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The Undead World #1
The Apocalypse
The Apocalypse--The Undead World: Novel 1
Money, terrorism, and simple bad luck conspire to bring mankind to its knees as a viral infection spreads out of control, reducing those infected to undead horrors that feed upon the rest.
It's a time of misery and death for most, however there are some who are lucky, some who are fast, and some who are just too damned tough to go down without a fight. This is their story.
Money, terrorism, and simple bad luck conspire to bring mankind to its knees as a viral infection spreads out of control, reducing those infected to undead horrors that feed upon the rest.
It's a time of misery and death for most, however there are some who are lucky, some who are fast, and some who are just too damned tough to go down without a fight. This is their story.
Audible Audio
First published December 2, 2013
893 people are currently reading
1316 people want to read
About the author
Peter Meredith
59 books666 followersPeter Meredith is the multi-genre author of an author of 35 novels in a variety of genres: Horror, zombies, post-apocalypse and Fantasy. Some of his creative work includes The Trilogy of Void, The Hidden Lands series, The Sacrificial Daughter, A Perfect America, Sprite and The Apocalypse Undead World.
Having tried his hand in real estate, as an emergency room nurse, and a CEO of a national lighting company, he has come to find that his true addiction is as an author.
Having tried his hand in real estate, as an emergency room nurse, and a CEO of a national lighting company, he has come to find that his true addiction is as an author.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 249 reviews
February 23, 2019
You had to know I was going to rate my own book. Already working on book 2.
April 9, 2015
I didn't read any reviews before purchasing this book (Zombie books are like catnip to me so I just took a gamble). Now that I've finished it and read some reviews, I'm glad that I'm not the only one who feels creeped out by a sense of misogyny and racism in the novel.
I totally get that rapes and plunder and mayhem and slaves and all manners of horror occur during wars or collapsing civilizations or just on any day in a major city right this second. I get that women would (and do) trade sex for survival or have sex forced upon them. But in this story the women are always being white-knighted and the men are always finding their inner white-knight. I'm not even going to touch on the creepy racism vibe with the Cassie character. The author cries foul against the accusations of misogyny and racism in this book but if enough random readers are commenting on those topics, then there's further dialog to be had IMO.
Then the sex scenes. I'm no prude so sex scenes don't make me flinch unless they feel randomly inserted (ha!) into a story JUST to have a sex scene or two. Stilted and contrived. Unnecessary.
Further, this needs an editor. It's not the worst Indie book I've seen but there are plenty of spelling and grammar errors throughout.
Finally, I know it sounds like I hate this book but I don't. It's by far not the worst in the genre and I'm hopelessly addicted to Zombies so I'm always stoked to read a new Zombie book. However, there are better ones to read. Hell, if you like the genre but want something not as mainstream, try Keith Blackmore's Mountain Man series.
2 stars.
I totally get that rapes and plunder and mayhem and slaves and all manners of horror occur during wars or collapsing civilizations or just on any day in a major city right this second. I get that women would (and do) trade sex for survival or have sex forced upon them. But in this story the women are always being white-knighted and the men are always finding their inner white-knight. I'm not even going to touch on the creepy racism vibe with the Cassie character. The author cries foul against the accusations of misogyny and racism in this book but if enough random readers are commenting on those topics, then there's further dialog to be had IMO.
Then the sex scenes. I'm no prude so sex scenes don't make me flinch unless they feel randomly inserted (ha!) into a story JUST to have a sex scene or two. Stilted and contrived. Unnecessary.
Further, this needs an editor. It's not the worst Indie book I've seen but there are plenty of spelling and grammar errors throughout.
Finally, I know it sounds like I hate this book but I don't. It's by far not the worst in the genre and I'm hopelessly addicted to Zombies so I'm always stoked to read a new Zombie book. However, there are better ones to read. Hell, if you like the genre but want something not as mainstream, try Keith Blackmore's Mountain Man series.
2 stars.
August 22, 2015
Well, I don't know if I'm going to make it through this one--I rarely give up on a book I've started but this one opened with one of the most obnoxious introductions/warnings I've ever encountered. The author basically says if a reader has described anything as racist or misogynist more than once in the last six months, if a reader is "easily offended", then this is not the book for him or her. The author claims to write about reality, but apparently he doesn't believe racism and sexism are problematic in our society. The overall sentiment seems to be, "If you are some PC asshole, don't buy my book"--and I wouldn't have bought it (though I don't consider myself a PC asshole) if Audible had included this caveat in the book's description--the only reason I purchased it in the first place was because it was part of a two-for-one offer. I'm going to give it a chance but that intro pissed me off and left me with a very negative first impression of the author.
I did end up listening to the entire book but. bottom line, I just didn't think it was very good. The writing is awkward and there are many grammatical errors. There are tons of cringe-worthy descriptions--like, "her nipples defied her clothing," (I'm paraphrasing--I think the actual quote was worse) when talking about a teenage girl, and the sex scenes are appallingly bad. I also find it incredibly unlikely that people would have time, energy, or motivation to focus on high school-ish romances in the wake of an apocalyptic event.
January 22, 2016
Too rapey.
I'm not interested in long graphic rape/ harem fantasies - I mean side stories - in my zombie apocalypse books. If not for the wussy way the women were written and the extremely graphic abusive sexual content - this would have been an interesting group of survivors to follow. The excuse is always given that women WOULD be reduced to sexual objects and treated badly post apocalypse. Horsecrap. In a zombie infested world lots of man parts would be ripped off and chomped on too. Male genitals would have a pretty rough go of it either on the victims OR the zombies. Soft little bits that are external and barely attached... It would be penile mayhem. Creeped out yet? And yet I can only think of one book (Tufo's) where this has happened. Why? Because men would find these repeated fantasies - I mean descriptions - so distasteful and disturbing it would turn them off to the rest of the book. I'm stunned that it continues to surprise authors that women (and hopefully most men) would find women being reduced to their sexual parts and LOONG descriptions of their abuse equally unentertaining. By the way, all the women who are cops or in the military or just rural rednecks who had guns before they could walk would just give up, beg men to protect them, and join a harem? Really?
I'm not interested in long graphic rape/ harem fantasies - I mean side stories - in my zombie apocalypse books. If not for the wussy way the women were written and the extremely graphic abusive sexual content - this would have been an interesting group of survivors to follow. The excuse is always given that women WOULD be reduced to sexual objects and treated badly post apocalypse. Horsecrap. In a zombie infested world lots of man parts would be ripped off and chomped on too. Male genitals would have a pretty rough go of it either on the victims OR the zombies. Soft little bits that are external and barely attached... It would be penile mayhem. Creeped out yet? And yet I can only think of one book (Tufo's) where this has happened. Why? Because men would find these repeated fantasies - I mean descriptions - so distasteful and disturbing it would turn them off to the rest of the book. I'm stunned that it continues to surprise authors that women (and hopefully most men) would find women being reduced to their sexual parts and LOONG descriptions of their abuse equally unentertaining. By the way, all the women who are cops or in the military or just rural rednecks who had guns before they could walk would just give up, beg men to protect them, and join a harem? Really?
June 1, 2023
God was this crap ... Abandoned relatively quickly, and happy to do so.
Racism, sexism, etc. in a novel can be fine if handled right. It's part of the reality of our species and fiction should reflect that. But there's a difference between using it in the name of realism or to make a larger point and using it with the same sort of smug attitude of a cat that just took a shit next to the litter box and feels proud of itself for doing so.
I could go on. This is a book that tries to portray itself as smart, but makes so many factual errors, it's laughable. I mean, hey, it's a zombie fiction book and I'm happy to suspend disbelief. But c'mon ... if you're going to try to hold yourself out as smart (include a fourth wall-breaking discourse on the relationship between gas prices and oil prices), maybe try things like not mentioning characters going to stores that don't exist (and never have) in the state in which you've said they're living .
Whatever. I'm sure people will like this because they think they're "sticking it to SJWs", but it's just laughably bad in a genre that has so many better options.
Racism, sexism, etc. in a novel can be fine if handled right. It's part of the reality of our species and fiction should reflect that. But there's a difference between using it in the name of realism or to make a larger point and using it with the same sort of smug attitude of a cat that just took a shit next to the litter box and feels proud of itself for doing so.
I could go on. This is a book that tries to portray itself as smart, but makes so many factual errors, it's laughable. I mean, hey, it's a zombie fiction book and I'm happy to suspend disbelief. But c'mon ... if you're going to try to hold yourself out as smart (include a fourth wall-breaking discourse on the relationship between gas prices and oil prices), maybe try things like not mentioning characters going to stores that don't exist (and never have) in the state in which you've said they're living .
Whatever. I'm sure people will like this because they think they're "sticking it to SJWs", but it's just laughably bad in a genre that has so many better options.
December 30, 2013
As per usual with a Peter Meredith novel, deep characters and plot drive The Apocalypse and for this I was happy since I have never been much into zombies books. I was afraid I was going to find my self knee deep in endless descriptions of blood and brains and gore. Or have my head swirling with the details of the different types of guns used to kill the millions of undead wandering around America.
Instead I happily followed along after characters who gradually stopped being characters in my mind and became people. This is what makes the story a five star rating to me: the fact that I was so drawn into the lives of the people facing a horrible new world. Each faced it in their own way, some for the better and some definitely for the worse, yet each faced it as a real person would and not as a cartoon character.
The story itself I think was relatively straight forward for the genre: a secret russian military virus, left over from the old Soviet days, unleashes zombie hordes upon the few surviviors, who scramble in the ruins to live.
After my previous two attempts at reading zombie books were placed on my DNF shelf it is my guess that people who love zombies may find The Apocalypse less compelling than people who just love a good book.
Instead I happily followed along after characters who gradually stopped being characters in my mind and became people. This is what makes the story a five star rating to me: the fact that I was so drawn into the lives of the people facing a horrible new world. Each faced it in their own way, some for the better and some definitely for the worse, yet each faced it as a real person would and not as a cartoon character.
The story itself I think was relatively straight forward for the genre: a secret russian military virus, left over from the old Soviet days, unleashes zombie hordes upon the few surviviors, who scramble in the ruins to live.
After my previous two attempts at reading zombie books were placed on my DNF shelf it is my guess that people who love zombies may find The Apocalypse less compelling than people who just love a good book.
February 24, 2014
Okay, I read the sample awhile back and I enjoyed it so much that I purchased it. This is one of those ones that I regret purchasing. I am 55% of the way through and this is just horrible.
The formatting is great, as is the punctuation, grammar, etc. I am horrified by calls by folks for authors to tailor characters to be politically correct, but my gods... this is a misogynistic nightmare. No female characters (to the 55% point) are anything other than women who have understood that their worth is only measured by their looks and anatomy and what they can 'provide' men in the sexual sense once the zombie apocalypse happens.
The military isn't portrayed any better. According to this author, once the zombie apocalypse happens, the core values of duty, honor, loyalty, selfless service, and personal courage simply disappear and the folks in uniform (mysteriously devoid of females) turn into little despots, running about and taking civilian's food, weapons, and women.
Give me a break. This is disgusting. I am sorry that I purchased this.I don't know if I am going to finish or not Yes, I am done, DNF'd at 55%. As it stands, it gets ZERO stars.
The formatting is great, as is the punctuation, grammar, etc. I am horrified by calls by folks for authors to tailor characters to be politically correct, but my gods... this is a misogynistic nightmare. No female characters (to the 55% point) are anything other than women who have understood that their worth is only measured by their looks and anatomy and what they can 'provide' men in the sexual sense once the zombie apocalypse happens.
The military isn't portrayed any better. According to this author, once the zombie apocalypse happens, the core values of duty, honor, loyalty, selfless service, and personal courage simply disappear and the folks in uniform (mysteriously devoid of females) turn into little despots, running about and taking civilian's food, weapons, and women.
Give me a break. This is disgusting. I am sorry that I purchased this.
December 10, 2015
Now I've read a lot of the negative reviews about this and while what they say is true, it's a post apocalyptic Zombie book so it's not going to be all flowers and roses. It's going to be brutal, it's going to portray people and indeed the military harsh, but if times of strife and war have any indication, a lot of this is how most people would see things. During bad times, bad people will do extremely bad things. I didn't see anything too bad but that's just me. It's going to be a harsh world so bear that in mind when starting it!
Other than that, it's a good Zombie tale and one that grabbed me. I liked all the characters, yes, even the bad ones because they were all so well written. I enjoyed the plot too. It's fast paced and intense and I flew through the book! It's a story of survival, a story of people showing their true colours and one of heartache and pain. I am so glad I have book 2 to jump into because I need to see what happens next.
Basil Sands was excellent. I had no problem following who was talking. He had plenty of different tones and accents and he was clear and concise.
*I received a copy of this in exchange for an honest review via Audio Book Blast.*
Other than that, it's a good Zombie tale and one that grabbed me. I liked all the characters, yes, even the bad ones because they were all so well written. I enjoyed the plot too. It's fast paced and intense and I flew through the book! It's a story of survival, a story of people showing their true colours and one of heartache and pain. I am so glad I have book 2 to jump into because I need to see what happens next.
Basil Sands was excellent. I had no problem following who was talking. He had plenty of different tones and accents and he was clear and concise.
*I received a copy of this in exchange for an honest review via Audio Book Blast.*
December 27, 2013
Not my usual genre and so I was pleasantly surprised that I enjoyed The Apocalypse. Peter Meredith is an excellent author who can get a crusty old man such as myself looking forward to a book about zombies. Who knew that was possible?
December 27, 2013
Loved the characters!Could identify with speedy Sadie the most since I'm sure the author peeked into my life and stole her from my mirrro! Overall an enjoyable book, but look out PC police, you're going to have your hands full with this one.
June 3, 2017
I do not understand all the negative comments. I believe that this story is quite tame compared to what humanity will turn into when economic and social break down occurs. Just look at what happened in NOLA when Katrina hit and that was just a small region that was affected. If this country ever experiences a catastrophic incident that changes our way of life the sordid actions described in different parts of this story as a whole I think will be nothing compared to what will happen in reality. I have read all of the books available except for the last one and I am re-reading the series again. Jilly Bean ROCKS!
June 23, 2017
This book.... is frustrating and hard to rate. There were parts I loved and parts I hated. So maybe that's the best way to break it down. Also, you should know that I listened to the Audiobook version of this. The narrator did a fine job, not exceptional, but certainly nothing to complain about. So, without further ado:
What I Liked:
Neil and Sadie - untraditional heroes. Theses two characters, and in fact all the main characters, are well developed. They also seem realistic and act in a way that also seems, for the most part probable. This also can be said of all seven of the main characters (Ram, Cassie, Neil, Sadie, Sarah, Julia, and Eric). But Neil and Sadie gave us people to cheer for, even if both were unlikeable at the start. Good character arcs/development and emotional storytelling.
Also, the author didn't hold back - he told the story as he felt it needed to be told, with the air of honesty behind his words. Characters weren't necessarily good or bad, but they were who they were, products of their upbringing and their environments, past and present. This made them and the story feel real.
What I Didn't Like:
I don't know if this appears in the written version, but in the audiobook, the author begins with a warning, basically chastising anyone that would find his work misogynistic, racist, etc. His CHARACTERS were, in many regards, racist and misogynistic, but I (and I don't think any intelligent reader) would say that because characters exemplify these traits, the author is a proponent thereof. So, I don't think the author has any of these negative qualities and certainly should not be judged by his characters.
However, I did find it a bit demeaning that he would feel the need to tell me this at the outset. Will some readers read and review it unreasonably? Certainly, but opinions are just that and feelings are what they are: and trying to change them in an opening (and even worse, a follow up at the end of the novel) seemed petty and insulting, though I do believe the author was addressing the criticisms he had faced in the best way he knew how.
Second, I don't care for the zombie apocalypse trope that men will revert into rapists as soon as the outbreak occurs. Will some become takers and rule by strength? Seems likely. But I can't see the everyman, after losing everyone who he holds dear, being like, "Hell, I've lost everyone I loved yesterday. Let's go commit an atrocious crime against women today." The author admits his views here are conjecture. And my views that I don't see this as being likely, particularly not to the scale we see it in this book, are also conjecture. So who's right? No one - it's a matter of opinion. But the concept of men being racists in a zombie apocalypse has been played out.
Overall, would I recommend this book? As the first in a currently nine-part series, no, but for fans of the zombie apocalypse genre, yes. It has great action, strong and relatable characters, and is fearless when it comes to tackling issues of race, politics, gender roles/stereotypes, etc. You may not agree with the author's DEPICTIONS (which should never be assumed to be the author's personal beliefs) of racism, sexism, and classism in America, but at least he has the cajones to make the reader consider them in a light he/she may not have before.
3.5 stars
What I Liked:
Neil and Sadie - untraditional heroes. Theses two characters, and in fact all the main characters, are well developed. They also seem realistic and act in a way that also seems, for the most part probable. This also can be said of all seven of the main characters (Ram, Cassie, Neil, Sadie, Sarah, Julia, and Eric). But Neil and Sadie gave us people to cheer for, even if both were unlikeable at the start. Good character arcs/development and emotional storytelling.
Also, the author didn't hold back - he told the story as he felt it needed to be told, with the air of honesty behind his words. Characters weren't necessarily good or bad, but they were who they were, products of their upbringing and their environments, past and present. This made them and the story feel real.
What I Didn't Like:
I don't know if this appears in the written version, but in the audiobook, the author begins with a warning, basically chastising anyone that would find his work misogynistic, racist, etc. His CHARACTERS were, in many regards, racist and misogynistic, but I (and I don't think any intelligent reader) would say that because characters exemplify these traits, the author is a proponent thereof. So, I don't think the author has any of these negative qualities and certainly should not be judged by his characters.
However, I did find it a bit demeaning that he would feel the need to tell me this at the outset. Will some readers read and review it unreasonably? Certainly, but opinions are just that and feelings are what they are: and trying to change them in an opening (and even worse, a follow up at the end of the novel) seemed petty and insulting, though I do believe the author was addressing the criticisms he had faced in the best way he knew how.
Second, I don't care for the zombie apocalypse trope that men will revert into rapists as soon as the outbreak occurs. Will some become takers and rule by strength? Seems likely. But I can't see the everyman, after losing everyone who he holds dear, being like, "Hell, I've lost everyone I loved yesterday. Let's go commit an atrocious crime against women today." The author admits his views here are conjecture. And my views that I don't see this as being likely, particularly not to the scale we see it in this book, are also conjecture. So who's right? No one - it's a matter of opinion. But the concept of men being racists in a zombie apocalypse has been played out.
Overall, would I recommend this book? As the first in a currently nine-part series, no, but for fans of the zombie apocalypse genre, yes. It has great action, strong and relatable characters, and is fearless when it comes to tackling issues of race, politics, gender roles/stereotypes, etc. You may not agree with the author's DEPICTIONS (which should never be assumed to be the author's personal beliefs) of racism, sexism, and classism in America, but at least he has the cajones to make the reader consider them in a light he/she may not have before.
3.5 stars
January 17, 2016
I mistakenly started reading this book twice. The first time, the book was in a 10-book sampler of zombie books that I got from Amazon. I almost stopped after the first sentence, which is a run on. I did stop about 20% through the book because the run ons continued and the early characters were clearly developing in racist, sexist, and homophobic directions.
After reading dozens of zombie books in many other series, I was looking for something new and ended up purchasing the first three books in this series, not realizing I had already given up on the first book. This time I persevered and finished the first two books. It's sad that so much possibility is lost by this author's need to slather this series in his right-wing worldview. After the first book I thought some of this was just a beginning-author's clumsiness, but it became clear to me in the second book that it's entirely intentional.
The things I've learned so far include: A woman's place is in the home raising children; working women will spend their precious post-apocalyptic energy feeling guilty about having had careers; racism is mostly a figment of black people's paranoid delusions; racism is initiated by minorities; sniveling, effeminate men are useless and, when straight, don't particularly like gays, who would likely be their only allies against bullying; and black people aren't very religious and attracted to satanism. This author is so racist that he basically believes that racism is the most likely human accomplishment to survive an apocalypse.
I don't know if I can keep reading. At this point I wish I hadn't started.
After reading dozens of zombie books in many other series, I was looking for something new and ended up purchasing the first three books in this series, not realizing I had already given up on the first book. This time I persevered and finished the first two books. It's sad that so much possibility is lost by this author's need to slather this series in his right-wing worldview. After the first book I thought some of this was just a beginning-author's clumsiness, but it became clear to me in the second book that it's entirely intentional.
The things I've learned so far include: A woman's place is in the home raising children; working women will spend their precious post-apocalyptic energy feeling guilty about having had careers; racism is mostly a figment of black people's paranoid delusions; racism is initiated by minorities; sniveling, effeminate men are useless and, when straight, don't particularly like gays, who would likely be their only allies against bullying; and black people aren't very religious and attracted to satanism. This author is so racist that he basically believes that racism is the most likely human accomplishment to survive an apocalypse.
I don't know if I can keep reading. At this point I wish I hadn't started.
March 3, 2014
enjoyed it, characters were kind of generic the wimp that man's up the black woman who calls everyone racist, but the story knits together nicely.
January 12, 2017
This book annoyed me. The writing is actually ok. It's the obvious disdain for women, minorities and government that got me.
Edit*For some reason I still come back to this review and want to lower my rating because the book p*ssed me off so much. Instead, I'm going to recommend others for you to try; there are so many zombie apocalypse books/series out there to try, don't waste your time on this one. Try The Extinction series by Nicholas Sansbury Smith (my favorite!), The Voodoo Plague by Dirk Patton (the main character is awesome, over the top at times, but in a great way), and The Green Fields by Adrienne Lector (main character is hilarious and annoying at the same time, as intended, and the story is terrific). Also I recently started the Arisen series and blew threw it - very well done and man have I learned a ton about military, boats, and vehicles without even thinking about it.
Now, onto the review...
For those that argue they didn't think the misogyny was that bad because rape is part of war and blah blah blah, it is not about just rape, it's the general attitude toward women that got to me, including the author's. From the author's point of view, all women are good for during an apocalypse is sex. Seriously, that is it. The only woman who is not a sex object in this book (including a teenage girl / daughter figure) is an incompetent, crazy woman in a position of authority. God help us all, right? The rest of the women spend their times during the apocalypse playing with each other's hair, trying to keep up their appearances for the remaining men, and driving trucks wrong. God forbid they learn how to use a gun since they are too weak to use a crossbow, and even if they do, they shoot wrong. I was offended as I feel this is how the author truly views women. I've met guys like him before, dated them - they like women but don't LIKE women.
The worst part was that even after I got into the book and finished it with a semi-smile on my face, I made the mistake of reading his after word, which he used as justification as to how he is not racist or misogynist. I mean, he has one black man in a powerful position who is not a complete buffoon, so of course he's not racist, right? And women "have been prostituting themselves for centuries" so of course he's not sexist, right? Gag!
This guy needs to take a good hard look at himself. He is actually a talented writer, but his own personal opinions come across on the pages too readily.
Edit*For some reason I still come back to this review and want to lower my rating because the book p*ssed me off so much. Instead, I'm going to recommend others for you to try; there are so many zombie apocalypse books/series out there to try, don't waste your time on this one. Try The Extinction series by Nicholas Sansbury Smith (my favorite!), The Voodoo Plague by Dirk Patton (the main character is awesome, over the top at times, but in a great way), and The Green Fields by Adrienne Lector (main character is hilarious and annoying at the same time, as intended, and the story is terrific). Also I recently started the Arisen series and blew threw it - very well done and man have I learned a ton about military, boats, and vehicles without even thinking about it.
Now, onto the review...
For those that argue they didn't think the misogyny was that bad because rape is part of war and blah blah blah, it is not about just rape, it's the general attitude toward women that got to me, including the author's. From the author's point of view, all women are good for during an apocalypse is sex. Seriously, that is it. The only woman who is not a sex object in this book (including a teenage girl / daughter figure) is an incompetent, crazy woman in a position of authority. God help us all, right? The rest of the women spend their times during the apocalypse playing with each other's hair, trying to keep up their appearances for the remaining men, and driving trucks wrong. God forbid they learn how to use a gun since they are too weak to use a crossbow, and even if they do, they shoot wrong. I was offended as I feel this is how the author truly views women. I've met guys like him before, dated them - they like women but don't LIKE women.
The worst part was that even after I got into the book and finished it with a semi-smile on my face, I made the mistake of reading his after word, which he used as justification as to how he is not racist or misogynist. I mean, he has one black man in a powerful position who is not a complete buffoon, so of course he's not racist, right? And women "have been prostituting themselves for centuries" so of course he's not sexist, right? Gag!
This guy needs to take a good hard look at himself. He is actually a talented writer, but his own personal opinions come across on the pages too readily.
June 5, 2015
I've read many (Zombie)-Apocalypse novels and i'm not too picky about them. This one though, is among the worst i've read. The thing that really annoys me, is that the author pushes his agenda and shoves his world views right in your face, claiming it's the truth. It's one thing that the story has rape, abuse and racism, but dont' tell me all the time "that's how people are", "that's the realiy". I gets a bit better in the middle but the characters and the plot is just too stereotypical. I don't get what some people find so refreshing and innovative in this book. If you want something a bit different in this genre, go for Tony Burgess' "Pontypool changes everything" or David Moody's "Hater". Every aspect this book has, others have done it better.
July 6, 2018
I just finished this book yesterday. I enjoyed it from the very beginning starting at the the warnings all the way to the author's notes at the end. I personally don't see the problem that some people have with this book. After reading this book I don't look at the author as a misogynist or a racist. If you read the warnings in the introduction and are deeply offended in any way then this book is not for you. I say this as a Hispanic female. This story was really good and kept all the way through and I'm looking forward to reading the next book soon
July 21, 2016
Done after two chapters. I think it was a combination of the introduction, the narrator, and the terrible stereotypes that made me turn off the audio and get a refund from Audible. No matter what it was, this wasn't the book for me at this moment in time.
July 3, 2017
I really enjoyed the book!
I gave it 5 stars because I really liked the book!
Yes I have a friend or two that I would recommend reading this book!
I gave it 5 stars because I really liked the book!
Yes I have a friend or two that I would recommend reading this book!
August 13, 2019
When initially downloaded this book via Kindle Unlimited, I was quite interested. The author has an intro and pretty much tells the reader that if they have called anyone racist or misogynistic within the last six months that they should put the book down. I wondered what he meant by that so I kept reading. I'm not exactly liberal, but I'm definitely not conservative.
I figured this book would an awesome graphic adventure with evil/deep characters...boy, was I wrong. This book is a complete train wreck. Not only has the author clearly never spent any time with actual minorities, one of his characters is the "nice guy" who gets mad when people call him nice or mistake him for being gay - talk about incel vibes! I had so many problems with the black character and the Hispanic character the author has in this, but I'm gonna go ahead and divide this review up based on the issues I had...
#1 - Black & Hispanic Characters
#2 - Incel Vibes
#3 - The Military
#4 - Forced Sex Scene
Once I finished it, I was left feeling disappointed. I expected a lot from this. It wasn't terribly written, but the stereotypical characters and forced romances made the entire story completely boring for me even with the curve balls it through.
I figured this book would an awesome graphic adventure with evil/deep characters...boy, was I wrong. This book is a complete train wreck. Not only has the author clearly never spent any time with actual minorities, one of his characters is the "nice guy" who gets mad when people call him nice or mistake him for being gay - talk about incel vibes! I had so many problems with the black character and the Hispanic character the author has in this, but I'm gonna go ahead and divide this review up based on the issues I had...
#1 - Black & Hispanic Characters
.........."You is such a pussy." - Actual quote from the book from Cassie. I laughed so hard when I read that. The dialogue gets progressively worse as the book goes on. It is so CLEAR that the author has never actually spoken to a black person from the ghetto or taken the time to get to know one. It was the worst depiction of a black person I have ever read.
..........As for my Latino character (Ram/Victor), ohhh. There were so many "they aren't illegal" vibes from the author so I definitely know how he feels about illegal immigrants. He describes a group of Mexcians as "gangbangers" (who actually says that...?), and while these guys were certainly evil, I just had to keep rolling my eyes every time the character said how he was "one of them" (a Latino), but "NOT one of them".
#2 - Incel Vibes
..........Neil is a "nice guy" who never gets the girl because they seem to think he's gay. He has a crush on a generic, boring white woman.
#3 - The Military
..........Yikes, this was another ridiculous depiction. The author was in the military for a few years and has clearly forgotten the camaraderie that we all share within our platoons and companies. In this book, women aren't in the U.S. Army (even though we are) and all the men are immediately reduced to rapists and pillagers. I suppose the author is entitled to what he thinks military men can be reduced to (just look at the Rape of Nanjing), but he has definitely been out of touch with what the U.S. Army is today. Are there bad apples? Of course. But this was simply completely out of touch.
#4 - Forced Sex Scene
..........I love sex scenes in stories, especially when it drives the story forward. The scene in this did the complete opposite. It served absolutely no purpose and should have just been taken out.
Once I finished it, I was left feeling disappointed. I expected a lot from this. It wasn't terribly written, but the stereotypical characters and forced romances made the entire story completely boring for me even with the curve balls it through.
March 6, 2014
While there is no shortage of zombie apocalypse tales to attract the attention of those interested in the genre, this particular title stands out. Meredith's take on the zombie apocalypse is brutal and unrelenting. His characters make compromises in the name of survival. Compromises that would be unthinkable were it not for the fact that the entire world is being consumed by the dead. A global nightmare that is unleashed with the bungled handling of a biological weapon that shouldn't have existed and yet did. A weapon that is sold to terrorists who unleash it in their stupidity. What follows are the trials and tribulations of a varied assortment of people who somehow survive. These people, these characters, are well realized and the perils and dangers they face make for a page turner.
Some of the events depicted in Meredith's tale, especially those having to do with the political and military response to the crisis, ring brutally true. It's not an uplifting tale of heroes and heroines, it's a tale of survival. Those survivors were interesting. I found myself invested in them. I read The Apocalypse enthusiastically and once I came to the end of it, I found myself wanting more.
It's a memorable tale and is well worth a read for those enthusiasts of the zombie apocalypse.
Some of the events depicted in Meredith's tale, especially those having to do with the political and military response to the crisis, ring brutally true. It's not an uplifting tale of heroes and heroines, it's a tale of survival. Those survivors were interesting. I found myself invested in them. I read The Apocalypse enthusiastically and once I came to the end of it, I found myself wanting more.
It's a memorable tale and is well worth a read for those enthusiasts of the zombie apocalypse.
February 8, 2018
To be fair, I actually really liked the book and majority of the characters especially Neil and Sadie. I always think during a zombie apocalypse the ugliness comes out of people. There was definitely some things that made me "uncomfortable" but again I think shit like that would happen if it really came down to it so it didn't faze me. But what really threw me off and irked my soul the most was the authors intro and his notes at the end. Literally sounded like a whiny baby for readers calling him out on things they didn't like "I am unfazed by people calling me a racist- out of dozens of evil characters one is black and that makes me a racist?" Naw, it was the fact you made her the most stereotypical black person ever that got readers upset. "Nor do I care about the cries of sexism or misogyny- are these people unaware of thr millions of women around the world who prostitute themselves for far less compelling reasons than basic survival?" Ok???... and for that I wont read any more. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
January 29, 2015
One of the most realistic
This book was awesome. I am sure that there will be those who speak against this book, saying it is racist or sexist. I say it is realistic. I have so much admiration for Peter Meridith for not being afraid to write such a book. I can't wait to read the sequal to this. For someone who loves apocalyptic novels, but finds a lot of them to be redundant, this book was very refreshing.
This book was awesome. I am sure that there will be those who speak against this book, saying it is racist or sexist. I say it is realistic. I have so much admiration for Peter Meridith for not being afraid to write such a book. I can't wait to read the sequal to this. For someone who loves apocalyptic novels, but finds a lot of them to be redundant, this book was very refreshing.
February 19, 2015
Only read a couple of chapters. Should have listened to the bad reviews on amazon that called it right-wing, racist and women-hating rubbish. Sorry to say I agree, worst buy ever.
July 1, 2017
Loved it got hooked on the 1st book reading the 10th one now!
June 28, 2018
It begins
The characters are compelling if controversial. The action is good. The story is a rollocking adventure and a good read.
The characters are compelling if controversial. The action is good. The story is a rollocking adventure and a good read.
June 17, 2023
DNFed - Spoilers in the form of Content warnings
Sexual Assault Gang Bang (not a term I thought I would use.)
Sexual Assault Gang Bang (not a term I thought I would use.)
August 19, 2018
Cracking Read
Brilliant Characters that you love and hate in equal measure. A story that simply rushes from drama to crisis and best of all not everyone survives 😀
Brilliant Characters that you love and hate in equal measure. A story that simply rushes from drama to crisis and best of all not everyone survives 😀
July 25, 2018
Love this series! Love this author!
June 4, 2017
Action Pack
I truly enjoyed this book. It was well written. Action pack from beginning to end. It showed how each of react in a different way, when we are challenged with survival. Looking forward to the next segment.
I truly enjoyed this book. It was well written. Action pack from beginning to end. It showed how each of react in a different way, when we are challenged with survival. Looking forward to the next segment.
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