookstore The Book Rack*
There were times that this book rode a Walking Dead line. With the whole 'every human left alive is bad' deal. But you actually find goodness in the craziest places and the author redeems some of the bad humans. I do have a favorite character, and I have already shipped her with one of the men. Oddly enough this said man ends up saving her in a hoard and I was squeeing.
Then--the author--choose this character to stick in a tree and toss metaphorical rocks at her the entire book and how it ended with her!!!! I was screaming and asked for a spoiler from someone who read it lol
I'm sorry I had to know if my girl was in the next book! As far as zombie series goes, this is a total win. Very well written with gender equality and everything I LOVE about a zombie book!
*I purchased a copy of this book from my local bookstore The Book Rack*
March 27, 2013
Here is a good old fashioned end of the world Zombie Apocalypse that has plenty of cherry pie filler flying around in it. "Omega Days" by John L. Campbell sets this story on the West coast where zombies start showing up by the dozen, then by the thousands, and then by the millions as the whole city of Los Angeles becomes zombified and starts marching north up I-15 in search of fresh humans (and a few snack dogs).
This is the first book in a series just atarted by Mr. Campbell and I will definitely be looking for book two. Already looked out on Amazon and is not there yet.
These are the classic zombies, not new age ones. They groan and moan, shuffle slowly along (although they shuffle faster when they see a meal nearby), you can only kill them with a head shot, and they never get full and are always hungry. In other words, these are real zombies.
From San Diego up to San Francisco the zombies are running around everywhere and completely overrunning the military bases. Where do you hide from Zombies? Maybe an island? There might be one somewhere in this book. After reading this, it makes me start looking forward to the upcoming summer blockbuster movie, "World War Z" starring Brad Pitt. And, by the way, the "Z" in that movie title stands for "Zombie."
Good book.
This is the first book in a series just atarted by Mr. Campbell and I will definitely be looking for book two. Already looked out on Amazon and is not there yet.
These are the classic zombies, not new age ones. They groan and moan, shuffle slowly along (although they shuffle faster when they see a meal nearby), you can only kill them with a head shot, and they never get full and are always hungry. In other words, these are real zombies.
From San Diego up to San Francisco the zombies are running around everywhere and completely overrunning the military bases. Where do you hide from Zombies? Maybe an island? There might be one somewhere in this book. After reading this, it makes me start looking forward to the upcoming summer blockbuster movie, "World War Z" starring Brad Pitt. And, by the way, the "Z" in that movie title stands for "Zombie."
Good book.
November 18, 2015
Really good. Got my attention fast and kept it strong, until after 1/2 way through. I started waiting for more of the different characters to come together. The book goes back and forth from diferent people experiencing the zombies and trying to get somewhere safe. Obviously it seems, they are meant to connect at some point, like many books do. However, there's no connection for some of the characters until the last 2-3 chapters. I just wish they had come together sooner, otherwise I started to feel like the plot wasn't going any where and each character was almost a separate story not connected to the others, other than having to deal with the zombies as well. Not sure what the 2nd book will bring. I am intrigued to keep reading, but I do hope the 2nd one grabs my attention early since I was dwindling slightly at end of first book.
June 15, 2013
2 Stars
This zombie thriller suffers from trying to be too much like so many other better post-apoc novels out there. It tries to play off a bit like World War Z in its many snippets of individuals dying that added nothing to the story. Like so many other books this one goes to great lengths to show how people are scarier monsters than flesh eating undead. Although this is a fast paced book, i cared very little for the cast or the outcome. Xavier is the only character that interested me and his story was not a large enough part of the whole for me to give this book more than passing marks.
This is probably a novel that only die hard zombie readers like myself will make it through it. Not sure if I will read a sequel.
This zombie thriller suffers from trying to be too much like so many other better post-apoc novels out there. It tries to play off a bit like World War Z in its many snippets of individuals dying that added nothing to the story. Like so many other books this one goes to great lengths to show how people are scarier monsters than flesh eating undead. Although this is a fast paced book, i cared very little for the cast or the outcome. Xavier is the only character that interested me and his story was not a large enough part of the whole for me to give this book more than passing marks.
This is probably a novel that only die hard zombie readers like myself will make it through it. Not sure if I will read a sequel.
January 28, 2015
I was really blown away by this novel! John Campbell did a remarkable job with character development and the plot never suffered a moment of drag. The action is non-stop and the realism he was able to infuse into situations which can often seem silly in other paranormal books was impressive. You won't be disappointed with this purchase! My only complaint.... the ending just dropped off to continue in the next book so there was no real resolution, which was a little disappointing - not enough that I would hesistate to buy the next in the series, but it would be nice to have a little bit of a wrap up to hold us over!
May 2, 2018
I found "Omega Days" by John L. Campbell to be a very good zombie apocalypse story. I like how it jumps right into the unfolding horrors. Each chapter cycling through different groups of people from when they encounter their first zombie through rising up to the challenge or falling to their baser instincts to survive. This is the first in a series and ends with those who have survived ending up together. If you like the zombie genre, I think you will enjoy this book.
November 11, 2025
TLDR: 2.5* This had so much more potential to me but fell short of the mark 😩
I haven’t been so conflicted on a book in a long time. This had me HOOKED in the first half & boy did it lose me as the book went on. I genuinely found myself checking to see how many pages were left when i wasn’t even halfway through & tbh i hated the ending
The fear, the zombies & the gore? Yes yes yes
Satisfying amount of headstomps, zombie nuns, zombie children like omg this book pulled no punches & perfectly grasped that daunting horror we love from zombies. This book had me questioning what I think i could do in the situations & for some it was terrifying in such a good way. When they described the numbers to a sea of the dead walking ya girl got goosebumpssssss
Spoilers ahead ❗️❗️❗️
Now this is where things got messy to me.
-The points of view & the slight racist undertones.
Multiple povs that were easy to keep up with somehow felt very similar & repetitive ESPECIALLY any & every scene that involved anything military related. Clearly i get why but it was eye-roll inducing by the time i was midway through the book.
One guy who was just called dreadlocks guy (also another that was “man with braids”. A main character (& their parent) “covering their laughter with their hands seeing someone wearing a muumuu at Walmart”, or when they were driving around in an area that was “mostly black and Hispanic” because it was a “poor Oakland section of shabby houses”. There’s so much more i could reference but you get my point.
Then again a lot of these characters were kiiiiinda terribly written in my opinion. You got an average joe freshman who becomes a military hardass, a sadistic cannibalistic televangelist, a reformed priest who was weaponized by the government, a reality tv star who happens to be driving a suped up gun van, escaped convicts one of which wants to “bang” a zombie i mean idk
I haven’t been so conflicted on a book in a long time. This had me HOOKED in the first half & boy did it lose me as the book went on. I genuinely found myself checking to see how many pages were left when i wasn’t even halfway through & tbh i hated the ending
The fear, the zombies & the gore? Yes yes yes
Satisfying amount of headstomps, zombie nuns, zombie children like omg this book pulled no punches & perfectly grasped that daunting horror we love from zombies. This book had me questioning what I think i could do in the situations & for some it was terrifying in such a good way. When they described the numbers to a sea of the dead walking ya girl got goosebumpssssss
Spoilers ahead ❗️❗️❗️
Now this is where things got messy to me.
-The points of view & the slight racist undertones.
Multiple povs that were easy to keep up with somehow felt very similar & repetitive ESPECIALLY any & every scene that involved anything military related. Clearly i get why but it was eye-roll inducing by the time i was midway through the book.
One guy who was just called dreadlocks guy (also another that was “man with braids”. A main character (& their parent) “covering their laughter with their hands seeing someone wearing a muumuu at Walmart”, or when they were driving around in an area that was “mostly black and Hispanic” because it was a “poor Oakland section of shabby houses”. There’s so much more i could reference but you get my point.
Then again a lot of these characters were kiiiiinda terribly written in my opinion. You got an average joe freshman who becomes a military hardass, a sadistic cannibalistic televangelist, a reformed priest who was weaponized by the government, a reality tv star who happens to be driving a suped up gun van, escaped convicts one of which wants to “bang” a zombie i mean idk
August 5, 2024
Zombie, Drifters, Rotters, Walking Dead!
Another classic and out-and-out Zombie book! A subject that fascinates me to the core. How it all started? What made people turn into mindless monsters who have this want to eat others and their bites make the other turn into them? This is a very fast-paced book, which deals with multiple POVs of different characters.
The characters are pretty unique and have their own set of backstories! After reading The Stand by Stephen King, and loving it, I thought it would never be topped. This book though, if not topped, sits side-by-side along with it. I am a Zombocalypse nutter myself. And a gamer, who reads, so I believe that's context enough for you to understand that the outbreak of Zombies is a much-anticipated topic for me, however there are parts in the book that gave me a cold sweat and made me feel a hell of lot eerie. Not because of the Zs, but of human nature in times of crisis! How sick and dangerous humans can be just to ensure their survival! This also led me to reconsider, if I would still feel the same of the Z Apocalypse!
All in all, loved this book, soon will be starting the next one in the series!
Another classic and out-and-out Zombie book! A subject that fascinates me to the core. How it all started? What made people turn into mindless monsters who have this want to eat others and their bites make the other turn into them? This is a very fast-paced book, which deals with multiple POVs of different characters.
The characters are pretty unique and have their own set of backstories! After reading The Stand by Stephen King, and loving it, I thought it would never be topped. This book though, if not topped, sits side-by-side along with it. I am a Zombocalypse nutter myself. And a gamer, who reads, so I believe that's context enough for you to understand that the outbreak of Zombies is a much-anticipated topic for me, however there are parts in the book that gave me a cold sweat and made me feel a hell of lot eerie. Not because of the Zs, but of human nature in times of crisis! How sick and dangerous humans can be just to ensure their survival! This also led me to reconsider, if I would still feel the same of the Z Apocalypse!
All in all, loved this book, soon will be starting the next one in the series!
August 9, 2025
I really liked this zombie book. I especially liked the vignette in the middle which showed how various tertiary characters met their demise during the opening days of the disease. I think this adds a layer and richness to the story.
October 10, 2017
Total angenehmer Schreibstil ohne unnötige Ausschweifungen.
Man ist nach ein paar Seiten sofort im Geschehen drin.
Hat wirklich Spaß gemacht. Ich hab mir den zweiten Teil schon bestellt.
Man ist nach ein paar Seiten sofort im Geschehen drin.
Hat wirklich Spaß gemacht. Ich hab mir den zweiten Teil schon bestellt.
July 6, 2019
good Zombie Book.... good.. not.. fantastic... but.. eh.... entertaining.
September 1, 2025
Omega Days (Omega Days #1) by John L. Campbell is a pretty great post apocalyptic zombie horror story. I wasn't at all familiar with this author before I picked this (and its sequel) up from a thrift store, but it sounded intriguing. Luckily for me, it really reeled me in. The action and horror elements were great and it kept my attention. I'm looking forward to reading book two, Ship of the Dead.
November 7, 2018
3.5 Stars rounded up to 4...….This was a good "groundwork" book.....fabulous character outlines!
"When the end came, it came quickly. No one knew where or exactly when the Omega Virus started, but soon it was everywhere. And when the ones spreading it can’t die, no one stands a chance of surviving."
We have a huge variety of characters from your typical college student who turns into a killing machine to a reality TV show star who has a fully stocked arsenal of guns. And while Skye and Angie are fascinating characters, one of the characters that isn’t really your typical ‘stock character’ in a zombie apocalypse is Xavier, the priest. He is definitely an unconventional priest coming from a very rough background but at the same time he really does seem to care about all of the survivors he meets. For a while he loses his faith (who wouldn’t?) but then toward the end of the novel we start to see a sort of transformation in him as he learns that perhaps all is not hopeless, despite the devastation around him.
One really cool thing about this book was everyone knew about zombies.....not like other books that the characters are totally clueless as to what is happening. Another thing I appreciated was that although the government of the United States fell fairly quickly, independent pockets of the military managed to cling on and try to rescue as many people as they could. That’s more realistic in my view than a total collapse of everything as surely there would be some military units out there with a strong enough chain of command to hold people together during a crisis, even one as big as a zombie apocalypse. And throughout the story we see the points of view of various peoples who survive in various ways: doctors whose hospitals were mostly overrun but were protected by the military for a time while they worked on a cure, a Russian military pilot sent to train American soldiers, a crazy televangelist who is about as ruthless as you might expect, etc. Some of these people play large parts in the story while others only get a single point of view before dying or just passing from notice. It’s a very realistic look into how different people would cope during a nationwide disaster like a zombie apocalypse.
Normally you would expect all of these points of view to really slow down the plot or make it confusing. Omega Days really didn’t have that problem, oddly enough. The little side stories were nice and were short enough that they didn’t take away from the main plot as the different pockets of survivors converged. They also imparted important information regarding how the military and governmental structures fell and what doctors and scientists were able to find out about the Omega Virus and zombies in general before most of the hospitals were overrun. I think it will be very interesting in future books to see Campbell expand upon the idea that the zombies aren’t just infected with one virus, they have two different viruses working in tandem. I would love to gush on about this very different idea of making zombies come to life (so to speak) but I’ll leave that for you to discover as you read the book.
Soooo....overall Omega Days was a surprise....it's not like all the other zombie books out there...….
Omega Days turned out to be really different and I appreciated all of the different points of view John L. Campbell wove together into a coherent narrative that told the story of the zombie apocalypse. I can’t say that this book is the most amazing I’ve ever read but it is very well written, with interesting characters and plenty of suspense. You can’t go wrong with that.
I will definitely be moving on to Book 2 to see what happens:)))
"When the end came, it came quickly. No one knew where or exactly when the Omega Virus started, but soon it was everywhere. And when the ones spreading it can’t die, no one stands a chance of surviving."
We have a huge variety of characters from your typical college student who turns into a killing machine to a reality TV show star who has a fully stocked arsenal of guns. And while Skye and Angie are fascinating characters, one of the characters that isn’t really your typical ‘stock character’ in a zombie apocalypse is Xavier, the priest. He is definitely an unconventional priest coming from a very rough background but at the same time he really does seem to care about all of the survivors he meets. For a while he loses his faith (who wouldn’t?) but then toward the end of the novel we start to see a sort of transformation in him as he learns that perhaps all is not hopeless, despite the devastation around him.
One really cool thing about this book was everyone knew about zombies.....not like other books that the characters are totally clueless as to what is happening. Another thing I appreciated was that although the government of the United States fell fairly quickly, independent pockets of the military managed to cling on and try to rescue as many people as they could. That’s more realistic in my view than a total collapse of everything as surely there would be some military units out there with a strong enough chain of command to hold people together during a crisis, even one as big as a zombie apocalypse. And throughout the story we see the points of view of various peoples who survive in various ways: doctors whose hospitals were mostly overrun but were protected by the military for a time while they worked on a cure, a Russian military pilot sent to train American soldiers, a crazy televangelist who is about as ruthless as you might expect, etc. Some of these people play large parts in the story while others only get a single point of view before dying or just passing from notice. It’s a very realistic look into how different people would cope during a nationwide disaster like a zombie apocalypse.
Normally you would expect all of these points of view to really slow down the plot or make it confusing. Omega Days really didn’t have that problem, oddly enough. The little side stories were nice and were short enough that they didn’t take away from the main plot as the different pockets of survivors converged. They also imparted important information regarding how the military and governmental structures fell and what doctors and scientists were able to find out about the Omega Virus and zombies in general before most of the hospitals were overrun. I think it will be very interesting in future books to see Campbell expand upon the idea that the zombies aren’t just infected with one virus, they have two different viruses working in tandem. I would love to gush on about this very different idea of making zombies come to life (so to speak) but I’ll leave that for you to discover as you read the book.
Soooo....overall Omega Days was a surprise....it's not like all the other zombie books out there...….
Omega Days turned out to be really different and I appreciated all of the different points of view John L. Campbell wove together into a coherent narrative that told the story of the zombie apocalypse. I can’t say that this book is the most amazing I’ve ever read but it is very well written, with interesting characters and plenty of suspense. You can’t go wrong with that.
I will definitely be moving on to Book 2 to see what happens:)))
September 3, 2014
For some reason, I have no problem when tv shows end with cliffhangers, those gimmicks to get you to return to the show when it comes back on the air months later. But when books do the same, end with cliffhangers, it drives me absolutely mental. That's the only reason this book received 4 stars. I was thoroughly getting a kick out of this zombie apocalypse novel set in my area of the world - the Bay Area of California. Every story and all the character were coming together in unexpected combinations, and then ta-da, the book just ends. At least 4 separate story lines were left with cliffhangers. I wanted to scream and throw the book out the window. I like my books with closure and resolution. Not going to happen here in this first book. Trust me when I say, I will be seriously ticked off if there is no sequel. Another reason this book missed out on a star was a lost opportunity to set an action piece within the BART, the areas transit system. It would have made a killer set piece.
Overall, though, this is a fun entry in the zombie apocalypse genre. It's gory, suspenseful, and it's a great game trying to figure out which characters are going to die. I kept guessing wrong at every turn. Fun read!
Overall, though, this is a fun entry in the zombie apocalypse genre. It's gory, suspenseful, and it's a great game trying to figure out which characters are going to die. I kept guessing wrong at every turn. Fun read!
February 5, 2015
I thought this first book in a series was a great, well-written zombie thriller on a par with World War Z and Apocalypse Z, which have been so lauded! The story follows several individuals and groups independently, telling what happens to each when the zombie apocalypse hits the Bay Area in thrillingly gruesome detail!
I thought the combination of characters was great, too. There is a priest struggling with his faith, a college freshman who just saw her parents attacked and who was unable to save her little sister, the star of the reality TV show "Angie's Armory" and her uncle and part of the crew and weapons, hardened escaped San Quintin inmates, a prison-bound televangelist and his sycophants, and a young writer and a group of hippies, to name a few. How each deals with the unleashed savagery makes for a great story as they all head for Alameda, where they hope to find their last hope - the hospital ship.
Skye, the college freshman, has the good fortune to be rescued by a group of soldiers and taught how to use their guns and starts turning herself into a force to be reckoned with. The televangelist, on the other hand, may be descending into depraved madness. Can't wait for the next book to see what happens next!
I thought the combination of characters was great, too. There is a priest struggling with his faith, a college freshman who just saw her parents attacked and who was unable to save her little sister, the star of the reality TV show "Angie's Armory" and her uncle and part of the crew and weapons, hardened escaped San Quintin inmates, a prison-bound televangelist and his sycophants, and a young writer and a group of hippies, to name a few. How each deals with the unleashed savagery makes for a great story as they all head for Alameda, where they hope to find their last hope - the hospital ship.
Skye, the college freshman, has the good fortune to be rescued by a group of soldiers and taught how to use their guns and starts turning herself into a force to be reckoned with. The televangelist, on the other hand, may be descending into depraved madness. Can't wait for the next book to see what happens next!
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