Now as someone who really enjoys books, movies, and Tv shows that are about the apocalypse and especially zombies, The First Days did a very good job depicting the apocalypse by clearly illustrating the rotting of the city and surrounding towns. Going into the book I didn't expect to be able to visualize this, but I was happily surprised. 

When describing the way the zombies move, how their blood flows off and around them, as well as the gory details like falling limbs and organs, Frater nails it right on the head with perfect descriptions. The emotion and aggression of the zombies shown in the book makes the zombies seem like an actual threat;in many books and media they are either overpowered and seem impossible to survive or simple and could be easily killed.  

The start of, the book may have deterred many readers at first as it immediately starts with arguably one of the goriest and heart wrenching scenes in the book. It starts with a mom standing at her front door unaware of what had just happened. The way she illustrates the emotions of fear, anger, and sadness through describing in great detail the movements, sounds and faces she makes as she sees the skinned hand of her newly zombified child under the door.

Many books and shows have used the zombie outbreak or apocalypse as a cheap scapegoat for a plot line but Frater doesn't use it in that way, completely. She used this setting well by the direction she is taking the characters; she isn't writing about them trying to find a cure, its almost from the story of what the average person would do which I think is better relatable. Although she did use it in a way to create the problems in the story, it lacks the internal conflicts other than a family member becoming a zombie.

I also really like the characteristics of the characters in the book. I think Frater broke the zombie book norms by using everyday people like a mom of three boys who worked in a convenience store, and a businesswoman. Just like the reader, the characters are figuring it out and developing along the way. Although they develop slowly, it seems like the author wanted to stretch out the character development to last over more books. 

If you are a fan of the apocalypse, zombies, or simply a good story of survival this is the perfect book to satisfy all of those. Again overall one of the best modern day zombie/apocalypse books that I have read, and definitely a readable book.