The trouble with a lot of survival-books - especially zombie books - is that there's only so much you can write without becoming repetitive. AS well, there's usually a lot of action, that can be exhausting for the reader in the long run.
Then there are the other books, that are just a series of surviving events that doesn't really give you anything other than something to fill your mind with.
So it does take a good author to combine the two well, and in a way that keeps the reader interested for over 700 pages!

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. It had character and intrigue and just general humanity. I have to admit that I found the latter half of the book - the one at the fair grounds - a little trite compared to the earlier part, but it all had to be done.

I also have to admit that I'm a little miffed at the ending. I know there's something huge on the horizon, but the way this ended, it didn't really give me a reason to read book 2 - whenever it comes out - which was very frustrating.

Oh well, this was a pleasant surprise and really not a bad zombie book, all things considered!
I may even consider giving the original series a look - this was a spin off, as far as I can tell.