Depends on what you're looking for

I'm going to address the performance before the story because that's quick. In the first 20% of the book, it seemed to me that the narrator didn't have the characters locked in. The pacing/pitch of each character just wasn't always hit solidly, and it bothered me. Two of the female characters sounded the same as well. I truly debated if I wanted to continue listening to the rest of the novel based on this. If you feel the same, just keep going. Shelman locks it all in about 20% of the way through and it is a very solid performance from then on. During the last half, I cannot remember a time when the performance drew attention to itself, which is the highest praise I can give a narrator.

As for the story, it really depends on what you are looking for. This is a great gorefest slice-of-life piece going from the first moments of zombies through about three days. There isn't time for characters to have an arc... it is just too quick. Hernandez introduces several characters and uses the story to really lock in their personalities and relationships, and we get to know the Chronicles of the Dead version of the zombie plague. We get to see what minor bites versus major gore does to the human and the effect that has on how they turn. We get to see a large range of zombies, and a lot of them hit in different ways--how they died, a wide range of ages, what they mean to the main characters, what they look like now, etc.

My only complaint about the story is I don't feel it fully resolves the plot... and I won't touch on that specifically because I'm not doing spoilers here. Just know that this story has more similarities in plot development to Safe Haven or Adrian's Undead Diary (which are both series that I love, even though their first books don't fully resolve) than it does to the books in Cascadia or City series (more books I love). Unlike Safe Haven or Adrian's Undead Diary, Urban Gridlock has a large cast with tight-knit families that rival Flemings novels.

So, in summary: big cast, tight-knit family units, short time span, lots of gore, and a nice take on the severity of zombie bites and how that affects the change.

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1 person found this helpful

Entertaining

I really enjoyed this book! the characters were well developed and entertaining. I can't wait to listen to the next one.

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Awesome

Excellent story arc and writing. I read this on Kindle when she first published it so the story was good enough to experience again only this time with the great Eric Shelman on the microphone. 10/10, great job y'all.

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Great listen

This book is classic zompoc with some twist and turns. Checks all the box’s. Good story. Engaging characters and excellent performance. Can’t wait for the next book to be released on audible.

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Classic Zombie Fun!

This is why I love zombie horror! Old school style with all the action you could want. The story is family driven and the characters are easy to like. I’ll be diving in to book two right away! That was a terror packed ride and I can’t recommend it enough! Don’t hesitate to get this book! It’s fantastic and Eric Shelman is a marvelous narrator! So good!

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Good Zombie Book

Can't wait to start the next in the series. Great job to the author and narrator.

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I enjoyed the audiobook more than then the ebook.

I read the ebook awhile back and thought it was great. But the audiobook is much better. I am looking forward to the next book.

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Plenty of Zombie Action!

In a crowded genre like zombies, it's always nice to find a new storyline. The author has created a different scenario at the beginning of this book and it immediately grabbed me.

The story is full of tons of zombie action, a few tears, the killing of a character you are just beginning to really care about, and lots of blood and guts. But, it's also a story of the love of family and how that can keep you going during the horrors of a zompoc.

I also love the fact that the author has created a great cast of strong, take no prisoners female characters. You won't find any whiny, wimpy gals here! This is a great start to what I am sure is going to be one of my favorite series with zombies!

The narrator did a great job in making each character come alive. It's always great when you are able to know which character is talking just by the voices of an amazing narrator.

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Great start to a series

I enjoyed this book. The characters are solid and the storyline keeps you interested. Narrated by Eric Shelman and he is perfect

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Eric A. Shelman does a fantastic job

The story is action packed, following along with Max and Jesse as they fight to get back to their families. Meanwhile, Michelle, with Lucia and Joey are facing dangers of their own while making their way to Anna and Max's house. Anna, with her two kids Camille and Damon fortify the home and keep watch over the neighborhood. Along the way Max and Jesse pick up three other guys and Michelle picks up Emily, who actually plowed into them. Jaime is an up and coming zombie author, that I hope we see more and more of. Eric is a great narrator. I have listened to him on many other books.

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