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3.8 AVERAGE
3.8 AVERAGE
DNF.
It was good but I couldn't really see the point of this book.
Nothing phenomenal happened for almost 200 pages.
It was good but I couldn't really see the point of this book.
Nothing phenomenal happened for almost 200 pages.
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Can a thing be a horror and a source of beauty?
This book is. It is full of zombie horror but also contains some of the most beautiful passages i have read in awhile.
The main character is both a demon and a saint, able to deal with the horrors of her world and appreciate the miracles all around her.
Her journey through an America that we don't quite know, but is all she knows, is a tale well told.
Highly recommended.
This book is. It is full of zombie horror but also contains some of the most beautiful passages i have read in awhile.
The main character is both a demon and a saint, able to deal with the horrors of her world and appreciate the miracles all around her.
Her journey through an America that we don't quite know, but is all she knows, is a tale well told.
Highly recommended.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I can see why some enjoyed this book more than I did. It's well written and has a likeable protagonist and good pacing. To me though, the post-apocalyptic zombie infestation felt old. Zombies are the dullest of all supernatural creatures (except maybe elves), and although this book isn't really about zombies per se, I just couldn't muster interest for the fate of Temple, the teenage survivor making her way through the ravaged country where, luckily, the infrastructure seems intact and cars, petrol and snacks are readily available. I found her relationship with Maury touching, but was annoyed by the contrived connection between her and the man trying to kill her. The whole "let your enemy live although he swears he'll kill you"-logic felt unconvincing considering Temple's toughness and survival instincts.
I need to face it. Zombies are not for me. This could be my last zombie encounter ever (unless there's an apocalypse, but I very much doubt I would make it over to the post-apocalyptic part anyway).
I need to face it. Zombies are not for me. This could be my last zombie encounter ever (unless there's an apocalypse, but I very much doubt I would make it over to the post-apocalyptic part anyway).
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
What I Liked
I absolutely loved the poetic writing style of this book. The first chapter had me mesmerized. Bell is certainly a wordsmith. One of my favorite lines within the few pages were, "...she listens to the ocean wind whistling loud through the hollow flute of her tall home."
What I Didn't Like
There was some racy (and near-rape) content that left me feeling a bit uncomfortable, so I probably wouldn't recommend this to my friends or young readers. The descriptions of the zombies are exciting and realistic, but towards the end of the book, the science fiction got a little weird for me.
Overall, I enjoyed the writing, but not all of the content.
I absolutely loved the poetic writing style of this book. The first chapter had me mesmerized. Bell is certainly a wordsmith. One of my favorite lines within the few pages were, "...she listens to the ocean wind whistling loud through the hollow flute of her tall home."
What I Didn't Like
There was some racy (and near-rape) content that left me feeling a bit uncomfortable, so I probably wouldn't recommend this to my friends or young readers. The descriptions of the zombies are exciting and realistic, but towards the end of the book, the science fiction got a little weird for me.
Overall, I enjoyed the writing, but not all of the content.
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Still on my zombie kick and found this in a list of books in that genre! I really enjoyed the narrative of this one, though I seemed to trail off a bit at times. The overall world is interesting and more established than some zombie novels that start at the beginning. And surviving is only part of the plot as the protagonist, Temple, first finds herself the target of a man whose brother she kills and then discovers purpose in returning a developmentally/intellectually disabled man, Morrie, home... from Georgia to Texas.
I feel that the author put some suspense into details that were withheld from the reader, which was both interesting and frustrating-- but I enjoy more dramatic irony than others might. Overall, the most fascinating part of this book went deeply unexplored as the protagonist passed through an inbred family that had started injecting themselves with zombie... brain matter? I feel like fans of Resident Evil: Bioha
I feel that the author put some suspense into details that were withheld from the reader, which was both interesting and frustrating-- but I enjoy more dramatic irony than others might. Overall, the most fascinating part of this book went deeply unexplored as the protagonist passed through an inbred family that had started injecting themselves with zombie... brain matter? I feel like fans of Resident Evil: Bioha
"God is a slick God. Temple knows. She knows because of all the crackerjack miracles still to be seen on this ruined globe."
How can you read this first paragraph of Alden Bell's book and not immediately pick it up and finish it? This is a more literary take on the current zombie apocalypse craze. Though I would agree with a previous review that it is more of a character study than a zombie story.
Temple is just a fantastic character with a fantastic voice. The plot is a classic Odyssey/road trip, but is well executed. My favorite random detail involves Temple's flashbacks to a pivotal event taking place in front of Tulsa's "Golden Driller" statue (thanks Google), which is a supercool landmark. I hadn't thought of it in like a decade, but her memory made me think back to a day when I was driving along in Tulsa, and just happened on to this random, awesome artwork. I know how she felt when she saw it.
Solid work. If you like the genre, give it a shot.
How can you read this first paragraph of Alden Bell's book and not immediately pick it up and finish it? This is a more literary take on the current zombie apocalypse craze. Though I would agree with a previous review that it is more of a character study than a zombie story.
Temple is just a fantastic character with a fantastic voice. The plot is a classic Odyssey/road trip, but is well executed. My favorite random detail involves Temple's flashbacks to a pivotal event taking place in front of Tulsa's "Golden Driller" statue (thanks Google), which is a supercool landmark. I hadn't thought of it in like a decade, but her memory made me think back to a day when I was driving along in Tulsa, and just happened on to this random, awesome artwork. I know how she felt when she saw it.
Solid work. If you like the genre, give it a shot.