Plagued: The Rock Island Zombie Counteractant Experiment

Plagued States of America, Volume 2

By: Better Hero Army

Narrated by: Melanie Hooks

When Army Ranger Lieutenant Mason Jones arrives at the Rock Island Prison Defense Facility for his tour of duty, suspicion that he is from the Inspector General's Office leaves him isolated from his fellow soldiers in a place more hostile than any war zone he has ever seen. To survive, he must turn to the manager of the facility's secret scientific zombie research lab, the only person on the island with the power to get him out alive...

Since the destruction of Biter's Hill, the world has watched America with renewed fear that the zombie plague may not be completely contained. Amidst this international turmoil, a disillusioned Army Ranger named Mason Jones is assigned to the Rock Island Prison Defense Facility, a place known inside the Plagued States of America as Biter's Island. Mason is exposed to the zombie containment program that transitions zombies from dangerously infectious beasts into docile, trainable merchandise used for labor. But when a mysterious accident occurs during his watch, Mason finds himself relying on the only person on Biter's Island he knows he can't trust.

This second installment of the Plagued States of America series by Better Hero Army picks up the baton left by the first book, with new characters and heart-pounding action in a story that is sure to leave readers wondering what can possibly happen next.

©2014 Evan Ramspott (P)2019 Evan Ramspott

A fascinating world.

Plagued: The Rock Island Zombie Counteractant Experiment is the second book in the Plagued States of America series. I listened to the 1st book in the series about two years ago and can still remember enjoying it quite a bit. What I remember most about the book is that I thought it presented a fascinating world and offered an utterly unique take on the zombie genre. I'm happy to report that the 2nd book offers us a further look into that fascinating world, and the first half of this book is quite engaging. We follow Mason Jones, an Army Ranger, who has been assigned to a prison defense facility...or more accurately a zombie processing center. You see zombies is this world can be rehabbed/trained/made less dangerous and then used as a sort of slave labor force for various jobs. I enjoyed the heck out of watching Mason adjust to his new role and learning more about the society of this world. Unfortunately the focus of the story seems to take a turn about midway through the book. The twist seems to come out of nowhere and while it's not a bad twist, it feels rushed, less fleshed out than it should/could have been, and the overall experience of the book suffers for it. That being said, I still enjoyed listening to this book, and as I've said it offers up a unique take on the genre.

I was given a free review copy of this audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Cryptic and rushed!

The story of the Plagued States of America continues with a new protagonist. Lieutenant Mason Jones is assigned to be a zombie guard at a prison laboratory. This assignment is usually reserved for military screw-ups; to be sent out of sight, out of mind. Mason had some problems while on embassy duty in Egypt, which gave him a bad case of PTSD and left a bad mark on his record. This trouble haunts him throughout the tale and adds to his confusion and loss of focus. While at the prison Mason is secretly recruited for another purpose. The United States is still recovering from the plague and trying to salvage a bad situation where the remaining zombies are concerned. It was discovered that by removing certain glands the zombie could be made docile and trainable. This advancement brought back the old desire for cheap labor, aka slavery. Mason’s new mission is to assist in the elimination of slavery. The plot is a bit rushed and confusing. The characters are okay, but the story is lacking. Perhaps it needed the extra length that is missing for clarity. Three.point.five I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.