A review by jurassicreads
World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks

5.0

I've had this one on my shelves for ~6 years and ultimately my avoidance of it was this: I was afraid it would be as bad as the movie. Short answer: it was FAR BETTER. I think that if the movie took even an ounce of what this book is about and had filmed THAT, it would have done much better.

This book is told in an interview-anthology format, where the 'narrator' is practically voiceless while characters tell their personal stories that took place during World War Z, an even that happened years prior. There are dozens of accounts, ranging from doctors, soldiers, and normal citizens. They are emotional, scary, and truly disgusting at times.

One of my favorite parts of science fiction movies and books is HOW IT ALL STARTED, the early stages of an outbreak or major event. I find human reaction to an event and how it developed in the early stages to be fascinating. This book encapsulates the ultimate human reaction to a slow-growing event: the spread of a zombie virus.

I loved this! Unique format and very in-depth characterization of MANY different characters in a way that isn't overwhelming.