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After the End
Zombies attack and the world comes unraveled. In the tradition of apocalyptic novels such as Stephen King's THE STAND, strangers on a Manhattan subway are brought together. The survivors head toward the nearest marina. The safety of a lab tech who may have a solution to the virus is paramount. But zombies aren't the only danger that impedes the group on their perilous journey.
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First published April 26, 2010
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1560 people want to read
About the author
Bonnie Dee
131 books698 followersI began telling stories as a child. Whenever there was a sleepover, I was the designated ghost tale teller. I still have a story printed on yellow legal paper in second grade about a ghost, a witch and a talking cat.
I enjoy dabbling in many genres. Whether you're a fan of contemporary historical or fantasy romance, you'll find something to enjoy among my books. I'm interested in flawed, often damaged, people who find the fulfillment they seek in one another. To stay informed about new releases, please sign up for my newsletter. You can join my street team at FB. Learn more about my backlist at http://bonniedee.com and find me on FB and Twitter @Bonnie_Dee.
I enjoy dabbling in many genres. Whether you're a fan of contemporary historical or fantasy romance, you'll find something to enjoy among my books. I'm interested in flawed, often damaged, people who find the fulfillment they seek in one another. To stay informed about new releases, please sign up for my newsletter. You can join my street team at FB. Learn more about my backlist at http://bonniedee.com and find me on FB and Twitter @Bonnie_Dee.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews
November 2, 2014
Stop me if you heard this one before.
In a zombie apocalypse several survivors band together and struggle for survival. There is the ex-military macho man who is a reluctant leader, the love interest that is gorgeous but ultimately contributes nothing except for a way for the macho leader to show off his macho-ness, the sassy grandmother, the older brother protecting his young sister, the dumb female who just can't cope, the lesbian who complains about men....
Yeah. Sounds familiar right?
While I do love a good zombie book I prefer if it brings something new. And I found nothing new here. The world goes to hell in a hand basket and of course Ari and Lila just can't stop thinking of doing each other.
A little flutter of heat in her belly made Lila look away. It was so wrong to be attracted to a stranger while her loved ones and maybe the entire world was in jeopardy.
I don't like romance books. Had I known this would be so romance focused I wouldn't have picked it up. Ari is your typical macho leader who feels extreme pressure about leading the group and yet thinks about leaving the weakest behind. I really didn't like him.
At some point, he might have to make a hard decision and cut the weak ones loose in order to keep the rest of them safe.
And Lila is judgmental, stereotyping everyone they meet (and everyone falls into those stereotypes of course - see above) and always needs rescuing by Ari. But that is okay because she is pretty with dark blue eyes that are almost purple and she is "deep". Sigh.
I wish that there had been more back story given, but this being such a short book, I guess there isn't room for that between the pages and pages of Ari and Lila flirting. I didn't like the main characters, the secondary characters were flat and cliche, and the plot was weak. Disappointing.
I think the only thing that I liked about this was that the zombie virus was given a reasonable explanation scientifically.
Cross posted at Kaora's Corner.
In a zombie apocalypse several survivors band together and struggle for survival. There is the ex-military macho man who is a reluctant leader, the love interest that is gorgeous but ultimately contributes nothing except for a way for the macho leader to show off his macho-ness, the sassy grandmother, the older brother protecting his young sister, the dumb female who just can't cope, the lesbian who complains about men....
Yeah. Sounds familiar right?
While I do love a good zombie book I prefer if it brings something new. And I found nothing new here. The world goes to hell in a hand basket and of course Ari and Lila just can't stop thinking of doing each other.
A little flutter of heat in her belly made Lila look away. It was so wrong to be attracted to a stranger while her loved ones and maybe the entire world was in jeopardy.
I don't like romance books. Had I known this would be so romance focused I wouldn't have picked it up. Ari is your typical macho leader who feels extreme pressure about leading the group and yet thinks about leaving the weakest behind. I really didn't like him.
At some point, he might have to make a hard decision and cut the weak ones loose in order to keep the rest of them safe.
And Lila is judgmental, stereotyping everyone they meet (and everyone falls into those stereotypes of course - see above) and always needs rescuing by Ari. But that is okay because she is pretty with dark blue eyes that are almost purple and she is "deep". Sigh.
I wish that there had been more back story given, but this being such a short book, I guess there isn't room for that between the pages and pages of Ari and Lila flirting. I didn't like the main characters, the secondary characters were flat and cliche, and the plot was weak. Disappointing.
I think the only thing that I liked about this was that the zombie virus was given a reasonable explanation scientifically.
Cross posted at Kaora's Corner.
March 26, 2011
I wasn't really expecting much from this story. I paid $2.99 for the ebook version and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I actually enjoyed reading it. After the End is your standard Zombie fare and at 168 pages it's not the plottiest book ever but for what it is it doesn't need to be. There were a few spelling mistakes and it would have benefitted from a more thorough proof read but on the whole it was good read at a good value . This is pure escapist fiction. I liked it enough to check out some of the other stuff this author has written, most of which seems to be erotica. There was one other story set in this 'verse which I have downloaded but not yet read. So far from what I have experienced I would definitely be willing to read more from this author in the future.
January 25, 2011
3.5. It wasn't horrible, wasn't spectacular. I think it was a good effort, was just missing...something.
You've got your typical uniform zombie characters: the dashing but reluctant hero, the unlikely love interest, the vapid stupid girl, the feisty old woman, the guy-who-can-save-us-all-and-must-be-protected-at-all-costs, the macho asshat guy(s), and the mouthy but brilliant computer geek teenager. Oooh, and the new requisite characters: the lesbian couple. Apparently every good book has to have a lesbian couple now. We've seen all these characters before.
We've seen the plot too: "We were all thrown together, we have to stick together and we can get through this together." And then they start dying off until only the reluctant hero and - wait....that would be a spoiler. It's not bad, but there is nothing new here.
Needs a good editor, like most self-pub works. Wasn't wretched, but definitely needed another pair of eyes looking over it.
It does, however, have the distinction of being the first Kindle book I have ever purchased. It gets .5 for that.
You've got your typical uniform zombie characters: the dashing but reluctant hero, the unlikely love interest, the vapid stupid girl, the feisty old woman, the guy-who-can-save-us-all-and-must-be-protected-at-all-costs, the macho asshat guy(s), and the mouthy but brilliant computer geek teenager. Oooh, and the new requisite characters: the lesbian couple. Apparently every good book has to have a lesbian couple now. We've seen all these characters before.
We've seen the plot too: "We were all thrown together, we have to stick together and we can get through this together." And then they start dying off until only the reluctant hero and - wait....that would be a spoiler. It's not bad, but there is nothing new here.
Needs a good editor, like most self-pub works. Wasn't wretched, but definitely needed another pair of eyes looking over it.
It does, however, have the distinction of being the first Kindle book I have ever purchased. It gets .5 for that.
October 3, 2013
These aren't your Romero-esque slow zombies that couldn't pick their noses if you shoved their finger up it. These bad boys can open doors and grab things. Check out my full review here.
April 17, 2017
After seeing a lot of less than positive reviews of this book, I approached it with a feeling of inner doom...but I actually enjoyed it which I was pleased about!
The book begins with a zombie attack on a subway train which leaves a group of people running for their lives, following a young soldier as he leads them through the sewers and back up to a city that has literally gone to hell. There are a mixture of people in the group and I liked them overall. Ari, the young soldier who feels the weight of the safety of the group on his shoulders. Lila, the student who is determined to pull her weight. Deb, strong and capable who only wants to find her girlfriend Julie who is working in the city, Ann who is scared to the verge of panic, Patricia the wise old woman, Hector who wants to go and find his family, Derrick the computer nut trying to look after little sister Ronnie, and Joe the dermatologist. I liked all the characters, and the way their panic ebbed and flowed depending on each crisis they faced. It felt like the realistic way that a group of strangers would react to what was happening and I enjoyed their interactions.
It is a proper zombie book, meaning there are lots of zombies in it, and danger lurks around every corner as they plan to make their way to the marina and take a boat to safety. Tension builds throughout as they have to find supplies, hide from the living and the dead, and find safe places to sleep each night. At times it was real edge of the seat stuff and I was caught up in the survival of this group of people, meaning that the author did a good job of developing these characters to make me want them all to survive. The zombies are also traditional zombies, attracted by noise, movement and blood, which are my favourite kind and I was happy at the amount of different zombie attacks there were. Lovely!
There is an attempt amongst the group to exchange theories about the zombies and how they infect. The debate over bites and blood chemistry was actually quite interesting and the ideas about a possible cure were born which affects the direction that the mission took. I like these additions to the plot.
There were a couple of things that did annoy me though. It starts with a prologue set about 5 days or so after the outbreak and shows a very important piece of plot featuring several characters. I HATE started with what is in effect a spoiler, especially when the book jumps back to then cover every detail of the last five days, rejoining that scene in the prologue and then continuing with the rest of the story from that point on. So why do it? It gives you the death of a character at the very start of the book, then goes back and shows you that person, alive and well! It ruined the story a bit as you knew roughly when this person was going to die. It seemed an odd thing to do and it did nothing for the plot! I really hate it when authors do this. I'd have preferred to just have the story unfold normally, starting with the outbreak.
My second niggle was the love story subplot with Ari and Lila mooning over each other when zombies are all around them. It seems to be an obsession amongst female authors that their zombie books must have a romance in it for some reason. I find it annoying at the best of times. Thankfully it is not graphic and the rest of the writing for me was strong enough to carry the plot and not have it spoiled by a lacklustre love story.
There are a few minor errors where character names have been mixed up which was slightly confusing for a moment but nothing too serious. Mixing up Ari and Derrick is like confusing prawns with chocolate!
I was a little bit miffed by the ending of the book when I realised book 2 follows a totally different set of survivors. So what happens to everyone? Is there another book that joins the survivors of both books or something? Not sure but I certainly want to know what happens to the people.Anyway, I liked this book enough to buy the paperback of it and the follow up book, which should keep me amused until I see if more zombie books from this author are coming!.
The book begins with a zombie attack on a subway train which leaves a group of people running for their lives, following a young soldier as he leads them through the sewers and back up to a city that has literally gone to hell. There are a mixture of people in the group and I liked them overall. Ari, the young soldier who feels the weight of the safety of the group on his shoulders. Lila, the student who is determined to pull her weight. Deb, strong and capable who only wants to find her girlfriend Julie who is working in the city, Ann who is scared to the verge of panic, Patricia the wise old woman, Hector who wants to go and find his family, Derrick the computer nut trying to look after little sister Ronnie, and Joe the dermatologist. I liked all the characters, and the way their panic ebbed and flowed depending on each crisis they faced. It felt like the realistic way that a group of strangers would react to what was happening and I enjoyed their interactions.
It is a proper zombie book, meaning there are lots of zombies in it, and danger lurks around every corner as they plan to make their way to the marina and take a boat to safety. Tension builds throughout as they have to find supplies, hide from the living and the dead, and find safe places to sleep each night. At times it was real edge of the seat stuff and I was caught up in the survival of this group of people, meaning that the author did a good job of developing these characters to make me want them all to survive. The zombies are also traditional zombies, attracted by noise, movement and blood, which are my favourite kind and I was happy at the amount of different zombie attacks there were. Lovely!
There is an attempt amongst the group to exchange theories about the zombies and how they infect. The debate over bites and blood chemistry was actually quite interesting and the ideas about a possible cure were born which affects the direction that the mission took. I like these additions to the plot.
There were a couple of things that did annoy me though. It starts with a prologue set about 5 days or so after the outbreak and shows a very important piece of plot featuring several characters. I HATE started with what is in effect a spoiler, especially when the book jumps back to then cover every detail of the last five days, rejoining that scene in the prologue and then continuing with the rest of the story from that point on. So why do it? It gives you the death of a character at the very start of the book, then goes back and shows you that person, alive and well! It ruined the story a bit as you knew roughly when this person was going to die. It seemed an odd thing to do and it did nothing for the plot! I really hate it when authors do this. I'd have preferred to just have the story unfold normally, starting with the outbreak.
My second niggle was the love story subplot with Ari and Lila mooning over each other when zombies are all around them. It seems to be an obsession amongst female authors that their zombie books must have a romance in it for some reason. I find it annoying at the best of times. Thankfully it is not graphic and the rest of the writing for me was strong enough to carry the plot and not have it spoiled by a lacklustre love story.
There are a few minor errors where character names have been mixed up which was slightly confusing for a moment but nothing too serious. Mixing up Ari and Derrick is like confusing prawns with chocolate!
I was a little bit miffed by the ending of the book when I realised book 2 follows a totally different set of survivors. So what happens to everyone? Is there another book that joins the survivors of both books or something? Not sure but I certainly want to know what happens to the people.Anyway, I liked this book enough to buy the paperback of it and the follow up book, which should keep me amused until I see if more zombie books from this author are coming!.
October 29, 2014
http://koeur.wordpress.com/2014/10/29...
Publisher: Bonnie Dee
Publishing Date: September 2014 (2010)
ISBN: 9781452447261
Genre: Fantasy/SciFi
Rating: 2.6/5
Publisher Description: Zombies are on the loose and the world comes unraveled. A group of strangers on a Manhattan subway are brought together in the name of survival following the lead of Ari Brenner, a young man who represents authority because of his army uniform. Even though Ari doesn’t feel worthy of their trust, he steps up during the crisis as he’s been trained to do.
Review: Cover art is trippin’ balls.
This was a pretty solid read. The writing was really well done yet the editing for spelling and grammatical, not so good. This was written by an author known for her romance novels aka: frustrated housewife syndrome. The plot involves a kind of “Escape From New York” themed process where a group of people are trying to survive and escape the city island that is covered in zombies.
One reviewer commented that the characters were comprised of the usual zombie fare of : reluctant hero, love interest/care girl, geek, feisty old woman, Dr. Dude, macho guy and lesbian couple. Pretty spot on with quite a few post-apoc genre novels. Ari and Lila spend a lot of time thinking aboutdoing each other. I don’t know if I would be thinking about banging chicks/dudes if zombies were eating faces around me and every second was spent in the adrenal glands. One of the biggest suspensions of belief came in the form of Quantum lab tech dude, Carl, who happens to have been working on the virus serum (which caused the zombie outbreak). The quest soon becomes one of escape and delivering the data on a hard drive.
During what was a good story, there were a plethora of scenes where either Lila’s stomach/loins are doing little flips or she is blushing when she checks out Ari. Ari gets a chubby whenever he’s around her and likewise has somersaulting acrobats in his belly. I get that the author is primarily a romance writer, yet romance at the level presented has no place in post-apoc zombie novels. Maybe a little groping with some quick sex to feel as though they are alive and human but not this drawn out little gurl crushing/boy fumbling. I still had a good time reading this yet it lost a star for the inappropriate mush content and a lack of resolution to the ending.
Publisher: Bonnie Dee
Publishing Date: September 2014 (2010)
ISBN: 9781452447261
Genre: Fantasy/SciFi
Rating: 2.6/5
Publisher Description: Zombies are on the loose and the world comes unraveled. A group of strangers on a Manhattan subway are brought together in the name of survival following the lead of Ari Brenner, a young man who represents authority because of his army uniform. Even though Ari doesn’t feel worthy of their trust, he steps up during the crisis as he’s been trained to do.
Review: Cover art is trippin’ balls.
This was a pretty solid read. The writing was really well done yet the editing for spelling and grammatical, not so good. This was written by an author known for her romance novels aka: frustrated housewife syndrome. The plot involves a kind of “Escape From New York” themed process where a group of people are trying to survive and escape the city island that is covered in zombies.
One reviewer commented that the characters were comprised of the usual zombie fare of : reluctant hero, love interest/care girl, geek, feisty old woman, Dr. Dude, macho guy and lesbian couple. Pretty spot on with quite a few post-apoc genre novels. Ari and Lila spend a lot of time thinking about
During what was a good story, there were a plethora of scenes where either Lila’s stomach/loins are doing little flips or she is blushing when she checks out Ari. Ari gets a chubby whenever he’s around her and likewise has somersaulting acrobats in his belly. I get that the author is primarily a romance writer, yet romance at the level presented has no place in post-apoc zombie novels. Maybe a little groping with some quick sex to feel as though they are alive and human but not this drawn out little gurl crushing/boy fumbling. I still had a good time reading this yet it lost a star for the inappropriate mush content and a lack of resolution to the ending.
January 28, 2011
3.5 stars rather than 4.
**Edit to say that I'd actually grade this higher now that I've sat on it for a while. It's one of the better zombie books out there, IMO. Would safely say a 4 star read for sure.
So this is a tough one to grade. I bought it immediately when I happened across it on Amazon and read a few reviews. Zombie apocalypse? Check. Hints of romance? Check. I am so there.
This read as about 167 pages long on my Nook, and it moved along at a nice pace. Again, it wasn't trying to rewrite the zombie apocalypse, for which I am eternally grateful - it showed the survivors struggling to survive and how hard things were on them. My FAVORITE kind of story, so props to Bonnie Dee for that.
Also? This has an uplifting ending and not the typical zombie screwover, so I was happy with that as well.
Where it loses a lot of points in my book is...and I hate to say it, but it reads like a first draft. There are sloppy sentences, typos aplenty, and the entire time I read, I just kept thinking how great the story would be if it had been cleaned up a bit more. Around page 150 or so, Lila looks at DERRICK and thinks about how awesome he was in bed last night. Derrick is the young boy. Clearly she was supposed to be thinking of Ari (the hero) but this nearly made me fall out of my chair. As typos go, it's an egregious one.
I'd still recommend this if you're into apocalyptic fiction, or if you want something more to read after watching a few episodes of Walking Dead. Just be warned that there's a lot of typos. Still, it was a nifty little read and I enjoyed it. Held my attention the entire time.
**Edit to say that I'd actually grade this higher now that I've sat on it for a while. It's one of the better zombie books out there, IMO. Would safely say a 4 star read for sure.
So this is a tough one to grade. I bought it immediately when I happened across it on Amazon and read a few reviews. Zombie apocalypse? Check. Hints of romance? Check. I am so there.
This read as about 167 pages long on my Nook, and it moved along at a nice pace. Again, it wasn't trying to rewrite the zombie apocalypse, for which I am eternally grateful - it showed the survivors struggling to survive and how hard things were on them. My FAVORITE kind of story, so props to Bonnie Dee for that.
Also? This has an uplifting ending and not the typical zombie screwover, so I was happy with that as well.
Where it loses a lot of points in my book is...and I hate to say it, but it reads like a first draft. There are sloppy sentences, typos aplenty, and the entire time I read, I just kept thinking how great the story would be if it had been cleaned up a bit more. Around page 150 or so, Lila looks at DERRICK and thinks about how awesome he was in bed last night. Derrick is the young boy. Clearly she was supposed to be thinking of Ari (the hero) but this nearly made me fall out of my chair. As typos go, it's an egregious one.
I'd still recommend this if you're into apocalyptic fiction, or if you want something more to read after watching a few episodes of Walking Dead. Just be warned that there's a lot of typos. Still, it was a nifty little read and I enjoyed it. Held my attention the entire time.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 1, 2012
Must re-read for review. Really enjoyed this one.
August 19, 2022
It felt unfinished and ended abruptly.
October 20, 2014
Wow. I really wasn't expecting a lot when I requested to review this book. I had never heard of the author and it was listed as a zombie romance type, (romance during the apocalypse not zombies in love - there would be a book: "oh I love you so much because you are so smart. Just let me have one taste of your brains. I promise I'll still love you in the morning and I will stop if you say to." Haha). So I was really surprised to find that I really enjoyed it. Yes the editing could have been better but quite honestly I have read some books lately by the big names and guess what? The editing could have been better. I don't know what is going on with that but it seems to be the start of an issue that is no longer limited to self publishing. I did not find the editing mistakes in this book to hamper my enjoyment of the book. The book is pretty much basic zombie fare - the hero, the female who starts out weak but turns out strong, the ditz, the geek, the guy with the antidote who needs to be kept safe,the older wealthy female, the strong black female and the lesbian couple. The author added in a couple of children, one teen and one younger. I thought she did a good job with getting me to care about the characters. I like the way she pulled them together to help each other but also wasn't afraid to tear them apart. This book delves into the thoughts of our hero. We see the way he is thinking and feeling. I like that the author made him a human hero. He has bad thoughts. He has realistic thoughts. He has tired thoughts and he has typical sexual thoughts. I know a lot of people think sex isn't going to happen in a zombie outbreak, (unless it is rape - which seems to be expected), but the reality is it will. People are people. Attractions will be there and sexual release will happen. I thought Bonnie Dee did a good job with the people she chose as the romantic interests. The timing of the unfolding was paced well. It is a z outbreak. Things happen fast because death is waiting. There is also plenty of action. The zombies were a bit different in that they seem smarter than usual. Also they do decompose. That was a huge change. I think that, along with the psychological aspect, makes this a book that could go to series very easily. The author has a good grip on what changes the survivors are going through mentally. The ending of the book had me on edge and still does. I want to know more. I want to find out what happens next for the survivors. I want to know ...well, I don't want to give spoilers, so, I just want to know. Check it out. It is on the intense side but also has it's moments of humor and hope. I am looking forward to reading other books by this author.
* I received a copy of the Kindle version of this book for review purposes. All opinions and thoughts are my honest feelings about the book. *
* I received a copy of the Kindle version of this book for review purposes. All opinions and thoughts are my honest feelings about the book. *
January 15, 2012
I decided to pick up a zombie apocalypse romance because I really needed a huge departure from the last book I read which was just plain awful and zombies munching on people will definitely wipe that memory away!
I have read quite a few dystopians/apocalyptic zombie set books and I have to say I really am glad I picked this book up because it was def one of the best. I really like the focus on the characters instead of the outside mayhem of zombies on the rampage. Although there was plenty of that, but you really get a sense of characterisation which was really developed on the group of survivors trying to cope and survive in the immediate aftermath. I also loved the fact the main hero and leader of the group Ari, who was young and wasn't that experienced although was fresh out of training camp in the arm and that added a fresh take or his heroine who was a university student. I also liked the romance was subtle and the focus was really on the action and the relationships between the survivors. In a lot of ways this feels like a reading a zombie movie, but with all the good bits instead of the bad ones.
There were flaws though, there was definitely a few typos and grammatical mistakes, which in one instance threw me off the scene because I got confused to which character was being left behind at a tense moment. But overall, this was a tense and tightly paced zombie apocalyptic tale which I really enjoyed. I even loved the ending, which although has an open end and there is still questions, it does have a hopeful tone.
I have read quite a few dystopians/apocalyptic zombie set books and I have to say I really am glad I picked this book up because it was def one of the best. I really like the focus on the characters instead of the outside mayhem of zombies on the rampage. Although there was plenty of that, but you really get a sense of characterisation which was really developed on the group of survivors trying to cope and survive in the immediate aftermath. I also loved the fact the main hero and leader of the group Ari, who was young and wasn't that experienced although was fresh out of training camp in the arm and that added a fresh take or his heroine who was a university student. I also liked the romance was subtle and the focus was really on the action and the relationships between the survivors. In a lot of ways this feels like a reading a zombie movie, but with all the good bits instead of the bad ones.
There were flaws though, there was definitely a few typos and grammatical mistakes, which in one instance threw me off the scene because I got confused to which character was being left behind at a tense moment. But overall, this was a tense and tightly paced zombie apocalyptic tale which I really enjoyed. I even loved the ending, which although has an open end and there is still questions, it does have a hopeful tone.
December 4, 2014
This was pretty good! I love zombie books best when they're on the move and trying to survive vs being holed up somewhere. Ari & Lila were awesome leads and the side characters were great too. Even this is a series the next book is about a different group of survivors. There were some things that weren't closed down all of the way, which annoyed me some. I think zombie lovers would enjoy this book. And it just hit the spot for me since there's no Walking Dead until February :(
March 22, 2013
A good zombie book. The zombies are not your typical zombies - they seem slightly faster and are able to manipulate objects better. They open car doors, for example.
Zombie books almost are always about the people and I found the characters interesting but still a bit under-developed.
All in all, a good read and a good zombie tale. I look forward to reading the next one in the series.
Zombie books almost are always about the people and I found the characters interesting but still a bit under-developed.
All in all, a good read and a good zombie tale. I look forward to reading the next one in the series.
June 15, 2015
After the End is a zombie novel.
Ari and Lila are on a subway when the apocalypse begins. They and a small group of people escape, looking to Ari to be their leader.
Lots of violence, multiple times where the author resorts to convenient plot devices and too many miraculous escapes, but this is three hours of interesting reading.
Ari and Lila are on a subway when the apocalypse begins. They and a small group of people escape, looking to Ari to be their leader.
Lots of violence, multiple times where the author resorts to convenient plot devices and too many miraculous escapes, but this is three hours of interesting reading.
May 25, 2017
3.5 just OK Stars
This felt just like a standard zombie apocalypse story. I wanted a bit more originality and more character development. These people just felt like caricatures of typical humans...one army guy, one black lesbian, one doctor, one hispanic, one older lady, one chunky lady with a baby...it was like a checklist.
This felt just like a standard zombie apocalypse story. I wanted a bit more originality and more character development. These people just felt like caricatures of typical humans...one army guy, one black lesbian, one doctor, one hispanic, one older lady, one chunky lady with a baby...it was like a checklist.
Want to read
November 1, 2012ZOMBIIIIEEEEESSSSS!! RaWR!! I need to eat braaaaaains!
Want to read
February 18, 2013Well, this seems interesting. I had no idea Bonnie Dee wrote Sci Fi.
November 9, 2014
[Full disclosure: I requested and received a free ebook through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.]
It’s actually kind of funny that I found this book on NetGalley because 3-4 years ago I read an excerpt from the original version. The voice of the author was so unique that even though I didn’t have money to buy it at the time, it’s been on my list for a while. So when I saw a chance to read the whole book (a new revised edition, mind you), I leaped at the chance.
First off, Bonnie Dee’s zombies are not your typical zombies. They’re a little smarter and are surprisingly strong, but what really stood out for me was how you kill them. Just disabling their brain doesn’t work; you have to go for their spinal column to get to their so-called ‘primitive’ or reptilian brain that drives them. So having a bunch of guns and some sharpshooters isn’t necessarily going to save your butt this time like in so many zombie books. They’re also a little smarter and some of them are quite strong, so you’ve got the makings of a perfectly terrifying apocalyptic scenario.
So while the zombies and general world-building was good, my relationship with the characters was so-so at best. Ari and Lila were both very good, solid characters with lots of development. Ari has to fit into his unasked for leadership role as the only man with military training around and Lila has to reconcile the new everyday violence with her pacifist tendencies. If they don’t succeed in changing, they’re all going to die. There’s a definite romantic element to the plot as Ari and Lila become close, but it’s not always the main focus. The main focus is survival.
That was the really good part of the characterization. The bad part is that for her secondary characters, Bonnie Dee tends to use stereotypes. The pampered model, the cute and helpless kid, the scientist with the cure, the disgruntled teenager, etc. I would have liked her to flesh out her secondary characters a whole lot more, but she never really did. There was so much potential with many of these characters that was never lived up to, so in a way the characterization was rather disappointing when you compare it to that of the two main characters.
However, the plot is incredibly fast-paced. Bonnie Dee grabs you into her story and doesn’t let you go until you’re done reading. There’s a constant undercurrent of tension from the very real threat of the zombies as well as the many interpersonal conflicts that crop up in a diverse group of survivors. She has an excellent writing style that describes things in detail without ever really letting go of the fast pace. Thankfully, there was no middle sag in this book either as Ari’s group got their footing. It’s fast-paced pretty much all the time, which is what you really want in a post-apocalyptic novel.
So overall, I was pretty happy with how After the End turned out. The main characters were good, the zombies were terrifying and new and the plot was insanely fast-paced. The only real letdown was the secondary characters, which could have had so much more depth and added so much more to the story.
I give this book 4/5 stars.
It’s actually kind of funny that I found this book on NetGalley because 3-4 years ago I read an excerpt from the original version. The voice of the author was so unique that even though I didn’t have money to buy it at the time, it’s been on my list for a while. So when I saw a chance to read the whole book (a new revised edition, mind you), I leaped at the chance.
First off, Bonnie Dee’s zombies are not your typical zombies. They’re a little smarter and are surprisingly strong, but what really stood out for me was how you kill them. Just disabling their brain doesn’t work; you have to go for their spinal column to get to their so-called ‘primitive’ or reptilian brain that drives them. So having a bunch of guns and some sharpshooters isn’t necessarily going to save your butt this time like in so many zombie books. They’re also a little smarter and some of them are quite strong, so you’ve got the makings of a perfectly terrifying apocalyptic scenario.
So while the zombies and general world-building was good, my relationship with the characters was so-so at best. Ari and Lila were both very good, solid characters with lots of development. Ari has to fit into his unasked for leadership role as the only man with military training around and Lila has to reconcile the new everyday violence with her pacifist tendencies. If they don’t succeed in changing, they’re all going to die. There’s a definite romantic element to the plot as Ari and Lila become close, but it’s not always the main focus. The main focus is survival.
That was the really good part of the characterization. The bad part is that for her secondary characters, Bonnie Dee tends to use stereotypes. The pampered model, the cute and helpless kid, the scientist with the cure, the disgruntled teenager, etc. I would have liked her to flesh out her secondary characters a whole lot more, but she never really did. There was so much potential with many of these characters that was never lived up to, so in a way the characterization was rather disappointing when you compare it to that of the two main characters.
However, the plot is incredibly fast-paced. Bonnie Dee grabs you into her story and doesn’t let you go until you’re done reading. There’s a constant undercurrent of tension from the very real threat of the zombies as well as the many interpersonal conflicts that crop up in a diverse group of survivors. She has an excellent writing style that describes things in detail without ever really letting go of the fast pace. Thankfully, there was no middle sag in this book either as Ari’s group got their footing. It’s fast-paced pretty much all the time, which is what you really want in a post-apocalyptic novel.
So overall, I was pretty happy with how After the End turned out. The main characters were good, the zombies were terrifying and new and the plot was insanely fast-paced. The only real letdown was the secondary characters, which could have had so much more depth and added so much more to the story.
I give this book 4/5 stars.
January 8, 2015
Ari just returned home on leave after completing basic training in the military when his ride on the subway was cut short. Lila is on that same subway ride after a day of college classes, when everything went to hell. Ari ends up leading a small group of people, including Lila, during what seems to be a zombie outbreak and the end of the world as we know it. It is uncertain who will survive.
I love myself a good zombie/end of the world story, and for the most part, that is what I got. Zombies plus a hint of romance? Um, yes please! I enjoyed the book and the fast paced action that occurred here. The book takes place over the course of just a few days, where we can see the world unravel around the two main characters. Strangers who would never have paid the other attention are now fighting together for survival, and creating stronger bonds than what had ever existed before.
Ari does not want to be in charge, and is much more comfortable to take orders after his military training, but he steps up to save people who would die without him. There were so many chances for him to fulfill his own needs or safety, but he stays strong to be the person everyone counts on. When the world ends, I really hope that I have an Ari nearby. He has the best gut instincts and the training needed to make him an asset and the compassion to make him a leader. I liked how he revamped his views on attractiveness, learning that during survival times, a calm head and intellect surpasses curves and flirts.
Lila is the complete opposite of Ari in most ways, being an educated and very liberal person who despises the war and idea of soldiers. Yet she too needs Ari to survive, which causes her to change her views on training and death. She finds herself becoming more and more attracted to Ari as they encounter more hardships together, realizing she needs him to be happy more than just survive.
I really liked the secondary cast of characters as well, each with distinctive personalities and hopes that the author makes feel so real. I wanted to see everyone survive this disaster, yet that is not what happened. Everyone was fair game and anyone could be left behind. There was no happy ending here for any character, more of an unknown or death.
I really enjoyed reading this book, from the beginning all the way to the end. I was a little sad at the very end, because I wanted more story, like an epilogue or a sequel, because they way things are left, some people have the potential to die and I want it resolved! So maybe I am greedy, because really the ending worked with the fast paced, no real answer plot. Everything was up in the air throughout the book, so it makes since that was how it ended also. I saw that there will be a second book, but not the same characters just the same zombie outbreak. I have read other books by this author and I think this is my favorite, but I may be biased since the subject matter. I will definitely read more from her in the future.
I received this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.
I love myself a good zombie/end of the world story, and for the most part, that is what I got. Zombies plus a hint of romance? Um, yes please! I enjoyed the book and the fast paced action that occurred here. The book takes place over the course of just a few days, where we can see the world unravel around the two main characters. Strangers who would never have paid the other attention are now fighting together for survival, and creating stronger bonds than what had ever existed before.
Ari does not want to be in charge, and is much more comfortable to take orders after his military training, but he steps up to save people who would die without him. There were so many chances for him to fulfill his own needs or safety, but he stays strong to be the person everyone counts on. When the world ends, I really hope that I have an Ari nearby. He has the best gut instincts and the training needed to make him an asset and the compassion to make him a leader. I liked how he revamped his views on attractiveness, learning that during survival times, a calm head and intellect surpasses curves and flirts.
Lila is the complete opposite of Ari in most ways, being an educated and very liberal person who despises the war and idea of soldiers. Yet she too needs Ari to survive, which causes her to change her views on training and death. She finds herself becoming more and more attracted to Ari as they encounter more hardships together, realizing she needs him to be happy more than just survive.
I really liked the secondary cast of characters as well, each with distinctive personalities and hopes that the author makes feel so real. I wanted to see everyone survive this disaster, yet that is not what happened. Everyone was fair game and anyone could be left behind. There was no happy ending here for any character, more of an unknown or death.
I really enjoyed reading this book, from the beginning all the way to the end. I was a little sad at the very end, because I wanted more story, like an epilogue or a sequel, because they way things are left, some people have the potential to die and I want it resolved! So maybe I am greedy, because really the ending worked with the fast paced, no real answer plot. Everything was up in the air throughout the book, so it makes since that was how it ended also. I saw that there will be a second book, but not the same characters just the same zombie outbreak. I have read other books by this author and I think this is my favorite, but I may be biased since the subject matter. I will definitely read more from her in the future.
I received this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.
October 23, 2014
In After the End we follow a group of people who are trying to survive in a world that is suddenly filled with zombies. The focus is mainly on Ari Brenner and Lila Teske and their budding relationship as they fight for their lives when the world is now run over by zombies.
After the End is not the most original story out there. A group of people are thrown together by fate and have to stick together to survive. Some of them die, some of them survive. Pretty standard stuff. However, the focus is not on the story but on the characters and how they come to terms with the drastic changes in the world.
I loved that every character was well developed and no one was perfect. Bonnie Dee succeeded in making every emotion and every struggle feel real. There’s also a bit of romance mixed in the zombie apocalypse, and even that part felt natural and completely believable.
And the zombies! They were not your regular zombies. A shot to the head? Not enough to kill one. You have to put a little work in and make sure the spinal cord is severed from the brain. Not an easy task, especially not when the zombies are also fast and smart when it comes to finding and getting their food.
All in all it was a decent read and I enjoyed it. Fast-paced, enough action, death, destruction and gore, but also plenty of emotions, romance, and even some humour. Definitely recommendable.
I received this book for free through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
After the End is not the most original story out there. A group of people are thrown together by fate and have to stick together to survive. Some of them die, some of them survive. Pretty standard stuff. However, the focus is not on the story but on the characters and how they come to terms with the drastic changes in the world.
I loved that every character was well developed and no one was perfect. Bonnie Dee succeeded in making every emotion and every struggle feel real. There’s also a bit of romance mixed in the zombie apocalypse, and even that part felt natural and completely believable.
And the zombies! They were not your regular zombies. A shot to the head? Not enough to kill one. You have to put a little work in and make sure the spinal cord is severed from the brain. Not an easy task, especially not when the zombies are also fast and smart when it comes to finding and getting their food.
All in all it was a decent read and I enjoyed it. Fast-paced, enough action, death, destruction and gore, but also plenty of emotions, romance, and even some humour. Definitely recommendable.
I received this book for free through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
October 15, 2014
I read this book a few years ago, but a newly revised and edited version has recently been released. Even the original version was good, though.
It starts with the outbreak and a group of strangers banding together in the middle of New York. Any time a diverse group of people get together like this, you know it’s going to be good. With the setting and the confusion, and the group struggling to work together while the world falls down around them, the beginning of the book had a vibe that reminded me a lot of The Stand. One of my favorite books. I loved that the people butted heads, made poor choices and didn’t always make it out alive, and I loved that there was a bit of romance thrown into the story. Any zombie tale is good, but I always feel like there needs to be a love story of some kind thrown in so the reader can find some hope in all the chaos. To be honest, this book was exactly like something I would write, which is probably why I loved it so much. (Although I read it back before I even started writing.) I would say that my only major complaint about this book was the end. It leaves you wanting a second story, but none has been published. (Book 2 in this series has unrelated characters.) I’m hoping since the first book has been revisited by the author, she will take pity on her readers and fill us in on what happens next. I would gladly pick up another zombie book written by Bonnie Dee.
It starts with the outbreak and a group of strangers banding together in the middle of New York. Any time a diverse group of people get together like this, you know it’s going to be good. With the setting and the confusion, and the group struggling to work together while the world falls down around them, the beginning of the book had a vibe that reminded me a lot of The Stand. One of my favorite books. I loved that the people butted heads, made poor choices and didn’t always make it out alive, and I loved that there was a bit of romance thrown into the story. Any zombie tale is good, but I always feel like there needs to be a love story of some kind thrown in so the reader can find some hope in all the chaos. To be honest, this book was exactly like something I would write, which is probably why I loved it so much. (Although I read it back before I even started writing.) I would say that my only major complaint about this book was the end. It leaves you wanting a second story, but none has been published. (Book 2 in this series has unrelated characters.) I’m hoping since the first book has been revisited by the author, she will take pity on her readers and fill us in on what happens next. I would gladly pick up another zombie book written by Bonnie Dee.
May 8, 2015
Reviews of a Fear Street Zombie
Apocalypse!!! Zombies!!! Yaaaaaay!!
I hate leaving negative feedback but this book was so disappointing.
You would think with it being about zombies and the apocalypse, it would make you want to read it all in one setting and just devour it.
Wrong. So wrong.
Forget NyQuil or any other sleep medication, just read this book. It's a snooze-fest.
Go ahead and read this book in bed, you'll be out like a light in probably 10 minutes or less.
My only question is HOW can a action packed book be so boring!?
I just don't understand.
Action. Packed.
I just.
I feel like this book has sucked the life out of me
September 6, 2016
This book was awesome. The book that I read was After the end by Bonnie Dee. The genre of this book is fiction. This book was about the zombie apocalypse. There is a group of people that have never met before but while this is going on they are a family. There are many main characters such as Lila, Ari, Derick, Ronnie, Mrs. Schniter, Anne, Deb, Hector, Carl, Julia, Doug, Gloria, Ian, Sondra, Joe, Marsh, and Streeter. There are so many main characters because they are the people in the group and the book just revolves around the group. The leader of this group is Ari. The setting of this book is in New York. The conflict of the book is to stay alive in the zombie apocalypse. I really liked the book because it kept you interested during the whole book. The positive aspects of the book was that it never stopped being interested. The negative aspects of the book was that it was to short and it had a cliffhanger. If you like fiction and survival books this would be for you. Also if you like short book like 226 pages this book would be recommended for you. The book met my expectations because it was just like I imagined it to be. I really liked the book and I rated it 5 stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 16, 2018
If you like zombie books you could do worse. It's not a hugely original story, but it's not bad and it seems like someone actually bothered to proofread the book, which isn't always the case with this sort of thing. The story is a bit let down by the slightly clichéd characters and the slightly annoying romance subplot, but it's pretty enjoyable overall.
Basically, a diverse group of people of various ethnicities, ages, backgrounds, genders and sexual orientations find themselves on the subway in Manhattan when the zombie apocalypse begins. Cue a moderate amount of people being eaten, and a lot of flirting between two of the main characters. That's basically it, but it's better than it sounds.
Basically, a diverse group of people of various ethnicities, ages, backgrounds, genders and sexual orientations find themselves on the subway in Manhattan when the zombie apocalypse begins. Cue a moderate amount of people being eaten, and a lot of flirting between two of the main characters. That's basically it, but it's better than it sounds.
June 3, 2018
It's always a surprise when I find a cheap zombie book that's actually good.
The characters were decently fleshed out, with not everyone a standard trope. The plot was good. I had a few problems with the book - - but not enough to detract from the rest.
The characters were decently fleshed out, with not everyone a standard trope. The plot was good. I had a few problems with the book - - but not enough to detract from the rest.
August 3, 2017
Bonnie Dee is a new Author to me. After the end was an excellent read with lots of action yo keep you turning each page. I really dont know how i feel about the ending but I can live with it.
REVIEW by
Untold thoughts book blog
REVIEW by
Untold thoughts book blog
September 3, 2022
This was one of the best zombie apocalypse stories I've read in a long time. I really enjoyed it. At times, when I wanted to read only one chapter, I had to keep going to the next because the previous chapter ended on a cliffhanger. Very good. Good story and good characters. Nice job, Bonnie. I look forward to reading the next one. Thank you for this story.
June 7, 2019
A good book
Excellent writing, a good plot with interesting characters.i would just like to see better proof readings. This is becoming a common problem.
Excellent writing, a good plot with interesting characters.i would just like to see better proof readings. This is becoming a common problem.
November 21, 2014
(Review thanks to a free digital ARC from NetGalley)
Ari and Lila are on a subway in New York City going their separate ways, following different paths of life. Suddenly, the subway makes an abrupt stop and nobody knows what is going on. Then, they hear people screaming and soon see people scrambling to run for safety. Before long, they realize that humans have become zombies and are searching for their next meal. Ari and Lila's intertwine, among with other survivors of the subway, and together, they try to survive this zombie invasion and search for a safe place.
This book was certainly nothing new. It is pretty common to have post-apocolyptic novels that involve zombies and people banding together in order to survive. Pretty generic story line; it does not bring anything new to the table. It is something that other authors have tried before and in some ways. the outcome is pretty predictable.
The characters were fine. They provided what they could given the story line. Ari and Lila are definitely characters that I did not enjoy reading about. Ari is the macho-type guy who is automatically put in charge because he exemplifies leadership skills. It also helps that at the time of the crisis, he was in his army uniform. But he tries again and again to be not considered the leader; he would much rather have someone else do it. Lila, on the other hand, was a very bland character to me. She was portrayed as begin a deep person, but I did not see that. Bring these two characters together and all we get is this sexual tension and attraction that takes over and that is all you read about when they are being chased away by zombies. I would much rather have had this story told from a different character's perspective, especially since it changes from Ari and Lila every chapter.
Because of all the flirting that goes on between Ari and Lila, we don't really get some kind of backstory as to what may have caused people to transform into zombies. We are given a vague indication of it but not much expansion on the theory. That could also be because the story is rather short but I feel it is an element that would have have been nice to expand on.
Overall, this felt more like a romance novel with a mix of zombies rather than a post-apocolyptic zombie novel with a sprinkle of romance.
Ari and Lila are on a subway in New York City going their separate ways, following different paths of life. Suddenly, the subway makes an abrupt stop and nobody knows what is going on. Then, they hear people screaming and soon see people scrambling to run for safety. Before long, they realize that humans have become zombies and are searching for their next meal. Ari and Lila's intertwine, among with other survivors of the subway, and together, they try to survive this zombie invasion and search for a safe place.
This book was certainly nothing new. It is pretty common to have post-apocolyptic novels that involve zombies and people banding together in order to survive. Pretty generic story line; it does not bring anything new to the table. It is something that other authors have tried before and in some ways. the outcome is pretty predictable.
The characters were fine. They provided what they could given the story line. Ari and Lila are definitely characters that I did not enjoy reading about. Ari is the macho-type guy who is automatically put in charge because he exemplifies leadership skills. It also helps that at the time of the crisis, he was in his army uniform. But he tries again and again to be not considered the leader; he would much rather have someone else do it. Lila, on the other hand, was a very bland character to me. She was portrayed as begin a deep person, but I did not see that. Bring these two characters together and all we get is this sexual tension and attraction that takes over and that is all you read about when they are being chased away by zombies. I would much rather have had this story told from a different character's perspective, especially since it changes from Ari and Lila every chapter.
Because of all the flirting that goes on between Ari and Lila, we don't really get some kind of backstory as to what may have caused people to transform into zombies. We are given a vague indication of it but not much expansion on the theory. That could also be because the story is rather short but I feel it is an element that would have have been nice to expand on.
Overall, this felt more like a romance novel with a mix of zombies rather than a post-apocolyptic zombie novel with a sprinkle of romance.
November 19, 2014
I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
My main reaction to this was just "eh." It was a quick read and some parts of it were a unique twist on the zombie genre. However, the book was just unrealistic (yes, even zombie novels can be unrealistic), as several things happened that were unbelievable such as .
The supporting characters were also lacking - characters were often introduced and exited several pages later never to be heard about again. The supporting characters that were in the book for longer periods of time were extremely one-dimensional - a teenage computer geek, a dumb/flirty model, a gruff lesbian .... sigh.
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Also, there was a romantic subplot that I really could have done without.
Most frustratingly, the ending was really unsatisfying - an ambiguous ending doesn't have to feel like a let-down, and this ending did. I didn't feel like the characters had really grown at all (unless you count Lila killing zombies despite being interested in philosophy and taking comparative religion courses...).
People who like horror-lite novels might enjoy this, but I like my zombies with a little more ... bite.
My main reaction to this was just "eh." It was a quick read and some parts of it were a unique twist on the zombie genre. However, the book was just unrealistic (yes, even zombie novels can be unrealistic), as several things happened that were unbelievable such as .
The supporting characters were also lacking - characters were often introduced and exited several pages later never to be heard about again. The supporting characters that were in the book for longer periods of time were extremely one-dimensional - a teenage computer geek, a dumb/flirty model, a gruff lesbian .... sigh.
d in
Also, there was a romantic subplot that I really could have done without.
Most frustratingly, the ending was really unsatisfying - an ambiguous ending doesn't have to feel like a let-down, and this ending did. I didn't feel like the characters had really grown at all (unless you count Lila killing zombies despite being interested in philosophy and taking comparative religion courses...).
People who like horror-lite novels might enjoy this, but I like my zombies with a little more ... bite.
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