Wednesday 15 April 2015

SURVIVING THE EVACUATION: Book 1: London by Frank Tayell

5 out of 5 stars

Zombie apocalypse

On Amazon UK HERE
On Amazon.com HERE



Just read this in the space of 24 hours - it's not a very long novel, only just over long novella length, I think....  no, just looked at the blurb, it's 74K words long, must have seemed shorter because I was enjoying it so much!

This is the journal of Bill Wright, the man who was unlucky enough to break his leg just as the trouble started.  The first half of the book is taken up with his survival, hope and growing despair as he recuperates in his flat, the second half with his escape and attempt to find a place in which he can be safe and live some sort of life again.  Alongside all the day to day worries, though, he uncovers to the reader (and to himself) the real truth behind the outbreak and the 'evacuations'...  suffice to say I downloaded the next straight away and will start reading it as soon as I have posted this review!  

I'm fascinated by tales about survival against all odds, and think Frank Tayell has done a marvellous job of this.  It's a lot more intelligent and well written than many books in this genre that I've started and abandoned, and the pace of the first part is spot on.  I found the intricate details of Bill's ideas for day to day survival completely engrossing, and a round of applause for not just copying half the scenarios from The Walking Dead, 28 Days Later or Survivors; this actually paints a slightly different picture of such a disaster, and not one in which the protagonist keeps coming across groups of people who just happen to have all the skills necessary to survive in the new world, either.  Loved the conspiracy orientated bits, and I can't wait to read the truth about Lenham Hill.....

I'd definitely recommend this to any fans of this genre - and it's set in England, too!

Book 2: Wasteland reviewed HERE


Book 3: Family reviewed HERE 


Book 4: Unsafe Haven reviewed HERE

 



2 comments:

  1. I liked that other apocalyptic book you recommended Terry but zombies?...I'm not so sure...

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    1. Ah, people get the wrong idea about zombie apocalypse books, Georgia - I did. I only read a short story about one as a favour to someone who liked my books, ages ago, and I was hooked. It's that 'how people survive when the world has gone to shit' thing, that's all. Yes, I imagine there are some really rubbish, blood and gore, comic book type ones out, but this is not unlike John Privilege's book, in a way - it's about the people. Hardly anything about zombies at all, and it all seems... perfectly feasible!!!

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