"World War Z:Living and Surviving in a World full of Zombies"

"World War Z:Living and Surviving in a world full of zombies"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr. 

I have to admit that I was one of those guys who heard about World War Z when I saw the trailer of a bunch of Zombies piling on top of each other so that they could reach a helicopter.I watched the movie and after reading comments that said that the book was better than the movie went out and bought the book the following day.

Needless to say I really enjoyed the book more than the movie. The movie was geared more to be like an international version of 28 Weeks later. The Book was an all too different affair.While I cannot fault how the movie was made to be more visually exciting there is one fundamental difference between the book and Movie Zombies. Their speed.The Movie zombies ran.The Book Zombies groaned and shambled.

Plot: The book basically is a collection of interviews from survivors of the zombie war. From the earliest days when the first case of Zombie infestation was discovered in China until the day that most of America was won over from the Undead Menace. We would see the story unfold through the eyes of various nationalities all around the world and find a reality that we hope would never come to pass.

The Good: 

- Since the story is told in the point of view of so many characters there are so many angles that the story is attacked. There are so many points of view yet all tie in to the theme of the problems that they faced during the Zombie War.

- There are a lot of stand out stories by themselves and though it progresses from discovery to victory you could stop at any particular narrative and just continue. 

- Each story is affected by culture and political background. Soldiers for example from the Battle of Yonkers make an excellent narrative about the horrors that they had to face during battle and how the army redesigned a different approach to facing their enemy. There are so many contrasts and a keen reader would see it.

- Some of the more interesting stories are the Battle for Yonkers , The narration of the Feral child,The Japanese Otaku and The Blind Man who survived in the mountains.The Astronaut from the International Space Station.

- Though the zombies are the main antagonists of the stories and humanity the main protagonists. The book also deals with human failure and the human spirit.

- Though the threat of zombies seem unreal the book treats it as real as it ever will be and midway through the book you would never wish for it to happen in real life. 

The Bad:

- For those who want a neat origin story. Mr. Brooks did not expound what kind of infection made people into zombies. Although it was hinted that the Cubans already knew what it was before every one else. 

The Ugly: 

- Each and every zombie is ugly. There are still many of them roaming the unclaimed zones and under the sea. A possible starting point for an outbreak.

- The true face of Humanity when facing danger.

Conclusion: A lot of research went through making the book and it shows in the feel of each interview. I give this book a two thumbs up for tackling a subject that seems like the stuff of nightmares. In it we find a world changed  , as well as the people who inhabit it.