World Departed by Sarah Lyons Fleming is the first book in her Cascadia series about a zombie apocalypse. I am a fan of this author and have previously loved her two other zombie series so I was really looking forward to getting started on this series. Set in Eugene, Oregon the story follows a group of people through the first days of horror as a virus strikes and leaves behind dead people who rise up as flesh-eating monsters.

If you follow my reading at all, you probably know that I enjoy a good zombie story and Sarah Lyons Fleming is a top zombie story-teller. She makes her stories all about the characters that you learn to care about and want to see happy. At times these characters have to fight zombies but the author’s focus is usually on how her characters inter-act with each other. This series is set in the same universe as her previous zombie books although this one is set in Western America as opposed to the East. The characters are new and the reader quickly learns to identify with and root for Rose, Mitch, Craig, Tom and Clara.

While this was the first book in her new series and does spends time on setting the scene and introducing the characters, at over 700 pages, there is still plenty of story to be told. I loved the survival angle and how they worked together to develop ideas that would help the whole group. This was a read where I could cheer the characters on or gasp in fear when things were not going so well. World Departed was a great escape read with plenty of humor, multiple POVs, a little romance and lots of zombie action. ( )

I love it because it's not about zombies, it's about people in survival mode. And decent people! Not crazed lunatics wanting to take over what's left of the world. ( )

I loved this book! There are a handful of authors that I will drop everything when she releases a new book so that I can immediately start reading it. Sarah Lyons Fleming has made her way onto that list of authors. I knew that a book would be coming out soon but I wasn't exactly sure when it would be. Once I saw that this book was available, I couldn't download it fast enough. Let's just say that my expectations were high. This book was even better than I could have hoped it would be. I feel like I have been on a journey with these characters and I loved every moment of it.

It is no secret that I love a well-told zombie story. I think that this is a book that could appeal to readers who wouldn't consider themselves to be fans of zombie apocalyptic fiction. That's because this book is all about the characters. Sarah Lyons Fleming can write characters that work their way into your heart and leave you feeling like they are family. This is really a character-driven story. Sure, those characters get the chance to stab zombies in the eye from time to time but the focus is really on how this group of people can band together to survive the worst-case scenario. This book is set in the same world as the Until the End of the World and City Series but it is set on the west coast and features a brand new cast of characters. This is a great place for readers new to Sarah Lyons Fleming's work to jump in since it is the start of a brand new series.

I liked the fact that this book was told from multiple points of view. Rose is the mother of two young adult children who home from college when tragedy struck. She was set to host an anniversary party so her dad and best friend are also around, despite the fact her husband is missing. Clara is a college student who happens to be best friends with Rose's daughter, Holly. She came home from school when her dad asked her to because he was worried about the virus and her whole world has fallen apart. Tom is Rose's difficult neighbor and Clara's father. He has been through a lot and has a really hard time dealing with everything happening but he will do whatever it takes to keep Clara safe. Craig is one of Rose's best friends but he didn't make it to the party and is stuck miles away. He will have to find the strength he doesn't know he has to make to Oregon.

I loved seeing the group adjust to their changing situation. I loved seeing them work together to put ideas into place and do what was needed to help the group. These people felt so real and I really enjoyed seeing how compassionate they were to others. I cheered for them when things were going well and feared for them when situations were less than ideal. I was able to relate to these characters and found myself wondering if I would have handled certain situations in the same way they did.

I would highly recommend this book to others. This was a book that was almost impossible to put down even though I had to since life will not wait for me to read a book that is almost 800 pages long. This is one of those books that I will be reading again and already have plans to add the audiobook to my personal library once it is available. I cannot wait to read more of this author's work! ( )