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Zournal #1
It All Started
An alternative cover edition for this ASIN can be found here and here.
Steve wakes up one morning after a horrible couple of weeks in which he's lost his girlfriend, his job, his savings and the majority of his self-respect. Dragging himself out of bed he sleepily wanders over to the window with a warm bottled water and a handful of Advil. Looking out of his apartment window he sees people running around crazily and a bunch of burning shrubbery. He decides to go back to sleep and see if it all goes away. When he wakes up the next time it turns out the view from his fourth floor apartment wasn't a nightmare. Armed with a blunt samurai sword and some stolen steak knives he ventures out into the fray.
These aren't your standard Zombies but Steve isn't your standard Zombie fighter either. Join him in book 1 as he heads out to check on his parents and try to survive in a world that's gone crazy...
*** Updated Edition With Updated Cover and Content Updates ***
Steve wakes up one morning after a horrible couple of weeks in which he's lost his girlfriend, his job, his savings and the majority of his self-respect. Dragging himself out of bed he sleepily wanders over to the window with a warm bottled water and a handful of Advil. Looking out of his apartment window he sees people running around crazily and a bunch of burning shrubbery. He decides to go back to sleep and see if it all goes away. When he wakes up the next time it turns out the view from his fourth floor apartment wasn't a nightmare. Armed with a blunt samurai sword and some stolen steak knives he ventures out into the fray.
These aren't your standard Zombies but Steve isn't your standard Zombie fighter either. Join him in book 1 as he heads out to check on his parents and try to survive in a world that's gone crazy...
*** Updated Edition With Updated Cover and Content Updates ***
242 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 26, 2017
205 people are currently reading
367 people want to read
About the author
R.S. Merritt
30books462followersLiving in a lighthouse as a child led me early to a love of reading. Despite what you may have been told the life of a lighthouse keeper's son is not all Glamour and Parties. There's a lot of time when there really isn't much to do besides wonder if the fog horn has finally made you deaf or watch your dad pull fishing lures out of different parts of people's bodies. (You'd be amazed!)
Two of my favorite houses growing up!
I read. I read a lot. We had a 'reading caterpillar' around the room at my school where every time you read a book you put your name on your color paper and hung it up. The teacher had to give me two colors because it was looking more like a worm than a caterpillar. I devoured CS Lewis before moving on to Tolkien. Reading has continued to be a big part of my life. I've moved into Alternative Realities by guys like Stirling and my guilty pleasure is Zombie novels. I can't seem to get enough of them!
I like reading about the extremes people will go to to survive. The ones who can rise above the rest and keep their sense of right and wrong. When humanity crumbles around them these flawed heroes stand tall and try to make their way. They go from struggling to pay the phone bill to struggling to keep themselves and others alive. I like to see how this either hardens or breaks them. I think these stories speak at a very primal level. I enjoy the journey greatly as I get to tag along seeing how the survivors manage and how the experience forges them into something more than they were.
I look forward to sharing the journey with you all!
Sincerely,
R S Merritt
Two of my favorite houses growing up!
I read. I read a lot. We had a 'reading caterpillar' around the room at my school where every time you read a book you put your name on your color paper and hung it up. The teacher had to give me two colors because it was looking more like a worm than a caterpillar. I devoured CS Lewis before moving on to Tolkien. Reading has continued to be a big part of my life. I've moved into Alternative Realities by guys like Stirling and my guilty pleasure is Zombie novels. I can't seem to get enough of them!
I like reading about the extremes people will go to to survive. The ones who can rise above the rest and keep their sense of right and wrong. When humanity crumbles around them these flawed heroes stand tall and try to make their way. They go from struggling to pay the phone bill to struggling to keep themselves and others alive. I like to see how this either hardens or breaks them. I think these stories speak at a very primal level. I enjoy the journey greatly as I get to tag along seeing how the survivors manage and how the experience forges them into something more than they were.
I look forward to sharing the journey with you all!
Sincerely,
R S Merritt
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews
February 13, 2019
Update: 2/11/19 2:33pm Eastern Standard Time
I am changing my rating from 3 stars to 4 stars. I cut and paste some of my review from the second book to explain.
UPDATED:
Despite the grammar flaws, I give this book 4 out of 5 stars for it does not make a zombie apocalypse like a glorified event and shows the ugly naked truth of it. Again, this book is raw. It also requires an open mind. If you can handle that, read it.
The first book in the series I gave 3 out of 5 stars. However, I was wrong. Book one tells the ugly naked truth as well as book two and that why I give book one and book two 4 stars.
I will be continuing this series.
🇺🇸🐾
Old:
-Not a book for those easily offended.
-It needs a good editor.
-I want to see how this series will go. I am probably going to buy the second book. It depends on the cost for the entire series. I understand authors need to make money. However, I am just explaining why I said probably.
-It does have some good life thoughts.
Spoliers
-This book has rape scenes. It would be realistic for it was the end of the word, gone is law and order. This book points that out as well. However, this could bring triggers of flashbacks for certain folks.
🇺🇸🐾
I am changing my rating from 3 stars to 4 stars. I cut and paste some of my review from the second book to explain.
UPDATED:
Despite the grammar flaws, I give this book 4 out of 5 stars for it does not make a zombie apocalypse like a glorified event and shows the ugly naked truth of it. Again, this book is raw. It also requires an open mind. If you can handle that, read it.
The first book in the series I gave 3 out of 5 stars. However, I was wrong. Book one tells the ugly naked truth as well as book two and that why I give book one and book two 4 stars.
I will be continuing this series.
🇺🇸🐾
Old:
-Not a book for those easily offended.
-It needs a good editor.
-I want to see how this series will go. I am probably going to buy the second book. It depends on the cost for the entire series. I understand authors need to make money. However, I am just explaining why I said probably.
-It does have some good life thoughts.
Spoliers
-This book has rape scenes. It would be realistic for it was the end of the word, gone is law and order. This book points that out as well. However, this could bring triggers of flashbacks for certain folks.
🇺🇸🐾
January 5, 2019
This is the first book in a six book series based around a Zombie Apocalypse. People become infected with a virus that causes their capillaries to burst and turn their skin a blue color while their eyes turn red from the broken capillaries. Body temperatures soar at first.... Cannibalism and insanity come next. Steve wanders out into the middle of this mess armed with some stolen steak knives (you know, the ones they hand out at the Outback with that Delicious Bread!) and a dull samurai sword. Looking to avoid spoilers but the series covers his journey through the apocalypse and the relationships he forms with other survivors. I hope you have as much fun reading it as I did writing it! All six books are now out so feel free to binge without worrying about having to wait for the next one! (I hate waiting!)
December 11, 2017
I'm not a book snob, or a zombie book snob either, for that matter, but there is something to be said for plot, pacing, and general proofreading. "Zournal #1-It All Started" is the play-by-play account of the first days of the zombie outbreak, as told in the journal of our young narrator. I should have known I would not enjoy the humor of this book when the author likened it to that of Mark Tufo's, another zombie author whose work I do not enjoy. When Merritt got to the descriptions of the soap-scum pube-water that the narrator had to ingest from the bathtub, I knew I had a DNF. I made it with our narrator out of the apartment in Orlando and onto the road with Rhonda and John, but I couldn't make it any further. DNF at 22%.
February 5, 2018
There were a few things I liked about this book - the plot was mostly enjoyable with a few interesting characters (the main one, Steve, had a very dark sense of humour and eventually developed into an effective leader), but in truth it was a complete 'zombie massacre' of the English language.
Unfortunately the author either did not understand or did not believe in punctuation, so opted not to use any. I mean there ARE full stops, but not necessarily at the end of sentences. Commas are largely absent, as are apostrophes. Sentence structure was frequently convoluted and long-winded - some sentences were over half a page long! Others were unintentionally hilarious: "threw the t-shirt out the window I had wrapped my hand in and shoved a big white sock over my hand instead".
Also, there were cringe-worthy errors such as not knowing the difference between site/sight, there/their, and thinking that 'drug' is the past tense of drag. If I saw "try and" instead of "try to" one more time I'd probably have turned a bit blue and bitey myself.
On to the plot - I read to the end so it held my attention but there were quite a few logic holes. How come our little group did not get infected even though they were fighting 'zombies' close-up with swords etc, yet a whole cruise ship, isolated and many miles out to sea, suddenly caught the disease? I was baffled.
In summary, this could have been much better if the author had a better understanding of basic written English, or a good editor. I won't be reading the rest of the series.
Unfortunately the author either did not understand or did not believe in punctuation, so opted not to use any. I mean there ARE full stops, but not necessarily at the end of sentences. Commas are largely absent, as are apostrophes. Sentence structure was frequently convoluted and long-winded - some sentences were over half a page long! Others were unintentionally hilarious: "threw the t-shirt out the window I had wrapped my hand in and shoved a big white sock over my hand instead".
Also, there were cringe-worthy errors such as not knowing the difference between site/sight, there/their, and thinking that 'drug' is the past tense of drag. If I saw "try and" instead of "try to" one more time I'd probably have turned a bit blue and bitey myself.
On to the plot - I read to the end so it held my attention but there were quite a few logic holes. How come our little group did not get infected even though they were fighting 'zombies' close-up with swords etc, yet a whole cruise ship, isolated and many miles out to sea, suddenly caught the disease? I was baffled.
In summary, this could have been much better if the author had a better understanding of basic written English, or a good editor. I won't be reading the rest of the series.
July 1, 2020
Awesome book
I already read the other Zombie series by this author & it got me hooked from the first chapter of the first book. This new series is easily as good if not better.
I already read the other Zombie series by this author & it got me hooked from the first chapter of the first book. This new series is easily as good if not better.
April 15, 2018
Well written, what you would expect in a real zombie outbreak.
Finally, someone finally wrote the kids into the story,. Very entertaining and more realistic than the usual zombie fare. I enjoyed this book, can't wait for the next installment.
Finally, someone finally wrote the kids into the story,. Very entertaining and more realistic than the usual zombie fare. I enjoyed this book, can't wait for the next installment.
November 6, 2021
I really enjoyed the 1st book in series, now just need to find the rest of them
December 26, 2017
Who edited this thing?
The storyline is fairly plausible; if even predictable. But, it seems the author just got tired, or careless, the more he wrote.
Missing commas made some interesting sentence structures, and a number of WTF did he mean by that moments. There was one sentence that was NINE lines long. And yes, I counted.
Inconsistent, erroneous word usage (site instead of sight, for example) , really funny capitalization errors and unexplained acronyms abounded. Incomplete sentences were also quite annoying.
I found myself just scanning the last 1/3 of the book actually looking for errors instead of enjoying the story.
If the rest of his efforts are no better, even at these prices, I won't be among his readers. Perhaps this quality of effort is acceptable to many, but I would NOT be publishing a work so ridden with mistakes, errors and just plain poor editing.
And yes, I HAVE been published, though not n this genre.
Feel free to contact me at [email protected] if you want an accomplished editor. It appears you could use one.
The storyline is fairly plausible; if even predictable. But, it seems the author just got tired, or careless, the more he wrote.
Missing commas made some interesting sentence structures, and a number of WTF did he mean by that moments. There was one sentence that was NINE lines long. And yes, I counted.
Inconsistent, erroneous word usage (site instead of sight, for example) , really funny capitalization errors and unexplained acronyms abounded. Incomplete sentences were also quite annoying.
I found myself just scanning the last 1/3 of the book actually looking for errors instead of enjoying the story.
If the rest of his efforts are no better, even at these prices, I won't be among his readers. Perhaps this quality of effort is acceptable to many, but I would NOT be publishing a work so ridden with mistakes, errors and just plain poor editing.
And yes, I HAVE been published, though not n this genre.
Feel free to contact me at [email protected] if you want an accomplished editor. It appears you could use one.
February 21, 2018
Good story, and grammar
I enjoyed the story and have purchased the next book in the series, though the punctuation was atrocious and the spelling wasn't great either. My advice to this up and coming author is that he invest in a good editor, so as not to needlessly detract from what is an otherwise entertaining story. Other than that, good job!
I enjoyed the story and have purchased the next book in the series, though the punctuation was atrocious and the spelling wasn't great either. My advice to this up and coming author is that he invest in a good editor, so as not to needlessly detract from what is an otherwise entertaining story. Other than that, good job!
January 14, 2021
This was fun. Steve's a top bloke and I'd follow him in a zombie apocalypse. He's hilarious. Ginny kicks arse too.
The 'zombies' in this book scare me though... I mean, the slow ones are scary especially in large numbers, but these ones are fast and agile, and they gather in packs too. So scary!
The 'zombies' in this book scare me though... I mean, the slow ones are scary especially in large numbers, but these ones are fast and agile, and they gather in packs too. So scary!
November 9, 2017
Zournal
Haha hitchhiker’s guide to the galaxy reference taking a towel as an essential was a really funny joke but the rest of the book was brutal as Steve struggles to survive with zombies that are blueish and run plus scream alerting other zombies to your present. These zombies also have amazing hearing so any noise and they are onto you made worse by the fact that everyday life has become silence.
Interesting and a page turner.
I got this book in exchange for an honest review.
Haha hitchhiker’s guide to the galaxy reference taking a towel as an essential was a really funny joke but the rest of the book was brutal as Steve struggles to survive with zombies that are blueish and run plus scream alerting other zombies to your present. These zombies also have amazing hearing so any noise and they are onto you made worse by the fact that everyday life has become silence.
Interesting and a page turner.
I got this book in exchange for an honest review.
August 10, 2018
Steve wakes up from a killer hangover to discover the world has gone crazy. Blue "smurf like" people - zombies - are everywhere -and more powerful and faster than the typical Zombie Movie. Some very entertaining situations. Very well written - with a great flow. Can't wait to read more of this series. Was a very quick read.
June 20, 2019
Horrible cover
I almost skipped this, too many "harem" style books out here. I swear Amazon needs to move romance out of science fiction. What is it with all of these damn werewolf, vampire or alien love stories. That and i dont F-ing care if some schmuck just release a copy of "The Scarecrow of Oz" it does not belong in new releases.
On to book 2!
I almost skipped this, too many "harem" style books out here. I swear Amazon needs to move romance out of science fiction. What is it with all of these damn werewolf, vampire or alien love stories. That and i dont F-ing care if some schmuck just release a copy of "The Scarecrow of Oz" it does not belong in new releases.
On to book 2!
June 26, 2018
I think I like this book very much. The only complaint is don't kill off all the good guys, After all thier the one who really carry the story.
Read
July 18, 2019Cool
I've gone by this book a hundred times thinking it would be stupid but can was I wrong! Can't wait to read the rest of the series
I've gone by this book a hundred times thinking it would be stupid but can was I wrong! Can't wait to read the rest of the series
September 26, 2019
The storyline flow is good and I enjoyed the end. A bit raw with the writing, and a couple of typos, but I am used to that when starting a new author with a new work. Nevertheless, this book was good enough for me to go onto book two, which I am starting now.
June 5, 2023
I really enjoyed the story line, I didn’t love the writing style, I found myself rereading a few parts due to confusing descriptions but like I said I enjoyed the story so I will try book 2
July 19, 2020
I read a lot of zombie fiction. Its one of my fave guilty pleasures. Anyway, I really enjoyed this book!! Initially it took me a bit to get into the story, but once I got into the meat and potatoes of the zombie story, I couldn't put it down. I felt like the story just kept gaining more and more momentum, the more I kept reading. I loved the main character Steve. I loved that he drank pube water to survive (no judgment! I prob would too!). He started to develop into this really cool leader by the end of the book. The author added in several other characters that I fell in love with. I thought the take on the zombies in the book was unique and that they were written to be so much scarier then most zombies in other books. While some books the zombies are slow moving and stupid, the zombies in this book seem smarter and are fast moving and insatiable. They reminded me of the infected in 28 Days Later. I also loved that there was more about surviving and thriving, then about killing characters off. I am pretty excited to learn this is a 6 book series, as I now have 5 more books to read!
February 4, 2021
I received an audible copy and promised a review in return, so big thanks to the author.
I have read a fair number of zombie books and while I did finish this one, I don't feel compelled to continue with the series. On the scale of zombie genre books, this one would be somewhere around the lower middle of the pack - not the best, not the worst.
There are quite a few likeable characters, unfortunately the main protagonist wasn't one of them for me. There certainly is potential here but I kept thinking to myself that this felt like a first effort that could have been further refined before release. Simply put there was too much similarity with the plethora of indie zombie books out there and not enough to distinguish or recommend it as something unique and compelling.
This is my honest opinion and I hope it doesn't sound overly harsh especially since the author was kind enough to offer a free audible copy.
I have read a fair number of zombie books and while I did finish this one, I don't feel compelled to continue with the series. On the scale of zombie genre books, this one would be somewhere around the lower middle of the pack - not the best, not the worst.
There are quite a few likeable characters, unfortunately the main protagonist wasn't one of them for me. There certainly is potential here but I kept thinking to myself that this felt like a first effort that could have been further refined before release. Simply put there was too much similarity with the plethora of indie zombie books out there and not enough to distinguish or recommend it as something unique and compelling.
This is my honest opinion and I hope it doesn't sound overly harsh especially since the author was kind enough to offer a free audible copy.
May 12, 2020
Not what I expected. It was better!!!
I kept bypassing this book because of the cover anjd now I just fee ï hi u újl like an idiot. Momma always said, "never judge a book by its cover". I should've listened! It was so packed with zombies and action. If u don't read this series your going to miss one the best zombie novels ever!
I kept bypassing this book because of the cover anjd now I just fee ï hi u újl like an idiot. Momma always said, "never judge a book by its cover". I should've listened! It was so packed with zombies and action. If u don't read this series your going to miss one the best zombie novels ever!
June 27, 2020
Really good
What I like most is the first person account. The storytelling is very interesting and entertaining. Steve is an intriguing character. He is learning as he goes and appears to be very intuitive.
I almost did not read this book because the cover turned off. The picture of almost naked female with extra large boobs had a very negative effect.
What I like most is the first person account. The storytelling is very interesting and entertaining. Steve is an intriguing character. He is learning as he goes and appears to be very intuitive.
I almost did not read this book because the cover turned off. The picture of almost naked female with extra large boobs had a very negative effect.
March 23, 2019
Great Zombie Book
Lots of action with the main character always in the thick of the action. Good characters and leaves you wanting more!
Lots of action with the main character always in the thick of the action. Good characters and leaves you wanting more!
August 24, 2019
Great book
This is what a zombie apocalypse should be like.I enjoy reading about the life they had and what led them to where they are now.I'm onto book 2.
This is what a zombie apocalypse should be like.I enjoy reading about the life they had and what led them to where they are now.I'm onto book 2.
January 4, 2019
Zournal is a read I approached with some trepidation. Several reviews billed it as atrocious, though a few offered sterling praise. I have landed firmly in the middle.
First, the premise is one that works. Twenty-something Steve wakes with a horrendous hangover to discover that the world outside his Florida apartment has gone to hell. When it becomes clear that it’s too dangerous to stay where he is, he packs up and heads out for his parents� cabin in Tennessee. The remainder of the book follows his perilous journey through a landscape infested with Zombies.
What makes this novel unique is the humor that is woven into often vomit-inducing scenes of blood, guts and gore. Some pages read like dark comedy, delivered with biting wit, whilst others offer up throw away lines that made me laugh out loud. The author’s ability to toe the line between comedy and tragedy is definitely note-worthy.
Unfortunately, the book falls short in so many other ways. The format is presented as that of a journal, written in first person, as the main character makes his way out into the dangerous world of the apocalypse. In reality, the writing just doesn’t follow that prescription. Instead, it veers off into general storytelling, in one chapter even resorting to a third person retelling of events that the narrator would have had no way of knowing until far later.
The second shortcoming in is the number of errors in grammar, spelling and punctuation. There appears at the end of the book a note from the author indicating that, based on reader feedback, the work has gone through post-publication editing. I shudder to think about what it looked like before those changes. There is simply no excuse for an author not understanding the difference between “their� and “there�. That type of repeated mistake points to a writer who hasn’t engaged in a lot of reading in an effort to learn the craft.
A good editor would have turned this book up a notch and made it a worthy contender in the genre. As it is, I would recommend it as light reading—an exercise done to appreciate the author’s vivid imagination and humor. I am going to give Merritt another try, hoping that the style has matured. The foundation is definitely there.
First, the premise is one that works. Twenty-something Steve wakes with a horrendous hangover to discover that the world outside his Florida apartment has gone to hell. When it becomes clear that it’s too dangerous to stay where he is, he packs up and heads out for his parents� cabin in Tennessee. The remainder of the book follows his perilous journey through a landscape infested with Zombies.
What makes this novel unique is the humor that is woven into often vomit-inducing scenes of blood, guts and gore. Some pages read like dark comedy, delivered with biting wit, whilst others offer up throw away lines that made me laugh out loud. The author’s ability to toe the line between comedy and tragedy is definitely note-worthy.
Unfortunately, the book falls short in so many other ways. The format is presented as that of a journal, written in first person, as the main character makes his way out into the dangerous world of the apocalypse. In reality, the writing just doesn’t follow that prescription. Instead, it veers off into general storytelling, in one chapter even resorting to a third person retelling of events that the narrator would have had no way of knowing until far later.
The second shortcoming in is the number of errors in grammar, spelling and punctuation. There appears at the end of the book a note from the author indicating that, based on reader feedback, the work has gone through post-publication editing. I shudder to think about what it looked like before those changes. There is simply no excuse for an author not understanding the difference between “their� and “there�. That type of repeated mistake points to a writer who hasn’t engaged in a lot of reading in an effort to learn the craft.
A good editor would have turned this book up a notch and made it a worthy contender in the genre. As it is, I would recommend it as light reading—an exercise done to appreciate the author’s vivid imagination and humor. I am going to give Merritt another try, hoping that the style has matured. The foundation is definitely there.
June 26, 2023
Wow
That was a great story!!! Really really liked it. The plot was good, the story was quick, funny well written and coherent. Can t wait for more.
That was a great story!!! Really really liked it. The plot was good, the story was quick, funny well written and coherent. Can t wait for more.
April 12, 2021
I really like the characters and their bond. They are feisty and clever. I am looking forward to the next book.
November 22, 2019
Enjoyable zombie stuff, it's quite light, but there are a couple of darker moments near the end, I'll definitely read the next one at least.
February 19, 2021
( Format : Audiobook )
"This end of the world scenario thing."
So many zombie books out there and most just meld into one long, similar sfory. Not this one so much, at least not in the ear!y stages as it is written in the form of a diary. Steve Hankle, a 22 years old unemployed college graduate was having a bad week (or several). his girlfriend of three years had left him and he was about to be evicted: no money for rent. When he woke on the floor of his room the day that the virus hit, he was aware only of some sort of disturbance outside before taking himse!f to his bed to sleep off his massive hangover. So he missed the beginning of the end of the world. Once realization dawns the next day, he starts to make preparations for survival, with lovely 'handy hints' given following his own mistakes, as, for instance, when filling the bath with water to provide for future drinking needs, first clean the bath - and it is through such little personal asides that the reader gets to know the keeper of the journal, a geeky guy, no macho hero here. And when hunger and desperation force him out into the world armed only with some cutlery and an old Samurai sword, he is one terrified bunny. I loved Steve the incompetant bumbler. But I guess to stay alive in a time of blood crazed, blue people eaters, he had to grow up. Fast. And the book slides into a more standard zombie apocalypse (although not truly zombies as the dead do not rise)..
Narration is by Nicholas Cain who admirably takes on the persona of Steve the diarist. His voice is pleasant to the ear, his timing and speech pattern melodius, his modulation good. A nice performance for one pursued by super strength cannibals! I did enjoy this book though probably not enough to continue the series. My thanks to the rights holder of It All Started, Zournal I, who, at my request freely gifted me with a complimentary copy via Audiobook Boom. Disconcerting and bloody, readers who enjoy the zombie experience will surely love this.
But, as others have said, dreadful cover art.
"This end of the world scenario thing."
So many zombie books out there and most just meld into one long, similar sfory. Not this one so much, at least not in the ear!y stages as it is written in the form of a diary. Steve Hankle, a 22 years old unemployed college graduate was having a bad week (or several). his girlfriend of three years had left him and he was about to be evicted: no money for rent. When he woke on the floor of his room the day that the virus hit, he was aware only of some sort of disturbance outside before taking himse!f to his bed to sleep off his massive hangover. So he missed the beginning of the end of the world. Once realization dawns the next day, he starts to make preparations for survival, with lovely 'handy hints' given following his own mistakes, as, for instance, when filling the bath with water to provide for future drinking needs, first clean the bath - and it is through such little personal asides that the reader gets to know the keeper of the journal, a geeky guy, no macho hero here. And when hunger and desperation force him out into the world armed only with some cutlery and an old Samurai sword, he is one terrified bunny. I loved Steve the incompetant bumbler. But I guess to stay alive in a time of blood crazed, blue people eaters, he had to grow up. Fast. And the book slides into a more standard zombie apocalypse (although not truly zombies as the dead do not rise)..
Narration is by Nicholas Cain who admirably takes on the persona of Steve the diarist. His voice is pleasant to the ear, his timing and speech pattern melodius, his modulation good. A nice performance for one pursued by super strength cannibals! I did enjoy this book though probably not enough to continue the series. My thanks to the rights holder of It All Started, Zournal I, who, at my request freely gifted me with a complimentary copy via Audiobook Boom. Disconcerting and bloody, readers who enjoy the zombie experience will surely love this.
But, as others have said, dreadful cover art.
January 16, 2019
This was a fun book, even though its a zombie apocalyptic thriller.
I read a few of the review before reading this and scoff at their grammatical issues -The fact that their are a few grammatical mistakes actually adds to it as it is our "hero" who is writing a journal, and as I have been a journal keeper, I can say that I do not care about grammar or prose when I write in it.
The writer Steve, obviously tries to cope by being humourous when writing his journal at the beginning and his humour starts to wane after the loss of some friends. as the story progresses, he becomes more serious and starts to develop great leadership qualities and leads well.
The only issue I had with the book was the re-telling by Chrissie of what the prisoners had done/said. It didn't make sense that she would know theses things - without that flaw, the book would have been better , and the re-telling did not further the story.
It was good enough that I have now purchased book 2.
I read a few of the review before reading this and scoff at their grammatical issues -The fact that their are a few grammatical mistakes actually adds to it as it is our "hero" who is writing a journal, and as I have been a journal keeper, I can say that I do not care about grammar or prose when I write in it.
The writer Steve, obviously tries to cope by being humourous when writing his journal at the beginning and his humour starts to wane after the loss of some friends. as the story progresses, he becomes more serious and starts to develop great leadership qualities and leads well.
The only issue I had with the book was the re-telling by Chrissie of what the prisoners had done/said. It didn't make sense that she would know theses things - without that flaw, the book would have been better , and the re-telling did not further the story.
It was good enough that I have now purchased book 2.
August 27, 2018
I have tried many times to finish this book with little to no success. I like the idea of the book, a zombie apocalypse told from the point of view of a ‘normal� person, someone who has had no training for emergency situations. I also enjoyed that child zombies were included with the mind boggling choice of ‘should we kill it? It’s just a kid�.
With those good points notwithstanding, I was unable to finish this novel. Part of the reason was the writing itself. I have never enjoyed stories written in first person, preferring the third person point of view. After somewhat getting over that, the writing itself was difficult and ‘jumpy�. I did not enjoy being in the mind of Steve.
So in summary, my opinion of Zournal: It All Started was great idea, poor execution.
With those good points notwithstanding, I was unable to finish this novel. Part of the reason was the writing itself. I have never enjoyed stories written in first person, preferring the third person point of view. After somewhat getting over that, the writing itself was difficult and ‘jumpy�. I did not enjoy being in the mind of Steve.
So in summary, my opinion of Zournal: It All Started was great idea, poor execution.
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