World Between by Sarah Lyons Fleming is the second book in her Cascadia series of zombie stories. These books are set in the same world as her previous two series but take place in Oregon. The book opens with the group that we are following sheltering at the Eugene, Oregon Safe Zone, the fairgrounds. The story unfolds through 4 different viewpoints, and we follow the progression of various relationships as well as the day to day activities of ensuring survival when surrounded by thousands of zombie-like creatures.

On top of everything else that is happening, the people at the Safe Zone also have to deal with sabotage that escalates in the last third of the book to hair-rising terror. The next book is promising to be very exciting as the group must now try to find a new safe place in a world that has changed forever.

These books need to be read in order as one book naturally flows into the next one seamlessly. The author spent a great deal of time in this book in character development so there wasn’t as much action as I would have normally expected. I did, however, really enjoy the details about setting up and running the fairgrounds as a community and, as always with this author, I enjoy her characters and the humor that they express. I am looking forward to continuing on with this series. ( )

I. Loved. This. Book. Loved it! There are very few authors that I will drop everything that I am doing just to start reading their newest book. Sarah Lyons Fleming is at the top of that list. I have looked for this book several times this year just hoping that it might have become available. So yes, I have eagerly been anticipating the release of this book and I am happy to say that it did not disappoint. It didn’t take long before I was completely hooked by this story. I even considered calling in sick to work just so I could keep reading. I didn’t because I am a responsible adult but I did think about it. I really enjoyed the entire reading experience.

Sarah Lyons Fleming writes the best characters. The absolute best. I have talked to some people who aren’t sure if they should try her books because they “don’t read zombie books”. These books are character-driven stories that just happen to be set in the zombie apocalypse. Yes, there are zombies and some pretty intense scenes but there are also long stretches of the book without any zombie action. I do love the zombies but I am here for the characters.

This book is told from four different points of view: Rose, Craig, Tom, and Clara. The book picks up shortly after the events of the first book and I do feel that this is a series that really does need to be read in order. The characters, along with their friends, are getting by inside the safe zone. The man in charge is not a nice guy but they are dealing with it. I loved the descriptions of their living conditions and I could imagine the challenges of living in a large group setting. Relationships within the group are changing. Some are stressed while others are growing stronger. Danger is just outside the gates and they must face it anytime they need to leave to help get supplies or any other essential activity.

This book had plenty of excitement. There were a few times that I was holding my breath just hoping things would work out for the group. I also really enjoyed seeing how some of the relationships between the characters changed and there were a couple of romances that kept things very interesting. I could totally imagine hanging out with this group and just having a good time but without the zombie apocalypse. Their interactions and the way that they depend on each other just felt completely authentic.

I highly recommend this series. Readers should start at the beginning of the series with World Departed but this is a series that should not be missed. This is a book that I am sure that I will be reading again in the not too distant future as I patiently wait for the next installment in the series. ( )