White Flag Of The Dead # 1 (2000) - Plot & Excerpts
I read this book last night. Overall I enjoyed the story. The plot was interesting. The characters are well developed. I wouldn't say there was anything particularly new about this zombie book that hasn't been done elsewhere but I'm not looking for groundbreaking just an enjoyable read. I would give this book a 65 on the zombie hope spectrum. I just made up the zombie hope spectrum so I'll explain. The zombie hope spectrum is rating between 0 and 100 of the tone of a book with a rating of 0 being were it is clear from the tone of the book that all humanity is doomed. We are really just reading to see how everyone dies. Last man alive, no hope of repopulating the earth just trying to stay alive for a little longer you get the idea. These are the books where no matter what decisions the characters make bad things happen and people die as slowly the party is whittled away until the very last. Maybe there is a glimmer of hope here or there but your holding your breath waiting for the other shoe to drop every time. I would put the short story "I am legend" at near zero on this spectrum. I realize the story involves vampires and not zombies but really it works for the majority of "near end of the world" type literature but I mostly read zombie books so ... A book with a rating of 100 is one where it is clear that the zombie thing is just a minor blip on the road. I would rate World War Z at 90 or so primarily because the book is set up as a history of events that already happened so we know humanity survives. My life as a white trash zombie would be an example of a 100 where not only does humanity survive zombies but it turns out being a zombie is not that bad either. Bunch of 2-dimensional characters - the bad traits that would be expected to be spread around and found here and there among any collective instead all got concentrated into a couple of 'villain' members of the group, who turned out to be more comic relief than anything else as weaknesses in character and pathetic combat abilities seemed to go together as per the author's preference.Among everyone else there was a remarkable lack of tension, tragedy and desperation, I can appreciate that the people in charge are running a tight ship and enforcing discipline yet I can't shake the feeling that the overall group dynamics portrayed in this story were thoroughly undeveloped and inauthentic, for lack of a better word.The individual character development is similarly lacking as mentioned earlier - no-one, not even the protagonist - was fleshed out at all and everyone remained remarkably predictable and true to their initial description.This makes it hard to identify/sympathize with anyone or keep track of characters; more than once did someone that the main character had evidently interacted with earlier in the book make a re-appearance, yet a lot of the time I honestly had trouble recalling them at all.The story rarely attempted to build-up suspense past the first 1/3rd of the book, there was hardly ever any real sense of danger generated and one got the feeling that the story became more about a gang of superheroes or an anti-zombie A-team that could afford to confront heavy odds against them yet emerge triumphantly with barely a scratch. Don't get me wrong, the book wasn't light on sticky situations and close calls but it's just that everything of consequence could be predicted 95% of the time. This is a book that holds no twists and few surprises. I do of course realise that this was likely the authors intention, to write a story like this, therefore it won't be fair to deduct a star for something that could well be defined as someone's personal preference. Personally I enjoy this style of narrative and development too, but just bear in mind the kind of book that it is - if you're looking for horror, hopelessness and a palpable feeling of dread in your zombie fiction - I suggest you look elsewhere.3 stars. And only because it kept me interested enough to read from cover to cover and in just a couple of sittings. Which few books, even ones suffering from fewer flaws - actually do.
What do You think about White Flag Of The Dead # 1 (2000)?
Love this series! Reminds me a bit of The Walking Dead. Fast moving and interesting read.
—karalynn
GREAT READ!!! BEST ZOMBIE SERIERS EVER!!! XD
—JensReader
