Book Journal: Max Brooks' World War Z

World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War
By Max Brooks

Mini-Summary: The Zombie War has been waged around the world, and the human race won, but at what cost? This book is a compilation of thoughts and experiences from warriors and survivors alike.


Some Themes: survival, death, sickness, physical and psychological stability, pre and post war economy, fate of humanity

Some Thoughts (Spoiler-ish, fair warning):
I’m not one to dally in the horror genre, but Halloween was upon me, and I was looking for something to spook me.  Enter: Max Brooks' World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War. I don’t usually read books in accordance with the seasons or holidays, but I thought, what the hey?  Zombies could make for a fun time.

My thought process during my experience with World War Z goes a little something like this: “Woo! I am ready to be scared and question my post-apocalyptic preparedness! …Wow that’s creepy… Military stuff, interesting… Alright getting kind of repetitive… Doggies! ...  Okay, I get it, the human population has been traumatized, gimme something else…  So many clipped little interviews. Forgot who these people are, why are we revisiting them? ...……Meh.”

Aside from getting bored after awhile, I would have really liked more information about the illness that created the Zombies. This was only briefly touched on, such as where the outbreak originated and what the bodily effects are. I wanted to know if it was manmade and if so, how? To what purpose? There are continual hints weaved into the narration that the government has research and data accumulated on the Zombies, but the findings are never revealed. And the interviewees keep saying things like, “How can they be frozen and thawed out? How can they survive on the ocean floor?” I was wondering the same thing, and the author never reveals the answers. I like need to know the “whys” and the “hows.”

So many of my friends raved over this book. I really wanted to love it, but as with most kinds of relationships, it was good in theory, but it just didn’t work out. It’s not you, it’s me.

Favorite Quotes:
“Lies are neither bad nor good. Like a fire they can either keep you warm or burn you to death, depending on how they're used.”

My Rating
: 3/5 Stars

Information about my copy for my own records:
Publication: Three Rivers Press 2006, First Paperback Edition
Genre: Post-Apocalyptic Fiction, Zombie Lit.
ISBN: 9780307346612
Page Count: 342

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