DEAD: The Ugly Beginning

By: TW Brown

Narrated by: Andrew McFerrin

Length: 11 hrs and 22 mins

Publisher's summary

The unthinkable has happened. The dead are walking! Humanity's fragile thread may be reaching its bitter end. Individuals and groups struggle to survive...some at any cost. Will there be anybody left? Or, is this just..The Ugly Beginning?

©2010 T W Brown (P)2013 May December Publications, LLC

good zombie book

Pretty good book just a little too graphic. I did like the some of the side stories, but the rape ones were not to my liking.

Great first Book in series!

I had already red this book but was given the chance to listen to it. I loved the book when I read it and have read the series. This book was even better listening to it. Things that I had missed were brought to life with the narrator, who was awesome! You won't be upset with this book, unless you get upset with violence. There is violence of all kinds in this book. it will fill your zombie your need for zombie violence and more.

an amazing start to an awesome series

this book will grab you and not let go, not unlike the zombies that lurk there within. this is just the beginning. you will laugh you will cry. overall awesome. go Todd go!

Interesting Read

Is there anything you would change about this book?

I didn't mind the multiple characters being brought into this 1st book but I personally feel there were no need for these random scenario describe. The characters did nothing to help the story move alone and I feel it was just filler.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

All of the main characters had reached a point where it made sense to end at.

What about Andrew McFerrin’s performance did you like?

Given the story and how it was written, I feel he did an amazon job keep you engaged.

Could you see DEAD: The Ugly Beginning being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

There are way to many plots and I don't feel it would allow you to get fully invested in any of the characters.

Great series!

I loved this series! The narrator was great. The story was great! I’ve since read almost every book available by T W Brown after reading this one!

Download would only let me listen to half the book

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

Maybe, i tried downloading the book multiple times in multiple formats and contacted audible but they would have had to call me since all their suggestions through email didn't work, but since i listen on my phone i wouldn't be able to talk to them and try different stuff on the same device.

If you’ve listened to books by TW Brown before, how does this one compare?

I have not, i did get a bit confused when switching between groups at first. Once my mind shifted to another group of people totally it was good. I did like that there some character that were only there long enough to die.. lol.

Did Andrew McFerrin do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?

I have not ,but Andrew did a good job in keeping stuff interesting without overdoing yelling and screaming that some narrators do.

Do you think DEAD: The Ugly Beginning needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

I don't know since i was unable to finish the book due to the download not working past chapter 8/20 at the 41:50 mark.

Any additional comments?

"This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of Audiobook Blast."

Gripping Story & Characters

Any additional comments?

Dont let the pulp like artwork fool you. This series has a very well written storyline with 3D characters, plot development & twists. It is one of the better zombie series available. There are several interesting vignettes that allow us to follow the misadventures of a few doomed characters without letting on that they are heading that way.

McFerrin does an excellent job with the narration. His voices and accents with the different characters is impressive.

One word of caution for the squeamish. Aside from the usual blood and gore you would expect from a zombie series there are several instances of sexual abuse that get a bit graphic. It is a bit disturbing but, aside from the scenes themselves, fits well into the storyline. All are used to establish the badness that humans are capable of in a chaotic post apocalyptic world.

Best of the Genre

This is the best post-apocalypse story that I have read. It tells the story of how Joe "everyman" might survive in a world gone mad. The protagonist is a young man who knows the basics of how shoot various firearms, but the ones he and his group use are the types of guns one might find in any gun store or pawn shop. They also use a variety of melee weapons, of course, but nothing that I have to look up on Wikipedia to understand what it is. The military makes a few cameo appearances, but this is pretty much the story of how regular, ordinary people, like me might fare.
I have read, and enjoyed, several stories in which special forces star in the leading role. It's interesting to learn about the gadgets used by our troops to gain advantage and to keep themselves safe. However this is the book I've been looking for. I hope everyone who reads it enjoys it as much as I did.

The Best !!

If you could sum up DEAD: The Ugly Beginning in three words, what would they be?

A-Frickin Awesome !!

Who was your favorite character and why?

I've read all 8 books and listened to all 8 on audio. Some many stories and character's. I liked having multiple stories going on - so many different people trying to survive. I highly recommend this series !! Highly Recomment It :)

Have you listened to any of Andrew McFerrin’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Just spent about 100 hours listening to him -I really enjoyed how he made the different people come to life - you forget it's just him because he has a different voice/tone for each of them.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Each book brought something new to deal with. I don't want to do a "spoiler alert". But, tears do fall !

Any additional comments?

Thank you to TW Brown for all the hours of adventure, pleasure, sadness and bone chilling terror! What a series and what a writer !!

Confusing at times, makes up in the end.

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

I consider most audiobooks to be worth my time, only once have I stopped part way through. I've found even if a book starts out slow or in this case confusing, it ends up being well worth the time, as this one was.

Would you ever listen to anything by TW Brown again?

I've seen in other reviews that book 2 is much better than 1, and the characters become more cemented, I hope so, as I'm going to give it a try.

Was DEAD: The Ugly Beginning worth the listening time?

I have less than an hour left, and I will say yes, it was worth my time. I was not so sure when it started, so if you are reading this wondering if it's worth it, yes, it is, if you are into the Zombie genre. Be warned there are some violent scenes, rapes, etc, I could have done without the detail in these, but it's the end of the world, so I guess it's relevant.

Any additional comments?

I'm trying book 2, jury is still out on the others in this series and whether I will listen. I was extremely confused through the first 3/4 of this book. Rewinding many times to "figure out" who and what was going on. Too many characters, or maybe a lack of separation. Some books I've listened too like this will name their chapters by the characters names, or at least some division, this jumped around a ton and had me lost on more than one occasion.