Dead Aware: A Zombie Journey by Eleanor Merry

Dead Aware: A Zombie Journey Reviews

• 
  K.B. Cinder

  I'm not usually a zombie fan, but Eleanor won me over with Dead Aware. Clara and Max were relatable as well as enjoyable, and their story was unique. This isn't your run-of-the-mill brainssss zombie tale. It's a fresh take on the topic, and I thoroughly enjoyed the book. I also enjoyed a new setting for the genre. So many stories are set in NYC or LA. This flipped that script entirely. Highly recommend!
• 
  Rachel Drenning

  Unique take on the Zombie storyline. Loved it. Look forward to reading so much more from Eleanor.
• 
  Steve Stred

  ** Edited as review is now live on Kendall Reviews! **
  
  “He could smell something that called to him, stimulating his hunger.”
  
  What’s that, you say? Steve read and reviewed a Zombie book! But I thought he hated all things Zombie now?
  
  While everything in that last sentence is dead true, I’ve resurrected a Zombie read (see what I did there?) to continue my personal goal to help get some exposure for some authors that might slip through the cracks.
  
  This is Merry’s debut novel and it’s a fun read. I put aside all of my current annoyance and dislike of Zombie stuff to get this read and reviewed before release day. I know just how hard it can be for new authors to get seen and even harder when it’s a female horror author.
  
  Dead Aware tackles the Zombie trope from the Zombie’s perspective. We follow Clara and Max as they work towards starting their life together. Then something begins to make news across the world, something the scientists have dubbed FIRE. This happens at the same time Max has to head across the country for work, leaving Clara at home in Surrey, BC while Max ends up in Toronto, ON.
  
  From here it becomes a journey for the two of them to somehow find a way to reconnect. Both wonder if the other is dead, and if so, have they been reanimated?
  
  Merry sprinkles in a number of common plotlines we see in all things Zombie, but none of it was off-putting for me; humans wanting to survive, scientists researching the returned to living and the military attempting to put their stamp on it.
  
  At the core of the book is the love story between Max and Clara and their desire to spend eternity together. I found both characters to be really well done and their interactions with the others were enjoyable.
  
  I personally also enjoyed the lower mainland BC setting. Having lived in that area for over a decade, I spent some time trying to deduce just where their house was located from Merry’s description. All I know for sure is that I hope it wasn’t in Whalley or Fleetwood.
  
  This was a really solid debut and from what I gather there will be more in this world in the future, but for now, I think if you’re looking for a quality character-driven story with some death but nothing overly gory, you can’t go wrong here.
• 
  Wickedly Sweet & Synful Book Blog Synclare Moss

  I read this in one sitting!
  DEBUT AUTHOR Y’ALL! You think you’ve read zombie books but think again..this story is unique, creative..the work building is so good.
  It started out a tad slow but I still couldn’t put it down.
  I’m so invested in Clara and Max...actually all of the characters. I want more from this world.
  I really hope that readers that typically shy away from “zombies” will give this book a try.
  I throughly enjoyed it.
  ~BREAKDOWN OF RATINGS~
  Plot~ 4/5
  Main Characters (hero/heroine)~ 4/5
  Secondary Characters~ 4/5 Jay!!!!!
  The Feels~ 4/5
  Pacing~ 4/5
  Addictiveness~4/5
  Angst~ 4/5
  Steam/Hotness/Chemisty ~ 4/5
  Theme or Tone~ 4/5
  Flow (Writing Style)~ 4/5
  Backdrop (World Building)~ 4/5
  Originality~ 4/5
  Ending~ 4/5
  Book Cover~ Apocalyptic
  Source~ Kindle eBook - ARC provided for honest review
  Would I read more from the author? Yes
  Would I recommend this book? Yes
• 
  Joyffree

  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.
  
  This was a debut for this author and WOW what a way to make an entrance.
  I enjoy post-apocalyptic novels never really Zombie specific though.
  That just never made sense to me - burn them all problem solved right?
  I actually feel bad for that thought now.
  Max and Clara are still there just not the same casing and maybe a bit slower in the ole noggin.
  Once I got past the door banging and half thoughts - Okay, I admit I kind of enjoyed the half there thought process- this was an entertaining and at times emotional read.
  *SMH* I never thought I would say that about a couple of zombies
• 
  Melissa Potter

  I've been waiting for this debut book and was very excited to get an early advance copy. It's a whole new perspective on zombie stories and it was fresh and fun and entertaining through the very end. Once I realized the direction this story was going, I couldn't put the book down. The POV and and thought line on this zombie outbreak is excitingly original. This book has it all - disease, corruption, gore, love, mayhem, community, friendship, murder...and a lot of zombies of course!
  
  I had high hopes for this authors debut novel and she did not disappoint in any way. I'm already very eagerly awaiting the next book! I have a feeling we will be seeing many more fantastic books from Eleanor :)
• 
  Red

  This is a winner from the very beginning! A fresh taste on zombies. LOL. I loved the story; both male and female strong roles and I could (maybe) see this being the way real zombies would be. Character building is great! I KNOX who Max and Clara are...and the secondary characters are wonderful and fleshed out also. Another great thing...while this is going to be a series, it can also be a stand-alone book. Leaves you with a happy feeling!
• 
  Susan

  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. 
• 
  Ashlee

  I really enjoyed this story! I'm a big horror zombie fan and it intrigued me when I saw the blurb. The FIRE as they call the virus spreads through the world quickly and turns most everyone into zombies. The story revolves around one couple Clara and Max they are deeply in love, soulmate was thrown around a bit in this story. Basically the gist is Max goes on a business trip and is separated from Clara when the outbreak happens, and they both are turned into zombies. But the new take is that not all zombies are mindless eating corpses they slowly begin to regain brain memory and memories from their past life. So Max figures out he has somebody he needs to get to and begins a very long journey to find his lost love. Clara runs into the villian and has her own hardships along the way herself. We also meet some great side characters that stick with the heeo and heroine through the book. I was incredibly impressed with this story and I can't wait to see what else she brings out <3
• 
  Twilla Wickedly Sweet and Synful Book Blog

  This debut author is imaginative and inventive. I have read many zombie books and I enjoyed this new take on the virus. I almost put it down because the beginning was slow. Once the story started getting good, I couldn’t put it down. I Love Jay. It’s really nice to read a story where there are “good” humans and zombies. I am invested in Clare and Max’s story. I want to know what happens next. Do HO’s and zombie kind learn to live together? I will look forward to reading book 2. I recommend this book.
• 
  Jessica

  Dead Aware: A Zombie Journey by Eleanor Merry is nothing like I predicted!
  
  A great twist on what's come to be known as the modern cause of zombies, Dead Aware documents the journey two people will take to get back home. Fraught with challenges, there are still good people left in the world, who help them on their way. 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.
  
  Pick this up and spend an afternoon restoring your faith in humanity, no matter the mutations.
• 
  JenMarie

  Dead Aware is an exciting debut for a new author. Eleanor did so well on developing her characters and she thought through each scene.
  The exciting thing about this new series is that it takes place in Vancouver, Canada. So we get a new location besides the typical American major city.
  This book is fast paced and full of interesting characters. It reminds me of a mix between The Walking Dead and Warm Bodies (minus the obvious Romeo and Juliet romance.)
  Excellent work Eleanor! You have a new fan!
• 
  Angel

  I'm usually not a big fan of zombies, but I've never read a zombie love story so decided to give it a try. I'm so glad I did. This book takes a different twist on the Zombies that has you rooting for them. Max and Clare are separated when they "die and become zombies". Max remembers his promise to return for Clare and sets on his journey to keep that promise. It is really a captivating book. I'm glad I took the chance
• 
  R.J. Roles

  There is a new voice in zombie fiction and it's Eleanor Merry. She takes the genre and flips it on it's 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.
• 
  Jade Wilson

  I loved this book. Its different from most other zombie stories. I was really excited when I read it. I will happily read more like it. Generally you know people die in this kind of book but I was still heartbroken when it happened. My brain is still reeling. That is the mark of an awesome book.
• 
  Pat Eroh

  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.
• 
  Chris Miller

  Unique, original zombie drama...and so much more!
  
  Ever heard of a zombie story where the zombies aren’t only brain-dead, blood-thirsty monsters? One told largely from the perspective of two zombies? Two zombies who are in love and separated across a vast distance in the middle of the world collapse?
  
  I hadn’t either, and the thought never crossed my mind that I ever would, but Eleanor Merry has delivered just such a story, a hybrid of a road story, self-discovery, romance, and horror. This is her first novel, and I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised with the outcome.
  
  It takes a lot for me to pick up and read a zombie novel. Not because I hate the genre, there are plenty of classics out there, but because of the vast quantities of terrible ones. It’s a sub-genre so saturated, it has become difficult to burn away all the dross to find the gems inside.
  
  Merry, however, has delivered just such a gem. Max and Clara are separated because Max had to take a trip across Canada just before the virus hits that sends the world into chaos. Both he and Clara end up succumbing to the virus, and reawaken, reborn without memories of their former lives and little motor skills or understanding. But, as they navigate through this strange new world, memories begin to return, even rudimentary speech, and they find their identities as they struggle to find each other from so far away.
  
  You soon come to care for the main characters, and as the journey progresses, we meet several other characters along the way, some wonderful, some evil, and others in between. The fact that Merry has turned a zombie novel into an allegory for racism was something I truly never expected to see, and it ended up really working for me. All of these elements came together to take a genre story that is inarguably tired for a great many people around the world and turn it into a dazzlingly original drama hidden within the confines of a horror novel. This was a brilliant spin on the whole thing, effectively turning zombie fiction on its head, and all I can do is give Ms. Merry a standing ovation and a hearty, “Bravo!”
  
  If you like zombie novels in general, this has all the things you’re looking for. The gore is never over the top, but there are two or three scenes where I shuddered from the descriptions on the page. If you like road stories, there’s a terrific one in here as Max, taking the young newly-turned zombie Jay along with him, makes his way home to his wife. If you like suspense stories involving shady government and military types, you’ve got that, too. And, if you have a soft spot for some heartfelt romance, it’s littered all across the pages of this purely entertaining debut novel.
  
  Any of that sound interesting to you? Trust me, it is. The author writes in a voice all her own, and though I’ve never been to Canada myself, I could see its beauty and variance vividly in my mind’s eye. There’re moments of terror, of sadness, of frustration, of humor, and excitement. It’s not a long read, but it feels complete and I’m glad I decided to invest the time in it, and I look forward to more from this terrific new author.
  
  You won’t regret it either.
• 
  Sandra "Jeanz"

  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.
  
• 
  Jennifer Fernandez

  It was hard for me to get invested in the story at the start because it starts very slow. The constant head hoping and some repetition didn't help. I almost put it down, but after the first 7 chapters the story really picked up my interest. It's an original take on the zombie virus story and all the characters were compelling. I especially loved how the author puts you in the mind of a zombie. The head hoping persisted through the whole story, but only in minor appearances so it was very easy to ignore and keep reading. If you are like me (frustrated with how stagnant The Walking Dead has become) read this and feel better! This is what I expected of that series.
• 
  Nicole

  A wholly unique take on the zombie genre.
  
  It wasnt too long ago I had been looking for some recommendations. I was growing frustrated and was looking for a story to remind me why I love reading in the first place. This IS that story! Got to love an author who can spin all preconceived notions on their head. I think the author took a brave chance and it paid off.
• 
  Jane Harris

  Be Warned: You're gonna get attached.
  
  Ms. Merry writes with so a humanistic sense of compassion for the vast number of the population infected with the FIRE Virus Pandemic. Families are torn apart, (sometimes the families tear each other apart!). But for our protagonists, Clara and Max, there is never a question in either of their minds that they will bring their family back together. And so a cross country journey begins to reunite. But isn't your typical road trip. You see, Max is bitten, infected, and dies. And when he wakes up, he's not feeling to swell. But he gets it together, and soon his memories and ability to speak begin to return. He finds a picture in his pocket, and realizes that the only thing that matters is getting home to his lovely wife Clara.
  
  Meanwhile, Clara wakes up from her death, too, only to be captured immediately by soldiers who through her in the back of a van with a bunch of other infected and take them to a lab, where they're locked in a cage and treated worse than animals. One of the research scientists at the base realizes that there seem to be variations in the level of intelligence between the "zombies". She begins conducting interviews with Clara, who she believes can understand her. She finds out that Clara, against all odds, is pregnant. So Rachel, the scientist helps Clara and the other intelligent zombies to escape. They leave to find Max, but also to avoid the cruel experiments the soldiers are conducting on the zombies, hoping to turn them into super soldiers.
  
  The plot was engaging, the pacing was perfect, but what I liked best were the friendships and relationships both Max and Clara created and developed with their companions along their arduous journey, and the faith both Max and Clara sustained throughout. I liked that Rachel knew they weren't monsters, rather that the virus had damaged their minds, and they just needed help. I loved when Max and Jay met Sue and her children, and the tender care they showed each other. I've never read an entire zombie book before, and didn't at all expect it to be heartwarming. Don't get me wrong, there's plenty of gore, and a couple times I couldn't wrap my head around how Sue wasn't more freaked out by Jay, but the whole thing was lovely and entertaining. Can't wait to read/listen to the rest!
• 
  Angela

  Love has no boundaries... Alive, Dead or Undead
  
  This is probably my third or so zombie novel (ever) and my first experience of Eleanor Merry’s version. I’ve never been drawn to zombie fiction, but I found this version refreshing and it grabbed me from the beginning.
  
  This is less a blood-thirsty, overly gore filled version as we follow Max and Clara’s journey to each other after they’ve been infected. We see the struggles and love they had prior which makes them relatable. Their devotion not only guides them but resonates with the people around them.
  
  The multiple versions of how the infected returned showing that everyone doesn’t show the same symptoms or recovery was vital. This allowed readers to feel anger towards the unethical treatment and irresponsibility of the government in its actions to protect properly with the group that takes Clara. Lack of information and understanding between science/medicine and enforcement/power were dominant with the doctor and leadership of the group. The additional characters, especially Jay, that Max and Clara encounter help readers empathize with the world around them and understand some of the decisions they make.
  
  I look forward to the next novels and stories within the Dead Aware world.
• 
  Carey Sabala

  *audiobook review*
  I thought this Halloween that I was just listening to another zombie book but was dead wrong. This is basically a tale of two zombies trying to cross the country to find each other again (as the author put it).
  Max and Clara were married, separated by circumstances and when they became zombies their first thoughts were of each other awwwwwwww!
  Through their eyes you see the zombies POV. Not all zombies are alike. Some still can talk, some still can function like before and some are just hungry like anyone starving would be but one emotion rises above hunger and that is love. Whether it's for people you meet along the way or ones you left behind. Love is a base need for humans and zombies alike.
  Give this tired genre a fresh bite and try this heartwarming morsel a go 🥰😍❤️
• 
  Todd Love

  Fresh Take o the Zombie story
  
  Once you have read one, you have read them all. No true for this fresh take on the zombie story. It’s great to get invested in the Zombies this time around. Want to see what it’s like inside the mind of a zombie, read this book. Looking forward to reading book two. Great job!