The First Days

As the World Dies, Book 1

By: Rhiannon Frater

Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell

Length: 11 hrs and 45 mins

Publisher's summary

Rhiannon Frater's As the World Dies trilogy is an Internet sensation. The first two books, The First Days and Fighting to Survive, have won the Dead Letter Award for Best Novel from Mail Order Zombie. The First Days was named one of the Best Zombie Books of the Decade by the Harrisburg Book Examiner. And AmericanHorrorBlog calls Rhiannon Frater "a writer to watch".

The morning that the world ends, Katie is getting ready for court and housewife Jenni is taking care of her family. Less than two hours later, they are fleeing for their lives from a zombie horde. Thrown together by circumstance, Jenni and Katie become a powerful zombie-killing partnership, mowing down zombies as they rescue Jenni's stepson, Jason, from an infected campground. They find sanctuary in a tiny, roughly fortified Texas town. There Jenni and Katie find they are both attracted to Travis, leader of the survivors; and the refugees must slaughter people they know, who have returned in zombie form.

Fast-paced and exciting, filled with characters who grab your heart, The First Days: As the World Dies is the beginning of a frightening trilogy.

©2008, 2011 Rhiannon Frater (P)2011 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"One of the few zombie novels fueled by the power of feminine protagonists in an apocalyptic world gone wrong." ( Harrisburg Book Examiner)

Good Zombie Thriller

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would recommend this audiobook soley on the fact that it has two female heroines who kick *ss. I havent read anything quite like it. Much of the rest of the storyline is the same, but I definitely enjoyed it.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The First Days?

When the little boy's fingers were under the doorway trying to get at his mother.

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

No I havent heard her before, but she was good this time.

love zombiie books

Where does The First Days rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I meet the author and she very nice told her i would buy book happy i did

What did you like best about this story?

Will let you know

Sad beginning

I give this one 2 1/2 stars.
The beginning started out good but very sad. Seeing my baby's little fingers reaching for me under the door gap would've did me in. I didn't like that it seemed like every other sentence was about Katie's sexuality. Nerit was bad ass. She was a side character and my favorite. I think I liked the book as long as they were out in the world trying to find Jenni's son, but then when they found the other folks the story turned into trilogy world-building and ended up losing me. Here's a character that isn't important to this story but obviously will be on the next. Here's a mystery that we're not going to solve now, but tune in next time. The thing is, zombie books are supposed to be about humans being humans and how they handle crisis (usually with someone being selfish or evil), so there has to be a group/new civilization. But the first book in a trilogy needs to be about the first story. I guess that's what I feel was mishandled here. I don't need to finish this trilogy.

great realism in a zombie apocalypse book.

very believable characters. back story without going overboard.strong characters that struggle with hard choices.went right into book 2

Easily my favorite series!!!

Give it a listen...Strong female leads, zombies, and an opening that sinks its hooks right in.

Love this series

If you could sum up The First Days in three words, what would they be?

I was pleasantly surprised on how much I enjoyed this series.... since it's about Zombies. In fact, I read it when it came out and then purchased the audio a few years later and listened to it while traveling.

Any additional comments?

This would make an EXCELLENT television series...... At least a mini series.

great 1st half, ok 2nd half

Any additional comments?

wow! what a creepy beginning! jenni, dressed only in her bath robe, is half catatonic, standing on her front porch watching little fingers reaching for her under the door. the fingers desperately trying to find purchase of her flesh is her youngest child, who has come back to life after being half eaten by his own father. around jenni, the whole neighborhood is in chaos. jenni is so traumatized by what has just happened that she can't move.

katie, a prosecutor, is on her way to work in her convertible bmw when she's confronted by a mob of the undead running up the street. a kindly old man saves her, and his dying words are, go! go! go!" in her flight from town, katie ends up in jenni's neighborhood and watches in horror as a stunned jenni just stands there as her husband and eldest son break through the bay window to feast on jenni's flesh.

katie, now driving the old man's truck, rescues jenni before her family can eat her, and they flee the neighborhood. the first half of the story revolves around jenni and katie fleeing the city and heading into the country. i liked this part b/c it was tension-filled, seeing if they could stay ahead of the infection that's spiraling out of control.

after jenni and katie rescue jenni's stepson, jason, a hoard of zombies forces them to change their planned route back to their safe house. fleeing the zombie swarm, they find sanctuary in a small town that started fortifying itself as soon as the first zombies attacked.

there's a lot of tension that ebbs and flows and culminates in their final push to safety behind the town's hastily erected walls. the story then takes a breather as jenni, katie, and jason are introduced to the town and people there.

the story slows down and then becomes something a kin to a love story. jenni and katie are both attracted to the same man, travis, who is the de facto leader of the town.

i won't divulge to many details, but i'm not sure if i believe the transformation of jenni's character. then again, i'm not familiar with the psychology of abused women. mix in a zombie apocylapse, and she's more of a teen girl with a serious crush and a penchant for putting her life on the line than a mother and a survivor.

while jenni's displaying adhd, katie's pining away for her wife, lydia, which kind of makes the love triangle interesting since katie's branded a lesbian by the whole town.

there is zombie action in the second half of the story, and it is made more interesting by the fact that some zombies seem to be smart. but the second half of the story is dominated by interpersonal and intrapersonal conflict.

character flaws aside, i enjoyed the story. i know most zombie stories have one dimensional characters so perhaps, i'm a little more critical in my review of the main characters in this story b/c i became attached to them in the very beginning.

even though i liked this story, i don't have a burning desire to download the second book. there are a couple of other books that i've got my eyes on. so if i do run out of zombie stories to listen to, i may come back to the series.

Good chic book

Where does The First Days rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Middle of the road

Who was your favorite character and why?

I liked both girls they are a good balance.

Did the narration match the pace of the story?

The narration was very good kept me entertained.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

No

Any additional comments?

Well worth the listen. I love zombie book this is a little different.

WOW!

If you are looking for a book to keep you on the edge of your seat, then you have found it! I was hooked from the time that I listened to the first 5 minutes! The First Days is a story about 2 strong women that are faced with horrible odds but instead of giving up they fight for their lives and the lives of the people they love. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a spine tingling action packed ride! You will not be disappointed!!

My first zombie book

What made the experience of listening to The First Days the most enjoyable?

Good story which manages to keep up the zombie killing pace without overdoing it.

What did you like best about this story?

Thelma and Louise meets Linda Hamilton with lots of zombies

Which scene was your favorite?

Tinker Bell of Death!

Any additional comments?

This is the first book in this genre that got me past the first chapter.