Giselle's Reviews > The First Days
The First Days (As the World Dies, #1)
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Zombie stories are my guilty pleasure. They're exciting, full of action, gory, but they terrify me to bits. Surviving a zombie apocalypse is no easy feat. So, as expected, I read this with my heart pounding from start to finish, knowing that these people are most likely doomed no matter what, because zombies always win… always. It was such a rush!!
An incredibly frightening zombie story- The First Days, as the title conveys, starts at the very beginning of a zombie apocalypse. People are getting bitten, then turn on others to feed. No one knows what's happening, but after Jenni sees her family succumb to this horror, she flees. This is not easy for her. Being a mother myself, that beginning is incredibly heartbreaking. I just kept imagining being in her shoes, seeing my children turn into monsters in front of my eyes. Uncomprehending. The tangible emotions in this story is a big part of why it's such a chilling read. It makes it extremely realistic. The setting, the pace, the reactions; it's all how I imagine it would happen if the zombocalypse were to start today. It really makes you think.
We meet a lot of different types of personalities during this story. The panicked, the determined, the optimist, and the destroyed. Rhiannon greatly portrays how society would react to such terror. Our protagonists are two strong females who go through remarkable depths to help each other, as well as strangers they meet down the road. These women are incredibly intelligent. They don't let their emotions turn them incompetent- which is the only way you're able to survive in this new world. I grew immensely fond of both of them. I even felt like I knew them; they were so real. We also have a band of eccentric supporting characters who make their way into these women's lives. Each one adds a little bit of charm, even humor, to this otherwise somber story. I didn't care much for the added romance in the novel at first, though. It felt a tad artificial, mostly due to its hastiness. However, I realized afterwards that people in such situations would have a tendency to develop feelings at an accelerated pace, hence making theirs probable. It also does give a nice breather from the constant anxiety and panic, so it was never seen as a negative point.
Zombie movies are all about horror and gore, but The First Days is so much more. You will grow to know and care for these people. You will see how, in a zombie world, new rules have to apply, hard choices have to be made, you can't take ANYTHING for granted, and no one is safe, ever. It will strip you to the core!
--
For more of my reviews, visit my blog at Xpresso Reads
An incredibly frightening zombie story- The First Days, as the title conveys, starts at the very beginning of a zombie apocalypse. People are getting bitten, then turn on others to feed. No one knows what's happening, but after Jenni sees her family succumb to this horror, she flees. This is not easy for her. Being a mother myself, that beginning is incredibly heartbreaking. I just kept imagining being in her shoes, seeing my children turn into monsters in front of my eyes. Uncomprehending. The tangible emotions in this story is a big part of why it's such a chilling read. It makes it extremely realistic. The setting, the pace, the reactions; it's all how I imagine it would happen if the zombocalypse were to start today. It really makes you think.
We meet a lot of different types of personalities during this story. The panicked, the determined, the optimist, and the destroyed. Rhiannon greatly portrays how society would react to such terror. Our protagonists are two strong females who go through remarkable depths to help each other, as well as strangers they meet down the road. These women are incredibly intelligent. They don't let their emotions turn them incompetent- which is the only way you're able to survive in this new world. I grew immensely fond of both of them. I even felt like I knew them; they were so real. We also have a band of eccentric supporting characters who make their way into these women's lives. Each one adds a little bit of charm, even humor, to this otherwise somber story. I didn't care much for the added romance in the novel at first, though. It felt a tad artificial, mostly due to its hastiness. However, I realized afterwards that people in such situations would have a tendency to develop feelings at an accelerated pace, hence making theirs probable. It also does give a nice breather from the constant anxiety and panic, so it was never seen as a negative point.
Zombie movies are all about horror and gore, but The First Days is so much more. You will grow to know and care for these people. You will see how, in a zombie world, new rules have to apply, hard choices have to be made, you can't take ANYTHING for granted, and no one is safe, ever. It will strip you to the core!
--
For more of my reviews, visit my blog at Xpresso Reads
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Reading Progress
April 15, 2011
– Shelved
February 8, 2012
–
Started Reading
February 10, 2012
–
Finished Reading
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☕️Kimberly (Caffeinated Reviewer)
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rated it 4 stars
Feb 08, 2012 07:13PM
![☕️Kimberly (Caffeinated Reviewer)](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1577559843p1/5082615.jpg)
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![Jennifer](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1296092150p1/4878641.jpg)
![Giselle](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1310159877p1/4800103.jpg)
Haha I pretty much read anything O_O I'm reading this for Zombie month on my blog. But I've had it on my to-read since last April when I saw a friend on here talk about it. It's really good and terrifying. It's a much more realistic zombie book. Like, if the apocalypse would start now it'd be like this!
![Giselle](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1310159877p1/4800103.jpg)
I have that book here also I'm not sure if I'll have time to read it for zombie month but I will soon.
![Giselle](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1310159877p1/4800103.jpg)
"
BAHA! WIN!!! This is a great zombie book it's so realistic. And a lot of reviews were posted from her Self-pub edition. It's been picked up and improved by Tor since and I thought it was awesome!
Giselle, you've got me wanting to read this like NOW. I'm going to try to fit it in in March. I've had this book on my shelf forever.
![Giselle](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1310159877p1/4800103.jpg)
Okay, so maybe not March. We are looking at April now. I have a few review books to finish.
![Giselle](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1310159877p1/4800103.jpg)
DUDE!!
LOL!!! I'm trying. I want to read it so badly!
![Ari](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1616803399p1/3564852.jpg)
![Giselle](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1310159877p1/4800103.jpg)
I really loved this one. It's very character oriented and more about surviving than constantly running from zombies. On another note, I'm reading Feed! Slowly since I have ARCs to get through at the same time, but I'm liking it. I'm about 25% in.
![Kat](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1357322828p1/3835702.jpg)
![Giselle](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1310159877p1/4800103.jpg)
Oh really? So you read the self pub? Jenni and Katie and made of win!!