Broken World

Broken World #1

by Kate L. Mary

When a deadly virus sweeps the country, Vivian Thomas sets out for California in hopes of seeing the daughter she gave up for adoption. Then her car breaks down and she’s faced with a choice. Give up, or accept a ride from redneck brothers, Angus and Axl. Vivian knows the offer has more to do with her double D’s than kindness, but she’s prepared to do whatever it takes to reach her daughter.

The virus is spreading, and by the time the group makes it to California, most of the population has been wiped out. When the dead start coming back, Vivian and the others realize that no electricity or running water are the least of their concerns. Now Vivian has to figure out how to be a mother under the most frightening circumstances, cope with Angus’s aggressive mood swings, and sort out her growing attraction to his brooding younger brother, Axl.

While searching for a safe place to go, they pick up a pompous billionaire who may be the answer to all their problems. Trusting him means going into the middle of the Mojave Desert and possibly risking their lives, but with the streets overrun and nowhere else to turn, it seems he might be their only chance for survival.

Genres: Zombies, Horror, Post Apocalyptic, Dystopia, Science Fiction, Apocalyptic, Romance

235 pages, Paperback

First published July 2, 2014

About the author

I'm a mom of four, Air Force wife, and author of adult and young adult dystopian, post-apocalyptic, and science fiction. I love intense world building and character driven stories that feature strong female leads - as well as a side of romance - and any end of the world scenario. Zombies, aliens, a distant future where people have no clue how the world ended in the first place, you name it, I will create a story there!

Having lived in a lot of different places after more than a decade as an Air Force wife, I love setting my books in cities I've actually lived in to give them authenticity. I've resided in: Indiana, Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina, California, and Oklahoma but am currently back in my home state of Ohio where I live with my husband, four kids, two dogs, and three cats.

When I'm not writing, you can find me by my pool (in the summer), getting lost in some binge-worthy show or at a play with my husband, patronizing one of the great restaurants in my small town of Troy, Ohio with my family, or traveling. I want to see everything and make a point of visiting a new place every year!

Some of my favorite books are The Hunger Games, Pride and Prejudice, The Host, and The Stand. My favorite movies are Aliens, Jaws, Signs, Say Anything, Everything Everywhere All At Once, and The Greatest Showman.

Awards:

Outliers
Winner in the 2018 Kindle Books Awards for Sci-Fi/Fantasy Fiction
B.R.A.G.Medallion Honoree
Finalist in the 2018 Wishing Shelf Book Awards For Adult Fiction
Top 10 Finalist in the Author Academy Awards for Sci-Fi/Fantasy Fiction
Cover Finalist in the 2019 RONE Awards from InD'tale Magazine

When We Were Human
2015 Children's Moonbeam Awards Silver Medal winner for Young Adult Fantasy/Sci-Fi Fiction
2016 Readers' Favorite Gold Medal Winner for Young Adult Science Fiction

Tribe of Daughters
Winner in the 2020 RONE Awards for Time Travel/Science Fiction
Bronze Medal Winner in the 2019 Readers' Favorite Book Awards for Science Fiction
Honorable Mention in the 2018 SPR Book Awards

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Reviews

[Zain · Rating 3 out of 5]

Is This The Future Of The Apocalypse? 🤷🏽‍♀️

I liked this book, most of the time. But there are so many unlikable characters.

Is this the way the books about the apocalypse are all going to be now?

Three stars. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

[S.K. Munt · Rating 4 out of 5]

5 Stars for a Zombie novel :)

Look out mama, I'm trailer trash window shopping for my next book boyfriend!



I read this book in the space of four days which is saying a lot for me because I selfishly spend most of my time writing and have to scrape up time for anyone else's stuff, and I have a new Dean Koontz paperback staring at me too so kudos to the author for getting me to resist that in favour of an e-book.

I picked up a copy of Broken World after chatting to the author in a writer's group, and I'm so glad I did because this was a great story.

In the beginning, I was pretty much horrified by the line-up of main characters we had; two trailer trash criminals and a stripper and I had my hands ready to cover my eyes over what I assumed would be an incredibly gross rape scene and the longer the story went on without this happening, the more pleasantly surprised I became.

And the writer really does keep the surprises coming. Though this book stands apart from the other Zombie books I've read, I probably couldn't call it exceptionally original because from what I can tell from other reviews, it has a lot in common with The Walking Dead. I don't actually watch the show (my apologies to Zombie fans but it seems a bit slow and depressing to me from what I've heard from my zombie-obsessed husband) but Broken World is neither slow or depressing and that's what I like in Zombie novels.And the writing is so fluid that I don't think it matters what it is a lot like- because it's not like the crappy ones at all and let's face it, there are a lot of D-grade books in this genre but Broken World is A grade for me.

In the beginning you think everyone's just getting sick from a virus and as the story progresses, I started to wonder if I'd actually picked up a post-apocalyptic read instead of a zombie novel and I really enjoyed this dynamic. There was plenty to fear, without adding man-eaters into the mix and the author builds the suspense so that by the time the dead start to rise, you're incredibly nervous.

Most of the tension comes from within the group. Ahh Angus, I shivered every time you made your way onto the page with your gross little spittoon can and he reminded me a lot of Brad Pitt's character in Kalifornia, which is one of those random, dark redneck movies that I just love. Angus and Axl aren't quite that far gone but you don't think they're going to be redeemable or people of worth at all but surprisingly, as the tale moves on it's the main character you lose respect for while Axl and Angus began to shine as leaders. This would be an incredibly clumsy mistake for a writer to make but you can tell that Kate L. Mary has done this purposefully to avoid cliches and it's what I loved about the book the most.

And this brings me to Axl- woot! Talk about character development! This guys is the definition of 'It's Complicated' and dang it but he was sexy as all hell by the end! Frustrating, but sexy.

There are cliche characters but I tell you what- there are plenty of cliche people and the people who would survive this sort of scenario would be that way- Rich and calculating, Smart and scared or weak and begging protection and I thought they all worked beautifully together.

The main character frustrated me a lot, probably because I am a mother and she is such a bad one, but he point of view was realistic and believable. The entire novel follows along that vein. No one is perfect or an action hero, but instead of them making really stupid mistakes that have you banging your head on the table with frustration, they're prone to little lapses in focus that have catastrophic results and our heroine pays dearly for it. I'm looking forward to seeing how or if her character develops over the rest of the trilogy.

Can't wait to read the second instalment in the series. If you're a big fan of Zombie apocalypse novels then move this to the top of your list and if you're just getting into the genre- likewise. The writing is fluid and clean and honest and the plot flows incredibly smoothly, the characters relatable, the plot feasible and I don't know how she did it but this was a page turner without having to be packed full of action at every moment. Though it gets a bit steamy at one point and a little bit violent, it's by no means excessively gory so I don't see why it would be off-limits to anyone younger than say, fourteen.

*Review Afterword*
I stumbled upon this book after hearing that the author had been accused of plagiarism by another author. I believe that the controversy has blown over now but when I heard about the situation, promised that I would read this book and the one it had been accused of 'copying' based on the title and cover and the premise in the synopsis.
I think we all know that Zombie Apocalypse novels are pretty hard to strike gold on as far as originality is concerned because at the end of the day, most of us picture the world after the same way, adjusted a little depending on how the virus spreads, where we live and what matters to us. As I have also written a Zombie Apocalypse novel about a girl travelling across the state on the first day of the outbreak and because I also have a highway picture on my cover, I decided to look into this a little deeper to make sure that no one was going to turn around and accuse me of the same thing. (Though I do pity the writer who has similar brainwaves to my own because it gets creepy and weird in here;) )

Anyway not only have I read both this and 'Mad World, epidemic' but I have read them both in the space of two days and I have got to say that THEY HAVE NOTHING IN COMMON. Nothing, nothing NOTHING. Not only are they dissimilar as far as the scope goes, but they're almost polar opposites! I only had to read 5 pages of the other to go WHO WOULD THINK THESE WERE ALIKE? The 1 star reviews Miss Mary has suffered from, which I can still see on Amazon despite the fact that the person accused her of this has rescinded their acusation, are a load of shit honestly and have come from people who have clearly not even read the prologue of Broken World.

The two writers are completely different from one another. The targeted audiences are clearly adult in this case, and YA for the other. The heroine in this is a stripper who gave a kid up for adoption years ago and is travelling across the country to get to her 4 year old, and the heroine of the other becomes a 16 year old adoptive mum ON THE LAST PAGE of the other. The heroine in this story is travelling with a bunch of Rednecks and an assortment of people of different races and ages, but the other is about a group of students who already know each other each going to find their families one by one. Different diseases, different symptoms, different locales EVERYTHING is different. I express sympathy for Kate L.Mary for having been accused with absolutely no evidence to back it up for she has suffered for this, but I am glad that the situation made enough of a splash to get me to read this book because I can't wait to move on to the sequel.

Never Judge a Book by It's Cover has never meant more, then it does in this situation. Miss Mary has admitted that aspects of this book are a nod to The walking Dead, and there ain't nothing wrong with that, especially given how upfront she has been about it all from the start.

[Jacqueline's Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 The beginning of the end Stars

I love Zombie books. I love all forms of Zombie books, the ones with romance, the ones without romance, the ones with mega gorge and the ones with messed up characters. It’s very rare to find a good one that can hold your interest and not read as typical.

I’m so delighted that I picked up Broken World. It went beyond my expectations, kept me on my toes and I read it in one sitting.

Broken World is book one of the Broken World series. This is the first book, so be prepared to enter a CRAZY, but super addictive story.

Vivian Thomas is on the road, she needs to drive across country to find her daughter she gave up for adoption. The world is still intact, but a mysterious virus that is killing people and is making the living a bit on edge.
I love reading the beginning of everything. Meaning, the world is somewhat civil, but completely naïve to what is to come. When Vivian’s car breaks down she has no choice but to hitch a ride with two red neck brothers, Angus and Axl.

Angus is disgusting and doesn’t make it a mystery that he wants to get into Vivian’s pants. Axl is quiet and seems to let his older brother call the shots.

I was really nervous reading the relationship between Vivian and the brothers. I didn’t know what to expect and you know in dystopian books, ANTYHING can happen. I liked that I didn’t know if I could trust the brothers and I liked how the author built the relationship up between Vivian and the guys. I loved that they didn’t trust each other, but Axl seems to warm nicely to Vivian.

This is not a romance book, but there are touches of romance here and there and frankly it’s perfect for me. It’s kind of hard to get it on when the characters haven’t showered in days and they are sleeping in the middle of nowhere.

The writing is a bit descriptive at times, but that’s just my personal preference of a reader. I prefer more dialogue than inner monologue, however I really liked the way the book was written, or better yet the flow. I felt like there was never a dull moment and every scene was warranted. I really liked that with each new character we get, we realize there are good and bad and then there are the really flawed as well. A good person has flaws right?
Vivian did frustrate me at times because I felt like she was a bit selfish, but I think that was needed to show how much she eventually grows throughout the book. Like I said, the author knows how to build up the characters.
If you are a zombie book fan, you need to read this one, you will not be disappointed.

**READ on Kindle Unlimited

AMAZON

[Mr. Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

A raging viral infection breaks out in the densely populated Northeast corridor. Killing an estimated 85% of everyone infected, there is no cure. Travel is severely curtailed. Schools, businesses and non-essential services are shut down completely. Despite these efforts, the virus breaks out, spreading inexorably across the country.

It is in this setting, about six-seven weeks after the initial outbreak that Vivian decides to cash in her meager savings and drive across the country to California. Four years ago she gave up her newborn daughter for adoption. If she is going to die of this new plague, she wants to see her daughter one last time. With this tenuous connection to California and a certificate that guarantees that she is infection free, she hits the road.

Broken World does an excellent job of capturing the slow slide from modern civilization. Things are breaking down, fast. Some places aren't open at all, others are manned by a skeleton crew. Armed soldiers man check points carefully screening everyone. Desperate travelers, out of money and options are confronted by suspicious locals, fearful of the contagion.

Vivian makes it about half-way before things begin to go south. She passes the first body. Then her car dies. She is picked up by two red necks, Axl and Angus. The two men appear more than mildly interest in her, ahem, assets, and she isn't sure that accepting a ride with them is a good idea. Fortunately, it turns out that these two guys are actually pretty decent (if crude) guys. They, too, are headed for California and they are willing to help her out. And, unlike Vivian, they are ready for the end of the world, with loads of camping gear, food, and weapons.

Things continue to deteriorate. They pass more corpses, including, disturbingly, the bodies of soldiers at a check point. They also encounter more stragglers and, with a few more companions, they push west. By the time they make it to California the streets and highways are just about deserted. Survivors seem tentative and hesitant, somehow. Everyone is just shell-shocked. (Remember, 85% death rate).

At the half-way point, Vivian and the guys reach her daughter's house and, low and behold, Emily is alive - terrified, but alive. Her mom and dad were not so fortunate and lie rotting in their bed. It is right about here that the story begins to shift from a plague story to a zombie-plague story. While rescuing Emily, Vivian swears she saw the girl's adoptive mother (dead) move a finger. Surely she imagined that?! Then, when they make it to San Francisco, they encounter people aimlessly shambling around. These clearly ill people are also strangely aggressive, attacking Vivian and crew. The word "zombie" is used for the first time.

Holed up in a hotel, they find more survivors including Michael, a billionaire who offers them hope. He has the code to a secret bunker outside of Las Vegas that is stocked to supply 50 people with everything they could want for five years. It sounds too good to be true, but it is all they have so they hightail it out of SF and head for Vegas. The story ends (more or less) with a deadly shoot out against the undead outside the bunker as they race to escape.

I liked this book. Far too often, stories of the inevitable Zombie Apocalypse start AFTER the main event. To me, the most interesting part of the story is the outbreak itself. The fact that people don't know what they are facing. Their very human instincts to help those in need hurt them. See a guy in pain, you go to help him. Whoops! He's a zombie. Now you are zombie food. Broken World chronicles this slow descent from the pre-outbreak world into the post-outbreak world with all the confusion, misunderstanding, and fear. Well done!

A couple things did bug me about the story. First Vivian is a stripper. Nothing wrong with that, but the author really seems to accentuate that back ground and her enormous 'assets.' That, combined with her tendency to get caught partly dressed was annoying. I'm not sure the story needed it as it is a pretty good story. Next, the whole relationship between Vivian and Axl bugged the snot out of me. I'm not a fan of the whole 'I like him, but does he like me' stuff when he clearly liked her. They spend far too much time in this weird state of relationship-tension. Just do it, already. Ugh. Also, other than the nice run up to the outbreak, I'm not sure how unique this story was overall. Finally, the ending itself made me groan. It wasn't quite a cliff hanger, but it left a lot of questions unanswered.

Three and a half stars rounded down to three. I could've gone to four very easily, but I think rounding down to three is the right call.

[Stitching Ghost · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good and quick read.
Now, I'll level with you this book has a lot of common tropes to the genre, it evokes 2004 Dawn of the Dead a lot and I'm not surprised to hear that the author is a fan of The Walking Dead. That being said, it was well balanced between character exposition and action and the pacing was great.
Vivian has a tendency to just blurt out her story to anyone who asks and I liked that about her even if it did mean she repeated herself a few times. Someone tell me I'm not the only one who read her as neurodivergent and liked her all the more for it?.
Will I come back to read the rest of the series? Hopefully, yes.

[Sonja · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved how it started calmly and escalated. Some times I wondered if it was indeed a zombie apocalypse book. The characters are very human and complicated. Generally things do not go the way you expect them to.
My only downside, I cannot stand the main character. Maybe she will be replaced in the next book. I will be reading the next book in the series.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay so the two main male characters are basically Merle and Daryl Dixon. The author basically admits as much.
But this is NOT a bad thing. In fact, it's a pretty good thing. The main character is tough without being a Mary Sue. All the characters have depth and flaws. The zombies don't show up until the end of the book but that is okay. I really enjoyed this book and look forward to the second one.

[ZARIA (Sheldon Cooper lover) · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 Stars

But only because of Axl. My heart even flutters when I think about him now! Vivian Thomas spoiled everything for me. I have never wanted to slap a fictional character as much as I wanted to slap Vivian the whole time I read this book. One of the weirdest and dumbest heroines ever.
She doesn’t have to be an Alpha female and go in with guns blazing to save the world. She can be soft and strong without being stupid or silly.
I really hated her.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my favorite book I've read so far this month. The author did dystopia well. Dystopian novels are in one of those genres that I love and am always in with both feet. The story starts out with an illness, that was possibly engineered by the government, sweeps through the population and kills off most people leaving few survivors that happen to be immune. But wait, the dead comes back to life as Zombies moving faster and faster the longer they have been dead. This was a wild ride.

I liked the world building. This world sounded perfectly plausible. It was detailed. I also liked the MC. She was tough enough to carry the story. I also liked the rednecks. They were funny and a perfect addition to play off of.

Now there were some plot elements that I did NOT care for. I found myself asking, "What is the author thinking?" but overall it wasn't a deal breaker.

[chucklesthescot · Rating 1 out of 5]

Vivian gave up her daughter for adoption but now that the apocalypse has come, she wants to travel across country to meet her once. Right. Now that it suits YOU you want to go and see the daughter you never gave a damn about all these years, turning her life upside down meeting someone who means nothing to her, just to make our Viv feel better about herself now. Viv is completely stuck up and self obsessed, looking down her nose at other survivors and thinking she is better than the rest of them. Sounds to me she gave up the daughter because she couldn't be bothered or her job was more important. Gah.

So now she is on a road trip with two strangers-redneck brothers Axl and Angus. She of course tries to throw her weight around with them but gets nowhere. On every single page she is analysing the good and bad points of each brother, then doing the same over and over until I wanted to kill her. Didn't like any of the characters and didn't get far with this.

[Sophie Narey (Bookreview- aholic) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Published: 02/07/2014
Author: Kate L Mary
Recommended for : I would recommend this book to anyone who likes books with zombie's in them.
Edition: Kindle

I found this book on the Kindle Store for free and so I thought I would give it a try. It is very well written by Kate.L. Mary .

I thought that it definately deserved 4star's, it is a brilliant zombie novel. This is a very well written book that the world that is the setting is very realistic and a very interesting place to be. The author describes the setting very well and sets a very vivid image in your mind of the world they are in. This is a book that is not very much about zombies eating people.....but more about how a group of people try to survive zombies taking over. This is part of an incredible series of books that are all incredible.

[Carole (Carole's Random Life) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review can also be found at Carole's Randon Life in Books.

Well, this was fantastic! I am finding that I like post-apocalyptic stories more and more these days. I have come across a few recommendations for this series and put it on my wishlist but never got around to it until now. This was such an entertaining listen. Once I got started with this book, I didn't want to stop. I am so glad that I finally gave this one a try.

Vivian is making her way to California. The world is in shambles due to a recent virus outbreak that threatening the lives of everyone across the country. She is on a quest to check on the daughter she gave up for adoption. When her car breaks down, she is helped out by a somewhat suspicious pair of brothers. And this is only the start of her journey.

One of the things that I loved about this book was the characters. I really felt like I got to know Vivian and the rest of her group over the course of this story and more importantly, I grew to care about them. There were a few characters that my opinion of completely changed during the course of the story. I liked that we saw these characters evolve and learn to trust each other. The characters all felt so real to me and I almost felt like I was on this journey with them.

I thought that this story was really exciting. I like it when a book shows how an outbreak starts. It is so much fun getting a chance to be with the characters while they figure out what is really happening. There are some pretty intense moments in this book and some other more heartbreaking moments. I think that the author did a great job of keeping things interesting and setting a nice pace for the story.

Hillary Huber did a great job with the narration. There is a pretty diverse cast of characters in this book and she did a fantastic job of making them each sound distinctive. She was able to bring a lot of emotion into the story and brought the excitement level up a notch. She had a very nice voice that was easy to listen to for hours at a time.

I would highly recommend this book to fans of post-apocalyptic stories. I thought that this book really gave the series a great start with its wonderful characters and exciting story. I can't wait to get started on the next book!

I received a review copy of this audiobook from the author.

Initial Thoughts
This was awesome! This book was probably 4.5 stars but I am rounding up for now. I loved the fact that the story started as all of the problems started. I thought it was fun to figure out what was really going on along with the characters. The characters were very well done and a few of them surprised me before the end of the book. The narration was really well done.

[Carol (StarAngel's Reviews) Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

FINALLY

Woo hoo....now here's a GREAT zombie author!

Ms. Mary perfectly mixes in angst, zombies, romance, asshole brute and so many others!

The character development is SPOT ON!

I can't wait to gobble this series up!

[Meredith Tate · Rating 5 out of 5]

**I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review**

Wow. I really loved this one. I couldn't put it down... and then I had to force myself to put it down, because it was dark and late and I was alone...

It was a zombie apocalypse story, but not the same blood and gore killer zombie story I'm used to seeing over and over. BROKEN WORLD was definitely character-driven, and all the characters are so fleshed-out and real that I found myself loving - and loathing - many of them like they were real people. They all progress and grow throughout the book.

This book doesn't dump the reader in the middle of a zombie apocalypse. When we meet the main character, Vivian, she is in the middle of trying to get across the country to see her daughter - whom she put up for adoption four years ago - amidst a national crisis. There is a virus plaguing the world, but no one really understands what it really is, making all the more terrifying. People are still trying to keep society together at this point, and the government is being less than truthful about the facts.

As Vivian travels, her car breaks down, and she is forced to hitch a ride with redneck brothers Axl and Angus who have their own reasons for heading out west. Vivian is attracted to Axl, but doesn't fully trust the brothers.

As the trio travels across the country, the virus situation grows more dire, and the group picks up more people along the way. Everyone has their own motives for joining, and their own flaws. There are trust issues, clashing cultures, and a whole lot of arguments. All of the interactions between characters felt very real to me.

There is a lot to fear: running out of gas, running out of food, catching the virus (which kills you within days)... not to mention the threat of other survivors who would just about kill for some of the group's precious supplies.

When infected people do start becoming zombies, the stakes are upped to a whole new level.

As the reader, we watch the crisis slowly evolve and unfold. We learn about everything as the characters do.

I really connected to Vivian's character. She had a lot of strengths and weaknesses. She lived in a trailer park with her abusive father and then became a stripper. After getting pregnant as a teenager, she gave her baby up for adoption and moved to the Midwest. Throughout the course of the book, I loved getting to know her and reading about all of her very complex emotional processes. When she finds her daughter Emily, she doesn't really know what to do. She feels guilty for not feeling like a mom, and feels guilty when she puts her own well being before her daughter's. She wants to protect Emily, but isn't really sure what to do. She's a sharp shooter, and a strong but layered woman, who always rushes to help others. I really liked her character.

While this book is labeled (I think?) as new adult, I think YA and adult readers alike will also enjoy it. It's not a horror, but definitely has some elements that are psychologically terrifying (I won't give spoilers, but the scene in Emily's parents' house had me freaking out, and on the edge of my seat).

I really loved this book, and plan to continue the series. 5/5 stars!

[Vincent Morrone · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a big fan of zombies. Love the Walking Dead and World War Z. Zombie books are often a crap shoot. Some of them a complete fails, with no plot, bland characters and often just badly written. However, there are also some that are just excellent books. Broken World definitely fits into the Excellent book category! It's not just a book where characters are constantly being attacked by zombies and most of the characters are nothing more than appetizers.

Vivian is trying to make her way to the little girl that she gave up for adoption and travels with a pair of red neck brothers, Angus & Axl while the world collapses around them. As they travel, their group grows, each new character adding a new flavor to the novel.

One of the things I found fascinating was how it took a long time to introduce the actual zombies to the action. The characters bond, grow and face challenges together. Each character has depth and the author makes us care for them, feel their losses and cheer for their triumphs.

By the time I was done with book I, I had book II ready to go and book II is on deck. One of the better zombie books out there.

[Tracy P. (Away for long wknd. Have a good one!=) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Detailed review will follow after another book or two in the series.

I will say this first book is inimitable and looking forward to finding out if the series continues to be so refreshingly unexampled. Unusual, as almost always I can compare just about everything I finish with a book or two containing some similar/recognizable qualities. We shall see. . .
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[Fatima · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was looking for something different and stumbled upon this series !!! Me likey !

[Kate Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a journey. A journey for both the reader and the characters. The zombies don't jump out on page one and no one is bitten or bloody in the first chapter. When I'm reading a zombie book that starts on the day of the outbreak, I always feel like we're missing an important part of character's stories. The world doesn't change in the blink of an eye. It's a slow process and as human beings it takes time to adjust. That's what I wanted to write.

So, I took characters that were colorful and damaged, and sent them on trip to find themselves amidst a world that was crumbling around them. To me, creating characters is one of the most enjoyable parts of writing. Having a good story and the ability to tell it is nothing without characters people can love.

I know everyone won't get the story I'm trying to tell or appreciate it as much as I do, but I'm still happy to have it out there for others to read. I hope you all enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it, because there's plenty more where that came from!

[Rachel (TheShadesofOrange) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars
Heavily  inspired by The Walking Dead, this post apocalyptic survival story read more like fan fiction than an original zombie story. . So many plot developments directly mirrored the AMC TV show and the main characters were basically Carol, Darryl and Meryl.  Not at all scary, the zombies felt more like backdrops to the interpersonal drama between the characters.

Yet,  this was an absolutely addicting reading experience! As someone  obsessed with The Walking  Dead, I look forward to reading  the later volumes in this series. 

[Nicole M. Hewitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review and many others can be found on my blog - Feed Your Fiction Addiction

This book was really amazing, and not at all what I was expecting. It took me a while to feel like I was in the mood for this one – I think I just wasn’t feeling in a zombie apocalypse mood or something. But when I finished the book, I had to immediately contact the author and ask for the next one (and then read it immediately). Obviously, I shouldn’t have waited so long!

What I LOVED:

The story.
The first half of this book doesn’t focus on zombies (not a big problem for me, but see my negatives below). Instead it’s more of a story about what happens to people when the world is ending and you don’t know if you will survive. For the first half of the book, the characters don’t actually see a zombie. They just think that a deadly virus is killing most of the people in the world. These people are just hoping to survive – and get to their loved ones to find out if they’re still alive. Chances are, they’re not. Oh, and of course, since this is a zombie novel, not everyone makes it out alive – and the results are pretty devastating!

The characters.
These characters are not your typical heroes. Vivian, the main character, grew up in a trailer park with an abusive father after her mother left them. She then got pregnant and gave the child up for adoption (which was probably the smartest thing she could do) and then left home and became a stripper. Yep, the main heroine is a stripper. The two main guys she ends up with, Angus and Axl, are pretty much trailer trash (in her words – just like her father) – at least you think so at first. Turns out that all of these characters have layers, and learning about them was definitely my favorite part of the book. Then there are the more secondary characters, who are actually more “average” people – college students, a mom and her daughter, a piano teacher, a millionaire, etc. Many of these people, who we would consider as having more value to society under normal circumstances, are actually less useful in a zombie apocalypse. Not that they were useless, but Angus and Axl actually come out as leaders in these circumstances, and the dynamic is really interesting. Instead of trying to stuff all of my thoughts about these main characters into this bullet point, read on …

Vivian.
Vivian is an interesting character because she’s very strong in some ways – she’s had to be to live through the events of her life – but at the same time, she’s got these flaws that make her weak. Her inability to trust, to love, the fact that she’s always depended only on herself. These things can be huge drawbacks for her. Vivian just wants to see her daughter one time before the world falls apart. But I loved that finding her daughter doesn’t end up all rainbows and unicorns – that just wouldn’t fit with these characters or this story. It’s hard. It’s messy. She doesn’t instantly love the girl the way she did when she was an infant. Add all of those complex emotions to a zombie apocalypse and you have a very interesting story. Plus, Vivian’s daughter manages to both bring her closer to Axl (the love interest in the story) and sometimes pulling her away from him. Like I said, it’s complicated.

Axl and Angus.
When the book starts out, Angus is definitely in charge. And he’s not a good guy – he’s often nasty and racist and overbearing and, well, just a hick. But his unique skills (like stealing things and hot-wiring cars) actually come in pretty handy, and Vivian finds herself forced to stay with the guys, whether she likes it or not. And, at the beginning, Axl pretty much does anything that Angus says. But through the book, we learn more about Axl and we see that he is not just a bully like his brother. And he gains his own sense of self-confidence and manages to break away from his brother somewhat. By the end of the book, Axl is not just the more tolerable of the two brothers, he’s actually someone to be admired. And I loved that Vivian even sees hints of redemption in Angus – but he never turns into a truly good guy.

The negatives:

Zombies take a long time to show up.
This actually wasn’t a huge problem for me because I was really enjoying the story of what happens to these people when just a regular, plain-old deadly virus hits the world (which, like I said, is what they thought for the first half of the book). But true zombie aficionados might get irritated with the fact that you don’t even see an actual zombie until halfway through the book (and it takes them even a bit longer to figure out that that’s what they’re dealing with).

Cliffhanger.
This book ends with one of those “right in the middle of a scene” cliffhangers. I actually don’t mind cliffhangers, but I’m not crazy about this type. Luckily, book #2 is out tomorrow, so there’s an easy solution to this problem – keep reading!

So, if you like a good zombie novel with complex characters, definitely pick this one up. You won’t want to put it down! 4.5/5 Stars.

***Disclosure: This book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***

[Wendy Lohr · Rating 2 out of 5]

Chaotic. Unsettling. Frightening. These are feelings that can be found in almost all zombie apocalypse novels. As the world crumbles, survivors seek ways to make it from one day to the next without becoming infected or dying at the hands of other survivors.

Broken World follows Vivian across the United States as she tries to make it to California to be with the daughter she’d given up for adoption. With martial law declared, she’s had to go through a lot just to get the papers required to make the trip and she’s not going to let anything get between her and her daughter. But when her car breaks down, she’s forced to make a choice – team up with two redneck brothers that are not exactly on the up and up or take her chances walking to the next check point. She teams up with the rednecks and so the story progresses.

So, let me first point out the things I liked about this novel. Namely, writing style and descriptions. The author writes the story in a fluid, well-paced style that keeps the eye moving across the page. Nothing is flowery or poetic, but then this is an apocalypse novel, so flowery and poetic would actually detract from the overall story. And the descriptions are written in such a way that I was able to place myself within the scenes and picture the characters Vivian was encountering or the places she was entering. I like when I can set myself into the scene and visualize what’s happening.

Now for the rest. Let’s start with characters. I was unable to connect at all with Vivian, the heroine of this story. She was flat to me and not a very strong character at all. I guess I need my lead characters in zombie novels to be leaders, to shoulder responsibilities and show me that they can and will survive anything. Because those are the people I’d want to be following in these sorts of scenarios. Vivian just didn’t do that for me and when things happened to her that would have normally been devastating to me as a reader, I found I couldn’t work up a lot of feeling for her plight. She mostly followed instead of led and most everything that seemed to happen to allow her to keep on surviving was more luck than skill or someone else looking out for her. As for the supporting characters, I couldn’t work up much interest in them, either. Axl was probably the most interesting character in the novel, but even he fell short. So, for a reader that loves characters and character development, this was a major disappointment for me.

Okay, plot is next. The concept of a virus spreading and killing off humans is not unique. And the concept of the dead humans reanimating as zombies is not unique either. I thought the idea of incorporating martial law and the requirements of the physical before being granted travel papers was interesting, but it didn’t really get explored a whole lot. In fact, I was a little frustrated to only catch bits and pieces here and there about what was really happening in this world. It wasn’t until chapter five that I started getting some sort of handle on the situation and even then, the unfolding of events was vague and glossed over. If Vivian went through all the steps to obtain the required travel papers, then she would have been much more informed of what was going on around her and should have been reflecting on things in more depth from the very beginning so the reader actually understands what’s happening.

Which now leads me into the actual zombies. Okay, every zombie book I’ve ever picked up and read had the appearance of zombies within the first two to three chapters. It’s a zombie book… it’s supposed to have zombies. Well, I understand what the author was trying to portray in this novel… the exploration of events leading up to the actual appearance of zombies. But when you don’t even see the first zombie until Chapter 16 which is half-way through a 280-page novel, I can’t really get behind that anymore and it’s no longer a zombie apocalypse novel. I’m a zombie fan; I want my zombies within the first few chapters or I’ve lost interest. Instead, I felt like the zombies were almost an afterthought in this novel. As for the zombies themselves, kind of an interesting mash-up of things that have already been done – new zombies move slow and don’t exactly attack right away while older zombies are more aggressive and actually run at you at top speed; creepy and interesting and would have been much more amazing if I’d gotten to discover this much earlier in the book.

Overall, the writing style and descriptions were the only things that saved this book from an even lower rating. I couldn’t get behind the characters and was frustrated at not learning more about what was happening. Plus, the zombies really needed to start appearing much sooner in the novel in order to keep my interest. I would not discourage others from reading this novel for themselves, but it just wasn’t my cup of tea.

**I would like to thank the author for providing me with a copy of this novel in return for my fair and honest review of the book.

[Terry Tyler · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did enjoy this - more in some parts than others but I've just had to buy the next one in the series, so it must have been fairly good!

It's the usual end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it stuff, but I liked how when it started off the last remants of order still remained. The story is told in the first person by the main character, the trailer-trash-with-a-brain Vivian, who first teams up with two redneck guys, the rather scary Angus and the rather sexy Axl. The story has all the good snippets of hope and despair, with the characters' realisation that the situation is far more terrifying than they realise. It's sharp and spare in the prose style, which I like. My favourite character is the aforementioned sexy Axl.

I got a bit bored at about 65% when the story became something of a rip-off of The Walking Dead (the missing child, the pregnant woman, the coming across of a mixed group with token ethnic minorities, the token old guy with the wisdom of years, the fella with limited but useful medical knowledge, even down to the young Asian guy who says 'I'm Korean' when someone refers to him as Chinese), but then it picked up again with the inclusion of a selfish billionaire all the characters (and the readers) can love to hate. I do get that stories of this type will have certain similarities, after all! The ending was fab - for people who don't like cliffhangers (so that you will have to buy the next book) this might be irritating, but I don't mind that format - it's only like a cliffhanger at the end of a TV series.

The only other minor moan I have is the amount of characters with similar names, which makes for confusing reading: Al, Axl, Angus, Anne, Ava.

Yes, it's good - if you like zombie apocalypse books I'd say it was definitely worth a read. Well, I'm about to start the next one, anyway!

[Netanella · Rating 4 out of 5]

With very obvious borrowings from the popular AMC series, "The Walking Dead", this zombie apocalypse adventure was an enjoyable read for me. A former stripper goes in search of her adopted daughter on the other side of the US once the world begins to falls apart. She's picked up by two redneck brothers, Meryl and Darrel. Or here, Axl and Angus.

I had to wonder, several times as I was reading this book and Vivian was addressed as "Sugar Tits", what's going to happen to Viviann if she survives the ZA and the shelf-life on her fake boobs expires in 10 to 15 years?

This was a fun read for me. I will most certainly pursue the rest of the series.

[Aoife · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zombie fiction at its tropey best and I thoroughly enjoyed this one!

In this book, we follow Vivian as she tries to make her way from Kentucky to California to see her daughter, who she gave up for adoption, during a terrible pandemic where a virus is killing thousands of people. When Vivian teams up with brothers Angus and Acl, the three work together to surive the changing world and things become even crazier when the dead start coming back to life.

This ticks all the boxes for zombie fiction that I love and this story was paced really well, and built up this zombie apocalypse world in a steady way that kept me on my toes and invested in the story. I thought Vivian was a good main character, and I liked that she wasn't squeaky clean and had some damage and walls built up. I actually would have preferred for both Vivian and Axl to have been older than they were in this book - they felt older but also the two of them had been through a lot so probably they were mature before their time.

Angus the other character is brutish and comes up with all the sexist, homophobic and racist things would expect from someone with a Confederate flag tattooed on their body. Yet, despite that I can't say I hated him - believe it or not there are worse characters in this book in the form of a rich guy called Mitchell. And Angus is someone you kind of want on your side too because he knows how to survive, even if you want to punch him most of the time.

I liked how this ended on a real cliff hanger and I really want to read the next one now!

[hIpnoticraQs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining page turner.
This book has all just about all of the elements of the perfect book, a good story, action, suspense, a bit of romance, humor and some drama too. Being that I was expecting a bit more and violence, but was still pleased. Will be reading the second book in October !!

[Vettech · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first taste of what the world would be like if zombies were in town. I won't blow sunshine up your skirt and tell you this book didn't scare me just a little. Reading how the heroine Vivian handles her intro to "How to survive the zombie apocalypse" is mind blowing and freaky. Be prepared for a cliff hanger at the end, which will have to running to get the next book started!

[Jammin Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this "zombie" story where a virus wipes out a good chunk of the population. A band of survivors travels across the country and through the cities and deserts to try and find sanctuary away from the zombie hordes. Very believable characters, and I really dislike Mitchell.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, this is definitely a different take on the heroine of the ZA (Zombie Apocalypse). Vivian Thomas is a stripper, 20 years old with a four year old daughter she had when she was 16 (basic math) and gave up for adoption to a couple who live in California. So with the ZA upon them fast, she decides she must see her daughter and rescue her if need be. So the story is set and Vivian begins the trip. She encounters a couple of brothers, of the hillbilly kind, one very crude and mean, the other not so much.

This is my favorite genre and I have read so many ZA books that you would think I have heard it all. And they do proceed on certain necessary paths, like the need for food and weapons exceed everything but keeping away from the zombies. You need the weapons to get the food and stay free from zombies. Now if you add some romance and some interesting characters you have a story and this one has some different characters, not the usual ones you can have some sympathy for, but the not so perfect people that you develop some sympathy for.

SPOILER ALERT: I was sad to see Vivian so unable to relate to her daughter but her attempt felt real. She does feel very real and I grew to like her.

If you like books on the ZA this is a good one. I am already reading Shattered World, the second one in the series.

[seasalt · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,5 stars.

Wow what a book!

Short review:
The writing: Well written. It always kept me on my seat! (4 stars)

The character: Well developed and the emotions that the characters portrayed were felt deeply enough…y'know, it was realistic, and flawed. Hell I loved it! (4 - 4,5 stars)

The story and plot: The first half of the book was long and a little slow…? Yes, I admit it.
I kept asking myself, 'what was this book about? Zombie Apocalypse…right? or what??' lol I doubted it for a while, because I didn't find zombies until the second half. And then…I loved it! :D
But to be honest, the first half of the book was much more enjoyable than the second half. Because as you get more of an understanding of the story and the character, you realize just how sad and realistic the book is.
And anyway the plot was great. It went along perfectly. Just a bit rushed in the end but okay. (4,5 stars for the story and 4 stars for the plot)

So? I'm looking forward for the next book! Good job Mrs. L. Mary ;)

[Mari · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fans of the Walking Dead will truly enjoy this book. A deadly virus breaks out and Vivian sets out to California to find her daughter she gave up as a baby. Along the way her car breaks down and she must choose to trust some redneck brothers or give up. As they get closer to their destination the virus spreads and 90% of the population is dead and they pick up survivors on the way, including trying to pick up a person who has mutated.....very exciting read!