Review of Viral Dawn

[OTrain Disene]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Viral Dawn" by Jade Lazlow.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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Imagine an outbreak of a chemical that does not kill you but turns you into a zombie. It’s mayhem, and people don’t know how it started, where they are headed, or what their future holds because now they are living for survival. Viral Dawn by Jade Lazlow is an apocalypse horror book that puts you deep in that dark, imagined world. It follows a teenager who has no one but is trapped in a city where an outbreak started. It is scary, thrilling, and moving.

Casey is from what can be described as a dysfunctional family. Her father just passed away, and her mother has grown distant from everyone. She also has a little brother who is mentally handicapped. Casey’s relationship with her brother is not easy because Casey is a teenager herself who is battling her depression and isn’t mentally and emotionally equipped to handle her younger brother. Sometimes she blames her parents for adopting him, knowing very well the challenges he brings with him. But at the same time, she has grown a little attached to him.

On their way to school, they come across challenges. Casey’s brother takes a lot of time getting ready. And once they are on a bus to school, there is an altercation between him and another kid. The driver ends up asking them to get off his bus. Now Casey walks her brother to school, then runs to hers just in time. After school, something strange is happening. People are running, and one cop grabs Casey back to the school building and locks all the doors. All they know is that there is a chemical leak from one of the army depots that is affecting everyone in the area.

Days later, still under the lockdown inside a school, a couple of soldiers run out to fetch some supplies from their vans. That’s when they were attacked by the dead but living people. How’s this possible? Is the chemical causing people to turn into zombies? Is there a cure for it? How will Casey get out of this alive? Can she?

What an amazing book this was. The author tackled this topic of the zombie apocalypse with grace and style. Most authors would have jumped to the outbreak and people running for their lives, concentrating on the battle between the living and the undead. But not this author. This author doesn’t just make the battle between these two groups the focal point of this novel. The focal point is Casey and how she navigates this strange, scary environment. Firstly this is done through the first-person narrative in a past tense format. Casey narrates the tale as it happens. This showed her personality in all of its forms. We get to see her scared, brave, strong, and weak. We get to see her bubbly and down and out. But most of all, we get to see her in control of her fate.

She was a teenager who made mistakes that badly affected the group a lot, sometimes benefitted them greatly. The book was realistic like that. When Casey was introducing the reader to her life, her family, and her environment, the pace was slow in the beginning. But arriving in the middle, it steadily gained momentum, and the plot was moved forward. But I loved that it was steady and didn’t feel like it was rushed to reach the finish line. The support system that Casey had around her was amazing. Through the uncertainty of it, she had people she could count on, like her friends. Together, they made plans, and together, they soldiered on.

I liked the action sequence. The author wrote them vividly. I felt like I was in there with them when Casey and her companions were fighting and shooting the zombies. The strategy of the show and tell was employed elegantly by the author. I didn’t feel like I was experiencing the story from the outside looking in. The conclusion was very satisfactory, and it left a lot to be desired for. This book was the first instalment, and the ending was executed perfectly. It didn’t leave the plot of this book unwrapped. So even if you are not planning to read the next book, which is unlikely, you would still feel satisfied.

There is nothing I disliked about this book. With everything said, I rate this book five out of five stars. I came across a few errors that didn’t take away the quality of the book. People who love horror, the apocalypse genre, and thrillers, they would find this book enjoyable. I recommend it to teenagers and young adults. This is the type of book that will entertain them.

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Viral Dawn
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[Shedrack A]

Zombie apocalypse novels or movies are one of my favorites. Thanks for an interesting review!

[Kemzy5]

I will like to read this book as I never tried a zombie book. Thank you for your review.

[NetMassimo]

This seems like an unusual take on the zombie apocalypse and that probably makes it as good as it's described. Thank you for your great review!