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3.93 AVERAGE
3.93 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I started out absolutely loving this book. I was convinced quite early on that this was going to be a five-star rating for me.
Writing:
The writing felt a little trite and juvenile sometimes with its simplistic style. At some points, I wanted to roll my eyes at how cliche the characters were acting.
Characters:
Benny started out as a royal b-r-a-t (and I say this as an older sibling myself). Seriously, I don't know how Tom dealt with this kid. If my brother was like this, I'd have smacked him upside the head long ago. Fortunately, he did start to change and mature over the course of the book.
Tom's pretty cool. He's smart, capable, badass but compassionate with a deep sense of right and wrong. Though sometimes I wandered if he was too soft. He waxed philosophical a lot about zombies, which made me roll my eyes, and basically preached a lot. And I don't really like being preached to.
Lost Girl Lilah was pretty cool as well. I loved how she was clever, strong, beautiful, and utterly badass. There were some very interesting stories around Lilah and Tom that were told by side characters (another slightly annoying trait) that I wish we could have seen. In fact, I was more interested in the Lost Girl's story than I was in Benny's.
Plot:
World building was fantastic. The fall of humanity, the chaos, the system of Mountainside, the new jobs available, explanations for zombie tendencies (e.g. how they tend to take the path with least resistance due to the pull of gravity), etc. I was even pleased to see some terminology from my AP Psych class when it was revealed that that to stop a corpse from reanimating, you should sever the brainstem or destroy the motor cortex.
The action scenes—I need to talk about the action scenes! It was so good! My favorite action scene was when Benny first got attacked in his house. The suspense, the tension, the emotions, the fear, the adrenaline rush—everything was so clear! I'd never read an action scene that made my heart pump like I was the one being assaulted by a zombie before. Unfortunately, I did feel like the adrenaline rush disappeared in the later action scenes (sad face). But I guess you could argue that the characters had gone through a lot by then and were more hardened?
I liked the sentimental and humane approach to zombies, which isn't something you'd normally find in zombie stories. Tom's emphasis on the fact that zombies were once people too and that nothing (dead or alive) deserved to be mutilated for fun was an interesting view. Though I did like the idea, I didn't really appreciate it being dumbed down for me and shoved down my throat. Subtlety would've done the idea justice.
Writing:
The writing felt a little trite and juvenile sometimes with its simplistic style. At some points, I wanted to roll my eyes at how cliche the characters were acting.
Characters:
Benny started out as a royal b-r-a-t (and I say this as an older sibling myself). Seriously, I don't know how Tom dealt with this kid. If my brother was like this, I'd have smacked him upside the head long ago. Fortunately, he did start to change and mature over the course of the book.
Tom's pretty cool. He's smart, capable, badass but compassionate with a deep sense of right and wrong. Though sometimes I wandered if he was too soft. He waxed philosophical a lot about zombies, which made me roll my eyes, and basically preached a lot. And I don't really like being preached to.
Lost Girl Lilah was pretty cool as well. I loved how she was clever, strong, beautiful, and utterly badass. There were some very interesting stories around Lilah and Tom that were told by side characters (another slightly annoying trait) that I wish we could have seen. In fact, I was more interested in the Lost Girl's story than I was in Benny's.
Plot:
World building was fantastic. The fall of humanity, the chaos, the system of Mountainside, the new jobs available, explanations for zombie tendencies (e.g. how they tend to take the path with least resistance due to the pull of gravity), etc. I was even pleased to see some terminology from my AP Psych class when it was revealed that that to stop a corpse from reanimating, you should sever the brainstem or destroy the motor cortex.
The action scenes—I need to talk about the action scenes! It was so good! My favorite action scene was when Benny first got attacked in his house. The suspense, the tension, the emotions, the fear, the adrenaline rush—everything was so clear! I'd never read an action scene that made my heart pump like I was the one being assaulted by a zombie before. Unfortunately, I did feel like the adrenaline rush disappeared in the later action scenes (sad face). But I guess you could argue that the characters had gone through a lot by then and were more hardened?
I liked the sentimental and humane approach to zombies, which isn't something you'd normally find in zombie stories. Tom's emphasis on the fact that zombies were once people too and that nothing (dead or alive) deserved to be mutilated for fun was an interesting view. Though I did like the idea, I didn't really appreciate it being dumbed down for me and shoved down my throat. Subtlety would've done the idea justice.
This book has been on my reading list for a year already. I've had my ups and downs on reading this book but it was okay. There's something about the storyline and writing that failed to hook me in. I find it quite slow that it bore me at times. I've had to put it down many times because the pacing was so slow that the story became boring. I'm still giving this a decent rating because I would still recommend this book.
Now THAT my friends is how you write a young-adult novel. WOW! I am very impressed. I cared about the characters, I laughed, I cried, I want to read the next installment.
Jonathan Maberry knows how to write!!
Jonathan Maberry knows how to write!!
This is my first zombie novel and I have to say I really enjoyed it. The story was so much more than "just a zombie novel". I am ready for the next one.
At first this seemed like a whiny teenage book but then the story really got going and I was into it. Then it got a little too gory for me and I was glad I was reading and not listening so I could just skim those parts. This is my first introduction into the lore of zombies and I think I liked it- especially since it’s near Halloween.
I would like to know how a man actually kept a newborn baby alive with no milk though?!? It just said he had “food for the girls” so I’m not convinced.
I would like to know how a man actually kept a newborn baby alive with no milk though?!? It just said he had “food for the girls” so I’m not convinced.
I really enjoyed this one. I worried getting into it that it would be too predictable, but even though there some predictable moments, in whole the book was well enough thought out and constructed so that I didn't mind them.
One of the things I enjoyed most from this book was Benny exploring the possible jobs he could take on. There were the expected jobs (Spotter, Fence Tester) and then there were the less expected (Cadaverine extractor).
In all, this book reminded me VERY much of Forest of Hands and Teeth (which I also enjoyed). If you liked that one chances are good you will like this one.
One of the things I enjoyed most from this book was Benny exploring the possible jobs he could take on. There were the expected jobs (Spotter, Fence Tester) and then there were the less expected (Cadaverine extractor).
In all, this book reminded me VERY much of Forest of Hands and Teeth (which I also enjoyed). If you liked that one chances are good you will like this one.
Really like that this universe seems to be continously expanding. This was not my first choice, because the story didn't really appeal to me. I'm more for the outbreaksituation rather than post-apocalypse, but.. this book really grew on me after a while. The kids in this book are having a hard time getting to know the post z-world as equal to kids in pre-z situations. One should think that they had grown up with it, but they were stuffed away behind a fence for protection. No chance of getting to know the new world. Great read!
I picked it up planning to start it, read a chapter or two, and go to sleep at a reasonable time. Then it was 5 a.m. and I was finishing it.
Most excellent.
Most excellent.
The plot was amazing. Yes, the writing seemed like it was intended for a 12-13 year old (besides the cussing that made it seem "cool"), but it still had some amazing ideas. It could've had more details, and a different POV, and no random character turns, but it still had me turning the pages until the end. I wouldn't really recommend it unless you were absolutely bored and wanted to read something with some death in it.