This is James Patterson's best book ever.TotalFor 36 years, James Patterson has written unputdownable, pulse-racing novels. Now, he has written a book that surpasses all of them. ZOO is the thriller he was born to write.WorldAll over the world, brutal attacks are crippling entire cities. Jackson Oz, a young biologist, watches the escalating events with an increasing sense of dread. When he witnesses a coordinated lion ambush in Africa, the enormity of the violence to come becomes terrifyingly clear.DestructionWith the help of ecologist Chloe Tousignant, Oz races to warn world leaders before it's too late. The attacks are growing in ferocity, cunning, and planning, and soon there will be no place left for humans to hide.

    The only person to contract the virus and survive, Cricket fled her identity and the safety of New Caelum, an airtight city. Now eighteen, she watches the city where the wealthy cocooned from the devastating outbreak. When the city's rumbling incinerator wakes her one night while she and her friends are camping just beyond the city walls, she alone knows what the fiery machine means: the lethal virus is back. Only eighteen, Westlin Layne is already being groomed to succeed his mother as New Caelum's next president. Suddenly West's sister develops symptoms of the deadly virus thought to be eradicated years ago. Placed under quarantine, the president confesses to West a long-held secret: Christina Black, West's childhood friend and first love, survived the virus, and her body alone holds the precious antibodies to save his sister. Now West must leave the city to find Christina. But Cricket has no intention of being found.

    These days, we know what those quarantines are—holding pens where human blood is turned into more food for the undead monsters, known as Ticks. Surrounded by electrical fences, most kids try to survive the Farms by turning on each other…

    The death toll is at an estimated 22 million. The entire world wants to know what happened down there and since the military aren’t talking, everyone is looking to Rebecca for answers.Sydney, Australia3 Weeks EarlierA deadly new virus is spreading through an immigration detention centre in the outback. It is 100% lethal. There is no cure. As a precaution the Australian Government has ordered a nationwide quarantine. No one is allowed to leave the country. No one is allowed to enter. School across the country has been canceled.Despite these warning signs Rebecca and her friends are in the mood to celebrate their extended summer vacation, blissfully unaware of the dangers that are coming their way.Over the next few days, things go from bad to worse as the virus begins to spread throughout Australia, killing anyone infected and turning them into ferocious undead monsters. Worse, the military have been ordered to contain the spread of infection and to cover up all trace of the outbreak by any means necessary. Mass panic and hysteria grip the population as the plague reaches the outskirts of Sydney.Rebecca and her friends realise that it's no longer safe to simply go home and lock the door. They need to make a run for it. They need to escape from Australia.