ABR's original Yellow Zone: A Journal Documentation of the End of America audiobook review and many others can be found at Audiobook Reviewer.

This was my first exposure to Jacqueline Druga. I cannot say I found the story to be as good as other post-apocalyptic books such as “The Dead Lands“.

The opening scene in the book is of Jen, the main character, sitting on a porch in Ohio. She sees a man she judges as “infected” and shoots him with a rifle, killing him. Jen then takes us back to before the infection started and tells us how it all began. She explains how she went from being a working mother and wife in Philadelphia to survivalist watching the death throes of America. The virus started at Kennedy airport in New York City and at first Jen thought she was far enough away to be safe. As the virus rapidly spread Jen, her husband, son and daughter head to a family cabin in West Virginia taking Dan’s mother with them. They meet up with other family members but have very little time before the infection invades their secluded area.

The story itself never really captured my imagination. Throughout the entire story, I never felt a connection to Jen. She lost loved ones, watched her world destroyed but I never really felt anything for her. I did not like her. I did not dislike her. I just did not care. She never reached out of the story in a way which would have invested me in her survival.

David Dietz’s narration was enjoyable. He was versatile, able to do women’s as well as men’s voices without the women seeming falsetto. I would buy an audio book narrated by him if I find one that interests me. While David’s reading was great, it seemed the production values were not as good. The sound quality, especially when he raised his voice was not great. I know that is a studio production issue and one that should have been addressed by the producer of the audio book not the narrator.

Although Yellow Zone was ultimately a weak book, it was worth the time I spent listening to it to be introduced to David Dietz as a narrator.

Audiobook provided for review by the narrator. ( )