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Dead Meat #0
Dead Meat: Day 0
The exciting beginning of the zombie apocalypse.
What happened to set it all off? Who was responsible for the disaster? And could it have been avoided? You'll find all the answers in Day 0.
Whether you already read the Dead Meat series or haven't begun yet, you can enjoy Day 0.
What happened to set it all off? Who was responsible for the disaster? And could it have been avoided? You'll find all the answers in Day 0.
Whether you already read the Dead Meat series or haven't begun yet, you can enjoy Day 0.
128 pages, ebook
First published January 24, 2020
9 people are currently reading
227 people want to read
About the author
Nick Clausen
78 books373 followersI write stories about the apocalypse so that I don't need to work a real job. I grew up reading Stephen King and still haven't fully recovered. I'm currently ending the world in my new series Under the Breaking Sky.
Join my reader club to be kept in the loop -> nick-clausen.com
Join my reader club to be kept in the loop -> nick-clausen.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
March 3, 2023
Stars: 4 out of 5
Sometimes I just crave a zombie book like a zombie craves... well... brains. Unfortunately, good zombie books are very hard to find. This one was short and fast paced and hit the spot.
It's surprising that when you think about the origins of the zombie plague, most authors go directly for lab experiments go wrong, and not many think of the thing that gave us the word "zombie" in the first place - a voodoo ritual. So this was a refreshing take on the origin of the end of the world.
I also really felt bad for Dennis. What his mom did is criminal, and I am not even sure she was doing it out of pure altruism or if she just really wanted to try a shiny new ritual.
I will definitely check out the series this is a prequel to.
Sometimes I just crave a zombie book like a zombie craves... well... brains. Unfortunately, good zombie books are very hard to find. This one was short and fast paced and hit the spot.
It's surprising that when you think about the origins of the zombie plague, most authors go directly for lab experiments go wrong, and not many think of the thing that gave us the word "zombie" in the first place - a voodoo ritual. So this was a refreshing take on the origin of the end of the world.
I also really felt bad for Dennis. What his mom did is criminal, and I am not even sure she was doing it out of pure altruism or if she just really wanted to try a shiny new ritual.
I will definitely check out the series this is a prequel to.
March 21, 2020
Dead Meat: Day 0 by Nick Clausen was released after Day 3, but tells us how the zombie apocalypse began.
Let me start off by saying, I wanted to reach through my kindle screen and wring Brigit’s neck.
Dennis may be mentally challenged, and I have my own thoughts on why that is, but he knows right from wrong, and this is very wrong.
How the apocalypse came about was a surprise to me and I loved the way Nick Clausen handled it.
Dead Meat: Day 0 is the best one yet and the cause of the outbreak was a refreshing zombie twist.
Bring it on, Nick!
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Dead Meat: Day 0 by Nick Clausen.
See more at fundinmental
Let me start off by saying, I wanted to reach through my kindle screen and wring Brigit’s neck.
Dennis may be mentally challenged, and I have my own thoughts on why that is, but he knows right from wrong, and this is very wrong.
How the apocalypse came about was a surprise to me and I loved the way Nick Clausen handled it.
Dead Meat: Day 0 is the best one yet and the cause of the outbreak was a refreshing zombie twist.
Bring it on, Nick!
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Dead Meat: Day 0 by Nick Clausen.
See more at fundinmental
June 15, 2020
Great start to this series! This is such a great take on how to start the zombie apocalypse. The story flows well and its a great pace, that leaves you craving for more and more. The characters are very well written.
My only suggestion, give a heads up about the animal stuff, some people can be squeamish about it. Loved it, i am starting the next book now.
My only suggestion, give a heads up about the animal stuff, some people can be squeamish about it. Loved it, i am starting the next book now.
June 6, 2020
Author Nick Clausen kindly made this prequel available to subscribers of his newsletter, and I devoured it, figuratively, in one sitting. I had just read "Dead Meat Day 1" just a few days prior, so the events of that day were pretty fixed in my mind. Imagine my delight when Clausen pens a story that bumps right up to the initial car ride of Day 1. Awesome stuff.
Warning: the book contains the killing of little bunnies, kitties, and a dog. I'm usually okay with fictional killings of humans, but little animals.... not so much.
Warning: the book contains the killing of little bunnies, kitties, and a dog. I'm usually okay with fictional killings of humans, but little animals.... not so much.
October 8, 2020
I really enjoyed this. After reading Days 1-3 already, I liked seeing how it really all started. These characters had me frustrated with what they were doing. It's heartbreaking though and I understand their reasoning but I was so angry with a couple of the characters.
The animal parts had me super uncomfortable. The story had my heart racing.
The animal parts had me super uncomfortable. The story had my heart racing.
May 12, 2025
Libro cortito sobre el inicio de un apocalipsis zombie. Me ha gustado mucho, pero no he entendido muy bien porque está tan separado.
Mas que un libro (el primero de una colección de 10, creo) parece un capítulo o varios de un libro mas extenso. Ya he empezado la segunda parte (Día 1) y estoy a punto de acabarla.
Mas que un libro (el primero de una colección de 10, creo) parece un capítulo o varios de un libro mas extenso. Ya he empezado la segunda parte (Día 1) y estoy a punto de acabarla.
December 13, 2024
La primera vez que leo una novela de zombis que detalla con todo lujo de detalles el punto cero de la pandemia.
Muy buena lectura que te da el empuje necesario para leer toda la serie.
Muy buena lectura que te da el empuje necesario para leer toda la serie.
July 5, 2023
Poor Dennis 😪
Haitian vodou is definitely a unique way of starting the zombie apocalypse.
TW: animal abuse, body horror re: a child
Haitian vodou is definitely a unique way of starting the zombie apocalypse.
TW: animal abuse, body horror re: a child
February 2, 2020
Dead Meat Day 0 is a heartbreaking tale of love and the determination to do whatever can be done to save a loved one.
I was SO excited when the email came out about this one. I dove in immediately!
The events of this novella took place on Friday, July 25th.
When we dive into the story, we meet Dennis, a nineteen year old with developmental delays that were caused by a fever he had as a child. Dennis is racing down the road on his bike to deliver eggs to their neighbor, Esther.
When he arrives, Esther doesn’t come to the door. Dennis thinks she may be in her garden, so he heads to check there. On the way, he hears crying and sees Esther sitting next to a bed. When he softly calls to her, she hardly registers that it’s him. Dennis decides to enter the home.
Once inside, Esther comes around and tells Dennis that her granddaughter has died from a sickness. Not knowing what to do, Dennis calls his mother. Next, we find out that the mother and Esther were in a coven, and there’s one more thing that they can try…
Of course, this doesn’t exactly go as they had hoped.
This was SO much fun to read! Day One gave the readers a quick glimpse into what may have happened, and let’s them try to think up what had happened. In Day Zero, I was so excited to learn what actually happened in the old woman’s house.
My Favorite Passages:
Of course, he trusts Mom when she says it will work – but still it seems to Dennis some things are better the way they are, even if they make you sad.
It all sounds like something out of a nightmare, or maybe one of those bloody horror movies on Netflix Dennis can never bring himself to watch. Things like this simply don’t happen in real life.
My Final Thoughts:
This novella was wonderful! It started off a bit sad, but the horror quickly began and then just got more and more spooky! I highly recommend checking this one out!
This is a novella that can definitely be read either before you dive into the series, or anytime after Day One.
To obtain a copy of this book, you can sign up for Nick Clausen’s readers club on his website.
I was SO excited when the email came out about this one. I dove in immediately!
The events of this novella took place on Friday, July 25th.
When we dive into the story, we meet Dennis, a nineteen year old with developmental delays that were caused by a fever he had as a child. Dennis is racing down the road on his bike to deliver eggs to their neighbor, Esther.
When he arrives, Esther doesn’t come to the door. Dennis thinks she may be in her garden, so he heads to check there. On the way, he hears crying and sees Esther sitting next to a bed. When he softly calls to her, she hardly registers that it’s him. Dennis decides to enter the home.
Once inside, Esther comes around and tells Dennis that her granddaughter has died from a sickness. Not knowing what to do, Dennis calls his mother. Next, we find out that the mother and Esther were in a coven, and there’s one more thing that they can try…
Of course, this doesn’t exactly go as they had hoped.
This was SO much fun to read! Day One gave the readers a quick glimpse into what may have happened, and let’s them try to think up what had happened. In Day Zero, I was so excited to learn what actually happened in the old woman’s house.
My Favorite Passages:
Of course, he trusts Mom when she says it will work – but still it seems to Dennis some things are better the way they are, even if they make you sad.
It all sounds like something out of a nightmare, or maybe one of those bloody horror movies on Netflix Dennis can never bring himself to watch. Things like this simply don’t happen in real life.
My Final Thoughts:
This novella was wonderful! It started off a bit sad, but the horror quickly began and then just got more and more spooky! I highly recommend checking this one out!
This is a novella that can definitely be read either before you dive into the series, or anytime after Day One.
To obtain a copy of this book, you can sign up for Nick Clausen’s readers club on his website.
August 3, 2020
New take on what leads to the zombie apocalypse. Not nature, government, or lab experiment instead something with nothing but the best of intentions. Quick read. Still some questions but only based on curiosity. Some anger towards one character but mainly sympathy for all. I received a free copy and am voluntarily leaving my honest review.
October 5, 2020
I love this series by Nick Clausen, and the story keeps getting better.
In this book, we discover the origins of the zombies plaguing Denmark.
I loved reading about how it started, and the new characters introduced were great too.
I received a free copy from the author’s website and I’m leaving an honest review.
In this book, we discover the origins of the zombies plaguing Denmark.
I loved reading about how it started, and the new characters introduced were great too.
I received a free copy from the author’s website and I’m leaving an honest review.
April 13, 2020
This is a good short story! I am really looking forward to the next part! Wet my appetite for the characters & now I would like to see where this goes! I am looking forward to more by this writer!
April 27, 2022
First time reading this author and I will definitely read the rest of the serie!
It was an original start for a zombie story, very unusual!
It was an original start for a zombie story, very unusual!
July 9, 2020
This is just the start to a great series.
November 22, 2021
4.5/5
With grad school, I've been waiting for the right time to start this series. Boy am I glad I did!
As the blurb suggests, this book is about how the zombie apocalypse began.
We follow Dennis, a mentally handicapped teenager and his pagan mom. Dennis goes over to deliver eggs to old Ms. Esther and gets much more than he bargained for. What happens after sets in motion a terrifying course of events that will forever change the world.
This was a quick 1-2 hour read for me, and I had a great time.
I liked Dennis as a character. He's not the sharpest tool in the box due to a brain fever from when he was a child, but his perspective was entertaining and easy to follow, perfect for an intro into this series. His mom was completely awful if you ask me, but she moved things along and had good intentions (you know what they say about good intentions, right?).
The writing was very smooth and it was easy to keep blazing through.
Obviously, the plot is the beginning of the zombie apocalypse, so I was excited to find out just how that would happen. I was pleasantly surprised at what the actual cause was, but I won't spoil that for anyone. Trigger warning, there is a theme of animal sacrifice within this book. I'm really sensitive to that theme, but Clausen did keep it tasteful and didn't go into much gory detail, which I greatly appreciate.
Overall, this was a great setup to hopefully many more zombie horrors and perfect for any zombie lover. Definitely worth a read!
With grad school, I've been waiting for the right time to start this series. Boy am I glad I did!
As the blurb suggests, this book is about how the zombie apocalypse began.
We follow Dennis, a mentally handicapped teenager and his pagan mom. Dennis goes over to deliver eggs to old Ms. Esther and gets much more than he bargained for. What happens after sets in motion a terrifying course of events that will forever change the world.
This was a quick 1-2 hour read for me, and I had a great time.
I liked Dennis as a character. He's not the sharpest tool in the box due to a brain fever from when he was a child, but his perspective was entertaining and easy to follow, perfect for an intro into this series. His mom was completely awful if you ask me, but she moved things along and had good intentions (you know what they say about good intentions, right?).
The writing was very smooth and it was easy to keep blazing through.
Obviously, the plot is the beginning of the zombie apocalypse, so I was excited to find out just how that would happen. I was pleasantly surprised at what the actual cause was, but I won't spoil that for anyone. Trigger warning, there is a theme of animal sacrifice within this book. I'm really sensitive to that theme, but Clausen did keep it tasteful and didn't go into much gory detail, which I greatly appreciate.
Overall, this was a great setup to hopefully many more zombie horrors and perfect for any zombie lover. Definitely worth a read!
August 31, 2024
I read this because I got it for free from the author's website. I don't usually do that so don't know why I did this time.
It's 85 pages long (my copy) and I did read it to the end so did not dislike it but there are at least three mistakes (continuity as they say in the movie business) in it, that I remember, that should have been picked up by an editor or proof reader. Then again, since this is free and on the author's website that might explain why they weren't picked up. That's why I assigned it two stars and I'm not going to enumerate these mistakes here.
The story itself is well enough written, certainly to hold my interest, and pretty much standard horror as far as I'm concerned (I do enjoy standard horror from time to time so this is an observation not a criticism). As far as I recall the only other book that could be similar that I have read is I Am Legend, Richard Matheson, which didn’t mention the word zombie but was very good. This, in my opinion, isn’t as good but is good enough to suffice.
I wonder if the published books in the series are less erroneous? Only one way to find out. I'll take time to consider this.
It's 85 pages long (my copy) and I did read it to the end so did not dislike it but there are at least three mistakes (continuity as they say in the movie business) in it, that I remember, that should have been picked up by an editor or proof reader. Then again, since this is free and on the author's website that might explain why they weren't picked up. That's why I assigned it two stars and I'm not going to enumerate these mistakes here.
The story itself is well enough written, certainly to hold my interest, and pretty much standard horror as far as I'm concerned (I do enjoy standard horror from time to time so this is an observation not a criticism). As far as I recall the only other book that could be similar that I have read is I Am Legend, Richard Matheson, which didn’t mention the word zombie but was very good. This, in my opinion, isn’t as good but is good enough to suffice.
I wonder if the published books in the series are less erroneous? Only one way to find out. I'll take time to consider this.
October 31, 2024
Interesante.
Yo que tanto dije que quería saber la historia, pues no esperaba que fuera tan bizarra y empezará con una niña pequeña.
Por cómo empieza y según el tipo que lo hizo y funcionó bien, si nadia no hubiese estado tantas horas muerta el ritual habría salido bien (si el viejo no habría aparecido claro).
Pero que arrechera que usen animales, hazle lo que quieras a los humanos pero a los inocentes animales NO. Pobres animales (sobretodo el gato de esa misma casa) de verdad, casi dejo de leer en esa parte. OK el tipo que le dio el libro a la loca no le dijo las cosas como fueron porque si el búho del chamo estuvo raro 2+2 son 4.
De verdad quiero que Dennis y la mamá mueran miserablemente. La tipa es de lo peor. El chico solo es un títere de ella pero por no tener las agallas para enfrentarla merece el castigo también.
Yo que tanto dije que quería saber la historia, pues no esperaba que fuera tan bizarra y empezará con una niña pequeña.
Por cómo empieza y según el tipo que lo hizo y funcionó bien, si nadia no hubiese estado tantas horas muerta el ritual habría salido bien (si el viejo no habría aparecido claro).
Pero que arrechera que usen animales, hazle lo que quieras a los humanos pero a los inocentes animales NO. Pobres animales (sobretodo el gato de esa misma casa) de verdad, casi dejo de leer en esa parte. OK el tipo que le dio el libro a la loca no le dijo las cosas como fueron porque si el búho del chamo estuvo raro 2+2 son 4.
De verdad quiero que Dennis y la mamá mueran miserablemente. La tipa es de lo peor. El chico solo es un títere de ella pero por no tener las agallas para enfrentarla merece el castigo también.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 3, 2025
OMG! Este es probablemente el mejor libro de zombis que he leído. Una historia original y genial, personajes con un desarrollo fantástico y un ritmo muy rápido de leer me saco del bloqueo lector en el que me encontraba.
¿Qué sucedió para desencadenarlo todo? ¿Quién fue el responsable del desastre? ¿Podría haberse evitado? Encontrarás todas las respuestas en el Día 0.
Cómo se produjo el apocalipsis me sorprendió y me encantó cómo Nick Clausen lo manejó.
La primera vez que leo una novela de zombies que detalla con todo lujo de detalles el punto cero de la pandemia.
Muy buena lectura que te da el empuje necesario para leer toda la serie.
¿Qué sucedió para desencadenarlo todo? ¿Quién fue el responsable del desastre? ¿Podría haberse evitado? Encontrarás todas las respuestas en el Día 0.
Cómo se produjo el apocalipsis me sorprendió y me encantó cómo Nick Clausen lo manejó.
La primera vez que leo una novela de zombies que detalla con todo lujo de detalles el punto cero de la pandemia.
Muy buena lectura que te da el empuje necesario para leer toda la serie.
dnf
March 30, 2023I quit . You can figure out all you need to know from book 1, so I don't see any need to read about that.
Not rating the book because I didn't finish it. What I did read, though, was equal to Book 1.
Not rating the book because I didn't finish it. What I did read, though, was equal to Book 1.
October 3, 2023
A good, short, fast read! I like very much how this zombie apocalypse begins. No virus, just a voodoo curse! THIS is why Tara told Willow it was too dangerous to try and bring back the dead! Oh, that's a Buffy the Vampire Slayer thing! In case you aren't as obsessed with all things Buffy like I am!
January 20, 2025
Prequel to the Dead Meat series but can be read before or after the whole series. I read it after I finished the whole series & think i enjoyed it more that way. Goes more into detail as to what happened & what caused the events of the series to unfold.
May 4, 2025
This volume tells the story of how the zombie apocalypse started. And if you love animals, there is some completely off-page animal torture and death that disturbed me a bit. But I'll be brave and continue the series.
May 6, 2025
I signed up for the free book after I finished the series. I didn't get the free book. I tried 3 or 4 times to get it sent to my email. Still no book. Could you please tell me how to get the book? Thank you.
May 12, 2025
This is a 4.5 🌟 read rounded ⬆️ to 5 🌟.
An altogether different take on how a zombie apocalyse starts. I'm loving these Nick Clausen books. This was offered for free, direct from the author, and is another to mark off my "Want To Read" Goals list.
An altogether different take on how a zombie apocalyse starts. I'm loving these Nick Clausen books. This was offered for free, direct from the author, and is another to mark off my "Want To Read" Goals list.
November 11, 2025
Not your typical zombie outbreak. Creeped me out! I like how it started and I already have the box set so I will now be reading it. Nick Clausen is a great writer, I really love his work. Most of my reads this year have been him.
February 21, 2023
The zombie apocalypse told through several stories and viewpoints, starting with a computer screen that lodges in the mind
July 11, 2023
That's actually a really satisfying intro to explain how things got the way they got in the Dead Meat series. Excellent zombie origin tale.
November 16, 2023
Quick and easy read, but pretty enjoyable. Looking forward to moving on to the rest of the series.
December 25, 2023
Good short prequel. Now on to the series books. I am in need of some good zombie reads, and have been looking forward to reading this series.
January 13, 2024
Read it in one evening so met my standard.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews