The First Days: As the World Dies, Book 1

I love a good Zombie story / end of the world. This is OK but I think it's really geared towards young women not a guy in his 30's... I like story's that talk about tactics, food supply problems, society falling apart... This one breezes over most of the things I like and tends to focus on the emotions of the two young women and how the strong hard working guys look....

"Tiny fingers. So small. So very, very small. The fingers pressed under the front door of her home were so very small. She could not stop staring at those baby fingers straining frantically to reach her as she stood shivering on the porch".
This is the opening to "The First Days" and Ms. Frater had me hooked with them. Personally, I think it's probably the best opening lines I have ever read, and the book lived up to my expectations. It's a fantastic read with an excellent narrator. If you are a zombie fan, or even if you aren't, this is still one of the better books I've heard. I've already downloaded the second book in the series and started listening to it

Middle of the road

I liked both girls they are a good balance.

The narration was very good kept me entertained.

No

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

The names of the first two characters starts the story off confusingly - Katie and Jenny - and it went downhill from there. And I'm not convinced the author kept the characters straight either: it felt like sometimes Jenny was the hysterical useless twit, and at others it was Katie. Unless both women were supposed to be hysterical twits?? perhaps...

Jenny is an abused wife, but this felt like a feminism 101 version of spousal abuse. Jenny recollects how she was planning to leave her hubby, then a few pages later, she goes on about what a terrible wife and mother she was, and how much she needed a "strong" person (aka Katie) to follow. It's like the author read a book about how abused women behaved, and tried to incorporate this into the book. Including a moment where Jenny was going to "pay back" Katie by offering her sex. It didn't feel real - especially since I'm pretty sure women don't turn lesbian in a matter of a few hours.

And Katie says when offered the opportunity to join an armed group: "I think we're better off on our own"??? are you nuts? Yeah, sure... a couple of people against the world - it's even irrelevant that they are both women... nobody wants to face a zombie apocalypse with just one other person at their back. (Of course, the next day, they're all gung-ho to join a group...the reader is not told what stimulated this sudden change of mind.)

Then when they finally find a place where they think they'll settle down to stay (the author - I mean Katie - tells us directly that they want to stay here)... all of a sudden Katie (a lesbian) realizes that she has felt a connection and "feeling that they have a future together" with a man she met 30 seconds ago. Err... I'm not clear if this is meant to show that lesbians turn straight when necessary, or...

It is one of the more poorly plotted (two women take a road trip through the zombie horde, then they take another one), stereotyped (lesbian and abused wife), and repetitive (enter building, fight zombie, run to truck, run over zombie, rinse and repeat) zombie books I've read. I decline to read any more in this series.

Try Mark Tufo's zombie books if you want this type of story with better plotting and characters who act more like normal people would. Or Grant's Deadline series if you like more conspiratorial zombies. Or the Day by Day Armageddon series for a journal style one, or the Undead Situation for a one-off zombie book... they're all better written.

The best series of books that I have gotten from Audible so far! I find myself listening to the story over and over again!

There are so many memorable moments in this series! I found myself on the edge of my seat over and over again! My favorite moment in this book comes with the intro of Nerit- the aging female Israeli sniper. I so want to have her cool factor!

Cassandra’s characterizations are all top notch! However Katie, Jenny and Nerit are her best

This book had me on the edge of my seat and I could not stop listening to it. I would find myself tensing then relaxing again only to hold my breath a moment later!

I would suggest reading (As the world dies: Untold stories book 1) before moving on to book 2. Rhiannon is an excellent writer that has rich character development! Her books are about the people in a situation, instead of A situation with people thrown in. I have become an avid fan of hers and this is where it all started!

I just felt the book was just filler in between two covers. The main character I just couldn't get into, I enjoyed the abused housewife character that should of been more explored and centralized. This book just lacked something to me.

something better, maybe a repeat of

good voice acting ?

Disappointment in time I will never get back

I would look into the morning star strain, day by day armageddon, or even One Second After by William R. Forstchen.

what started out as a great apocalyptic zombie novel turned into a harlequin romance novel...these women are more concerned about the cute guys than they are surviving and mourning their families

Yes, its a bit of awkward feeling for a dude to listen to two girls swooning over a guy, but never mind, it was a bit refreshing to see things from a girls perspective and there is still a good story going on which isn't over shadowed. Still plenty of action with guns and gore. Perhaps tone it a tad down for the likely majority male listeners and give them a bone too to chew on too.

The story is about two women surviving the initial outbreak and how they eventually find their way to a survivors compound there they start retaking the city...well, at the end anyways. By far the most powerful part of the book, or perhaps any zombie book I've listened to, is the opening scene which you hear in the audio sample. That was creepy and scary. You start identifying with Jenni right away and relieved that she quickly turns out to be a helluva tough cookie despite what she went through.

I think the narrator did a great job. I don't know much about Israeli accents but it was believable to me.

The writing quality is great, makes me respond emotionally, happy parts and sad parts of the book did what they were supposed to do. Ending was kinda "meh" though.

Going to buy the second installment now.

I enjoyed this series. It isn't a series I listen to over and over but I did enjoy it.
The story was not for hardcore zombie fans in my opinion.
There are better zombie books out there but if you need more to listen to, it's not a waste.
Listen to the preview before purchase to see if the narration suits your listening taste.

Surprising, Real, smooth

I think many zombie Genre Books compare to each other so maybe here I will say where I feel it Differs. Where many Zombie books deal with zombies,Death,chewing,tearing,ripping etc.. this story will also tell you stories inside of stories which will smoothly lead you into stories which all get tied up into a Zombie Tearing and chewing Story.. YA FEeL Me!

Believe it or not Jenny! Probably first Female Character I've been down with! Most end up being the bimbo sexpots who after they are sexed out nobody minds they get eaten (by zombies). Well not here, No Sir!! This young lady is Bad Ass, Kick Ass, Fiercly Loyal & protective of her friends/Family.. And I picture her being very Hott! I actually imagine her looking very much like the author of the book!!

Tag Line..?. I don't get it... If I'm guessing at your meaning correctly I'd have to say
"Trow Em Ova Dat Dere Wall, Make it Known Ya Best Nots Mess wit Texas"

The Little Fingers at the very start of the book.. Uuggghh unless your not human it tugs at you! Hard for any parent to imagine!