No Man's Land

By: Jacqueline Druga

Narrated by: Andrew B. Wehrlen

Length: 4 hrs and 35 mins

Publisher's summary

"It wasn’t supposed to happen like this."

When Leah and Calvin found out they were expecting, they were over the moon. That day would be one to remember forever… but for more reasons than one. That was the day the world changed. That was the day joy turned to fear. A deadly virus broke out, with many of those infected becoming violent and uncontrollable. And it was spreading fast. Realizing they are no longer safe in their own home, they make a break out of the city to find sanctuary. But when Leah is bitten, Calvin faces the unimaginable struggle of having to take care of their newborn alone. Traveling with the baby and his dead wife in tow, he comes across Hannah, a young girl who lost her family to the virus. They make their way across country together, meeting others trying to find their own sanctuary. They eventually find safety but Calvin soon realizes all is not as it seems and he must make an agonizing choice.

©2017 Jacqueline Druga (P)2017 Jacqueline Druga

Brief But Touching

Yet another book in the Zombie sub-genre, this book is a pleasant listen. There is little in the way of uniqueness, until the end. However, while not doing much to stray from the norm there is plenty to like.
Calvin, the protagonist, is ill-suited for a world that requires survival skills. He often lacks enough conviction to make definitive choices and is a bit naive. Thus he is pitiable, as all he wants is to find safety or his newborn son but is continually thwarted. Until he receives assistance from someone far wiser than himself.
Andrew Wehrlen is a solid narrator. I enjoy his work far more than some of the big names out there, but I doubt it will be long before he becomes a recognizable reader. He truly makes stories more enjoyable.

Dark and Vivid

I voluntarily requested a copy of this book, which was provided in return for this review.

The trauma of childbirth can be difficult enough, but what if the child is born after its mother has been infected with a rabies-like condition that zombifies its victims, destroying their minds and enabling them to feed on uninfected humans as well as one another?

That’s the position Calvin and his wife are in when their son is born. For weeks, the two had been working to avoid being bitten and infected—something hard to do, since the zombies travel in packs. They debated whether to leave or stay, and her pregnancy was a major factor in the decision to stay close to home. But days before she went into labor, she was infected. Knowing she would die, she bore the child and gave it to her husband to care for. To his horror, he finds that her body follows him and the child wherever they go. At one point, he straps her rotting carcass into his car and talks to her as he drives to get away from the other infected ones. He stops long enough to let her feed on fellow zombies, somehow convinced that she will never turn on him or the child.

While he wanders in search of a sanctuary for the unbitten, he encounters a pre-teen girl, Hannah, who is street smart beyond her years and good with a gun. That’s a skill that comes in handy as the two travel together with the newborn and Calvin’s dead wife following not far behind.

I have to confess that this was a bit darker than the fiction I would normally take on. Parts of it were pretty disturbing. But the plot twist at the end will leave you reeling, and that makes it worth the credit.

The narration added much to the book. In fact, I think the audio copy has more impact than would the print one.

Great choice for fans of the zombie genre

What made the experience of listening to No Man's Land the most enjoyable?

I enjoy a well written zombie story and this definitely qualifies. The story was well paced and while it definitely dealt with some very dark material, it didn't get too heavy. The book wasn't very long, which is a strength for a zombie story in my opinion to avoid it getting dry and repetitive, as zombies are not exactly dynamic characters. I think the author did a good job of digging into the human aspect of the genre.

Any additional comments?

The performance was good, and the point across. I felt like Andrew B. Wehrlen was able to get into the mind of the main character and it did actually feel like the character was telling the story. He did speak a little to quick at times and in bursts, but overall, a good job.

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Omg wow

This book was amazing. I really enjoy apocalypse type books but I wasn’t really expecting this to be much because the topic seems played out. But just wow. It is short but I was invested in all the characters and felt their stress and their feelings. The narrated is now my favorite and I’m looking for other books he narrates. Overall I am blown away!

No Man's Land

Calvin and wife Leah are expecting a baby when a virus hits the USA.Their plan is to get out,but they are running out of time.I loved this story.The ending was heartbreaking.Andrew B.Wehrlen was a terrific narrator.“I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.”

Interesting, unique and heartwarming tale.

We are presented with a different, if not somewhat unique, twist on the apocalypse/survival genre. Our main character Calvin, a recently widowed man must make his way through not only the infected but the misfits and maniacs to find safety with his newborn son. The infected in this tale are different as well. His bitten and turned wife trails along behind Calvin meekly following her husband and son as if some vague memories remain. A young girl named Hannah befriends Calvin and joins with him for security and to find safety. I enjoyed the plot line with the newborn and I especially liked the interaction with Hannah. This is a wonderful sort of heartwarming story with our protagonist having to make difficult and critical decisions far outside of his comfort zone. That Calvin made it as far as he did and survived at all is rather amazing, but he was indeed lucky and had significant help along the way. Andrew Wehrlen’s excellent narration added considerable enjoyment to this listen. This audiobook was given by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review via Audiobook Boom.

Great

I really enjoyed the story the narrator
Was great thank you for the chance to hear
the story

Happy New Year
Terri

Jacqueline Druga Does it again. Great Book

Wow. Very impressed. Tragic tale of love lost and gained. Calvin’s journey with Edward and Hannah was fun and exciting.
We, as a people, can let emotions control so much of what we do that it can actually become detrimental.
The book got me. This is Mrs. Druga’s talent. In a genre where it is easy to not be moved by the death of characters, she always manages to pull the heart strings. She makes you care about characters that are all too often throwaway in most other authors works. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of the Zombie, post-apocalypse or end times genres.

The narration was fantastic. Mr. Wehrlen does a great job of bringing the characters to life and showing the emotional toll that surviving in a world gone bad can have on a person.

I requested a free review copy of this audiobook and I am leaving a voluntary and honest review.

Druga is awesome!

Greta writer and narrator team! Druga brings nonstop action and Wehrlen brings the voice!

I loved this an dig ha some twists you don’t see coming. Hanna is so smart. Loved her character.

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review

Pretty good horror story

I really enjoyed the post-apocalyptic vibe that the story had. The dialogue and relationships with the 2 main characters were great and it was a pretty fun listen in all!

I was given this Audiobook for free in exchange for an honest review.