Arcadium

Who would've guessed that a book with such a pretty cover would contain horror and zombies? I first learned about this author from a guest post she did over at The Bookish Brunette called Choose Your Own Adventure Zombie Apocalypse! I loved the style of the interactive post and decided to buy the book immediately. Obviously I was very anxious to read it because that was only about two weeks ago and I made darn sure I left an opening in my schedule to read it. Sarah Gray did not disappoint. I didn't just read it, I devoured it in less than a day.Florence and her younger sister, Liss -- smack-dab in the middle of the zombie apocalypse -- head out in search of a safe haven, each armed with a backpack filled only with essential items. They carry no weapons other than a lighter and aerosol can, but even that is a last resort option. They are smarter than the average post-apocalyptic pair, calculating and stealthy, remaining hidden whenever possible. Florence and Liss never used to get along. In fact, when their parents split up, they each chose a side and lived apart -- Florence with their mom, Liss with their dad. Regardless of their differences, Florence takes it upon herself to be everything for her younger sister. They have no idea where their parents are, and have to assume they are out wandering around with the rest of the flesh-eating zombies looking for their next feed. The sisters journey out alone as they leave their dad's home. Florence is not one to trust easily and doesn't want a group of people to slow them down or get them killed. That is until they meet Trouble. It's a nickname they give the super smiley Chinese fella they encounter along the way because it's the only word of English he knows. It's a good word to know during the zombie apocalypse. Florence decides to let him head in the same direction, not willing to acknowledge that he's becoming part of their group at first. As he grows on Liss, though, Florence decides that yeah... she kind of likes him, too. Not long after, they meet a pair of teenage brothers, Kean and Henry, who are about the same ages as Florence and Liss, and they too end up joining forces at the insistence of Liss. Henry is in a wheelchair, which makes things especially difficult. How did the boys survive for so long with such a handicap - literally?!? No one knows where Florence is taking them, but they trust her to get them to safety, as she consistently proves herself to be a leader. They have some heart-stopping misadventures along the way, but finally make it to their destination - but is it really the sanctuary Florence had hoped for?We all know that it's difficult to find a really good zombie novel that isn't the same as every other one we've read. It all comes down to the characters. If an author can make us fall for the characters, the story is usually a success, and Sarah Gray does just that. Florence is a strong heroine, especially for being sixteen. She is smart, always able to think on her feet, and tough, both physically and emotionally, when she needs to be. Liss, though only nine-years-old, quickly follows her sisters lead, learning the ways of this new type of survival. Now, Trouble.. he is one of my favorite characters, which says a lot about the phenomenal writing ability of Sarah Gray. Trouble hardly says a word, because he doesn't know any English, but his personality is so bright that you can't help but love him to pieces. Kean and Henry are your typical brothers, always poking at each other, but you can tell they have mad love for one another. Of course, there are villains in this story, too, and I don't just mean the zombies!Although this is a character-driven book, there are some seriously intense scenes to make this awesome tale into the complete zombie package it needs to be. Florence and her group get into some sticky situations, so intense that I actually bit one of my nails down so far that I can't type with it right now, it hurts like a mother! The great thing about this book is that it's not filled with a bunch of useless gore, just to make it into the horror/zombie genre. The plot is reasonably paced, and the world-building is gradual and realistic. I was able to easily imagine being in their situation and visualize their surroundings. Even though I have never been to Australia, it all became very familiar -- further evidence of Sarah Gray's superb writing talent.I am so happy I took a chance buying this book from an author I hadn't heard of before. It was one of the best purchases I've made this year. I can't wait to read the next book in the series! Arcadium is one that I highly recommend to fans of the zombie genre.

This was a great story. This author did a great job. It was well written and you couldn't help but fall in love with every character. And like many other readers, I found "Trouble" to be very endearing. There was plenty of action and suspense, and even a bit of romance (completely PG Rated).This book takes place in Australia so there are a few differences. Like the temperature is measured in Celsius instead of Fahrenheit, distance is measured in meters instead of feet, and the word bitumen is used for their version of pavement or asphalt (it’s used often enough that you’ll need to know that). I almost stopped reading after the first page figuring that with the story taking place in another country, it would be too foreign to me and I would have to keep stopping to look things up so that I could understand what’s going on. Well I assure you, that isn’t the case. There are a few differences of course, but it’s really not that different from us and I was easily able to follow along without getting confused (once I looked up bitumen). So if you’re someone who worries about reading stories that take place on foreign land, no worries on this one.Editing is a big issue for me, so I rate each book on a 1-10 scale (1 being the least amount of errors, 10 being, "wtf are they talking about?") I give this one a 1. I don’t recall seeing any misspelled words and all of the grammar flowed smoothly. The author even did a great job with the paragraph separations (she actually used them). My other big issue of overly proper speech was not a problem for this author. She wrote the dialogue perfectly. If I hadn’t read at the end that this was a first time, self-published author I wouldn’t have known this was her first novel.This is the first book in a series, but there is no cliffhanger. It has a happily-ever-after (for now) ending. And I say “for now” because the second book in the series will continue with the same characters and seems to pick up where this one left off (according the author’s note at the end of the story) . However, this one did have a conclusive ending so that if you didn’t read on to the next book, you could be content with how this one concluded. I really enjoyed that and I think it’s the first book of its kind that actually had some kind of HEA.High recommendation as a must read for the zombie lovers. Though this book is geared toward young adult, I think it’s perfect for all ages. It’s really not childish so everyone can enjoy it. I will definitely be getting the next book in this series. I would have started it after I finished this one (at 1:30 a.m.) had it been released yet. But I’ll just have to wait impatiently for the next one.

A pleasant and easy read. Okay, it's about life after the apocolypse but differs from others I've read because it is NOT stuffed full of Zombie encounters, although the threat from them remains throughout the book. Quite refreshing, really. The lead girl character is younger than how she comes across in the book, but hey, I like strong female characters and the author does her and the other characters credit. The next in the series theads nicely with this one and continues the journey.

A great read that thoroughly deserves 5 stars. There's a lot of zombie apocalypse fiction available, some good,some terrible. This was a free download so I wasn't expecting much, but I was wrong. Very well written and gripping. I engaged with the characters and couldn't read this quickly enough at the end to see what happened next. If you're a fan of the walking dead and 28 days later, then you will enjoy Arcadium. Looking forward to the next instalment

A great read. I don't usually read books with zombies in them (I'm more a fan of Sci-Fi, Thrillers, and Crime), but this book had me hooked from the very beginning. Its characters are well developed and likable; and their actions and reactions, believable. The story is fast-paced and full of suspense and dread. And because it is written in the first person, present tense - from the perspective of its main protagonist, Florence - this makes the suspense/dread seem all the more immediate and real.My only criticism is that the book does contain a fair few minor typos - mostly misused apostrophes, the occasional misplaced comma, and the odd missing or duplicated word. However, none of these can detract from what is essentially a gripping and exceptionally well-written story.I have already purchased a copy Skylight (the sequel to Arcadium), and I'm very much looking forward to reading it.

An interesting book written in the style that the main character is telling the story(the first person). Its a post apocalyptic story, set in Australia, with a small group of survivors fighting for survival in a hostile world. I have not read this type of zombie survival book before, so have nothing to compare it with. But I did enjoy the book, and also the sequel, and I believe a third book is due out soon.

After running out of books, I saw the good reviews and that the book was free and took a chance. I was, like the other reviews, pleasantly surprised. The book deals with the zombie topic well and has great characters with depth. It also has an interesting storyline but the character interaction is the best part of the book. Already started the next book and for the price that it is this book is a steal!