What do you think?
Rate this book
Survivors
It’s Jennifer’s 24th birthday and she planned to spend it having fun with her friends. Instead, she ends up running for her life through the dark streets of London.
Her world is torn apart by a new disease, the likes of which have never been seen before. The government’s decision to conceal its deadly nature exacerbates the panic, and in all the confusion Jennifer is bitten by an infected person.
That’s it, right? Her life over.
Wrong.
Immune to the virus’s ravaging effects, Jennifer finds herself with a small group of survivors. Together they must fight to stay alive long enough for a cure to be found. Humanity won’t be beaten so easily.
But madness looms large, and safety seems forever out of reach.
Her world is torn apart by a new disease, the likes of which have never been seen before. The government’s decision to conceal its deadly nature exacerbates the panic, and in all the confusion Jennifer is bitten by an infected person.
That’s it, right? Her life over.
Wrong.
Immune to the virus’s ravaging effects, Jennifer finds herself with a small group of survivors. Together they must fight to stay alive long enough for a cure to be found. Humanity won’t be beaten so easily.
But madness looms large, and safety seems forever out of reach.
229 pages, ebook
First published August 16, 2021
5 people are currently reading
324 people want to read
About the author
Amy Marsden
5 books87 followersAs a child Amy loved reading and writing, so naturally she graduated with a degree in biomedical science and has worked in a microbiology laboratory ever since. Her passion is writing, however, and she turned back to it during her years at university. When she is not writing about surviving apocalypses, vampires feeding on the rich, exploring space, and conquering magic--all celebrating queer love-- she can be found reading or playing games about those very things.
She lives by the sea with her wife and their eighteen year old cat, who still runs around like a kitten.
Amy is the author of the VAMPIRES trilogy WE'RE ALL MONSTERS HERE and SHOW ME YOUR TEETH, with book three due 2025, and the SURVIVORS duology, SURVIVORS and THE SAFE ZONE. She has more works in progress.
She lives by the sea with her wife and their eighteen year old cat, who still runs around like a kitten.
Amy is the author of the VAMPIRES trilogy WE'RE ALL MONSTERS HERE and SHOW ME YOUR TEETH, with book three due 2025, and the SURVIVORS duology, SURVIVORS and THE SAFE ZONE. She has more works in progress.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
August 15, 2021
3.75 Stars. Zombies! I love zombies and to get two new zombies books out at the same time, well that’s like Christmas coming early for me, or I guess I should say Halloween. Off topic a bit but I’m dealing with either a pinched nerve or carpal tunnel. I’m on modified work duty for the next couple weeks while I’m awaiting more testing. I’m supposed to be taking it easy, which unfortunately includes less typing and other computer related activities so my reviews will be shorter than normal. Of course this depends on if I can actually behave and stop myself from rambling –which we all know is not easy for me, so I guess will see how this goes but I hope everyone can bear with me for a little while.
When I saw this book on Netgalley, I was really excited since it was zombies, plus I knew it was supposed to have a sapphic character. I also recognized the author’s name since Marsden has been on Goodreads for a couple years. While I didn’t know her besides a comment here or there on either of our book reviews, but I always get excited when a Goodreads member takes the big step of actually becoming an author.
I thought that this was well written for a debut. It had its bumps, but considering it had three main POV’s, with a pretty large cast of secondary characters, I could easily see the talent and lot’s of potential in Marsden’s writing.
This is the first book in a duology and I’m glad for that. There is so much going on, lot’s of action, that I’m looking forward to getting more into the meat of things. There is a potential WLW romance that is only in crush form right now, but I have hopes of where this relationship could go. I also loved the character of Victoria. She’s a total badass, with a great backstory, and I just want lots more of her.
In the end, I would recommend this to zombie fans. It was high action, zombie fun. It does have some newbie bumps, but I thought it was a solid debut and I’m excited to read the next book.
When I saw this book on Netgalley, I was really excited since it was zombies, plus I knew it was supposed to have a sapphic character. I also recognized the author’s name since Marsden has been on Goodreads for a couple years. While I didn’t know her besides a comment here or there on either of our book reviews, but I always get excited when a Goodreads member takes the big step of actually becoming an author.
I thought that this was well written for a debut. It had its bumps, but considering it had three main POV’s, with a pretty large cast of secondary characters, I could easily see the talent and lot’s of potential in Marsden’s writing.
This is the first book in a duology and I’m glad for that. There is so much going on, lot’s of action, that I’m looking forward to getting more into the meat of things. There is a potential WLW romance that is only in crush form right now, but I have hopes of where this relationship could go. I also loved the character of Victoria. She’s a total badass, with a great backstory, and I just want lots more of her.
In the end, I would recommend this to zombie fans. It was high action, zombie fun. It does have some newbie bumps, but I thought it was a solid debut and I’m excited to read the next book.
January 7, 2025
**'The prime skill and discipline in telling any story should start with good ideas coming to fruition in your unconscious mind then making them work on paper..'
Evocative read!
A well written and well-paced book #1 of Amy Marsden's 'SURVIVORS' chronicle. A riveting and somewhat engaging plotline that focuses more on fight or flight of survival when the whole world gets taken over by zombies: good interaction, very good dialogue and a nice assembly of different characters, each with their own backstories.
Highly recommended book!
Evocative read!
A well written and well-paced book #1 of Amy Marsden's 'SURVIVORS' chronicle. A riveting and somewhat engaging plotline that focuses more on fight or flight of survival when the whole world gets taken over by zombies: good interaction, very good dialogue and a nice assembly of different characters, each with their own backstories.
Highly recommended book!
August 30, 2021
More zombies!!!
Amy Marsden and I "stalk" each other's Goodreads and Instagram sometimes (lol) so I was pretty excited to hear that her debut came out. If you haven't guessed it from the cover and book title, it is an apocolyptic zombie book, the second I've read in recent days. It's labeled on Netgalley as a LGBTQIA+ book, but it's actually a zombie book that has a female main character who harbours the tinest crush on a female soldier. And that's the extent of sapphism in it.
BUT...
This book is so much fun to read and I bet my fellow zombie-lovers would enjoy it like I did. There are many characters but the story rotates around the POV of only three of them - Jen, James and Victoria - who advance from being strangers to having their stories interwined at some point and we learn more about the characters little by little. I like how this book is a bit different as Jen gets bitten and Jen survives because she's immune but at the same time Marsden isn't afraid to eliminate other characters. She surprised me at least once and while dying is a bit upsetting, that's what makes zombie stories good, isn't it?
I certainly had fun with this debut. It's a really good effort and I can't wait for the second book of the duology to come out!
I received an ARC from NineStar Press through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Amy Marsden and I "stalk" each other's Goodreads and Instagram sometimes (lol) so I was pretty excited to hear that her debut came out. If you haven't guessed it from the cover and book title, it is an apocolyptic zombie book, the second I've read in recent days. It's labeled on Netgalley as a LGBTQIA+ book, but it's actually a zombie book that has a female main character who harbours the tinest crush on a female soldier. And that's the extent of sapphism in it.
BUT...
This book is so much fun to read and I bet my fellow zombie-lovers would enjoy it like I did. There are many characters but the story rotates around the POV of only three of them - Jen, James and Victoria - who advance from being strangers to having their stories interwined at some point and we learn more about the characters little by little. I like how this book is a bit different as Jen gets bitten and Jen survives because she's immune but at the same time Marsden isn't afraid to eliminate other characters. She surprised me at least once and while dying is a bit upsetting, that's what makes zombie stories good, isn't it?
I certainly had fun with this debut. It's a really good effort and I can't wait for the second book of the duology to come out!
I received an ARC from NineStar Press through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
August 9, 2021
This was a solid debut novel by Amy Marsden and I definitely enjoyed it which is why I’m giving it 4 stars.
Review
The book “Survivors” by Amy Marsden is book one in a two part series. It follows the point of views of Jennifer, Victoria and James, in an almost apocalyptic world where an infectious disease runs rapid.
From the minute I started the first page Amy Marsden had me hooked. If you’re a fan of somewhat apocalyptic and survival stories then this book could totally be for you! With lovable characters, an interesting plot and a twinge of both humor and angst, this provided a good reading experience.
Jennifer is a 24 year old photojournalism student and is actually the kick starter of this book as we see how she loses her friends one by one to this virus and it’s implications.
We meet James not too long after as their storylines intertwine. He’s been tasked with guiding and protecting the group of survivors that Jennifer and Victoria finds themselves in. Victoria is an English teacher battling with what she did to her sister who was infected by the virus.
Jennifer is an immediately likable character, charming, caring and as the story goes on you find that she’s selfless to a fault. She also happens to be immune to the virus. I struggled to connect with her in the first few chapters but I’ll get to that in a bit.
James is a bit of an asshole in his first few appearances and you can’t help but wonder, what’s his deal? James reminds me a lot of Zuko from the Avatar series. A lost solider looking to regain his honor. After a while he melts the cold exterior and starts getting more and more comfortable around the group.
Victoria is also very likable, in my opinion, she did come in a bit too late in the story. I liked her backstory and the author did a good job and presenting how that backstory shaped her.
There are other characters in this book, including Dan, who Jennifer immediately forms a protective sister role over, and Sergeant Wright, who’s snarky and provides the comedic relief in this story.
Overall I liked the plot and the characters but I did have just a slight problem with the writing. It was a bit awkward. Justifiably this is a debut novel so I didn’t expect it to have the most perfect flow or feel and even in that this book had better writing than other authors who’re on their 20th book. However I felt like this book could’ve used more descriptive writing to help set the scene more. This did slightly affect how long it took me to connect with Jennifer.
This book was also a bit short which doesn’t really give much insight to the characters but this is only book one so I didn’t really expect that much since book ones are normally just introductions and openings to characters.
There’s a twinge of romance as well, Jennifer clearly has the hots for a female French solider and James also has the hots for a certain snarky sergeant, but if you’re reading this book for that, there really wasn’t much too it but I imagine that will also find itself in the next book to come.
So do I recommend? Yes! This was a pretty simple short read and I definitely need to see what happens next in this two book series.
Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC in return for the honest review.
September 10, 2021
An awesome debut by Amy Marsden!
I'm a huge zombie apocalypse fan and I enjoyed this considering the LGBTQ representation. It focuses more on the individuals in the scenarios as opposed to the focus being on the zombies themselves. It's rather humbling and makes one hopeful for a better tomorrow.
I'm a huge zombie apocalypse fan and I enjoyed this considering the LGBTQ representation. It focuses more on the individuals in the scenarios as opposed to the focus being on the zombies themselves. It's rather humbling and makes one hopeful for a better tomorrow.
August 22, 2021
Whoa this had me reaching for my walking dead dvds. Seriously, this should be made into a film. It's shockingly descriptive and true to life. I would actually say the author had been there and done it.
I understand this is a debut novel. Wow, is all I can say. Oh and when is the next book available.
If you love zombies this book is for you. Although technically they aren't zombies because they can speak and be killed. Don't need a head shot.
There are several characters involved and they all have their strengths. But together they awesome. They are funny yet serious. And OMG Victoria is a serious badass. It is action packed from start to finish. I was exhausted just reading it.
It's written at quite a fast pace which in my opinion is good as you get the feeling of never being safe and always running.
Yes, I would recommend this book. I would also advise you put your running shoes on. You're gonna need them.
Enjoy!
I understand this is a debut novel. Wow, is all I can say. Oh and when is the next book available.
If you love zombies this book is for you. Although technically they aren't zombies because they can speak and be killed. Don't need a head shot.
There are several characters involved and they all have their strengths. But together they awesome. They are funny yet serious. And OMG Victoria is a serious badass. It is action packed from start to finish. I was exhausted just reading it.
It's written at quite a fast pace which in my opinion is good as you get the feeling of never being safe and always running.
Yes, I would recommend this book. I would also advise you put your running shoes on. You're gonna need them.
Enjoy!
Read
November 4, 2021Belatedly realised I should have marked this as read, considering how many times I have actually read it 😂
You should totally read it too! 😜
You should totally read it too! 😜
March 10, 2024
4 Stars
Very nice zombie apocalypse story. It has all the elements of a proper zombie story. I specifically like the slow development of the cast. The characters’ physical, mental and emotional exhaustion and turmoil was easy to empathise with. The abruptness of the beginning was perfect. It felt destabilising mirroring the characters’ state. I guess it’s easy to feel more about apocalyptic stories since we’ve endured the global pandemic just recently. This would have been like a worst case scenario.
Very nice zombie apocalypse story. It has all the elements of a proper zombie story. I specifically like the slow development of the cast. The characters’ physical, mental and emotional exhaustion and turmoil was easy to empathise with. The abruptness of the beginning was perfect. It felt destabilising mirroring the characters’ state. I guess it’s easy to feel more about apocalyptic stories since we’ve endured the global pandemic just recently. This would have been like a worst case scenario.
April 26, 2022
4,5/5⭐️
Jennifer is turning 24 the day of the apocalypse. The government had tried to hide it, but a deadly virus is spreading. The ones who get it are marked with their death, but that’s not all: The host will have urges to bite and infect people.
This was such a cool mix of zombie apocalypse with awesome characters! (Wright, I’m looking at you, babe.)
But you know, it’s still a zombie apocalypse, which is not unheard of. I didn’t feel like there was anything new to this take, but boy-oh-boy was it enjoyable. (Especially the British touch to it *chef’s kiss*)
The writing is the absolute best—probably one of the best I’ve ever read. It’s straight forward and describes emotion so… real. (I felt things I didn’t know could be felt in that way, you know?)
Confession:
I have never enjoyed a third person point of view. Well, never until now. The pov shifts are also so incredibly good! The characters felt so real and so different in their own way.
To me this was advertised as a “lgbtq” read—which it’s not. The main character is bisexual and has a little crush on a French soldier named Alexia, but that’s kinda it. I liked it that way though. This book definitely didn’t need some big romance. (Except for the tension between James and Wright. They are to die for.)
originality: 3/5
romance: 4/5
writing: 5/5
characters: 1000/5
I’d 100% recommend this to anyone who likes the zombie genre (or anyone new to it, like me) and isn’t bothered by the lack of new stuff. For me, a first timer with the whole zombie thing, it was an amazing introduction. (This is the first book in the duology.)
Ah!! Need that second book now!
(Thank you, NetGalley and Amy Marsden for this free advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.)
Jennifer is turning 24 the day of the apocalypse. The government had tried to hide it, but a deadly virus is spreading. The ones who get it are marked with their death, but that’s not all: The host will have urges to bite and infect people.
This was such a cool mix of zombie apocalypse with awesome characters! (Wright, I’m looking at you, babe.)
But you know, it’s still a zombie apocalypse, which is not unheard of. I didn’t feel like there was anything new to this take, but boy-oh-boy was it enjoyable. (Especially the British touch to it *chef’s kiss*)
The writing is the absolute best—probably one of the best I’ve ever read. It’s straight forward and describes emotion so… real. (I felt things I didn’t know could be felt in that way, you know?)
Confession:
I have never enjoyed a third person point of view. Well, never until now. The pov shifts are also so incredibly good! The characters felt so real and so different in their own way.
To me this was advertised as a “lgbtq” read—which it’s not. The main character is bisexual and has a little crush on a French soldier named Alexia, but that’s kinda it. I liked it that way though. This book definitely didn’t need some big romance. (Except for the tension between James and Wright. They are to die for.)
originality: 3/5
romance: 4/5
writing: 5/5
characters: 1000/5
I’d 100% recommend this to anyone who likes the zombie genre (or anyone new to it, like me) and isn’t bothered by the lack of new stuff. For me, a first timer with the whole zombie thing, it was an amazing introduction. (This is the first book in the duology.)
Ah!! Need that second book now!
(Thank you, NetGalley and Amy Marsden for this free advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.)
August 15, 2021
I really, really enjoyed this book! The characters really brought this book to life - the alternating perspectives gave me a good look into everyone's minds and I felt for all of them. I love the "found family" trope and seeing this group of survivors grow together made my heart so happy. This book is raw - from its intense fight scenes to each characters emotions as they go through trauma after trauma.
The only reason that this wasn't a 5 star read for me was the ending. I understand this is a duology and that there would be a "to be continued" but the ending felt so abrupt. I wanted more closure or even a cliffhanger.
I gave this book 4 stars on my goodreads & im very much looking forward to book 2! Many thanks to NetGalley for providing a digital copy in exchange for my honest review.
The only reason that this wasn't a 5 star read for me was the ending. I understand this is a duology and that there would be a "to be continued" but the ending felt so abrupt. I wanted more closure or even a cliffhanger.
I gave this book 4 stars on my goodreads & im very much looking forward to book 2! Many thanks to NetGalley for providing a digital copy in exchange for my honest review.
October 13, 2025
This is about the 10th time I've read this book and yes i bought it in both formats so i always have it with me! The name of the virus in this is Lyssa 15 aka "morte insano" for "insane death" in Portuguese and well thats the bloody book for you. Absolute chaos, it's constant shit hitting the fan and I love where there's never a break in a thriller.
It's so raw and real, this book has made me cry and laugh. Wright is everything! Every single character is so individual and their journeys stir a lot of emotion in you as you follow them. The plot, the fleshed out characters, the madness from beginning to end made me unable to put this down. I feel like I followed them through hell and back. I can't wait to see how the LGBT romance between Jennifer and Alexia in book too as well! And I love the flirty banter with Wright and James! <3 <3
MUST READ! I can't wait for the second book in the duology! Where can I pre-order the second book?!
It's so raw and real, this book has made me cry and laugh. Wright is everything! Every single character is so individual and their journeys stir a lot of emotion in you as you follow them. The plot, the fleshed out characters, the madness from beginning to end made me unable to put this down. I feel like I followed them through hell and back. I can't wait to see how the LGBT romance between Jennifer and Alexia in book too as well! And I love the flirty banter with Wright and James! <3 <3
MUST READ! I can't wait for the second book in the duology! Where can I pre-order the second book?!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 6, 2021
A good story somewhat let down by hyperbolic prose. The overblown style is exhausting. (Editor needs to wield the red pen more forcefully.) It gets a bit better as the book progresses.
That said, the story kept me engaged. Pandemic, infected people, bites.... They may not be zombies (they're not dead and don't feast on brains) but what's not to like for a hardened fan of the zombie/dystopia genre?
Despite liking the genre, however, I'm probably not really the target audience. This definitely reads as YA and I'm just an embittered middle-aged grump. If the style doesn't put other readers off, I can see this series growing a pretty big fan base.
Like this review? You can find all my reviews on my book review site: BelEdit Book Reviews
That said, the story kept me engaged. Pandemic, infected people, bites.... They may not be zombies (they're not dead and don't feast on brains) but what's not to like for a hardened fan of the zombie/dystopia genre?
Despite liking the genre, however, I'm probably not really the target audience. This definitely reads as YA and I'm just an embittered middle-aged grump. If the style doesn't put other readers off, I can see this series growing a pretty big fan base.
Like this review? You can find all my reviews on my book review site: BelEdit Book Reviews
September 5, 2021
Meh 😑. I wanted to like this book. I love zombie dystopian mayhem. This missed the mark for me. Craziness with no explanation, too many points of view, too many things that just didn't make sense. Could have done with some editing and possibly narrowing down who's telling the story.
My fave part was Captain Wright... she's a spitfire.
My fave part was Captain Wright... she's a spitfire.
August 17, 2021
Firstly, thank you to Netgalley & the publishers for giving me this arc in exchange for an honest review.
This is one of the most exciting books I've read all year and as far as debut novels go, this was outstanding. I've spent the majority of my day curled up with as I've been unable to put it down, talk about a page turner!
The story is told through the perspectives of 3 people; Jennifer, Victoria & James, all of which are living through a zombie apocalyptic type world where a virus is running rampant, giving people the strongest desire to bite other people which in turn, causes the virus to spread.
We start with Jennifer on her 24th birthday as the world is succumbing to the virus. From the first few pages we see her world falling apart, it's so raw and emotional, she instantly took my heart.
Not long after, we meet James who is an army Sargent. He doesn't give the best first impressions but first impressions aren't always what they seem.
Then we meet Victoria and Holy moly, she's got a few secrets! She's a character I'm very much looking forward to reading about in the next book!
There's a vast array of side characters too, each of whom is as well written as the last. They bring so many levels of emotion, mystery & humour to the story. Wright is my absolute favourite, a smart, wise cracking army pilot who is incredibly fierce but has a heart of gold.
This is, at face value, a zombie apocalypse story but it's unlike so many I've read in the past, this just felt so real. The writing is done in such a way you feel the characters pain & emotions, it was so incredibly raw, and because the characters are so well written, you really do feel for them and feel a connection with them.
Overall, I love everything about this book; story, characters, writing are all brilliant. It's a proper, keep you up all night book that you won't want to put down and I cannot recommend it enough to anyone interested in zombie apocalypse stories. The way it ended has left me dying for more and I cannot wait for the next book to come out to see what happens next!
This is one of the most exciting books I've read all year and as far as debut novels go, this was outstanding. I've spent the majority of my day curled up with as I've been unable to put it down, talk about a page turner!
The story is told through the perspectives of 3 people; Jennifer, Victoria & James, all of which are living through a zombie apocalyptic type world where a virus is running rampant, giving people the strongest desire to bite other people which in turn, causes the virus to spread.
We start with Jennifer on her 24th birthday as the world is succumbing to the virus. From the first few pages we see her world falling apart, it's so raw and emotional, she instantly took my heart.
Not long after, we meet James who is an army Sargent. He doesn't give the best first impressions but first impressions aren't always what they seem.
Then we meet Victoria and Holy moly, she's got a few secrets! She's a character I'm very much looking forward to reading about in the next book!
There's a vast array of side characters too, each of whom is as well written as the last. They bring so many levels of emotion, mystery & humour to the story. Wright is my absolute favourite, a smart, wise cracking army pilot who is incredibly fierce but has a heart of gold.
This is, at face value, a zombie apocalypse story but it's unlike so many I've read in the past, this just felt so real. The writing is done in such a way you feel the characters pain & emotions, it was so incredibly raw, and because the characters are so well written, you really do feel for them and feel a connection with them.
Overall, I love everything about this book; story, characters, writing are all brilliant. It's a proper, keep you up all night book that you won't want to put down and I cannot recommend it enough to anyone interested in zombie apocalypse stories. The way it ended has left me dying for more and I cannot wait for the next book to come out to see what happens next!
August 15, 2021
Not your average birthday party.
This book starts with intensity and manages to keep the tension up throughout the entire book. It definitely kept me on the edge of my seat, not wanting to put the book down.
Amy Marsden's Survivors cannot be simply lumped with other novels in the "zombie pandemic" genre. The way she is able to show the very different human reactions to a global pandemic is phenomenal. In times of crisis you really do see this broad spectrum of human behaviour.
Told from the perspectives of three different characters; Jennifer whose 24th birthday celebration is interrupted by chaos, Sergeant James Millino, an irish soldier who was holidaying in London and Victoria, a beautiful blonde school teacher with a hidden past. It is a nice balanced amount of perspectives, gradually revealing more about each of these characters. It was especially good to see Sergeant Millino become less robotic solider boy and more human through his time spent with helicopter pilot Sergeant Wright. Hopefully in the next book we get more insight into Wright's charismatic character.
There is a good amount of flirting in Survivors. Between Millino and Wright, between Dr Roux and Victoria and between Jennifer and French soldier Alexia. A realistic way to relieve some tension.
Marsden's writing is really good for a debut novel. I enjoyed the book from start to finish. The tension created is amazing, with the reader constantly wondering who among the group may have become infected. I look forward to getting my hands on the next book.
Thank you to NetGalley, Amy Marsden and NineStar Press for the opportunity to read an advance readers copy.
This book starts with intensity and manages to keep the tension up throughout the entire book. It definitely kept me on the edge of my seat, not wanting to put the book down.
Amy Marsden's Survivors cannot be simply lumped with other novels in the "zombie pandemic" genre. The way she is able to show the very different human reactions to a global pandemic is phenomenal. In times of crisis you really do see this broad spectrum of human behaviour.
Told from the perspectives of three different characters; Jennifer whose 24th birthday celebration is interrupted by chaos, Sergeant James Millino, an irish soldier who was holidaying in London and Victoria, a beautiful blonde school teacher with a hidden past. It is a nice balanced amount of perspectives, gradually revealing more about each of these characters. It was especially good to see Sergeant Millino become less robotic solider boy and more human through his time spent with helicopter pilot Sergeant Wright. Hopefully in the next book we get more insight into Wright's charismatic character.
There is a good amount of flirting in Survivors. Between Millino and Wright, between Dr Roux and Victoria and between Jennifer and French soldier Alexia. A realistic way to relieve some tension.
Marsden's writing is really good for a debut novel. I enjoyed the book from start to finish. The tension created is amazing, with the reader constantly wondering who among the group may have become infected. I look forward to getting my hands on the next book.
Thank you to NetGalley, Amy Marsden and NineStar Press for the opportunity to read an advance readers copy.
October 25, 2021
A copy of the book was provided to Sapphic Book Club in exchange for an honest review.
First off I love a good zombie story so I may be a little biased, having said that this is a great novel. The infected people (i'd go with biters as their official name :) ) are never reffered to as zombies as it's slightly different as they seem to have some control left in them. You're taken on the journey with Jen originally, although as the situation becomes more dire she chooses to go by Jennifer. We also hear parts of the story from the points of view of James and Victoria (who is an absolute badass). It was a little short for my liking, i felt we were only just getting to the good bit when the book ended. I guess it means there's more to look forward to in the next book!
In general this is great because we live through the world going to shit along with the characters, we don't come in half way through the story. We're there from the beginning with all these characters and you really start routing for them. Victoria is probably my favorite character because as i said before, she's a badass, pretty much from the get go. She's had her husband cheat on her with her sister and she's really embraced her inner monster.
I would highly recommend this book to zombie lovers, however it could trigger anyone who's worried about the current pandemic as essentially that's what this book is about.
First off I love a good zombie story so I may be a little biased, having said that this is a great novel. The infected people (i'd go with biters as their official name :) ) are never reffered to as zombies as it's slightly different as they seem to have some control left in them. You're taken on the journey with Jen originally, although as the situation becomes more dire she chooses to go by Jennifer. We also hear parts of the story from the points of view of James and Victoria (who is an absolute badass). It was a little short for my liking, i felt we were only just getting to the good bit when the book ended. I guess it means there's more to look forward to in the next book!
In general this is great because we live through the world going to shit along with the characters, we don't come in half way through the story. We're there from the beginning with all these characters and you really start routing for them. Victoria is probably my favorite character because as i said before, she's a badass, pretty much from the get go. She's had her husband cheat on her with her sister and she's really embraced her inner monster.
I would highly recommend this book to zombie lovers, however it could trigger anyone who's worried about the current pandemic as essentially that's what this book is about.
August 19, 2021
It’s Jennifer’s 24th birthday and she planned to spend it having fun with her friends. Instead, she ends up running for her life through the dark streets of London.
Her world is torn apart by a new disease, the likes of which have never been seen before. The government’s decision to conceal its deadly nature exacerbates the panic, and in all the confusion Jennifer is bitten by an infected person.
That’s it, right? Her life over.
Wrong.
Immune to the virus’s ravaging effects, Jennifer finds herself with a small group of survivors. Together they must fight to stay alive long enough for a cure to be found. Humanity won’t be beaten so easily.
But madness looms large, and safety seems forever out of reach.
This is a wonderful debut to read.
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable.
Great suspense and found myself second guessing every thought I had continuously.
Can't wait to read what the author brings out next.
Recommend reading.
I was provided an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher. This is my own honest voluntary review.
Her world is torn apart by a new disease, the likes of which have never been seen before. The government’s decision to conceal its deadly nature exacerbates the panic, and in all the confusion Jennifer is bitten by an infected person.
That’s it, right? Her life over.
Wrong.
Immune to the virus’s ravaging effects, Jennifer finds herself with a small group of survivors. Together they must fight to stay alive long enough for a cure to be found. Humanity won’t be beaten so easily.
But madness looms large, and safety seems forever out of reach.
This is a wonderful debut to read.
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable.
Great suspense and found myself second guessing every thought I had continuously.
Can't wait to read what the author brings out next.
Recommend reading.
I was provided an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher. This is my own honest voluntary review.
September 1, 2022
I received this one from Escapist Tours in exchange of an honest review.
😍 Loved that our MC took her camera with her at all times, though I wished she had taken even more pictures. But DANG those are some great batteries. Or maybe my camera is just old. Haha. But mine generally lasts for a day, maybe less. I loved seeing her make pictures of things and also looked back at the moments with her family.
😍 THAT COVER! I just love her holding that camera and blood dripping off it.
😍 Seeing how the immunity works for her and also what she went through. I was so worried even knowing that she was going to be immune because she went in pretty deep and at times it seemed she would succumb to it. I hope that someone is able to find a cure for it. At least she is treated better than how immune peeps are treated in zombie books generally.
😍 That we got 3 POVs. OK, James I didn’t care much about and I was just looking forward to him being done chatting, but I loved Jennifer (#1) and then Victoria (#2). Victoria was an interesting character. At first you just think she is brave and then you find out slowly that there is something different about her and you wonder what is going to happen next. I hope that the next book tells us more about Victoria and if her violent tendencies will be more and more pronounceable.
😍 Loved how Jennifer is Bi! I am Bi myself (maybe pan, still not sure, for now Bi is the best one for me) and I am always happy with well-written Bi-characters. It is sadly still not always well done or the characters face tons of biphobia. I was glad that the crew accepted Jennifer. Though Wright should really learn some freaking respect. Yes, Jennifer is out, that doesn’t mean you can just tell peeps she is bi. That is her thing to tell. Not everyone is accepting.
😍 The infected were scary, especially since they weren’t dead monsters.. but still human somewhere in that anger/paranoia. Which makes things just a tad scarier. I mean, dead things are scary, but someone who is still somewhere there? Rambling? Having all the mobility of a human? NOPE.
😍 We learn quite a bit about the characters as the book continues.
😍 Thought this would just take place in England, but oh no we are going to France! Haha, which brought along some language borders as almost no one knew French. Which would also be a problem for me. I mean, I am good at English and of course Dutch, I can read/understand German. But my French? I may understand some words here and there and reading-wise just as well, but French was the worst class with a horrible teacher and so I blocked out most of it. Plus, the lessons here focussed mostly on getting those words in your head and less on conversations and such thing.
😍 Had such a laugh when the virologist was like: “OK, who thinks they are immune?” and the kick-ass reply of Jennifer to that including stripping her arm and showing the bite marks. Haha, that sure stunned that dude. XD
😍 I just wanted to give Dan such a big hug. He was so precious and my heart just broke for him for all he experienced in those days. I am glad that Dan has found Jennifer and found some support in her and also supported and helped her out. They bonded and I love that.
😍 Those first chapters when everything goes to poop? AWESOME. Scary. The scariest of the whole book. I was terrified. The infected running amok, people with power-crazy ideas running around. Burning buildings.
😍 While I love that the military took action immediately if someone was bitten/potentially infected, because DANG that doesn’t happen often in books like this. Maybe, they should have taken people separately, because that was just gruesome. I mean, that is someone’s friend. Someone’s family. You can’t just do that before their eyes. Do it discreetly.
😍 I loved that slow-burn romance between Jennifer and Alexia! Definitely shipping these two!
🤔 I missed the action, but also not. There were some kick-ass moments with infected or with some craycray people who did stuff (mostly military). But for a lot of the book there is a lot of dialogue. A lot of thinking. A lot of backstory. Which is nice. But I kinda also wanted more excitement, more the feel that this was SERIOUS business and that danger is everywhere. But as I also said, sometimes I was OK with it. All to do with Corona I guess. Normally these type of books with zombies and infections are all good, but these days I just have a harder time reading them. Sorry for the confusion!
🤔 The ending just felt a bit sudden. I mean, I had hoped for just a bit cleaner ending. But I did like the ominous message at the end. That is why it is listed under this emoji.
😵💫 Never had this problem before Corona, but DANG it was hard to read about the virus and the lockdowns and the food shortage and all that. It just hit WAY too close home and I was just uncomfortable for most of the book. I was happy when it just veered back to infected/zombies and some other stuff.
All in all, I did have tons of fun reading this one! I am happy that I decided to take the leap and read another zombie book. I have been reading less of those since 2020, but I thought I would just do it. I cannot wait for the next book in the series.
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
😍 Loved that our MC took her camera with her at all times, though I wished she had taken even more pictures. But DANG those are some great batteries. Or maybe my camera is just old. Haha. But mine generally lasts for a day, maybe less. I loved seeing her make pictures of things and also looked back at the moments with her family.
😍 THAT COVER! I just love her holding that camera and blood dripping off it.
😍 Seeing how the immunity works for her and also what she went through. I was so worried even knowing that she was going to be immune because she went in pretty deep and at times it seemed she would succumb to it. I hope that someone is able to find a cure for it. At least she is treated better than how immune peeps are treated in zombie books generally.
😍 That we got 3 POVs. OK, James I didn’t care much about and I was just looking forward to him being done chatting, but I loved Jennifer (#1) and then Victoria (#2). Victoria was an interesting character. At first you just think she is brave and then you find out slowly that there is something different about her and you wonder what is going to happen next. I hope that the next book tells us more about Victoria and if her violent tendencies will be more and more pronounceable.
😍 Loved how Jennifer is Bi! I am Bi myself (maybe pan, still not sure, for now Bi is the best one for me) and I am always happy with well-written Bi-characters. It is sadly still not always well done or the characters face tons of biphobia. I was glad that the crew accepted Jennifer. Though Wright should really learn some freaking respect. Yes, Jennifer is out, that doesn’t mean you can just tell peeps she is bi. That is her thing to tell. Not everyone is accepting.
😍 The infected were scary, especially since they weren’t dead monsters.. but still human somewhere in that anger/paranoia. Which makes things just a tad scarier. I mean, dead things are scary, but someone who is still somewhere there? Rambling? Having all the mobility of a human? NOPE.
😍 We learn quite a bit about the characters as the book continues.
😍 Thought this would just take place in England, but oh no we are going to France! Haha, which brought along some language borders as almost no one knew French. Which would also be a problem for me. I mean, I am good at English and of course Dutch, I can read/understand German. But my French? I may understand some words here and there and reading-wise just as well, but French was the worst class with a horrible teacher and so I blocked out most of it. Plus, the lessons here focussed mostly on getting those words in your head and less on conversations and such thing.
😍 Had such a laugh when the virologist was like: “OK, who thinks they are immune?” and the kick-ass reply of Jennifer to that including stripping her arm and showing the bite marks. Haha, that sure stunned that dude. XD
😍 I just wanted to give Dan such a big hug. He was so precious and my heart just broke for him for all he experienced in those days. I am glad that Dan has found Jennifer and found some support in her and also supported and helped her out. They bonded and I love that.
😍 Those first chapters when everything goes to poop? AWESOME. Scary. The scariest of the whole book. I was terrified. The infected running amok, people with power-crazy ideas running around. Burning buildings.
😍 While I love that the military took action immediately if someone was bitten/potentially infected, because DANG that doesn’t happen often in books like this. Maybe, they should have taken people separately, because that was just gruesome. I mean, that is someone’s friend. Someone’s family. You can’t just do that before their eyes. Do it discreetly.
😍 I loved that slow-burn romance between Jennifer and Alexia! Definitely shipping these two!
🤔 I missed the action, but also not. There were some kick-ass moments with infected or with some craycray people who did stuff (mostly military). But for a lot of the book there is a lot of dialogue. A lot of thinking. A lot of backstory. Which is nice. But I kinda also wanted more excitement, more the feel that this was SERIOUS business and that danger is everywhere. But as I also said, sometimes I was OK with it. All to do with Corona I guess. Normally these type of books with zombies and infections are all good, but these days I just have a harder time reading them. Sorry for the confusion!
🤔 The ending just felt a bit sudden. I mean, I had hoped for just a bit cleaner ending. But I did like the ominous message at the end. That is why it is listed under this emoji.
😵💫 Never had this problem before Corona, but DANG it was hard to read about the virus and the lockdowns and the food shortage and all that. It just hit WAY too close home and I was just uncomfortable for most of the book. I was happy when it just veered back to infected/zombies and some other stuff.
All in all, I did have tons of fun reading this one! I am happy that I decided to take the leap and read another zombie book. I have been reading less of those since 2020, but I thought I would just do it. I cannot wait for the next book in the series.
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
August 19, 2021
Zombiesque pandemic
Jennifer is in London celebrating her 24th birthday when the worldwide pandemic that governments have been trying to hide breaks all boundaries. Passed by the infected biting the uninfected, there is almost a 100% contagion rate but Jennifer soon finds out she's one of the very few worldwide that is immune.
I enjoyed this book about Jennifer and a small group of survivors and the zombie-like infected. It was a quick read and the first book in a planned duology so all the loose ends aren't tied up but there's not a terrible cliffhanger ending.
I received this book from NineStar Press through Net Galley in the hopes that I would read it and leave an unbiased review.
Jennifer is in London celebrating her 24th birthday when the worldwide pandemic that governments have been trying to hide breaks all boundaries. Passed by the infected biting the uninfected, there is almost a 100% contagion rate but Jennifer soon finds out she's one of the very few worldwide that is immune.
I enjoyed this book about Jennifer and a small group of survivors and the zombie-like infected. It was a quick read and the first book in a planned duology so all the loose ends aren't tied up but there's not a terrible cliffhanger ending.
I received this book from NineStar Press through Net Galley in the hopes that I would read it and leave an unbiased review.
March 7, 2023
Marsden excels at writing fight scenes and other action sequences. The pace is quick when it needs to be, but this author made wise decisions of when to slow down (Momentarily. After all, this is an apocalypse.) and enjoy some meaningful and poetic prose. I grew to love all of the characters, and the times when their strengths shone through their own, individual vulnerabilities. This book was a page-turner, and the ending has me craving the continuation and praying someone finds that darn charger.
November 2, 2021
Survivors is a solid debut jam-packed with action, intriguing characters and an equally intriguing storyline. Not to mention a pleasantly fresh take on zombies. Right from the beginning, this book will grab your attention and hold on until the end. I'm eagerly anticipating the second book!
August 23, 2021
This is a solid debut to the series from Amy Marsden. The story kicks off from the first chapter with lots of action going on within the space of a few pages. I liked this aspect as it had me hooked right from the start. It then slows down slightly so the main characters can be developed. This is the usual formula most writers use when starting a series and it works well. I do think this could have been done slightly better in this book by creating specific chapters from each characters view point. It wasn’t until 60% of the way through that I started to remember who everyone was. I was getting to the point where I thought I was going to have to write notes to remember who some characters were, especially the military characters as it often swapped from their official title to their first name, which was confusing at times. I also think the book would have benefitted with a timeline for each chapter or broken into sections i.e., 2 days from London falling. Because a lot happens in this first book with various locations detailed, it felt that a considerable time had passed. However, you were then reminded only a couple of days had gone by. These are minor things that I think would have helped with the flow of the book, but they didn’t detract from the story that was being told or the characters being developed. I really enjoyed Wright as a character and I hope we will find out a lot more about her in the second book. I also hope to find out more about the other surrounding characters and their background story.
June 3, 2022
Ah zombies, zombies, zombies, how do I love thee! There aren't that many zombie books set in the UK and so every time one comes up, I jump at the chance. Even more so when written by a biomedical scientist.
I've anticipated this book for two years so how did it fare?
Well, it didn't disappoint. At once we are thrown into a confusing (for the characters) end of the world scenario. I dislike books where the main character is all-knowing when reality shows we'd be subject to a lot of confusing information from authorities.
We feel the characters' angst about what's happening and we're with them.
This is a solid 4 star review.
My only real complaint is I'd wished we'd had more of a photographer's mindset from the main character. There's a wonderful chapter later on when Jennifer just whips out her camera and starts snapping the people she's with. I'd have preferred more of this, and maybe one or two instances where she puts herself or someone else at risk to get a photo as sometimes even the most sensible people in their trauma will do something dangerous (like an Instagram moment).
Great! Can't wait for the concluding part.
I've anticipated this book for two years so how did it fare?
Well, it didn't disappoint. At once we are thrown into a confusing (for the characters) end of the world scenario. I dislike books where the main character is all-knowing when reality shows we'd be subject to a lot of confusing information from authorities.
We feel the characters' angst about what's happening and we're with them.
This is a solid 4 star review.
My only real complaint is I'd wished we'd had more of a photographer's mindset from the main character. There's a wonderful chapter later on when Jennifer just whips out her camera and starts snapping the people she's with. I'd have preferred more of this, and maybe one or two instances where she puts herself or someone else at risk to get a photo as sometimes even the most sensible people in their trauma will do something dangerous (like an Instagram moment).
Great! Can't wait for the concluding part.
August 28, 2022
this book has lots of action, really lots of action, for me it was kind of a let down, because i like things a bit more slow paced than the way action went through this book, but things being said, its not a bad book, for people that like to read books where the action goes fast this is the book for you, but if you're like me and like characters development, knowing them before, during and after, some slow paced story in between the action you'll feel it a bit let down...
this book its about survival, running from one end to the other, some fighting, but mosttly going somewhere...
i couldnt connect with jennifer, i did like wright and james banter, lgbt in this book was inserted in just one chapter, and it was just jennifer telling the group she was bi, and this was like after 50% of the book in... but since we were all expecting that its not really a spoiler... you only get to know more about some of the characters more than half the book in, and when they are voices in the book, you dont really know them, i really wish i had loved this book but i really cant say that...
this book its about survival, running from one end to the other, some fighting, but mosttly going somewhere...
i couldnt connect with jennifer, i did like wright and james banter, lgbt in this book was inserted in just one chapter, and it was just jennifer telling the group she was bi, and this was like after 50% of the book in... but since we were all expecting that its not really a spoiler... you only get to know more about some of the characters more than half the book in, and when they are voices in the book, you dont really know them, i really wish i had loved this book but i really cant say that...
September 2, 2021
Survivors is about a......group of....survivors believe it or not! There's a sudden outbreak of a virus that when infected by it people turn really violent and basically start biting and eating others. The story follows Jennifer, a young woman who finds herself in the middle of the outbreak in London. She has to get through the horror on the streets to reach a military base where people have been told to head to for safety. There she meets other survivors and they have to try to stay alive long enough to get to another base where scientists will be able to work on a cure.
I'm gonna have to admit that this is another book that I seriously misjudged right at the start. I initially couldn't get into the story or connect with the characters so I just decided that the book wasn't going to be much good. But as I read on I suddenly realised that I was really enjoying it and was thinking about getting back to reading it when I was busy with other things! I think that once I'd got to know the characters more and became invested in their survival I got the 'Survivor Bug' ha ha ha....
One thing I particularly liked was that the story was a mix of a normal virus outbreak and zombies. Like, the people were biting and in some cases, eating other people but they were still humans.
Now, if you read this type of book often then there isn't anything particularly unique or special about this book. There are so many books like this out there that follow the same basic plot with the cliche characters. However, I can definitely say that it is in the group of better written ones in the genre. Bizarre as it may sound, stories like this are my comfort blanket. They're easy to follow, I know what to expect, and I can sit back, relax, and enjoy the book. You know that feeling when you get home after a really long and tiring day? That feeling of ahhhh........ I can relax now? Well, Survivors felt like home!
I'm gonna have to admit that this is another book that I seriously misjudged right at the start. I initially couldn't get into the story or connect with the characters so I just decided that the book wasn't going to be much good. But as I read on I suddenly realised that I was really enjoying it and was thinking about getting back to reading it when I was busy with other things! I think that once I'd got to know the characters more and became invested in their survival I got the 'Survivor Bug' ha ha ha....
One thing I particularly liked was that the story was a mix of a normal virus outbreak and zombies. Like, the people were biting and in some cases, eating other people but they were still humans.
Now, if you read this type of book often then there isn't anything particularly unique or special about this book. There are so many books like this out there that follow the same basic plot with the cliche characters. However, I can definitely say that it is in the group of better written ones in the genre. Bizarre as it may sound, stories like this are my comfort blanket. They're easy to follow, I know what to expect, and I can sit back, relax, and enjoy the book. You know that feeling when you get home after a really long and tiring day? That feeling of ahhhh........ I can relax now? Well, Survivors felt like home!
October 12, 2024
Não consegui devorar tão rápido quanto queria mas foi deixar uns dias ficando na vontade de terminar. Fico feliz de ter dado uma olhada na minha lista apenas esse ano quando já tem uma sequência lançada.
Ele conseguiu me conquistar nos aspectos que eu mais valorizo em um livro de zumbi:
- A lore por trás deles, uma clara inspiração da pandemia e com seus traços próprios (acho que foi a primeira vez que eu vi o conceito de “pessoas insanas” e amei).
- Personagens cativantes (e ter mais de um pov), serio, logo no primeiro capítulo eu já simpatizei com a Jennifer e fui sendo conquistada por todos os personagens (a Victoria que eu não tinha gostado de início mas agora quero mais interações dela com o grupo).
- Como lidam com o apocalipse. Eu sou muito fã de ter base e ver como o exército está lidando com a loucura, li sem saber muito como ia ser e foi uma ótima supresa.
Ele conseguiu me conquistar nos aspectos que eu mais valorizo em um livro de zumbi:
- A lore por trás deles, uma clara inspiração da pandemia e com seus traços próprios (acho que foi a primeira vez que eu vi o conceito de “pessoas insanas” e amei).
- Personagens cativantes (e ter mais de um pov), serio, logo no primeiro capítulo eu já simpatizei com a Jennifer e fui sendo conquistada por todos os personagens (a Victoria que eu não tinha gostado de início mas agora quero mais interações dela com o grupo).
- Como lidam com o apocalipse. Eu sou muito fã de ter base e ver como o exército está lidando com a loucura, li sem saber muito como ia ser e foi uma ótima supresa.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 6, 2025
"She had to have hope. They had to have hope. What was the point of surviving without it?"
"Is this what the world has come to? Teachers standing guard with assault rifles and children with no childhoods?"
"It's okay to cry. It's not a sign of weakness—it's one of strength. It means you care. It means you grieve. It means you love. We all need that strength to move forward."
"[W]hat was being brave, anyway? Being fearless? No, not quite. Maybe being brave was when you were terrified out of your mind but carried on regardless."
"Surviving came first."
"It [reminded] her that even though the world was a dark and scary place, it could still be beautiful, and could often be breath-taking. She had to remember that when the darkness threatened to overwhelm her."
"Is this what the world has come to? Teachers standing guard with assault rifles and children with no childhoods?"
"It's okay to cry. It's not a sign of weakness—it's one of strength. It means you care. It means you grieve. It means you love. We all need that strength to move forward."
"[W]hat was being brave, anyway? Being fearless? No, not quite. Maybe being brave was when you were terrified out of your mind but carried on regardless."
"Surviving came first."
"It [reminded] her that even though the world was a dark and scary place, it could still be beautiful, and could often be breath-taking. She had to remember that when the darkness threatened to overwhelm her."
March 8, 2024
With the events of the last few years, there's an extra creepy factor to this zombie apocalypse story. The story is well-written, and you'll get drawn in quickly. I'd categorize this as primarily horror, with a little hint of romantic teasing (a crush). The characters are complex, and feel real. We get three POV, giving the story itself quite a bit of depth. Marsden did a great job of building this post-apocalyptic earth, with vivid descriptions that bring it all to life. I can't wait to see what book two has in store!
February 1, 2025
I feel intentionally mislead by the tagging of this book. I would hardly consider it LGBT and definitely not consider it lesbian. Putting that aside, even, it's just not a great book compared to the rest of the dystopian/zombie genre. The pacing is far too slow, the characters are shallow in how they were built, the universe doesn't seem well defined. The lack of character development made every fight feel low stakes, as I felt nothing for the characters. Would not recommend.
July 25, 2022
A global pandemics sends Jennifer's life into total chaos. She ends up in a group of misfits as they fight to stay alive and find a single moment of peace.
Overall this was a good, easy to read novel. I enjoyed the snippets of fighting and panic. It felt like I could have been watching a new apocalyptic series!
This is absolutely an enjoyable read for fans of zombies and outbreaks!
Overall this was a good, easy to read novel. I enjoyed the snippets of fighting and panic. It felt like I could have been watching a new apocalyptic series!
This is absolutely an enjoyable read for fans of zombies and outbreaks!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews