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uponthedowns's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
bookph1le's review against another edition
5.0
I'd like to preface this review with a short declaration: I do not read books about vampires and zombies.
That's not true, you might say, if you look at my reviews. After all, I've read both this book and Justin Cronin's trilogy, thereby negating my declaration.
But the thing is, I *really* don't read about vampires and zombies. Since I don't read books about them, I can't judge what's out there, but I can say that I typically don't care. It's just not subject matter that draws me. I don't think zombie/vampire books are bad or wrong, I just am not interested in them. So imagine my surprise when I read a book like The Girl with All the Gifts and am blown away by it. So blown away by it that I pick up copies of Fellside and this book as well.
Having read and really admired all three of these books, I can say that this is the one I like the most. Even though Fellside is very different from the two Hungry Plague books, there's a common thread: this author has an uncanny, amazing ability to create characters who make me react in very visceral ways. Yeah, sometimes I like to read books just for their plot, but what always tips my scale when it comes to how deeply gripped a book holds me, it's the characters. I can think of only a few other authors who have the same talent with them this author has.
Yes, this is a zombie book, in many ways. Yet it's also not a zombie book in many ways. Really, what this series is (and this is true for Fellside as well), is a story about how human beings cope, how our strengths and foibles manifest in ways that aren't always obvious to ourselves, let alone to other people. I don't want to give too much away, so I won't go into specifics, but I was incredibly moved by the heroism in this book. There are specific characters who face serious moral quandaries and find a way their way to a solution they can live with. This interests me a great deal, because I find that kind of heroism a lot more interesting than our conventional notions of heroism, which usually include strapping figures jumping in to save the day, usually with the assistance of a lot of heavy weapons. So, yeah, this isn't a book about zombies as much as it is a book about choices, and how easy it is to justify bad decisions, how hard it is to do the right thing, and how compromised our humanity becomes if we're seduced by self-interest at the expense of the larger well being of society.
What I also really admire about this author is the way he portrays unconventional social structures, which I think is another way he picks apart what it means to be human. Zombies are usually portrayed as monsters, but these books take a more nuanced view, and that view poses some big questions about humans tendency to divide animals (and, sadly, often other humans) into categories that measure their worth against our own. The best characters in all of Carey's books struggle mightily with this. They learn to look beyond their own prejudices and preconceived notions to entertain the possibility that maybe their way of looking at things is skewed. This is a quality the world could use a lot more of, in my opinion. Carey is asking readers to think very, very deeply about the meaning of survival at all costs.
Another thing Carey excels at is creating characters for whom I feel pure, unadulterated hatred. There's one character in particular in this novel who made me seethe, because said character's viewpoint is so narrow. Yet I don't think the author is trying to stake some sort of moral ground here, because this character isn't the villain, per se. Instead, the character is an example of what happens when people let their emotions control them rather than trying to see things with a cool head and a clear mind.
This was one of those rare books that had me on tenterhooks, to the extent that, as I got close to the end, I couldn't tear myself away from it. Whatever Carey writes next--even if it's about vampires--it's going on my to-read list.
That's not true, you might say, if you look at my reviews. After all, I've read both this book and Justin Cronin's trilogy, thereby negating my declaration.
But the thing is, I *really* don't read about vampires and zombies. Since I don't read books about them, I can't judge what's out there, but I can say that I typically don't care. It's just not subject matter that draws me. I don't think zombie/vampire books are bad or wrong, I just am not interested in them. So imagine my surprise when I read a book like The Girl with All the Gifts and am blown away by it. So blown away by it that I pick up copies of Fellside and this book as well.
Having read and really admired all three of these books, I can say that this is the one I like the most. Even though Fellside is very different from the two Hungry Plague books, there's a common thread: this author has an uncanny, amazing ability to create characters who make me react in very visceral ways. Yeah, sometimes I like to read books just for their plot, but what always tips my scale when it comes to how deeply gripped a book holds me, it's the characters. I can think of only a few other authors who have the same talent with them this author has.
Yes, this is a zombie book, in many ways. Yet it's also not a zombie book in many ways. Really, what this series is (and this is true for Fellside as well), is a story about how human beings cope, how our strengths and foibles manifest in ways that aren't always obvious to ourselves, let alone to other people. I don't want to give too much away, so I won't go into specifics, but I was incredibly moved by the heroism in this book. There are specific characters who face serious moral quandaries and find a way their way to a solution they can live with. This interests me a great deal, because I find that kind of heroism a lot more interesting than our conventional notions of heroism, which usually include strapping figures jumping in to save the day, usually with the assistance of a lot of heavy weapons. So, yeah, this isn't a book about zombies as much as it is a book about choices, and how easy it is to justify bad decisions, how hard it is to do the right thing, and how compromised our humanity becomes if we're seduced by self-interest at the expense of the larger well being of society.
What I also really admire about this author is the way he portrays unconventional social structures, which I think is another way he picks apart what it means to be human. Zombies are usually portrayed as monsters, but these books take a more nuanced view, and that view poses some big questions about humans tendency to divide animals (and, sadly, often other humans) into categories that measure their worth against our own. The best characters in all of Carey's books struggle mightily with this. They learn to look beyond their own prejudices and preconceived notions to entertain the possibility that maybe their way of looking at things is skewed. This is a quality the world could use a lot more of, in my opinion. Carey is asking readers to think very, very deeply about the meaning of survival at all costs.
Another thing Carey excels at is creating characters for whom I feel pure, unadulterated hatred. There's one character in particular in this novel who made me seethe, because said character's viewpoint is so narrow. Yet I don't think the author is trying to stake some sort of moral ground here, because this character isn't the villain, per se. Instead, the character is an example of what happens when people let their emotions control them rather than trying to see things with a cool head and a clear mind.
This was one of those rare books that had me on tenterhooks, to the extent that, as I got close to the end, I couldn't tear myself away from it. Whatever Carey writes next--even if it's about vampires--it's going on my to-read list.
cliffrcarlson's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
mehsi's review against another edition
4.0
This was a pretty OK book, but I didn't love it to bits as I did the other book.
Also, no this is not a sequel. It is more of a prequel, taking place years before the events of the Girl with all the gifts.
The blurb sounded amazing, it was what made me want to pre-order the book. Sadly, the blurb was a big lie.
"Once upon a time, in a land blighted by terror, there was a very clever boy. The people thought the boy could save them, so they opened their gates and sent him out into the world. To where the monsters lived." <- The land is indeed blighted by terror. There is a smart boy, but they didn't think he could save them, if anything the only reason he got on the trip was thanks to Dr. Khan. Everyone pretty much hates him/finds him weird. Plus the blurb makes it sound like the boy goes on his own jolly way. Which is not true. He is part of a mission and the only way he goes outside is illegally and while endangering his other team-members. *sighs* Is blurb writing that hard? Can't people just make a fun, good, truthful, and not spoiler-filled (since that also happens) blurb?
The book is told from a lot of POVs. I can tell you that at times I was just utterly confused at who was talking when. It also didn't help that I hated everyone. Yep. Everyone. Well, OK, Khan was a bit hit and miss, but generally I didn't like her.
There is SO MUCH dialogue. There is some action (especially near the middle/end), but not that much, and that is what I loved about the other book. Even back in the classroom and all that happened there, it had more action and excitement than this book had.
The book really picked up when we met with the kid hungries. The smart hungries. Like Melanie from the previous book. That is also why I rated this one so high. I just loved those hungries in the previous book. How they were so smart, but still dangerous, how they were almost truly human, but then also not due to their instincts and hunger for meat. How they were a new generation.
Since the blurb is what it is, I will put this one under a spoiler tag, even though it is something that happens at the beginning.
Plus I disliked how she kept protecting Greaves. How she never truly got angry with him.
Greaves, or Grieves/Grief as I call him, as he brought grief to everyone. Really, that kid was not only highly annoying, but also an even bigger liability than Khan. Oh hey, let me just walk out during night and stand between a few zombies. Because, yay, science.... Or, let me just do that while we are on a mission so that people get worried (well, only Khan), and people have to find me, thus endangering everything and thus being the catalyst for a lot of shit happening. I just kept hoping he would get eaten. I even dubbed him Caldwell 2.0 after a while. He was just so focused on his own shit that he didn't see how much danger he was in or how much danger he brought to the others.
I also was slightly pissed at the stupid morons who would just shoot at everything, regardless of the situation.
Not to mention the whole army/military crap, and the spying, and other stuff that just made me yawn and roll my eyes.
The ending was perfection though, even though it was a bit over the top.
I LOVED LOVED the epilogue though. It was absolutely brilliant and I was so happy with it. It concluded several things, brought some older characters back, and I was just crying in happiness.
But all in all, this was still a disappointment. :( It had good parts, but I had expected much more from it, especially with that blurb.
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
Also, no this is not a sequel. It is more of a prequel, taking place years before the events of the Girl with all the gifts.
The blurb sounded amazing, it was what made me want to pre-order the book. Sadly, the blurb was a big lie.
"Once upon a time, in a land blighted by terror, there was a very clever boy. The people thought the boy could save them, so they opened their gates and sent him out into the world. To where the monsters lived." <- The land is indeed blighted by terror. There is a smart boy, but they didn't think he could save them, if anything the only reason he got on the trip was thanks to Dr. Khan. Everyone pretty much hates him/finds him weird. Plus the blurb makes it sound like the boy goes on his own jolly way. Which is not true. He is part of a mission and the only way he goes outside is illegally and while endangering his other team-members. *sighs* Is blurb writing that hard? Can't people just make a fun, good, truthful, and not spoiler-filled (since that also happens) blurb?
The book is told from a lot of POVs. I can tell you that at times I was just utterly confused at who was talking when. It also didn't help that I hated everyone. Yep. Everyone. Well, OK, Khan was a bit hit and miss, but generally I didn't like her.
There is SO MUCH dialogue. There is some action (especially near the middle/end), but not that much, and that is what I loved about the other book. Even back in the classroom and all that happened there, it had more action and excitement than this book had.
The book really picked up when we met with the kid hungries. The smart hungries. Like Melanie from the previous book. That is also why I rated this one so high. I just loved those hungries in the previous book. How they were so smart, but still dangerous, how they were almost truly human, but then also not due to their instincts and hunger for meat. How they were a new generation.
Since the blurb is what it is, I will put this one under a spoiler tag, even though it is something that happens at the beginning.
Spoiler
The whole baby/pregnancy mess. Dear Lord woman. OMG I have been selected, let me just have unprotected sex with someone random on the team and oh, dear, now I am pregnant. *sighs* Really. This was just too stupid for me. She is a frigging scientist, she knew the risks, but apparently didn't care enough. And then she thought she could just hide it, so she didn't tell anyone until it was way too obvious. Plus, while I did admire her going on missions even though she was very far along in her pregnancy, I also found her a risk. Can she really run as fast as everyone else? What if the baby comes while she is out on a mission? She is a liability in the field. :| Also, I definitely could see what was going to happen at the end, it was just that obvious. *sighs*Plus I disliked how she kept protecting Greaves. How she never truly got angry with him.
Greaves, or Grieves/Grief as I call him, as he brought grief to everyone. Really, that kid was not only highly annoying, but also an even bigger liability than Khan. Oh hey, let me just walk out during night and stand between a few zombies. Because, yay, science.... Or, let me just do that while we are on a mission so that people get worried (well, only Khan), and people have to find me, thus endangering everything and thus being the catalyst for a lot of shit happening. I just kept hoping he would get eaten. I even dubbed him Caldwell 2.0 after a while. He was just so focused on his own shit that he didn't see how much danger he was in or how much danger he brought to the others.
I also was slightly pissed at the stupid morons who would just shoot at everything, regardless of the situation.
Not to mention the whole army/military crap, and the spying, and other stuff that just made me yawn and roll my eyes.
The ending was perfection though, even though it was a bit over the top.
I LOVED LOVED the epilogue though. It was absolutely brilliant and I was so happy with it. It concluded several things, brought some older characters back, and I was just crying in happiness.
But all in all, this was still a disappointment. :( It had good parts, but I had expected much more from it, especially with that blurb.
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
socialamoebaemily's review against another edition
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Another great zombie novel with new and interesting moral questions and some fun twists. A prequel to 'The Girl With All The Gifts' though they are quite different and focus on different aspects of this world. Again highly recommended!
madrox's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
megs2kool's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
jcjw's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
jenhurst's review against another edition
4.0
This is a prequel to the girl with all the gifts and I think it was better. The girl with all the gifts felt like a rehash of the passage but this felt more original
klparmley's review against another edition
4.0
In the beginning, I thought the scarred girl was Melanie. It isn't. This story happens in an entirely different part of the country from where Melanie and her crowd were running around.
It does come after that story, expecting you to already have some knowledge of Hungry history when you start. You should read them in order.
Mike Carey has become one of the writers that I will always read.
It does come after that story, expecting you to already have some knowledge of Hungry history when you start. You should read them in order.
Mike Carey has become one of the writers that I will always read.