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End Times #1
Rise of the Undead
New Year's Day: midsummer in Australia. In Perth, twin brothers Aaron and Matt have graduated high school and are enjoying their last few months of summer holidays before adulthood - while on the other side of the country, something has fallen from the sky, heralding the dawn of a new age.
As a terrifying plague spreads across Australia and the world, Aaron and Matt find themselves scrambling to survive, fleeing the city, refugees in their own country. Tormented by strange dreams and beset by violence, they must struggle to find the remnants of their family and survive the Rise of the Undead.
As a terrifying plague spreads across Australia and the world, Aaron and Matt find themselves scrambling to survive, fleeing the city, refugees in their own country. Tormented by strange dreams and beset by violence, they must struggle to find the remnants of their family and survive the Rise of the Undead.
282 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 1, 2017
254 people are currently reading
299 people want to read
About the author
Shane Carrow
17Ìýbooks80ÌýfollowersShane Carrow is an Australian writer of science fiction, horror and fantasy. Born and raised in Western Australia, he now lives in Melbourne.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
June 9, 2018
Would have been a 3*, but the overly melodramatic, pat ending took away most of my good will.
September 21, 2021
I’ve been reading a few zombie books for a while, and the apocalyptic types where everything goes to hell (slowly or not depending on how fast your zombies are) are basically the same. Shit goes down, people need to run and our narrator has it rough and either lives or not. This was the same in that regard, but I liked the raw emotions of our main protagonist, teenager Aaron. He’s keeping a diary, because that was his New Year’s resolution and in the first weeks of January something odd starts happening, by the end of the month we’re already full down on the zombie apocalypse and Aaron and his brother have to get away because they have no more food or water and so their journey through Australia begins.
They go through hardships, they see tons of people die and make it to the ultimate refugee camp. Nothing new, right? What I loved about this wasn’t the new stuff, it was how the teen was living the apocalypse, how he kept thinking how quickly things can go down, how quickly you can dismantle a society and what ultimately you as a human being are capable of due to the intensity of emotions and adrenaline going nuts. Truth be told, I actually got more scared of the humans than the zombies, this felt like ‘Black Summer� but in book form. Yeah the zombies are bad, no they’re not terribly fast but they’re relentless and they do eat you, but they’re mindless zombies. They don’t know what they’re doing. Humans on the other hand are actively choosing to be bad to others, to throw them at the zombies so they can escape, to rob others and not caring if everyone else dies, to even kill them to get their stuff� worse of it all is that you understand it, you know you might end doing the same if you had to kick in those survival instincts. And Aaron knows it, he hates watching it, but he understands and it kinda mines him little by little, it kills his trust in others, in himself even. He’s always jumpy and scared, he’s not sleeping� so the eventual spiral down towards the end just had to happen.
There is tons of drama, I wouldn’t have expected anything else from a 17 year old who had everything and suddenly had nothing, so I think this will be either a hit or miss with people. Personally, I loved it. Gave me chills, and made me think we’re screwed if we ever do get a zombie apocalypse.
They go through hardships, they see tons of people die and make it to the ultimate refugee camp. Nothing new, right? What I loved about this wasn’t the new stuff, it was how the teen was living the apocalypse, how he kept thinking how quickly things can go down, how quickly you can dismantle a society and what ultimately you as a human being are capable of due to the intensity of emotions and adrenaline going nuts. Truth be told, I actually got more scared of the humans than the zombies, this felt like ‘Black Summer� but in book form. Yeah the zombies are bad, no they’re not terribly fast but they’re relentless and they do eat you, but they’re mindless zombies. They don’t know what they’re doing. Humans on the other hand are actively choosing to be bad to others, to throw them at the zombies so they can escape, to rob others and not caring if everyone else dies, to even kill them to get their stuff� worse of it all is that you understand it, you know you might end doing the same if you had to kick in those survival instincts. And Aaron knows it, he hates watching it, but he understands and it kinda mines him little by little, it kills his trust in others, in himself even. He’s always jumpy and scared, he’s not sleeping� so the eventual spiral down towards the end just had to happen.
There is tons of drama, I wouldn’t have expected anything else from a 17 year old who had everything and suddenly had nothing, so I think this will be either a hit or miss with people. Personally, I loved it. Gave me chills, and made me think we’re screwed if we ever do get a zombie apocalypse.
August 17, 2020
Oh the feels! I'm not a big fan of zombie stories in general but this is one of the better written ones I've seen.
The story is set in Australia, beginning in Perth. Aaron is writing in his journal about applications to colleges, parties at the end of school where his twin brother Matt is very popular but he is not, and about a meteorite that falls near a small town on the other side of the country.
Soon reports start coming in from that town about a strange virus, first thought to be rabies, then something else... see where this is going?
All too soon Aaron and Matt discover they're on their own in a world where all services have stopped and the undead are out to attack anything that moves. Their phones are running out of charge so they can't even communicate with their father, who got stuck in another small town where he was looking after their grandmother before the road blocks went up.
I could really feel the tension as Aaron and Matt try to make decisions in an adult world where they were only just starting to take their first steps towards self-responsibility. Now they have to survive and there's no rule book, no authority to consult.
Despite a couple of predictable elements necessary for this genre, the plot progressed with a lot of unpredictable elements and what especially struck me was the realism of how people might react, both good and bad, in a survival situation. Since the journal is written by Aaron, it's a first person narrative and we see his own emotional responses to the need to adapt in a far too rapidly disintegrating civilisation.
Both Matt and Aaron develop in various ways as the struggle to survive takes them into situations they had never thought of and they have no choice but to think on their feet and react accordingly.
By the time we get to the last entry I was completely wrapped up in the boys' struggle and although I could see a couple of things coming as events led up to the action packed conclusion, it didn't detract from my full experience of everything that happened. This one is an easy 5 stars, just for bloody effective writing.
The story is set in Australia, beginning in Perth. Aaron is writing in his journal about applications to colleges, parties at the end of school where his twin brother Matt is very popular but he is not, and about a meteorite that falls near a small town on the other side of the country.
Soon reports start coming in from that town about a strange virus, first thought to be rabies, then something else... see where this is going?
All too soon Aaron and Matt discover they're on their own in a world where all services have stopped and the undead are out to attack anything that moves. Their phones are running out of charge so they can't even communicate with their father, who got stuck in another small town where he was looking after their grandmother before the road blocks went up.
I could really feel the tension as Aaron and Matt try to make decisions in an adult world where they were only just starting to take their first steps towards self-responsibility. Now they have to survive and there's no rule book, no authority to consult.
Despite a couple of predictable elements necessary for this genre, the plot progressed with a lot of unpredictable elements and what especially struck me was the realism of how people might react, both good and bad, in a survival situation. Since the journal is written by Aaron, it's a first person narrative and we see his own emotional responses to the need to adapt in a far too rapidly disintegrating civilisation.
Both Matt and Aaron develop in various ways as the struggle to survive takes them into situations they had never thought of and they have no choice but to think on their feet and react accordingly.
By the time we get to the last entry I was completely wrapped up in the boys' struggle and although I could see a couple of things coming as events led up to the action packed conclusion, it didn't detract from my full experience of everything that happened. This one is an easy 5 stars, just for bloody effective writing.
July 16, 2018
This book was another different version of zombies. I enjoyed the characters and the story had so many great pieces in it. I love australia and have only been once but would love to visit again sometime. It was great for me for this story to be there, I loved that part very much! It was a fast pace book and I would read more of this series. *This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.*
October 19, 2019
The novel “Rise of the Undead� by Shane Carrow is a well paced, action infused and emotionally heavy novel that is a very welcome breath of fresh air in the litany of books that plague the zombie genre.
I’m also happy to say that this is the first book I’ve reviewed that I’ll be giving 5 stars to.
The Writing:
While Mr. Carrow probably won’t be winning any awards for his prose, he definitely knows how to describe a scene well enough to evoke emotion and keep you hooked into the narrative. Compared to the other zombie novels I’ve reviewed so far, I’d have to say this is the first book that doesn’t come across as the authors first attempt at writing. Although a little tedious at points, for the most part the writing was enjoyable to read.
I only really had two issues concerning the writing style:
The constant use of the word “bitumen� instead of road made it seem like the author recently learnt a new phrase and was insistent on using it as much as possible.
The action scenes were a little choppy and difficult to follow at times.
This novel hosted quite a few spelling errors as well, but like I’ve said in my previous reviews, I’m happy to overlook this for self-published titles as I genuinely enjoy the raw element it attributes to the work. And while there were a noticeable amount of errors, they were often far between each other and didn’t distract from the story or reading experience. I even got a good chuckle at the authors mix up of “prostate� and “prostrate�.
One other thing I had mixed feelings about was the overuse of the word “f*ck�. On the one hand, these are two teenage protagonists, and being quite young myself I know how teenagers talk and that they do swear a lot. So you could argue that it was a realistic portrayal of their vocabulary. But on the other hand, it still felt like there was an over abundance of the word used in this novel. And this is coming from someone who probably uses that word around 300 times a day lol.
The Characters:
We had a few interesting characters here and there, such as Liam and the biker, Michael. My only complaint is that none of these characters stayed in the story for very long, so it was difficult to really care much when something happened to them. It felt like besides Aaron and Matt, every other character just sort of, flashed up for a scene and then was written off.
You would think this would leave the author with ample opportunity to really knock it out of the park with the characterization of the twin brothers, but unfortunately he falls a little flat here as well. While Matt and Aaron are both compelling protagonists, it felt like there just wasn’t much personality given to either of them. Throughout the novel it felt like everything happened to them, and they just reacted to it, and by the end of it all it didn’t really feel like they were much more developed from where they started.
None of the other characters were given much complexity either. Ellie made such a small impression that oftentimes I forgot she existed when she wasn’t directly involved in a scene. Even the dad, who they spent the whole book trying to reach, wasn’t given much personality outside of the staple ‘worried father� outline.
Despite this, the characters still managed to get the job done. Their reactions and emotional outbursts were believable and even though Matt and Aaron never felt quite fleshed out they were still interesting enough to keep me invested in their journey.
The Story:
The book follows the somewhat overused storyline of characters needing to travel from point A to point B, and a bunch of stuff happening to them along the way. Thankfully, majority of the events that transpired were interesting and enjoyable to read about. The setting of the novel also took place in Australia which was a nice change of pace as not many zombie stories are set there, let alone in the outback.
Great build up of suspense and tension in the beginning. It was executed so well I could actually empathize with the dread and terror that Aaron felt when Matt woke him up to see the first group of infected on their street. This scene was actually written so well I think it’s when I officially became hooked on the narrative.
All throughout the story there was a very realistic portrayal of denial at the situation. Events progressed in a timely manner, managing to convey a balanced sense of urgency without any of it coming across as rushed. Some passages of the story felt a little overplayed, for example the constant hammering of the message “it’s bad guys like that that are going to survive this,� began to feel a little repetitive.
Without giving away any spoilers, I’ll just say that I loved the ending. It was a very unexpected and dramatic twist. However, with a major character now no longer in the picture, I’m not sure I’ll be interested in reading any further in the series.
Conclusion
Overall, this was a very enjoyable story with a realistic emotional weight attached to it and exciting events that will keep you wanting to read more. Whilst the novel hosts a variety of flaws, they’re very much overshadowed by its highlights and I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys the zombie genre.
Perhaps if my experiences so far with self-published zombie novels wasn’t so disappointing, I might have ended up rating this story lower than 5 stars. Possibly a 4 or even a 3.5. But as it stands, I can’t deny that there was a certain charm about this novel that made it a really enjoyable experience.
I’m looking forward to reading more of Mr. Carrow’s work.
I’m also happy to say that this is the first book I’ve reviewed that I’ll be giving 5 stars to.
The Writing:
While Mr. Carrow probably won’t be winning any awards for his prose, he definitely knows how to describe a scene well enough to evoke emotion and keep you hooked into the narrative. Compared to the other zombie novels I’ve reviewed so far, I’d have to say this is the first book that doesn’t come across as the authors first attempt at writing. Although a little tedious at points, for the most part the writing was enjoyable to read.
I only really had two issues concerning the writing style:
The constant use of the word “bitumen� instead of road made it seem like the author recently learnt a new phrase and was insistent on using it as much as possible.
The action scenes were a little choppy and difficult to follow at times.
This novel hosted quite a few spelling errors as well, but like I’ve said in my previous reviews, I’m happy to overlook this for self-published titles as I genuinely enjoy the raw element it attributes to the work. And while there were a noticeable amount of errors, they were often far between each other and didn’t distract from the story or reading experience. I even got a good chuckle at the authors mix up of “prostate� and “prostrate�.
One other thing I had mixed feelings about was the overuse of the word “f*ck�. On the one hand, these are two teenage protagonists, and being quite young myself I know how teenagers talk and that they do swear a lot. So you could argue that it was a realistic portrayal of their vocabulary. But on the other hand, it still felt like there was an over abundance of the word used in this novel. And this is coming from someone who probably uses that word around 300 times a day lol.
The Characters:
We had a few interesting characters here and there, such as Liam and the biker, Michael. My only complaint is that none of these characters stayed in the story for very long, so it was difficult to really care much when something happened to them. It felt like besides Aaron and Matt, every other character just sort of, flashed up for a scene and then was written off.
You would think this would leave the author with ample opportunity to really knock it out of the park with the characterization of the twin brothers, but unfortunately he falls a little flat here as well. While Matt and Aaron are both compelling protagonists, it felt like there just wasn’t much personality given to either of them. Throughout the novel it felt like everything happened to them, and they just reacted to it, and by the end of it all it didn’t really feel like they were much more developed from where they started.
None of the other characters were given much complexity either. Ellie made such a small impression that oftentimes I forgot she existed when she wasn’t directly involved in a scene. Even the dad, who they spent the whole book trying to reach, wasn’t given much personality outside of the staple ‘worried father� outline.
Despite this, the characters still managed to get the job done. Their reactions and emotional outbursts were believable and even though Matt and Aaron never felt quite fleshed out they were still interesting enough to keep me invested in their journey.
The Story:
The book follows the somewhat overused storyline of characters needing to travel from point A to point B, and a bunch of stuff happening to them along the way. Thankfully, majority of the events that transpired were interesting and enjoyable to read about. The setting of the novel also took place in Australia which was a nice change of pace as not many zombie stories are set there, let alone in the outback.
Great build up of suspense and tension in the beginning. It was executed so well I could actually empathize with the dread and terror that Aaron felt when Matt woke him up to see the first group of infected on their street. This scene was actually written so well I think it’s when I officially became hooked on the narrative.
All throughout the story there was a very realistic portrayal of denial at the situation. Events progressed in a timely manner, managing to convey a balanced sense of urgency without any of it coming across as rushed. Some passages of the story felt a little overplayed, for example the constant hammering of the message “it’s bad guys like that that are going to survive this,� began to feel a little repetitive.
Without giving away any spoilers, I’ll just say that I loved the ending. It was a very unexpected and dramatic twist. However, with a major character now no longer in the picture, I’m not sure I’ll be interested in reading any further in the series.
Conclusion
Overall, this was a very enjoyable story with a realistic emotional weight attached to it and exciting events that will keep you wanting to read more. Whilst the novel hosts a variety of flaws, they’re very much overshadowed by its highlights and I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys the zombie genre.
Perhaps if my experiences so far with self-published zombie novels wasn’t so disappointing, I might have ended up rating this story lower than 5 stars. Possibly a 4 or even a 3.5. But as it stands, I can’t deny that there was a certain charm about this novel that made it a really enjoyable experience.
I’m looking forward to reading more of Mr. Carrow’s work.
February 20, 2021
Stunning!!
I’ve read so many Apocalypse type books I lost count. After a while they all seem similar. This book here rejuvenated my love for the genre. Great writing, great storyline and a sick ending. I’m so happy to have the rest of the series on KU.
Highly recommended!!
I’ve read so many Apocalypse type books I lost count. After a while they all seem similar. This book here rejuvenated my love for the genre. Great writing, great storyline and a sick ending. I’m so happy to have the rest of the series on KU.
Highly recommended!!
October 11, 2021
3.5 stars rounded up to 4.
As far as zombie books go this was one of the better ones. I have seen way too many trope ridden monstrosities in this genre, so a book with decent characters is a breath of fresh air. So all in all, I enjoyed it a lot. Plus, it takes place in Australia instead of the usual US setting, which added more originality to the setting. It's always interesting to see how authors from different parts of the world imagine their countries would handle such a disaster.
However, I didn't care for the main protagonist at all. He came across as extremely childish and unwilling to accept the new reality of the world. I understand that what's going on is horrific and that his whole world just changed drastically, but he never really takes charge of his story. He is more than content to let his brother make all the hard decisions and be in charge of their survival. Plus his last decision at the end of the book is the ultimate act of cowardice, even if he paints it like doing a favor to his brother.
But weak protagonist aside, this was an entertaining read. I will check out the next book.
As far as zombie books go this was one of the better ones. I have seen way too many trope ridden monstrosities in this genre, so a book with decent characters is a breath of fresh air. So all in all, I enjoyed it a lot. Plus, it takes place in Australia instead of the usual US setting, which added more originality to the setting. It's always interesting to see how authors from different parts of the world imagine their countries would handle such a disaster.
However, I didn't care for the main protagonist at all. He came across as extremely childish and unwilling to accept the new reality of the world. I understand that what's going on is horrific and that his whole world just changed drastically, but he never really takes charge of his story. He is more than content to let his brother make all the hard decisions and be in charge of their survival. Plus his last decision at the end of the book is the ultimate act of cowardice, even if he paints it like doing a favor to his brother.
But weak protagonist aside, this was an entertaining read. I will check out the next book.
June 13, 2017
Well written, an easy read, and I enjoyed it. However, in the end, there wasn't really anything special to me about the story. Just a run-of-the-mill zombie apocalypse story. Nearly a 4-star read for me, except that there were times I found I wasn't all that anxious to pick up the book and continue, so I have to go with a 3. Plus, I'm not sure I'll go on to the second book...
Since the two main characters are twins, and something was made of their "connection", I was expecting the story to go in a certain direction...
Since the two main characters are twins, and something was made of their "connection", I was expecting the story to go in a certain direction...
May 21, 2017
Great book with an astonishing conclusion, honestly I really enjoyed this book from beginning to end. The journal entry method of telling the story really makes the atmosphere personal, and every tragedy is heightened because of it! Can't wait to read the second book.
March 20, 2019
Anyway. She did seem pleased to hear from me, although she called me out straight away on the fact that Dad had put me up to it.
“I’ve lived in this town for sixty-five years, and I’m staying here, and I’m going to be buried next to your grandfather in Bunbury Cemetery,� she said. “Jeez, Grandma, you can still get buried there,� I said. “But all your family’s up here. You know. The ones who are still alive.�
“I’ve lived in this town for sixty-five years, and I’m staying here, and I’m going to be buried next to your grandfather in Bunbury Cemetery,� she said. “Jeez, Grandma, you can still get buried there,� I said. “But all your family’s up here. You know. The ones who are still alive.�
October 23, 2019
Well written, characters I cared about, non-stop action, great cross between zombies and sci-fi.
September 6, 2022
Written in a nice easy reading style, but still complex enough to keep.me on the edge of my seat. So nice to read a zombie book with familiar landmarks and people!
November 12, 2024
Loved it!
Wow, this was a brilliant, intense, fast paced read. Not perfect, but definitely captivating, a little gem in the genre. Highly recommended.
Wow, this was a brilliant, intense, fast paced read. Not perfect, but definitely captivating, a little gem in the genre. Highly recommended.
March 22, 2019
JUST READ 1-6, Wish it would never end!!.......
*** NO SPOILERS ***
Fantastic. Phenomenal. Jam packed with adventure, zombies, military action, emotion, love (not the romantic kind), suspense, mystery, the right amount of science fiction, wide array of interesting and balanced characters and relationships - overall it has become one of my top favorite series.
And not just because I love it intellectually like I usually do with other series or books, or because of the excitement it offers. Although those experiences are there. I love it because it captured my heart. Now, don’t shy away because I said that. This is no mushy-gushy tale BY FAR. It’s the realistic manner in which the bond between the twin brothers is spun, as well as all the other relationships in the story. It comes across as completely authentic. Therefore, translating to quite meaningful. I think reading the six books as a set engenders this as well. There are no stop gaps.
I’m a huge reader, most especially in the military zombie apocalypse genre. Generally 3-5 books per week, and the blood, sweat, and tears apocalyptic struggle is alive in this story. From start to finish I had to cheer on the main characters as they experienced trail after more difficult trial. The military presence was right in the forefront; a defining aspect of the book. And the zombies. Nothing too exceptionally unique here. Except how they .... well, I’ll let you find out. ;) It’s interesting.
Character development is masterful. Scene setting, also masterfully crafted. As the characters you come to know so well move through their days and nights, you are right there with them. Feeling the dry air, the maddening thirst, hearing the gravel underfoot, seeing the ship so clearly out off your beach, out on the ocean, smelling the salty air - or the rotting corpses, feeling your anxiety rise and your own adrenaline pop up a bit as a favorite character is being hunted....and a hunter is so, so close as you hide just below him in a rock nook. And more. It’s superbly created! And wildly fun to experience.
There are a few editing errors that do stand out, but are easily forgiven as the entirety of the story is so great. Such as a Major being referred to as a Captain a month later. *shrug* Forgivable.
Overall, this is not a series to be missed. I wasn’t sure what to expect going into it. Still wasn’t sure 7 days in, even though I really I liked it (it’s in a journal format - wasn’t sure about that either). But by the 15 day mark, or maybe even before, I’m not looking back, sorry, I was DEFINITELY not leaving Aaron and Matt’s side for anything. I was INVESTED. Then the story just kept getting better and better. Richer, and deeper.
The journal format, which I usually dislike, was the ideal way to tell this story. It was perfect.
I can’t believe I just said something about ANY book that was “perfect� - but it’s true.
Thus, with that, I’ll just say �- don’t miss out on this one.
Ps � There is glossary at end of the book. Would have saved me a lot of time pressing on words and looking them up if I’d known! Lol
*** NO SPOILERS ***
Fantastic. Phenomenal. Jam packed with adventure, zombies, military action, emotion, love (not the romantic kind), suspense, mystery, the right amount of science fiction, wide array of interesting and balanced characters and relationships - overall it has become one of my top favorite series.
And not just because I love it intellectually like I usually do with other series or books, or because of the excitement it offers. Although those experiences are there. I love it because it captured my heart. Now, don’t shy away because I said that. This is no mushy-gushy tale BY FAR. It’s the realistic manner in which the bond between the twin brothers is spun, as well as all the other relationships in the story. It comes across as completely authentic. Therefore, translating to quite meaningful. I think reading the six books as a set engenders this as well. There are no stop gaps.
I’m a huge reader, most especially in the military zombie apocalypse genre. Generally 3-5 books per week, and the blood, sweat, and tears apocalyptic struggle is alive in this story. From start to finish I had to cheer on the main characters as they experienced trail after more difficult trial. The military presence was right in the forefront; a defining aspect of the book. And the zombies. Nothing too exceptionally unique here. Except how they .... well, I’ll let you find out. ;) It’s interesting.
Character development is masterful. Scene setting, also masterfully crafted. As the characters you come to know so well move through their days and nights, you are right there with them. Feeling the dry air, the maddening thirst, hearing the gravel underfoot, seeing the ship so clearly out off your beach, out on the ocean, smelling the salty air - or the rotting corpses, feeling your anxiety rise and your own adrenaline pop up a bit as a favorite character is being hunted....and a hunter is so, so close as you hide just below him in a rock nook. And more. It’s superbly created! And wildly fun to experience.
There are a few editing errors that do stand out, but are easily forgiven as the entirety of the story is so great. Such as a Major being referred to as a Captain a month later. *shrug* Forgivable.
Overall, this is not a series to be missed. I wasn’t sure what to expect going into it. Still wasn’t sure 7 days in, even though I really I liked it (it’s in a journal format - wasn’t sure about that either). But by the 15 day mark, or maybe even before, I’m not looking back, sorry, I was DEFINITELY not leaving Aaron and Matt’s side for anything. I was INVESTED. Then the story just kept getting better and better. Richer, and deeper.
The journal format, which I usually dislike, was the ideal way to tell this story. It was perfect.
I can’t believe I just said something about ANY book that was “perfect� - but it’s true.
Thus, with that, I’ll just say �- don’t miss out on this one.
Ps � There is glossary at end of the book. Would have saved me a lot of time pressing on words and looking them up if I’d known! Lol
July 6, 2017
I was reading this book in a waiting room. (Waiting for my ride home.) I enjoyed the twists and turns in the book. The narrow escapes and all. The ending of the book caught me completely off guard. I am not sure exactly what I said out loud, before dropping my kindle but I had everyone's full attention at that moment. I picked up my kindle and told everyone that I was surprised by the ending of the book. One person asked the title / author and I told him. He plans on getting a copy of the book. I am still a bit surprised by the ending and not yet sure if I will read the next one or not. Wow.
September 24, 2023
This apocalyptic nightmare strikes me as a much more likely scenario if (when) the true apocalypse arrives. I want to believe that most humans are good but, I fear, that would not be true if most were faced with their families starving.
I enjoyed reading it and was well invested in the main protagonists� journey. There are lots of twists and a few surprises. There are a few grammatical errors but not so much that they pulled me out of the story. There is also quite a bit of cursing, as a heads up to those that prefer to avoid bad language.
I highly recommend and am looking forward to reading book 2 in this series.
I enjoyed reading it and was well invested in the main protagonists� journey. There are lots of twists and a few surprises. There are a few grammatical errors but not so much that they pulled me out of the story. There is also quite a bit of cursing, as a heads up to those that prefer to avoid bad language.
I highly recommend and am looking forward to reading book 2 in this series.
March 7, 2017
Fantastically horrific!
I must say I found this read thoroughly engaging, I found myself lounging to read, even reading while I prepared meals! The characters are well thought out and it had just the right amount of blood and gore to satisfy my darker side. Read it! You just might learn a thing or two to boot!
I must say I found this read thoroughly engaging, I found myself lounging to read, even reading while I prepared meals! The characters are well thought out and it had just the right amount of blood and gore to satisfy my darker side. Read it! You just might learn a thing or two to boot!
December 2, 2017
I'm really not sure how to rate or review this one. I was going to go low because I couldn't find much likable about the main characters. But the ending; I'm still kind of blown away and still processing it.
March 18, 2018
Standard zombie fare, but this time in Australia, with two teenage twin boys, Aaron and Matt. Some of the Aussie things took some decoding, but that's because I'm not Aussie. (Things like it being hot at Christmas, Celsius in general, having no idea how far it is between places, trying to figure out what type of clothing a "jumper" is, various stores and brands, what the "state" government represents, etc.)
The story is told as Aaron's journal. When the story starts, his biggest concern is getting into college next year. That all changes when a virus starts breaking out...and zombie apocalypse stuff happens.
The boys keep coming up with plans and their plans keep going badly. All they want to do is get to their dad and hope he can come up with a better plan and go live happily ever after. (Sort of a spoiler: there is a sequel, so clearly that doesn't happen.)
The writing was pretty good and the kids were likable. Well, Aaron was likable. Sometimes Matt was a little scary. I liked how they had really rotten luck and seemed to mostly survive by luck.
The end is sad. I'll leave it at that. I'll probably start the sequel and see if I want to continue.
The story is told as Aaron's journal. When the story starts, his biggest concern is getting into college next year. That all changes when a virus starts breaking out...and zombie apocalypse stuff happens.
The boys keep coming up with plans and their plans keep going badly. All they want to do is get to their dad and hope he can come up with a better plan and go live happily ever after. (Sort of a spoiler: there is a sequel, so clearly that doesn't happen.)
The writing was pretty good and the kids were likable. Well, Aaron was likable. Sometimes Matt was a little scary. I liked how they had really rotten luck and seemed to mostly survive by luck.
The end is sad. I'll leave it at that. I'll probably start the sequel and see if I want to continue.
November 17, 2020
Short book, easy to read, really pulls you in. I didn’t know literally everyone in Australia used the word “fuck� in every second sentence, but there you go. Ending takes score down from 4 to 2.
SEMI-SPOILER BELOW
The main character makes some, in their words, stupid decisions throughout the book. Yes I know he isn’t supposed to be as much of survivor as his brother, but the ending is just stupid. It is like his brain stops working. I’ll keep reading the others because this one was so easy and also I like that there seems to be an element of fantasy which I want to know more about.
SEMI-SPOILER BELOW
The main character makes some, in their words, stupid decisions throughout the book. Yes I know he isn’t supposed to be as much of survivor as his brother, but the ending is just stupid. It is like his brain stops working. I’ll keep reading the others because this one was so easy and also I like that there seems to be an element of fantasy which I want to know more about.
May 21, 2024
If you enjoy a post apocalyptic, zombie story then this is a good one.
*
New Year's Day: midsummer in Australia. In Perth, twin brothers Aaron and Matt have graduated high school and are enjoying their last few months of summer holidays before adulthood - while on the other side of the country, something has fallen from the sky, heralding the dawn of a new age.
As a terrifying plague spreads across Australia and the world, Aaron and Matt find themselves scrambling to survive, fleeing the city, refugees in their own country. Tormented by strange dreams and beset by violence, they must struggle to find the remnants of their family and survive the Rise of the Undead.
*
New Year's Day: midsummer in Australia. In Perth, twin brothers Aaron and Matt have graduated high school and are enjoying their last few months of summer holidays before adulthood - while on the other side of the country, something has fallen from the sky, heralding the dawn of a new age.
As a terrifying plague spreads across Australia and the world, Aaron and Matt find themselves scrambling to survive, fleeing the city, refugees in their own country. Tormented by strange dreams and beset by violence, they must struggle to find the remnants of their family and survive the Rise of the Undead.
June 25, 2018
First and foremost, this is a book about zombies and about the end of the world. The author does it in a diary format though and it's the diary of one of a set of twins. It tells about their daily struggles to survive, about the degeneration of the human race as a whole, and about the zombies. There was also a plot twist and a cliff hanger at the end of the book. The brothers are on a search to find their father, who was visiting a sick relative when the circumstances involving the zombies came to light. The twins are running from one situation directly into another one trying to survive.
March 12, 2022
The storyline is really good. From the point of view of a twin that has to make really important decisions with only 17 years. The brothers hit the streets if Australia trying to survive in a world fill with zombies and the worst plague of all, unscrupulous people. The journey to find his father turns to be a nightmare that turns to be really entertaining for the reader. I really like specially the concept of a story told through a journal. The only thing I did was the catastrophic end, too ironic for my taste. Otherwise is a good read.
January 17, 2019
This book is written as the daily journal of one of two twins living near Perth, Australia at the onset of a zombie apocalypse. It chronicles their journey south to Albany to reach their dad. (How one could keep a journal under such circumstances is beyond me, but, what the heck, I'll accept it). It's a really fun read with an unexpected and stunning ending. On to book #2. (Note: The version I read is Volume 1 of End Times: The Complete Series (Books 1-6 Box Set).)
October 20, 2021
Fresh and gripping, a really pleasant surprise (and boy, those first few chapters really punch home since the Covid pandemic began) until it suddenly gets an ending from an entirely different book. It's way beyond being a different vibe from the rest of the novel. It's almost silly. It's like being pranked, and not kindly. It's more confusing than anything else. But wow, I loved the book except for that...weirdness.
July 8, 2017
I had a hard time putting this book down. The characters were relatable and seemed like real people. The plot was easy to follow with a few twists and turns to keep you off guard. The harsh reality of how people would probably treat each other is definitely covered and had me dismayed a few times. I thoroughly enjoyed the journal style that this author used. Definitely reading book 2!
July 9, 2018
Wanted more
I've watched a lot of The Walking Dead and Fear The Walking Dead and I do have to tell you that rise of the undead was pretty good. I can't wait to read the next book in the series I really enjoyed the adventures that Matt and Aaron had to deal with and I wish the boys well just sorry that it was Aaron that killed his dad and not even realize that that's who he shot.
I've watched a lot of The Walking Dead and Fear The Walking Dead and I do have to tell you that rise of the undead was pretty good. I can't wait to read the next book in the series I really enjoyed the adventures that Matt and Aaron had to deal with and I wish the boys well just sorry that it was Aaron that killed his dad and not even realize that that's who he shot.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 18, 2020
Great read! Alot if action , emotions and overall showing humanity as we probably would be in an apocalypse. The main characters are very likable, pretty much liked the writing plot and twists and turns.
June 20, 2020
I really liked this story it felt gritty and real. They acknowledged some things are luck. I don't really like the whole found the dad only to kill him. I mean I kinda saw it coming but still. Traumatise the people why don't you.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 12, 2024
Quite an interesting, easy to read tale of the battle to stay ahead of the ever growing zombie hordes, with a shock ending I didn't see coming. And what a surprise thar it all started in the town I grew up in, Ballarat. Worth reading.
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