Reviews with content warning for Gun violence - Dread Nation

Dread Nation was a last minute pick to fulfill some lingering 2021 reading challenge prompts, but I ended up thoroughly enjoying it! This is why I do these challenges. In this YA historical fiction, the Civil War ended because zombies rose up on the battle of Gettysburg. I found this sci-fi alternate history take fascinating. It makes me think about how slavery “came back from the dead” in the forms of Jim Crow laws, segregation, and forced labor as criminal punishment. Black Americans still had to fight to survive, with or without a zombie apocalypse. The novel clearly has some deeper meanings to explore, but even on just the surface level, this was an enjoyable, action-packed read. I love when an author can keep up the quick pace of a fight scene while also taking the time to fully explain all the details of what’s going on. The characters were all very well-formed and distinct, especially our heroine Jane. I absolutely adore her! Bahni Turpin’s narration did a fantastic job of capturing all the accents of course. I am interested to read the sequel, mainly just to spend more time with these characters!

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lackadaisical_ally's review against another edition

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adventurous dark funny medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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missreadbeforebed's review against another edition

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adventurous dark funny informative mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

I really loved how ludicrous the whole concept was. An apocalyptic historical fiction about a bisexual biracial zombie killer ? Yes. All of the yes. While sometimes this book felt a bit clunky, I overall loved the story and the characters are really what keeps you in it. Even though the setting seems so unrealistic, it does such a great job of discussing the issues of the past (that are still relevant in our present) in such an honest way despite the dystopian background. This book brings up a lot of interesting conversations I think surrounding both rave and sexuality. There were moments of suspense that kept you on the edge of your seat; but the moments in between I felt were the most impactful. I took a star off because I kind of saw the ending coming but overall I really love what this story represents and I am excited to see where the sequel goes.

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