Zero Day

Receiving this book via the Goodreads First Reads giveaway program meant reading the first two books in the series. This is definitely a trilogy that I likely would not have read were it not for winning the giveaway. Honestly, I entered it on a whim, and when I won, I started wondering what I had gotten myself into because this is a horror series about cannibalistic spiders and I’m an arachnophobe. What was I thinking?! So it was with a deep breath that I sat down with “The Hatching”. However, I was surprised! I not only enjoyed it, but I haven’t even had any nightmares! Ezekiel Boone does a good job of crafting a frightening apocalyptic-scale scenario with enough detail to be convincing but without turning to splatter-gore. show more There is a scientific and political approach to the problem by the main characters, and although there is a large cast of characters and many geographical locations, the story does not become bogged down or difficult to follow. The characters themselves are relatable, representing multiple viewpoints, and some of the issues which arise with the spider invasion parallel current political and social concerns.

Book 2, “Skitter”, achieved that often challenging feat of living up to the fast pace and intrigue of its predecessor, maintaining and continuing the storyline and the actions of the various characters. The ending hinted at an approaching denouement, as the main players and overarching narrative coalesced, but still with plenty of anticipation. This set the stage for the trilogy’s finale, “Zero Day.” What became even more evident in this climax was that beyond the horror of the spiders themselves was the collapse of civilization in the face of a threat that couldn’t be foreseen, one that tore away at the infrastructure and humanity of society. Sometimes the danger lies within ourselves as much as or even more so than in the outside force, and this perception of human nature undergirds the narrative and propels this series above many others in the horror genre. If you’re looking for a story that will make you think while also causing your spine to tingle—just make sure that’s not a spider crawling up your back—give The Hatching series a go! show less

Zero Day is the third and final book in The Hatching trilogy and here we finally get to know if mankind will survive the spider invasion or of the word is doomed. This book is less gory than the previous two (yeah that disappointed me since I love being creeped out), but it's one heck of an ending. Fair warning, you really need to read the previous two books before reading this one. In many ways it's just one story split into three books.

As a big horror fan do I love threat against mankind books and spiders are creepy, let's face it. Escpailly ancient spiders that are taking over the world. Here, in the last book must President Stephanie Pilgrim decide what to do next. She has already nuked part of the US, but there are those around her show more that think that she waited too long and should have used more nuke. And, time is running out, the spiders are soon ready for the next phase of the attack. Could it be that if you kill the queens will the rest of the spiders also perish? Should Pilgrim trust the scientist or the military?

Zero Day is an action-filled book where our heroes face threat not only from the spiders, but from people that are set against them. It's an engrossing and satisfying book with a great ending. I have enjoyed reading this trilogy and I can't wait to see what Ezekiel Boone will write next!

I want to thank Atria for providing me with a free copy through NetGalley for an honest review! show less

What would happen if the world came under attack....sudden, unexpected and fierce attack. A large percentage of the world's population is dead. Others missing. And still others are unwitting carriers of death. And, the worst part.....there is no way to contain the attack. What would happen?

Ezekiel Boone's The Hatching trilogy plays out this scenario in a particularly creepy crawly way. Spiders. Flesh-eating spiders. The arachnids have lain dormant for thousands of years, just waiting underground for the right time to hatch. Book One, The Hatching, details the gruesome first few weeks after the spiders hatch. The spiders decimate whole cities before dying off, leaving egg sacks in any hidden space. In the middle book, Skitter, the second show more wave of spiders comes.....new spiders with bright red stripes on their backs. And larger egg sacks -- the size of a truck -- appear around the world. These spiders are different.....they act different, seem to have a different purpose. Something is coming.....something horrible.....but what is it? Can scientists and the military find a way to save what remains of human civilization? Or will the situation fall into mass chaos, violence and....the end?

Zero Day is the final book in this chilling series. I waited months for this book! I'm extremely afraid of spiders after a bad experience with a spider bite as a child. I don't even like lint balls that vaguely resemble spiders...let alone the real thing. For me to love a book series that is all about spiders hatching and destroying the world.....and for me to be incredibly impatient waiting for the ending of the story....well, it has to be well-written and incredible. The Hatching trilogy fits that description. The tale is well-written, suspenseful and truly scary! I really enjoyed this entire series!

Zero Day starts right where Skitter left off.....the world is waiting for what is going to come next. And different factions with disparate ideas on how to stop the spiders are vying for control. Whatever horrors lurk in the large egg sacks are awaking....and they are hungry. In the United States, the military is at odds with the President over what action should be taken to save at least a small part of the country, adding to the danger. Can what is left of the human race survive what's coming?

Great ending to the series! Lots of action, and some surprising twists. Once I started reading, I couldn't stop. Total binge read! I still hate spiders....but I thoroughly enjoyed this book series.

Ezekiel Boone has a new book, The Mansion, coming out in December 2018. This time it's not spiders but a super computer that poses the problem. I'm definitely going to read it!

**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from Atria via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.** show less

Zero Day is the last entry in Ezekiel Boone's Hatching trilogy.

It's the final showdown. Man against the carnivorous spiders that are threatening the extinction of the human race. The first book was the outbreak, the second the continuing fight and in this last book it's do or die.

"The world is on the brink of apocalypse. Zero Day has come."

Yes, the premise reads like a B-movie plot, but it's great fun to read. And cringe -worthy, creepy, crawly spiders skittering all around.....

Boone has created an ensemble cast that I've come to know and enjoy over the course of the first two books and this is what kept me coming back. They are an eclectic group with many different outlooks and personalities and I'm hard pressed to pick a favourite. show more No surprise that there is an ending to this ongoing battle. And I have to say, I quite enjoyed the 'wrap-up' of where the lives of the large cast went. (And in that wrap-up I wonder if I'm the only one that thinks one or two of them might make appearances in the future?)

This trilogy could probably have been told in fewer pages, as the fight against the spiders seems a bit repetitive over the course of three books. That being said, Boone does have a way with words and does spin a good tale. I enjoyed his a wonderfully dark sense of humour. Boone fleshes out his narrative with lots of descriptions and side stories that I enjoyed.

I chose to listen to Zero Day, as I did with the previous books. The narrator was George Newbern, one of my favourites. He has a unique voice - clear, pleasant to listen to and easy to understand. He has a wry tone that matches the book and captures Boone's dark humour. His inflections rise and fall, giving the tale movement. show less

I mentioned "The Hatching," the first book in this trilogy already. I just finished the last two books and have to say, spiders can be scary. The kind that eat people, that is.

They don't eat everyone in their path, however, They use some as hosts, until their eggs hatch. Others they wrap in silk for future use. And they simply leave others completely alone. So they will be around for future meals.

The author (real name Alexi Zentner) provides a colorful cluster of characters who must face these critters and it was easy to become invested in their fate.

It's not easy killing spiders when there are thousands of them. And a single bite is paralyzing. (You're alive but cannot move. You can see and hear, though, and feel the pain as you get show more spun into web. The lucky victims were just eaten right away.)

Read this book and you will look at spiders a bit differently.

Quick easy reads. Fun escape from the real world.

Quote (from Skitter):

"He swallowed the scream before it could come out as anything other than a weak bark. Because of the cameras mounted on his helmet, the scientists monitoring back in the village had the same view he did. Thankfully, they stayed quiet.

"Apparently the Koreans had not, in fact, misplaced a decimal in their measurements.

"In front of him, the glowing light came from a singular, giant egg sac. It was the size of a pickup truck."

Quotes (from Zero Day):

"On cue, the smaller spiders started frantically closing in on them. It was such a rapid wave of movement that Kim could hear them. It sounded like a rake scraping pavement, like nails on a chalkboard. It sounded like death."

"Please," Gordo said, "I know I'm going to regret asking this, but what is it? What do these new spiders have?"

Melanie looked up at him and Gordo recognized the fear on her face. "Teeth," she said. "They've got teeth." show less

3.5/5*

ZERO DAY was a fun wrap up to the trilogy that started with THE HATCHING.

The narrative is still following all the same people, people who are now facing the fallout from a few nuclear strikes across the U.S., and the previous ones which occurred in various places around the world. The spiders are still continuing to mutate and evolve with the most dangerous of them all appearing in this book.

I enjoyed following the characters around on each of their missions and adventures. What I did not like was the following, (do not click if you don't want to know): where are the dead people? None of the main people die! I wish the story had more guts by sacrificing at least one of the main characters. Having them all live was just show more playing it too safe for my liking. Of course, I like it when everyone dies, so your mileage may vary.) I rarely felt anyone was in real danger.

Additionally, I wanted more spider action. In the previous two books, there was lots of it. They were your usual quick chapter Creature Features with lots of spiders overcoming people, animals, etc... In this book there is little of that, other than during the denouement, which was disappointing.

As a whole, this series was a ton of fun! Even though I found this entry to be slightly wanting, the trilogy itself was a blast, with a couple of real twists that I enjoyed. And, I have to admit that at times, reading it made me itchy!

If Creature Features are your thing, then I highly recommend you check out this trilogy! I just recommend you have lots of lights on, so you can immediately spot any insects heading your way.

*Thanks to Atria and to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it.* show less

Gotta love that Creature Feature. Or maybe I ought to modify that statement to Creatures Features. It's a spider apocalypse! New generations and smarter beasties are overrunning the world, but what is worse: the problem or the cure?

NUKES. Oh, yeah, baby. Nukes everywhere. The president is continuing to have a pretty bad day. A few others might be, too.

As always, these books are full of middling semi-sympathetic characters all trying to deal with the fallout from all the different kinds of horrors. I was only mildly invested in any of them. Fortunately, I was quite invested in the spiders and read most of the Hazmat scenes rooting for the little critters. :)

Did I have fun? Yeah, I did. Maybe not the best time ever or even within the show more creature-feature genre, but it was far from the worst way to spend an afternoon. It wraps up the trilogy fairly well, but I still feel a bit cheated. I almost wanted a good twist. Maybe scratch the "almost".

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC! show less