Listen. It’s a crazy title. And I don’t really understand the author’s name. BUT ZOMBIES, PEOPLE. This was a fun, fast-moving, well-constructed short blast of zombie horror.

It is a post-zombie world, like World War Z and The Walking Dead, and two brothers are sent to the frontlines of this new America to find their sister. Very interesting premise of treatment options, zombie-taming and half-breeds. The MC Tom is a great character, with a compelling back story and believable reactions and motivations.

Narration by Michael Joss was no-nonsense, with a pseudo-military cadence that added to the experience.

I love zombies, so I am biased, but this book was a really good time.

So much fun!! I am a sucker for any zombie and apocalypse style books.

The story starts with all the action right away and it just keeps on going and going. This is the way zombie stories are meant to be!!

#NetGalley #TheMidAmericaZombieHalfBreedExperiment

I was drawn to this audiobook because I am a big fan of zombie/ apocalyptic books, The audiobook is about 4ish hours long so the pacing is well done and action packed.

We are dropped into the middle of a zombie apocalypse where humanity seems to be "winning" but there are still zombies roaming. Tom has travelled to a settlement which seems to be like an outpost or market where Tom and his brother are able to ask about Tom's sister who was bitten while Tom should have been watching her. He feels guilty but as a reader, I feel like he was too young to have that burden and responsibility on his shoulders. At the outpost, there are zombies for sale and Tom encounters a half-breed who potentially has information about where his sister could be.

However, things break bad when the outpost has a breach and zombies start pouring in. Tom and some hunters, and the half-breed are able to get out, and Tom has the potential to call in an evac team since he is the son of a Senator. I was hooked early on in this audiobook and highly recommend if zombie books are something you enjoy. I have to give credit to the narrator for doing a great job with making this story come to life. I wonder if we are going to get more books in this dystopian world. i could see where the author could build out from these foundations in some very interesting ways.

First, the narrator was great as his voice added to the dreary atmosphere of this novella.

The basic premise of the novella is that Tom lost his sister when they were both kids and he’s been living with this guilt. He sets out to find her and we meet the rest of the group. Everything was going well until — and this might be a spoiler so stop here if you don’t want it to be ruined— Tom finds Larissa and lets her go in the same chapter. Wtf, where’s the grief, and guilt he’s lived with? I get it, she’s been with the kid zombies for 10 years but man he moved onto being Penelope’s protector really fast!
Rating
Narrator: 5/5
Story: 3/5

Thank you to NetGalley for the audiobook!

I enjoyed this story but found it to be to short, I was just getting in to all the characters when everything ended. it felt more like a novella that's written to fill in a gap in a larger series. The world that was built and characters are excellent and there is plenty of room for a longer story or more stories. Worth a read but know that it's short.

This was a little different than the average zombie book. They have zombie hunters and zombie slave traders in the book and people looking for a cure. I did like the audiobook. The voice actor was good and tried to make the voices of the men sound different. I do wish that some of the action scenes were a little more descriptive.

This was a short unique zombie audiobook!

I’ve said this before & I’ll say it again. Give me any and every zombie book! I love reading about the outbreak and how people adapt to a zombie filled world. I love this specific niche genre. This book however was different for me. Not bad different, but different. It didn’t have much of the thrills or scares that a post apocalyptic thriller normally has. It seemed a bit more calm. I was hoping for a bit more scare and uncertainty. In this story, they’ve adapted well and even started enslaving the zombies.

The half-breed zombie was an interesting concept, but I feel it fell a bit flat. It didn’t provide a whole lot of explanation that I would have been interested in hearing about. The story was short, but seemed to cut off at the end. I would like to listen to the additional parts of this book, however.

The narrator was good, if anything a bit monotone but I listened at 2x and he was easy to understand.

All in all, an entertaining short read but felt a bit lacking.

I absolutely loved Plagued! From the very first chapter, I was drawn into this original and fast-paced zombie dystopian world. The plot was tense yet believable, and the characters—especially Penelope—were engaging and full of depth. I found myself rooting for her every step of the way. She’s fierce, determined, and someone I genuinely want to see more of in future instalments.

The audiobook narration was fantastic—bringing each character to life and adding an extra layer of immersion to the story. The emotional moments landed beautifully, and the action scenes were delivered with real punch.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. This was a brilliant listen—well-paced, well-written, and completely addictive. I’ll definitely be looking out for the next in the series!

I really enjoyed this story, it was short, but packed a real punch. I love everything Zombie related, so this was right up my street!!

It’s set in a future America, following a Zombie outbreak many years earlier and follows brothers Tom and Gary who are searching for their sister Larissa. Tom our main protagonist had been present when his sister was bitten, and his father has never forgiven him. The brothers are on a relentless pursuit to try and find her. Zombies co-exist in the new world with humans, and the spread of infection through bites can be erased when their glands are removed. However they can still eat you alive, so they’re not completely harmless. Scientists are working hard on a cure, so there is hope that the Zombies can be turned back into their human selves.

The brothers get separated, and Tom ends up with some Zombie Hunters, who are in possession of a Half-Breed Zombie, a girl called Kitty who is half human and half Zombie. Tom and Kitty form a bond and she helps Tom in the search for his sister.

To tell you any more would ruin the story, so you’ll have to read it or listen to it yourselves. I loved it, but I wish it had been longer, I feel that it could have gone far deeper into the characters and the story.

It was excellently narrated by Michael Joss who managed to keep the tension simmering away nicely!

The Midamerica Zombie Half-Breed Experiment by Better Hero Army offers a fresh and inventive twist on the zombie genre, kicking off a promising series with originality and intrigue. From the start, this audiobook sets itself apart by introducing a new kind of undead—one that defies the typical zombie mold seen in most shows and films. That unique premise alone makes it an instant draw for fans of post-apocalyptic fiction.

The writing is sharp and engaging, delivering a fast-paced narrative that keeps the listener hooked. There’s a sense of unpredictability throughout the story, as the world-building slowly reveals deeper layers behind the zombie outbreak and the emergence of the so-called “half-breeds.”

The narration adds another level of immersion, bringing the story and characters to life with energy and clarity. It’s a well-executed performance that complements the novel’s tone and pace, making for an enjoyable listening experience from beginning to end.

The Midamerica Zombie Half-Breed Experiment is a strong and inventive start to a series that promises to push the boundaries of the genre. Perfect for fans looking for something new in the world of the undead.

3.5 stars - writing this review for NetGalley who provided me a free copy of the Audiobook. I enjoyed this! A zombie dystopian novel that had me wanting more. The premise was really good! Half breeds with government experiments?! Yes. Give me more!!! There are more in this series so I do want to explore more, but as a stand alone I was left feeling a little short, like it was too abrupt an end. I enjoyed this though overall!!

*** I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving my honest review.

4.5/5 stars and 0/5 spice!

I listened to the audio for this book. The narrator did a great job telling the story.

The story starts with two brothers that are looking for their sister who went missing 10 years ago. While looking for her, they end up getting separated. We follow the brother named Tom on his journey to keep looking for his sister. He becomes invested in the well-being of a half-breed zombie.

I would recommend this to anyone who wants a series about a post apocalyptic world with zombies in the USA, but has an interesting twist compared to most zombie books.

There are at least 6 books in the series. I'm unsure if there will be more.

First of all, thank you so much to Better Hero Army, NetGalley, and the publisher for allowing me to receive an audio arc of this book in exchange for a review!
Honestly, I’m not usually an enjoyer of zombies but this might have changed my mind. It didn’t follow your typical zombie movie plot-line and that was so refreshing. I can’t wait to see what happens throughout the rest of this series

Its the first time that I have hybrid zombies, I did read before about cures and zombies that come back, but this is a bit different, I guess thats the positive point, but its only an ok story, and my main difficulty with the audiobook is that the person reading sounded way mature than the main character he was supposed to portrait…

well I wont enter in spoilers because maybe you’ll enjoy it way more and everyone deserve to be surprised, give it a shot, the cure wont be like warm bodies, not even like after the cure, its different and the “cured” zombies, can show a bit of memory, but not human behaviour… yeah you definitely will need to try it out…


Thank you Netgalley and Audio ARC provided by Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op, for the free ARC and this is my honest opinion.

Plagued: The Midamerica Zombie Half-Breed Experiment (Plagued States of America) (Volume 1)
by Better Hero Army
The main character has to deal with ten years of guilt because he did not save his little sister when he was a preteen. He has to understand the ramifications of the plague infection on the population. And the realization that he was not given all the facts.
The book dives into the idea of responsibility and the sense of corruption and miss information that happens in times of emergency. The science experiments that are covered up. Repercussions that are unknown, and the guilt of never being good enough. Wrapped in the popular zombie motif, this book shows the human outcome of misinformation and difficulty of systemic collapse.

Thanks to NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op

Michael Joss approaches narrating this book with an impressive sincerity that elevates the story. His voice is quite enjoyable and his narration would be a draw for me in the future

The story its self is pretty simple. It was written around 2013 and boy does it feel like it.

There are some interesting concepts, halfbreed zombies that could have been an exploration of the violence that the living act on the dead, and specifically gender based violence, we know that the zombies in this book experience some level of sentience and are in at least some cases zombie prostitutes but instead it’s more of a passing mention.

Still its fast passed and fun. If you go into it looking for a simple but enjoyable story thats pretty surface level i don’t think you’d have any sort of disappointment here.

I probably wouldn’t finish this series

I’ve MISSED zombie books! Narration is perfect.

Tom & his brother are looking for their sister. She’s a zombie but the cure is imminent so they continue to look for the young girl even though it’s been 10 years. They are at Biters Hill in the Plagued States of America where zombies roam free. There’s a moat around the states so humanity has won.

The brothers are with zombie hunter/slavers and as they approach the zombie settlement a hoard escapes. Hundreds of zombies are on the loose. Tom’s brother gets to the ferry without him & it leaves. Stranded, Tom & multiple other visitors catch a ride with the zombie hunters & their rare half-breed named Kitty.

The clock starts a countdown.

Tom feels Kitty can help him find his sister.

Tom has a plan & a secret. Will they all escape? Will they find his sister? Will there be a division between the slavers & visitors? Will anyone from their group die or get bit?

Will they be saved or overrun?

This is a the beginning of a series that I’ll enjoy listening to! Thank you NetGalley & Victory Editing for a review copy. I hope to hear more from Tom & Penelope!! I’ll post on Amazon also.

This was a good short zombie apocalypse read. 😊 if you wanna enter the zombie world with a book you can listen to in one sitting def check this one out. There were a lot of action scenes that really kept your attention. The narration was nice too.

I know I'm prejudiced because I love zombie stories, but books like this are why I keep going back. The author drops you right into the action, with a character, Tom, making his way through a zombie wasteland to find his sister. There was suspense and chaos from the beginning, and I got to know Tom and his motivations as I watched him deal with the dangers. There was a bit of a twist with zombie lore and while I felt satisfied with the story, I'm hoping there are more stories that take place in this world.
Thanks to NetGalley I was listening to the audiobook, which was excellent and kept me on edge through the whole (short) story.

*I received an audio version arc of this book via NetGalley. My review will be on the main Goodreads page as there is not a page for the audio version*

Outline:
Set in a dystopian future where undead dominate large swaths of America. Tom and his brother Gary have a mission set for them by their dad- to find their zombified younger sister Larissa after she was bitten under their care years prior. Their search takes them to a zombie-slave market town where they come across a mysterious half-breed who may know more than she can easily communicate. The brothers are separated, yet Tom stays true to his mission, but can he help this mysterious half undead woman along the way?

My review:
The plot of this is relatively entertaining- like a combination of Warm Bodies with a bit of Mad Max thrown in. The only downside was the cut off point. The end felt like it came half way through the book instead of at a natural end point.
Many characters didn’t feel fully fleshed out, especially the women, but this did not detract from the story.
The audiobook narration was in character and enjoyable. Michael Joss did a brilliant job.
Overall, the experience of listening to it was fine, but not one I would actively recommend. It lacked the depth of other zombie thrillers.