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3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
Okay, so I love the Newsflesh world. I love it. If Mira Grant writes about it, I will devour it faster than, well, a zombie.
I was super excited to read this book. Like heart about to burst from my chest excited...
And it was just okay. I appreciate the fact that Mira Grant is trying to include more diverse characters in her book. These people exist, and they deserve to be written about, and have the opportunity to read about themselves. However, this felt more like a checklist of having diverse characters, instead of a real life group of characters.
The only parts of this book I really enjoyed were when references were made to other existing Newsflesh characters. I did enjoy seeing a female Irwins' perspective, other than Becks, who had a different Irwin approach.
If Mira Grant writes anything in the Newsflesh universe, I will read it, and I usually enjoy it. This book wasn't my cup of tea, but I am still so glad I got to read it, and I am so glad that it exists.
I was super excited to read this book. Like heart about to burst from my chest excited...
And it was just okay. I appreciate the fact that Mira Grant is trying to include more diverse characters in her book. These people exist, and they deserve to be written about, and have the opportunity to read about themselves. However, this felt more like a checklist of having diverse characters, instead of a real life group of characters.
The only parts of this book I really enjoyed were when references were made to other existing Newsflesh characters. I did enjoy seeing a female Irwins' perspective, other than Becks, who had a different Irwin approach.
If Mira Grant writes anything in the Newsflesh universe, I will read it, and I usually enjoy it. This book wasn't my cup of tea, but I am still so glad I got to read it, and I am so glad that it exists.
In the first Newsflesh book the action follows the Masons on the Republican campaign, in this 4th book we follow the Democratic campaign bloggers, Ash North, her husband Ben Ross, her girlfriend Audrey Wen and their friend Mat (I don't remember Mat's last name). They are very different from the Masons, there's no incest going on, for a start. I liked the characters, I like the different perspective and I liked the adventure. I want to know what they got up to after the book ends. The exploration of some of the wilder parts of the US post-Rising was fun, disturbing and worryingly realistic (Seriously, there are some white supremacists out there that I wouldn't put past trying to do a Clive).
I know that the biggest complaint for this book is 'it's just like the original series but with different characters' and also 'there is no way characters in the other books wouldn't have known about this stuff' and I mean ...those are both valid criticisms. However, I was fully ready to set all that aside because at some point you just kind of either have to accept that 'the reason this doesn't 100% make sense is because the author wasn't planning on even writing this book 10 years ago' and enjoy yourself or else just put the the book down.
I really enjoyed most of this book. I absolutely loved the characters and I think Seanan is very good at writing diverse characters and also using them as a mouthpiece for different issues without necessarily making it seem like that is what she's doing. It's always integrated very well and is very organic and relatable and I really appreciate that. She is just so spot on with so many issues and I really appreciate her writing for that. True the plot in this book in particular wasn't that strong and was mostly a rehash of the earlier series, but the characters more than made up for it in my opinion.
However that kind of all fell apart about 80% of the way through for me. This isn't necessarily Seanan's fault and she handled it way better than most but there is a reason I avoid 99% of zombie media like the plague.
I really enjoyed most of this book. I absolutely loved the characters and I think Seanan is very good at writing diverse characters and also using them as a mouthpiece for different issues without necessarily making it seem like that is what she's doing. It's always integrated very well and is very organic and relatable and I really appreciate that. She is just so spot on with so many issues and I really appreciate her writing for that. True the plot in this book in particular wasn't that strong and was mostly a rehash of the earlier series, but the characters more than made up for it in my opinion.
However that kind of all fell apart about 80% of the way through for me. This isn't necessarily Seanan's fault and she handled it way better than most but there is a reason I avoid 99% of zombie media like the plague.
Spoiler
Around the 80% mark the main characters get captured by your classic macho douchebag who has decided the zombie apocalypse is a great chance for him to set up some kind of military-esque commune and start collecting a harem of women for himself. [throws up a little] This is why I don't do zombie things! The entire genre has just turned into a bullshit macho power trip fantasy and it's awful. Granted Seanan portrays all this in the book and it's very meta and she definitely paints him as an asshole but it just gets very uncomfortable for me in several places. If I didn't trust her so much as an author and also know that she has explicitly stated that no one will ever get raped in her books, I probably would have stopped reading there and then. Nothing like that does happen but the whole thing is just ...so gross to me. So if all that isn't something that's gonna bother you then maybe this will get a higher rating from you, but for me it just ruined the whole book right at the end.
It should be said that I'm a sucker for the Newsflesh series, and would gladly read anything in the canon.
I found this to be a very good addition to the original trilogy. I like that it was way more diverse, with a lot of effort put into those differences (pronoun use!!). I wish I had re-read the trilogy before I read it, it's been a while and I found myself forgetting a lot of little things that had happened. I don't know if it diminished it, but a fresher read would have added a lot more to the story.
I think what I really appreciated is that it sounded different from the Mason's POV. Ash has a different way of forming her thoughts and sentences, and it showed.
What I didn't like so much was the over-explaining (maybe over-defending?) what it meant to be an Irwin, and to some extent a Newsie and Fictional. That might be because I have read the OG trilogy several times and I didn't feel the need to have it explained. Also, not once was Kellis-Amberlee shortened to KA, which seemed odd. This is a world steeped in a disease, and I find it hard to believe that an entire team of bloggers wouldn't shorten it, same with all of the politicians. (I mean, we live in a world with the flu, and does anyone other than doctors call it influenza?)
I found this to be a very good addition to the original trilogy. I like that it was way more diverse, with a lot of effort put into those differences (pronoun use!!). I wish I had re-read the trilogy before I read it, it's been a while and I found myself forgetting a lot of little things that had happened. I don't know if it diminished it, but a fresher read would have added a lot more to the story.
I think what I really appreciated is that it sounded different from the Mason's POV. Ash has a different way of forming her thoughts and sentences, and it showed.
What I didn't like so much was the over-explaining (maybe over-defending?) what it meant to be an Irwin, and to some extent a Newsie and Fictional. That might be because I have read the OG trilogy several times and I didn't feel the need to have it explained. Also, not once was Kellis-Amberlee shortened to KA, which seemed odd. This is a world steeped in a disease, and I find it hard to believe that an entire team of bloggers wouldn't shorten it, same with all of the politicians. (I mean, we live in a world with the flu, and does anyone other than doctors call it influenza?)
I love Seanan McGuire, writing as herself or under the pen name Mira Grant. Laws, she can weave a story. And the Newsflesh series is what brought me to her, a world two decades post-zombie apocalypse as civilization learns to survive around, beside and on top of the zombies. Still, as soon as this veered into the political shenanigans before a presidential election, I just Could. Not. Go. There. Right. Now.
Read about 200 pages, did not finish, will read some day.
Read about 200 pages, did not finish, will read some day.
Reading this book was like agreeing to go on a date with an ex-boyfriend. Just because it was great the first-time round does not mean it’s a good idea to go back for more.
I really loved the Newsflesh trilogy and especially the novellas but this one….. this one should have been well left alone.
The characters were flimsy at best and even Ash the charming Irish narrator started grating on my nerves. Yes I get that she is gay and loves Audrey but other than that there was very little to her. Ben was the token “husband” she married for US citizenship and Matt…. The gender fluid makeup artist / mechanic of the group was just the cherry on the weirdly skewed cake.
I did like the conspiracy theory element and yes I did finish listening to the audio even though I kept on thinking I should really give this back so overall I cannot recommend this.
I really loved the Newsflesh trilogy and especially the novellas but this one….. this one should have been well left alone.
The characters were flimsy at best and even Ash the charming Irish narrator started grating on my nerves. Yes I get that she is gay and loves Audrey but other than that there was very little to her. Ben was the token “husband” she married for US citizenship and Matt…. The gender fluid makeup artist / mechanic of the group was just the cherry on the weirdly skewed cake.
I did like the conspiracy theory element and yes I did finish listening to the audio even though I kept on thinking I should really give this back so overall I cannot recommend this.
3.75/5 stars.
I think this is the lowest I've rated a Mira Grant novel - I still enjoyed the novel but it did not live up to my expectations, especially after having finished the Newsflesh main trilogy about Shaun and George. The novel follows Ash, an Irwin (i.e a journalistic daredevil) who is part of a four-person blogging team who has been asked to follow a campaign - all in a zombie apocalypse.
I loved the characters, and how complicated things were in dynamics. Ash, Audrey, Ben, and Mat were a complex group but loved and cared for each other so much. I was so pleased to see a genderfluid character with they/them pronouns, especially remembering that this book was released almost 10 years ago.
It was interesting to read about another team on the campaign trail, and to get another perspective from the other side - especially as the group is different to George/Shaun/Buffy. Before this, I had not thought about 1) how privileged the Masons are as "journalism royalty" 2) how much money their campaign had in comparison to others. I will admit, due to my attachment to George, I felt frustrated at times when our main character here (Ash) referred to her as a "spoiled overly rigid princess". However, I could see why Ash felt that, as it really looks like that from an outside POV, and Ash herself has been put through the ringer.
Plot wise... I did like seeing the other side of the trail, and all the zombies and danger, but I think the novel really veered off course at the end.
The novel had a great middle and a confusing last 1/4, but overall I did like the novel, even if it did not feel entirely important to the Newsflesh series.
I think this is the lowest I've rated a Mira Grant novel - I still enjoyed the novel but it did not live up to my expectations, especially after having finished the Newsflesh main trilogy about Shaun and George. The novel follows Ash, an Irwin (i.e a journalistic daredevil) who is part of a four-person blogging team who has been asked to follow a campaign - all in a zombie apocalypse.
I loved the characters, and how complicated things were in dynamics. Ash, Audrey, Ben, and Mat were a complex group but loved and cared for each other so much. I was so pleased to see a genderfluid character with they/them pronouns, especially remembering that this book was released almost 10 years ago.
It was interesting to read about another team on the campaign trail, and to get another perspective from the other side - especially as the group is different to George/Shaun/Buffy. Before this, I had not thought about 1) how privileged the Masons are as "journalism royalty" 2) how much money their campaign had in comparison to others. I will admit, due to my attachment to George, I felt frustrated at times when our main character here (Ash) referred to her as a "spoiled overly rigid princess". However, I could see why Ash felt that, as it really looks like that from an outside POV, and Ash herself has been put through the ringer.
Plot wise... I did like seeing the other side of the trail, and all the zombies and danger, but I think the novel really veered off course at the end.
Spoiler
I loved that Ash and co were able to find out information in a short few months than what Shaun and George found out in 3 books (I'm glad I didn't read this novel right after book2). But after all these secrets were revealed, it really went off course. Why were we suddenly in a cult? Why was this the next plot point?The novel had a great middle and a confusing last 1/4, but overall I did like the novel, even if it did not feel entirely important to the Newsflesh series.
I loved the original trilogy, and greatly enjoyed many of the novellas in this series. This book should never have been written.
The characters (including the main one) just don't have a lot going for them and are pretty flat. The story isn't even "new" it is just a retelling of the other books from another (less interesting) news teams perspective.
Do yourself a favor and just read the original trilogy.
The characters (including the main one) just don't have a lot going for them and are pretty flat. The story isn't even "new" it is just a retelling of the other books from another (less interesting) news teams perspective.
Do yourself a favor and just read the original trilogy.
Feedback introduces us to Aislinn (Ash), Ben, Mat and Audrey. In Feed, the Masons are the news team for Senator Ryman and our new motley crew is reporting for Democratic hopeful Governor Susan Kilburn. Zombie attacks, politics and the crew itself took us on a wild and crazy tale filled with danger, truths, lies and loss.
"It's not what's truth that matters. It's what people remember when the dust dies down"
I really enjoyed the diverse dynamics of this team. First, we have Ben Ross the Newsie. He is straight-laced and the leader. Next, there is Ash North the Irwin who teases zombies and follows her hunches. Mat Newson who is the group Techie and a makeup artist. Rounding up the group is Audrey Wen a Fictional.
Feedback is told through Ash, a saucy, redheaded kick-ass Irwin. Ash is complicated, refreshingly honest and showed all the complexities and human factors of the team, world and events that unfold. She would bait zombies, worry about her bottom showing in her sundress and mentally hash out immortality all at the same time. I loved her; she is the feminine version of Shaun with Georgina Mason's attitude.
"Some people liked to stay on the phone with their friends and loved ones as they fought, thinking it was better to have the company. I had never wanted that. One day, I was going to die in the field. Maybe I was going to die in this one. If that happened, I wanted to be remembered smiling, not screaming. That was why I always ended my videos with a grin and a wink, no matter how tired I was. Every entry could be the one that went up on the Wall. I didn't want the last thing I did to be sad. Dying was sad enough without helping it along."
The tale is riveting and full of all the twists, danger, zombies and conspiracies one could hope for. In addition to the tale we get the crews stories and I loved how diverse and complicated they are. The synopsis refers to them as scrappy underdogs and I loved that. The relationship between them particularly Ben, Ash and Audrey is unique. Mat is not gender specific and is referred to as they. Looking for diversity? This team has it all! Their pasts hold secrets and each has a completely different personality but as a team, they work. Their friendship and emotional attachments felt genuine.
"You know what we're capable of. Maybe we're not as fancy as Senator Ryman's pet blog team, but what we lack in prestige, we more than make up for with viciousness."
As the group follows Governor Susan Kilburn, there is rise in zombie attacks. Ash and the team begin to suspect these attacks are not coincidental. The more Ash digs the more complicated and dangerous things become. Grant delivered intense scenes,and revelations that kept me emotionally invested.
Reader beware, while Feedback takes place during the same timeline as Feed it is full of spoilers for those who have not read the trilogy. For fans, hoping to see beloved character, we do hear mention of Masons and other beloved characters but this is not their story.
Copy provided by publisher. This review was originally posted on Caffeinated Book Reviewer
"It's not what's truth that matters. It's what people remember when the dust dies down"
I really enjoyed the diverse dynamics of this team. First, we have Ben Ross the Newsie. He is straight-laced and the leader. Next, there is Ash North the Irwin who teases zombies and follows her hunches. Mat Newson who is the group Techie and a makeup artist. Rounding up the group is Audrey Wen a Fictional.
Feedback is told through Ash, a saucy, redheaded kick-ass Irwin. Ash is complicated, refreshingly honest and showed all the complexities and human factors of the team, world and events that unfold. She would bait zombies, worry about her bottom showing in her sundress and mentally hash out immortality all at the same time. I loved her; she is the feminine version of Shaun with Georgina Mason's attitude.
"Some people liked to stay on the phone with their friends and loved ones as they fought, thinking it was better to have the company. I had never wanted that. One day, I was going to die in the field. Maybe I was going to die in this one. If that happened, I wanted to be remembered smiling, not screaming. That was why I always ended my videos with a grin and a wink, no matter how tired I was. Every entry could be the one that went up on the Wall. I didn't want the last thing I did to be sad. Dying was sad enough without helping it along."
The tale is riveting and full of all the twists, danger, zombies and conspiracies one could hope for. In addition to the tale we get the crews stories and I loved how diverse and complicated they are. The synopsis refers to them as scrappy underdogs and I loved that. The relationship between them particularly Ben, Ash and Audrey is unique. Mat is not gender specific and is referred to as they. Looking for diversity? This team has it all! Their pasts hold secrets and each has a completely different personality but as a team, they work. Their friendship and emotional attachments felt genuine.
"You know what we're capable of. Maybe we're not as fancy as Senator Ryman's pet blog team, but what we lack in prestige, we more than make up for with viciousness."
As the group follows Governor Susan Kilburn, there is rise in zombie attacks. Ash and the team begin to suspect these attacks are not coincidental. The more Ash digs the more complicated and dangerous things become. Grant delivered intense scenes,and revelations that kept me emotionally invested.
Reader beware, while Feedback takes place during the same timeline as Feed it is full of spoilers for those who have not read the trilogy. For fans, hoping to see beloved character, we do hear mention of Masons and other beloved characters but this is not their story.
Copy provided by publisher. This review was originally posted on Caffeinated Book Reviewer
I just spent a ridiculous amount of time trying to decide whether to give this book three or four stars (as if there would be a major consequence for getting it wrong.) On its own, I think it would be an easy choice to give four stars, but it's not on its own. It's the fourth in a series that I loved. And while I knew getting into it that it probably could not live up to the first three books, it's still a bit of a let-down.
I did love the new characters, and I did love seeing another side of several characters that had been introduced in the original series. I liked the depth that this story added to the original story line.
However, the fact that this book was forced to so closely follow the events of Feed is I think what took the most away from it. I felt like I already knew the end of the story, even though that end didn't apply to this particular set of characters. But I think it really limited the impact of the events of the story on me: the sad parts didn't make me that sad and the shocking parts didn't shock me so much. And still, I would read more of these. It's such an interesting world with interesting people in it.
I did love the new characters, and I did love seeing another side of several characters that had been introduced in the original series. I liked the depth that this story added to the original story line.
However, the fact that this book was forced to so closely follow the events of Feed is I think what took the most away from it. I felt like I already knew the end of the story, even though that end didn't apply to this particular set of characters. But I think it really limited the impact of the events of the story on me: the sad parts didn't make me that sad and the shocking parts didn't shock me so much. And still, I would read more of these. It's such an interesting world with interesting people in it.