The Last

Last Mayor / Zombie Ocean #1

by Michael John Grist

7 billion zombies. 1 man.

When the zombie apocalypse hits America, not a soul is left alive.
Except Amo. He's a comic book artist. He's a video game world builder. He's just a regular guy living in New York city, with only his wits, creativity and basic decency to guide him.
He's alone against 7 billion zombies.
Will he survive?

'Robinson Crusoe' meets the zombie apocalypse like you've never seen it before, packed with adventure, gore and a mind-blowing twist.

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

260 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 28, 2015

About the author

Michael John Grist is a British/American author and ruins photographer who lives in London, UK. He writes dark and weird science fiction and fantasy books, such as the fantasy novel Ignifer’s Rise and the SF series The Ruins Sonata.

For 11 years he lived in Tokyo exploring Japan’s modern ruins, such as abandoned theme parks, military bases, and ghost towns, gaining millions of hits on this website with his photographs and stories.

The best of these adventures are now collected in his unique travel book Into the Ruins, which thriller bestseller Barry Eisler calls, “gorgeous, haunting, stunning.”

Now Michael enjoys working out in the gym, watching TV and movies, and of course writing stories and novels. He lives in London with his wife, and works as an academic English lecturer at university.

Reviews

[Dianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to Michael John Grist, Amo is not your typical zombie apocalypse survivor, but he soon may become your favorite! THE LAST is the story of Amo, a comic book artist, a gamer and a man who died several times while in a coma and has been told he must avoid all stimulation, but not what kind of illness he has. Amo becomes like a zombie himself, afraid to allow anything in his life that may cause him to become excited, aroused or stressed. That will all change when he meets a woman he is willing to risk everything for one night with her. Little did he know, that would be all they had.

It was the morning after being with her that he discovers zombies, everywhere, with nary a “normal” survivor anywhere. We will live with Amo, follow his journey, learn what he learns, stand by him a she outwits the zombies and miraculously survives their attacks. But why? How does this average Joe stand against billions of zombies without falling prey to their hungry? Why hasn’t he become their next meal? Is it possible he is NOT the only survivor?

The truth is out there, somewhere and Amo is determined to find it as he travels across a country that is no more, alone with only his thoughts and hopes to guide him. What Amo discovers is a simply brilliant twist designed by Michael John Grist that has changed the face of the zombie world!

I felt like a fly on the wall as I listened to Amo’s thoughts, the wheels turning and each piece of his zombie world falling into place like 1000 piece puzzle! Not always a fast-paced read, but certainly intriguing and entertaining! Michael John Grist has done the near impossible and created “fresh” zombie reading!

My Rating: 4.5 Stars
Publication Date: April 28, 2015
Publisher: Michael John Grist
Genre: Sci-fi
Print Length: 262 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
For Reviews & More: http://tometender.blogspot.com

[Pamellia · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Last by Michael John Grist
Free Kindle book recommended by HR
May 8 to May 11, 2015

What!!! Yet another Zombie Apocalypse story. Aren't there enough of these? I thought so but once I opened this novel up and read a chapter, I realized this was going to be a little different and I would continue until I got bored. I never got bored and finished it today.

This is a story of a young man, who has been very ill. Somehow, and it must be do to his illness, he has survived the zombie takeover of the world. Are there any others like him? He knows of some who have had a similar illness to his...could they have survived? He doesn't know. Should he try to find out and if he tries how does he do that?

The protagonist is a wonderful character with a lot of development. He keeps his mind opened to new possibilities as he strives to answer the questions in the previous paragraph. He wants to believe others are out there. He decides to take a little trip and see if there are any followers.

This story is fresh. The survivor is original in his thinking and soon has a safe place to live. The zombies are different than any I have ever read about and they change rapidly over time. It makes for a very interesting story.

As zombie books go, I would give this book an easy 5. However, considering all that I read, I would think closer to a 3.5 to 4.5 overall. But considering how clever Mr. Grist is in his writing style, originality and story telling, I must give this book a 5.

I recommend this book to anyone who would like to read something a little different.

[Arnis · Rating 4 out of 5]

https://poseidons99.wordpress.com/201...

[BookLoversLife · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a hard book to review because to be honest, I'm still not entirely sure what my thoughts are about it!!! Plus, the things I didn't really like about it are all spoilers so I'm going to have to try and say what I want without really saying what I want!!

Character wise, for most of the book we only have Amo. He seems to be the only survivour of a "zombie" apocalypse. Now, he figures that the reason he survived was his illness. I'm not really sure what his illness was, just saying ;) OK, so his illness saved him and he is alone amoung millions of "Zombies". He seems to have everything easy though, plenty of food, passage between buildings etc. He is like this for months when he finally thinks that there must be other survivours. Surely he isn't the only one? So he decides to go on a road trip, all the while documenting his journey so he can show other survivours where he is.

Meanwhile, a girl Amo liked, just happens to survive as well. (How she survived was ridiculous BTW) She doesn't know that Amo is alive and spends months on her own too. She finally finds evidence of him and takes off after him.

I didn't particularly like either of the characters. Amo was OK, at times he was a normal person just trying to survive but other times he seemed to transform into some do gooder and it really didn't work.

Plot wise, while there was some really unique and quirky things to like about this, I found the reason the "zombies" came to be totally and utterly ridiculous!! How in the world could it possibly happen that way, and so bloody quickly?? And if it did happen that way, why was the place nearly deserted when Amo went outside? I liked the fresh take on "Zombies" but there is certain thing they do to a certain someone that made no sense really. If they are unique, and they tasted something for the first time, it would stand to reason they might develop a taste for it, would they not??? Maybe in future books they would, but I don't know. Also, the book dragged a lot at times. I don't think the author needed to go into half the things he did! Finally, the thing that really annoyed me was the change in voice, most of the time it's written in first person for Amo, but suddenly it would change to something else and someone else's POV, with no warning, and would leave me wondering if I was listening to something else!

In all, this wasn't really for me. I might pick up the second one but I'm not sure, I'm still annoyed with how the "zombies" came to be!!! Plus the "zombies" themselves were a big let down in a way. They aren't even really "zombies".

The narration was fine. Sean Patrick Hopkins did a good job with Amo and read it well.

I received this via Audiobook Boom. This in no way affected or influenced my thoughts.

[Geoff · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm torn between liking the characters and mentioning the vast areas I skim-read.
Very cool concept, well-executed.
Didn't see the twist coming at all.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really fresh take on the zombie genre. Some unexpected twists. Really enjoyed it.

[John Darling · Rating 3 out of 5]

As the old saying goes: you can't judge a book by its cover. Although, with this book, that's exactly what I did. This cover immediately caught my attention and I was thrilled when I ended up getting this book for free through Amazon. I was eager to read it and blew through the first few chapters, however, after I got about 100 pages in, the storyline completely lost my attention. The book jumps into the apocalypse right away, as the story follows Amo who ends up being the last survivor in America after he has sex with a girl that he met at his coffee shop. I'll give the author credit for that idea; I never thought this kind of action would cause the extinction of humans but it worked well.

I'm giving this book 3 stars because Mr. Grist did come up with a rather unique idea for the basis of this book, as well as this series. However, I found the writing confusing at times and rather dull. I put the book down several times and wound up forcing myself to finish it. The cover is fantastic, as are the others in his Zombie Ocean series but I won't be reading them anytime soon. This book just didn't intrigue me enough to make me want to read any further.

[Rob Nugen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just finished Michael John Grist's latest book, *The Last*. It's a really interesting story set in the real world, just three years from now. Quite an easy read except for the queasy parts which I almost had to put down! The story leaves some unanswered questions, and lends itself to more books, which I hope he writes soon!

I was surprised by the plot twists; it seemed so simple at first! Interesting to wonder what I would do if I found myself in the main character's situation: the last man alive in a city full of zombies!!

The story is not as complex as Mike's other work, and focuses on just a couple main characters (not counting the rarely-distinguishable
zombies of course!) It's primarily written in first person, and what a ride!

Looking forward to the world more fleshed out; hopefully the series will be a detailed mega-thriller!

[Jess Wellman · Rating 1 out of 5]

This isn't horrific, but it surely isn't good. I made it 45% before DNF. Slightly spoilery review, so if you have any desire to read this, skip the rest of my review.






The moment the reveal of the cause of the apocalypse was the main character, Amo, HAVING SEX.... I knew I wasn't going to last. I very quickly became irritated with the writing style and I did not enjoy the way this story was headed. Amo was frustrating. Hed begin thinking about how he should be a better person and not mindlessly kill all of the zombies.... then guess what he would do..... kill all the zombies he came in contact with. He kept focusing on this woman, Lara, he had ONE date with and how he was convinced she had survived, when literally no one else has.

This was ludicrous. I can't do it anymore. I feel horrible. I wanted to enjoy this, but I just didn't.

[Heath · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tense and 1st person writing was difficult

If you read the first few pages you'll get a sense to what 'its happening right now' syle which didn't work for me.

There were some interesting points, with the overall plot keeping me engaged, though had I not been stuck on a flight I wouldn't have finished.

[Janene · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars for the fresh take on zombie fiction, however I felt oftentimes bored and really forced myself to finish. It felt bland to me. Not a lot of suspense at all. Dull. If book 3 were free, I'd probably give it a go, but don't see myself purchasing it, unfortunately.

[Danielle (Arabbitinwonderland) · Rating 3 out of 5]

***SPOILERS***

This could have been a really good zombie book if what started the zombie apocalypse had been ANYTHING other then sex, yes you read that right patient zero started the apocalypse by getting lucky.

The Last had a completely new concept for the Zombies and was well written but half the time I felt as though the idea for this book started off as a joke between friends and came to life in the form of a half joke, half serious book.

With a nice flow to the writing, touches of humor and pop culture references, and diverse characters this book had a lot of potential I personally just couldn't move past the fact one guy getting laid turned 98% of the population into zombies.

[Walter Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

A totally different take on the Zombie Apocalypse. It does include many of the expected elements. But you will not anticipate where it will take you.
Amo is a character with heart. His responses to dire circumstances will have you thinking, “No! No! Big mistake”. He does make mistakes. Yet his unyielding human spirit triumphs. It had me on the verge of cheering out loud. (col?)
There were times when the narrative slowed down to the point where I was tempted to leave it be. If you did as well, and actually stopped reading, pick up the book again, and move ahead with Amo’s story.
I am hooked, and have the next two books in the story on my Kindle already.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book. Really enjoyed the journey the main character took, emotionally and physically

[Joel]

DNFing at 8%.

Spelling errors, capitalization errors, oddly constructed sentences that you have to read multiple times to understand.

At least it was free and I didn't waste money on this.

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let me start by saying this is a unique and quite different “Zombie” story, and even if you do not like the genre, I think you will enjoy the depth and complexity found in this book. I am not a person who enjoys zombie-themed books and was unsure going into the series if I would complete it or not. I will say I’m glad I did complete it and hope to provide details on why in my review below.

“The Last”, book 1 of the Zombie Ocean series takes the often over used zombie theme and crafts a distinctive tale that I have never experienced in the genre before. I cannot give away too much detail in this review because the story itself contains many surprises making the book special and exciting. The author (Michael John Grist) skillfully takes the reader down what appears a quite familiar zombie path, but one quickly discovers that they have misunderstood the story’s direction. From here, the story continues to grow and get better with every page. The book’s audiobook version is greatly enhanced by Sean Patrick Hopkins’ narration; covered later in the review.

The book is much more than your average zombie message consisting of overly grotesque and violent events occurring on every page, that is not to say the book is boring. However, it may be so different that some readers may be expecting your standard fair going in to it. This may be why some who enjoy the genre stated they did not enjoy this book. One also must consider this is only the first book in an unknown number of books of a series. What is covered in book one of the series appears to be setting things up for much more coming in future books. Book one could be read as a standalone story because many of the plot lines are closed, but there is so much more waiting to be answered so I would not be surprised if people wanted to jump right into book 2, etc.

The best way I can describe the book is a blending of “Last man on Earth”, “Cast Away”, and a little bit of most consistent zombie movies. The book is mostly about one man’s journey and his attempt at survival, but as stated it also contains quite a few twists and turns along the way. There are high times of action and excitement along with a good balance of emotional and relationship and family aspects. The author includes qualities of humor and modern world amenities such as massive multiplayer crafting games, coffee shops on every corner, and even a restaurant robot cat; yes, you read that last part correctly. Two things stuck with me from the book. The first was the saying, “Boring is your bandage” and a conversation involving a diet mayo tuna sandwich; yuck but I grew up with them. You will need to read the book to know the context these are referring too.

I would not recommend this book to younger readers as it contains frequent uses of vulgar language along with scenes containing sex and implied sexual violence. There are also a limited number of scenes of graphic violence, but fewer than I would expect of books in the genre.

As with other books I have listened too narrated by Sean Patrick Hopkins, this is what one expects from his works. A professional read audiobook with no issues observed while listening. His pacing of the book was steady and his use of inflection helped clarify times of intense actions or emotion. Mr. Hopkins knows his material well and it shows in his narration. I will continue to keep him on my notification list so I can be alerted when new books are released.

Disclaimer: I was voluntarily provided this review copy audiobook at no charge by the author, publisher and/or narrator.

[Ryan H · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually have to give this one 4.5/5. The first thing that caught my attention right from the start was the title of this book I have to say I was very intrigued with it. Now after listening to the book I have to say I'm even more intrigued because it went in the complete opposite direction of what my mind was picturing upon first glance. It did not take me long to get sucked right into this world and gobble up this book. The main character is very well-developed, deep, and seriously flawed. This is the main attraction to this book and what drives the whole entire story. At times I found him hilarious, intelligent, sarcastic and very very annoying. Somewhat of a loner and a geek really added to this character. Throughout the book I found myself wanting to just grab him by the shoulders and seriously shake the fear out of him. He very much so reminded me in a way of Sheldon from the Big Bang Theory for all of you fans out there. If that wasn't enough the descriptions throughout New York City were very well done and developed as well, the author took his time when describing things to make you feel like you were almost there. As always I love me some pop culture and vintage culture references throughout the book and this one delivers! Some of them even had me laughing out loud at times. I mean seriously, you're mode and first choice of transportation is a green Vespa? The last man in the city concept was really well written and I found myself enjoying it more and more, which at the start of the book I thought I would not, but seriously a green Vespa and you're the last guy in New York City. I listened to the audiobook version and I have to say the narration was really well done the composure and sarcasm in the narrators voice was very on par with how I felt the character should act and feel. Again, with my reference to Sheldon that sometimes I was furious and found the character very annoying with his quirks and at other times I really really enjoyed and like him but that's the make up a good character, and the make up a great narrator. Zombies, coffee, and New York City what else could you ask for in an audiobook. Oh wait, the ending will blow your mind like I said it goes in the complete opposite direction of what you think and definitely add my attention. If you have a chance to pick this one up I definitely suggest it! I received a free copy of this audiobook from the author, narrator, or publisher in exchange for a review via audiobook boom

[Bethany Greycat · Rating 5 out of 5]

First let me say that this, like any good post-apocalyptic zombie story, is NOT for the feint of heart or weak of stomach! Trust me though, it's worth it!! That said...
The first night I sat down to dig into this story I'd made myself a snack & got right into the book. Before long I'd realized I'd made a bigger dent in the story than in my snack. I finally gave up on said snack when I realized that I'd been frozen there, fajita in hand, mouth hanging open, completely engrossed in the story for a good 30 minutes haha. I put the snack away, massaged my jaw, aaaannnnd kept reading!
As with all of MJG's stories I found myself getting attached to the characters quickly & beginning to care about them. This story takes off pretty quickly & is a very fast read. It's also just as quick at ripping at my heart strings. The story transports you into its world & you sense everything that Amo does. I felt myself being pulled into his mind as he had to try to come to grips with what was happening around him & just what he was forced to do. The feeling of insanity tickling at my mind along the way. How would any of us truly cope in such a situation?
With plot twists & shockers at every corner, this story never got old! More than once I was left staring at the screen, mouth hanging open, in shock and surprise at what I'd just read. 'WTF?! Did that just happen?!?!' What a trip! I cried tears of sadness & tears of joy. I laughed at the characters & their wit & humor just as I loved them. My heart raced in excitement & concern through dramatic scenes & moments of drama. As a whole the story was gripping & exciting, a full speed emotional roller coaster & I loved every minute of it!!

[Ray Ferguson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tried to stop reading and fix something to eat about page 28. Now on page 34 reading as fast as I can, heart pumping. Now on page 104 and can hardly stop reading. Finished! Whoohoo!!! What a ride of the mind :) My vocabulary is insufficient to express my experience. Wonderful. Marvelous. What an amazing read. Blew my mental socks off. I have heard about books that you can't stop reading, even to eat or sleep. This is one of them. Well worth the eyestrain, missed meals, and missed sleep, hah hah, what a joy to read, read it twice! This one is a doozy. How many books have I read over 50 years? Call it several thousand. This one stands out head and shoulders from the rest. Characters are so well done I feel like they are my friends. Amo, the protagonist, is as real to me as if I had known him personally. This is NOT a slow reader! Buy it, and then set aside some time, because if it doesn't burn your fingers flipping pages, I miss my guess. No matter how you like to read, slowly to savor, or speed read to gobble, you will like this one. I will definitly read more by this author. Enjoy!

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thoroughly enjoyable, and yes, warm hearted zombie tale. I particularly liked the grand set pieces, including a hilarious Taylor Swift accompanied round up of the undead in Yankee stadium. Grist doesn't let New York go to waste.
There are some nice moments for the humans as well, including a flashback where the grieving hero starts drawing horror comics to deal with the death of someone close.

"It didn't surprise you so it couldn't hurt you, not more than physically. You were the one left smiling, no matter how physically broken, because you'd seen it coming and kept on driving, kept on riding, kept on stealing anyway. It was your decision. It meant something that way."


Recommend it for anyone who enjoys the genre.

[Jelayne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished reading The last: A Zombie Apocalypse Thriller (Zombie Ocean Book 1) by Michael John Grist. First of all its a good book. Able to stand on its own. But yes it is also part of a series. But its a Zombie book unlike any other Zombie book I have ever read. Spoiler alert, it starts out like most other zombie books, but about 1/2 way it takes a MAJOR PLOT TWIST. Also in the book, Walmart runs out of coconut ice cream. I love these zombies so much I would be willing to hold hands with one and take a long walk with him/her it? The ending on book one was a good one. But the story like was so good, I went and got the next 2 books in the series.

[Cherie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best Zombie book I've read

By far this is the BEST zombie book I have ever read. There are tense moments, exciting moments, moments where you really don't want to read(sex with zombies), there are moments of joy and tears. I couldn't put this book down, reading it ever chance I got. ........ So when does the movie come out????

[Kristy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the HECK out of this book. Going in, I had no idea what to expect. I've never read/listened to anything of the "zombie apocalypse" genre. I was so pleasantly delighted by it, and I can't wait to listen to the next one! Wil Wheaton used to be my favorite audible narrator, but Sean Patrick Hopkins may have just taken the top spot.

[Kimme · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not what I expected.

A zombie story that has humor equals a winner for me. It wasn't perfect but it didn't stink. I liked it but I wanted to love it.

[Mark Heath · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book 1 in what is going to be a great great series

[Ryan Ingle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ryan Ingle 1/1/17

“The Last” by Michael John Grist, is a fictional story of what could happen if zombies took over the world overnight. The protagonist of this story is a 28 year old man named Amo. Amo suffered from a coma a couple years ago and was declared dead. He then mysteriously came back to life and had a brain unlike any other human. But there was side effects to this, he had severe headaches which he called twinges. The twinges came around whenever something stimulated his brain for instance, art, love, and plan out life. He was told by the doctors to live an uneventful life until he was better. But being the a comic book artist he is, held him back from what he loves to do. Then one day he became Mayor of New York City. A huge responsibility that came with pressures but now that he has recovered more he can control most of his twinges. Making this step was good for him and now he begins to make another step at being in a relationship. Amo meets a woman named Lara at a coffee shop and then they go out on a date all the while fighting twinges. Then after they head back to Amo’s place and bam there he is doing something he was told not to do by his doctors. Now Amo, being as special as he was, was not alone with his strange case. Amo soon learned that there was another man and possibly more. This friend Amo made was met on a game that was boring and part of both of their healing processes. The only difference was that his friend,Cerulean, was paralyzed from the waist down. Amo though was very different from any other person that suffered this strange coma and after he healed, decided to live a little. This makes the character of Amo daring and bold. But little did Amo know what was going to come after his choice to live a little. The next morning Amo awoke next to Lara and went outside to find that the zombie apocalypse hit the world over night. He comes back and Lara’s gone. Now Throughout the story, Amo’s number one goal is to find Lara and any other survivors. So that’s what he does as he makes landmarks and scavenges for supplies. He finds himself a base to live in until he is overrun and forced to move on. Amo moves on but never stops looking for survivors along his journey across the country. Determination, which is the firmness of a purpose, is what kept Amo searching for others.
Michael John Grist creates a character that deals with series of events throughout the book that is different than how any other person would handle the situations. Grist’s use of characterization and imagery help provide the reader with a clear and concise visual of the book. In chapter nine of the book, Amo is held up in a coffee shop and decides to make it is base. “The last few(desks) drag wetly, tearing over crushed bodies. Many of these are still alive, but unable to get up due to broken bones and bodies. They lurch and grope for me like a nest of octopus tentacles.”(location 1153) Grist uses what I would call abstraction here to give non-human traits to a human. Grist uses many more of these types of analogies throughout the book. Amo calls the zombies an “ocean” as he fights them to survive. One event in the book is where he mass burns a horde of zombie, “licks of vapory fire snap up at my eyebrows, singeing them, and then the bonfire catches properly, spreading rapidly to encompass the street.”(Location 1318-1327) Amo’s character is determined and bold, the reader can obtain this by Grist’s characterization of Amo. Overall throughout the book, Amo takes you on an adventure through the new world of zombies and creates an amazing and interesting story to read.

[Brian's Book Blog · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gritty, real, and a total surprise

I've read a lot of post-apocalyptic "zombie" novels. A lot of them follow the same cadence. Most of them even follow almost the exact same script. The Last couldn't have been more different. The first part of the book isn't even about the apocalypse, it was about Amo's life trying to get used to daily ticks and issues related to a coma that he was in. I honestly would have read a book just about Amo and his everyday dealings.

Because Amo was so well written and explained, he will probably be one of the most memorable main characters I'll read for a while. He was just so likable in a raw and flawed way. He's broke in so many ways, so it was easy to relate to him no matter how you grew up or what's happened to you in life.

The story itself could have been a few shorter books that I would have gobbled up after reading the intro. I couldn't believe the amount of story that Grist was able to pack into The Last. Amo's backstory, Amo's coffee shop experiences, Amo's first days of survival, Amo's killing fields, Amo's trip and realization, Lara's escape... I could go on and on. There were so many mini-plots going on that I would eat the pages up.

The next sentence could be perceived as a spoiler, and I'm going to try my hardest to not spoil it completely. Even Amo's realization and subsequent interactions made this book totally different than any other zombie post-apocalyptic book I've ever read. That in itself made this book totally unique in this genre.

Overall, if you've read this far, you can tell that I loved The Last by Michael John Grist. I looked up the series to see if there were more and was quickly surprised to find that there are 6 or 7 books. But series-haters -- you can just read this book and be happy. Another thing that can't be said about a lot of books in this genre. Grist actually writes a full story arc with a conclusion and everything.

[AA Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

I came across The Last on Twitter, and the cover intrigued me. After following Michael John Grist, I was promised two free books if I subscribed to his website, and I was not disappointed. I’ve never read a zombie book, but I’ve partaken in plenty of mainstream shows and movies. I found watching and reading gory horror are two very different things. Phrases like “shredded chicken” and “jutting bone” really stay with you in a different way. It was a touch much for me at times, but I enjoyed the story nonetheless.

Amo is really a guy to rally behind, genuinely nice, flawed in his own ways, pushed to extreme limits after a hard medical illness. His journey of self discovery coupled with his resourcefulness made him entertaining to follow. My favorite part of zombie stories are the new and interesting medical explanations behind it all, and Zombie Ocean truly created its own world. The pseudo-science got a bit ridiculous at times, especially the cause for ground zero, but an author is entitled to his own rules! The nature of what the zombies are is a bit different from what I expected, which eventually made the story more about survival alone in a ruined world, but after I adjusted, I ended up enjoying the concepts.

Reading the bonus first chapter of book two felt like plunging back into a world I was already familiar with, hooking me back in and ready for more! If you’d rather not read a series, this book has a completed story arc, so reading the rest of the books won’t be necessary, but you’ll want to visit again.

Alise Miller of AA Miller, authors of the upcoming Guardian Lights book series
www.guardianlightsbook.com

[Justine 🦊🍂 · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had high hopes for this one. A lone survivor in New York, who happens to be a comic book artist and video game designer? Brilliant premise. And the trigger for the zombie apocalypse - an intimate encounter at a coffee shop - is genuinely clever. I'll give Grist full marks for originality there.
The book starts promisingly enough. Amo is quite likeable as our protagonist, and his creative background offers an interesting lens through which to view the apocalypse. His humour provides some much-needed light moments amidst all the gore and devastation of zombie-ravaged New York.
Unfortunately, about a hundred pages in, things start to go wobbly. The narrative, which had been bowling along quite nicely, begins to lose its way. The writing becomes rather muddled in places, and I found myself having to re-read passages to make sense of what was happening. Rather than being gripped by Amo's isolation and struggle for survival, I found myself becoming, well... a bit bored.
It's a shame, really. There are good bits - the action sequences flow well, and the world-building shows real imagination. The cover art is properly gorgeous too. But the inconsistent pacing and sometimes confusing narrative made this a bit of a slog to finish.
While I appreciate what Grist was trying to achieve with his fresh take on the zombie genre, I won't be rushing to read the rest of the series. Sometimes a cracking premise just isn't enough to carry a book through, and sadly, that's the case here.

[Tom Sturtridge · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting take on the Zombie genre with a few twists and turns along the way. The depiction of the more graphic content is good and reminds me of Charlie Higson's 'The Enemy' series. The plot is... Interesting to say the least but I'll give it to Michael to for trying something new in this genre. The first person perspective can get a little confusing at times when it jumps between locations notably between reality and inside the virtual video game world. Also, due to there only being one character for the majority of the story, there's not a whole lot of dialogue until the final stages of the book, with a lot of speech being done through thoughts and exposition, the main character Amo's spoken dialogue is nearly entirely swear words until he meets other survivors, but it works. I did notice a few spelling and grammatical mistakes throughout but these can be easily sorted out. I know how difficult it can be to find them all when you're self publishing! All in all a decent read with enough going on to keep you reading, if you can pick up the 9 book box set on Amazon for 99p I'd recommend it. Looking forward to seeing what the other books have to offer.