Review: How it all would start
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 04 6, 2014
Most zombie tales are told from the perspectives of everyday people and you never have any idea how the zombie virus actually started. Here, everything starts at the CDC and a clandestine government agency. How the virus comes into existence is actually the focus of the story. Once things get out of control – and of course they do – THEN you meet ordinary people who have to survive in the chaos that follows.I really enjoyed the more scientific approach this book took. I believed that the author had done adequate research.  Also, there were early questions of right and wrong and the moral complexities that would be involved here, adding some thoughtfulness without being too weighty.  And it was a relief to be able to relate to the characters of Simon, Gary, and Natalie especially.  The fact that the book is broken up by chapters with the “bad guy’s” perspective is interesting too, and these parts kept the tension going while also giving the reader insight the “good guys” didn’t have as they tried to stop the spread of the virus.There were a few scenes that felt a bit forced, such as when Simon and Gary encounter rednecks and Simon kills them…which just kind of happens and they never look back.  Also, the long ago college love-triangle element I didn’t think needed to be there at all, and sudden discussions about it in the midst of serious situations didn’t fit very well.BUT, overall, I liked the pacing, the character development, and the way the story unfolded.  The zombies were believable without being outlandish, and the gore elements were humanized so that this wasn’t just some fun romp of killing the undead.