Sunset

Hi JJ, very compelling and of a similar vein of thought to my own novel. I am finding it very interesting purely for the similarities and differences. Plus I can tell you know as well that the Zombies will kill us all. Even the survivors. Eventually.

Shrapnel Jones,
The Survivor.

Compelling, JJ. I was disappointed that you had uploaded only the two pages. The writing is good - effortlessly practical, allowing the reader to concentrate on the story without distractions. Changing the point of view is an excellent ploy for a story such as this, as it widens the range of the disaster while not getting bogged down with one main character. Very entertaining, Scott.

Wonderful for the zombie genre. Great to tell the story from people across the states.

backed
Jill

JJ
This premise is dynamite. I see you have also self-published this. That takes a lot of confidence – and after reading your upload, I can see why. This is fabulous. I love the authentic voice that comes through and this prose is extremely readable.
The opening chapter is wonderful. I feel uneasy from the start and I’m quickly engaged in the story, wanting to see how the characters will encounter the inciting incident that will start their individual journeys in earnest. This is spooky!
Stan next. I do like your multi-pov technique. It really gets over the much larger scale of the problem. From KS to NV to NY the epidemic (or whatever it is) is spreading like wild fire.
Then Amir is next. Spotted a typo here – ‘Please let [this] be my last day…’ I have to pick up on the stereotype portrayed here. For me this guy is over simplified. I respect you taking on the character and I think this will lead to some very interesting story telling later on when these guys meet, but not every Muslim is a terrorist. In fact, most are not. I know what some governments want us to believe so they can promote their ‘just’ wars, but I think on the strength of your writing, and for the interesting characterisation, I’ll acknowledge that this is a big step in the right direction. Please feel free to disagree with me though.
Anyway, this is a great start. I think you’re setting up a very interesting story told from a refreshing pov (all three of them). This makes it exciting!
You got me!
Best of luck with this.
Shelved with my very best wishes
David
Green Ore

Hi JJ,
You have a good plot and although the apocalyptic theme has been explored over and over again, it seems to me that there is always a market for more. There is something about human vulnerability, fear of the unknown, nature, the wrath of enemy nations or alien powers which I think connect at some level and draw us into stories like yours, with expectation from the very outset, of what is to happen next, and simply because of these unconscious things. I read your opening and enjoyed it. Hope to read more soon. All the best,
Zan

JJ,
This is intense and scary, with the kind of straightforward writing that keeps me "turning the pages." I particularly like Chad Grable's tough-as-nails first person narrative. Great stuff.
Shelved.
Mark

Hello JJ,

You have a well-crafted story on a very interesting premise. Great opening chapter and well-observed characterization. I am not an ardent reader of this genre, but I enjoyed the story, was amazed by the plot and loved its smooth flow. Rightly shelved.

All the best.
Janvier (Flash of the Sun)

Your title Sunset spoke to me of a peaceful end of the day. Then I read the pitch and got into the book! My mistake! No peace here only horror and destruction very well described. Your imagery is most effective and created clear pictures in my mind. Three different voices but each clear and believable. A really ugly scenario and although this is not totally new you have put your mark on it with your own style. Horror and Sci. Fic. are not my favourite genres but I'm sure lovers of them will not be disappointed. Happily shelved. Margaret.

Hi JJ, Macabre and compelling. The associations of your characters and their individual reactions were well-imagined. I kept wondering why these three had been spared or tormented. I got to the zombie gathering and still wanted to know more about what had occurred. Sometimes sentences repeated in their initial structure, starting with “I” or “He” or “Stan.” That interrupted the smoothness of the writing. I became engrossed with these characterizations and how you depicted their bouts with the catastrophe and the panorama of it. Shelved – Katherine (The Swan Bonnet)

Hi JJ,

I like the opening. It has a lot of suspense and it intrigued me. Love the narrative voice; it’s very authentic. Good, precise sentence structure. Good characterisation and dialogue. Some wonderful vivid descriptions that gave a clear picture of the settings and characters.

“Hello(,) Amir,” she said.

I thought you handled the multiple POV very well. It was a smooth transition.

My only suggestion would be to split the chapters, as they are rather long. I really enjoyed reading this and don’t know why I didn’t read it sooner.

Very well written and an enjoyable story.

Shelved!

Shinzy :)

The multiple POVs is great. You have so many great lines. "I would have dumped her a long time ago but I have come to the realization that fucking her is better than jacking off." Ha. Strangely enough, I have two characters named Chad and Randy in my book. I love how Chad says Randy is dead dumbass. Backed!

Enjoyed reading, and backed. One small point you might consider is breaking the book down into shorter portions on Authonomy as it makes it easier to read and come back to.

-Jenny-

Brilliantly written and every eventuality is covered by the separate characters and their experiences. Difficult to stand out in a genre already covered by books and films but this is amongst the best. On my shelf. Patrick Barrett (Shakespeares Cuthbert)

Enjoying this and will keep on reading. Shelved on the strength of what I've read so far.

Cheers

Rayo

This is bang on the money in terms of current health concerns.

Backed for a further read

Cheers
Bill

Being similar to another book/film is not necessarily a bad thing. Formuaic books sell. If there is a unique element to it.
I will shelve this for its potential.

Thanks for the read. The premise is similar to I am legend, however, the plague did not turn the dead into vampires. You are not the first to point this out and I appreciate the comments. Thanks!

Hi JJ

I have read your first two chapters and certainly did enjoy the read. Your writing style is very easy to follow and i have no nitpiks regarding grammer, punctuation or anything. There is alot of suspense and the reader definitely wants to carry on reading.There is only one thing i would say and that is:
Have you watched "I am legend," your book so far appears to be similar to that film and another Zombie one i have watched but cant put my finger on at the moment. However, in saying this, I've only read the first 2 Chapters and that is nothing in comparison to everything you have written. Good luck!