Day by Day Armageddon (A Zombie Novel)
by J. L. Bourne
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Book Reviews of Day by Day Armageddon (A Zombie Novel)
Book Review: I found a book I like!!!!
Summary: 5 Stars
I have NEVER been a book reader, unless it was a fact driven type book. Reference, etc..and throw in a Popular Mechanics magazine too, to satisfy all I needed in reading.
I was at a local thrift store a few days ago and saw this on the shelf, and pulled it out to see what it was all about (the name caught my attention). I made a quick flip through the pages, and initially loved the 'journal' style I saw it written in. I reluctantly, tossed it into the pile of books my wife was getting for her and the kids, thinking in my own mind that it would end up like all the other books I bought over the years to try and get into reading, and end up right back at the thrift store. BOY was I wrong!!! The 79 cents I spent on this book was the best 79 cents ever! I was hooked from the first page until the last! This is the first book that I have EVER read from front to back..and I did it in a few days..(not bad for a non reader). My mother In Law is really wanting to read it now after I told her about it. I am sooooo looking forward to the promised sequel.
I am not sure if the strong attraction to this book was the "journal' style or the genre, or both. It had a non reader glued though!
Loved this, and thanks to J.L. Bourne for this book, but most importantly, his continued service to this country!! He has a few things on his plate now, so I will wait more than patiently for Part 2.
Until the sequel comes out, and suggestions on what book would be next in this genre for me to try?
Book Review: DAY-BY-DAY IS A PAGE TURNER
Summary: 5 Stars
Much like the zombies in Day By Day Armageddon...this book really snuck up on me. It's a fast 200-page read from the perspective (and journal) of one man trying to survive in a world overrun with the undead.
On the plus side, all the situations are perfect for fans of the zombie genre. The character's motives, actions AND reactions all ring with a certain air of truth. The book works as an homage to any of the Romero films where the reasoning why the undead are returning to life isn't as important as the need for the last humans to fight for survival. It's clear that the author has a solid basis for the military, flying, and weapons and this adds a solid level of believability to the proceedings. I especially like that the character actually takes the times to do and address items that most readers would find themselves saying, "Well, you should do this." It's very easy to support an intelligent protagonist.
The minus side is pretty light. Clearly Day By Day Armageddon is the work of a first time author (and smaller publishing house) and some editing may have serviced the novel in sections. There are some grammar issues, although wisely the character mentions that in the writing of his journal not all grammar will be perfect (so it works as a good safety net).
For fans of the zombie movies who are looking to venture out into literature, Day By Day Armageddon is a good place to start. It will keep you entertained and "hungry" for a sequel.
Book Review: "The Road" without the literary merit
Summary: 3 Stars
Day by Day Armageddon is a solid if uninspired work of zombie fiction, written in journal format. If you are looking for character development, plot complexity, or memorable prose, you should look somewhere else. However, if you want to read about zombies (and you do, because there's no other reason to read the book), you'll probably like Day by Day Armageddon.
The novel's strength is the author's knowledge of weapons and tactics. He offers a soldier's account of surviving the zombie horde, most of which seems credible. If you are like me and yell at the screen every time a character in a horror movie bypasses a weapon, you will like how the characters in this book always go armed. They also display ingenuity and resourcefulness, two traits I respect in zombie survivors.
The storyline is not particularly original. The cause of the zombies is identical to Max Brooks' World War Z, although I do not think the authors plagiarized each other. Most of the events appear in other zombie works, especially movies. The novel is also rather impersonal, despite being a journal. Most of the journal deals with material concerns: water, food, ammo, shelter, etc. The ending is a dud, offering almost no closure; expect a sequel, which I doubt I will read.
If you are a zombie enthusiast trapped indoors on a rainy Sunday, give Day by Day Armageddon a read. You can finish it in two hours and still have time to watch Dawn of the Dead before it's bedtime.
Book Review: Mediocre vehicle for right-wing ideals
Summary: 2 Stars
I wanted desperately to like this book - the concept, though by no means original, was far from standard zombie fare. Bourne manages to present new and tantalizing situations for zombie apocolypse survivors to brave, and presents them in a manner which almost lends itself to excitement.
But the style of writing is repetitive, and difficult to take seriously. I fully understand what he was going for - a novel written in journal format from the "everyman"s point of view, but he misses the mark with choppy writing and pretentious culture references. And to top it off, he chose to end the book at literally, the most interesting part.
Throughout the novel, he managers references things like "FOX news" and "good conservative values", which truly have no place in a book targeting people from all walks of life/backgrounds. Evidence for this political ideology is also revealed by his never addressing an obviously sexual relationship with another female survivor. Something he in fact, clearly avoids even sparing more than a few lines for. Exploding zombie heads and people being torn limb from limb is a-ok, but talking about sex?! That's clearly the devil's playground.
When the characters in his novel stopped being believable, along with the situations they found themselves in, the book died.
This author would perhaps also have far more success writing in a format other than first person.
Book Review: Why so many positive reviews?
Summary: 1 Stars
I got this book because of the overwhelming positive reviews posted here. You people have let me down. This book was terrible. First, the protagonist is overprepared for the zombie plague. The main dude has military training, lives in a fortress with solar power, has submarine batteries in his basement (what regular joe has that?), has lots of guns, thousands of rounds of ammunition, can fly aircraft, can use morse code, etc...) All this before the first zombie ever shows up. How boring is that? He hardly embodies the everyman motif that a survival horror story depends on. Furthermore, the story is boring. I never felt any attachment to the hero, and the characters were one dimensional. The journal format just didn't work here. I guess the author is trying to pull a Blair Witch Project or Cloverleaf style novel, but the story falls on its face. What is the one thing a horror story needs to accomplish to satisfy its reader? Answer: Tension/Suspence. There isn't any here. Part of that is because everything is related before and after the fact. We are never with the hero in real time. He is always worried about what will happen or relating what happened. We aren't in the thick of it with him when all hell is breaking loose. Therefore, the action is weak and the ending...what can I say about that? No plot resolution? Oh...there is going to be a sequel? Great, I won't be buying. This book is an epic fail.