Review: Some Rough Patches Yet Overall a Good Series
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 01 13, 2014
This is a compilation edition of the Ward Z series, parts 1-8.I have chosen to review/rate this book, episode by episode.I would like to add one personal note before I begin this review. Due to the fact that this series is set on a Cancer ward, and the characters are dealing with death and loss, I found myself stopping and starting this book a couple times. Yet, I found that the emotions and complications of terminal Cancer, desperation of trial treatments, and doctors whom seemed a bit too coldblooded were appropriately explored in this series. In short, this wasn’t just a zombie book.Infection (Ward Z 1.1) 3 Stars.(solid beginning, interesting plot line, good world building)This episode starts with a bang, five years prior to the outbreak. Much of this (and the second) episode is spent world/and character building. At times I got confused with the introduction of so many characters. I ended up resorting to note taking in order to keep track of who was whom.The episode (story) is told in alternating first person perspective. Which again was a bit confusing in the beginning to get used to but I felt it added a lot to defining (building up) the characters.While I can’t say as I ‘liked’ many of the characters in this book until the last pages, they are richly developed, complex individuals who grow/evolve as the series progresses.Death's Head (Ward Z 1.2) 3 stars (Gripping mystery, solid character building, strong emotional intensity )Most of this episode revolved around Dr. Dominique Ribery, Dr. Andrew Page and the patient Cally Briggs. We get to see what makes them tick, learning a bit about their individual back stories.This is also where I decided that I despised all three characters. I found myself questioning why I was reading the story because it clearly wasn’t about the characters (at this point). But the mysterious form of Cancer had my interest peaked so I moved forward in the story.The Carrier (Ward Z 1.3) Four stars (solid pace, good plot progression)Episode 2 left us in a bit of a cliffhanger, so I was biting at the bit to get back to what was happening. I was frustrated that this episode started with a flashback. It is an important flashback which helps to explain the tension in the mother/daughter relationship, but I felt that it was in the wrong place. The Ward had just been quarantined by the military!That being said, this episode is one where the story begins to look more like a zombie story. This episode read pretty quickly as it is filled with some decent action scenes.Passing Through (Ward Z 1.4) 4 stars (Strong emotional pull, intriguing mystery, great character exploration.)This episode balances the plot by developing compassion for the patients as they struggle to deal with the aftermath of their cancers while also building up the ‘villains’ (doctors/military) in the action-suspense elements of the story.At this point I truly hated Dr., Page, Dr. Gerrold and Lincoln! I wasn’t too impressed with Cally, but had bonded to Emma and found June amusing.Leviathan (Ward Z 1.5) 4.5 stars (highly suspenseful)This episode starts off with a closer look at Dr. Page in a sort of ‘sympathy for the devil’ approach, then flips back onto the ward as we watch the virus and the panic spread.In an attempt to avoid spoilers, I will simplify my thoughts to say that: I enjoyed the action inside this episode. At this point in the story I was totally hooked.The only thing that kept me from giving this 5 stars was the awkward flashback. I am so not a fan of the disruption in the story flow that they cause.Dreadnought (Ward Z 1.6) 5 stars Loved it!This episode is almost 100% zombie-combat action. The conditions on the ward are intense and the characters are totally freaking out!Even though there is that one flashback at the end, I gave this episode 5 stars for the intensity of the action.Trojan (Ward Z 1.7) 5 Stars (Lots of twists, and one big surprise!)Episode 7 starts off reintroducing us to a young army soldier simply known as Colin. The story then slides back onto the ward where we find out that all hell has broke out and the military has made its decision regarding the fate of those on Ward Z.Dr. Page has made more interesting findings regarding the virus. An additional twist is revealed regarding the patient Cally Briggs.I found my mind swimming to keep up with the changes in this episode. Every time I thought they had learned something and things were going to be OK, the situation flipped.Evolution (Ward Z 1.8)The first paragraph of this episode made me cringe. I don’t think I could do what Dr. Page did.So here in this final episode we have all those loose ends starting to dovetail. Each of those annoying flashbacks prove to be of value as they play part in wrapping up this book.As I am trying to avoid spoilers, I will keep my comments as brief as possible.While I liked the ending, it left us in a place where this story could easily expand into a second season. If there is a second season, I would love to read it.As the books description clearly states, it is best to read this series in order. Also, due to the gore in this series, it is not appropriate for young or sensitive readers.Other than those two precautions, I highly recommend this series to Horror - zombie readers.