Fever-Induced Rapid Encephalitis; AKA, FIRE
This is the name humanity gave for the virus that covered the globe within days; a highly contagious disease that first seemed to be a run of the mill flu but soon turned into something much more sinister. Max and Clara Jacobs married 20 years ago, and they promised to love each other until death did them part. But what happens after that? The devoted … did them part. But what happens after that? The devoted couple are at opposite ends of the country when the FIRE virus sweeps across Canada, making zombies of a third of the victims.
Waking after death, Max and Clara must learn to accept their new forms and navigate a chaos-ridden world filled with people who are out to get them.
Dead Aware is a post-apocalyptic novel written mostly from an undead point of view. Motivated by love, this is a story of death, adventure, acceptance…and zombies.
Dead Aware: A Zombie Journey is Book 1 of 3 in the Dead Aware Series
What are people saying about Dead Aware so far?
“You think you’ve zombie books but think again..this story is unique, creative..the work building is so good.”
“And that is how you do it!
Merry took a being that featured in my nightmares and flipped my overall perception to that of compassion and empathy.
I will never see a Zombie the same.”
“Dead aware is written smoothly, it flows, you will be so engrossed in this story you won’t notice the feels creeping entangling your heart, like the clutches of a deadly virus.”
“There is a new voice in zombie fiction and it’s Eleanor Merry. She takes the genre and flips it on its head in the same way Brian Keene did way back when. If this is the author’s debut novel, then keep your eye on her for the future.”
“It reminds me of a mix between The Walking Dead and Warm Bodies (minus the obvious Romeo and Juliet romance.)”
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at first everyone thought it was just the flu but it spread like wildfire turning people into zombies. They were a devoted couple when it but and at the opposite sides of the country. when they awake from being dead things have changed. Can they find each other? Can the get used to who they are now? Can they keep safe since the zombies want them? See how they get on
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I had already read and really enjoyed Zombie Mom, and Vagrant Youth both from the same Dead Aware series, so I knew I had to read this book, I needed to know more! I will be totally honest I aren’t overly keen on the cover for this book, though it’s the content that truly matters and that does not disappoint in any way!
A virus has broken out called Fever Induced Rapid Encephalitis, shortened to the acronym FIRE, which originated in India but soon spread worldwide. FIRE sort of begins like a bad case of flu, with a fever, lethargy, aches & pains, vomiting, diarrhea, photophobia, confusion and seizures too. Then people die. But. . . . and it’s a rather large but some people come back to life. Some of them are mindless flesh hunting and eating “zombies” and another “but” others turned are coming back zombie like, yes, they are tempted to hunt and eat flesh but they retain some of their humanity, enough of their humanity to know right from wrong and having memories of their lives before.
The main characters in the book are Maxwell Jacobs and his wife, Clara Jacobs. Clara and Max have been through a lot, they tried for a long time to have children and Clara finally became pregnant only to lose their child 6 months ago. So, when Max reveals he has to go on a business trip, Clara is upset and she really doesn’t want to be alone.
It is whilst Max is away at his business meeting that the virus really takes a hold on the world. Max himself becomes ill, and goes through the different stages, from the fever right through to the waking up knowing something is different but not being sure what. When he looks into the mirror in his room, he see’s a reflection of a changed man, his once clean hair is greasy, dirty and sticking out in all different directions. The biggest change is in his face. His skin was now alabaster and devoid of colour other than brown fuzz covering his cheeks and his veins stand out against his skin, with his lips now having a bit of a blue tinge. His eyes colour is now vivid blue! Max feels odd, he feels slower and can’t remember his own name! More disturbing for him is the way he looks at the door and the door handle but can neither remember, nor work out how to use the door handle to escape his hotel room. A teenaged boy called Jason is running from someone who is of the mindless zombie type and takes refuge in Max’s hotel room. When Jason see’s Max and the fact he too is a zombie he rushes to the hotel rooms en-suite and locks himself in. Over a few days they befriend each other with Jason eventually teaching Max how to open the hotel room door when it becomes a possibility he may die. Max watches over the teenaged boy, hoping he will not die, the feels guilty about wanting Jay to be an “aware zombie” like himself.
Whilst all this is happening to Max his wife Clara is at home desperately trying to contact him but with the world in disarray because of the virus there are no ways to communicate any more. Clara ends up caring for a neighbour when she becomes sick so it’s no surprise when Clara becomes sick herself. Clara literally goes to bed clutching an old photo album and prepares to die. Clara also becomes an “aware zombie” but she is captured by the army and taken to an army base and put in a cage with other zombies that have varying awareness. It’s there that Clara meets a scientist charged with learning more about the “aware zombies” called Rachel Samborski. Rachel is trying to gain the trust of the zombies and is unaware to the extent of their ill treatment by the army guard to begin with. It soon becomes apparent that Rachel and Clara need each other, and they need to get away from the army as quickly as possible.
Once I started this book I was hooked, I seriously hated having to put it down to . . .to do anything, eat, drink, or sleep! I thought that the world building and setting in the dead aware series is really great. You can visualise the scenes this author writes. You feel like you are right there in the overlooking all the action. There’s not only the main story of both Max and Clara wanting to reunite but there’s the other characters and what they want now their lives have irrevocably changed due to the virus.
I adored the family that Max and Jay find and stay with for a while and would love to know more about their specific story and what happens to them, maybe in a novella?
My immediate thoughts upon finishing reading was I honestly really adored this book, in fact, I love all of this series that I have read so far, and yep I am definitely looking forward to and intending to read more!
A Zombie Journey has the same family feel throughout it as Vagrant Youth & Zombie Mom had. The characters may not be biological related, and they may be made up of survivors, and aware zombies but they create their own hierarchy and have deep, protective feelings and family love for each other. I will forewarn you that there is a really sad ending for one of the characters I had instantly adores and had become rather attached to.
This book certainly left me yearning to read not just more of this zombie series but willing to try out some other zombie fiction too. I think the idea of the existence of the “aware zombies” is a fantastic, I guess they are a kind of hybrid, different type of zombie, rather than what you may immediately think of when the word zombie is used.
I would love to read more about Jay, and I am hoping that Max & Clara join Sam & Guy at some point soon. I would also be interested in what happened to Sue, Lucy & Chip. Oh, and more from Rachel maybe too, both her life, why she is immune and what she can or will do to help the “dead aware”.
Finally, to sum up, I honestly haven’t read much zombie fiction but will look out for more in the future. I really liked the differences in humanity in this book, the humans, the zombies that could talk, remembered & loved and those zombies that were the more typical attack & bite first zombies.
This is an extremely well-written book with great characters. I enjoyed the storyline since I am an apocalypse nutter! Great read!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This book was gripping and addictive reading. I love the world this Author has created, it allowed my imagination to run wild. It’s her debut too so I’m even more impressed.
Dead Aware is a refreshingly different take on a Zombie apocalypse story and I love the cover too.
I was engrossed in the story the pace was good, a little slow at the start but I kinda liked the build up to all, it set the scene nicely. We get a glimpse into the lives of the characters before F.I.R.E struck.
Max and Clara are happily married and devoted to each other. When the virus hits they are on opposite ends of the country but not even Death can keep these two apart.
The story really drew me in and played out like a movie in my head as I read.
There were some fantastic characters in the book I’d love to know more about, both Zombie and human. Fingers crossed we get more from them.
I absolutely loved Max and Clara’s story and little Jay stole my heart.
I’m intrigued to find out if we’ll ever get a peaceful coexistence and what the author has instore for the characters.