I dare say most of us have watched a zombie movie, the way they behave, the way the walk, the gross appearance of them, well in this story, Jim is telling us about the apocalypse and the aftermath of the end of the world, a world with very few humans left, total zombification has almost happened with the exception of a few strewn around the globe.
Reading Jim's story, his narrative is exceptional, his description of the hoards of zombies, their wounds, their appearance, you can really see them in your mindset. To say some parts are gory is totally true, there is no other way you could describe your fights with them and what you did to destroy them. It is very detailed and gruesome in places. However, this is not just a blood and gut kind of tale, it is about survival, about a man's will to live against the odds, and we hear not also about his fights to stay alive, but his scavenging trips, his survival techniques, and his new friend, would you believe, BIGFOOT.
Bigfoot and Jim met during a fight with zombies, of course, each of them trying to stay alive, and ending up helping each other against the zombies, becoming a team so to speak. However, later the team takes a turn for the worse, but I won't spoil that part for you.
Now Jim is a loner, he survives by his wits, he is a huge bloke who would intimidate most, but then again were now talking about the dead, the walking dead, who feel nothing except the urge to kill. His life revolves around going out hunting, for food, scavenging through old houses where the occupants have been slaughtered by the zombies. On one of his hunts, he hears blood-curdling screams, which he recognises as being human and not only human but female. Jim jumps into action and speeds in the direction of the screams where he finds a car being surrounded by zombies and inside two young girls. After killing the crowd of zombies, Jim takes the girls to safety, to his home, albeit a little cramped (campervan). Jim who has been a loner has now become not 1 but 3, he is now responsible by choice to look after and protect these girls who have suffered the most horrendous things (which again I will not spoil by telling you about).
The three are now a little team and go on foraging trips to feed themselves, to find fuel, weapons, food, clothes, anything they can use to help them stay alive. They are pretty good at it too, although they usually end up facing some sort of dangers. One one of these trips they spotted another little girl, being assaulted by some men, and of course Jim rescues her (and kills the men). So now the troop is four and more mouths to feed and more responsibility for Jim.
The newly formed little group, consisting of Jim, Jess, Alice, and Veronica the newest addition, finally end up in a deserted house, they begin to make it secure and safe, erecting high fences to keep out the zombies, Jim bring back some farm animals, which they then begin to take care of, they also decide to farm the land, prepare the soil for planting seeds (which they retrieved on a scavenger hunt). Things sure are looking better for them, but how long will that last?
Be prepared to be sitting on the edge of your seat, this is a gripping read, scary as hell in places, sad in others, but there is also some really comical parts, you have a bit of a roller coaster of emotions with this book. The author has done a brilliant job portraying how Jim would live, and how he would describe his life, very realistic and believable.
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