Wednesday, May 18, 2011

World War Z by Max Brooks

Taking place about ten years after the zombie war World War Z recounts experiences from all over the world as the zombie plague spreads, and what is left of humanity fights back against the seemingly unstoppable zombies. It all starts in China where a little boy is bitten while moon fishing with his father. When Dr. Kwang Jingshu arrives the boy has bitten several others and is bound and locked away. After an encounter with patient zero, he calls and old army buddy who works Chongqing Medical University. The old buddy makes a call to the Chinese government who sends armed men from the Ministry of Health. They round up everyone in the village to ascertain who has had contact with the infected. Even though the rest of the world didn't see it at first, Dr. Kwang Jingshu knew this was not an isolated incident. The book then recounts stories from Tibet, Greece, Brazil, and Palestine about how the infection spread, and how the governments were fighting back. Slowly the armies all over the world were loosing ground and troops to the zombie plague. Survivors were scattered all over land and sea. There is even a United Nations on a boat floating somewhere in the Pacific Ocean. It's decided that the United States is the first country to fight back in. As the refugees fight back the tide in the war is turned. Once the United States is taken back, everyone spreads out to the rest of the world taking it back from the zombies. The world returns to something like it was before the zombie war, but it will never be the same again.

One of, if not, the best zombie book I've read. It was very human and emotional. Most zombie books and movies have a small group of survivors taking down the zombies, but World War Z had what was left of humanity come together and fight back. It's our will to survive and our will to fight that makes this book a really good read.

T.B. 5/18/11

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