Day By Day Armageddon

By J. L. Bourne

May 16th. 1201 hrs. We are now under siege. Beyond the silo access doors, we have a small army of beaten and battered undead to contend with. They only want one thing...

Day by Day Armageddonis the handwritten journal of one man and his struggle for survival. Trapped in the midst of global disaster, he must make decisions that could mean life, or which could condemn him eternally to walk as one of them. Enter, if you dare, into his world. The world of the undead.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK
• Release date: Jun 24, 2010
• ISBN: 9781849831598

J. L. Bourne

J.L. Bourne is a commissioned military officer and acclaimed author of the horror series Day by Day Armageddon, and the dystopian thriller, Tomorrow War. With twenty years of active military and intelligence community service behind him, J.L. brands a realistic and unique style of fiction. He lives on the Gulf Coast but is sometimes spotted toting a rifle and a Bowie knife in the rural hills of Arkansas where he grew up. Visit him at JLBourne.com before the grid goes dark.

Reviews for Day By Day Armageddon

[thebecks-1 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

If I could give this book negative stars, I would.



It's been a long time since a book has made me as angry as this one did. I don't think I'm the overly critical sort. I have expectations, and I want them to be met, but I think that I'm willing to compromise. If a book isn't the best written but has a good story, or if the writing is gorgeous, but the story is kinda "meh", I can appreciate the book for what it is and move on. But this was just painfully, ridiculously bad.

This book's gimmick is that it's the daily journal entries of a person who is trying to survive the zombie apocalypse. That's it. The journal format is what's supposed to make this book different from all the other zombie lit out there. The book kinda hinges on that aspect, so it's important to do it right.

And right there, that hinge-y part, is where the author failed to tighten the screws, and the whole thing fell apart almost as soon as I opened it up.

Here's why: Writing in the style of journal entries is not the same as 1st person narration. They aren't interchangeable. Similar, sure, but again, NOT the same thing. I feel like I need to make this clear: Journal style ≠ First person.

A journal is where we write our own thoughts, for ourselves, so we don't need to explain things to ourselves that we already know. Writing in journal form is tricky, because the reader DOESN'T know what the journal writer does, so info needs to be conveyed in a subtle, indirect way by context.

Not like these:1. "My friend in Groton, CT called today. Bryce is a Navy submarine officer. He really helped me out on a great deal on salvage parts off the old diesel boats when I was installing those panels in my house a few years back." (Pg. 5)Who is he telling? Doesn't he know who Bryce is? Obviously he remembers the help that good ol' Bryce gave him, so why explain it to himself in his own journal? And WHAT panels? If we're all gung-ho about explaining everything to ourselves, let's explain what the hell the panels are. I seem to have forgotten...2. "I miss my sisters, Jenny and Mandy. [...] I called my dad's house and spoke to Jenny, the youngest." (Pg. 7)Again, doesn't he know who Jenny is? Or that she's the youngest? Why is he telling himself this? 3. "I installed the bars using a tape measure, pencil, 5/32 drill bit, and a square head screwdriver (proprietary screwdriver that came with the bars and it's supposed to be difficult to get the screws out without using a drill.)" (Pg. 10)I would like to point out here that this is the beginning of the fucking inane shit that seems to take over this book. The ONLY reason I can think of to list out the tools used for installation of anything is so that it can be taken back apart later. But this would only really apply to those tools needed later. Why would anyone (including Sir Journalist) need to know that a tape measure and a pencil were used specifically? No really, I want to know. This is not a rhetorical question. Well, yes it is, because nobody needs to ever know that. It's fucking pointless drivel inserted for "authenticity" that needs none. You installed security bars. Bam. Done. I don't need to know if they are black or silver, who manufactured them or what the weather was like as they were being installed unless that has some actual bearing on the story. FFS!!4. "I finally got through to my Mother and Stepfather (Dad). Mom was hysterical. I had to talk to dad to get any words in. He told me that things were fine and that they were as safe as possible. They hadn't seen any signs of the disease, but told me that there were reports in town of possible outbreak (10 miles away)." (Pg. 16)Really. REALLY?! Again, WHO IS HE RELAYING THIS TO?? Look, here's how you do this: "I finally got through to mom. She was hysterical and I had to talk to my stepdad in order to get any words in edgewise. Thank God they are safe - dad said the nearest reports of outbreak are at least 10 miles away from them."

At this point, I lost patience and flipped ahead to a random page to see if it got any better, where I read this:5. "I slammed the garage door type shutter down and immediately thought of a way to secure it. I held the shutter down with the bottom of my boot just as the first creature started beating on the metal. They would attract more. The plastic zip ties in my pocket would do no good, as I had nothing on the ground to secure the door to. I glanced over to the corner of the room where I found a mop and some nylon string. Walking over to the corner, I kept my right foot along the lip of the door, and my left for balance. Grabbing the mop, I wedged it between the rollers that made the door slide up smoothly. Using the twine I secured it in place. There was a heavy box on the shelf full of plastic bottles of mouthwash. I sat the box on the lip of the door where my foot was. This wouldn't work forever, but it would have to work for now." (Pg. 126-127)So, not only has the writing not improved 110 pages later, but there's even more of it now! The guy is fighting for his life against an undead horde... Exactly when does he have time to take notes on his daily activities? When does he find the time to put them in essay form?
Just for fun, let's re-write this one too... "I slammed the garage door just before the first creature started beating on it and started looking for a way keep it shut. I looked around the room and found a mop and some nylon string. Keeping a foot on the door to hold it closed, I edged over to the mop, jammed it into the door rollers, and tied the string around it to keep it in place. I weighted the door down with a heavy box for good measure. Probably won't last, but better than nothing."

The sentences I quoted are just plain awkward, and would be in ANY piece of writing, in my humble opinion. I get that it's hard to write fiction in journal entries. There's a lot of info that only the person writing the journal would know, like who Bryce is, or Jenny, or that the stepfather isn't the same "Dad" as "Dad", and somehow that information needs to be conveyed realistically to the reader. But that's the challenge you take on when you go for that style. It's NOT the same as epistolary fiction using letters or other correspondence, because those are intended to be read by someone else, and therefore the explanation works, is even necessary.

The fact is that if Bourne had specified that the journal was being kept for posterity, much of my issues would not even exist. If you're purposefully writing a journal for someone else to read at some point, it makes sense to write it with explanations for them. But unless the purpose of the journal changes at some point, that's not the case. (And honestly, even if it DID, it doesn't explain the explanations in the part that came before the decision to explain to future readers.)

What it boils down to is that this book was a huge disappointment, and I couldn't even make it 10% into it. You can be the "[...]king of hardcore zombie action" as the quote by Brad Thor says on the cover, but if you can't write a decent sentence, it doesn't matter at all.

1 Decapitation.

[virago77 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book was fantastic. It is told through the main protagonist's journal entries; we never find out his name. He's a naval officer who was just returning home to Texas from visiting his parents in Arkansas when the zombie apocalypse hits. The story follows him as he watches news coverage of what begins as a violent strain of influenza in China, to the quarantine of the US being breached, and the government breaking down. He starts off alone hold up in his fortified home afraid that he will lose his sanity long before the dead get to him, but eventually meets another survivor on his block.

The duo make a daring escape from their overrun area and travel from place to place, staying only as long as is safe, and having a few near death experiences along the way. John and Annabell, a miniature greyhound, become the protagonist's whole world and they all work together to survive, hoping to find some working form of government, or some place in civilization that hasn't fallen.

Without spoiling it for you, they meet some people along the way as they move from :safe-house" to "safe house".

The story grips you and reads almost like a movie. I was anxious for their safety and waiting for the jump-scare with every sentence I read. I've been come attached to the characters in this book and now I am committed to reading the entire series to see how their survival progresses.

[atomicspencer · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Probably my favorite or on my top 5 list for best zombie book.

[atticadayz · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Amazing read. Unlike most other zombie/apocalypse novels this one doesn't depend on cliche drama to move the plot along. If you are looking for a realistic account of life after the collapse of civilization this book is for you.

[areneehunt · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

J. L. Bourne, the creator of the Day by Day Armageddon series, has never failed to entertain. With over twenty-three years of active duty/intelligence and his first person narratives, readers everywhere were privileged with amazing apocalyptic reading. Sadly, with no book four in the near future, we were given this short story. In Grey Fox, Kil, the teller of the tale, is a Runner. He fetches, for a price, items no longer created after the scrimmage between men and dead men. The first two books were fascinating, giving weapon details that no other author provided and actually teaching other characters to work the machines. Unlike other books where the every day Joe Shmoe was able to shoot like a pro within seconds of picking up an automatic/semi-sutomatic weapon! Intricacies like this made Bourne's monologue realistic. Book three left us lingering with rudimentary ideas on how the undead returned, making it a let down of a ending. There was nothing definitive and the worse possible scenario seemed to take root. Fans, myself included were left upset, so I'm thinking that's where Bourne just quit. Instead of coming up with something plausible (in our apocalyptic worlds), he gave us Grey Fox. The story itself stitched nothing together for those who've read the previous books. It was just a 25-year jump into Kil's journal. *No Spoilers I felt this story was a huge let down and since I don't just rate high due to author names, I gave it 3/5 specs. Bourne's incredible style remained. The guy's an amazing storyteller, but his offering of futuristic tidbits and no solution made for an unhappy read; too much is missing. So in the immortal words of Forrest Gump, "That's all I've got to say about that."

[karenm61 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

It was okay. Keith originally picked it up at the library for me, since it was about zombies. The journal/diary format is still not my favorite, so that might have influenced me.

This was apparently based on a serial fiction blog. I think I might have liked it better reading it in that format.

[veeralpadhiar · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Good book if you don't consider the below average ending. Nonetheless read this without any inference and you would certainly enjoy it.

[deltaqueen50 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Day by Day Armageddon by K.L. Bourne is quite simply one of the best “zombie apocalypse” books I have read. Written as an unnamed survivor’s journal, we follow the outbreak from it’s early days. Our journalist notes the rumors, the cover-ups and finally the government’s acknowledgement of an uncontrollable disease that is destroying the known world. Being a military man he doesn’t waste his words on sentimentalism but immediately starts planning how to survive in this chaos. Food, water, weapons and ammunition are stockpiled and he is constantly planning his next step. This planning is a good thing because apparently no place is safe for long, and as he gathers a few other survivors up as he moves along, they eventually stumble upon an underground missile silo and take refuge there but there are still problems that these people have to confront and deal with in order to survive.As with many zombie stories there was plenty of action and violence but what makes this book stand out for me was the main character, his analytical methods, his constant calculating of the odds and the almost believable way in which he records the action gave the book a realistic slant. A few very creepy moments such as underwater zombies kept the ick factor up and made for an thrilling read. This is, as usual, the first in a trilogy, and you can be sure that I will be getting the next book soon.

[benervin · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Day by Day Armageddon is a fast paced story about an ex Navy Seal who struggles against undead hordes to survive. A truly gripping book, (no zombie pun intended) where humanity has been turned on its head as the last survivors fight to live over food, water and weapons. This story is written in a Journal style, written in entries over the course of a year after the collapse.

[richardderus · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Rating: 3* of five The Book Report: The book description says: An ongoing journal depicting one man's personal struggle for survival, dealing with the trials of an undead world unfolding around him. An unknown plague sweeps the planet. The dead rise to claim the Earth as the new dominant species. Trapped in the midst of a global tragedy, he must make decisions...choices that that ultimately mean life, or the eternal curse to walk as one of them. My Review: I really, really wish the narrative frame of “journal” was gone. This novel is just fine without that explanation, in fact a good deal better without it, because no one on the surface of the earth describes their little sister as their little sister in a journal. (Among other details that don't fit in the journal frame.)A book to be enjoyed without one's awf'ly awwwgust self-imposed “this is not good enough because it is not good enough” filters on; note to snobbish readers: Yes, I rated it higher than Gone Girl and all works of, oh say Dickens, because reading it was a great deal more pleasant than reading those books.IN. MY. OPINION. Now. Perfect it isn't, and as annoying as the self-published novel with all the usual faults (wrong words used, punctuation eccentricities) can be, this one's got something going for it: Energy. This story's getting told by someone who really really likes the storytelling. I found that infectious (pardon pun) because, AGAIN IN MY OPINION (and how tired I am of having to defend my utterances by stating something that the absurdly over-sensitive or over-critical need to get a damn grip and assume is the case in a review), it takes this zombie novel out of the cash-in herd where Colson Whitehead et alii live. Bourne loves this story and can't not tell it, and that came through to me loud and clear.Would I recommend it? No, not really, because zombie novels aren't in need of recommendations to the fan base, and the non-fans don't need to bother themselves with the genre. In my ongoing quest not to turn back into a dismissive, annoying book-snob, I read this because Stephen-from-Ohio (a zombie-book aficionado) gave it a good review. It's not a genre I'm going to adopt as regular diet, but there are some good stories being told in it. This being my fourth zombie novel, though, I don't want to go any deeper into the swamp. Go out on the highest note yet, I say, scraping zombie off my shoe.

[lchs1mrso · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Day by Day Armageddon: Origin to Exile by J. L. Bourne is a comprehensive account of a naval officer’s survival in the zombie apocalypse. The story is written as if it was the naval officer’s journal or diary. His journey starts with him disobeying orders to go to the naval base for shelter as the dead have been returning to life. He stays in his home, loaded with weapons and food for a month, later finding another man two houses don who have survived the onslaught. They team up and leave their town for supplies finding other survivors on the way. Near Texas they find a secret underground military base called, Hotel 23. They stay there as it is protected and has running water and electricity. Soon, their world shifts again as the last of the government decides to nuke major cities to lower the zombie population. That plan backfires as the nukes only take out a small portion and the radiation of the bombs make the surviving zombies in the surrounding area slow down their decomposition and become faster. The group of survivors are soon attacked by a rogue military group and are forced to leave Hotel 23 and find a new home. The cover of the book is very interesting as it is of two zombies saluting the reader. This cover stands out and makes a reader wonder what the book is about.I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a book that keeps them guessing at what happens next; to anyone who likes supernatural, survival, military, and humorous genre.

[jaynee_9 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

VERY disappointed in the lackluster ending. The rest of the book had been very enjoyable, and then it just kind of ended. I didn't require resolution, given the format of the storytelling, but it truly ended as though the writer of the journal had run out of pages and started another journal somewhere else with little regard for closure on this one.

[revslick_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

If you grew up on comic books and cliffhangers then this is your novel!!!! This is a fast paced, zombie novel that provides high octane for the roller coaster ride while remaining low on why, when, what and where the hell you're going. If you're looking for pure escapism then pick it up, but if you want more depth then don't say I didn't warn you.

[chrisweiss_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Didn't quite do it for me. I mean, sure, it's a zombie book, so how could I not like it. However, I'd recently come off of Cormac McCarthy's The Road and have been reading Walking Dead so I was kind of in the space of "bad things will happen, more bad things will happen" and DBDA didn't really deliver enough of that. Probably one of the least depressing zombie stories I've read.

[lisabee_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

fun, but not well written.

[megandb_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

There are a lot of things to like about this book. If we start at a purely aesthetic viewpoint, this is a book that makes me glad to have resisted the ebook wave. I don’t mean the cover (which isn’t terrible but I wouldn’t say I’m in love with it), I’m talking about the pages. They are adored with handwritten notes, pictures (both hand drawn and photographs), coffee rings and tears and what are possibly blood stains. There are also sections of texts that have been scribbled out and rendered unreadable, which brings to mind one of my all time favourite books, House of Leaves. It makes the book feel more immediate and authentic, and it makes you feel closer to our unnamed hero.Of course no quirky design will turn rubbish prose into good, but thankfully J.L. Bourne's text doesn’t need any help being good. Bourne's take on the Zombie apocalypse is a pleasing mixture of familiar and new ideas. He pays due homage to the zombie tradition while still managing to offer his own ideas without going too crazy with it.But the real shining point, for me, is the narrator. Our hero is a military man, and this shines through in every aspect of the text. It's sometimes obvious, such as the use of military terminology, which is a little confusing at first but the author skilfully supplies enough context for us to figure out what all the words mean. (What, an author who doesn’t treat his readers like idiots? Imagine!) But his military background is also clear in his short, efficient sentences and the methodical way he views the world.This book is an exercise in reading between the lines. As I mentioned, Protagonist McNoname writes his journal in a very straight forward, no fuss kind of way. He doesn’t dwell overlong on his feelings or hopes, he concerns himself with what is needed to survive; lists of remaining rations, brainstorm ideas of zombie proof fortresses and the like. When he meets other suriviors he writes about them foremost in terms of what the skills they offer, and when he finds those skills lacking he outlines plans to teach them. (Not, you may not, abandon them).But when we look closer a picture of him begins to emerge. We start to see that he has always been a loner (when shit starts to go down he deserts the military without hesitation), and pretty bad at relating with women. He mentions briefly using army equipment to spy on an ex-girlfiend, and his thoughts when a friend calls to say his wife had left are also very telling. He refers to his guns as females, and in the early days of the book he is at his most considerate when he is carefully cleaning and maintaining them.It is pleasure to watch, as the book progresses, our hero start to trust and depend on the few other survivors he joins up with. It’s also a pleasure to be in the hands of a perfectly capable protagonist. Often zombie books, or all post-apocalyptic books, are told from the point of view of unremarkable people who have to quickly learn how to survive. Our hero already knows how to survive, he just needs to learn how to love. (Oh man, that did not sound so cheesy in my head I promise…)My biggest complaint with the book is the ending, or rather lack thereof. We are left with some major plot threads dangling in the wind, and while there is a sequel it’s still annoying to have to wait to get my hands on it. But then again, if the worst thing you can say about a book is that you want to read more right now instead of later, then it’s probably a pretty good book!

[sapphire99stars · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book was just fantastic :] When I started reading it, I was hesitant because it has no fancy writing style. It is written just as a standard journal, no whistles or frills and I wasn't sure that was what I was in the mood for.Shortly after starting it I was hooked. I am always on the lookout for the kind of book that is so haunting and chilling that your imagination runs away with you. This is how I felt throughout the majority of Day by Day. I think the only place I would have felt safe reading this book was in a bunker. :]The characters are simple but heartfelt and realistic. Some of the scenes are so stunning and leave an impression in your mind. I feel it would work great as a film.My only complaint would be the ending. While it doesn't cut off without complete notice, it does end almost suddenly and then the next page is a note from the author promising a sequel. The story is really not over and deserved more closure in this novel. Also, the ending had become a bit deus ex machina what with the main characters just HAPPENING to find a military base and everything else almost provided perfectly for them. Still, I'll give it 5/5!

[crazybatcow · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Quite similar to World War Z, though it's less "commercial" and features just one journaller's story, rather than a collection of different people's "take" on the event.It's creepy in its "reality" - it's written like events could or would unfold - if such a thing as a zombie breakout could happen in the first place. If you let yourself imagine that such a "virus" could occur, then try to figure out what you would do in the circumstances... well... it's beyond scary.Compared to other zombie novels, it's very well written, and suspenseful, even though you know it's all just fiction.

[cmwilson101 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Interesting apocalyptic story told from the perspective of a young man in diary format. At first I found the format a bit distant, but eventually I found that it made the story more real, more believable and somehow got me more involved in this lone survivor's plight, and where his choices lead him. The zombies sometimes are less horrifying than other survivors, which is very sad. I am keen to read the sequel, to find out what happens next.

[wbentrim · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Day By Day Armageddon by J. L. BourneUnbeknownst to me there is a Zombie story genre. This is a Zombie story and that alone seems to attract a loyal following. The protagonist is an active duty military officer in a nation that is combating an unknown disease. The disease turns out to be Zombieism (?) and the bulk of the world is infected. The story centers on the survival of the few remaining uninfected humans. My initial reaction to the story was disdain. Zombies have never caught my attention. Bourne wrote the story as if it was a journal. He did a nice job capturing the qualities of the protagonist that enabled him to be a survivor. The book surprised me in that I liked it. It held my attention and if you changed the word Zombie to evil bikers or Nazi’s it seemed like just a good story. The action was solid and the close brushes with death seemed realistic. I still have trouble with the concept of Zombies but then there are probably some poor souls out there who have trouble conceptionalizing a dragon or troll. Ignore the label of A Post-Apocalyptic Zombie Novel and read this, it was surprisingly good and I recommend it.

[jaimehuff1_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Day by Day Armageddon is written in a journal format of a man who is attempting to survive amidst the wake of zombies. As a matter of fact, not sure what his name is! The "author" is a military man who begins a journal as a New Year's Resolution and follows the mass destruction and chaos ensuing after this "virus" overtakes the world. He chronicles his killing, escaping and joining forces with a few other survivors he has met along the way. I have read some of the other reviews who state this is the best zombie book they have ever read and some that say that they don't like that the key character is so prepared. As for being the BEST zombie book ever, I don't know. This is my first one. I loved it. It was gripping, chilling, raw and crazed. I certainly don't have an issue with the key characters preparedness, he is military. If this was written from the view point of me, an average Jane, then prepare for it to have ended quickly as I wouldn't have had a clue what to do except RUN! Being as it is written from his viewpoint, I am all for his survival and game planning. I can't wait until the second book comes out and what's going to happen to these survivors housed at Hotel 23, an underground military facility. I can't help it, I need more!

[bookwormygirl · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Day by Day Armageddon is written in diary entries from the perspective of a lone survivor in a post-apocalyptic world that is overrun by the living dead. When a strange epidemic makes its way to the United States, humanity quickly begins to crumble. Panic and chaos ensue but thanks to his military training, he has an upper hand on surviving.The author, John Bourne has been writing this ongoing zombie saga in between serving as a U.S. Naval officer. His knowledge of tactical survival and weaponry is reflected perfectly within the pages of the novel.The book gives off a realistic viewpoint of this harrowing and desperate situation - the journal entries seem to come from a man who although scared is determined to survive. The journal itself has doodles around the edges, passages that are circled or underlined, some pages where the entries have been completely scratched out, grammatical problems and even some smudges that you can only assume are blood. It's like a field guide to survival after a zombie invasion.As a side note, I found it refreshing that it wasn't gory in nature. Most zombie related material is all full of blood and guts. This is a fantastic read for zombie lovers or fans of the horror genre.

[ziaria_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I received this from pocketbooks to review for a blog tour. I figured this would be a book I would like, what I wasn't expecting is it would be a book I would devour. Seriously I picked it up in the afternoon and was finished later in the evening.The story is told in journal form which worked very well. I'm not sure I would have enjoyed it nearly as much if it was told in a different form.The book felt so realistic and left me feeling on edge and I was on edge each time one of the characters had to take a risk. A book that grabs my attention and makes me feel right alongside the characters gets two thumbs up for me.If you are a zombie fan, this is definitely a book you'd want to read!

[jenni7202 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This review was originally posted on my review blog, Falling Off The Shelf.In the beginning of this novel we learn that there is an epidemic that is originating from the country of China. People have become lethargic, and unresponsive in the normal sense. It is slowly spreading throughout each country, until it finally rests in the arms of the United States.The government, as well as the citizens of the United States are in a panic, and have ordered all of military armed forces to military base camps. They do this for the protection of the officers, and to gather what is left of their forces to overcome this outbreak. It will be no easy feat though, because as more and more people succumb to this 'disease', less and less are left to fight the battle.In Day by Day Armageddon we read the journal of an unnamed U.S. Naval Officer that has taken his life in his own hands. He ignores the command to report to base, and holes up in house house. His house is now his fortress, and he uses his military training to hold down the fort. He has enough ammunition to protect himself, as well as food and other neccessary provisions. He will wait it out, and record everything that happens to him in his journal.Our hero soon learns that one of his fellow neighbors, John, is also holed up in his house. They join forces to overcome the growing number of zombies. His neighbor also brings along his trusty dog Annabelle, which is very good at warning of incoming threats. Most of the time she needs to be muzzled though, because her noises attract too much attention from the undead.This book is filled with military slang, and abbreviations that will take a little getting used to for those that are unfamiliar with them. I personally didn't have too difficult a time with this, and soon got very used to it. You will meet other survivors along the journey, as well as hordes and hordes of undead.It was easy for me to get into this novel, at the mere prospect that it would be filled with zombies. Despite it's short length, at a mere 200 pages, the story was well rounded and full of exciting adventure, as well as many of the promised undead. I am anticipating the sequel to this novel that is promised to be released by J.L. Bourne in the future.

[wova4 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Day by Day Armageddon tells a conventional zombie apocalypse story through a gimmicky journal style. It apparently started as a blog or sum such, but that doesn't excuse the failures of this book. It apparently has struck a chord with many readers, so I guess that there is a market for masturbatory survivalist fiction. I would have rated it a one-star book, but I did read it to the end (hoping for a decent payload which never showed).I know Permuted Press is a small independent publisher, but they really need to work on their copy editing. I'm not a militant grammarian, so when I recognize more than a handful of mistakes, it's a sign of bad craftsmanship. The reproduction of the (cheesy) illustrations was also horrible.The writing is lifeless and amateur. Bourne embellishes detail on the things he knows, like military equipment and flight procedures, while the rest of the world and events are lacking. A look at the zombie infestation map showing massive populations of zombies in sparsely-populated states like Wyoming suggests that even the most basic research was ignored. There were more than a few overly-awkward sentences that left me scratching my head. For example, it took me a long time before I figured out what he meant by "Annabelle dung".The character development is nonexistent--the narrator does things but shows little introspection and the supporting cast are hardly more developed than the multitudes of zombies they dispatch. Each living character is a pawn for the survivalist fantasy--an engineer, a nurse, a chemist, a single young woman with no "marketable" skills. I can't even remember their names.The narrator is the worst Mary Sue I've seen in some time, hence the reason I call this masturbatory survivalist fiction. If you ever read an internet forum on survivalism, you'll see the same sort of self-assurance as the narrator's story communicates, mostly generated from the idea that guns and preparation will save you. Who else but a committed survivalist, would load up on supplies and ammo when he hears about the outbreak of a flu in China? The narrator never makes a mistake with consequences--none of the living cast dies despite the supposed menace of the undead. Given the ineptitude of the zombies, it's amazing that the contagion spread to pandemic proportions.I discovered this book through Amazon while searching for zombie books to try. It was highly-rated (currently 166 five-star ratings of 253) and comes up as the first recommendation for books like Max Brooks' World War Z. Having read the book, I can't believe this book represents the best of the sub-genre. I cannot prove it, but I think we're seeing manipulation of Amazon rankings, either intentionally or coincidentally by a core fan-group of survivalists who care more for the message than the quality of the book.

[mj_crow_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Day by Day Armageddon is a zombie survival story written from the point of view of one character, through the writing in his journal. Each section is dated just like a diary would be and then a description of the days events. Through his journal the story of the world coming to an end is related while the writer tries to survive. The format is a nice change of pace in a subgenre that is so loaded with similar stories in similar formats that after reading one book you may have just read them all. The diary style of DBDA is both an asset and a hindrance. The style is refreshing because it gives you a look at survival horror from a different angle and it also allows you to feel more connected to the main character because you are reading his direct thoughts as he wrote them. I think that the style also lends to more creepy and suspenseful feeling in that each new section brings all new possibilities due to the fact that you are not sure how far in the future the next entry may be. The style has its merits but it has its warts as well. First it seemed that the author had issues keeping to the style, in places it seemed like it was someone writing a journal and in other parts it looked like the prose was like writing a novel. If the book was supposed to written in journal form from someone we assume is not a writer, the prose should reflect that and be consistent throughout. Another problem, not so much the style or authors fault, is that people seem to have trouble grasping the concept of the style. Reading other reviews and talking people has revealed to me that some people believe that the book is poorly written do to week writing and spelling/grammar errors. It is often forgotten that his book is written from an everyday Joe point of view, someone who may not have the best spelling or grammar and is often journaling in haste. This makes it terribly hard to tell whether the errors and sub par writing, in spots, are the characters or the authors and many people seem to have issues determining which it is. I'm inclined to think that the errors for the most part are that of the character, not the author and were left in to help validate the journal like style the author used. The main character seems to be a real badass and was pretty well ready and geared up for a zombie invasion. He's ex-military and would probably qualify as the most resourceful person any of the books readers have ever heard of. I'm not one to point at a zombie novel and complain about realism but James Bond would be envious of his resourcefulness. However, I would not have it any other way: after all ass-kicking heroes make for much more interesting stories. J.L. Bourne did a great job with pacing and DBDA should keep reader interested and engaged. You have mad scrambles, shootouts, planes, boats, exploration, and seemingly hair brained ideas all within the pages of this book. When the last page left me hanging I definitely wanted to read more. I give DBDA for being what it is: an experimental novel written in a sub-genre that has little room for anything new. I believe the author's intent was to take a zombie survival story and give it a different spin via its style. In that Bourne succeeded while delivering an enjoyable, well paced story.

[bittersweet_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I have to say, this book pleasantly surprised me. If zombies are your thing, by now you're probably used to the (predictable) end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it splatter fests that dominate this genre. Don't get me wrong, this book *is* an apocolyptic tale, and there's plenty of blood for you gore-hounds. What sets this book apart is the journal format it's written in, almost giving the book a "Blair Witch" feel. This format also makes JL Bourne's several spelling mistakes and grammar mishaps forgivable. On the down side, the protagonist is a military man who uses a lot of military terminology, which, for the uninitiated, can be a bit confusing at times. Oh, and the cover art and inside images are a wee bit...cheesy. If you can get past those items, this is a suspenseful, interesting read. Much better than the other apocalyptic tale I've recently digested, Stephen King's Cell. But that's a review for another day.