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3.8 AVERAGE
3.8 AVERAGE
I was disappointed somewhat with the ending but overall the book was enrapturing.
Realistic post-apocalyptic zombie novel. It was truly gut-wrenching (and gory) but a good read nonetheless.
Without a doubt this is one of the best books I've read all year. It's beautifully written, high readable, has characters that are relatable, and world-building that is believable. Plus it's got zombies. Need I say more?
After a quarter century of zombie apocalypse, the world has learned to survive. Cope may be a more appropriate word. The protagonist in this novel, Temple, was born into it, being only 15 years old. Hence, her sense of the world is as warped as the world, itself.
Her physical and emotional journey are both far-reaching and somewhat episodic, with the accompaniment of a friend, which made me think of _Huck_Finn_. The characters she meets along the way range from very civilized to gruesome hillbilly. I wanted Temple to find happiness and rooted for her throughout the book. At one point, I had given up hope because of the situation she got herself into.
For a zombie book, there is very little undead action and that bothered me. Also, I grew quickly weary of Temple's inability to speak in any language but Southern Platitude. She was a bit too bitterly weathered to be believable, but it is a zombie novel, so I'll forgive her that.
Expect strong religious overtones; they are legion. Nearly every character will begin the putative inferences in one way or another upon initiating a conversation. The title, taken from a passage in the Bible, is perhaps the most appropriate one I've run across. Near the end of the novel, the reader figures it out.
That's what makes the ending the shocker it is. I had trouble processing it and still don't understand the motive, as complex as it was. The sense of honor, I suppose, is all a civilization has to cling to during a time like this, which is just as deformed and dysfunctional as the rotting dead roaming the earth. Three and a half stars.
Her physical and emotional journey are both far-reaching and somewhat episodic, with the accompaniment of a friend, which made me think of _Huck_Finn_. The characters she meets along the way range from very civilized to gruesome hillbilly. I wanted Temple to find happiness and rooted for her throughout the book. At one point, I had given up hope because of the situation she got herself into.
For a zombie book, there is very little undead action and that bothered me. Also, I grew quickly weary of Temple's inability to speak in any language but Southern Platitude. She was a bit too bitterly weathered to be believable, but it is a zombie novel, so I'll forgive her that.
Expect strong religious overtones; they are legion. Nearly every character will begin the putative inferences in one way or another upon initiating a conversation. The title, taken from a passage in the Bible, is perhaps the most appropriate one I've run across. Near the end of the novel, the reader figures it out.
That's what makes the ending the shocker it is. I had trouble processing it and still don't understand the motive, as complex as it was. The sense of honor, I suppose, is all a civilization has to cling to during a time like this, which is just as deformed and dysfunctional as the rotting dead roaming the earth. Three and a half stars.
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
fast-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
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Cursing, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Incest, Infertility, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
4.5 stars. Wow. What a weird, upsetting, crazy, awesome book. I can't even gather my thoughts together. I'll try and post a better review later.
I got to chapter 5 then quit reading. The only reason I got that far is because I was curious to try to figure out what the author was thinking (not what the characters were thinking) and whether he would remedy any of his plot holes.
I know this is a book about zombies, so we have to suspend much of our disbelief; but it irritated me to death that the characters were constantly drinking cokes, smoking cigarettes, taking viagra or oxycotin, lighting matches, eating crackers, and having electric street lamps running. If this were 15 or so years after the apocalypse, none of these would exist anymore. And even if you somehow found this food still lying around at an abandoned gas station, after 15 years eating it would cause food poisoning. (I would know, my friend once drank a two year expired coke...) Furthermore if on the other hand, these were not 15 year old cokes, and society was able to produce coke, viagra or other drugs, people would not be living in retro-fitted office building. Society would be far more concerned with eliminating roaming zombies, and fortifying cities, before they got their engineers working on making more viagra.
I know this is a book about zombies, so we have to suspend much of our disbelief; but it irritated me to death that the characters were constantly drinking cokes, smoking cigarettes, taking viagra or oxycotin, lighting matches, eating crackers, and having electric street lamps running. If this were 15 or so years after the apocalypse, none of these would exist anymore. And even if you somehow found this food still lying around at an abandoned gas station, after 15 years eating it would cause food poisoning. (I would know, my friend once drank a two year expired coke...) Furthermore if on the other hand, these were not 15 year old cokes, and society was able to produce coke, viagra or other drugs, people would not be living in retro-fitted office building. Society would be far more concerned with eliminating roaming zombies, and fortifying cities, before they got their engineers working on making more viagra.
Check out my video review to see why i rated this book 4/5 stars
http://youtu.be/VkAT18In4Lc
CharleyReads
http://youtu.be/VkAT18In4Lc
CharleyReads