Escape from Zombie Island

One Way Out #2

by Ray Wallace

While vacationing at an island resort, you watch as a small airplane crashes on the beach then bursts into flames. Trapped inside, the pilot tosses a metal canister leaking a black gas free of the plane. Those who breathe in the gas undergo a strange and terrifying transformation. A short while later, they die. Unfortunately, they don't stay dead.

As night falls and a storm rolls in off the ocean, the living dead spread across the island like a plague. Before long nowhere is safe, including the hotel where you've been staying. All that matters now is finding a way off the island before you fall prey to the hungry dead. Or become one of them yourself.

Whether or not you live through the night depends solely on the choices you make. One bad decision could get you killed. With any luck, you just might find the One Way Out and...

Escape from Zombie Island.

Genres: Zombies, Horror, Post Apocalyptic

190 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 4, 2013

About the author

Ray Wallace hails from the Tampa, FL area and is the author of THE NAMELESS, THE HELL SEASON, the YEAR OF THE DEAD series, the short story collection LETTING THE DEMONS OUT, the novella DAYS OF RAIN, and the One Way Out novels ESCAPE FROM ZOMBIE CITY, ESCAPE FROM ZOMBIE ISLAND, and ESCAPE FROM ZOMBIE PLANET.

"For a first novel, THE NAMELESS is outstanding..."
-- HORROR WORLD

"ESCAPE FROM ZOMBIE CITY is a really fun read and welcome addition to zombie literature."
-- SHROUD MAGAZINE

"DAYS OF RAIN... marks the emergence of a major talent and should not be missed."
-- HORROR AFTER DARK

Reviews

[Kate Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a tough book to review because it isn’t a sit down and read the story from beginning to end type of book. Normally, it isn’t something I would pick up, but when it was posted as a read for review I figured I’d give it a shot. The idea intrigued me.

Overall, it was good. It was well-written and I thought the author did a great job of making the main character sexually ambiguous so anyone could read it and put themselves in the story. This is a “one way out” book, so you die pretty frequently, and the logical choices aren’t really the right ones. I mean, I’ve watched enough horror movies to know that you should run down the stairs, not up. Not the case here, though. It was entertaining, but I’ll be honest, I got bored fast. Not because there was anything wrong with the book, but because it just isn’t my type of story. I’d rather sit down and read an actual book. But, it was nice for a change and anyone who was a fan of those classic choose your own adventure books would love this. There were plenty of options for the reader to choose from and it kept you guessing. I did eventually find my way out, but it took some digging. If you’re looking for an interactive story, this is the book for you!

[Hughie Boyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's hard to review a book like this, since you need to make decisions about the story to move forward. So let me start of by saying this book is a lot of fun. It's the first 'choose your own adventure' book I've read in probably over twenty years and it's as good now as it was when I was a kid. The difference this time around is that you're going to die. A lot. A real lot.
Another plus, is that I liked the island setting. It brought to mind movies like Zombi 2 and games like Dead Island. This is a great Summer read, especially if you're traveling, which is how I read it. It'll definitely keep you reading until you find the One Way Out.

[Diane T. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Remember those books you read when you a kid? The ones where the ending changed depending on the choices you, the reader, made? Well, welcome to the adult version. This is not for kids. Your choices can have some very gross consequences, but what a ride.

The writing was tight with enough descriptive details for a cringe or two. The plot well thought out and the number of choices that lead to death...ouch! You see there is only one correct way to survive. I died 7 times before I made it through.

If you are looking for something different in the zombie genre and have some time to kill (*wink*), give this tale a try. You will certainly find yourself entertained.

[Kelly Rickard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Escape from zombie island

First off I loved this book it reminded me of the time I was reading r.l.stine when I was a kid.

Basically you read the first chapter and at the end it gives you a choice. The aim is to get the end of the story and get off the island alive. There was a plane crash and the person on it released this gas that turns people into zombies.

So far I have died lots of different ways, I've become a zombie, eaten, stuck by lighting, blown to pieces by bombs and other ways.

This book is a lot of fun and there is at least one more in this series so looking forward to getting that one too.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was pretty fun. It definitely took me back to when I was kid reading the choose your own adventure books.

[Blair Stackhouse · Rating 3 out of 5]

As much as I wanted to like a "Choose Your Own Adventure" book, it was incredibly frustrating to read on a Kindle. I had to read the same parts over and over again in order to get somewhere new. The story seemed interesting enough, but by the 7th time I had to reread the first chapters, I was over it. I mostly hate read this to finish it.

If you want to make it, choose the below:
A drink sounds like a better idea
Take Gladys by the arm
Tell Gladys to wait while you try to find help
Go left
Follow the woman out into the night
Click here (only option)
There's no way you're getting out and walking to the airport
Let him take the Jeep
Stay where you are for a while
You found the one way out!

I'm not sure if there are more ways to get to the end from there, but this is one that works!

[Jennifer Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one took me awhile to actually survive. I watch nearly every zombie movie and tv show I come across and thought I was prepared and would make it easily. instead it took me over half a dozen times to make it out alive. I liked the different directions this story took.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think I died every way it's possible to die. But this was a lot of fun

[Chris Rice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very quick read. If you liked the Choose your Own Adventure books, this is for you. Not graphic or explicit so could get middle schoolers to like reading if they try it.

[Ayla Dahlia · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was a fair read but didn't exactly exceed my expectations. I tend to be critical but honest and feel the need to emphasize this is my personal take on the book. To me a You Choose zombie adventure sounded riveting but this book was absolutely put downable. I felt one major reason for this was the author's strange decision to give 'You' a personal backstory- recently divorced rediscovering the world type- but not a name. I also don't recall being given a gender other than a small male illustration which accompanied the text at one point. The sexless personality-free You guides the story offering physical descriptions but is emotionally vague. I understand this type of book is one where you are put in the story to make decisions, but I feel this could have been executed in a much better way. I would have enjoyed a book like this with a very three dimensional character you help to guide, whether you find their personality compatible or not. Putting a name-less action piece in an apocalyptic scenario makes emotional detachment way too easy. I understand this style, and it's way more understandable when directed towards an avid-Goosebumps reading 12 year old but that clearly isn't the audience in this case. I think the apprehension over making a character of You needs to be lost to get to a really good book.

Another issue I had with the book was the decisions you were lead to make were not always very clear. For example, there is a part in the book where you are given the choice between leaving an old woman or staying with her. You are not told you are leaving her somewhere safe so you can find help. You are also never given the option of returning to help her . I, thinking I was leaving her in the middle of an attack, stayed with her and died. Upon choosing the other option I find she is going to a safe place, but am never given the ability to go back for her.

Now this is a bit of nit-picking on my part. Just some stuff I didn't like. Overall this isn't a bad book. The physical descriptions could be very well done at times, for example "You turn and look across the swimming pool, the water lit from beneath, surface dappling with the falling rain". I also enjoyed the occasional emphasis on how a situation felt, but again this emphasis was brief and hesitant in fear of giving the narrator too much personality to wear the readers shoes. I would have enjoyed a book jam-packed with personality, my meshing be damned.

[Charleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

*Disclaimer: I did receive this book for free through Goodreads First Reads*

Let me start but saying that this was my first choose your own adventure book ever and I had no idea what to expect but I was happily surprised. This read is exciting and thrilling and even if I knew I was about to die (which I did die. ALOT.), I still liked to read until the end to discover how I'd lost that time.

Getting used to the second person pov was a tiny challenge for me but after I got the hang of it, it was great. Plus, the way the stories linked together no matter what path you were on was perfect. It never felt like it was a completely different book, just a different angle of it.

All in all, this novel was terrific and showed me two things. 1. If there is ever a zombie apocalypse, I'm dead meat. And 2. When things go bad, for example a zombie/howler attack, the things chasing you aren't the only dangerous thing out there. Sometimes it's some of your own people as well.

[Crystal Lake Publishing · Rating 4 out of 5]

To say Escape from Zombie Island is an exciting read is an understatement. Filled with fast-paced action and lots of creative ways to die, I just couldn’t stop reading.

It took me a while to get used to the 2nd person pov, but that made the death scenes and suspense so much better. I also had to stop myself from jumping ahead to see if I’m on the right path, but I restrained myself in order to see what interesting death scene awaited ahead. Now that I’m done with the book, I’m going to go through it again and deliberately choose the other path and see how gruesome Ray Wallace’s imagination really is.

I died about 10 times before I found my way off the island. Let’s see if you can beat that.

[Tayler Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

As an author and lover of zombie fiction, I can honestly say I've read it all. That was, until I read Escape From Zombie Island. Reading this was the most fun I think I have ever had while reading a book. You try to make decisions to keep you alive, and for a while I thought I had found "the one way out" - until I went down in a blaze of glory. I have yet to read all of the other ways to try and get off the island, but I'm sure I'll have just as much fun reading through it again and again as I did the first time.

I highly recommend this book, and I will definitely be reading all of his other works, and future ones to come.

[Skye Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really well written. I haven't read a choose your own adventure book since grade 7! lol I forgot just how frustrating they are! haha ^_^ I never actually finished this book because i just... kept... DYING!!!! Clearly i am not meant to survive a zombie Apocalypse! There were so many choices to make and different endings that i just couldn't find the way off the island! i think i got to about 70% before i finally gave up and gave into the fate off never getting off the island.

[Anthony Giacomini · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was awesome from the start! It was fun and kept me reading until i finished to book. I have been telling all my friends about it! I highly recommend that you read this. It's great for kids as well as they can interact with the book. Check out the reviews: http://www.amazon.com/review/R13K333K...

This is a great concept and I think a game changer! Well done Sir!

[Jaclyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Clever throw back to the pick-your-own-adventure books of my youth. A couple of spots could have used some editing to make it a little easier to read (sentence flow issues), but good, entertaining nostalgia!

[Moonbow · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun book! This is the 2nd book of its kind I have read, since my childhood days with Goosebumps. I absolutely loved it, and would recommend it to any of my zombie loving friends. unfortunately, I am was not one of the lucky ones to make it off the island!

[Susan65 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally made it out safely. These books are so mind-numbingly frustrating but so exhilarating, at the same time. What I've learned is: I need more cardio in my life, I can't trust anyone, the safest choice is not necessarily the right choice, and I need more cardio. I would not last 24 hours.

[Missi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A real treat! So many ways to die! I thought zombies were going to be the worst thing I encountered.

[Scott Warner · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was fun I love choose your own adventure books. This ones better then the ones I used to read as a kid, you could die at pretty much any moment.. and I did many times.

[Brian J · Rating 4 out of 5]

read my review on bookie-monster.com

[Ashleigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

I never gave up. Even after dying 17 times. I found the One Way Out.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just finished the book and I have to say it was a fun read.I died 3 times lol. I have never read a book where I choose my own path. It was like playing a video game. it was a lot of fun

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

So much fun!