Area 187 - Almost Hell

World War Z is a far better book. I wanted a follow-up book after reading WWZ and was disappointed when I selected this one. Clean-up the grammer and tighten-up the prose and maybe the story is worth telling.

The Zombie genre is always ripe for a new twist and this one started out with so much promise. Unfortunately, it devolved into a pretty weak execution. Character development was thin and riddled with stereotypical behaviors. The action scenes including the jeep escape from military forces and the horseback "zombie baiting" were hard to believe. To the author's credit, he was creative in the notions of a contained infection zone and the likely government cover-up of responsibility for a biological disaster as well as the additional component of a couple of characters who survive infection. As others have pointed out, this book could have used some more diligent editing.
My all time favorite Zombie book still remains "World War Z" by Brooks.

This isn't the typical zombie novel where the whole world is subjected to some strange virus that reanimates those bitten or infected. There are zombies, zombie attacks, and escapes from the zombies. However, that isn't the major plot of the story. The major story line is an attempt to uncover and broadcast a governmental conspiracy that just happens to revolve around zombies.

The book was a great read, although a long read, and I found myself reluctant to put the book down. I gave it 5 stars because it's a book I'll likely read again.

Three things I liked about the book.
1) The governmental conspiracy seemed reasonable and probable.
2) I found that I absolutely loathed certain characters. These characters had believable traits that worked well with their character flaws and didn't seem to be contrived.
3) I liked the interaction of the characters and how even though they despised each other, they were able to work together when the need arises.

Three things I didn't like about the book.
1) The idea that someone immune to the virus would be paid millions of dollars by the government or anyone in private research is unbelievable to me. I think the author failed to research this area appropriately. There are rules and regulations about using humans in research that are widely available. Heck, any good scientist could have helped here.
2) While I found that I hated certain characters, I didn't find that I loved others. Perhaps this is just me. I certainly liked them but if they had died, I probably wouldn't have cried.
3) I did start out understanding and liking the character John Heath but one of his final actions left a bitter taste in my mouth. I feel that the author likely wanted me to empathize with him but in the end, I found myself terrified of him.

But the Zombie part is only a back story. I will admit it is good writing but can't get passed the fact its presented as a Zombie book when the focus is all about something else.

I couldnt give it anything more than 3 stars because of the bait and switch.

Lowther's first novel introduces a very original premise in the zombie genre. Imagine a chunk of America fenced off after a virus produces the undead. Area 187 is put under the control of Homeland Security and the world largely goes back to normal. However, the risk of the virus escaping exists, there may or may not be survivors, there are a few "cottage industries" created by the situation, and conspiracies abound. All of this is extremely entertaining. Unfortunately, the story drags heavily in the middle and would have benefited from a strong editor for pace and suspense. The last section of the book reminded me of Matthew Reilly with mercenaries and plenty of shooting which ultimately detracted from the big conspiracy plot. To be fair my review is closer to 3.5 stars as this world created by the author intrigues.

This is my favorite zombie book ever and I read a lot of zombie books. The characters were great and the plot kept you guessing the whole way. Rarely does an author resolve a story so perfectly as this. I could not put this book down during the day or night. It is also a nice long book, worth every penny and more. I have recommended this book to friends and they have the same reaction I did.

If you liked Craig DiLouie's The Infection; Jonathan Maberry's Dead of Night, Dust & Decay, Patient Zero and/or The Dragon Factory; J.L. Bourne's Day by Day Armageddon or Peter Clines' Ex-Heroes, I think you'll really enjoy Eric Lowther's Area 187. I just finished it tonight, and as an avid reader of zombie "literature," I thought it was great. John Heath rules. Is he a good guy, or just a guy who no longer gives a damn about anything? Either way, it's fun to watch him do his thing.

I seriously cannot believe this was Lowther's first novel in the zombie genre. With a great many books in the niche, originality isn't the only thing many of them lack. Most of them just aren't written very well, but I put up with them because I love the post-apocalyptic theme. Area 187 is written well and original. Great exposition, authentic characters and a compelling story. Eric, if you read this, please write more. You've got a new fan.

Missed a lot of sleep reading this book, it was one of those books that I kept saying just one more page and an hour later I would put it down. This is a great book, I would of paid a lot more for it.

Very interesting take on an apocalypse. I enjoyed the story line and the characters. The author confused the characters a couple of times with the dialogue but that didn't take away from the story line. I wished that the author had elaborated on the lower level of North gate as to what it contained and what the scientists were doing. Great book never the less,

OK, this is a zombie story. If you despise zombie stories, you will not enjoy this book. However, if you enjoy well written, briskly paced, action-adventure, this is a book worth considering. The plot is well constructed, the characters well developed, and the scenes, actions, and thoughts are vividly described. Writing in an easy-to-read style, the author keeps things fresh with a rich vocabulary. The plot and sub-plots work well, and if you accept the premise, the ensuing twists and turns are all believable. The opening chapter grabs your attention and the ending is strong and meaningful, though a bit abrupt (endings are something that I often find disappointing in many otherwise good books). Recommended.