What do you think?
Rate this book
Z Children #1
Awakening
Our kids are no longer our future… They’re our demise.
Humanity’s advancements in medicine, meant to eliminate disease and extend life, have led to a macabre reality of childhood vaccinations gone terribly wrong.
Kids have transformed, changed into ravenous beasts that are nightmarishly quick, disproportionally strong, and void of empathy.
No amount of planning or preparation could have saved the human race against this unexpected attack, centralized in the heart of every human home, and the U.S. is quickly thrown into a chaos of Z Children. By the end of the first day, the entire world is jolted into a veritable hell on earth.
Yet, there are survivors- individuals who, by luck, skill, or circumstance, lived through the initial wave of destruction. These ‘lucky’ ones will join together, bonded in their quest for survival. They will try to maintain their humanity in a world where children have graduated from bubble baths to blood baths.
And they will try to find an answer to the only question that matters now: What will tomorrow bring?
Humanity’s advancements in medicine, meant to eliminate disease and extend life, have led to a macabre reality of childhood vaccinations gone terribly wrong.
Kids have transformed, changed into ravenous beasts that are nightmarishly quick, disproportionally strong, and void of empathy.
No amount of planning or preparation could have saved the human race against this unexpected attack, centralized in the heart of every human home, and the U.S. is quickly thrown into a chaos of Z Children. By the end of the first day, the entire world is jolted into a veritable hell on earth.
Yet, there are survivors- individuals who, by luck, skill, or circumstance, lived through the initial wave of destruction. These ‘lucky’ ones will join together, bonded in their quest for survival. They will try to maintain their humanity in a world where children have graduated from bubble baths to blood baths.
And they will try to find an answer to the only question that matters now: What will tomorrow bring?
ebook
First published June 9, 2015
14 people are currently reading
133 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
February 3, 2023
One of my reading goals this year is to work on the Zombie Apocalypse novels that seem to dominate my TBR list. Currently there are more than 50 on my Kindle with at least a half dozen series. It really is a sickness with me, which ironically is how most of these apocalypse novels happen. With Awakening (the Z Children series), the children are affected by vaccines, er-um, yeah! (It seems that vaccine fears were prevalent before the corona virus pandemic began.) Here, Eli Constant (better known as Elizabeth) and her dad, B. V. Barr have explored the what if scenario where school-aged children acquire the disease and infect their households. The parents are passive zombies that wait while the children strategize, order, and control the adults telepathically. As usual, there is a gathering of heroes, but there are complications because children do form part of the survivors, and not everyone is going to be OK with that. However, what parent is going to be OK with anyone looking at their kid sideways. (Step away from my boys, sucker, before I unleash the Puerto Rican flag.) I was annoyed that this has a cliffhanger ending. Good, but not great.
June 6, 2015
Eli Constant has done it again, and this time she teamed up with author B.V. Barr to co-write this instant hit.
This awesome woman never fails to surprise me, taking one of my favourite horror genres and twisting it into something even more brutal and chilling than I thought possible.
Children. Z-Children to be more precise. What could be more horrifying than watching your own children turn into flesh eating monsters? Not much, and neither author held back on the gore and guts in this gut-wrenching horror story. (see what I did there? wink!)
The story takes on an interesting layout, of several stories that cross paths at the beginning of the outbreak? Apocalypse? End of mankind? So many ways to describe these scenes... The stories show different angles, and different versions of events from several characters that I very quickly grew to like and dislike, but regardless, the end was always inevitable for them.
The Z-children came.
The Z-children fed.
And the only way to stop these once beautiful little darlings is to kill them.
It's both equal parts disturbing as it is awesome!
I can not wait for book 2!
This awesome woman never fails to surprise me, taking one of my favourite horror genres and twisting it into something even more brutal and chilling than I thought possible.
Children. Z-Children to be more precise. What could be more horrifying than watching your own children turn into flesh eating monsters? Not much, and neither author held back on the gore and guts in this gut-wrenching horror story. (see what I did there? wink!)
The story takes on an interesting layout, of several stories that cross paths at the beginning of the outbreak? Apocalypse? End of mankind? So many ways to describe these scenes... The stories show different angles, and different versions of events from several characters that I very quickly grew to like and dislike, but regardless, the end was always inevitable for them.
The Z-children came.
The Z-children fed.
And the only way to stop these once beautiful little darlings is to kill them.
It's both equal parts disturbing as it is awesome!
I can not wait for book 2!
June 9, 2015
Z Children: Awakening is a wild ride! The action begins immediately and doesn't stop until the very last page. It is a true page turner where I found myself holding my breath during the more suspenseful moments.
I like that the authors chose to tell the individuals' stories from those characters' points of view. I feel that by choosing to write in first person instead of third person, we - the readers - feel like we're part of the story too. It feels as if a friend is telling me their story, not a stranger whose life to which I am indifferent. So, I care deeply about every minute detail and what happens to them. Each of their stories is unique and seemingly separate from the others. However, we soon see that their paths begin to intersect in the most interesting ways.
What I love most about Z Children is that there was a thread of awareness in a particular group of the dead. I won't say more and spoil it for those of you who haven't read it yet, but know that these scenes are so well written that it's almost heartbreaking. Almost. They are still zombies after all.
B.V. Barr and Eli Constant have created a truly terrifying zombie apocalypse. It starts with children, which is heartbreaking and terrifying. When we, as adults, finally wrap our brains around the idea that zombies exist, it turns out that the most viscous and terrifying ones are children, who aren't as easy to take out as adult zombies.
Z Children: Awakening ends with a huge cliff hanger. In a matter of seconds, I cycled through several emotions. First, shock that I wouldn't know what happens to my beloved characters yet. Then came anger. How dare the authors end a book like that? But, when acceptance settled in, I was relieved to know that there are more Z children to come, and I am anxiously - and impatiently - awaiting the next book in the Z Children series.
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
I like that the authors chose to tell the individuals' stories from those characters' points of view. I feel that by choosing to write in first person instead of third person, we - the readers - feel like we're part of the story too. It feels as if a friend is telling me their story, not a stranger whose life to which I am indifferent. So, I care deeply about every minute detail and what happens to them. Each of their stories is unique and seemingly separate from the others. However, we soon see that their paths begin to intersect in the most interesting ways.
What I love most about Z Children is that there was a thread of awareness in a particular group of the dead. I won't say more and spoil it for those of you who haven't read it yet, but know that these scenes are so well written that it's almost heartbreaking. Almost. They are still zombies after all.
B.V. Barr and Eli Constant have created a truly terrifying zombie apocalypse. It starts with children, which is heartbreaking and terrifying. When we, as adults, finally wrap our brains around the idea that zombies exist, it turns out that the most viscous and terrifying ones are children, who aren't as easy to take out as adult zombies.
Z Children: Awakening ends with a huge cliff hanger. In a matter of seconds, I cycled through several emotions. First, shock that I wouldn't know what happens to my beloved characters yet. Then came anger. How dare the authors end a book like that? But, when acceptance settled in, I was relieved to know that there are more Z children to come, and I am anxiously - and impatiently - awaiting the next book in the Z Children series.
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
June 9, 2015
"Humanity was the first casualty of war" -The Drifter(J.W.)
I went into this blind- no teasers, no reader input, or author-nothing. The only thing I did know was the title and well "Z Children Awakening" really catches your eye.
The second worst thing to fast running zombies are kid zombies(to me anyways).Lets hope I don't have to add to the list by the end of this book...
**Side note I was reading this at my twin nieces 5th grade graduation-lets just say it was the perfect setting to be scared out of your mind!
I've read quite a few zompoc books but none that started the infection like this.And that added to the scare factor for me. For something that suppose to help your children from illness and you as a parent almost being responsible for it well that's just gut wrenching in itself.
In Z Children Awakening we get six main POV's- all characters you instantly want to root for.
Susan with her two kids and father.
Sherry- Susan's best friend and her little companion by default.
Juan- stuck on the side of the road, without a clue to the carnage the world has become.
Virgina- the doctor, with the infected kids in her front office and her plans for Dallas.
Young Bonnie- who at a young age already took care of herself and family
The Drifter(J.W.) and Ranger- both with a background sure to come in handy.
Book one got me hooked now I need to know what out courageous characters have in store for their future.
P.S. "Some Awareness"
Yeah zombies with some awareness- added to the above list.
I went into this blind- no teasers, no reader input, or author-nothing. The only thing I did know was the title and well "Z Children Awakening" really catches your eye.
The second worst thing to fast running zombies are kid zombies(to me anyways).Lets hope I don't have to add to the list by the end of this book...
**Side note I was reading this at my twin nieces 5th grade graduation-lets just say it was the perfect setting to be scared out of your mind!
I've read quite a few zompoc books but none that started the infection like this.And that added to the scare factor for me. For something that suppose to help your children from illness and you as a parent almost being responsible for it well that's just gut wrenching in itself.
In Z Children Awakening we get six main POV's- all characters you instantly want to root for.
Susan with her two kids and father.
Sherry- Susan's best friend and her little companion by default.
Juan- stuck on the side of the road, without a clue to the carnage the world has become.
Virgina- the doctor, with the infected kids in her front office and her plans for Dallas.
Young Bonnie- who at a young age already took care of herself and family
The Drifter(J.W.) and Ranger- both with a background sure to come in handy.
Book one got me hooked now I need to know what out courageous characters have in store for their future.
P.S. "Some Awareness"
Yeah zombies with some awareness- added to the above list.
December 8, 2023
All over America, children aged between four and six have been going to get their regular vaccines at hospitals and doctor clinics. Now they are returning to their medical examiners with strange flu like systems that are concerning their parents. Without warning, the kids suddenly turn aggressive and show a zombie like mentality, biting and killing adults. The adults are infected and turn into slow shambling wrecks who sadly retain a small sense of what has happened to them and who act as guards and lookouts for their fast young beasts who can move at frightening speed to bring down new victims. Those who have survived the start of this zombie apocalypse now need to find safety and escape the little monsters who are everywhere.
I've read a lot of zombie books in my time and there are usually a few child zombies that the characters struggle to take down. This is the first time that the main focus has been on zombie kids and man it was a bit of a scary ride! The kids turn from flu victims to beasts in a short period of time, giving no warning to their parents who are usually their first victims. I can imagine being paralysed by fear and confusion as you see your child change so quickly. I also found it interesting that the adults do seem to have some kind of intelligence after they are infected, and the infected parents grieve shockingly when their zombie kids die which was kind of heartbreaking to read. The children can run very fast which gives them a real edge over the survivors and that is very unsettling! In most books the zombies still move slow or some versions do, but having speedy zombies coming for your legs is pretty scary!
We follow several main characters in this book. Susan is the former wife of the Mayor. Unable to have kids she adopted two hispanic children to the horror of her racist husband and he divorced her. Today Susan is taking her six year old children to the clinic for the final vaccine that she has been putting off giving to them. She goes with her dad Carl/Grant (his name changes through the book which is annoying!) Having Grandpa with arthritis is horrific when the reader and Susan are screaming at him to run from the little buggers chasing them! It was nice to see someone with a normal ailment trying to deal with that in an apocalypse situation. Grandpa has a boat at Corpus Christi that would be the ideal escape but with so many kids around town, can they even get out of the clinic alive?
JW is former military who was medically discharged along with his injured military dog Ranger. Poor Ranger was injured by a bomb and lost some fur so he needs constant sunscreen to protect him. JW is always on the lookout for topping up his medication to allow himself to deal with his demons-something that is going to become totally required when he gets face to face with child zombies. Bonnie comes from a poor family with a grandmother with dementia, and is out grocery shopping with her when the outbreak starts in the store. She knows they has to get to her dad at his gas station job and then home to where it is safer but with meagre supplies, can they really survive?
There is Stephen, a doctor at the local hospital. His daughter is in bed sick, nursed by his wife. Now at the hospital he gets to see for himself that staff and patients are being bitten and eaten and is relieved that they are sealed in the emergency room. But it is going to take just one concerned member of staff trying to save a friend to let all the monsters out to rampage through the hospital. Dr Virginia Lynn is in her room at the clinic, trying to stay out of the way of the nurse that she hates but is too weak to fire. It is the clinic that Susan is at when all hell breaks loose. She then encounters a Mormon family who have decided that this apocalypse is a curse from God against sinners which disgusts Virginia and she is plotting how to get away from them before she ends up being taken with them to their Temple where other likeminded people will be.
Susan's best friend Sherry owns a kid clothing shop in town and she is there that morning. A regular customer is there with her two kids, one that is sick. Sherry is horrified to see the girl attack her mother in front of her and decides it is up to her to save the traumatized little boy Marty. Sherry is overweight and unfit and isn't a great fan of other people's children so this particular apocalypse is going to be a big challenge to her. She is also desperate to contact Susan to see if she is ok and worries about her friend Juan who has been out of town and does not own a mobile phone. I can totally relate to Juan as I don't own a mobile phone and they always seem to stop working in disasters anyway! I liked that Sherry was unfit and struggling as it makes her normal and vulnerable.
There are two dogs in this book-Ranger the military dog and Frank, a rottie that is rescued later in the book. I can happily confirm that both dogs do make it safely through this first book which made me happy. I loved the range of medical diversity in this book-Grandpa's arthritic legs, Sherry's obesity, Grandma with dementia, Ranger's skin issues, JW's PTSD. I liked seeing a truly poverty stricken family like Bonnie's too. I liked that some characters were also prone to a selfish urge to save themselves instead of playing hero to save others. It all added up to make the characters feel real and ordinary and I loved that. Even JW is not immune to making mistakes despite full military training. The characters are well developed and it really made me care about what was happening to them.
There is lots of exciting zombie action to enjoy in this book. The children are very scary as they move so fast and can hide in so many places! And think about where you live-how many neighbours have young kids? How many medical places, parks, playgrounds, schools, day care centres, community centres, grocery stores and other places where kids are seen are in your district? It is not going to be easy to avoid them and get away from them especially when they often attack in packs! It was pretty nerve shredding when characters are trying to get away from the monsters. I loved the mixture of tension and scary zombie attacks, the dangerous road trips and the challenge of grabbing supplies and hiding. The plot was exciting, and there was always something going on because of the changing scenes between each survivor so it never gets dull.
I loved the other zombie style book that Eli Constant wrote called Dead Trees so I was very keen to read this. These books have all the elements of zombie books but the monsters are never true zombies. The kids in this book don't die and come back zombie-they just go from sick to monster-but the adults do seem to be regular zombies. I liked that it did show a few differences from just straight zombies, as much as I love any kind of zombies! This was an excellent start to a series and I look forward to reading the rest of it which is already lurking on my bookshelves!
I've read a lot of zombie books in my time and there are usually a few child zombies that the characters struggle to take down. This is the first time that the main focus has been on zombie kids and man it was a bit of a scary ride! The kids turn from flu victims to beasts in a short period of time, giving no warning to their parents who are usually their first victims. I can imagine being paralysed by fear and confusion as you see your child change so quickly. I also found it interesting that the adults do seem to have some kind of intelligence after they are infected, and the infected parents grieve shockingly when their zombie kids die which was kind of heartbreaking to read. The children can run very fast which gives them a real edge over the survivors and that is very unsettling! In most books the zombies still move slow or some versions do, but having speedy zombies coming for your legs is pretty scary!
We follow several main characters in this book. Susan is the former wife of the Mayor. Unable to have kids she adopted two hispanic children to the horror of her racist husband and he divorced her. Today Susan is taking her six year old children to the clinic for the final vaccine that she has been putting off giving to them. She goes with her dad Carl/Grant (his name changes through the book which is annoying!) Having Grandpa with arthritis is horrific when the reader and Susan are screaming at him to run from the little buggers chasing them! It was nice to see someone with a normal ailment trying to deal with that in an apocalypse situation. Grandpa has a boat at Corpus Christi that would be the ideal escape but with so many kids around town, can they even get out of the clinic alive?
JW is former military who was medically discharged along with his injured military dog Ranger. Poor Ranger was injured by a bomb and lost some fur so he needs constant sunscreen to protect him. JW is always on the lookout for topping up his medication to allow himself to deal with his demons-something that is going to become totally required when he gets face to face with child zombies. Bonnie comes from a poor family with a grandmother with dementia, and is out grocery shopping with her when the outbreak starts in the store. She knows they has to get to her dad at his gas station job and then home to where it is safer but with meagre supplies, can they really survive?
There is Stephen, a doctor at the local hospital. His daughter is in bed sick, nursed by his wife. Now at the hospital he gets to see for himself that staff and patients are being bitten and eaten and is relieved that they are sealed in the emergency room. But it is going to take just one concerned member of staff trying to save a friend to let all the monsters out to rampage through the hospital. Dr Virginia Lynn is in her room at the clinic, trying to stay out of the way of the nurse that she hates but is too weak to fire. It is the clinic that Susan is at when all hell breaks loose. She then encounters a Mormon family who have decided that this apocalypse is a curse from God against sinners which disgusts Virginia and she is plotting how to get away from them before she ends up being taken with them to their Temple where other likeminded people will be.
Susan's best friend Sherry owns a kid clothing shop in town and she is there that morning. A regular customer is there with her two kids, one that is sick. Sherry is horrified to see the girl attack her mother in front of her and decides it is up to her to save the traumatized little boy Marty. Sherry is overweight and unfit and isn't a great fan of other people's children so this particular apocalypse is going to be a big challenge to her. She is also desperate to contact Susan to see if she is ok and worries about her friend Juan who has been out of town and does not own a mobile phone. I can totally relate to Juan as I don't own a mobile phone and they always seem to stop working in disasters anyway! I liked that Sherry was unfit and struggling as it makes her normal and vulnerable.
There are two dogs in this book-Ranger the military dog and Frank, a rottie that is rescued later in the book. I can happily confirm that both dogs do make it safely through this first book which made me happy. I loved the range of medical diversity in this book-Grandpa's arthritic legs, Sherry's obesity, Grandma with dementia, Ranger's skin issues, JW's PTSD. I liked seeing a truly poverty stricken family like Bonnie's too. I liked that some characters were also prone to a selfish urge to save themselves instead of playing hero to save others. It all added up to make the characters feel real and ordinary and I loved that. Even JW is not immune to making mistakes despite full military training. The characters are well developed and it really made me care about what was happening to them.
There is lots of exciting zombie action to enjoy in this book. The children are very scary as they move so fast and can hide in so many places! And think about where you live-how many neighbours have young kids? How many medical places, parks, playgrounds, schools, day care centres, community centres, grocery stores and other places where kids are seen are in your district? It is not going to be easy to avoid them and get away from them especially when they often attack in packs! It was pretty nerve shredding when characters are trying to get away from the monsters. I loved the mixture of tension and scary zombie attacks, the dangerous road trips and the challenge of grabbing supplies and hiding. The plot was exciting, and there was always something going on because of the changing scenes between each survivor so it never gets dull.
I loved the other zombie style book that Eli Constant wrote called Dead Trees so I was very keen to read this. These books have all the elements of zombie books but the monsters are never true zombies. The kids in this book don't die and come back zombie-they just go from sick to monster-but the adults do seem to be regular zombies. I liked that it did show a few differences from just straight zombies, as much as I love any kind of zombies! This was an excellent start to a series and I look forward to reading the rest of it which is already lurking on my bookshelves!
June 9, 2015
Z Children is one of my worst nightmares come to life. Zombie kids. There’s nothing worse than freaky ass kids. There is just something about the idea of such innocent beings becoming capable of a horror so disgusting. Eli Constant has a way with words that leaves the reader stunned and excited at the same time.
This was a great book. I was sucked into the story before I realized just how quickly I was reading. We get to watch the world around us crumble through the eyes of several different characters. I really liked how Constant changed up the perspectives and how they intersect. The characters were easy to relate to and believable in their journeys.
I enjoyed every aspect of this book even though it freaked me out a little bit and made me nervous about getting my kids their vaccines. I do wish the author had been a little clearer on how the outbreak started. I had a little bit of trouble with the timeline and the vaccine explanation, so I am hoping that is clarified in future books. It was a quick and fun read and a must read if you like zombies.
This was a great book. I was sucked into the story before I realized just how quickly I was reading. We get to watch the world around us crumble through the eyes of several different characters. I really liked how Constant changed up the perspectives and how they intersect. The characters were easy to relate to and believable in their journeys.
I enjoyed every aspect of this book even though it freaked me out a little bit and made me nervous about getting my kids their vaccines. I do wish the author had been a little clearer on how the outbreak started. I had a little bit of trouble with the timeline and the vaccine explanation, so I am hoping that is clarified in future books. It was a quick and fun read and a must read if you like zombies.
July 7, 2015
I was fortunate to receive an ARC of this from the author. I am always ready for something new, but just reading the title had me wondering what sort of horrors were waiting. The wait is short.
Eli has a way about her when it comes to pulling real people into a horrific situation and making the reader see the world through the eyes of her characters. There can be nothing more terrifying that zombie children. It was one of those things that is as heartrending as it is terrifying. What really has me floored is that Constant co-wrote this with her dad. The pair work together to cobble together a seamless story that transitions smoothly as key characters are introduced in what has the potential to be a very engrossing series (after I reached the ending, I knew the ride was not over).
This book might be cruising under your radar, and let me tell you now that you will want to put it square in the crosshairs. I don't do spoilers, I will just tell you that you need to be prepared to have your heart broken more than once.
Eli has a way about her when it comes to pulling real people into a horrific situation and making the reader see the world through the eyes of her characters. There can be nothing more terrifying that zombie children. It was one of those things that is as heartrending as it is terrifying. What really has me floored is that Constant co-wrote this with her dad. The pair work together to cobble together a seamless story that transitions smoothly as key characters are introduced in what has the potential to be a very engrossing series (after I reached the ending, I knew the ride was not over).
This book might be cruising under your radar, and let me tell you now that you will want to put it square in the crosshairs. I don't do spoilers, I will just tell you that you need to be prepared to have your heart broken more than once.
July 12, 2016
I was fortunate to receive an ARC of this from the author. I am always ready for something new, but just reading the title had me wondering what sort of horrors were waiting. The wait is short.
Eli has a way about her when it comes to pulling real people into a horrific situation and making the reader see the world through the eyes of her characters. There can be nothing more terrifying that zombie children. It was one of those things that is as heartrending as it is terrifying. What really has me floored is that Constant co-wrote this with her dad. The pair work together to cobble together a seamless story that transitions smoothly as key characters are introduced in what has the potential to be a very engrossing series (after I reached the ending, I knew the ride was not over).
This book might be cruising under your radar, and let me tell you now that you will want to put it square in the cross-hairs. I don't do spoilers, I will just tell you that you need to be prepared to have your heart broken more than once.
Eli has a way about her when it comes to pulling real people into a horrific situation and making the reader see the world through the eyes of her characters. There can be nothing more terrifying that zombie children. It was one of those things that is as heartrending as it is terrifying. What really has me floored is that Constant co-wrote this with her dad. The pair work together to cobble together a seamless story that transitions smoothly as key characters are introduced in what has the potential to be a very engrossing series (after I reached the ending, I knew the ride was not over).
This book might be cruising under your radar, and let me tell you now that you will want to put it square in the cross-hairs. I don't do spoilers, I will just tell you that you need to be prepared to have your heart broken more than once.
June 11, 2015
Omg you guys. This has got to be one of the scariest books I've read in a while. It deals with issues that are near and dear to my heart: children and vaccinations. Not only was this book extremely unsettling (someone else's word, and I'm using it) to begin with, it also has a completely different take on zombies and awareness. And speed, let's not forget the speed of these things. *shudder* There is also a connection between the zombies that just kind of adds to the horror of it all. I had to stop reading it at night, and I maybe had to sleep with the light on that one time.
I also really enjoyed the way the book was written from different perspectives. We get to meet all the main players and get a really good feel for what they go through. And I already have some favorites. I also found myself yelling at these people, getting all wrapped up in the action. It's a well written book that scared the crap out of me. SO AWESOME.
I also really enjoyed the way the book was written from different perspectives. We get to meet all the main players and get a really good feel for what they go through. And I already have some favorites. I also found myself yelling at these people, getting all wrapped up in the action. It's a well written book that scared the crap out of me. SO AWESOME.
June 8, 2015
This book was awesome but unsettling. The thought of children as fearsome zombies and having to kill them is chilling. The story takes place from the point of view of a number of characters (Bonnie being my favourite) at the start of the apocalypse/outbreak and how it changed the lives of these characters. It was brutal, sad, heartbreaking with touch's of humour as well.
I've read a good few zombie apocalypse books and this is up there with the best of them. I'm pretty sure there will be a part two, as the ending was pretty much a OMG What's gonna happen moment. If you love Zombies, The Apocalypse and Horror you'll love this. Highly recommended!
I've read a good few zombie apocalypse books and this is up there with the best of them. I'm pretty sure there will be a part two, as the ending was pretty much a OMG What's gonna happen moment. If you love Zombies, The Apocalypse and Horror you'll love this. Highly recommended!
August 16, 2017
My original Z Children: Awakening audiobook review and many others can be found at Audiobook Reviewer.
After taking their standard vaccines, millions of children are transformed into zombies. They are fast and deadly and those they bite also turn into zombies. The story follows several characters as they face the nightmare of a world thrown into chaos: A single mother of two and her aging father, a children’s clothing store owner, a 12-year-old girl orphaned by the zombies, a homeless shell-shocked veteran, a love-sick pediatrician and an Argentinian martial arts expert. Their paths cross as they try to escape the ravages of their hungry attackers.
It is a unique approach to how zombies are created, but other than that, there isn’t too much that is new. The survivors break into stores for food, water, and supplies, grab guns and knives and kill the zombies by destroying their brains. They feel guilty killing zombie kids, but do what they have to to survive.
Most of the book is spent introducing each character. There is action, but it is often stalled by long winded introspection on the part of each character, their many insecurities, and self-doubt. There are several attempts at humor, but these seem to miss a lot of the time.
The story is performed by Johnny Mack. He has a pleasant voice, but doesn’t add much to the story. As most of the characters are female, the story might have been better served with a female narrator. His character voices are fine and there is no mistaking who is speaking, but there is not a lot of drama in the narration.
Overall, this is a rehash of the standard zombie apocalypse story. It is book one in a series of unknown length, so the story may evolve now that the characters have been established. It attempts to end with a cliff-hanger but instead ends abruptly and unsatisfyingly. It may be unfair to judge the series based on the first book, but that’s all we have at the moment. For many listeners it may not hold enough interest to continue on.
Audiobook was provided for review by the author.
After taking their standard vaccines, millions of children are transformed into zombies. They are fast and deadly and those they bite also turn into zombies. The story follows several characters as they face the nightmare of a world thrown into chaos: A single mother of two and her aging father, a children’s clothing store owner, a 12-year-old girl orphaned by the zombies, a homeless shell-shocked veteran, a love-sick pediatrician and an Argentinian martial arts expert. Their paths cross as they try to escape the ravages of their hungry attackers.
It is a unique approach to how zombies are created, but other than that, there isn’t too much that is new. The survivors break into stores for food, water, and supplies, grab guns and knives and kill the zombies by destroying their brains. They feel guilty killing zombie kids, but do what they have to to survive.
Most of the book is spent introducing each character. There is action, but it is often stalled by long winded introspection on the part of each character, their many insecurities, and self-doubt. There are several attempts at humor, but these seem to miss a lot of the time.
The story is performed by Johnny Mack. He has a pleasant voice, but doesn’t add much to the story. As most of the characters are female, the story might have been better served with a female narrator. His character voices are fine and there is no mistaking who is speaking, but there is not a lot of drama in the narration.
Overall, this is a rehash of the standard zombie apocalypse story. It is book one in a series of unknown length, so the story may evolve now that the characters have been established. It attempts to end with a cliff-hanger but instead ends abruptly and unsatisfyingly. It may be unfair to judge the series based on the first book, but that’s all we have at the moment. For many listeners it may not hold enough interest to continue on.
Audiobook was provided for review by the author.
July 29, 2017
Ok, I admit, I wasn't too sure about this when I first saw it because I always have a hard time with Zombie kids, but it sounded good and had some amazing reviews. So anyway, I started it with trepidation but found myself devouring it!!!
How the virus came to be was unique. It is easy to imagine it happening. Seeing the kids go from being sick and turning into monsters was hard but it was so well done and so well written that it made for an amazing book.
I adored all the characters! Susan, with the help of her dad, is taking her two kids to the doctors for their injections, but once there, she sees the place is packed with sick kids. She waits for a while but when a child bites someone and things escalate, she grabs her kids and her father and gets out of there, but where can they go when it seems that kids everywhere are turning into monsters?
Sherry, Susan's best friend, owns a kids clothing store and is opening up when a mum comes in with her kids. One of them had gotten sick all over himself on the way to school so she stopped at the shop to pick up something. Sherry notices that some of the kids look really ill, but it's not till one starts attaching the mum that Sherry realises things are bad. The child that got sick initially seems ok, so Sherry grabs him and they try to escape.
We also have a drifter and his dog, a young girl who has had a hard life but is forced to do things to survive, a martial arts/fitness instructor and a doctor. All of these experience the outbreak in different ways and all have to survive a world gone mad.
Anyway, this book was heartbreaking because I couldn't imagine something like this happening to my kids, but it kept me on the edge of my seat throughout. It's bad enough reading or watching a movie that has scary ass kids in it, but reading a book with scary ass, smart, strong Zombie kids in it, just gave me the heebie jeebies!!! I literally couldn't put this down because I had to see what happened next, it was so well written and developed and I devoured it!!! That ending though!!! I need the next one!! Highly recommend.
Johnny Mack read this really well. Most of the characters were female but it didn't matter. The narrator made this play out as a movie in my head. I never once thought that a female narrator would be better. He had plenty of tones and cadences and his female tones were amazing actually!! Thoroughly enjoyed his performance!
I was voluntarily provided this audiobook for free from the author, narrator, or publisher. This in no way affected nor influenced my thoughts.
How the virus came to be was unique. It is easy to imagine it happening. Seeing the kids go from being sick and turning into monsters was hard but it was so well done and so well written that it made for an amazing book.
I adored all the characters! Susan, with the help of her dad, is taking her two kids to the doctors for their injections, but once there, she sees the place is packed with sick kids. She waits for a while but when a child bites someone and things escalate, she grabs her kids and her father and gets out of there, but where can they go when it seems that kids everywhere are turning into monsters?
Sherry, Susan's best friend, owns a kids clothing store and is opening up when a mum comes in with her kids. One of them had gotten sick all over himself on the way to school so she stopped at the shop to pick up something. Sherry notices that some of the kids look really ill, but it's not till one starts attaching the mum that Sherry realises things are bad. The child that got sick initially seems ok, so Sherry grabs him and they try to escape.
We also have a drifter and his dog, a young girl who has had a hard life but is forced to do things to survive, a martial arts/fitness instructor and a doctor. All of these experience the outbreak in different ways and all have to survive a world gone mad.
Anyway, this book was heartbreaking because I couldn't imagine something like this happening to my kids, but it kept me on the edge of my seat throughout. It's bad enough reading or watching a movie that has scary ass kids in it, but reading a book with scary ass, smart, strong Zombie kids in it, just gave me the heebie jeebies!!! I literally couldn't put this down because I had to see what happened next, it was so well written and developed and I devoured it!!! That ending though!!! I need the next one!! Highly recommend.
Johnny Mack read this really well. Most of the characters were female but it didn't matter. The narrator made this play out as a movie in my head. I never once thought that a female narrator would be better. He had plenty of tones and cadences and his female tones were amazing actually!! Thoroughly enjoyed his performance!
I was voluntarily provided this audiobook for free from the author, narrator, or publisher. This in no way affected nor influenced my thoughts.
September 16, 2017
3.5 stars
This was an entertaining, engaging and enjoyable story. It took me a bit to really be pulled in ( a couple of chapters)but once I was I listened straight through. It's a creative concept to start with the children. Children are our weakness. We are inherently programmed to take care of them and keep them safe. Vaccines are a double edged sword, both "peace of mind" and a "source of worry" all at the same time. You hear horror stories and those are always in the back of a parents mind. What happens if the worst case scenario happens.
With little ankle biters running amok everywhere of coarse it's going to be interesting with plenty of suspense and on edge of your seat action.
Good cast of well rounded and likable characters.
The story introduces the characters and follows their progress in alternating chapters throughout most of the story. Now that the story has been set up and the characters established the next book should be really good. I'm looking forward to it.
It does end in a cliffhanger. So be prepared.
Johnny Mack did a really good job with the narration. Nice voice that is easy to listen to for long periods of time. Clearly spoken with a nice even pace. Of coarse his male character voices are great. His female voices are good. There is not much difference between his male and female character voices. Just a slight change of tone and cadence. I never had a problem understanding who was speaking. I prefer slight change of tone for female characters instead of screechy any day. He brought the characters and the story to life. Hopefully he will narrating the rest of the series. Very enjoyable
I was voluntarily given this free review copy audiobook at my request and voluntarily provided this review.
This was an entertaining, engaging and enjoyable story. It took me a bit to really be pulled in ( a couple of chapters)but once I was I listened straight through. It's a creative concept to start with the children. Children are our weakness. We are inherently programmed to take care of them and keep them safe. Vaccines are a double edged sword, both "peace of mind" and a "source of worry" all at the same time. You hear horror stories and those are always in the back of a parents mind. What happens if the worst case scenario happens.
With little ankle biters running amok everywhere of coarse it's going to be interesting with plenty of suspense and on edge of your seat action.
Good cast of well rounded and likable characters.
The story introduces the characters and follows their progress in alternating chapters throughout most of the story. Now that the story has been set up and the characters established the next book should be really good. I'm looking forward to it.
It does end in a cliffhanger. So be prepared.
Johnny Mack did a really good job with the narration. Nice voice that is easy to listen to for long periods of time. Clearly spoken with a nice even pace. Of coarse his male character voices are great. His female voices are good. There is not much difference between his male and female character voices. Just a slight change of tone and cadence. I never had a problem understanding who was speaking. I prefer slight change of tone for female characters instead of screechy any day. He brought the characters and the story to life. Hopefully he will narrating the rest of the series. Very enjoyable
I was voluntarily given this free review copy audiobook at my request and voluntarily provided this review.
April 23, 2024
it was a different take on the zombie apocalypse, a bit on the anti-vaxxer side, all children from 0 to 10 that have taken the vaccines in the last few days get really sick and transform into super predatory zombies, this part actually reminded me of the raptors in park Jurassic movie.
the women in this book, for me felt real, they don't even feel ready for the apocalypse because most of these women are a bit overweight or even with shoes that aren't good to start running, just like everyday women.
its a very scary scenery, and I did like that all different points of view converge into the same paths of two different stories. I just don't give 4 stars because the chapters are really long, and it was hard for me to stop in the middle, sometimes I had to go back and read some pages back to remember where I was in the story (I am old, I fall asleep while reading).
the women in this book, for me felt real, they don't even feel ready for the apocalypse because most of these women are a bit overweight or even with shoes that aren't good to start running, just like everyday women.
its a very scary scenery, and I did like that all different points of view converge into the same paths of two different stories. I just don't give 4 stars because the chapters are really long, and it was hard for me to stop in the middle, sometimes I had to go back and read some pages back to remember where I was in the story (I am old, I fall asleep while reading).
November 13, 2019
Having read the third book first this ones brings you to date on who, what and why the events happens and how fast it occurred and the change in the children and the parents. Also you get a glint into Sherry and Juan and their background as possible lovers and the work they did and how they met. In addition you meet other characters of this story and the pain they went thru to survive and watch love ones die.
To me this tells much better story than the third book due to the third ends a way you are left hanging.
Again I do recommend this series because you will see and learn about a new and more powerful type of zombies and is one I never really thought about.
To me this tells much better story than the third book due to the third ends a way you are left hanging.
Again I do recommend this series because you will see and learn about a new and more powerful type of zombies and is one I never really thought about.
July 26, 2017
A common vaccination given to children goes horribly wrong. Children are changing into raging flesh-eating monsters. There are several sub-plots of survivors who managed to avoid or escape the zombie children. The book rotates through these sub-plots as people flee infected areas and look for safety. A pretty good opener to a new series. This audiobook was given by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review via Audiobook Boom.
February 26, 2018
Different
This isn't your normal zombie apocalypse book.
Zombie kids that are fast, zombie adults that are slow.
While this book had a few mistakes, I felt that the type of story was good enough to get 4 stars.
I can recommend this book simply for its different take on the whole zombie apocalypse.
This isn't your normal zombie apocalypse book.
Zombie kids that are fast, zombie adults that are slow.
While this book had a few mistakes, I felt that the type of story was good enough to get 4 stars.
I can recommend this book simply for its different take on the whole zombie apocalypse.
November 15, 2019
Z Children:Awakening is the first book in the series by authors B V Barr and Eli Constant. Exciting, interesting, keeps your attention...this contemporary sci-fi/fantasy story is a must! I can not wait to continue the action with the next book after that cliffhanger.
August 2, 2015
Seriously, can you get any more messed up than this? I mean, take a healthy dose of zombies, then a splash of fast rabid zombies, add a healthy drop of paranoia, and to top it all off, it is freaking spread by children. Freaking Children.
So, if you ever thought that zombies were a little disturbing before, maybe you should read this with the lights on. Nothing makes horror worse than when you mix it with the innocence of children. Especially when you make them, drooling, rabid, hungry, running zombie children. Sorry, Children of the Corn have nothing on this. I can take children with some demon telling them what to do, but pack hunting children who just want to eat me for lunch, no thanks.
This book is told from the perspectives of several different people, and at some point, I hope they all get together and join forces. They all seem to have some strengths of their own, and together they could be an unstoppable force. Or at least, maybe they could survive and not be eaten. Of course, just when things may finally be going everyone’s way, that is the end of the book. So, here I am, hoping and praying the next book is written soon. It is the waiting I can barely stand. Even though I am almost too scared to read the next one. Almost.
So, if you ever thought that zombies were a little disturbing before, maybe you should read this with the lights on. Nothing makes horror worse than when you mix it with the innocence of children. Especially when you make them, drooling, rabid, hungry, running zombie children. Sorry, Children of the Corn have nothing on this. I can take children with some demon telling them what to do, but pack hunting children who just want to eat me for lunch, no thanks.
This book is told from the perspectives of several different people, and at some point, I hope they all get together and join forces. They all seem to have some strengths of their own, and together they could be an unstoppable force. Or at least, maybe they could survive and not be eaten. Of course, just when things may finally be going everyone’s way, that is the end of the book. So, here I am, hoping and praying the next book is written soon. It is the waiting I can barely stand. Even though I am almost too scared to read the next one. Almost.
June 14, 2015
Oh Zombies. Zombies, Zombies, everywhere! I am obsessed with the apocalypse and so when I found that Eli Constant had teamed up with D V Barr to create an Z apocalypse story - I was so so excited!! It intrigues me to know how people would react to the end of the world as we know it & this story tells it perfectly from the point of view of very different characters.
But wait I was not ready for this - Child Zombies!! Fast, fearful, fascinating! They think, they plan and they attack without discrimination and then there's the adult Z's - returning from death to add to the tragedy.
A lot of discomfit and unease at the thought of innocent children becoming bloody monsters - I have been left scared!
The beginning of the end being so realistic for each character that it's left me thinking what if?? This could actually happen in the near future!
Feeling already attached to the characters, I can not wait to read what happens in the next book. This is a must read for those looking for a genuine, high quality Zombie tale with a twist.
But wait I was not ready for this - Child Zombies!! Fast, fearful, fascinating! They think, they plan and they attack without discrimination and then there's the adult Z's - returning from death to add to the tragedy.
A lot of discomfit and unease at the thought of innocent children becoming bloody monsters - I have been left scared!
The beginning of the end being so realistic for each character that it's left me thinking what if?? This could actually happen in the near future!
Feeling already attached to the characters, I can not wait to read what happens in the next book. This is a must read for those looking for a genuine, high quality Zombie tale with a twist.
October 18, 2016
What would you do if your kids turned on you & started treating you like you were dinner? Would you be able to put down your own baby? Could you really leave them locked up to possibly chew up someone else? What would you do to protect your children from other Z Children? Even their own siblings?! Where would you go? Who would you turn to?
These questions are what Susan, Sherry, Juan, Dr. Lynn, JW, Bonnie, etc face in Z Children. Pick up the book today to find out how each answered them! Let's just say maybe we can learn a few things from them...? Or not!? It is definitely a page turner and one I could NOT put down! I want MORE MORE MORE!!!!!! I felt like I was inside this book along with each of the characters going through their stories!
These questions are what Susan, Sherry, Juan, Dr. Lynn, JW, Bonnie, etc face in Z Children. Pick up the book today to find out how each answered them! Let's just say maybe we can learn a few things from them...? Or not!? It is definitely a page turner and one I could NOT put down! I want MORE MORE MORE!!!!!! I felt like I was inside this book along with each of the characters going through their stories!
July 11, 2016
Great writing, great characters, unfortunately the too many POVs ruined it for me, I wish each of them would have their own book, because this way every time I started to get into the story the connection was cut off by a different POV...
June 9, 2017
Holy crap!! You did it again my Eli! Nothing scarier than zombie kids lol Can't wait to read the next book!
September 9, 2016
Horrible horrible. Not the book but the idea of sweet innocent children becoming zombies and eating their parents. Great story.
Read
September 22, 2016I enjoy this book the z children are fast and crazy the z adults are strange but I like it
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews