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Running. Hiding. Surviving.

Anchorage, once Alaska’s largest city, has fallen. Now a threatening maze of death, the city is firmly in the cold grip of a growing zombie horde.

Neil Jordan and Dr. Caldwell lead a small band of desperate survivors—including young Jules and Danny—through the hellish undead maelstrom. With their refuge compromised and behind them, Dr. Caldwell and the others place their faith and their lives squarely in Neil’s hands.

With life and death hanging on every decision, Neil must face each new obstacle without breaking. And the group presses on toward their last hope: that this nightmare has been contained, and there still exists a sane world free of infection.

But to reach it, they must survive and escape...

332 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 9, 2012

11 people are currently reading
307 people want to read

About the author

Sean Schubert

8 books30 followers
Sean Schubert has lived in Anchorage, Alaska since 1993. After earning his degree in English from Wabash college that year, Schubert immediately relocated to Alaska.

It's clear that he enjoys and appreciates his new home. Schubert makes Alaska itself an integral part of his unfolding series. The people of Alaska respond to hardship with equanimity.

Sean Schubert says: "Alaska poses its own set of challenges separate from the unfolding zombie plague. The cold, the wildlife, the environment, and the distance all challenge its residents; the addition of zombies to the mix just ups the ante. I try to introduce the elements without being too heavy handed about it. Alaskans typically take things as they come with regard to those environmental challenges, so the growing cold, the gathering darkness, and even zombies are, after certain adjustments, taken in stride. It’s just part of the survival mentality of the Last Frontier."

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5 stars
69 (32%)
4 stars
78 (36%)
3 stars
53 (25%)
2 stars
6 (2%)
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6 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
Profile Image for Tracy  P. .
1,152 reviews12 followers
March 17, 2022
'Containment', book #2 of the Alaskan Undead series really puts the pedal to the metal - and doesn't relent until the very last word. There is plenty of zombie action all throughout. The character development is also excellent. This episode puts more emphasis on identifying (for the listener/reader) specific main characters. A few romances even develop by the end. That being said, just because there are clear and identifiable protagonists who the series seems to center around, that does not mean they all will survive to see another episode...
There is one person who has become (by default) the reluctant decision maker for the groups survival - where to go, how to get rations, and essentially what they can do for their best hope/chance of living to see another day. Author Sean Schubert has hooked me right into this very addicting, gruesome and suspenseful series. Already downloaded book #3. Narrator Daniel May is (as always) excellent. Whenever I see him listed as a narrator (on any audiobook) I know I will have a phenomenal listening experience.
Profile Image for hotsake (André Troesch).
1,553 reviews18 followers
January 9, 2022
Not quite as good or fast paced as the first book. I am enjoying the fact that this series hasn't fallen into the trap of human drama that destroyed my interest in other such stories and show such as The Walking Dead. To be more precise I'm not a fan of the Humans are the real treat/monster trope in zombie stories. I prefer that zombies are the treat in zombie stories, sure put in various struggles like nature survival and dealing with terrible human but keep the focus on the zombies. The biggest downside of this volume was the fact that none of the new characters are given any depth or much page time.
33 reviews
January 6, 2013
I could not put this book down. It may not be a Pulitzer-prize winning novel, however, the concept and the familiarity with the area it takes place kept my interest in the book. Living in Anchorage, I can relate well to the surrounding described in the book and the culture references made throughout the book.

I was bummed when I finished that the third book was not going to be released until later 2013.

Great read, easy and entertaining. You get to know the characters well and secretly cheer for them to survive, or not.
Profile Image for Patrick D'Orazio.
Author 22 books62 followers
March 22, 2014
Containment (Alaskan Undead Apocalypse Book 2) is the sequel to Infection, the first book in this trilogy, which will be completed with Mitigation, which has already been released. The author returns to where he left off, with the two bands of survivors who were racing against death through the first few days and weeks after the first zombie rose up combining forces and doing whatever they can to find and to maintain a safe haven. We are also introduced briefly to a military leader and the failed efforts to prevent the undead from crossing a bridge north of Anchorage, granting the monsters access to the rest of the vast state.
Neil, who led one of the groups in the first book, takes on the mantle of leadership in this book, while Dr. Caldwell, who was the leader of the other group, stepping aside and becoming more of a consultant, or moral guide for Neil. As this new entity travels in and around Anchorage, their numbers grow and diminish thanks to other survivors they happen across and the hordes of undead they must face off against. Of course, the newcomers and old members of the team alike add conflict and provide new challenges for Neil and the others. Officer Malachi Ivanoff, the loose cannon police officer in the first book, finds a new friend in one of the newcomers the group comes across, and ample reasons to continue down his path of destruction and mayhem. Other relationships hinted at being formed in the first book continue to grow and face challenges. In general, Neil’s group, like a living organism, adapts and modifies itself to suit its challenging environment.
While the objective, as is the case in most apocalyptic tales, is survival, the story meanders for the most part, with no specific objective outside of finding food, water, and a safe haven. The author, to his credit, makes Alaska-both Anchorage and the surrounding natural beauty, play a far more prominent role here than in the first book. In Infection, the city of Anchorage had the feel of Any Town, USA. There was nothing unique about this environment the undead had invaded. Containment shares more of the unique flavor of the largest and northern-most state in the U.S., especially when the survivors step outside the confines of Anchorage and are forced to wander a bit into the wilderness. The isolation of Alaska is both a blessing and a curse. While the military has failed to contain the undead in the Anchorage area, there is no hint at outside intervention, either from Canada or the rest of the United States, despite the fact that the story takes place several weeks after Anchorage has been annihilated by the undead. The characters conjecture about where the military might have made a stand and where potential larger bands of refugees might be located, but there are few tangible hints as to what is happening in the wider world around them. It would be safe to guess that the third book in the trilogy should provide greater insight into the global picture though it seems there should have been more here.
The characters in Containment, as was the case in Infection, are well developed. We get to know the original characters even better and the same treatment occurs with some of the new people with whom they cross paths. Unfortunately, the level of introspection each character goes through slows this novel down a great deal in multiple places. The action often comes to a screeching halt while either a character ponders the meaning of what is happening, a bit of their history is revealed, or in the case of a few devious characters, what they are plotting. Still, this is a classic tale of survival in the undead apocalypse and the reader is given the opportunity to get to know these characters in depth and detail that has strong appeal.
Containment, though slow at points and with a plot that meanders a bit, provides the reader with a set of characters that are well-rounded and have a great deal of depth. Neil and the rest of the group are easy to identify with-they are not heroes or skilled survivalists but ordinary folk trying to find their place in a world filled with the undead. It will be interesting to see what happens to them in the conclusion of this trilogy.
Profile Image for Christina.
289 reviews71 followers
December 22, 2012
In Containment, the second in the Alaskan Undead Apocalypse series, a group of people, including two children, must find their way out of Anchorage. The survivors hope the zombie infection has not spread everywhere and that somewhere, there is a safe place.

The Alaskan Undead Apocalypse series is what you would expect from a good zombie story; it is scary. It almost feels like an old movie, where the blood and gore is not what scares you. What scares you is the suspense of what is waiting behind a closed door, shuffling feet coming from somewhere, an open door that should not be open or several people surrounding one small area that is not clearly visible, slowly stepping forward to see what is there... I learned my lesson with Infection; I did not read Containment at night. In fact, I made sure to have a funny book readily available before bedtime and read a little of that before attempting to go to sleep.

I absolutely love the way Containment begins. I love books or movies that begin with a prologue, which takes place on the opposite side of the planet or in a completely different time period, and then the rest of the book takes place somewhere else (although Containment's prologue is not quite so drastic). That doesn't mean it won't come up again later, but it is not the focal point. I don't know quite how to explain it, but this aspect comes off a little surreal and creepy. If you have read any of my other reviews, you will know that creepy is good.

Another thing I absolutely adore is the weirdo, religious nut theme. Containment has that as well, and while you have a pretty good idea of what her endgame is, the details remain elusive. Schubert teases the reader with a snippet here or a clue there, but just as the religious nut's answers to questions are vague, so are the character's intentions.

Since no book can be perfect, I'll admit that some characters are better developed than others. In any event, seeing as how I gave this book 5 stars, it obviously didn't affect how much I enjoyed this book.

As any lover of zombie themed novels knows, there is an ongoing debate as to zombie speed. I don't want to get into all the details here, but Schubert does offer a reasonable explanation as to why zombie speed may not be a constant. And this subject actually plays a pretty important part in the story; it's not a side issue.

I know this sub-genre seems overdone and many will doubt the quality of yet another zombie book, especially when it does not come from one of the biggie publishers, but I am here to tell you that this book is good. Even if you read Infection and thought it was just okay, you may want to give Containment a try. While I thoroughly enjoyed Infection, Containment is definitely better and gets a very enthusiastic recommendation from me for anyone who wants to read a scary, suspense-filled, zombie book.
Profile Image for Rosann.
302 reviews
January 1, 2013
Really loved reading these 2 books. Infection and Containment.. both excellent !!
2 reviews
December 5, 2025
As someone who loves zombie fiction, especially stories that deliver adrenaline, tension, and strong character insight. I really wanted to love Containment. The opening of the first book hooked me immediately: great atmosphere, solid detail, and characters whose inner thoughts felt vivid and worth following. Even when certain things felt slightly off or conveniently written, they were easy to overlook because the setup had so much potential.

However, by the time I reached Containment, that initial momentum had faded into a repetitive pattern that became impossible for me to ignore. The characters seem to circle the exact same conversations over and over, especially around leadership, decision-making, and emotional validation. What starts as a realistic portrayal of group dynamics in a crisis eventually turns into a loop. The same arguments reappear almost word for word, as if the story keeps resetting itself instead of progressing.

One of my biggest frustrations is the treatment of the group’s “leader.” The narrative continually calls him a natural-born leader, yet nearly every chapter emphasizes his self-doubt to an extreme degree. It stops feeling like natural vulnerability and instead becomes an overused character beat that undermines everything the book tries to say about him. He constantly needs reassurance, approval, and emotional hand-holding—so much so that it pulls me out of the story. In a real survival scenario, decisions would lean more toward urgency and instinct, not constant group votes or extended emotional check-ins. The endless reaffirming and babying makes the stakes feel oddly low, even in a zombie world.

Another issue that stood out is the repetitive use of specific words and phrases. Certain terms like diminutive and proverbial are used so frequently that they become distracting. It reached a point where I found myself anticipating their appearance, almost like a mental drinking game. It breaks immersion and highlights a lack of variety in the writing style.

While there are moments that remind me why I picked up the series in the first place with good imagery, occasional bursts of tension, and a world that had real promise. the structural repetition makes the story feel stuck. Character arcs don’t seem to evolve; conversations echo previous chapters; and major conflicts rarely escalate or resolve in a satisfying way. The emotional beats become predictable instead of impactful.

I do plan to continue with the next books because I’m still hoping the story opens up and the characters grow beyond this cycle. But if the same patterns continue—constant doubts, repeated group debates, and recycled dialogue. it may be tough to stay invested.

Overall, Containment had potential, but it leans far too heavily on repeated dynamics and overused language. I’d love to see the narrative move forward with sharper pacing, deeper development, and less reliance on revisiting the same emotional territory.
Profile Image for Justin.
387 reviews5 followers
November 24, 2016
Containment is book two in Sean Schubert's Alaskan Undead Apocalypse series. I'll assume you've read book one (Infection: Alaskan Undead Apocalypse) if you're here browsing the reviews for Containment, and that you already know the basic storyline. In Containment, the group of survivors we met in book one are continuing their quest for safety in a state that appears to be 99.9% overrun by the zombie hordes. There are a few new (and memorable) characters, but this story focuses on the characters from book 1.

Zombie 411: Schubert's zombies are more or less the Romero-style undead. They're quicker, but the basic rules seem to apply.

The good - As with the first book, the main selling point of Containment is that it's a comfortable, familiar zombie apocalypse story with loads of action and bloody violence. Schubert maintains a high level of tension that is enough to keep you turning the pages and wondering whether these beleaguered characters will ever catch a break. He also does a good job continuing to develop those characters. Also, this time around Schubert does more to bring the unique elements of the Alaskan setting into the story, which was missing in book one.

The not so good - There are a couple of issues with this book that made it a tough slog at times. One was Schubert's tendency to let his characters have pages of introspection and reflection. I'm sure it was intended to give them some depth and let us get a better handle on what makes them tick, but after a few of these "what does it all mean" internal monologues, I found myself skipping ahead to when the action started back up. This bled into the dialogue too, which too often veered into unbelievable territory. The other major issue I had is that the story didn't really go anywhere. The group just wandered back and forth until the end, which wasn't much of an ending at all, really. Oh, and get a new car! They can't all be dead!

I'm torn on this one. Containment (which is an odd title by the way, since containment of this plague didn't factor into the story at all) had some major flaws, but it still a pretty enjoyable read. If you really liked Infection, then you'll probably enjoy this one as well.
Profile Image for Holden Attradies.
642 reviews19 followers
July 30, 2013
The writing in this book was a HUGE improvement over the first book. I don't know if I would call it "good" yet but I can see clearly that after the experienced gained from writing a few more novels that Schubert will be a great author.

I'd say my biggest complaint for this book was the incredibly slow pace it moved at. It felt like every action and every single word by the main characters was shown on page. There were whole chapters that felt they could have been condensed to just a few pages instead of playing out on page in what felt like "real time."

And I do wonder how well people who don't live in Alaska (or even those outside of Anchorage) would enjoy this. 98% of what I liked about this book was know exactly where things are taking place and usually know the exact buildings the author is describing. It's a story that takes place outside my front door, making it incredibly visual to me as a reader.

So, definitely an improvement from the first one. But I'd still say unless you are a big zombie fan or live in Anchorage this probably isn't for you.
Profile Image for RJ.
2,044 reviews13 followers
May 8, 2014
Excellent character development as you get to know each of the survivors and connect with them to some degree or another. There was one character who appeared for several chapters and seemed to have some part to play within the mechanics of the group, but then was unexpectedly removed permanently, as in deceased. I'm not sure what the purpose of that was; evidently the author changed his mind on the importance of said character. Then there was the "few bricks short of a load" police officer. I guess all the characters can't survive until the end can they? As a zombie apocalypse tale there are certainly better books out there, but this one is still an interesting read that gets better the further you explore.
Profile Image for Penny.
216 reviews10 followers
August 8, 2014
THIS BOOK IS SO TERRIBLE. So problematic. The writing is crap, the editing is crap. He makes the most nonsensical metaphors. References to Bill Clinton and Pulp Fiction show just how out of touch the author is. Author clearly has issues with "wimmens, they are so confusifying with their feelings;" several characters had evil ex wives, because women are evil. SubPlots were started and discarded. Romance came out of nowhere. THIS BOOK IS FULL OF ISSUES.

Although, the biology of the zombies was good. But calling them "fiends" and "ghouls" was getting annoying.

I hated this book.
Profile Image for Brad Theado.
1,856 reviews3 followers
November 28, 2012
Ok wow. I didn't give book 1 a very good review, deservedly I think. But book 2, took all the things I wasn't happy about in book 1 and turned them around.

Great character development. Alaska becomes a character as much as it does a setting. Characters you like dying. Couldn't ask for more, great book!
Profile Image for BlushedBindings.
116 reviews3 followers
February 23, 2013
I still love this series you get to know more and more about the characters. I think this will be a longer series there are a lot of characters still not part of the story line or left hanging. So if that annoys you pass on these stories.
Profile Image for Casey.
13 reviews
April 12, 2016
just as good as the first, totally has me hooked
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews

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