(4 / 5) World War Z – Max Brooks
Let me start this review by stating vehemently that “I am not a zombie person…at all!” In fact, when this book was recommended to me by my sister, she started by saying, “I know you’re not into zombie lore/stories, but…” So, needless to say, this was my very first book about zombies!
When my sister recommended this book she strongly advised listening to this one because the audio drama is a full cast and hearing the individual stories from distinct and unique voices truly adds to the power and resonance of each story. So, taking her advice, my husband and I listened to World War Z on our drive from the east coast to the Midwest to spend Christmas with family. Unfortunately, as it turned out, I accidentally downloaded an abridged version so we only got about half of the book. (My sister was very upset when we figured this out as she felt like we missed so much amazing material. Which I’m sure we did.)
The basic premise of the book is that the Zombie war has happened, is now over, and this is a collection of individual stories and experiences of the events leading up to, during, and after the war. As a lover of the short story format, I loved that this read like a series of short stories organized in a way which conveyed the larger story. The characters felt (and sounded) authentic and I continually found myself asking what I would have done if I found myself in their situations. The narratives were varied in perspective, which helped keep the story interesting and new throughout the telling.
Both my husband and I enjoyed listening to this book and it was perfect for a long drive halfway across the country. And even though it’s about the Zombie War, it wasn’t really about zombies, rather it was the stories of humanity’s experiences of zombies in their midst. If you like expansive and well-told stories then I would highly recommend getting your hands on World War Z!
Read on my friends!
-Haddi
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