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First Activation  By  cover art

First Activation

By: Darren Wearmouth,Marcus Wearmouth
Narrated by: James Langton
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Publisher's summary

Brothers Harry and Jack leave Manchester for New York City for their annual weekend getaway. But upon arrival, they find a silent, deserted JFK, where the few ground crew they can spot have all been slaughtered.

Harry and Jack are military veterans, but they've never encountered anything like this.

As they witness the carnage and stumble across murderous madmen in a postapocalyptic New York City, it becomes clear that escape is the only option--that is if there is anywhere sane to which to escape....

©2015 Darren Wearmouth and Marcus Wearmouth (P)2014 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved.

What listeners say about First Activation

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  • 4 out of 5 stars
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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

MANNERS ARE FREE, BUT

HAVING NO MANNERS COMES WITH A COST
This is not going to be a classic. It is a little different. No zombies, but seemingly normal people who kill and than commit suicide. It is hard to tell who the bad guys are until they try and kill you. This makes for a more horrifying situation than zombies who are obviously zombies. The conspiracy behind how these people became monsters is a little unique. I have only read one other book with a similar type of scenario, unless you count the one with the Nazi's.

GOLF USUALLY BORED ME TO TEARS, I LIKE MY ACTION FAST AND SWIFT
The main characters are okay. The plot has some holes you can fly a plane through, but I could not stop listening and I am at lost to as to why. Best I can figure is that it did stay entertaining and I wanted to know who and what was behind the whole thing.

WHEN I START SOMETHING I LIKE TO FINISH IT AS QHICKLY AND EFFICIENTLY AS POSSIBLE.
If the next book goes on sale, I will buy it, but I don't think I am going to spend a whole credit.

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44 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

The story really got me from the first chapter.

They just landed after a cross-ocean flight from the UK to NY. The pilot cannot reach the ground and has to perform an emergency landing. What they find when they land is just the beginning. Follow two brothers as they discover what has happened to people while they were in the air and try to figure out what exactly is going on.

The narration for this was really enjoyable. I honestly didn’t realize going into this that the book was from the point of view of two British brothers – so the fact that the narration was done in a British accent was a total shock to me. But, I’m glad it was. It added a lot to certain scenes where a word or phrase was said and either they didn’t understand it, or the people around them were unsure what they meant. It helped me really get into the story. James Langton has a great voice and used it in numerous ways in the narration of this book. He voices different characters differently so you as the listener are more confused. The quality (both performance and recording) were excellent. Top notch with no issues.

The story really got me from the first chapter. When they are on the plane waiting to land I just knew something was going on. The thing that I really enjoyed is that this was unlike any other “post-apocalyptic” story I’ve ever read. I like when I’m presented with a story that I have never read or watched before. Usually when reading a story, I compare it to other movies or tv shows I’ve watched. But this one had nothing to compare it to. This uniqueness made me fly through this book.

I also enjoyed the two brothers who are the main characters in the story. They are both a likely and totally unlikely set of protagonists. Seemingly normal and thrown into extraordinary situations you find out who these brothers really are. The other characters that you meet along the way all add to the story and all felt necessary to the story.

There were numerous times when I thought I had the story figured out, and I was wrong every time. A great mix of thriller and post-apolcalyptic survival. This story has it all. A great read/listen from beginning to end.

All I can say is I’m glad I have the second book in the series queued up right now.

Audiobook purchased for review by ABR.

Please find this complete review and many others at my review blog

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10 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great story, different in a good way.

I really liked this story. It was very original when dealing with other books in a zombie, or post apocalypse category. Two brothers on vacation scrape by to try and save humanity.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

You first...then it's my turn!

If you could sum up First Activation in three words, what would they be?

Original
Surprising
Driven

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

Interesting...the source of the "issue".
Least...some of the characters have side issues that are derivative and don't easily move the story forward.

Which scene was your favorite?

The confrontation with the perpetrators was compelling and complicated.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I almost did. It came across as a short book, and, obviously, is the first of a series, which definitely left me wanting the sequel right away!

Any additional comments?

The performer, James Langton , is outstanding in this effort. His charcterizations are consistent, original and lively. He brings a great deal to this dystopian story, and does so with energy and thoughtfulness. His performance alone makes this a worthwhile credit!

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

A solid post-apocalyptic tale, with a few holes

Where does First Activation rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

The story has some shortcomings but Jack and Harry are solid characters that you want to root for. I immediately picked up and started the Second Activation once I finished up the First Activation. It's not my favorite post-apocalyptic novel but it's an interesting story.

What other book might you compare First Activation to and why?

The First Activation stops pretty suddenly the Second Activation picks up at the exact moment the first book ends.

What about James Langton’s performance did you like?

James' girl voice is a bit strange, the male characters are solid.

Any additional comments?

Don't get attached to anyone Jack and Harry meet.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

refreshingly different take on a familiar subject

a refreshing take on a popular subject. not overly political in it's message. engaging and fast paced

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Will you survive the first activation?

They just landed after a cross-ocean flight from the UK to NY. The pilot cannot reach the ground and has to perform an emergency landing. What they find when they land is just the beginning. Follow two brothers as they discover what has happened to people while they were in the air and try to figure out what exactly is going on.

The narration for this was really enjoyable. I honestly didn’t realize going into this that the book was from the point of view of two British brothers – so the fact that the narration was done in a British accent was a total shock to me. But, I’m glad it was. It added a lot to certain scenes where a word or phrase was said and either they didn’t understand it, or the people around them were unsure what they meant. It helped me really get into the story. James Langton has a great voice and used it in numerous ways in the narration of this book. He voices different characters differently so you as the listener are more confused. The quality (both performance and recording) were excellent. Top notch with no issues.

The story really got me from the first chapter. When they are on the plane waiting to land I just knew something was going on. The thing that I really enjoyed is that this was unlike any other “post-apocalyptic” story I’ve ever read. I like when I’m presented with a story that I have never read or watched before. Usually when reading a story, I compare it to other movies or tv shows I’ve watched. But this one had nothing to compare it to. This uniqueness made me fly through this book.

I also enjoyed the two brothers who are the main characters in the story. They are both a likely and totally unlikely set of protagonists. Seemingly normal and thrown into extraordinary situations you find out who these brothers really are. The other characters that you meet along the way all add to the story and all felt necessary to the story.

There were numerous times when I thought I had the story figured out, and I was wrong every time. A great mix of thriller and post-apocalyptic survival. This story has it all. A great read/listen from beginning to end.

All I can say is I’m glad I have the second book in the series queued up right now.

This review was originally posted on AudioBookReviewer dot com and was given to me by them in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Decent writing but don't bother

I enjoyed the first two books, but At this point I'm pretty well convinced they will never finish the series. Even though it's a good series with good narration just don't waste your time unless you just love to be left hanging.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

left me on cliff hanger now I have to go listen to

I love it!! he did amazing job !!! they both did amazing!! I love all darren books!! must go listen!!!

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

interesting premise

the narration was great. the narrator was able to bring each character to life. I would say it's a new take on zombie slash end of the world themes. the only drawback is the conclusion is in the second book.

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