Zoey Valentine is concerned with two things: surviving the multitude of self-defense classes her dad makes her take and avoiding Ash Matthews.That is, until the Z virus hits, wiping out a third of the population in a matter of weeks. If that weren't frightening enough, the bodies of the victims disappear and suddenly reappear, awakened from their dead state. They're faster, smarter, and they work together to get the one thing they crave, human flesh.The United States is in a panic and then the government decides the unthinkable: to bomb every major city overrun with the awakened.Now Zoey is on the run, with her dad and Ash, desperate to find a place of safety amongst the ruined remains of the country.