If I were to sum up Zoo with one word it would be embroiled. From the beginning to the end, the tone of this book is one of singular focus. The main character, Jackson Oz, is obsessed with confirming and solving the problem of animals increasingly attacking humans in an unprecedented and unmitigated way. James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge paint with one unceasing brush and that brush is one of embroiled forward momentum.

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Zoo is about an alternate history of the world where all animals, other than humans, start to attack humans in a way that has yet to be seen. Male lions, who normally do not hunt in packs, start to hunt humans in large packs like wolves might. Bears start to form groups and make their way into cities to kill people for sport. All the dogs, rats, and squirrels start to work together like an enormous conglomerate of furry cultists seeking out people to tear them apart. Man’s best friend becomes man’s worst enemy.

Of course, there is a progression to this dystopian outcome and it all starts with a lion attack at the LA Zoo in California. Oz has been keeping tabs on animal attacks from his New York apartment for a while and is the only one who sees this all coming but no one will listen to him. He dropped out of Columbia University before getting his PhD bringing his credibility into question, however, after he goes to Africa and records a pack of male lions that attacked him and killed his friend, he finally has the proof he needs. Even after showing it to the scientific community, they are slow to accept his theory that animals are going out of their way to systematically attack humans.

This book has very short chapters which adds to the frenetic pacing. There is never a slow moment as the crisis continually progresses to a full-blown worldwide apocalypse and it is a fun ride. It employs a decent amount of ecological and biological science which makes it all the more realistic and believable. There is a lot of action and suspense as Oz and others are attacked out of nowhere by different types of animals. Jackson Oz is a thoughtful and persistent character who never seems to run out of energy in his fight to save humanity. I enjoyed this book and recommend it to anyone who enjoys embroiled action.

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There is also a show based on this book. I will have to check it out and here is the trailer for it.