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Alive? #1
Alive? (1)
Everyone knows the first rule of the zombie Don't. Get. Bitten.Too bad Violet has never been great at following the rules. Walking home after a night of partying, she manages to let one of the Dead take a chunk out of her only hours after they've begun walking again. Fortunately for Violet, she doesn't die. Unfortunately for Violet―she's not exactly alive, either.Violet's body is undergoing changes, and suddenly the taste of human flesh is not as revolting as it once sounded. Controlling her new urges will be hard. Living with survivors who have no idea will be even harder. And the real zombies? They still want to eat her, too...Surviving the zompocalypse is tricky when you play for both teams.New from author Melissa Woods, Alive? is a heart-pounding adventure with suspenseful plot twists, complex characters, and a dash of dark humor. Gritty and raw, Alive? is sure to keep you guessing, and will delight zombie apocalypse fans everywhere.
300 pages, Paperback
Published October 30, 2018
About the author
Melissa Woods
17 books31 followersWriter, primary school teacher, and occasionally someone who goes outside.
Melissa Woods is the author of ‘Alive?’, a young adult zombie adventure story, set for release on October 30th 2018.
Find her on Facebook at: faceboook.com/melissawoodswriting
Twitter:
@MelissaJaneWH
Melissa Woods is the author of ‘Alive?’, a young adult zombie adventure story, set for release on October 30th 2018.
Find her on Facebook at: faceboook.com/melissawoodswriting
Twitter:
@MelissaJaneWH
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
November 12, 2018
I'm not a huge zombie fan. So, I wasn't sure what I'd think of this book when I grabbed it up, but it drew me in and held me until the very last page.
Violet wakes up to find that she blacked out on a couch during a party her friend dragged her too. Frustrated, Violet makes her way home the next morning and decides to take a short-cut through the forest. The decision appears to be a mistake when she runs across a murder scene and is attacked...bitten...by the murderer. While fleeing, she realizes the chaos in the town around her. 'Biters' (or zombies) are tearing people to shreds. She escapes with the help of a man, but again blacks out only to find herself covered with blood later. Soon, she realizes that the bites make people turn into zombies, and she is one too. Sort of. She turns into a monster whenever she sees blood, but another part of her fights against this desire. If that wasn't enough a problem, the world around her is falling apart...and she has no clue how to survive.
In this book, zombies are referred to as biters. Once bitten, a person dies soon after only to 'reawaken' as a walking dead, who thrashes living people and eats them. The world has become a war zone with biters everywhere....blood everywhere...and horrific scenes everywhere. In that sense, it was a lovely, gory, zombie read as to be expected. But this author was able to put in more.
Violet is easy to connect to. She's confused, a good person, and makes enough mistakes to make her realistic. Her half-dead status doesn't come across as a good thing, but adds another part of life she needs to learn to deal with. She doesn't dwell on it either, which was nice. The main action sticks with her and her friends as they try to survive and to figure out what exactly has happened to the world around them. There is a hint of romance, but this slides more along the side as future possibilities. The tale gets more complicated at the end as the book switches gears from simple survival to a bit more of intrigue, which also hints at possible future books to see what happens to Violet and her friends.
While there is a lot of chasing, zombie thrashing, running and gut devouring moments, there's also enough emotional and character development going on to keep the plot engaging and grabbing the whole way through.
I received a complimentary copy and enjoyed this more than I thought. So, I leaving my honest thoughts.
Violet wakes up to find that she blacked out on a couch during a party her friend dragged her too. Frustrated, Violet makes her way home the next morning and decides to take a short-cut through the forest. The decision appears to be a mistake when she runs across a murder scene and is attacked...bitten...by the murderer. While fleeing, she realizes the chaos in the town around her. 'Biters' (or zombies) are tearing people to shreds. She escapes with the help of a man, but again blacks out only to find herself covered with blood later. Soon, she realizes that the bites make people turn into zombies, and she is one too. Sort of. She turns into a monster whenever she sees blood, but another part of her fights against this desire. If that wasn't enough a problem, the world around her is falling apart...and she has no clue how to survive.
In this book, zombies are referred to as biters. Once bitten, a person dies soon after only to 'reawaken' as a walking dead, who thrashes living people and eats them. The world has become a war zone with biters everywhere....blood everywhere...and horrific scenes everywhere. In that sense, it was a lovely, gory, zombie read as to be expected. But this author was able to put in more.
Violet is easy to connect to. She's confused, a good person, and makes enough mistakes to make her realistic. Her half-dead status doesn't come across as a good thing, but adds another part of life she needs to learn to deal with. She doesn't dwell on it either, which was nice. The main action sticks with her and her friends as they try to survive and to figure out what exactly has happened to the world around them. There is a hint of romance, but this slides more along the side as future possibilities. The tale gets more complicated at the end as the book switches gears from simple survival to a bit more of intrigue, which also hints at possible future books to see what happens to Violet and her friends.
While there is a lot of chasing, zombie thrashing, running and gut devouring moments, there's also enough emotional and character development going on to keep the plot engaging and grabbing the whole way through.
I received a complimentary copy and enjoyed this more than I thought. So, I leaving my honest thoughts.
October 14, 2019
This book was a different way to see zombies. I like the connection Violet and Matt have and I hope it see what becomes of it in the next book. I am sad we lost a few friends one the way but we may some friends too. I enjoyed the book.
September 25, 2019
I have learned to love a good zombie book; they are the thing that terrifies me most (except balloons) so over the years I try and pick one up every so often to kind of 'desensitize' myself to the fear. It works pretty well, although I seem to dream of them more often. I'm in a massive reading slump at the moment too, with about four other books on the go and one DNF that I never even marked as currently reading it was so bad. This was exactly what I needed!
Now, the down points is the frenetic energy that never stops, but I guess this IS the apocalypse after all. You never feel completely comfortable, because every bathroom has a biter and they're always running. However, there is a major plus to all this running; I really liked the characters too, Violet genuinely is your every day girl just trying to survive, and has to accept her new reality. This might catch up to them all eventually, but for now they're all doing the best they can.
I'm definitely buying books two and three, but I have no idea when I'll read them. I *probably8 should read my other books first, but we'll see. Five stars! If you're looking for your next zombie fix, then give this one a go.
Now, the down points is the frenetic energy that never stops, but I guess this IS the apocalypse after all. You never feel completely comfortable, because every bathroom has a biter and they're always running. However, there is a major plus to all this running; I really liked the characters too, Violet genuinely is your every day girl just trying to survive, and has to accept her new reality. This might catch up to them all eventually, but for now they're all doing the best they can.
I'm definitely buying books two and three, but I have no idea when I'll read them. I *probably8 should read my other books first, but we'll see. Five stars! If you're looking for your next zombie fix, then give this one a go.
February 14, 2019
A zombie novel with a bit of a twist which was a pretty good twist. Also, this author has a great, snarky sense of humor and gives her characters some very funny lines. Even though this is a serious apocalypse story, I did laugh out loud at times. I highly recommend this book! Can’t wait to read the next one.
January 31, 2019
Surviving the Zompocalypse is tricky when you play for both teams. -ALIVE?
I don't really read many Zombie books because not many attracted me to want to read them. But this book really caught my attention!! Between the cover, the tag line and the blurb, I knew I just HAD to read it!! And I was so right, I was hooked from the very first sentence!!
The characters were amazing!! I absolutely loved Violet's strength, courage, love and wittiness that just continued to poor out of each page. I felt a real connection with her and each time she had to face something head on. Yep, I felt her pain and confusion deep within my heart. There were times that I really felt sorry for her and found myself cheering her on.
The story-line was phenomenal!! It was an incredible adventure that kept me smiling, cheering and loving the story the more I read it. Woods had me guessing and wondering how everything was going to turn out from beginning to end. I so can't wait to see what happens next!! This story definitely gets my five book (star) review and I highly recommend this read!!
I don't really read many Zombie books because not many attracted me to want to read them. But this book really caught my attention!! Between the cover, the tag line and the blurb, I knew I just HAD to read it!! And I was so right, I was hooked from the very first sentence!!
The characters were amazing!! I absolutely loved Violet's strength, courage, love and wittiness that just continued to poor out of each page. I felt a real connection with her and each time she had to face something head on. Yep, I felt her pain and confusion deep within my heart. There were times that I really felt sorry for her and found myself cheering her on.
The story-line was phenomenal!! It was an incredible adventure that kept me smiling, cheering and loving the story the more I read it. Woods had me guessing and wondering how everything was going to turn out from beginning to end. I so can't wait to see what happens next!! This story definitely gets my five book (star) review and I highly recommend this read!!
February 3, 2019
Loved the sarcastic yet funny comments
Good read. I can never let go of my android device, i have to continue reading. Sad what happened to Sam tho, he is a good leader. But i'm still glad Joe can make it up to the 2nd book, really loved that guy. Definitely its a must read. You'll enjoy everybit of the story.
Good read. I can never let go of my android device, i have to continue reading. Sad what happened to Sam tho, he is a good leader. But i'm still glad Joe can make it up to the 2nd book, really loved that guy. Definitely its a must read. You'll enjoy everybit of the story.
October 4, 2020
Zombie novels generally follow the same basic plot of a plucky band of survivors against the undead, so it's always refreshing when there's some kind of twist to differentiate one from the rest of the herd. "Alive?" had a twist that intrigued me, and I was curious to see how it would affect the story. And while the story is pretty much your generic zombie-apocalypse novel, its protagonist is likable and the added twist does add some extra suspense and dimension to what's otherwise an average zombie novel.
On the first day of the zombie apocalypse, Violet manages to break the first cardinal rule of said zombie apocalypse -- don't get bitten. But strangely enough, Violet doesn't turn into a full-fledged zombie. Sure, she has a craving for human flesh and cries blood when she's upset, but she still feels pretty alive and in control of her faculties. Unfortunately, being half-undead doesn't stop the other zombies from seeing her as a convenient snack, and when Violet falls in with a group of fellow survivors, she has to figure out how to protect herself and her newfound friends... without revealing that she's part-zombie and getting a bullet to the head for it.
For the most part, this is a pretty bog-standard zombie novel. It doesn't even go into the cause of the zombie invasion and just dives right into the brain-munching action (though I suspect the cause will be brought up for a sequel down the road). Its action scenes are pretty standard, though entertaining, and the plot mostly revolves around running from one possible sanctuary to another while being chased by the undead. And honestly, few of the characters have much in the way of personality -- it seems like guys get one generic personality, girls get another, and anyone who's supposed to be an antagonistic character is a generic jerk. Only Violet and a nurse at a hospital where the party briefly looks for supplies get much characterization.
Despite the flaws, though, it's hard to deny that this book is pretty fun. The action moves along at a steady clip, and Violet is a likable and funny enough character to mostly make up for the lack of characterization in the rest of the novel. The twist of her being half-zombie comes up more than one would think, presenting its own set of challenges and abilities. I was afraid it would be something that came up once and barely affected the plot, but thankfully this wasn't the case.
"Alive?" won't revolutionize the zombie genre like "28 Days Later" or "World War Z" did, but it's an entertaining enough zombie-apocalypse read with an interesting twist. If you have a strong stomach for gore and like a character who's not perfect or superhuman but is also relatable and funny, give this a read
On the first day of the zombie apocalypse, Violet manages to break the first cardinal rule of said zombie apocalypse -- don't get bitten. But strangely enough, Violet doesn't turn into a full-fledged zombie. Sure, she has a craving for human flesh and cries blood when she's upset, but she still feels pretty alive and in control of her faculties. Unfortunately, being half-undead doesn't stop the other zombies from seeing her as a convenient snack, and when Violet falls in with a group of fellow survivors, she has to figure out how to protect herself and her newfound friends... without revealing that she's part-zombie and getting a bullet to the head for it.
For the most part, this is a pretty bog-standard zombie novel. It doesn't even go into the cause of the zombie invasion and just dives right into the brain-munching action (though I suspect the cause will be brought up for a sequel down the road). Its action scenes are pretty standard, though entertaining, and the plot mostly revolves around running from one possible sanctuary to another while being chased by the undead. And honestly, few of the characters have much in the way of personality -- it seems like guys get one generic personality, girls get another, and anyone who's supposed to be an antagonistic character is a generic jerk. Only Violet and a nurse at a hospital where the party briefly looks for supplies get much characterization.
Despite the flaws, though, it's hard to deny that this book is pretty fun. The action moves along at a steady clip, and Violet is a likable and funny enough character to mostly make up for the lack of characterization in the rest of the novel. The twist of her being half-zombie comes up more than one would think, presenting its own set of challenges and abilities. I was afraid it would be something that came up once and barely affected the plot, but thankfully this wasn't the case.
"Alive?" won't revolutionize the zombie genre like "28 Days Later" or "World War Z" did, but it's an entertaining enough zombie-apocalypse read with an interesting twist. If you have a strong stomach for gore and like a character who's not perfect or superhuman but is also relatable and funny, give this a read
January 31, 2020
“Alive?” is a unique, humorous zombie novel about a teenage girl who finds herself in the unenviable position of being part-zombie. I’m not a huge fan of zombie stories, but I’m glad this one was recommended to me. The humor was on point, and Violet’s commentary made it even better.
The plot itself was great. If you like stories with a lot of action, you'll love this. Personally, I would have preferred a bit more ebb and flow in the story—a bit more character development so that the serious moments felt more serious—but that's just me. Since this is the first book in a series, it's possible that the development will come later. And to be honest, even if it doesn't, that wouldn't stop me from reading the rest of the books. Not every book has to be serious, and Violet's character is so enjoyable that I have no doubt I could devour the entire trilogy in a day.
The plot itself was great. If you like stories with a lot of action, you'll love this. Personally, I would have preferred a bit more ebb and flow in the story—a bit more character development so that the serious moments felt more serious—but that's just me. Since this is the first book in a series, it's possible that the development will come later. And to be honest, even if it doesn't, that wouldn't stop me from reading the rest of the books. Not every book has to be serious, and Violet's character is so enjoyable that I have no doubt I could devour the entire trilogy in a day.
September 20, 2020
Ok, I'm not a fan of zombies or dystopian-esk books, but this one was rather entertaining. Likeable characters [laughs nervously], keeps a good pace throughout the book(can't say I was ever bored reading this😅😬😜), and....... It's disturbingly funny (can't get much better than that, right?) Or maybe it's hilariously disturbing? I don't know.., but I laughed more than I probably should have. Whoooopsies. 😅😂🤣
April 23, 2019
Good read
I loved the way this story unfolds. I like the way thw story os told through the life of the half zombie girl Violet. It is an interesting read and I cant wait to see the story continue in book 2. I have only read a couple of other stories that have the perspective of an immune infected during thw zompocalypse. Definitely worthy of a read!
I loved the way this story unfolds. I like the way thw story os told through the life of the half zombie girl Violet. It is an interesting read and I cant wait to see the story continue in book 2. I have only read a couple of other stories that have the perspective of an immune infected during thw zompocalypse. Definitely worthy of a read!
March 20, 2019
This book was a fun read. It had me laughing at times and it was a bit of a different take on Zombies. There are 2 other books in this series, but I don't feel like the story needs to be continued. It ended in a way that seemed like a satisfactory end to the story, anything more is overkill.
July 30, 2021
This was a very good take on the ZA. A very enjoyable read!
I loved the authors twist on the zombie apocalypse story. It was very imaginative and a good story filled with lots of good characters! I give it a thumbs up 👍!
I loved the authors twist on the zombie apocalypse story. It was very imaginative and a good story filled with lots of good characters! I give it a thumbs up 👍!
December 30, 2021
This was an exciting read and a nice twist to the Zombie books. Violet is likeable and well written. The story flows well and has many ups and downs to keep the reader going. I honestly enjoyed this series and would recommend it to others that want a different zombie apocalypse genre.
June 2, 2019
Really loved it
Exciting from beginning to end. Original idea and story, not your average zombie story. Can't wait to read the next story.
Exciting from beginning to end. Original idea and story, not your average zombie story. Can't wait to read the next story.
June 13, 2019
Excellent
Great characters, very entertaining and action packed. I would highly recommend this book. Can not wait to read the next one!!
Great characters, very entertaining and action packed. I would highly recommend this book. Can not wait to read the next one!!
August 20, 2019
I really enjoyed reading this book. It was fun and I enjoyed all the characters and their personalities.
November 30, 2019
It was a good book. Decent plot line, good character development, and a touch of humor thrown in.
January 22, 2020
First book of the year that I simply couldn't put down. Can't wait to continue the series. This book is free on kindle right now (1.21.20) and the other 2 in the series are 3.99 each.
October 30, 2020
A decent zombie story. The gore wasn't too bad and it gave me Walking Dead vibes.
August 26, 2023
Good one - worth following up more from this author
January 4, 2025
I really liked this story and I can’t wait to start it again or read the next one
June 2, 2026
Good. I enjoyed this book and wish the others in the series were on kindle unlimited too.
February 12, 2019
This story sucked me in super fast. I loved the characters and the humor. I wasn't expecting to get emotionally involved but I did and immediately bought book 2.
January 31, 2019
Surviving the Zompocalypse is tricky when you play for both teams. -ALIVE?
I don't really read many Zombie books because not many attracted me to want to read them. But this book really caught my attention!! Between the cover, the tag line and the blurb, I knew I just HAD to read it!! And I was so right, I was hooked from the very first sentence!!
The characters were amazing!! I absolutely loved Violet's strength, courage, love and wittiness that just continued to poor out of each page. I felt a real connection with her and each time she had to face something head on. Yep, I felt her pain and confusion deep within my heart. There were times that I really felt sorry for her and found myself cheering her on.
The story-line was phenomenal!! It was an incredible adventure that kept me smiling, cheering and loving the story the more I read it. Woods had me guessing and wondering how everything was going to turn out from beginning to end. I so can't wait to see what happens next!! This story definitely gets my five book (star) review and I highly recommend this read!!
I don't really read many Zombie books because not many attracted me to want to read them. But this book really caught my attention!! Between the cover, the tag line and the blurb, I knew I just HAD to read it!! And I was so right, I was hooked from the very first sentence!!
The characters were amazing!! I absolutely loved Violet's strength, courage, love and wittiness that just continued to poor out of each page. I felt a real connection with her and each time she had to face something head on. Yep, I felt her pain and confusion deep within my heart. There were times that I really felt sorry for her and found myself cheering her on.
The story-line was phenomenal!! It was an incredible adventure that kept me smiling, cheering and loving the story the more I read it. Woods had me guessing and wondering how everything was going to turn out from beginning to end. I so can't wait to see what happens next!! This story definitely gets my five book (star) review and I highly recommend this read!!
December 27, 2018
Imagine waking up from a party and stumbling right into a zombie apocalypse!
Violet has done just that. But worse, she’s managed to break the one rule that everyone knows about surviving zombies: don’t get bitten! Now Violet is trying to make some sense of this new reality while slowly realizing that, because of that bite, she’s now part zombie herself. While she’s managed to—mostly—control her blood lust, she’s dealing with the loss of a friend, skeptical survivors, and dwindling supplies. Oh, and also, those zombies are fast!
Alive? by Melissa Woods is an action-packed story with a deep, dark sense of humor that will entertain zombie fiction fans for days!
I received a copy of Alive? in exchange for an honest review
Violet has done just that. But worse, she’s managed to break the one rule that everyone knows about surviving zombies: don’t get bitten! Now Violet is trying to make some sense of this new reality while slowly realizing that, because of that bite, she’s now part zombie herself. While she’s managed to—mostly—control her blood lust, she’s dealing with the loss of a friend, skeptical survivors, and dwindling supplies. Oh, and also, those zombies are fast!
Alive? by Melissa Woods is an action-packed story with a deep, dark sense of humor that will entertain zombie fiction fans for days!
I received a copy of Alive? in exchange for an honest review
December 20, 2018
This was a fantastic debut novel from Melissa Woods, full of twists and turns and a dramatic ending that will leave you wanting the next installment to be released even sooner! Any fans of The Walking Dead, iZombie, Warm Bodies should definitely not give this a miss! Beyond the dark backdrop though lies relatable characters you will love to get to know!
January 6, 2019
This is not my usual type of book but I'm so glad I picked it up. Yes it is from the point of view of teenagers but that doesn't stop it being a great read for adults too. This book is funny, brutal, honest, and will keep you wanting to know more even after the book has finished. Thank god there's going to be a sequel as I need to know more!
January 25, 2019
A cute zombie novel that had great characters and a fast moving plot.
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews