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tardycreative's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Quite an inspiring read, very exciting and thought provoking!
This is how world building should be done.
This is how world building should be done.
Graphic: Death, Body horror, Xenophobia, War, Vomit, Violence, Suicide, Racial slurs, and Gore
j_boehnke's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Cannibalism, Death, Genocide, Suicide, and War
trixiez's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Though it had an interesting premise and some excellent world building, this book unfortunately fell flat for me. I appreciate the amount of detail that went into the narrative, and I think that the sheer scope of the novel was ambitious and impressive—as it covers the event (the Zombie War!) from dozens of perspectives across the world, offering a nuanced look at the conflict as characters grapple with different political, cultural, social, and geographic variables.
However, though the detail and breadth of the story was interesting, the execution was less than to be desired. Though I was initially excited by it, having read and enjoyed multiple books ([b:Daisy Jones & The Six|40597810|Daisy Jones & The Six|Taylor Jenkins Reid|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1580255154l/40597810._SY75_.jpg|61127102] and [b:Sleeping Giants|25733990|Sleeping Giants (Themis Files, #1)|Sylvain Neuvel|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1459785141l/25733990._SX50_.jpg|42721200], to name a few) in the style before, the interview format didn't work for me here. A couple of the stories stood out, such as the one in the submarine and the one following the boy in the Japanese apartment building, but most of them felt forgettable or started to blend together. I think the problem is that zombie stories, at least in my eye, are survival stories, and survival stories, by nature, are meant to be suspenseful as readers are forced to wonder if their favorites will make it out alive. However, because every interview in this novel is collected after the fact, the stories lose this element of suspense. We know that all of the characters survive because they lived long enough to be interviewed, so there's no source of tension to move the narrative forward—no "do they make it?" to agonize over. We already know the answer: it all worked out, they lived to fight another day.
Ultimately, I wanted to like this book, but it just wasn't for me. The worldbuilding around the Zombie War was intricate and detailed, but the story lost me in the characters (who felt indistinct and bled together) and the lack of forward-moving tension in the plot. There are a few stories in here that might make it worth the read, but overall I think they might have worked better as short stories than as an entire novel.
2/5 stars
However, though the detail and breadth of the story was interesting, the execution was less than to be desired. Though I was initially excited by it, having read and enjoyed multiple books ([b:Daisy Jones & The Six|40597810|Daisy Jones & The Six|Taylor Jenkins Reid|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1580255154l/40597810._SY75_.jpg|61127102] and [b:Sleeping Giants|25733990|Sleeping Giants (Themis Files, #1)|Sylvain Neuvel|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1459785141l/25733990._SX50_.jpg|42721200], to name a few) in the style before, the interview format didn't work for me here. A couple of the stories stood out, such as the one in the submarine and the one following the boy in the Japanese apartment building, but most of them felt forgettable or started to blend together. I think the problem is that zombie stories, at least in my eye, are survival stories, and survival stories, by nature, are meant to be suspenseful as readers are forced to wonder if their favorites will make it out alive. However, because every interview in this novel is collected after the fact, the stories lose this element of suspense. We know that all of the characters survive because they lived long enough to be interviewed, so there's no source of tension to move the narrative forward—no "do they make it?" to agonize over. We already know the answer: it all worked out, they lived to fight another day.
Ultimately, I wanted to like this book, but it just wasn't for me. The worldbuilding around the Zombie War was intricate and detailed, but the story lost me in the characters (who felt indistinct and bled together) and the lack of forward-moving tension in the plot. There are a few stories in here that might make it worth the read, but overall I think they might have worked better as short stories than as an entire novel.
2/5 stars
Graphic: Gore, Blood, Violence, and Suicide
amarieb's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Audiobook full cast was amazing!
Graphic: Blood, Death, Gore, Grief, Violence, and Suicide
catsy2022's review against another edition
dark
informative
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Rating: B
Graphic: Blood, Death, and Violence
Moderate: Suicide and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Animal death, Death of parent, and Child death
mackenzi's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.25
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Violence and Gun violence
Minor: Xenophobia, Terminal illness, Suicide, Religious bigotry, Medical content, and Genocide
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