The World Without Crows

by Ben Lyle Bedard

In 1990, the world ended. A disease turned people into walking shells of themselves. Zombies. Most of them were harmless, but some were broken by the pressure of the disease. The cracked became ravenous killers whose bite infected.

To escape the apocalypse, Eric, a young, overweight boy of 16, sets off on a journey across the United States. His plan is to hike from Ohio to an island in Maine, far from the ruins of cities, where the lake and the fierce winters will protect him from both Zombies and the gangs that roam the country.

Along the way, Eric finds friends and enemies, hope and despair, love and hatred. The World Without Crows is the story of what he must become to survive.

For him and the people he would come to love, the end is only the beginning.

Genres: Horror, Zombies, Fiction, Science Fiction, Alternate History

403 pages, ebook

Published May 16, 2017

About the author

Born in Buckfield, a rural town in Maine, Ben grew up reading Tolkien, Stephen King, and Charles Dickens. When he went to college at the University of Maine at Farmington, he published his first piece of fiction in the local college journal. After moving across the country to study creative writing at Mills College, he began writing poetry as well as fiction. In his graduate studies, he published poems in several little magazines as well as a book of poems, Implicit Lyrics. He won honorary mention from the Academy of American Poets in the Friends of University Libraries Poetry Prize for his poem “All the Wind Points East.” During this time, he also worked on a collaboration with the painter Jackie Felix to produce the chapbook “We’re Really Happy”. Soon afterwards, he returned to writing fiction, his first love. While in Buffalo, New York and finishing his dissertation at the University of Buffalo, Ben finished his trilogy, The Slinger, a science fiction story told in a western dialect. The trilogy is set on a planet that is the unfortunate focus of two dueling superpowers. The first two books, The Equilibrium of Stars and Strange Bonds, were published with a small press, while the last book, All of a Darkness, along with the entire trilogy, was later released as The Slinger Trilogy on Amazon. In Buffalo, he met his future wife, Fernanda Glaser, a Fulbright scholar from Chile. To meet the requirements of her scholarship, she had to move back to Chile, and Ben followed her. They were married a year later, under crimson bougainvillea. Together they wrote and published a bilingual biography of the Chilean poet Gabriela Mistral, Criatura Regional/Regional Creature. While in Chile, Ben dusted off a book he had written in Buffalo called The Island, a coming-of-age story wrapped in a zombie apocalypse. Unable to find a publisher, he decided to publish it himself. After much revision, Ben renamed it The World Without Crows and released it on Amazon. It won an IndieBrag Award and had many favorable reviews. Encouraged by fans of the book, he wrote the sequel, The World Without Flags, which takes place ten years after the first book. He is currently living by the Pacific Ocean in La Serena while he researches and plans his next book.

Reviews

[Metodi Markov · Rating 2 out of 5]

Последно ревю за 2023 година!

Интересна ми се видя идеята за зомби апокалипсис в миналото и затова прочетох тази книга. Авторът е избрал това събитие да се случи в далечната веч 1990 година, но за съжаление не се е справил много добре с развитието на сюжета, а с героите и мотивацията им хептен не е успял - на моменти ми беше досадно и се чудех, дали въобще да си дам труда да завършa книгата му…

Самоиздал се е и това безспорно е успех, но трябва още доста да поработи, за да вдигне качеството на историите си. Лично аз очаквах повече.

Не ми допадна политкоректната поза заета от Бедард - всичко негативно и скапано е съсредоточено единствено у големите лоши бели мъже, та чак и у малкия сладък нърд Ерик, дето иначе уж съвсем не е такъв…

Цитат:

"The worst part about the world ending was honesty."

[Kat (Katlovesbooks) Dietrich · Rating 4 out of 5]

The World Without Crows by Ben Lyle Bedard is a post-apocalyptic tale.

First, let me thank the author for approaching me and for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.


Series Background:    (Warning – May contain spoilers from previous books)

In 1990,  a virus from Brazil infected the world.  A "worm" wreaks havoc on the mind, turning the dead into zombies.  Some zombies "crack" and attack others.  Some are fairly harmless.  Gangs of the living form, often fighting each other.  Other uninfected search for a quiet place to try and live in peace.


My Synopsis:   (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)

Eric is a 16 year-old overweight kid when he decides to leave Ohio.  The world as he knew it is gone. His mother is dead, his friends are dead, there is no one left he cares about.  He decides to walk to an island in Maine, where he figures the weather will be cold enough to kill the zombies, and isolated enough so he can stay away from the gangs.  He craves safety.

The journey is a lot more difficult than he had thought.  Along the way, Eric meets others.  Some good, some bad, and sometimes telling the difference is hard.


My Opinions:   

This was a very entertaining read.   Reminiscent of The Walking Dead (as all zombie-based books are),  this book is actually more of a coming-of-age story.  Eric is a wonderful character, going through an extraordinary time, sometimes full of kindness, sometimes full of rage.  He sees himself as weak, as worthless....it is a long time before he sees his strength, although others see it.  His character develops with each person he meets.  His determination to stick to his original plan was great.

The writing is good, although sometimes repetitive.  The plot excellent.  This is not just another zombie book.  It has depth, and insight.  The struggles Eric had with nature, and with other groups of people feel real.

Great, captivating read, and I'm looking forward to the next book.


For a more complete review of this book and others (including author information and quotations), please visit my blog: http://katlovesbooksblog.wordpress.com/

[Roxie Prince · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this review and more on my blog at [Roxie Writes].

'The World Without Crows' by Ben Lyle Bedard
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5
Finished on July 19, 2017
GIVEN A FREE COPY IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW
FREE on Kindle Unlimited | $2.99 on Kindle | $10.99 in Paperback

BOOK DESCRIPTION:
In 1990 a worm from Brazil infected the world creating a unique kind of zombie. Most of them were harmless, but some people "cracked" becoming vicious killers. The real monsters, though, are the people left to survive. In 'The World Without Crows', sixteen-year-old and overweight Eric, leaves his home in Ohio, alone, and departs on foot with a backpack and map and hopes to make his way to Maine where he believes he's going to make a safe new life in Maine. Along the way, he meets friends, foes, and becomes the man he's meant to be.

MY REVIEW:
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Over the last several years, zombie stories have saturated the market (hell, I've written one myself), but 'The World Without Crows' is a unique breed. The zombies are different from any other tale I've ever come across, and I thoroughly enjoyed Bedard's take on them. It was refreshing and allowed for a more character-driven story, I felt.

And that's what this was, a truly character-driven story. This is a story about humanity and what happens to us when the world falls apart. Who we become when we lose everything and everyone we hold dear. How we hold on when we have no one else but ourselves, especially when we didn't love ourselves to begin with.

We watch Eric stumble through a world in which he not only feels like he's useless but one in which he really is. He, for reasons he doesn't understand, has somehow survived, and if he wants to continue to, he has to harden up. Not just physically but in every other way. He's doughy and soft and that didn't even serve him well in a pre-apocalyptic world; it sure as hell isn't going to serve him well in this one. Slowly, as the story unfolds and he meets folks along the way, Eric learns what softness to hold onto to keep his humanity while hardening enough to survive his new reality.

This book is beautifully written and masterfully told. I absolutely look forward to reading more of Bedard's work in the future.

[Leigh Holland · Rating 5 out of 5]

The World Without Crows by Ben Lyle Bedard, 401 pages, May 16 2017, Genre: Post-Apocalyptic/Dystopian. Warning: May Contain Spoilers.

Review by Leigh Holland.

    Remember how excited we were when Hollywood started making good zombie movies and tv shows, and suddenly, we couldn’t get enough of zombies? Well, until they beat us to death with them and we were finally double tapped out on them. One morning, there we were, carrying our zombie lunchbox, wearing our zombie t-shirt, groaning at the kitchen table as we slowly raised the milk-laden cereal spoon to our lips, glancing at the zombie poster on the wall. And we realized, ironically, we’d gorged ourselves on zombies. We’d lost that excitement we felt at the beginning. We put ourselves on a diet, rationing our zombie intake.
    Prepare to feel that familiar sense of excitement again as The World Without Crows raises it from the dead. I thought I could never love a serious zombie horror novel the same way again, but this book proved me wrong. For a topic that’s been done to death, Bedard reinvigorates it with complex characters in a world gone mad. This story isn’t so much about what happens to humans when there are zombies in our world. This story is about what happens to humans when there is no humanity in our world.
    We follow Eric, an overweight teenage boy who has lost his parents to the Brazilian disease, Vaca B. Vaca B caused the apocalypse, the zombie scourge. Society fell apart. Once a D and D loving guy with friends and aspirations of kissing Jessica, after Vaca B, Eric is no longer as carefree. Since winter freezes the zombies, he decides to travel to Maine to an island. He meets new people on his journey. Some of them are good, some are dangerous. Some he’d die or kill for. And, of course, there are zombies. Eric must fight nature, other men, and monsters in order to survive and reach his destination. There are many characters in this tale and not all of them make it. My favorite side characters include John Martin and Birdie. John Martin is an older man who shows Eric how much people need each other and why that’s a good thing. Birdie is a little girl whom Eric looks after and grows to regard as dearer than his own life.
    Zombie horror, I thought I was over you. I thought we’d broken up. But it turns out, I just can’t quit you. I’d recommend The World Without Crows to anyone who loves zombie horror and/or post-apocalyptic tales.

[Lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pretty typical dystopian book with zombie types. 'Fatty loser' toughens up. I felt quite realistic about the effects that experiencing this type of world would have on people (especially children and teenagers). Highlights the importance of keeping your integrity and empathy in horrible and stressful situations.

I enjoyed reading it

[Finley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A World Without Crows is the zombie novel that the world needs. Rather than portraying the whole world and the only lifestyle after a zombie outbreak as some sort of ruthless resistance, and every single zombie as a mindless killing machine, Bedard chooses to take a much more relaxed and realistic approach to the end of the world. In the novel, a teenager named Eric decides that, instead of sitting around waiting to die for the Vaca B worm, he will set off to a lake in Maine that he had visited with his father where he might be able to start anew life, and where the landscape will prevent the zombies from reaching him. And while he does encounter his share of “cracked” zombie – zombies whose mental state has broken and set them on a psychotic rage, rather than just succumbing to mindless repetition and eventual decomposition and death as the rest do – and overzealous gangs on the road, he also makes his share of friends and allies, and learns what it truly means to be human, and the prices we pay to keep our humanity, versus abandoning it out of fear.

As I have mentioned in other reviews, I love to see new and interesting takes on zombie stories! Although zombies has a horror creature, or just a creature in general, are interesting to me on a creative and cryptozoological level, I have difficulty enjoying many zombie plots due to reliance on violence and the battle, rather than exploring what zombies are, or even in most cases creating unique and interesting character to follow through the battle in the first place. While reading A World Without Crows, however, I found myself connecting deeply to the a story, as I would probably fit in better with Eric’s band of survivors than with the crews of the well-known franchises. Rather than turning immediately to their basic instincts of kill or be killed, Eric and his friends focus on pure survival, on long-term strategy over fight-or-flight reactions, and on only killing when necessary so that they are better able to keep their empathy. I loved the characters, and wish I could have spent more time with them or their world. What’s more, I would love to see stories of people like them, whether through Bedard’s own works or through other writers inspired by him. We live in a violent world, and the speed at which many media heroes shed their civility only spurs it on. If we could more often look to how we would survive, thrive, and rebuild together after an end of the world scenario, rather than how we would best kill those who threaten us, we might be able to look at our current neighbors with a kinder eye, as well.

Honestly, I recommend this book to anyone who has the opportunity to read it. Although there were parts where the characters seemed saved by convenience, and some of the antagonists seemed a bit extreme at times, there were no parts that were enough to break my suspension of disbelief, and I fully believe that some people could become that horrible if civilization were to collapse on itself tomorrow. So, if unique zombies and survival adventures are your thing, then definitely give this book a try! I enjoyed every word of it, and hope the author unleashes more of the stories he mentions holding on his hard drive in the future. :)

[L. S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think the most interesting parts of zombie novels are the origin stories. Was it a virus, radiation, or an unfounded allegory to how "kids these days" spend too much time on their phone? Whatever the origin story, the point is that they're all different. That includes all the different variations of the above mentioned.

In The World Without Crows, it was a viral worm. You had regular zombies and cracked zombies...there were several tiny nuances that set these zombies apart from others. Interestingly enough, the zombies are merely the backdrop of the narrative. The story itself follows a young man named Eric on his quest to reach an island in Maine. While zombies are certainly a huge concern, Eric's real challenges come from the living and the self.

I think the fact that this wasn't just a "survive the zombies" type novel. There were roving gangs, bad decisions, and some pretty shady people along the way. There was no centralized military trying to evacuate and round people up.

A big theme of this novel was a journey of self-discovery. Watching Eric's development from beginning to end is not only wild, but mildly heartbreaking. There's many metaphors placed throughout that give the reader a pretty good indication of how he's coming along as a character, but there's one classic scene at the end that really sums it up.

There's a variety of different people Eric meets along the way. They're all an incredible mixture of good, bad, and ambiguous. Each of the encounters is designed to further along Eric's development, for better or worse. Like most people, there's so many ups and downs it's hard to tell the difference sometimes.

The overall writing style was fitting. I liked how well-blended the dialogue and narration were. The description was the best kind of horrifically gory. The kind that's difficult to illustrate with writing. It had its suspenseful moments, its thriller moments, and its gory moments. Not scary, but definitely on par with expectations of horror enthusiasts. The inclusion of more than just the "token" POC was nice as well. There was a bit more diversity featured here that doesn't fit with classic horror stereotypes.

Waging a war of moral versus immoral, where both sides become gray areas is an interesting thing. Decision making in the apocalypse isn't easy, and it changes a person. This was a pretty intense journey of the self, with one crazy zombie background. Well done.

[g · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing!!!

There are very few books that are really good I think and whenever u find one you know it right away because it sticks with you and you can't stop thinking about it thro you're day and whenever it's over u are sad it's over this is one of those I'm glad the guy that wrote it managed to get it out there and that I was able to find it I recommend this book to any one it was so good one more thing ..lol zombie books don't usually do that "Goddard make email gaff if you gonna make them cry" thing movies do I dunno if any one has ever heard that saying but few movies about zombies do it (walking dead sure did it!) And that goes for books to I suppose well this one did it and it was done well I love u Mr author man this was a really really great book and thank u for writing it

[Terry Tyler · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Ben Lyle Bedard's parallel universe, a pandemic known as the Worm swept across the country in 1989 and 90, ending civilisation as we know it. The Worm turned people into zombies, some docile, a few 'cracked'; the dangerous sort who try to eat people. I'm 'gimme gimme gimme' when it comes to any end-of-world scenarios, so I was looking forward to this.

The main character is Eric, a fat, shy sixteen-year-old from Ohio, who, some time after the pandemic began, begins a journey to an island in Maine, about which he has idyllic childhood memories. He is making this journey on foot, and joins up with many others along the way, most importantly a little girl called Birdie, who is the main character of the sequel.

Through the many events of this journey, Eric changes from chubby, self-conscious boy to a lean, hard, brave and sometimes ruthless man, who will do anything to protect those he cares for. It's extremely well-written, a real page-turner, and though I could not always like Eric (I went off him big time after one particular incident), and there were a couple of editorial slip-ups, I still loved the book.

It's a great series, and I hope there will be more.

[Bill Thibadeau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truly a great story by a talented author

I picked up this book while sear thing for post apocalyptic stories - my current genre during jour. I read short synopsis and thought there was potential. I ended up reading the book in two sessions.

There is a ever changing small cast of characters that come to life. There are numerous instances of the apocalypse getting the better of the characters. Sometimes they don't make it. Even characters that I thought would be one central fall to the detrimental effects of the apocalypse.

The bottom line is that this is a talented author that crafts a good story. Please buy this ebook to encourage him to continue writing.

[Eren Dooley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gripping

Faced with the end a teen becomes a man. His hard win respect for himself makes this every bit a coming of age story as well as a fight for survival. From the very first you will be sucked in. The writing is both
engaging and moving. You will be holding your breath to discover the fate of the group that trudges through many hardships.

[Elizabeth Levesque · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mr. Bedard gives us insight into human behavior when the chips are down. The characters are gritty and real with a story line that is fast and razor sharp.

[gj indieBRAG · Rating 5 out of 5]

We are proud to announce that A WORLD WITHOUT CROWS by Ben Lyle Bedard is a B.R.A.G.Medallion Honoree. This tells a reader that this book is well worth their time and money!

[C. Parent · Rating 5 out of 5]

Riveting read.

This was a long, but enjoyable read. I frequently was so wrapped up in it that I didn't want to close the book and sleep!

[Leslie Benedict · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good

Really worth the time. Realistic portrayal. Relatable characters in a situation that hopefully will never happen. Main character was an unexpected hero and leader.

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars!!! I enjoyed this book very much.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best!

I couldn't put this book down. That is more noteable because I have been ill and haven't felt like reading much for several months.
The story setting is about the same as other apocalyptic sagas. What makes this book different is the character development and the "realness " of the characters. By the end I felt quite satisfied, like the end of a supremely good meal.

[Pat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book could not put it down.

Sad but very good writing and you feel like you are in the story

A need to read hope another one is on its way

[Thorn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have won this book in a Goodreads giveaway.

I really wanted to like this novel. I am a fan of both apocalyptic and zombie fiction. However, I cannot really say that it is anything more than a run of the mill zombie novel with attempted philosophical bend. That would have easily gotten this book three stars. But the parts of the book where the author clearly just decided to skip the actual storytelling because they wanted things a certain way, and yet could not figure out how to write it, had lost it another star.

Should you read this book? If you like zombie and/or apocalyptic horror, you might want to give it a try. Just don't expect anything exceptional.

[Alice · Rating 1 out of 5]

I found the characters to be one-dimensional and the writing style flat. The story didn't stand out as bringing anything fresh to the many zombie book/tv show/movie narratives that are already out there. I made it a little over halfway through the book before stopping as I didn't find it compelling enough to continue reading. I received a free copy of the book through a Goodreads giveaway.

[Elizabeth Hanks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read

This book is a good zombie book. Gore and all. Fell in love with the characters and didn’t want it to end. Check it out!

[Vigilant Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Title – The World Without Crows
Author – Ben Lyle Bedard
Genre – Horror, Apocalyptic
300 Amazon Pages
Rating 4 stars out of 5 Posted 8/18/17
No. 55 – 2017

My Impressions: simple, emotional, psychological suffering, death, hope.

Main Characters:
Eric – age 16, escaping Athens, Ohio after the Vaca B epidemic, heading for the backwoods of Maine
Birdy – age 8
Brad
Sarah
John
Sergio
Lucia

For those who shy away from anything supernatural, sci-fi, occult, I suggest you take a look at this apocalyptic plot. Zombies in these stories are only the catalyst to cause the interaction among the survivors of a world disaster. The remaining people are the heart of the story. If you can get past the thought of zombies, the important story is about relationships between the people Eric attaches himself to and the vicious gangs terrorizing the good guys.
This story is a coming of age tale of sixteen year old Eric. The world is overrun by zombies caused by the Vaca Beber, a white worm from Brazil that invades human bodies and destroys the brain. Eric is an immature, fat, nerd. After his mother dies from the worms’ effects, he starts a twelve hundred mile trek, on foot, across the country headed for Maine.
Eric is ill prepared for the arduous trip and must learn and mature as he goes. His adjustment to the growing attachments to new friends and then their loss is well written and draws sympathy to the young man.

I don’t normally read occult, sci-fi or horror stories, but find these apocalyptic tales interesting because of the relationships of the survivors.

The editing has a few word errors and in some instances the sentence structure needs work.
Character development is good for the main characters.
Details are sketchy.
The plot is interesting and fast paced
Writing Style – simple, sometimes repetitive, unorganized and out of order.
There are several continuity issues. Multiple times Eric had no gun then suddenly had one without explanation.

There is abundant cursing in the story.

I enjoyed The World Without Crows and recommend it.

This review was provided in exchange for a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

First, I have to say I won this book on a Goodreads giveaway. I’m not sure I would have purchased it based on the description because it sounded like just another zombie story. However, I am pleased to say The World Without Crows is much more than that. It’s a story of determination and survival.

Author Ben Lyle Bedard did a wonderful job in laying out the back-story so you know exactly what has occurred and how the story will begin to unfold. Central to the plot is Eric, an overweight teen whose mother has succumbed to the Vaca B virus that is changing people into the living dead. AS far as he can tell there is no living left in his neighborhood. With fond memories of an island that he used to visit in Maine with his dad, Eric decides that if he is to survive the virus the island would be the ideal place to live. Armed with a backpack of supplies and a map, Eric sets off on foot from Ohio to make his way east.

For the most part, the zombies are just background fluff, it’s the individuals and gangs that Eric encounters that fill out the story. One such encounter hooks Eric up with a little girl named Birdie, it’s with Birdie that Eric begins to find himself and the determination to reach his destiny. But of course, there has to be complications to keep the story interesting and they do abound! People will come and go throughout his journey, some will make it to their destination and others won’t be so lucky. As for Eric, you’ll have to read the book to find out if he is one of the lucky ones.

I really enjoyed the pacing of the story, the characters, for the most part, were easy to have feelings for. There were a couple of instances where perhaps we had to stretch our imagination a little too far but mostly this was one heck of a tale. This is a book that can be enjoyed by both adults and the YA audience.

[Raul Martinez · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do believe this book could've been even better with a consistent and personal character development. Some characters seemed to have personalites set to stone, others had moments of three-dimensionality but yet seemed to be far from the point of view.

However, this is a gripping and raw tale of youth in a world rapidly descending into chaos. There is zombies, there is background and lore. All well done and well developed. The most admirable part is the humanity in it. Humanity as it really is, in all shades and tones. It's grey and grim, and some very beautiful times, pure.

With a fluid pace, in no moment I didn't want to know what was happening right there in the story. It proved to be a gritty one, with many changes of course and heart. New faces presented, old faces no more. With fluid constant change, the book transcended the simple travel to safety with people you met at the road, it turned itself in a passage, a pilgrimage of morality and conscience. In this, subverting the opening quote from the Charlie Dickens novel, we follow not the making of a hero, but the making of a good person. It marked me, and a scene did it mostly. What do you see when you look into a mirror?

All in all, I loved the book in every single chapter and identified realness in many of the characters and its actions, not profound and clear enough but definitely not hollow. It's a solid book, and a admirable feat of ambiance and meaning.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

The World Without Crows is a strangely heartfelt zombie story. Usually heartfelt and zombie don't go together, but in this case that's the only way to describe it. The book is more realistic than other zombie books in that the main characters think and react like normal humans would. They aren't all badasses or villains. They don't have super zombie killing skills. All they really have is a vague plan and a lack of any other ideas of what to do in the now ruined world. Usually the zombie genre isn't my thing, but I thoroughly enjoyed The World Without Crows. Even if zombies aren't your thing either, consider adding this to your TBR list.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed The World Without Crows and became quite attached to the story by the end. The character development, especially Eric the main character, is more superficial than anything else. Is it an amazing book? Probably not in the great scheme of things. BUT, is it a great zombie book? I think so. It's different, it follows teenage kids trying to survive together and it's not your typical zombie read. You have more to fear of other survivors than you do zombies. I'd say if you are into this genre, give it a shot. I almost had given up on zombie reads till I came across this one.

[Winona · Rating 3 out of 5]

Written in short, and often repetitive, sentences it feels like it was written for a younger audience. This was a quick read and a good concept but lacked a little bit in depth. The characters lacked in backstory and many of them came and went so fast you never had a chance to grow an attachment to them. Likewise, the MC seemed to have more empathy for characters in his life less than a day than he does for people he lost to the virus that he had known his whole life.

See a more in-depth review or other reviews at Noner Says

[Candra Hodge · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing apocalyptic story told thru the eyes of a child

Many zombie apocalypse books focus on adults surviving and fighting. This one not only shows what it would be like to be a child alone trying to survive but also shows the collapse civilization takes in such a crisis. This book is well written and action packed throughout the story. I will be reading the sequel.
I won this book thru a goodreads.com giveaway.

[Minga Dotson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A realistic look at how people might be after surviving a worldwide plague.

This is a sad yet hopeful view of refugees from a sickness that maims and kills, and the surviving humans who seem to have become just as bad. Follow a group of mostly children as they attempt a cross country trip, mostly on foot, from Ohio to an island in Maine.

[Amanda Kastner-Guzzi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story!

I love the way this author writes. Descriptive words almost poetic in nature. Easy to follow and I thought about it through out my day,a sure sign of a good book to me. I have followed this authors blog and intend to read more of his books.