What do you think?
Rate this book
Zombie Fallout #1
Zombie Fallout
Zombie Fallout
It was a flu season like no other. With fears of contracting the H1N1 virus running rampant throughout the country, people lined up in droves to try an attain one of the coveted vaccines. What was not known, was the effect this largely untested, rushed to market, inoculation was to have on the unsuspecting throngs. Within days, feverish folk throughout the country, convulsed, collapsed and died, only to be re-born. With a taste for brains, blood and bodies, these modern day zombies scoured the lands for their next meal. Overnight the country became a killing ground for the hordes of zombies that ravaged the land.
This is the story of Michael Talbot, his family and his friends. This is their story a band of ordinary people just trying to get by in these extra-ordinary times. When disaster strikes, Mike a self-proclaimed survivalist, does his best to ensure the safety and security of those he cares for.
Book 1 of the Zombie Fall-Out Trilogy follows our lead character in his self-deprecating, sarcastic best. What he encounters along the way leads him down a long dark road always skirting on the edge of insanity. Can he keep his family safe? Can he discover the secret behind Tommy's powers? Can he save anyone from the zombie Queen - a zombie that seems by all accounts to have some sort of hold over the zombies and Mike himself? Encircled in a seemingly safe haven called Little Turtle, Mike and his family together with the remnants of a tattered community while not fighting each other, fight against a relentless, ruthless, unstoppable force. This last bastion of civilization has made its final stand. God help them all.
It was a flu season like no other. With fears of contracting the H1N1 virus running rampant throughout the country, people lined up in droves to try an attain one of the coveted vaccines. What was not known, was the effect this largely untested, rushed to market, inoculation was to have on the unsuspecting throngs. Within days, feverish folk throughout the country, convulsed, collapsed and died, only to be re-born. With a taste for brains, blood and bodies, these modern day zombies scoured the lands for their next meal. Overnight the country became a killing ground for the hordes of zombies that ravaged the land.
This is the story of Michael Talbot, his family and his friends. This is their story a band of ordinary people just trying to get by in these extra-ordinary times. When disaster strikes, Mike a self-proclaimed survivalist, does his best to ensure the safety and security of those he cares for.
Book 1 of the Zombie Fall-Out Trilogy follows our lead character in his self-deprecating, sarcastic best. What he encounters along the way leads him down a long dark road always skirting on the edge of insanity. Can he keep his family safe? Can he discover the secret behind Tommy's powers? Can he save anyone from the zombie Queen - a zombie that seems by all accounts to have some sort of hold over the zombies and Mike himself? Encircled in a seemingly safe haven called Little Turtle, Mike and his family together with the remnants of a tattered community while not fighting each other, fight against a relentless, ruthless, unstoppable force. This last bastion of civilization has made its final stand. God help them all.
348 pages, Paperback
First published February 25, 2010
1,296 people are currently reading
10.5k people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,273 reviews
May 10, 2012
Some people find it difficult to bash a Kindle book that only cost them $.99. I, however, am not one of those people. The only enjoyment I received from this book was that apparently I'm not alone in legitimately wanting a Z apocalypse to happen. After that heap of praise it should be noted that there is a HUGE difference between juvenile humor and lame, cringe-worthy attempts at humor. The first chapter alone reminded me of watching a stand-up comedian and literally looking away because I was so embarrassed at his/her comedic abilities. Except apparently this author is Dane Cook and I'm sitting in the back row still in complete disbelief at how people deem this stuff funny.
There's more to be said about why this book is god awful, but I'll sum it up in one sentence. This author cannot write. I'm only mildly surprised that amazon ratings fooled me yet again, but I completely expected to come here and see this book ripped to shreds. Even the most die-hard zombie fanatics (I include myself in said category) should avoid the book. This is not the zombie epic you are looking for.
There's more to be said about why this book is god awful, but I'll sum it up in one sentence. This author cannot write. I'm only mildly surprised that amazon ratings fooled me yet again, but I completely expected to come here and see this book ripped to shreds. Even the most die-hard zombie fanatics (I include myself in said category) should avoid the book. This is not the zombie epic you are looking for.
September 28, 2020
This was a reread for my Horror Group Challenge!
I haven’t read these in years. I owned the first 7 books in paperback. I loved the old school covers. Unfortunately, they switched them all to the uglier covers in my opinion. I broke down and decided to unhaul these anyway as I have most on kindle now. Sigh, it does make me feel sad because of my nostalgic feelings again. Anyhoo, I still enjoyed this book. Not 5 stars any more but I still love it.
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
I haven’t read these in years. I owned the first 7 books in paperback. I loved the old school covers. Unfortunately, they switched them all to the uglier covers in my opinion. I broke down and decided to unhaul these anyway as I have most on kindle now. Sigh, it does make me feel sad because of my nostalgic feelings again. Anyhoo, I still enjoyed this book. Not 5 stars any more but I still love it.
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
May 12, 2013
I really wanted to like this book. Really!!! And after reading all the great reviews I didn't hesitate to purchase. Unfortunately, I did not like this book. To start off with I had a hard time to adjusting the "humor" that everyone else praised in their reviews. For me, it was like when you watch a movie and the lovers stop to "make out " as danger is about to overtake them. It was infuriating! I really disliked being in the middle of an action sequence and I would be forced to stop to listen to the "'funny" ramblings going on in the head of the protagonist. Also, the female characters in the book are irritating and bossy and I'm not sure why the other characters in the book have such high opinions of them. They take stupid risks, that put others in danger and worry about pointless things.***Warning Tiny Spoiler**** For example, the protagonist is "Zombie proofing" his home and his wife is worried about the how now the resale value of the house has just gone down. Really? I don't feel like this author knows how to write strong women. However, despite all my annoyance with the book I kept on reading. I read on because I was hoping it would get better. After all, this series has so many fans. ***Warning minor spoiler*** But, when the author stops the storyline during the zombie attack and takes time to add a storyline about a serial killer, I was just to mad to finish. I am disappointed because I was really looking forward to reading a new Zombie series. I know I won't be picking up book two. The main character says something in the book that might explain why I didn't "get this book". He says..." if you don't understand New England humor, then you'll never understand me." That's not the exact quote but close enough. Well, I guess I don't understand. By the way, I did eventually finish this book in a desperate attempt that it would get better. It didn't.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 12, 2012
I purchased the first 3 in this series based on Amazon and ŷ reviews alone. Let this be a lesson to the rest of you when I say STOP! RUN AWAY! Drop the book and back your Romero-loving ass up. This self-published attempt at the zombie trend is downright pitiful. Within the first couple of pages, you will find characters that would have died in a zombie flick before the opening credits were complete.
And to the author, please stop raping the thesaurus, pick a style of dialogue and stick with it, and stop using farts and dog shit at your only means of humor. Oh, and I want my $5.99 back.
And to the author, please stop raping the thesaurus, pick a style of dialogue and stick with it, and stop using farts and dog shit at your only means of humor. Oh, and I want my $5.99 back.
November 18, 2021
CW:
Book 2 of my zombie-a-thon.
I am woefully behind and nowhere near this years target of 10.
Well there was a whole lot of toxic masculinity on display along side people's innards in this zombie apocalypse novel. There were some genuinely funny moments in there and a few forced ones. Set your expectations to fun zombie romp and you shouldn't be too disappointed. I am intrigued enough by this mysterious, seemingly intelligent female zombie leader to keep reading. So on to book 2 I go.
Book 2 of my zombie-a-thon.
I am woefully behind and nowhere near this years target of 10.
Well there was a whole lot of toxic masculinity on display along side people's innards in this zombie apocalypse novel. There were some genuinely funny moments in there and a few forced ones. Set your expectations to fun zombie romp and you shouldn't be too disappointed. I am intrigued enough by this mysterious, seemingly intelligent female zombie leader to keep reading. So on to book 2 I go.
January 3, 2014
I listened to Zombie Fallout in late November. I found out about it after hearing the author, Mark Tufo in an interview wherein he discussed the origins of the ZF series and his journey in self-publishing. I was particularly intrigued by the fact that Mark Tuffo stated in the interview that the main character, whose initials mirror his own, was closely based on Tufo and his family. I thought it would be an interesting read/listen.
Unlike some of the other people who rated this book poorly, while I thought the protagonist was more than a little goofy, I wasn’t terribly annoyed by his jokes, which were for the most part unfunny. I just thought, oh he’s a goof ball. That said, there were serious moments wherein the joking was sorely out of place and the effect would throw me out of the narrative as I attempted to figure out if I should be scared for the characters or if I should be laughing. The protagonist, I’d decided, was juvenile, not very clever, thought way too much of himself and his looks, and frequently an ass. And because Tuffo stated that the character was based on him, I figured, Hmm, Tuffo must be too.
The women are fairly one dimensional. They’re weepy, bossy, and have attitude for absolutely no good reason. Cute, but no cigar on portrayals of women. The protagonist had a side kick, BT (Big Tiny) and forgive me, but I am sick of seeing stories where black men are referred to by initials or off the freaking wall nicknames (T-Dog? The man never had a real name and then he died) and are fill in the blank stereotypes, “big, strong, but not all that smart�. Actually BT was a little worse. He sort of drifted into the land of almost “magical negro�. If he wasn’t brooding and silent, he was cussing you to ribbons or spouting some spiritual mystical mumbo jumbo (the mumbo jumbo might be from the second book). He was like John Coffee from the Green Mile, only not all healy and whatnot.
My biggest issue came when the main character, a veteran and ex-Marine(?) made a comment about Muslims. I think the term was “towel heads�, but don’t quote me. This is a slur. It is derogatory. Now I don’t expect to like all of the characters that I read about. Some of them will be bigots. Some of them will be bad. Some of them will be misunderstood. I don’t have to like them. In fact, I don’t want to like them all. But bear in mind that I’d just listened to Tuffo in an interview state that his protagonist was based on himself. So I started to ask myself questions.
1. Is this Tufo calling Muslims/Arabs (I know they aren’t the same but our media has effectively created a hybrid and the words are often interchangeable) “towel heads� or is that the protagonist? I don’t know the answer to that. It’s hard to tell.
2. If this is Tufo using this slur, does it matter to me, the reader? Have I stopped reading other authors who have questionable politics or views? The answer to that is sometimes yes, and sometimes no. It depends.
Nevertheless, I continued to listen to the story until its conclusion and I was moderately satisfied at the end. Not impressed. Sort of…meh. I found ZF entertaining enough even though I didn’t exactly think the book was the stuff of genius, or award worthy or deserving of the multiple five star accolades. To be totally honest, if I had been reading as opposed to listening, I likely would not have been able to complete it. The science is flawed, but heck, this is the ZA we’re talking about. If one isn’t willing to suspend disbelief at the door, then they shouldn’t even begin reading this or any other zombie tale.
I went on to begin listening to the second book. I never finished it because our protagonist made a statement about how all Muslims just hate Christians. I paused the audio on that and I think I even rewound that portion to listen to again. I started to ask myself those questions again. In the end, I couldn’t go back to the story. I’m not exactly Mrs. Politically Correct, but I am Muslim, and I was sufficiently insulted. And for that you don’t get more of my time or my money.
There has been lots of discussion lately on ŷ about rating and reviews, about how they should be based on the merits of the book and not the author themselves. So over a month has passed wherein I have endeavored to rate this book justly. This is no easy task due mostly to the fact that I’m not sure who/what I dislike. The author, or the character who is supposed to be the author, or both, the flawed science and its one dimensional female characters and BT the sage black side kick, the jackassery and idiotic jokes�
I give this one a two. That's all I got.
Unlike some of the other people who rated this book poorly, while I thought the protagonist was more than a little goofy, I wasn’t terribly annoyed by his jokes, which were for the most part unfunny. I just thought, oh he’s a goof ball. That said, there were serious moments wherein the joking was sorely out of place and the effect would throw me out of the narrative as I attempted to figure out if I should be scared for the characters or if I should be laughing. The protagonist, I’d decided, was juvenile, not very clever, thought way too much of himself and his looks, and frequently an ass. And because Tuffo stated that the character was based on him, I figured, Hmm, Tuffo must be too.
The women are fairly one dimensional. They’re weepy, bossy, and have attitude for absolutely no good reason. Cute, but no cigar on portrayals of women. The protagonist had a side kick, BT (Big Tiny) and forgive me, but I am sick of seeing stories where black men are referred to by initials or off the freaking wall nicknames (T-Dog? The man never had a real name and then he died) and are fill in the blank stereotypes, “big, strong, but not all that smart�. Actually BT was a little worse. He sort of drifted into the land of almost “magical negro�. If he wasn’t brooding and silent, he was cussing you to ribbons or spouting some spiritual mystical mumbo jumbo (the mumbo jumbo might be from the second book). He was like John Coffee from the Green Mile, only not all healy and whatnot.
My biggest issue came when the main character, a veteran and ex-Marine(?) made a comment about Muslims. I think the term was “towel heads�, but don’t quote me. This is a slur. It is derogatory. Now I don’t expect to like all of the characters that I read about. Some of them will be bigots. Some of them will be bad. Some of them will be misunderstood. I don’t have to like them. In fact, I don’t want to like them all. But bear in mind that I’d just listened to Tuffo in an interview state that his protagonist was based on himself. So I started to ask myself questions.
1. Is this Tufo calling Muslims/Arabs (I know they aren’t the same but our media has effectively created a hybrid and the words are often interchangeable) “towel heads� or is that the protagonist? I don’t know the answer to that. It’s hard to tell.
2. If this is Tufo using this slur, does it matter to me, the reader? Have I stopped reading other authors who have questionable politics or views? The answer to that is sometimes yes, and sometimes no. It depends.
Nevertheless, I continued to listen to the story until its conclusion and I was moderately satisfied at the end. Not impressed. Sort of…meh. I found ZF entertaining enough even though I didn’t exactly think the book was the stuff of genius, or award worthy or deserving of the multiple five star accolades. To be totally honest, if I had been reading as opposed to listening, I likely would not have been able to complete it. The science is flawed, but heck, this is the ZA we’re talking about. If one isn’t willing to suspend disbelief at the door, then they shouldn’t even begin reading this or any other zombie tale.
I went on to begin listening to the second book. I never finished it because our protagonist made a statement about how all Muslims just hate Christians. I paused the audio on that and I think I even rewound that portion to listen to again. I started to ask myself those questions again. In the end, I couldn’t go back to the story. I’m not exactly Mrs. Politically Correct, but I am Muslim, and I was sufficiently insulted. And for that you don’t get more of my time or my money.
There has been lots of discussion lately on ŷ about rating and reviews, about how they should be based on the merits of the book and not the author themselves. So over a month has passed wherein I have endeavored to rate this book justly. This is no easy task due mostly to the fact that I’m not sure who/what I dislike. The author, or the character who is supposed to be the author, or both, the flawed science and its one dimensional female characters and BT the sage black side kick, the jackassery and idiotic jokes�
I give this one a two. That's all I got.
February 24, 2016
DNF@ 25%
I gave a chance purely because it was free and it was highly rated on GR but now I realise it's a 'love it or hate it' type of book and I didn't like it. I found it boring, at time it made me feel queasy, the attempt at humour grated on my nerves and the whole thing left me feeling puzzled and asking 'why is this book so highly rated and praised?'
I had to admit defeat after reading the latest vomit inducing descriptions about worms and maggots inside grotesquely shaped, Daisy Duke wearing fat zombie girls outside Walmart. It was just too much.
There was a lot of cringe worthy juvenile humour and many of them were cheap shots at the usual suspects: the over weight (there were lots of fat jokes), gender, sex etc...
'...I would have to lug Henry because he couldn't walk more than two hundred yards before he would begin panting like a sex offender at a cheerleader convention.'
But I admit to laughing at one of Michael's lines at the start because it was unexpected given the situation.
“I see a tongue! Some asshole is licking my peephole.�
is told from Michael Talbot POV and it's about how he ensures his family's survival after the H1N1 virus epidemic leads to the zombie apocalypse. But Michael is prepared for the apocalypse; his ammunition/gun stockpile rivals that of the local gun shop or police station. It's like he knows, Man! *Rolls eyes*
Michael's wife comes across as incompetent, shrewish, at times cruel and a raging bitch.e.g. When he tried to take his 15 year old son as backup to rescue their other son who was stuck on the roof of a building surrounded by zombies:
"You can't!" she yelled.
Travis rushed to my defence. "Mum, Dad needs my help."
"He can do it on his own," she retorted.
"You're my baby!"
"Hon-" I started.
"You shut up!" she spat fiercely. "Travis is my baby, he's my flesh and blood!"
"And what am I!" I yelled back.
"You're just some guy I met!" she retorted.'
He's forced to tell her what to do, pull her out of the horror induced mental paralysis he likes to call 'Traceyville' a.k.a 'blond moment'... 'We sometimes joked when my wife had a blond moment or just lapsed out of our reality into her own made up one. Life came back into her eyes, and just like that, she was back.'
Michael has to reason with and also explain the obvious to Tracy:
"Forget the damn puke!" she yelled
"Shouldn't we try to help?"
"No, " I mumble.
"What? Speak up, I can't hear your altruism." she retorted acerbically.'
"Listen, if we stop, we become vulnerable, and we don't know if the person we would be helping is infected. We can't take the chance, we have to look out for us." I argued.
So far, I haven't seen a strong woman, just an emotionally immature woman but she seems to be a perfect match for Michael because he's no prize either.
Michael is a former Marine and an average Joe in character but in the blink of an eye he becomes the man, the one most likely to survive the zombie apocalypse. He's a quick thinker, faster and braver than his 15 year old son who is a mini Hercules in size and strength but somehow Michael is the one with all the good ideas. Michael is cleverer than everyone too, he is the first one to act, he is the only one who has a plan and everyone's survival depends on him. Yep, we have a Mary Sue hero a.k.a. Gary Stu!
I read few more pages to see if anything changes but nothing did. There was nothing to like about any of the characters, they were all flat and uninteresting and I found it difficult to connect with any of them. The narrative, writing style, humour, characters, especially the main character...non of it worked for me.
This book had one thing going for it...the zombies were different here, they seemed to have emotions and some sort of thinking or group mind-set that I found interesting, but it wasn't intriguing enough to keep me reading. Still, I'm glad I gave a try and now I can move on.
I gave a chance purely because it was free and it was highly rated on GR but now I realise it's a 'love it or hate it' type of book and I didn't like it. I found it boring, at time it made me feel queasy, the attempt at humour grated on my nerves and the whole thing left me feeling puzzled and asking 'why is this book so highly rated and praised?'
I had to admit defeat after reading the latest vomit inducing descriptions about worms and maggots inside grotesquely shaped, Daisy Duke wearing fat zombie girls outside Walmart. It was just too much.
There was a lot of cringe worthy juvenile humour and many of them were cheap shots at the usual suspects: the over weight (there were lots of fat jokes), gender, sex etc...
'...I would have to lug Henry because he couldn't walk more than two hundred yards before he would begin panting like a sex offender at a cheerleader convention.'
But I admit to laughing at one of Michael's lines at the start because it was unexpected given the situation.
“I see a tongue! Some asshole is licking my peephole.�
is told from Michael Talbot POV and it's about how he ensures his family's survival after the H1N1 virus epidemic leads to the zombie apocalypse. But Michael is prepared for the apocalypse; his ammunition/gun stockpile rivals that of the local gun shop or police station. It's like he knows, Man! *Rolls eyes*
Michael's wife comes across as incompetent, shrewish, at times cruel and a raging bitch.e.g. When he tried to take his 15 year old son as backup to rescue their other son who was stuck on the roof of a building surrounded by zombies:
"You can't!" she yelled.
Travis rushed to my defence. "Mum, Dad needs my help."
"He can do it on his own," she retorted.
"You're my baby!"
"Hon-" I started.
"You shut up!" she spat fiercely. "Travis is my baby, he's my flesh and blood!"
"And what am I!" I yelled back.
"You're just some guy I met!" she retorted.'
He's forced to tell her what to do, pull her out of the horror induced mental paralysis he likes to call 'Traceyville' a.k.a 'blond moment'... 'We sometimes joked when my wife had a blond moment or just lapsed out of our reality into her own made up one. Life came back into her eyes, and just like that, she was back.'
Michael has to reason with and also explain the obvious to Tracy:
"Forget the damn puke!" she yelled
"Shouldn't we try to help?"
"No, " I mumble.
"What? Speak up, I can't hear your altruism." she retorted acerbically.'
"Listen, if we stop, we become vulnerable, and we don't know if the person we would be helping is infected. We can't take the chance, we have to look out for us." I argued.
So far, I haven't seen a strong woman, just an emotionally immature woman but she seems to be a perfect match for Michael because he's no prize either.
Michael is a former Marine and an average Joe in character but in the blink of an eye he becomes the man, the one most likely to survive the zombie apocalypse. He's a quick thinker, faster and braver than his 15 year old son who is a mini Hercules in size and strength but somehow Michael is the one with all the good ideas. Michael is cleverer than everyone too, he is the first one to act, he is the only one who has a plan and everyone's survival depends on him. Yep, we have a Mary Sue hero a.k.a. Gary Stu!
I read few more pages to see if anything changes but nothing did. There was nothing to like about any of the characters, they were all flat and uninteresting and I found it difficult to connect with any of them. The narrative, writing style, humour, characters, especially the main character...non of it worked for me.
This book had one thing going for it...the zombies were different here, they seemed to have emotions and some sort of thinking or group mind-set that I found interesting, but it wasn't intriguing enough to keep me reading. Still, I'm glad I gave a try and now I can move on.
March 7, 2023
This novel was one of the first novels I read on my Kindle over 10 years ago. I liked it enough to keep it on a library that has grown to be over a thousand entries (some of which are collections and boxsets). One of my New Year Resolutions still going strong is to trim the TBR by 50 (hopefully more) of the books that have been on my TBR for longer than 5 years. This is my #6 of 50. I know that I will go over 50 because I am way too OCD, but stay tuned. Zombie Fallout by Mark Tufo is a zombie apocalypse narrative written in the first person POV voice of a former United States Marine turned 40-year old, prepper, family-man. The zombie apocalypse hits a gated community along with the entire world, and so Michael Talbot immediately decides to go get his son who is working at Walmart. His natural reaction is to shelter-in-place, hoping that his college-aged daughter is smart enough to make her way to her family home while he coordinates with his neighbors to fortify the community. There's quite a bit of tongue-in-cheek dialogue (both internal and external), but most of the situations are treated seriously. There is pathos (as all zombie apocalypse narratives should contain). It's a good story with intriguing characters, but insufficient characterization of the supporting cast. Because it is only the first book in a series, one understands that you have to give the story room to grow, so hopefully that will be addressed in future novels. Still pretty damn fun and very heart-pounding, mind numbing, butthole puckering, suspenseful.
May 16, 2013
Highly disappointing! I was all set to enjoy a good old-fashioned zombie book - full of gore and violence, but what I got was a big heap of misogyny. The two main female characters, family members of the protagonist, a self proclaimed survivalist, don't even know how to load a gun. There is a whole section of the book devoted to their hi-jinks, from fiddling with the guns, to decided to go on a "cigarette run" in the middle of a zombie apocalypse, to running into a "pornstar-look-a-like slut" that tried to seduce the main character (because he is such a catch).
Characters in books can be dumb. I understand that. However, this author comes across as juvenile and simplistic as a thirteen-year-old boy in his portrayal of women and gays (don't even get me started).
Want to read a zombie book that treats women like actual people?
Check out the Newsflesh Trilogy by Mira Grant or Plague of the Dead by Z.A. Recht. You can thank me later.
Characters in books can be dumb. I understand that. However, this author comes across as juvenile and simplistic as a thirteen-year-old boy in his portrayal of women and gays (don't even get me started).
Want to read a zombie book that treats women like actual people?
Check out the Newsflesh Trilogy by Mira Grant or Plague of the Dead by Z.A. Recht. You can thank me later.
May 6, 2011
Very new to novels of this genre(although huge fan of everything Zombie on Film), but after enjoying World War Z(Max Brooks)& Warm bodies (Isaac marion) in paperback, and with the arrival of my Christmas present kindle i read numerous Zed novels with great reviews on amazon.What can i say??? There is some Pure Crap out there!! Hence Zombie Fallout was to be my last foray into the Genre and i did not hold much hope..... Oh how i like to be proved wrong, this book was a revelation. Mr Tufo has managed to introduce a wholly fresh twist to the normal Zombie mediocrity(Get Bit,Turn,bite etc etc), With super strong characters on every level,and a uniquely strong storyline this novel is a winner. The end of every page forces you to start the next,i giggled out loud to the constant humour,cringed at the graphic horror and became engrossed with the constant twists and turns. The only real way i can promote this guy/novel is to say i finished it in two days,could not put it down! and within 30 seconds of its completion i had downloaded the follow up(ZF2),and started immediately. LOVED IT
April 23, 2011
I won't bother outlining the plot of this one other than to say it's a typical zombie outbreak scenario. It focuses on an ex-marine and his family as they try to survive the zombie apocalypse. I've read dozens of zombie books and enjoyed nearly everyone. The problem I have with Zombie Fallout isn't with the story. The problem is the writing.
The book is overflowing with spelling and grammatical errors. In something that is self published, it's not surprising to find a few mistakes here and there, but Zombie Fallout has so many errors it's distracting.
Another problem is the endless attempts at being funny. After a while it just becomes irritating. You'll find jokes about farts, pooping, needing a shower, the smell of zombies and more jokes about farts. If it smells bad it's funny and needs multiple jokes. I wish I had read this when I was 13 and could appreciate the humor.
This is the first book in what looks to be at least a trilogy. I doubt I'll give this writer another try, but hopefully rest of the series received a bit more editing.
The book is overflowing with spelling and grammatical errors. In something that is self published, it's not surprising to find a few mistakes here and there, but Zombie Fallout has so many errors it's distracting.
Another problem is the endless attempts at being funny. After a while it just becomes irritating. You'll find jokes about farts, pooping, needing a shower, the smell of zombies and more jokes about farts. If it smells bad it's funny and needs multiple jokes. I wish I had read this when I was 13 and could appreciate the humor.
This is the first book in what looks to be at least a trilogy. I doubt I'll give this writer another try, but hopefully rest of the series received a bit more editing.
June 19, 2021
I Loved it !!!
This book was awesome !!
I had so much fun reading Mike Talbot adventures during the ZOMPOCALYPSE !!
I highly recommend it to everyone who enjoy a great gory Zombies story with lots of humor !!!
I love Mark Tufo’s humor !😆
This book was awesome !!
I had so much fun reading Mike Talbot adventures during the ZOMPOCALYPSE !!
I highly recommend it to everyone who enjoy a great gory Zombies story with lots of humor !!!
I love Mark Tufo’s humor !😆
September 13, 2012
Resources for Adults Horror Selection
I saw this book on a list of . I've never thought of zombie novels as science fiction, but there are several on the sci fi lists, so maybe I'm the anomaly. In any case, Zombie Fallout had great ratings on goodreads, and the audio book was available for download from my local library, so I thought I'd give it a try.
After listening to it, I'd say it's a better fit for horror than sci fi. Even if it is sci fi, it doesn't belong on the "best of" list! (It has since been bumped, which makes me wonder if it was spam-voted to the list in the first place.) More on that later.
Zombie Fallout begins with a swine flu epidemic, circa 2009. In desperation, the CDC releases an untested flu vaccine that cures the flu but (surprise!) also turns recipients into zombies. The plague spreads quickly, and before long human survivors are outnumbered. Our protagonist, Mike, is an ex-marine survivalist who has been stockpiling weapons and MREs for years, just in case of apocalypse (zombie, or otherwise). The townhome complex where he lives with his family becomes a makeshift safe-haven for human refugees, with Mike as one of the more skilled and outspoken leaders. Most of the book is setup: excursions outside the compound to rescue survivors and gather supplies hint that these zombies are not the "mindless" zombies of horror flicks. Although the undead are slow-moving, their attacks seem coordinated. Predictably, a zombie horde descends on the compound and eventually breaches the defenses; they're not as dumb as they look, those zombies! Still, I hope I'm not giving too much away in saying that Mike and his family escape. (Hint: there are six sequels so far.)
The story itself is interesting enough, but the storytelling is distractingly bad. It's told in first-person from Mike's point of view. His narrative style is amusing: he's manly and self-deprecating and full of corny jokes. Initially, I wanted to give the author (Mark Tufo) the benefit of the doubt and assume that any narrative awkwardness was intentional -- just part of Mike's casual, everyman style. Eventually, though, the painful phrasing ("from which he came from") and syntax/grammar errors ("penultimate" to mean "ultimate") were more than I could overlook. Even the sections that were told in another voice were painful. (Mike's wife narrates briefly, and there is (inexplicably) a section in the middle that is told from a third-person omniscient point of view.) This book needs an editor. Badly.
Still, it was an amusing diversion during a long car ride. I just don't care enough about Mike to keep reading.
I can see this book appealing to fans of zombie fiction who want a series they can stick with for a while. It's got humor, gore, action, and a protagonist with wit and charm. But unfortunately, it's so poorly constructed, I can't see myself recommending it very enthusiastically.
I saw this book on a list of . I've never thought of zombie novels as science fiction, but there are several on the sci fi lists, so maybe I'm the anomaly. In any case, Zombie Fallout had great ratings on goodreads, and the audio book was available for download from my local library, so I thought I'd give it a try.
After listening to it, I'd say it's a better fit for horror than sci fi. Even if it is sci fi, it doesn't belong on the "best of" list! (It has since been bumped, which makes me wonder if it was spam-voted to the list in the first place.) More on that later.
Zombie Fallout begins with a swine flu epidemic, circa 2009. In desperation, the CDC releases an untested flu vaccine that cures the flu but (surprise!) also turns recipients into zombies. The plague spreads quickly, and before long human survivors are outnumbered. Our protagonist, Mike, is an ex-marine survivalist who has been stockpiling weapons and MREs for years, just in case of apocalypse (zombie, or otherwise). The townhome complex where he lives with his family becomes a makeshift safe-haven for human refugees, with Mike as one of the more skilled and outspoken leaders. Most of the book is setup: excursions outside the compound to rescue survivors and gather supplies hint that these zombies are not the "mindless" zombies of horror flicks. Although the undead are slow-moving, their attacks seem coordinated. Predictably, a zombie horde descends on the compound and eventually breaches the defenses; they're not as dumb as they look, those zombies! Still, I hope I'm not giving too much away in saying that Mike and his family escape. (Hint: there are six sequels so far.)
The story itself is interesting enough, but the storytelling is distractingly bad. It's told in first-person from Mike's point of view. His narrative style is amusing: he's manly and self-deprecating and full of corny jokes. Initially, I wanted to give the author (Mark Tufo) the benefit of the doubt and assume that any narrative awkwardness was intentional -- just part of Mike's casual, everyman style. Eventually, though, the painful phrasing ("from which he came from") and syntax/grammar errors ("penultimate" to mean "ultimate") were more than I could overlook. Even the sections that were told in another voice were painful. (Mike's wife narrates briefly, and there is (inexplicably) a section in the middle that is told from a third-person omniscient point of view.) This book needs an editor. Badly.
Still, it was an amusing diversion during a long car ride. I just don't care enough about Mike to keep reading.
I can see this book appealing to fans of zombie fiction who want a series they can stick with for a while. It's got humor, gore, action, and a protagonist with wit and charm. But unfortunately, it's so poorly constructed, I can't see myself recommending it very enthusiastically.
April 26, 2012
I love to read. I read a LOT. I read books in a wide variety of genre. I confess a preference for the paranormal and horror, so why have I not come across Mark Tufo’s books before?
Zombie Fallout is the first in a series and begins just after the plague starts. It is written in the form of a journal, which is narrated by the main character, Michael Talbot. Mike is forced to become the Man of the Hour when an untested H1N1 vaccine turns thousands into the walking dead. He’s healthy, he’s strong, he’s a former Marine, he’s got a good dose of common sense, and he has a sense of humor which helps in the sanity department. Being a touch paranoid, uh, I mean being a survivalist, he is prepared. He just never quite expected that he needed to be prepared for zombies, but he can adapt on the fly. Relying on his training and skills, Mike sets out to do whatever he can to save his family, friends, and as many of the still-living as possible.
Along the way, Mike meets quite the variety of characters, both heroic and vile. His cause is aided in unexpected and sometimes unexplainable ways by those you’d assume to be a liability rather than an asset. Ryan Seacrest lends a hand, in a unique way. People who could be of great help show their worst side, and choices have to be made. Somewhere along the line Mike also figures out that these zombies may be dead, but they’re not quite brain dead.
I found Mr. Tufo’s writing style to be refreshingly “real�. By that I mean he writes the way ordinary people talk � at least how people with Michael Talbot’s background would talk. Is the grammar and sentence structure perfect? No. Would your grammar and sentence structure be perfect if you were dodging zombies? Probably not. Mike’s wife and sons make what I’ll call “guest appearances�, taking over chapters when Mike is occupied elsewhere and unable to keep us up to speed on what’s happening. These chapters are written in an obviously different style, which to me proves Mr. Tufo’s intent.
At any rate, Zombie Fallout is an easy read. Gory? Yes, but it wouldn’t be a zombie story without some gore, right? It’s ok though, the sense of humor throughout brings balance to the blood and guts. This isn’t the kind of story that’ll give you nightmares, but it IS the kind of story that’s going to make you want to read Zombie Fallout 2 right away!
Zombie Fallout is the first in a series and begins just after the plague starts. It is written in the form of a journal, which is narrated by the main character, Michael Talbot. Mike is forced to become the Man of the Hour when an untested H1N1 vaccine turns thousands into the walking dead. He’s healthy, he’s strong, he’s a former Marine, he’s got a good dose of common sense, and he has a sense of humor which helps in the sanity department. Being a touch paranoid, uh, I mean being a survivalist, he is prepared. He just never quite expected that he needed to be prepared for zombies, but he can adapt on the fly. Relying on his training and skills, Mike sets out to do whatever he can to save his family, friends, and as many of the still-living as possible.
Along the way, Mike meets quite the variety of characters, both heroic and vile. His cause is aided in unexpected and sometimes unexplainable ways by those you’d assume to be a liability rather than an asset. Ryan Seacrest lends a hand, in a unique way. People who could be of great help show their worst side, and choices have to be made. Somewhere along the line Mike also figures out that these zombies may be dead, but they’re not quite brain dead.
I found Mr. Tufo’s writing style to be refreshingly “real�. By that I mean he writes the way ordinary people talk � at least how people with Michael Talbot’s background would talk. Is the grammar and sentence structure perfect? No. Would your grammar and sentence structure be perfect if you were dodging zombies? Probably not. Mike’s wife and sons make what I’ll call “guest appearances�, taking over chapters when Mike is occupied elsewhere and unable to keep us up to speed on what’s happening. These chapters are written in an obviously different style, which to me proves Mr. Tufo’s intent.
At any rate, Zombie Fallout is an easy read. Gory? Yes, but it wouldn’t be a zombie story without some gore, right? It’s ok though, the sense of humor throughout brings balance to the blood and guts. This isn’t the kind of story that’ll give you nightmares, but it IS the kind of story that’s going to make you want to read Zombie Fallout 2 right away!
March 2, 2011
SO. When writing a zombie book.... don't start your protagonist out describing how excited and ready he is because he/she loves zombie movies (oh, and listing them? what's that about?). It's trite, silly and completely unbelievable; I couldn't get past that in this book. It's been a common theme in a few of the newer self-published books, and I just don't understand it at all.
ALSO. I don't want to read about a character who seems to be more excited about his zombie-apocalypse readiness to take any interest at all in his family standing there screaming. Seriously? Zombies at the door and you are gonna send your kid out back to lock the gate. Ugh.
No plans on finishing this one at all.
ALSO. I don't want to read about a character who seems to be more excited about his zombie-apocalypse readiness to take any interest at all in his family standing there screaming. Seriously? Zombies at the door and you are gonna send your kid out back to lock the gate. Ugh.
No plans on finishing this one at all.
February 14, 2016
I downloaded this freebie due to the massive number of high ratings it has received at ŷ*. (And YAY free zombie book!)
Talk about a major let down.
I did not enjoy this book at all, and was, in fact, close to DNF'ing it (something I only very, very, very rarely do), at less than 20% in. I stuck with it in the hopes that it would get better.
It didn't.
The humor was juvenile (fart/poop jokes galore), OTT, mean-spirited at times (fat jokes...so many fat jokes) and downright homophobic** and sexist at others.
And just simply not funny. At. All.
Examples:
"My neighbor next door was a decent person in a bull-dykeish sort of way."
Also, the character's name was Jo, but the main character, who was also narrating had a irksome way of writing her name as Jo(e?), as if he couldn't quite believe she wasn't actually a man.
Not a good way to get me in your main character's corner.
Fat jokes:
"My guess was the promise of food. These two didn't ever look like they passed up a chance at something to eat." (about two female zombies.)
"I didn't think anybody but the Man of Steel himself was going to be able to stop that bulk once it got into motion."..."The odds were good that Justin and I were about to become human pancakes, sandwiched under the enormous bulk of Tommy."
About Tommy...he's a kid who the book terms as 'a little slow', who also hears the voice of Ryan Seacrest (I kid you not) turning Tommy into a sort of prophet type character as Seacrest seems to know what's going to happen at any given moment. Oh...and he's fat. And he likes to eat. A lot. And he apparently can't eat anything without smearing it all over his face. And he's really fat. I'm not sure the book stressed enough just how fat and slovenly Tommy was. UGGGHHHHH *rolls eyes*
Mysogyny:
"What the hell was wrong with me? I was having feelings, I had sobbed and now I was swooning, a couple more days of this crap and I was going to need some Tampax."
Real winner, isn't he? Our narrator, ladies and gentlemen.
And on that note, while exactly none of the characters had any depth, the female characters were flat out written horrendously. Every single one of them was shrewish, irritating, all but completely helpless, didn't appear to have a brain in their heads, and were constantly angry and yelling.
The book took weird side tangents, e.g. a sidestory about the main character almost cheating on his wife, and a completely unecessary side story about a rapist/serial killer who had a female zombie chained in his basement to...well, I think you can suss out why.
It was disjointed, clunky, unfunny, and...outside of Tommy and the two canine characters, I was rooting for the zombies.
*When trying to decide to read a book or not, I usually read several (non-spoilery reviews) from each rating level. Apparently I didn't read the 'right' bad reviews. :\
**The homophobia was apparently worse in a earlier version of the book. While part way through the book, I stopped reading to come back on ŷ to see if others disliked it as much as I did, and I came across a couple of reviews that commented on something the main character's wife (who also had a turn at narrating), said during a scene in which she and her daughter were in a convenience store on a cigarette run. The line was something to the effect of (the zombie's head being smashed) was as 'repellent as watching two guys kiss.' I had just read that scene prior, and did not recall anything that sounded like that, so I reread the scene again, and used my kindle's search to try to find it, and I could not. So, I'm assuming the book was revised at some point and that little comment was removed?
Talk about a major let down.
I did not enjoy this book at all, and was, in fact, close to DNF'ing it (something I only very, very, very rarely do), at less than 20% in. I stuck with it in the hopes that it would get better.
It didn't.
The humor was juvenile (fart/poop jokes galore), OTT, mean-spirited at times (fat jokes...so many fat jokes) and downright homophobic** and sexist at others.
And just simply not funny. At. All.
Examples:
"My neighbor next door was a decent person in a bull-dykeish sort of way."
Also, the character's name was Jo, but the main character, who was also narrating had a irksome way of writing her name as Jo(e?), as if he couldn't quite believe she wasn't actually a man.
Not a good way to get me in your main character's corner.
Fat jokes:
"My guess was the promise of food. These two didn't ever look like they passed up a chance at something to eat." (about two female zombies.)
"I didn't think anybody but the Man of Steel himself was going to be able to stop that bulk once it got into motion."..."The odds were good that Justin and I were about to become human pancakes, sandwiched under the enormous bulk of Tommy."
About Tommy...he's a kid who the book terms as 'a little slow', who also hears the voice of Ryan Seacrest (I kid you not) turning Tommy into a sort of prophet type character as Seacrest seems to know what's going to happen at any given moment. Oh...and he's fat. And he likes to eat. A lot. And he apparently can't eat anything without smearing it all over his face. And he's really fat. I'm not sure the book stressed enough just how fat and slovenly Tommy was. UGGGHHHHH *rolls eyes*
Mysogyny:
"What the hell was wrong with me? I was having feelings, I had sobbed and now I was swooning, a couple more days of this crap and I was going to need some Tampax."
Real winner, isn't he? Our narrator, ladies and gentlemen.
And on that note, while exactly none of the characters had any depth, the female characters were flat out written horrendously. Every single one of them was shrewish, irritating, all but completely helpless, didn't appear to have a brain in their heads, and were constantly angry and yelling.
The book took weird side tangents, e.g. a sidestory about the main character almost cheating on his wife, and a completely unecessary side story about a rapist/serial killer who had a female zombie chained in his basement to...well, I think you can suss out why.
It was disjointed, clunky, unfunny, and...outside of Tommy and the two canine characters, I was rooting for the zombies.
*When trying to decide to read a book or not, I usually read several (non-spoilery reviews) from each rating level. Apparently I didn't read the 'right' bad reviews. :\
**The homophobia was apparently worse in a earlier version of the book. While part way through the book, I stopped reading to come back on ŷ to see if others disliked it as much as I did, and I came across a couple of reviews that commented on something the main character's wife (who also had a turn at narrating), said during a scene in which she and her daughter were in a convenience store on a cigarette run. The line was something to the effect of (the zombie's head being smashed) was as 'repellent as watching two guys kiss.' I had just read that scene prior, and did not recall anything that sounded like that, so I reread the scene again, and used my kindle's search to try to find it, and I could not. So, I'm assuming the book was revised at some point and that little comment was removed?
March 4, 2016
I want to start first by saying this is far and away not my genre, and I purchased it mainly to fill an A-Z challenge. Well I was pleasantly surprised to find that I became enthralled with this family and their off color father. Good characters and an exciting plot made this fun romp hard to put down. Keep in mind it's not classic literature, it's zombie lore, but if you like this genre this one is a clever and at times comical story. It is a series and I am interested to see where this adventure leads this diverse cast of characters. Sean Runnette was the perfect voice for the main character. A good choice for Z folks.
January 15, 2016
I am always somewhat excited and apprehensive when I pick up a new zombie book by an author I’ve never read before. On the one hand, is it just going to be the same old, same old rehashing of what has been done before with some new window dressing? Or has the author taken the basic concept and “made it his own, dawg!� With eight books in the Zombie Fallout series, my hopes were high. I was not disappointed.
Mark Tufo has taken a slightly unorthodox approach in his presentation. The story takes on a bit of an unfiltered rambling, and first-person look back at the shit hitting the fan. This style really worked for me, I could really get a feel for who Michael Talbot is and I connected with the real life drama that was going on in the story.
An important aspect of any outbreak book is the vector of the infection. Where did it start? How does it spread? Could this really happen? Do the zombies want a side of liver with their brains? Mark Tufo has taken a marvelous approach to this, using a real life virus that is still fresh in our minds. And he has given the zombies something a little more sinister than what the reader is accustomed to.
Zombie Fallout has an impeccable balance between the drama and the terror of the zombies and the brash, slapstick humor of the character interactions and Michael’s thoughts. This is not the type of book you want to read when you are looking for a very serious, depressing look at the end of the world, it is more Zombieland than 28 Days Later. Michael Talbot’s thoughts range from shocking, to outrageous, to you did not just go there. It was a perfect fit for where I was when I picked it up.
If you are looking for a light and fun trip through the end of the world, Zombie Fallout could be the perfect road trip.
Mark Tufo has taken a slightly unorthodox approach in his presentation. The story takes on a bit of an unfiltered rambling, and first-person look back at the shit hitting the fan. This style really worked for me, I could really get a feel for who Michael Talbot is and I connected with the real life drama that was going on in the story.
An important aspect of any outbreak book is the vector of the infection. Where did it start? How does it spread? Could this really happen? Do the zombies want a side of liver with their brains? Mark Tufo has taken a marvelous approach to this, using a real life virus that is still fresh in our minds. And he has given the zombies something a little more sinister than what the reader is accustomed to.
Zombie Fallout has an impeccable balance between the drama and the terror of the zombies and the brash, slapstick humor of the character interactions and Michael’s thoughts. This is not the type of book you want to read when you are looking for a very serious, depressing look at the end of the world, it is more Zombieland than 28 Days Later. Michael Talbot’s thoughts range from shocking, to outrageous, to you did not just go there. It was a perfect fit for where I was when I picked it up.
If you are looking for a light and fun trip through the end of the world, Zombie Fallout could be the perfect road trip.
February 21, 2017
I love me some zombies. And I always appreciate the hangman's humor in any "The End of the World as we know it" type of story as I am pretty sure that is how I would handle it.
I really do like the narrative voice of the main character, Michael Talbot. As a military guy I can relate, and the really funny bit is that Mike is a zombie fan in the novel. So unlike some stories where apparently all the characters are dumbfounded that zombies exist, with no knowledge of the lore and stories that surround them (no modern novel should have character that are too shocked by zombies, they are too prevalent in US pop culture). Mike even experiences the moment of giddy, "It's real! It is really happening" before the reality hits him and it becomes "It's real?!? It is really happening....... crap. We are screwed."
Overall the story flows pretty well, from the initial outbreak (damn flu shots....) to the desperate battle to protect his family. It does introduce some likable or interesting characters, but given this is a zombie story do not get too attached to any of them. The author does decide to bring in a mystical capability on both one of the characters and on at least a few of the zombies that made some of the story a stretch, but overall it didn't hurt the story too much (though it made for a some convenient outs for the near terminal situations that author painted the characters into).
Fun read, and also funny. Given the title it sounds like there may be some more story left from the remaining characters so I would be interested to see where this may go.
I really do like the narrative voice of the main character, Michael Talbot. As a military guy I can relate, and the really funny bit is that Mike is a zombie fan in the novel. So unlike some stories where apparently all the characters are dumbfounded that zombies exist, with no knowledge of the lore and stories that surround them (no modern novel should have character that are too shocked by zombies, they are too prevalent in US pop culture). Mike even experiences the moment of giddy, "It's real! It is really happening" before the reality hits him and it becomes "It's real?!? It is really happening....... crap. We are screwed."
Overall the story flows pretty well, from the initial outbreak (damn flu shots....) to the desperate battle to protect his family. It does introduce some likable or interesting characters, but given this is a zombie story do not get too attached to any of them. The author does decide to bring in a mystical capability on both one of the characters and on at least a few of the zombies that made some of the story a stretch, but overall it didn't hurt the story too much (though it made for a some convenient outs for the near terminal situations that author painted the characters into).
Fun read, and also funny. Given the title it sounds like there may be some more story left from the remaining characters so I would be interested to see where this may go.
January 4, 2016
All in all a pretty decent zombie novel. I had a few issues with the main character. I don't know if I would really want to be on his team. He was kinda irritating. Maybe it was an east coast vs west coast thing. Him from Boston, me from the West. I own that. He was just such a....guy. I don't mean to sound chauvinistic. Yes, he was kinda funny at times. But I didn't like how he talked about people. I did like the twist on the zombie menace, enough that I would read the rest of the series.
If you like the zombie genre you would probably like this. Although, for those that don't like 1st person story telling, beware.
If you like the zombie genre you would probably like this. Although, for those that don't like 1st person story telling, beware.
January 10, 2020
“The walking dead weren’t in my back yard, but they were close. If they came through the gate now, this was going to be a short novella. My towel caught on the next-to-useless excuse for a lock on the door. I didn’t even stop to grab it. Somehow it seemed nobler to die naked like a savage than with a terry cloth towel around my waist.�
� Mark Tufo, Zombie Fallout
I try to express only my most honest opinion in a spoiler free way. If you feel anything in my review is a spoiler and is not already hidden in spoiler brackets please let me know. Thank you.
� Mark Tufo, Zombie Fallout
I try to express only my most honest opinion in a spoiler free way. If you feel anything in my review is a spoiler and is not already hidden in spoiler brackets please let me know. Thank you.
This is a story that follows Micheal Talbot as he does everything he can to protect his family, friends, and neighbors after a zombie breakout.
I listened to the audio version of this book. At first I didn't think I was going to be able to listen to it as the narrators voice wasn't doing it for me at first. However it only took about 15 min in to realize that he was perfect for this story. Narrators can make or break a book for me. So I think that finding the right one for the story being told is important. They did perfectly. He made an already funny book into a hilarious one. I will say that his ability to make distinct voices could use some work though.
This book had be laughing out loud, so many times. Its marked horror but I didn't really find it that scary but that ok. When I started I thought this book was going to be something like Resident Evil or The Walking Dead. Its not. Instead you wanna think more like the movie Zombieland. I love all 3 of previous mentioned zombie movies/tv show, so for me this was great. Then I find out that this book is a series with 13 more books. I'm so excited. Now I just hope the series continues to be great and just as funny as this one.
How I choose my rating:
1* Did not finish, or hated it but forced myself to finish.
2** Didn't really like it. Didn't hate it but not sure why I finished it other then for some closure.
3*** I liked it. I had some issues with it, but as a whole it was good. I probably won't reread again ever, but there is a chance I might finish the series. (If part of one) But if not it's not a huge loss.
4**** I really liked this book. Maybe not a work of genius, but highly entertaining. I might reread this again, and I will finish the series. (If part of one) I would recommend to those I know hold interest in this books content.
5 I loved this book. I found little to no issues with it at all. I will definitely be rereading this and probably more than once. I will finish the series and reread it multiple times. (If part of one) I will recommend this book to EVERYONE!!!!
January 12, 2018
I really did not enjoy this book. For several reasons.
First of all the "funny" comments in the book was in my opinion not funny, and cringe-worthy in some cases. I was rolling my eyes at some parts. I lost count over how many times the smell of the zombies get mentioned (with various strange descriptions). I get it, they smell bad...
All the women are described as being pretty much helpless, weepy and bossy.
I found a lot of the comments from the main character to be sexist, homophobic and/or racist.
Some examples:
His neighbour is a lesbian lady called Jo. Because she is a "butch" lesbian, every time the main character talks about her, her name is spelled Jo(e).
Does he think that only women with PMS are allowed to have feelings?
Personally I don't really think that severe, potentially life-threatening allergic reactions are "hilarious"...
Because guys that tells lies are the good guys?
So in my opinion this is not a good read, I considered DNF'ing several times along the way.
First of all the "funny" comments in the book was in my opinion not funny, and cringe-worthy in some cases. I was rolling my eyes at some parts. I lost count over how many times the smell of the zombies get mentioned (with various strange descriptions). I get it, they smell bad...
All the women are described as being pretty much helpless, weepy and bossy.
I found a lot of the comments from the main character to be sexist, homophobic and/or racist.
Some examples:
“I’m sorry, Jo(e),� I said
His neighbour is a lesbian lady called Jo. Because she is a "butch" lesbian, every time the main character talks about her, her name is spelled Jo(e).
What the hell was going on with me? I was having feelings, I had sobbed and now I was swooning, a couple more days of this crap and I was going to need some Tampax.
Does he think that only women with PMS are allowed to have feelings?
His face had swollen to almost double its proportion. If it had been caused by a bee sting, it would have been hilarious.
Personally I don't really think that severe, potentially life-threatening allergic reactions are "hilarious"...
I had never had a woman ever, EVER thank me for lying to her. Chalk one up for the good guys!
Because guys that tells lies are the good guys?
So in my opinion this is not a good read, I considered DNF'ing several times along the way.
January 18, 2014
Upon reflection of different passages of this book i feel like it was written by a cowardly mindless and soul less junior high student who is constantly referred to as a homosexual by the bullies of his school and therefore uses his only outlet (writing) to direct hates peach toward different minorities and then hurredly shows what he wrote to the bullies to make them accept him into their asshole clic.
At first I thought this book was well written and that it was using sarcasm and obvious metaphor to show things like the differences in societal acceptance through generations (ie the protagonist calling an old woman a racist and bigot, while he himself condones and utters homophobic jokes constantly). But as soon as the author used the protagonists wife to equate the vileness of a human skull getting smashed in with seeing two men kissing i realized there was nothing ironic intended about the writing and in fact this writer himself is a racist and a bigot.
Do you remember how religions used to burn scientific books because they flat out proved random claims made my religions to be utterly false if not ridiculous? Well if the opposite were true and we burned things that were proven to be wrong or had no value like lets say bibles, then this shit pile would be at the top of the fire.
At first I thought this book was well written and that it was using sarcasm and obvious metaphor to show things like the differences in societal acceptance through generations (ie the protagonist calling an old woman a racist and bigot, while he himself condones and utters homophobic jokes constantly). But as soon as the author used the protagonists wife to equate the vileness of a human skull getting smashed in with seeing two men kissing i realized there was nothing ironic intended about the writing and in fact this writer himself is a racist and a bigot.
Do you remember how religions used to burn scientific books because they flat out proved random claims made my religions to be utterly false if not ridiculous? Well if the opposite were true and we burned things that were proven to be wrong or had no value like lets say bibles, then this shit pile would be at the top of the fire.
November 19, 2017
Probably one of the first "Zombie" books I read on the kindle and it got me hooked. 5,000 Zombie books later I still love them and have any added a series of my own into the mix. They're just FUN to read and to write.
January 8, 2012
I'm not great at leaving reviews, but I have to try. This book was an amazing read. If you find it hard to read a book with grammatical errors or run on sentences or even paragraph long "thoughts" from the main character, is book is not for you. Unless of course, you are an avid zombie lover like myself. I loved how the author wrote this book. It's a refreshing change to the perfect writing of most authors. You can actually relate to the person. Mark Tufo writes, how most normal people think and talk. And add a little humor into it the mix, which he does gracefully, and you have a perfect zombie book!
You follow a man and his family and friends as they fight to survive the zombie apocalypse...but these zombies are not your normal, everyday George Romero zombies, they have a self awareness, to an extent. A great entertaining read. I cannot wait to move onto the second book, which I am doing as soon as I finish this review. Go ahead, take a chance, I guarantee you'll love if if you love zombies like I do.
You follow a man and his family and friends as they fight to survive the zombie apocalypse...but these zombies are not your normal, everyday George Romero zombies, they have a self awareness, to an extent. A great entertaining read. I cannot wait to move onto the second book, which I am doing as soon as I finish this review. Go ahead, take a chance, I guarantee you'll love if if you love zombies like I do.
September 10, 2012
I usually go for books with at least 300 or more pages, but while surfing Barnes & Noble online I ran across this one which is a couple hundred pages. Being a fan of "The Walking Dead" series and all things apocalyptic that includes zombies, I decided to give it a whirl! I was immediately enthralled with the book, the author writes with a great sense of humor but also has a way of describing everything the characters are going through that makes you feel like you are there and zombies are breathing down your neck! I have spent a few nights up until almost 2 in the morning reading to find out what happens next and in the process ended up scaring myself silly! So if a family, a bulldog and a Wal-Mart door greeter who hears the voice of Ryan Seacrest telling him what to do, mixed in with brain munching zombies are your thing, give this book a try! You won't be sorry you did, I am on book two and can tell you they only get better.
February 12, 2025
Just as good the second time around.
Zombie Fallout has an especially special place in my heart since it was my first foray into an official Zombie series. Even though I already loved Zombie movies, this book made me an instant super-fan of the books. Thanks, Mark.
Special props to narrator Sean Runnette for making these must-listens.
Zombie Fallout has an especially special place in my heart since it was my first foray into an official Zombie series. Even though I already loved Zombie movies, this book made me an instant super-fan of the books. Thanks, Mark.
Special props to narrator Sean Runnette for making these must-listens.
June 26, 2012
This book isn't horrible. It isn't horror, either, or funny, or well written. It does, however, have zombies in it.
I was hoping for another good zombie series like Mira Grant's Newsfeed series. This is definitely NOT it. The characters were less than deep, the women even more stereotypical than others. The plot was choppy, with enough holes to drive Mr. Tufo's jeep through. The humor was of the Adam Sandler variety, so if you like that then it's got that going for it.
I listened to the audio book version of this, because I have a long commute to work & back. The narrator was great, did a good job with what he had to work with. But just before the halfway mark I found myself fast forwarding thru the "comedy" and the absolutely unnecessary background info. However, I was hooked enough to listen to the end, and given some of the books I've tried listening to recently, that's saying something. That's why I rated it 2 stars instead of 1.
Honestly, I've been looking for good zombie books like World War Z and the Newsfeed series. After listening to this, I am still looking.
I was hoping for another good zombie series like Mira Grant's Newsfeed series. This is definitely NOT it. The characters were less than deep, the women even more stereotypical than others. The plot was choppy, with enough holes to drive Mr. Tufo's jeep through. The humor was of the Adam Sandler variety, so if you like that then it's got that going for it.
I listened to the audio book version of this, because I have a long commute to work & back. The narrator was great, did a good job with what he had to work with. But just before the halfway mark I found myself fast forwarding thru the "comedy" and the absolutely unnecessary background info. However, I was hooked enough to listen to the end, and given some of the books I've tried listening to recently, that's saying something. That's why I rated it 2 stars instead of 1.
Honestly, I've been looking for good zombie books like World War Z and the Newsfeed series. After listening to this, I am still looking.
June 9, 2015
H1N1 vaccine gone terribly wrong. Turned people into zombies. Zombies feed off non vaccine people.. Make more zombies.. Well u get the picture. This story follows a man named Talbot and his family and show us what they have to endure to survive this zombie apocalypse. Free on Kindle also! Highly recommended for anyone obsessed with Zombies!
July 27, 2015
Zombies are attacking and Ex-marine Mike is just trying to save his family and survive.
This story is really funny and only a bit gross in places (best not to be eating whilst reading).
I would recommend the audio version as it is narrated to it's full comical effect - very entertaining read.
This story is really funny and only a bit gross in places (best not to be eating whilst reading).
I would recommend the audio version as it is narrated to it's full comical effect - very entertaining read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,273 reviews
Can't find what you're looking for?
Get help and learn more about the design.