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

Romero and King Fans Rejoice

If you have listened to the Zombie Fallout or the Blood Soaked series and loved the comical side of the stories, you're not going to find much of that here. While there are funny parts Dead: The Ugly Beginning is definitely not a comedy. If you have listened to I, Zombie or the Timothy series and loved the brutality and gore, you're not going to find much of that here either. What you will find is a meticulously intricate and well thought out zombie apocalypse story, told from multiple points of view, with a plethora of different complex and interesting characters, that explores, in my mind, several realistic scenarios and situations. All that being said there were a few completely grotesque and disturbing parts that made my skin crawl with disgust. Brown is quite obviously a fan of George Romero and Stephen King as this comes out in the many references throughout and is not a bad thing. While the book started out pretty cliché and predictable and even a tad slow, I started to think that there wasn't going to be anything special here, but I was so wrong. Where this audiobook shines is, within a rather short period of time, when it became clear that Brown was shooting for realism, something that is missing from many of this genre. I could see myself and those that I know in the story trying to survive. I can only imagine where the rest of the books and soon to be audiobooks will take us, I can say that I cannot wait to plug in and forget all of reality.

Audiobook provided for review by TW Brown and downloaded from Audible

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loved it

I loved it!! it was exciting from beginning to end and I cannot wait for the next one!! I'm sure I will devour it just as I did this one!

An absolutely riveting story!

Would you listen to DEAD: The Ugly Beginning again? Why?

The story was very engaging and interesting and I am sure I will listen to it again. In addition to listening to the entire series.

What did you like best about this story?

I really loved the story line of the Geeks as well as Steve and his band of survivors.

What about Andrew McFerrin’s performance did you like?

I love the way that Andrew McFerrin gave life to each of the characters. Each character had their own voice to match their individual personality.

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

I was actually moved by several moments. None more so than the suffering of some of the female characters.

Any additional comments?

I just purchased the next book in the series. I can't wait to start it.

underrated prose and narration!

Some of the scenes are so emotionally jarring I would rewind and listen again...and again. without spoiling, the helicopter scene at the navy hospital was so beautifully brutal and horrifying yo feel like you're there! I'd have purchased this book for 50$. enjoy!

Fantastic!!!!

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

Terrifying, touching and shocking.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Steve is and will always be my favorite character. He goes from being mostly a loner, to a wonderful leader who honestly cares about helping people.

What about Andrew McFerrin’s performance did you like?

The way he made the characters come to life.

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

Having already read the ebook, the reactions to the Audible version weren't as extreme but still, it breaks my heart when someone dies.

Any additional comments?

I would and have, highly recommended this book and the series to everyone who would listen. On Facebook, Goodreads and email. I impatiently wait for the next book.

loved it!

I am going through the books once again after finishing the series. I love getting to know the characters better and seeing old friends again. I can't wait to start book 2 tonight. I am obsessed with tw brown and his writing.

If you love zombies...

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

This is a good book to listen to if you like zombies. It doesn't focus on just the zombies and it gives you different perspectives from various characters which adds to the narrative. The narrator does a really good job and you can tell the different characters apart as he reads.

What was one of the most memorable moments of DEAD: The Ugly Beginning?

It's hard to pick just one since there are a lot of good, little moments through the whole book. When Steve and Thalia meet Therese is a good one and Kevin and his friends trying to get out of the city is another.

Which character – as performed by Andrew McFerrin – was your favorite?

I liked Steve's character best out of all the ones Andrew does for the story. I also like his version of Kevin. Both of them are trying to deal with what's going on and you can hear Kevin's confidence in his decisions and Steve's uncertainty with what he's doing.

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

Steve saving Thalia is a big one, I think. He isn't going to at first but then he decides he can't leave a little girl all by herself to deal with the monsters.

Any additional comments?

I really liked this book, I'm a big zombie fan, and it was really hard to put down. It caught me from the beginning and I wanted to find out what happened to Steve, Kevin and the others. I stayed up late at night and read on and off all day, just to find out.

Still fun after all these years

Any additional comments?

I read this book years ago but wanted to revisit it in an audible form. The story is as exciting as I remember it. I felt the narration was a little lacking somehow.
While the narrator did a good job with the reading, I had a bit of a struggle to make it all the way through it maybe due to the emoting or inflection of tones all the way through it. I will try the next one in the series and see how it goes. Fun zombie story (zombie stories are not for the faint of heart so know what you're getting into) and it was good to see this world again.

you won't regret this adventure!!!

What made the experience of listening to DEAD: The Ugly Beginning the most enjoyable?

It's 3 story's in one, so given time to get all the characters down..your on the way to one fantastic adventure.

What did you like best about this story?

Everything about the story was perfectly done, from Steve(the first person you meet in the story) to even certain animals are affected was interesting. Anyone who reads these kinds of books know there are things that follow lines..there crossed in this story...Fun!

What about Andrew McFerrin’s performance did you like?

You could tell which person was talking in the book..it was amazing how he did it..👍💕

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

I can't be a spoiler😢

Any additional comments?

Take this ride..you'll be changed😋

stunning8

not sure what Iwas going to expect but as I listen the more I got hooked and then it was all over I have to have more