This first book in the series follows the different characters as they witness the start of a zombie outbreak in Portland, Oregon. It’s not giving too much away to say it becomes apparent as the book goes on, this is a worldwide outbreak. Zombie outbreaks usually are.
The main premise of this book is showing the way society breaks down as the outbreak spreads. While some books cover this, it’s often only a few chapters at the most. Here, Jacy Morris takes the reader on a more detailed journey, showing the outbreak unfold, alongside people carrying on (or trying to carry on) with normal life, until it becomes apparent everything is falling apart around them. Seeing the way the characters transition kept me listening to this audiobook. Some handled it better than others, and as you would expect, some used the situation to their advantage. I enjoyed this book because, as much as I love the gore and zombies (which this book also has) I like seeing how people react when society breaks down, from the safety and comfort of my armchair.
In parts of this, I was reminded of Stephen King’s writing style. This book wouldn’t look out of place with his name on the cover. That’s mostly a compliment, because Mr King is a genius. One bad habit Morris has picked up is the similar style he uses to write women. I wouldn’t say it was overly evident in his work, but there were some light undertones of women written badly, which could have been improved simply by speaking to a few female friends and relatives.
Overall, I loved the book and will probably read the rest of this series when I’ve caught up with some of my reading list.
Review by Amanda Steel
Jacy Morris Website
Amanda Steel is the co-host of Reading in Bed on Anchor, and the author of Ghost of Me, which was a top 10 finalist in the 2020 Author Elite Awards.