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Quarantined #1
Until the End
An outbreak of what is immediately dubbed The Fever has taken hold of Portland, Oregon, bringing the population to its knees. The Fever spreads and kills quickly, but the dead aren't staying dead.
When her college classmate Jordan saves her from one of the infected, Alissa joins him in his plan to escape the city, the disease and the threat of a quarantine that will lock the living in with the undead.
What she doesn't tell him is that she has an illness of her own, one that plays tricks with her mind and makes her a dangerous companion. But Jordan has a secret as well, one that compels him to keep Alissa, a veritable stranger, safe at all costs.
As they fight for their lives and race for their freedom, they'll discover that what they truly need in order to survive is to stay together until the end.
When her college classmate Jordan saves her from one of the infected, Alissa joins him in his plan to escape the city, the disease and the threat of a quarantine that will lock the living in with the undead.
What she doesn't tell him is that she has an illness of her own, one that plays tricks with her mind and makes her a dangerous companion. But Jordan has a secret as well, one that compels him to keep Alissa, a veritable stranger, safe at all costs.
As they fight for their lives and race for their freedom, they'll discover that what they truly need in order to survive is to stay together until the end.
308 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2013
343 people are currently reading
2507 people want to read
About the author
Tracey Ward
41 books958 followersI was born in Oregon and studied English Literature at the University of Oregon (Go Ducks!) My husband and my son are my world.
The best way to keep up on my newest releases, giveaways, and sales is to follow me on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tracey...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 194 reviews
May 1, 2015
OMG - this book was like a freakshow running at a break-neck pace, but in a seriously GOOD way!
I've seen/read enough zombie fiction to say I'm a bit disaffected by the genre. You just get a feel for the rhythm and old, familiar places stories like these make plays for - jump scares and heart-strings.
I won't pretend UNTIL THE END was flying in total defiance of what you've come to expect from zombie novels, more it knows how to make the most of premise and keep readers on the edge while turning pages. Reading this alone. In the dark. Because I like to bait nightmares and am punished for my hubris...was FUN!
I was paranoid half the time and lulled into false security with the humor and charm of the characters for the rest. Seriously, I would be laughing and suddenly my jaw would drop because dark, godless things started happening and - frankly - I was impressed the author had the guts to give low blows to her readers every so often.
You have to love practical, relateable "you-and-me" style characters in books like this because they spare you SO MUCH ENERGY when it comes to yelling at them for being dumbasses 90% of the book.
I had a grand time. If you give this book a chance yourself, I wish you all the same.
I've seen/read enough zombie fiction to say I'm a bit disaffected by the genre. You just get a feel for the rhythm and old, familiar places stories like these make plays for - jump scares and heart-strings.
I won't pretend UNTIL THE END was flying in total defiance of what you've come to expect from zombie novels, more it knows how to make the most of premise and keep readers on the edge while turning pages. Reading this alone. In the dark. Because I like to bait nightmares and am punished for my hubris...was FUN!
I was paranoid half the time and lulled into false security with the humor and charm of the characters for the rest. Seriously, I would be laughing and suddenly my jaw would drop because dark, godless things started happening and - frankly - I was impressed the author had the guts to give low blows to her readers every so often.
You have to love practical, relateable "you-and-me" style characters in books like this because they spare you SO MUCH ENERGY when it comes to yelling at them for being dumbasses 90% of the book.
I had a grand time. If you give this book a chance yourself, I wish you all the same.
July 7, 2020
Disappointing.
A good story pulls you in. You become a part of it. The actions of the characters make sense.
None of that here. This book reads like a list of things that happen. No development. Characters appear presumably to tick a box before disappearing.
I listened to the audiobook and honestly the narrator sounded bored. I can understand that.
A good story pulls you in. You become a part of it. The actions of the characters make sense.
None of that here. This book reads like a list of things that happen. No development. Characters appear presumably to tick a box before disappearing.
I listened to the audiobook and honestly the narrator sounded bored. I can understand that.
March 6, 2014
This book was RIDICULOUSLY good. No wait. Not ridiculously. Just perfectly. I'm all flaily hands and crazy eyes over it. Alissa and Jordan's relationship felt right, you know? It FELT RIGHT.
While I'm admittedly (slightly) obsessed with zombie apocalypse love stories at the moment (what? It's a thing. A thing I like A LOT!), I really liked the slow burn of their attraction. Sure, the timing isn't great and there's always the possibility one or both of them will run into the worst sort of trouble, but their banter and awkward looks worked so nicely.
I really liked that we were given a look at how someone who relies on drugs to keep herself balanced has to deal with the possibility she won't be able to get anymore once her current supply runs out. That fear, thrown on top of a shambling horde of undead who want to EAT THEIR FACES OFF, adds an extra layer of tension.
Yes, I'm smitten with this book. Can you tell? CAN YOU? I want more. MOAR!
-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal
While I'm admittedly (slightly) obsessed with zombie apocalypse love stories at the moment (what? It's a thing. A thing I like A LOT!), I really liked the slow burn of their attraction. Sure, the timing isn't great and there's always the possibility one or both of them will run into the worst sort of trouble, but their banter and awkward looks worked so nicely.
I really liked that we were given a look at how someone who relies on drugs to keep herself balanced has to deal with the possibility she won't be able to get anymore once her current supply runs out. That fear, thrown on top of a shambling horde of undead who want to EAT THEIR FACES OFF, adds an extra layer of tension.
Yes, I'm smitten with this book. Can you tell? CAN YOU? I want more. MOAR!
-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal
September 19, 2015
I'm tired of DNFing books and I wanted to force my way through this one (cause look at those ratings!). But what's the point, really, if I don't even care about the characters or where the author is going with the story?
It's 3am, so I'm going to make this quick.
Alissa, our MC, is a badass. Cause she has a bow and she can shoot, like, really well. Cause her uncle taught her. Knowing that she is psychologically unstable and is prey to hallucinations --violent ones-- if she forgets to take her meds. He also bought her a hunting knife. Cause he cares and it's not irresponsible at all. Not to mention extremely convenient in case of a zombie apocalypse. Alissa is also stupid and irritating and a drama queen. But hey! Bow and arrow.
Jordan, the sidekick/love interest/MC#2 is, like, super dreamy. I mean he's a blue-eyed brunette with, you know, muscles and stuff, so.. duh. That's like super original slash never seen before in any other book ever. A blue-eyed brunette -- totally not the archetype. Jordan likes Alissa for reasons unknown (to me, anyway) and is always ready to jump into the face of danger to protect her with his broad, muscular, manly chest. LITERALLY. I'm telling you: So. Dreamy. Or as Alissa put it: "He's my hero, my hero. A knight in shining armor." I totally didn't just puke everywhere.
The love story has the subtlety of a fork stabbing you in the eye in slow motion. Beautiful.
In all seriousness though, this book is a mix of 28 Days Later, Zombieland, Dawn of the Dead, The Walking Dead, and who knows what other movies I haven't yet watched or comics I haven't read. Now, I know that the story is supposed to take place "in real life", the world as we know it, where people actually use the Z word instead of "walkers" and such crap, and rely on popular zombie books and movies to fight against the hordes of undead. And pop culture is exactly where I'd look for tips, too, Scotch-taping my arms to protect them from bites WWZ-style, and so on. So I wouldn't have minded if UtE had simply mentioned some details specific to these movies/books, as a tribute or something. But that is not what happened. Putting Alissa and Jordan in the exact same situations as the characters from these other works is not what I call paying a tribute. The boat (28 Days Later), the supermarket and the truck (Dawn of the Dead), the Twinkies (yall know what movie that's from).. Please stop.
Unless it is supposed to be satire, like Cabin in the Woods or something. But in that case, it's quite badly done. (And I hated CitW anyway.)
The writing was okay, so I guess I could give it 1.5/5? But other than that *yawn*
Just go watch 28 Days Later, it's really good. ("Days" though, not "Weeks", cause both exist and the latter sucks big time imo.)
May 21, 2016
Maybe more 3.5 stars
December 1, 2013
This was a wonderful book which gripped me from the first page. I haven’t read too many zombie novels but I was intrigued by the blurb and I’m very glad I discovered this author. The writing is spot-on: great pacing, full of action, tension and well-developed characters who you root for. But the key thing for me was that the story was always grounded and never became over-the-top – it’s about survival and is laced with deft humour that keeps everything human and emotionally real. This is much more than a zombie novel and I’ll be eagerly reading the next book in the series.
February 10, 2015
You know I really though this had potential, I mean seriously who doesn't love a good zombie apocalypse book? right off the bat I loved the main character, she's a total badass with a bow and arrow, was raised country, she's a hunter (Like me), she's got a bow. and that's where the inconsistencies start. I have hunted with a lot of different weapons, rifles, cross bows, compounds, so when things don't add up I tend to notice more than some people. through out the book Alissa makes comments like "I swing my bow over my shoulder" okay, that is a little odd, but not too bad so lets move on to the next one. "I shoulder my bow" okay quick fun fact: the term "shouldering" only applies to rifles and cross bows, it refers to the act of lifting the stock to you shoulder to aim and probably fire the weapon. it has nothing to do with swinging the bow over your shoulder. swinging the bow over your shoulder is also not a very effective way of carrying it, and you have the potential to damage the string rendering the bow useless.
Another thing that really bothered me was the "hunting knife" that is talked about frequently, and used to kill many zombies. now in the beginning Alissa states that she hunt with a bow, a knife, and a gun . first of all I do not know of anyone who can hunt with a knife. spear? check. bow? check. rifle? definitely. knife? not that I know of, and If you did I would have to be a big friggin knife. knives are something that every hunter should always have on his person for varying reasons, but that doesn't mean that I would recommend hunting with them. furthermore, it is decided on by Alissa and Jordan that the "hunting knife" is not a "melee weapon". okay If its not a melee weapon than what the hell is it? and exactly what kind of knife are we talking here? do you mean knife like folding knife, or machete? you cant get away with just saying "hunting knife" because realistically there is not such thing.
okay last few technical details to go into before I start on the characters. there is a part, (I will not go into specifics because if you do plan on reading the book I will not spoil it for you) where Alissa has a rifle, and is attempting to shoot out "industrial tires" here is her take on the scene. "I lift my brand new rifle, point it at the tires and pull the trigger. nothing happens. This, this right here, is why I hate guns. "to hell with this." I mutter and drop the rifle, letting it clatter to the ground." this is exactly the opposite of what you should do when faced with that kind of situation, and any one who has ever handles a gun knows that. if you pull the trigger and nothing happens either you screwed up when loading it, forgot to turn the safety off, or something is very, very wrong. that gun has the potential to blow up in your face, and throwing it on the ground is asking for trouble. next Alissa proceeds to shoot a chisel point broad-head into an industrial tire at exactly the same time as Jordan and it blows. let me remind you that they are shooting at a moving target, from a roof top. the chance that both would make that shot are minuscule, and even if the truck had been standing it would have been damn near impossible to put enough force behind an arrow to get it to puncture the tire.
now onto the actual characters. lets get two things straight, I like Alissa, and I like Jordan. that being said I feel like they have absolutely no chemistry. we went from lets stay together to increase our chances of survival to sucking each others face in 0 pages flat. then we have snickers (those of you who have read the book know what I'm talking about) I liked that idea, and I felt like it had the potential to be one of those gut wrenching, soul shattering moments, that just make you want to cry for days . but it wasn't. it seemed to me like snickers only purpose was to create conflict between Alissa and Jordan, I found it hard to invest in her because one minute she was there, and the next she wasn't. there really wasn't any characterization, and I felt like there should have been.
as far as the twist at the end with Alissa's uncle, it seemed very rushed, and unnecessary. after most of the book being about survival I just couldn't bring myself to really care, it seemed small in comparison to the rest of the book, and I think if you want a plot twist at the end it needs to be something big.
all in all I was very disappointed, and I would not recommend this book.
Another thing that really bothered me was the "hunting knife" that is talked about frequently, and used to kill many zombies. now in the beginning Alissa states that she hunt with a bow, a knife, and a gun . first of all I do not know of anyone who can hunt with a knife. spear? check. bow? check. rifle? definitely. knife? not that I know of, and If you did I would have to be a big friggin knife. knives are something that every hunter should always have on his person for varying reasons, but that doesn't mean that I would recommend hunting with them. furthermore, it is decided on by Alissa and Jordan that the "hunting knife" is not a "melee weapon". okay If its not a melee weapon than what the hell is it? and exactly what kind of knife are we talking here? do you mean knife like folding knife, or machete? you cant get away with just saying "hunting knife" because realistically there is not such thing.
okay last few technical details to go into before I start on the characters. there is a part, (I will not go into specifics because if you do plan on reading the book I will not spoil it for you) where Alissa has a rifle, and is attempting to shoot out "industrial tires" here is her take on the scene. "I lift my brand new rifle, point it at the tires and pull the trigger. nothing happens. This, this right here, is why I hate guns. "to hell with this." I mutter and drop the rifle, letting it clatter to the ground." this is exactly the opposite of what you should do when faced with that kind of situation, and any one who has ever handles a gun knows that. if you pull the trigger and nothing happens either you screwed up when loading it, forgot to turn the safety off, or something is very, very wrong. that gun has the potential to blow up in your face, and throwing it on the ground is asking for trouble. next Alissa proceeds to shoot a chisel point broad-head into an industrial tire at exactly the same time as Jordan and it blows. let me remind you that they are shooting at a moving target, from a roof top. the chance that both would make that shot are minuscule, and even if the truck had been standing it would have been damn near impossible to put enough force behind an arrow to get it to puncture the tire.
now onto the actual characters. lets get two things straight, I like Alissa, and I like Jordan. that being said I feel like they have absolutely no chemistry. we went from lets stay together to increase our chances of survival to sucking each others face in 0 pages flat. then we have snickers (those of you who have read the book know what I'm talking about) I liked that idea, and I felt like it had the potential to be one of those gut wrenching, soul shattering moments, that just make you want to cry for days . but it wasn't. it seemed to me like snickers only purpose was to create conflict between Alissa and Jordan, I found it hard to invest in her because one minute she was there, and the next she wasn't. there really wasn't any characterization, and I felt like there should have been.
as far as the twist at the end with Alissa's uncle, it seemed very rushed, and unnecessary. after most of the book being about survival I just couldn't bring myself to really care, it seemed small in comparison to the rest of the book, and I think if you want a plot twist at the end it needs to be something big.
all in all I was very disappointed, and I would not recommend this book.
February 11, 2018
3rd time reading this, loved it as much as the first two times! looking forward to book 2 now
Just finished my second read of this on 4/2/17 and not surprisingly I loved it the second time round as much as I did the first time and am looking forward to reading the second book :-)
This is free on Amazon Kindle so if you enjoy zombie books then you really should go download this now!
Just finished my second read of this on 4/2/17 and not surprisingly I loved it the second time round as much as I did the first time and am looking forward to reading the second book :-)
This is free on Amazon Kindle so if you enjoy zombie books then you really should go download this now!
January 19, 2014
This book was given to me in .pdf format by the author in exchange for a fair review.
This is a decent, quick read. While I liked it well enough, teens and young adults will probably get a lot more enjoyment out of it than I did... and people who are totally into the zombie apocalypse, of course. I'm not. I love me a good 'end of the world is nigh' book, but zombies don't do it for me.
What I really liked: The two main characters were believable. They both had strength with vulnerability, fear with courage, grief with determination to push forward. They were plausible, well-rounded characters. The was their relationship developed felt reasonably organic. I hate it when books that feature teens or young adults portray them as being SO in LOVE right away that they just CAN'T live without each other and every thought that the reader is subjected to is about that love and the fear of loss. There was none of that here. They were companions of convenience who each thought they'd probably be okay without the other but being together was easier. Then their friendship and reliance on each other developed. DEVELOPED, meaning they didn't just jump into bed with each other... and they weren't all angsty about their lack of play!
What I liked: The fear of judgement and playing feelings close to the vest displayed by both main characters. Whether it's a mental illness or having abandoned a love one, nobody wants the person they are trying to rely on know how screwed up they are. This felt real.
What I didn't care for: The zombies were basically exactly what anyone who watched Zombieland or read The Zombie Survival Guide would expect. In other words, all the ninnies who actually have 'Zombie Apocalypse Survival Teams' would have no surprises. At times this made it seem like I was reading a 'how to' manual and pulled me out of the story.
What annoyed me lots:There were inconsistencies that kept pulling me out of the story. The zombies follow where humans went more or less mindlessly, yet they are climbing all over catwalks that haven't had humans on them in decades. The grocery store has booze and prescription drugs, but not antibiotics, peroxide, neosporin, or other first aid supplies that can help with injuries and infection. Even if the place was looted, that doesn't make logical sense to me. Also, I kept feeling like pieces of the river were missing. There were absent bridges, lack of current in places that should be difficult to row, etc. I'm willing to let that stuff go since most of the people who read this won't be as familiar with the area as I am so it won't bug them. But it had me questioning my memory, looking at the river a lot on my drive to work, and checking maps... which for me distracted from the plot. Missing bits aren't usually an issue for me. After all, I don't need to know every single detail of a journey. But from my point of view the parts that were missing added to the overall inconsistency in zombie behavior.
Overall, I liked this book well enough. If I had a hard copy I'd donate it to the school and the teens would like it even more than I and I would feel comfortable letting them read it.
Side note: The cover art was kind of chitzy. Would it have been that hard to find a stock picture of the Portland skyline to have in front of the girl? It would add to the whole, "Hey! This is set in my area! I think I'll read it!" feeling that prompts people to buy local authors.
This is a decent, quick read. While I liked it well enough, teens and young adults will probably get a lot more enjoyment out of it than I did... and people who are totally into the zombie apocalypse, of course. I'm not. I love me a good 'end of the world is nigh' book, but zombies don't do it for me.
What I really liked: The two main characters were believable. They both had strength with vulnerability, fear with courage, grief with determination to push forward. They were plausible, well-rounded characters. The was their relationship developed felt reasonably organic. I hate it when books that feature teens or young adults portray them as being SO in LOVE right away that they just CAN'T live without each other and every thought that the reader is subjected to is about that love and the fear of loss. There was none of that here. They were companions of convenience who each thought they'd probably be okay without the other but being together was easier. Then their friendship and reliance on each other developed. DEVELOPED, meaning they didn't just jump into bed with each other... and they weren't all angsty about their lack of play!
What I liked: The fear of judgement and playing feelings close to the vest displayed by both main characters. Whether it's a mental illness or having abandoned a love one, nobody wants the person they are trying to rely on know how screwed up they are. This felt real.
What I didn't care for: The zombies were basically exactly what anyone who watched Zombieland or read The Zombie Survival Guide would expect. In other words, all the ninnies who actually have 'Zombie Apocalypse Survival Teams' would have no surprises. At times this made it seem like I was reading a 'how to' manual and pulled me out of the story.
What annoyed me lots:There were inconsistencies that kept pulling me out of the story. The zombies follow where humans went more or less mindlessly, yet they are climbing all over catwalks that haven't had humans on them in decades. The grocery store has booze and prescription drugs, but not antibiotics, peroxide, neosporin, or other first aid supplies that can help with injuries and infection. Even if the place was looted, that doesn't make logical sense to me. Also, I kept feeling like pieces of the river were missing. There were absent bridges, lack of current in places that should be difficult to row, etc. I'm willing to let that stuff go since most of the people who read this won't be as familiar with the area as I am so it won't bug them. But it had me questioning my memory, looking at the river a lot on my drive to work, and checking maps... which for me distracted from the plot. Missing bits aren't usually an issue for me. After all, I don't need to know every single detail of a journey. But from my point of view the parts that were missing added to the overall inconsistency in zombie behavior.
Overall, I liked this book well enough. If I had a hard copy I'd donate it to the school and the teens would like it even more than I and I would feel comfortable letting them read it.
Side note: The cover art was kind of chitzy. Would it have been that hard to find a stock picture of the Portland skyline to have in front of the girl? It would add to the whole, "Hey! This is set in my area! I think I'll read it!" feeling that prompts people to buy local authors.
August 25, 2017
The book opens with an uninspiring full therapy session where Alissa refuses to answer any of the reasonable questions from the therapist that she has been seeing for four years. She has been refusing to cooperate and pretending not to care about the suicide of her mother, which means she is being kept in therapy. If the dumb cow had cooperated in the beginning and let the woman help her, she wouldn't still be going to the sessions that she keeps moaning about! I fail to see why we needed this boring info dump to introduce our MC.
Alissa is rude and mean to everyone she comes into contact with. Why the zombie boy wanted to take her on a date is a mystery to me when she is so anti-social and unpleasant. Yes I get that she has medical reasons for being this way and I do applaud the author using a main character with mental health issues, but do you need to make her so nasty? Poor Jordan risks his life for a stranger and gets a mouthful of abuse and lack of gratitude from her. She is always putting him down, slagging off his escape plans (so where is yours then Alissa, hmm?) and behaving like a general bitch towards him. She steriotypes him as a nerd gamer who talks about superheroes all the time when she knows nothing about the poor guy. I really didn't like her attitude.
Despite really liking Jordan, I could not be bothered with Alissa and didn't care if she got to safety or not. I lost interest in the book quickly and decided to move on to something else. Wouldn't rush to read anything else by the author.
Alissa is rude and mean to everyone she comes into contact with. Why the zombie boy wanted to take her on a date is a mystery to me when she is so anti-social and unpleasant. Yes I get that she has medical reasons for being this way and I do applaud the author using a main character with mental health issues, but do you need to make her so nasty? Poor Jordan risks his life for a stranger and gets a mouthful of abuse and lack of gratitude from her. She is always putting him down, slagging off his escape plans (so where is yours then Alissa, hmm?) and behaving like a general bitch towards him. She steriotypes him as a nerd gamer who talks about superheroes all the time when she knows nothing about the poor guy. I really didn't like her attitude.
Despite really liking Jordan, I could not be bothered with Alissa and didn't care if she got to safety or not. I lost interest in the book quickly and decided to move on to something else. Wouldn't rush to read anything else by the author.
December 26, 2013
The zombie apocalypse comes to a university campus in Oregon in this well-written young adult romance. Alissa is not a normal teen (who is these days?)-she takes meds for a mental illness intensified by her mother's suicide years earlier. When the za breaks out on her campus, she is rescued from her crazed roommate by a student named Justin.
What I enjoyed about the story were the unexpected elements that the author used. Most za stories would have the Alissa and Justin quickly join up and take on the undead hordes. Instead, here each person treads carefully around each other, Alissa hiding her mental illness and her decreasing size of medication, and Justin hiding his inability to rescue his sister. Alissa and Jordan's growing relationship is slow and awkward and, well, real.
There's still the requisite blood and gore and kickassery that is expected in most zombie fiction, and Ward does a nice job in keeping the action sequences coming. Snickers is a really nice touch. That's all I'll say - no spoilers here.
I'm looking forward to the next book in the series, due out next month. Well done, Ms. Ward!
What I enjoyed about the story were the unexpected elements that the author used. Most za stories would have the Alissa and Justin quickly join up and take on the undead hordes. Instead, here each person treads carefully around each other, Alissa hiding her mental illness and her decreasing size of medication, and Justin hiding his inability to rescue his sister. Alissa and Jordan's growing relationship is slow and awkward and, well, real.
There's still the requisite blood and gore and kickassery that is expected in most zombie fiction, and Ward does a nice job in keeping the action sequences coming. Snickers is a really nice touch. That's all I'll say - no spoilers here.
I'm looking forward to the next book in the series, due out next month. Well done, Ms. Ward!
August 9, 2013
“I will not leave you. Not for anything. Not for your good, not for mine. We are in this together till the end. I promise you that.”
Okey im reading zombie story but im quoting love lines hehehehe
This is my FIRST zombie story i read, i thought this will be gory like what i watch (which im really scare of) but it turns out a very great story. Not just fighting zombies, but you will learn from this novel how to survive. This is not the typical zombie story that they will gather other survivors, but they are choosing their own path to see the better light from the undead city.
love the story and love the characters that you created in your story :)
Okey im reading zombie story but im quoting love lines hehehehe
This is my FIRST zombie story i read, i thought this will be gory like what i watch (which im really scare of) but it turns out a very great story. Not just fighting zombies, but you will learn from this novel how to survive. This is not the typical zombie story that they will gather other survivors, but they are choosing their own path to see the better light from the undead city.
love the story and love the characters that you created in your story :)
August 4, 2013
This was an amazing read! It's one of those books that you just couldn't put it down!
The scenes really grip you on to it that before you know it, you had both of your hands holding your ereader from excitement! This was a nail biting and heart stopping read. Promise you won't be disappointed!
The scenes really grip you on to it that before you know it, you had both of your hands holding your ereader from excitement! This was a nail biting and heart stopping read. Promise you won't be disappointed!
August 11, 2016
Sorry but I found this very depressing and didn't continue to read it.
May 6, 2014
A long time ago, in the not so distant past, I believed that I hated zombies and all things to do with zombies. I thought zombies were the world's way of introducing gore into horror flicks and passing it off as scary. I mean really, what's so scary about a slow moving decomposing undead person? Nothing! Give me an axe and I'm good to go. Then The Walking Dead happened, and the book turned movie Warm Bodies. Now I am hooked. I love zombies! Does this mean there is something wrong with me? (((shrugs))) Maybe, but I don't care.
Until the End by Tracey Ward is, in my humble opinion, one of the best zombie stories I've read to date. The book begins with Alissa, a not-so-normal, twenty year old college student who after attending a therapy session returns to her dorm to find it ransacked and one of her roommates eating the other one in their shared bathroom. Hearing her screams, her neighbor Jordan runs in and saves her. Together they decide to leave the Portland and a crazy journey begins.
She asks Jordan to accompany her out of the city to her Uncle's place, where "the Fever" hasn't spread. Jordan is young, athletic, and a bit of a conspiracy theorist or at the very least a zombie/game enthusiast. Jordan has an uncanny knowledge about the zombies, how it's spread, how to escape it, and how to fight. He becomes Alissa's rock and who she looks to as the world falls apart around them. I really love Jordan. He's stoic, determined, just as stubborn as Alissa, but also lighthearted and tries to cheer up Alissa when he can. He's determined to make sure he saves Alissa from this new world and keep her safe.
I loved the whole thing, from start to finish, every word. It's just that awesome! Told from Alissa's POV, I felt her emotions as I read (which is awesome from a reader standpoint). The suspense as they fight their way out of Portland, the ironic dark humor of the characters, and the slow romance make for a quick easy read. And the ending isn't exactly cliffhanger, but it left me wanting more so badly that I went and bought book two and have already finished it as well! So if you like suspense, horror with not too much gore (but who am I kidding? It's zombies, there's gore!), and a little romance, do yourself a favor and head over to Amazon or where ever you purchase your ebooks and get a copy!
I received a copy of this ebook from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Until the End by Tracey Ward is, in my humble opinion, one of the best zombie stories I've read to date. The book begins with Alissa, a not-so-normal, twenty year old college student who after attending a therapy session returns to her dorm to find it ransacked and one of her roommates eating the other one in their shared bathroom. Hearing her screams, her neighbor Jordan runs in and saves her. Together they decide to leave the Portland and a crazy journey begins.
Shit, that's right. Wow. Pluto isn't a planet anymore, Twinkies are extinct and zombies walk the earth. If that doesn't spell out apocalypse, I don't know what does. -Jordan & AlissaI seriously loved these characters! Alissa, at the age of 16, found her mother after she had killed her self by a bullet in the head. After this event, her uncle Syd forced her to attend therapy and because she hears/sees things that aren't there she is also on medication. Unfortunately for her, what she usually sees/hears is now reality. The dead are walking and want to eat the living. I found Alissa to be a survivor in every sense of the word. She is strong-willed, determined, and a fighter. She's also loyal, and by all rights scared to death of what will happen when her meds run out. But this doesn't stop her.
She asks Jordan to accompany her out of the city to her Uncle's place, where "the Fever" hasn't spread. Jordan is young, athletic, and a bit of a conspiracy theorist or at the very least a zombie/game enthusiast. Jordan has an uncanny knowledge about the zombies, how it's spread, how to escape it, and how to fight. He becomes Alissa's rock and who she looks to as the world falls apart around them. I really love Jordan. He's stoic, determined, just as stubborn as Alissa, but also lighthearted and tries to cheer up Alissa when he can. He's determined to make sure he saves Alissa from this new world and keep her safe.
I will not leave you. Not for anything. Not for your good, not for mine. We're in this together until the end. I promise you that. -Jordan"The Fever" as it is dubbed in the book is not that unique from other zombie stories I've read, yet the chemistry between Alissa and Jordan is what makes the story good. Both are from completely different worlds and are now thrown together by chance or fate to fight their way out of Portland. Both have a unique sense of humor, very dark humor! They rely on each other and become very close. Sharing in each other's fears and dreams, I love the way the author depicted the slow falling in love of these characters.
I loved the whole thing, from start to finish, every word. It's just that awesome! Told from Alissa's POV, I felt her emotions as I read (which is awesome from a reader standpoint). The suspense as they fight their way out of Portland, the ironic dark humor of the characters, and the slow romance make for a quick easy read. And the ending isn't exactly cliffhanger, but it left me wanting more so badly that I went and bought book two and have already finished it as well! So if you like suspense, horror with not too much gore (but who am I kidding? It's zombies, there's gore!), and a little romance, do yourself a favor and head over to Amazon or where ever you purchase your ebooks and get a copy!
I received a copy of this ebook from the author in exchange for an honest review.
July 30, 2015
4 stars
This was a very good Zombie Apocalypse story. I will warn you...there is no sex in this story. The heat level doesn't go past kissing but, with the situation they're in it's realistic and the story works. It's the first I've read by this author but I liked it and am willing to try more of her work. It appears this book is the start of a series so I'll be interested in the next book when it's released.
Alissa is a college student at the U or Oregon. She's had a traumatic past and now has to medicate to control certain issues. When the "infection" starts to take hold around the city and what appears to be zombies start showing up, Alissa worries her meds have stopped working and she's loosing it. Fortunately for her, as a zombie tries to eat her, Jordan comes to her rescue and kills it.
Jordan is also a college student at the U of Oregon. He actually had a zombie survival plan but is shocked when he actually needs to use it. He has some initial issues when the zombies first start showing up but he wields a mean baseball bat and uses it to save Alissa when he hears her screams.
Once Alissa and Jordan are together they decide to stick together for the time being. Alissa isn't sure how long she wants to stick with Jordan, not because she doesn't trust him but because she only has a few of her pills left and she's worried what she might do off her meds. Jordan is more insistent on them sticking together as they attempt to find a way out of the city (figuring it'll be safer). They find out that the outbreak has spread part way through OR but there are barriers being put in place to quarantine the infected areas. Alissa wants to get to her Uncle and so she and Jordan head that way. Along the way they run in to other survivors, some nice and some not so nice.
While struggling to survive in a zombie savaged land, Alissa and Jordan do get closer. As I stated above, the heat level never gets above kissing but most of the time they'd be risking death for much more than a kiss anyways so the story was believable. Also, it was nice seeing Jordan and Alissa get to know and trust each other as their feelings for each other started to grow. They go through a lot together and learn to trust each other and gain a strong connection between them. The story ends with Alissa and Jordan together (pretty solidly) but they're still in a quarantine zone and trying to get to safety so the story isn't complete. I guess it's what I'd call a soft cliffhanger, I don't feel the relationship is in question but the story line isn't complete.
This was a very good story. I loved both Jordan and Alissa and really got in to their story (both them surviving the zombies and them falling for each other). The zombie/action story line was also well done and interesting enough to keep things hopping. I'd recommend this book. Thumbs up! :D
7/28/15 - I just reread this story before reading the sequel, In the End. It's still a very good zombie apocalypse romance story. :D
This was a very good Zombie Apocalypse story. I will warn you...there is no sex in this story. The heat level doesn't go past kissing but, with the situation they're in it's realistic and the story works. It's the first I've read by this author but I liked it and am willing to try more of her work. It appears this book is the start of a series so I'll be interested in the next book when it's released.
Alissa is a college student at the U or Oregon. She's had a traumatic past and now has to medicate to control certain issues. When the "infection" starts to take hold around the city and what appears to be zombies start showing up, Alissa worries her meds have stopped working and she's loosing it. Fortunately for her, as a zombie tries to eat her, Jordan comes to her rescue and kills it.
Jordan is also a college student at the U of Oregon. He actually had a zombie survival plan but is shocked when he actually needs to use it. He has some initial issues when the zombies first start showing up but he wields a mean baseball bat and uses it to save Alissa when he hears her screams.
Once Alissa and Jordan are together they decide to stick together for the time being. Alissa isn't sure how long she wants to stick with Jordan, not because she doesn't trust him but because she only has a few of her pills left and she's worried what she might do off her meds. Jordan is more insistent on them sticking together as they attempt to find a way out of the city (figuring it'll be safer). They find out that the outbreak has spread part way through OR but there are barriers being put in place to quarantine the infected areas. Alissa wants to get to her Uncle and so she and Jordan head that way. Along the way they run in to other survivors, some nice and some not so nice.
While struggling to survive in a zombie savaged land, Alissa and Jordan do get closer. As I stated above, the heat level never gets above kissing but most of the time they'd be risking death for much more than a kiss anyways so the story was believable. Also, it was nice seeing Jordan and Alissa get to know and trust each other as their feelings for each other started to grow. They go through a lot together and learn to trust each other and gain a strong connection between them. The story ends with Alissa and Jordan together (pretty solidly) but they're still in a quarantine zone and trying to get to safety so the story isn't complete. I guess it's what I'd call a soft cliffhanger, I don't feel the relationship is in question but the story line isn't complete.
This was a very good story. I loved both Jordan and Alissa and really got in to their story (both them surviving the zombies and them falling for each other). The zombie/action story line was also well done and interesting enough to keep things hopping. I'd recommend this book. Thumbs up! :D
7/28/15 - I just reread this story before reading the sequel, In the End. It's still a very good zombie apocalypse romance story. :D
March 8, 2015
I have kind of taken the Star Wars approach to Tracey Ward’s zombie books. She has two series in the P.A. genre, The Survival Series and The Quarantined Series, both are set in the same “world”. I read The Survival Series first and now I am going to the prequels to see how this world came to be.
Until the End is the story of Ali and Jordan, and how their world was turned upside down at the epicenter of the outbreak. Ali and Jordan each have their own demons that they have to deal with. They have each miraculously survived the initial outbreak and now they have to get the heck out of Dodge, or in this case, Portland, Oregon.
It was interesting reading Until the End after The Survival Series. I know some of the characters who will survive, I even thought that I saw the making of a main character for The Survival Series, but whoops, I was wrong! The real fun in any story is the voyage and not the destination. Tracey Ward took me on a scenic voyage through picturesque Oregon, complete with brain eating zombies and assholes on jet skis.
What I really enjoyed about the book were the characters. Ali is quite the girl, there are not many girls who can get away with saying, “Home is where I feel safe, protected and loved, where people have my back with a loaded weapon and a bowie knife.” Jordan is a regular guy, trying to be tougher than he really is. The quick witted banter between these two makes the story great.
If you like your zombies with a twist of sarcasm and a dash of oh shit, she didn’t just do that, then you really need to check out Until the End.
Until the End is the story of Ali and Jordan, and how their world was turned upside down at the epicenter of the outbreak. Ali and Jordan each have their own demons that they have to deal with. They have each miraculously survived the initial outbreak and now they have to get the heck out of Dodge, or in this case, Portland, Oregon.
It was interesting reading Until the End after The Survival Series. I know some of the characters who will survive, I even thought that I saw the making of a main character for The Survival Series, but whoops, I was wrong! The real fun in any story is the voyage and not the destination. Tracey Ward took me on a scenic voyage through picturesque Oregon, complete with brain eating zombies and assholes on jet skis.
What I really enjoyed about the book were the characters. Ali is quite the girl, there are not many girls who can get away with saying, “Home is where I feel safe, protected and loved, where people have my back with a loaded weapon and a bowie knife.” Jordan is a regular guy, trying to be tougher than he really is. The quick witted banter between these two makes the story great.
If you like your zombies with a twist of sarcasm and a dash of oh shit, she didn’t just do that, then you really need to check out Until the End.
May 6, 2014
Love me some Zombie action!
First off. I love these characters! Al and Jordan are fantastic and hilarious together. A perfect fit.
Alissa is a broken girl. At least that's how she feels walking around everyday. Until one day after an appointment, she realizes the Zombie apocalypse had just begun.
That's when she meet her Hero, Jordan. A guy any girl could dream of being stuck with as their partner in a zombie war. He is there for her at every turn as they fight against the odds.
Everyone for towns on the west coast are overrun with some kind of virus and then fever. BOOM! You're a Zombie. And YES! I have a zombie apocalypse plan too! If you don't have one you should.
I absolutely loved this book. I laughed out loud the entire time with Al and Jordan's easy bantering. Would recommend for any Zombie lover! And will definitely being getting the second.
First off. I love these characters! Al and Jordan are fantastic and hilarious together. A perfect fit.
Alissa is a broken girl. At least that's how she feels walking around everyday. Until one day after an appointment, she realizes the Zombie apocalypse had just begun.
That's when she meet her Hero, Jordan. A guy any girl could dream of being stuck with as their partner in a zombie war. He is there for her at every turn as they fight against the odds.
Everyone for towns on the west coast are overrun with some kind of virus and then fever. BOOM! You're a Zombie. And YES! I have a zombie apocalypse plan too! If you don't have one you should.
I absolutely loved this book. I laughed out loud the entire time with Al and Jordan's easy bantering. Would recommend for any Zombie lover! And will definitely being getting the second.
October 16, 2013
The action in "Until the end" started pretty early, and it stayed action packed until the end.
The characters were great.
Ali knew how to protect herself, she was amazing at shooting zombies with her bow and arrow. (Katniss may have competition!)
She was also really funny, some of the lines she came out with really made me laugh.
I loved Jordan almost as much. He was really protective of Ali, and understood how vulnerable she really was.
I loved Ali and Jordan together. They were so cute.
Overall, this was a great zombie book, with great characters. I'll defiantly be reading book two.
The characters were great.
Ali knew how to protect herself, she was amazing at shooting zombies with her bow and arrow. (Katniss may have competition!)
She was also really funny, some of the lines she came out with really made me laugh.
I loved Jordan almost as much. He was really protective of Ali, and understood how vulnerable she really was.
I loved Ali and Jordan together. They were so cute.
Overall, this was a great zombie book, with great characters. I'll defiantly be reading book two.
January 5, 2014
I am admittedly biased. :)
February 19, 2016
“I will not leave you. Not for anything. Not for your good, not for mine. We are in this together till the end. I promise you that."
I am a fan of all things zombie. Always have been. But I blame the TV show The Walking Dead for turning it into my obsession, &can I just say, I love that TWD is mentioned within the first chapter. :) I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves the zombie genre. I honestly was not expecting much going in; I had gotten it while it was free on Amazon, and lately those freebies have been letdowns. But this is one of those hidden gems you hear about.
The story centers around Alissa, a girl who has...issues, and Jordan, her across-the-hall neighbor who she never would have noticed had he not saved her from getting eaten by her roommate. Romantic, no? :)
These two embark on a journey to safety, each having secrets and not willing to share just yet. Alissa is a girl who can pull her weight hacking away at zombies, it's her mind that she can't deal with. Who could blame her after Imagine living in a world with zombies running around, and that's not even the worst of your problems.
Jordan. Oh, Jordan. He's the guy with the zombie survival plan. When he and Alissa decide to stick together and get to her uncle, he becomes protective and does anything he can to make things easier for her. He's very protective, sweet, funny, and can also handle himself hacking away at zombies.
The banter between the two is great. And I love how they start out as just two people trying to stay together to stay alive, to a friendship, THEN to something more. It's not instant, it take the time to develop. What I also love is that even though they both are bad ass zombie slayers, they show their weaknesses. Throughout the story, you see how they develop as characters, how they get through things together and come out stronger for it. They are real people trying to survive.
The action moves at a steady pace, and there really is no place to stop and take a break. Once you start reading, you just have to keep going, have to know what's going to happen next.
This is the first book I've read from this author, and will be reading more. Looking forward to book two! :)
I am a fan of all things zombie. Always have been. But I blame the TV show The Walking Dead for turning it into my obsession, &can I just say, I love that TWD is mentioned within the first chapter. :) I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves the zombie genre. I honestly was not expecting much going in; I had gotten it while it was free on Amazon, and lately those freebies have been letdowns. But this is one of those hidden gems you hear about.
The story centers around Alissa, a girl who has...issues, and Jordan, her across-the-hall neighbor who she never would have noticed had he not saved her from getting eaten by her roommate. Romantic, no? :)
These two embark on a journey to safety, each having secrets and not willing to share just yet. Alissa is a girl who can pull her weight hacking away at zombies, it's her mind that she can't deal with. Who could blame her after Imagine living in a world with zombies running around, and that's not even the worst of your problems.
Jordan. Oh, Jordan. He's the guy with the zombie survival plan. When he and Alissa decide to stick together and get to her uncle, he becomes protective and does anything he can to make things easier for her. He's very protective, sweet, funny, and can also handle himself hacking away at zombies.
The banter between the two is great. And I love how they start out as just two people trying to stay together to stay alive, to a friendship, THEN to something more. It's not instant, it take the time to develop. What I also love is that even though they both are bad ass zombie slayers, they show their weaknesses. Throughout the story, you see how they develop as characters, how they get through things together and come out stronger for it. They are real people trying to survive.
The action moves at a steady pace, and there really is no place to stop and take a break. Once you start reading, you just have to keep going, have to know what's going to happen next.
This is the first book I've read from this author, and will be reading more. Looking forward to book two! :)
September 7, 2016
When Ali is returning back to her apartment from going to her appointment, she notices some strange car accidents, she seems to be the only one who notices them. Walking through her building there is an odd quiet, no one else is around. She finds one of her roommates finishing off the other as a snack. In shock she questions if she is going crazy while her roommate tries to attack her. Thankfully her neighbor comes to the rescue, not only saving her from her zombie roommate but with a zombie survival plan as well... They each have their own secrets, but they need each other to get out of Portland and out to somewhere safe. There is no way they can survive on their own, but they each fear their secrets will lead to the others death.
Awesome zombie book! I was at the gym when I started reading this and I probably flipped out 3 times. Once when she said she was in Oregon, (where I am from) another when she said she was from Corvallis (born and raised there!) And again when Justin said he was from Boston (Where my husband is from) It's rare for me to read about about places I lived, so for me it was just a little plus in helping me imagine the world as it changed.
This was one of the most realistic zombie books I've read. I loved how real it felt. How things changed, I could feel it in the air, as the characters went through their ordeals.
I really liked the details in this book, the foreshadowing, and dialog. I think with the way the author pulled it all together it made it so much more than just another Zombie book.
I don't normally share my favorite quotes or passages from books I review, but I want to this time. There were so many of them.
"Um.. god forgive them, they know not what they do" Because they are Zombies. "Please forgive us for our trespasses." Because we are going to kill them. "As we forgive those who trespass against us." As they try to eat our brains. "And deliver us from evil." Because evil waits outside the door.
"Shit, that's right. Wow. Pluto isn't a planet anymore, Twinkies are extinct and zombies walk the earth."
"If that doesn't spell out apocalypse, I don't know what does."
"Nice hood ornament, by the way." He says gesturing toward the girl. She's dangling almost entirely out of the boat now, her body held in place by my knife protruding from her lower jaw and my arrow stuck in her skull.
"You are lethal."
"And that does it for you, doesn't it?"
"You have no idea."
Awesome zombie book! I was at the gym when I started reading this and I probably flipped out 3 times. Once when she said she was in Oregon, (where I am from) another when she said she was from Corvallis (born and raised there!) And again when Justin said he was from Boston (Where my husband is from) It's rare for me to read about about places I lived, so for me it was just a little plus in helping me imagine the world as it changed.
This was one of the most realistic zombie books I've read. I loved how real it felt. How things changed, I could feel it in the air, as the characters went through their ordeals.
I really liked the details in this book, the foreshadowing, and dialog. I think with the way the author pulled it all together it made it so much more than just another Zombie book.
I don't normally share my favorite quotes or passages from books I review, but I want to this time. There were so many of them.
"Um.. god forgive them, they know not what they do" Because they are Zombies. "Please forgive us for our trespasses." Because we are going to kill them. "As we forgive those who trespass against us." As they try to eat our brains. "And deliver us from evil." Because evil waits outside the door.
"Shit, that's right. Wow. Pluto isn't a planet anymore, Twinkies are extinct and zombies walk the earth."
"If that doesn't spell out apocalypse, I don't know what does."
"Nice hood ornament, by the way." He says gesturing toward the girl. She's dangling almost entirely out of the boat now, her body held in place by my knife protruding from her lower jaw and my arrow stuck in her skull.
"You are lethal."
"And that does it for you, doesn't it?"
"You have no idea."
August 26, 2019
UNTIL THE END was a book I just happened to stumble upon over on Amazon. It was only 99cents so I thought what the hay. Plus, the best thing? It is pure zombies!
I loved this author’s take on it. Sure it is like every other zombie read out there, but the fact that the MC needs certain medicines to keep her composure in life? That made it more real. Well, as real as any zombie read you can find. But seriously, what about the people who need certain medications to live? Will they be the first to succumb in the end? Or will they fight and learn to survive? Really a great idea and I was very happy with the entire read. In fact, I had to make myself put the book away late at night, 75% in, and finish the next morning. I couldn’t stop reading this book! It was that good, that intense!
***
I've brought this on him. He's a hero, my hero. A knight in shining armor and I've led him straight into the dragon's keep. He should have saved someone else. Someone worth saving. He should have ignored my cried and saved himself, and if I could go back and change anything, it would be running from Dee. It would be crying out and fighting the inevitable because at least if I had died alone in that apartment, Jordan would still have a snowball's chance in hell of making it into tomorrow.
***
I loved Jordan and Alissa's relationship from the start. It was a chemistry that sparked and never once extinguished throughout the whole book. The guy comes in and saves the day and together they set out in search of her Uncle's home. That is their one goal. Besides living that is. But together they are comfortable with each other and have a connection that is truer than ones that have been formed for years. And their witty banter had me laughing throughout. Yes, their humor was the perfect balance in a world gone straight to hell at the hands of flesh eating zombies.
Love zombies? Need something that goes a little deeper than just tearing flesh and bone cracking gore? This is the book for you then. I inhaled it and already moving on to book 2, IN THE END. I cannot wait to see what becomes of my 2 favorite people. Be forewarned though, this is one intense read! And maybe a little romance gets thrown in. Hey, I always love when romance makes an appearance.
I loved this author’s take on it. Sure it is like every other zombie read out there, but the fact that the MC needs certain medicines to keep her composure in life? That made it more real. Well, as real as any zombie read you can find. But seriously, what about the people who need certain medications to live? Will they be the first to succumb in the end? Or will they fight and learn to survive? Really a great idea and I was very happy with the entire read. In fact, I had to make myself put the book away late at night, 75% in, and finish the next morning. I couldn’t stop reading this book! It was that good, that intense!
***
I've brought this on him. He's a hero, my hero. A knight in shining armor and I've led him straight into the dragon's keep. He should have saved someone else. Someone worth saving. He should have ignored my cried and saved himself, and if I could go back and change anything, it would be running from Dee. It would be crying out and fighting the inevitable because at least if I had died alone in that apartment, Jordan would still have a snowball's chance in hell of making it into tomorrow.
***
I loved Jordan and Alissa's relationship from the start. It was a chemistry that sparked and never once extinguished throughout the whole book. The guy comes in and saves the day and together they set out in search of her Uncle's home. That is their one goal. Besides living that is. But together they are comfortable with each other and have a connection that is truer than ones that have been formed for years. And their witty banter had me laughing throughout. Yes, their humor was the perfect balance in a world gone straight to hell at the hands of flesh eating zombies.
Love zombies? Need something that goes a little deeper than just tearing flesh and bone cracking gore? This is the book for you then. I inhaled it and already moving on to book 2, IN THE END. I cannot wait to see what becomes of my 2 favorite people. Be forewarned though, this is one intense read! And maybe a little romance gets thrown in. Hey, I always love when romance makes an appearance.
September 13, 2014
Just another Zombie Series? No way! Until the End by Tracey Ward has just enough fresh zombieness, action and some pretty tough survivors on the run to almost make me take notes, in case “The Fever” comes to my town. Add to this mix, the fact that the heroine suffers from a condition that requires DAILY medication and the tension rises astronomically, while the action remains in the realm of believable.
Portland, Oregon has been devastated by “The Fever” and within hours, few are left alive and un-zombiefied. Alissa is saved from being attacked by one of the undead by Jordan, a college dorm neighbor. Together they set out to reach Alissa’s sole remaining family before the government locks down the city. Between Jordan’s zombie expertise and Alissa’s mad archery skills, they battle their way to a hopefully safe haven. Desperate times sometimes bring some good out of them and a budding romance seems to be in the future as these two dance around the awkwardness of being together 24/7, alternating between the temporary relief of humor and deadly serious dialogue.
Tracey Ward has jumped headlong into the world of Zombies and is quickly rising to the top of the heap. She writes with the perfect amount of darkness, fear, tension and lightness to bring these characters to life in the world she has created. There is more to this book than gore and zombies, there are stories with stories that unfold along the way! I’m on to book two, for sure!
Series: Quarantined - Book 1
Re-Publication Date: January 13, 2014
Publisher: Tracey Ward
Genre: YA Sci-fi, Fantasy
Print Length: 308 pages
Available from: Amazon
Portland, Oregon has been devastated by “The Fever” and within hours, few are left alive and un-zombiefied. Alissa is saved from being attacked by one of the undead by Jordan, a college dorm neighbor. Together they set out to reach Alissa’s sole remaining family before the government locks down the city. Between Jordan’s zombie expertise and Alissa’s mad archery skills, they battle their way to a hopefully safe haven. Desperate times sometimes bring some good out of them and a budding romance seems to be in the future as these two dance around the awkwardness of being together 24/7, alternating between the temporary relief of humor and deadly serious dialogue.
Tracey Ward has jumped headlong into the world of Zombies and is quickly rising to the top of the heap. She writes with the perfect amount of darkness, fear, tension and lightness to bring these characters to life in the world she has created. There is more to this book than gore and zombies, there are stories with stories that unfold along the way! I’m on to book two, for sure!
Series: Quarantined - Book 1
Re-Publication Date: January 13, 2014
Publisher: Tracey Ward
Genre: YA Sci-fi, Fantasy
Print Length: 308 pages
Available from: Amazon
August 12, 2016
Right now I have a serious fondness for all things zombie/apocalyptic/romance. It's scary. Maybe it says there's something wrong with me. Regardless, I'm an addict. I can't stop. We can diagnose my issues later.
For now, let's talk about Until the End. Because here's the thing with the zombie genre, currently... It's really hit or miss. And Until the End was definitely a hit.
It takes a certain precious balance of romance and scary running-away-from-zombies-and-crazy-people to make me happy with these books. I need to know that I'm going to love the main characters and care about them and their relationships...Not just their survival. Both are equally important.
Ms. Ward did such an amazing job with that! Seriously. Because, here's another thing. Seeing as how there ARE so many authors tackling this genre right now, it's also hard to keep things fresh and original.
So, awesome balance of romance/horror? Check.
Originality? Check.
Able to keep me involved all throughout? Double check.
As a single book, Until the End shone bright for me.
I loved Alissa's already teetering balance on reality and life BEFORE she got inundated with dead people trying to eat her face. I loved that there was just enough of that little psychosis in there to keep her interesting without life or death scenarios. I loved the fact that she was a bad-ass with a bow.
I loved Jordan and his conflicted feelings regarding his decisions. These characters were totally relatable.
So, as a series? Well, you'll have to check back next time for my review of book #2 in the Quarantine series. But, I promise, this series is very solid.
Christy @ Captivated Reading
For now, let's talk about Until the End. Because here's the thing with the zombie genre, currently... It's really hit or miss. And Until the End was definitely a hit.
It takes a certain precious balance of romance and scary running-away-from-zombies-and-crazy-people to make me happy with these books. I need to know that I'm going to love the main characters and care about them and their relationships...Not just their survival. Both are equally important.
Ms. Ward did such an amazing job with that! Seriously. Because, here's another thing. Seeing as how there ARE so many authors tackling this genre right now, it's also hard to keep things fresh and original.
So, awesome balance of romance/horror? Check.
Originality? Check.
Able to keep me involved all throughout? Double check.
As a single book, Until the End shone bright for me.
I loved Alissa's already teetering balance on reality and life BEFORE she got inundated with dead people trying to eat her face. I loved that there was just enough of that little psychosis in there to keep her interesting without life or death scenarios. I loved the fact that she was a bad-ass with a bow.
I loved Jordan and his conflicted feelings regarding his decisions. These characters were totally relatable.
So, as a series? Well, you'll have to check back next time for my review of book #2 in the Quarantine series. But, I promise, this series is very solid.
Christy @ Captivated Reading
April 18, 2016
I love reading (and watching) anything about a Zombie apocalypse breaking out. It's a lot safer than actually being in one but then I also can learn some Zombie survival tips if I somehow find myself in one. Here's hoping that that does not happen. Fingers crossed.
I did get a lot of tips from Until The End and was also thoroughly creeped out and grossed out. Thank you very much Ms. Tracey Ward :-). From the first sentence I had that anxious, waiting for the inevitable shoe to drop feeling. It was like having a movie in my head as I read. Alissa's and Jordan's adventures had me on the edge of my seat, as the saying goes.
Alissa is my kind of heroine, no damsel in distress here. Al had her issues but she had personality and I love my protagonist to have a personality. She wasn't always very nice to Jordan, but I like that she wasn't always apologetic for her sporadic bitchiness, but that she owned it. Al's situation definitely added an extra layer to living through a Zombie apocalypse. It made the story that much more interesting.
Jordan is also my kind of hero. He was real. He didn't see himself as a hero and he wasn't superman either. He had his heroic limits and he knew them but he made himself Al's protector and nothing would change that.
Until The End certainly had that tense and non-stop progression you would expect from a horror filled zombie movie. And oh yeah, there was also a lot of humorous moments and dialogue throughout the story too. Overall it was a great book and I can't wait to get to the next book.
I did get a lot of tips from Until The End and was also thoroughly creeped out and grossed out. Thank you very much Ms. Tracey Ward :-). From the first sentence I had that anxious, waiting for the inevitable shoe to drop feeling. It was like having a movie in my head as I read. Alissa's and Jordan's adventures had me on the edge of my seat, as the saying goes.
Alissa is my kind of heroine, no damsel in distress here. Al had her issues but she had personality and I love my protagonist to have a personality. She wasn't always very nice to Jordan, but I like that she wasn't always apologetic for her sporadic bitchiness, but that she owned it. Al's situation definitely added an extra layer to living through a Zombie apocalypse. It made the story that much more interesting.
Jordan is also my kind of hero. He was real. He didn't see himself as a hero and he wasn't superman either. He had his heroic limits and he knew them but he made himself Al's protector and nothing would change that.
Until The End certainly had that tense and non-stop progression you would expect from a horror filled zombie movie. And oh yeah, there was also a lot of humorous moments and dialogue throughout the story too. Overall it was a great book and I can't wait to get to the next book.
May 6, 2018
4 Zombie Stars
I was pretty open minded when I started this book. I didn’t realize it was a series and it was written four years ago. I’m not even sure the next book ends the series or the author just stopped writing zombie books. I notice now the author writes new adult contemporary book which kind of stinks if i wanted more zombie books but I understand you write what pays. With that said I’m not going to continue the series.
The book isn’t steamy and the romance is light. I was fine with that but it’s not a romance book. The book is mainly about the hero and heroine trying to survive in a zombie infested world.
I loved that the book is mostly dialogue based which is my kind of style of reading. I did struggle with the flow at times. The banter at times felt awkward and forced but I kind of powered through those moments.
I struggled at times with the heroine. Only bc I felt like she could be a bitch for no reason. I understood her reasoning for being so guarded but the hero is totally sweet and she kept on snapping at him.
The zombie world was interesting to read and I was concerned if i was going to read angst or horrible events but to my surprise the book is light even though it’s about zombies. I mean no one is held for rape. It’s not that kind of book.
I guess if you are looking for an intro to zombie book this could be your jam but it stops at two books. I guess you can read the spinoff series this book is based on but since the author isn’t writing anymore zombie books you take a chance loving it and not having more. It’s up to you.
I was pretty open minded when I started this book. I didn’t realize it was a series and it was written four years ago. I’m not even sure the next book ends the series or the author just stopped writing zombie books. I notice now the author writes new adult contemporary book which kind of stinks if i wanted more zombie books but I understand you write what pays. With that said I’m not going to continue the series.
The book isn’t steamy and the romance is light. I was fine with that but it’s not a romance book. The book is mainly about the hero and heroine trying to survive in a zombie infested world.
I loved that the book is mostly dialogue based which is my kind of style of reading. I did struggle with the flow at times. The banter at times felt awkward and forced but I kind of powered through those moments.
I struggled at times with the heroine. Only bc I felt like she could be a bitch for no reason. I understood her reasoning for being so guarded but the hero is totally sweet and she kept on snapping at him.
The zombie world was interesting to read and I was concerned if i was going to read angst or horrible events but to my surprise the book is light even though it’s about zombies. I mean no one is held for rape. It’s not that kind of book.
I guess if you are looking for an intro to zombie book this could be your jam but it stops at two books. I guess you can read the spinoff series this book is based on but since the author isn’t writing anymore zombie books you take a chance loving it and not having more. It’s up to you.
May 7, 2014
As a zombie-book-and-movie-lover, I figured this new book by Tracey Ward would be right up my alley. And I was right! Ward's two main characters, Jordan and Alissa, had a great relationship that developed over a short time-which was necessary considering the circumstances. As they escaped one zombie situation after another, we readers really got to know Alissa's character, her background, and what her illness meant for the already precarious situation she was in.
I loved how brave Alissa was, and how she was a very real and flawed character. I also really enjoyed her rapport with Jordan, and how normal their relationship seemed for two college students. Unlike a lot of fiction written about zombies or paranormal experiences, these two characters dealt with zombies the way normal kids would-without finesse. Jordan wasn't a great shot, and Alissa had a few accidents along the way, but somehow they ended up making it one step closer to being safe.
After reading this book, I immediately went out and bought the next in the series-I had to see what happened next! I would highly recommend you do the same.
I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thanks for the opportunity!
I loved how brave Alissa was, and how she was a very real and flawed character. I also really enjoyed her rapport with Jordan, and how normal their relationship seemed for two college students. Unlike a lot of fiction written about zombies or paranormal experiences, these two characters dealt with zombies the way normal kids would-without finesse. Jordan wasn't a great shot, and Alissa had a few accidents along the way, but somehow they ended up making it one step closer to being safe.
After reading this book, I immediately went out and bought the next in the series-I had to see what happened next! I would highly recommend you do the same.
I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thanks for the opportunity!
July 12, 2025
This book was a well-written zombie novel, which pretty much sums up the kind of stuff that you will like about it and won't like. There is gore, some disturbing people, and some intense situations. Be warned. But other than that, it goes deeper. I really liked the characters. I feel like they were both really well rounded out. She is a girl attempting to be as normal as possible, despite a mental illness. She has things she values and she actually gets annoyed at the guy sometimes (in any genre, woman can written in a way where they never get mad, which I FUCKING HATE) so I feel like she is an actual person. He is a guy, but not perfect. He has things he feels guilty about, he has comfort zones when it comes to his own personal safety (HOW MANY NOVELS MAKE GUYS BE CANNON FODDER???), and he actually gets mad at the heroine for her flaws and understandable freak outs. The plot is fairly good and is as expected for a zombie novel, though... . All in all, one of the best zombie books I have read because of the personality given to each character.
November 2, 2017
This story brings up a good point, what if you need a daily medication for survival and there's a zombie apocalypse?
My favorite part of this story is
I'm surprised Tracey Ward hasn't become one of those overnight sensation authors. I've loved everything of hers I've read. Her books are so well written and I just love the plots.
Alissa and Jordan are students who meet when Jordan saves her from her zombie roommate. They decide to stick together and head up to Alissa's uncles since Jordan's family is in Boston and truthfully what else can they do? Its amazing how being constantly thrown into life endangering situations can bring two strangers close together. Along the way they make friends and enemies (kind of). They discover how strong they are and what can bring them down.
The first chapter of the next book is included at the end and its leaves off in a cliffhanger, I need it now!
I was given this copy in exchange for an honest review. Thank you.
My favorite part of this story is
I'm surprised Tracey Ward hasn't become one of those overnight sensation authors. I've loved everything of hers I've read. Her books are so well written and I just love the plots.
Alissa and Jordan are students who meet when Jordan saves her from her zombie roommate. They decide to stick together and head up to Alissa's uncles since Jordan's family is in Boston and truthfully what else can they do? Its amazing how being constantly thrown into life endangering situations can bring two strangers close together. Along the way they make friends and enemies (kind of). They discover how strong they are and what can bring them down.
The first chapter of the next book is included at the end and its leaves off in a cliffhanger, I need it now!
I was given this copy in exchange for an honest review. Thank you.
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