Reviews tagging 'Abandonment'

Dread Nation by Justina Ireland

1 review

wogslandwriter's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny tense medium-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

5.0

This book is an amazing alternative history story about the racial and class divides of America, the complicated nature of being a mixed black person, and who counts as Black. It's an important perspective beautifully wrapped in zombie fights and pretty 19th century dresses. The characters are lovable but complicated, making them all the better. Jane is a fantastically unreliable narrator, which I love. Piecing together the pieces of her relationships of those around her just from the heavily biased perspective she gives us, is a treat.

I also love the surprise of Summerland and the extreme setting shift that comes with it. Summerland allows Dread Nation to be both a western and a Victorian drama, which are two of my favorite things.

All told the book is an exciting and enjoyable read with phenomenal characters and an interesting plot.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Trafficking, Child death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Murder, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Violence, and Kidnapping

Minor: Abandonment, Suicidal thoughts, Classism, Child abuse, and Slavery

The details of zombie deaths and how the zombies look are not skimped on. They are described in sometimes gruesome detail.

For child death, there is graphic description of the death and consumption by zombies of one of Jane's childhood friends. Jane and her friend are also kidnapped and shipped on a train to the west where they are put to work in slave-like conditions.

There is also violence and racist rhetoric against our main cast of black characters. There is discussion of the conditions of the enslaved prior to the zombie uprising and a large portion of the anti-black rhetoric from characters is based in Christian religion.