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rain_tea_and_books's review
5.0
Honestly, I cannot cope when it comes to Zombies (watched ‘World War Z’ and since then it’s been a large nope from me). With this though, I was at a YA panel at a writers festival and heard about this book. A zombie apocalypse set in Australia, with a cast of beautifully written queer characters? Apart from the Zombies what more could I want?
I thought I’d give it a go, and I am so glad I did!
This novel was wonderfully written with a beautiful collection of diverse characters. I couldn’t help but feel the fear and anxiety they all did throughout the course of (rather horrible) events. Reading as each of the characters faced challenges and overcame them was awesome, and a lot of the solutions to problems were really interesting too.
This will have to be my favourite instance of Zombies. Perhaps ever?
Zombies are still horrid and gross though, not gonna lie.
I thought I’d give it a go, and I am so glad I did!
This novel was wonderfully written with a beautiful collection of diverse characters. I couldn’t help but feel the fear and anxiety they all did throughout the course of (rather horrible) events. Reading as each of the characters faced challenges and overcame them was awesome, and a lot of the solutions to problems were really interesting too.
This will have to be my favourite instance of Zombies. Perhaps ever?
Zombies are still horrid and gross though, not gonna lie.
booksnakeaaron's review
4.0
This was really good I just wish it had more of an clear story/ plot. I loved all the
lainy122's review
4.0
This was like reading a television series, where the backdrop of the zombie apocalypse only serves to provide contrast to the humanity of the very cool cast of diverse characters. Loved it!
Only quibble would be that the ending of the book felt more like the wrap up of a regular episode rather than a season finale - it felt like it just...ended, rather than build up to a big climax. Although I suppose dramatic tension can be hard to build when extreme jeopardy is on par for the course for the entire book!
Only quibble would be that the ending of the book felt more like the wrap up of a regular episode rather than a season finale - it felt like it just...ended, rather than build up to a big climax. Although I suppose dramatic tension can be hard to build when extreme jeopardy is on par for the course for the entire book!
librijess's review
5.0
• Majority queer characters who are MCs and not evil or killed off tragically to further straight MC’s plot? “Tick”
• A nice variety of LGBTQI+ characters, including Bi & Trans? “Tick”
• Written by an Own Voices author? “Tick”
• Such well written Australian setting, you can smell, hear and taste it? “Tick”
Honestly, I’m loving how, in the midst of this Zombie apocalypse, these kids show us this utopian society, where you can still respect each other’s genders & pronouns.
I do worry about their poops, though.
Edited to add: DID I MENTION THE INDIGENOUS AND MULTICULTURAL REP?
• A nice variety of LGBTQI+ characters, including Bi & Trans? “Tick”
• Written by an Own Voices author? “Tick”
• Such well written Australian setting, you can smell, hear and taste it? “Tick”
Honestly, I’m loving how, in the midst of this Zombie apocalypse, these kids show us this utopian society, where you can still respect each other’s genders & pronouns.
I do worry about their poops, though.
Edited to add: DID I MENTION THE INDIGENOUS AND MULTICULTURAL REP?
melbsreads's review
2.5
Trigger warnings: death of a parent, seriously y'all there is so much death in this book, zombies, stabbing, graphic violence, blood, animal death, death of a friend, death of a sibling, homophobia, transphobia.
So here's the thing: I love how much diversity is in this story. All the protagonists are queer and/or gender non-conforming, and it's great. I also loved that it didn't shy away from the violence of a zombie apocalypse and the inevitable loss of friends and family members. So all of that was great.
However.
I had several problems with this:
1. There's literally no indication of which protagonist is speaking and it often took me a decent chunk of the chapter to work it out. Even if the chapters had started with the character's name, it would have made it an easier reading experience.
2. I...don't love Evans' writing style and I can't pinpoint why. I had the same problem with Ida.
3. There was very little worldbuilding and very little drive to the story. Like, there really wasn't much of a PURPOSE to the story besides "these three groups of kids will eventually meet up".
4. I never really felt like I knew who any of the characters were. The reader is jump dumped into things as the zombie outbreak happens and there's very little explanation of who these kids actually are.
5. I don't really understand the decision to leave one of the protagonists nameless for the first 300 pages of the book. Like, a nameless narrator can definitely work, but there needs to be a reason for it. It didn't seem like there was one here.
6. I really didn't like some of the choices made for the largely nameless narrator. I...yeah. The spelling and grammar is grating in those chapters and given that I felt like we didn't get to know the characters, it didn't really mean much??
7. It ended just as things were finally getting really interesting.
Basically? I went in hoping i would love this and I just...didn't. Sigh.
So here's the thing: I love how much diversity is in this story. All the protagonists are queer and/or gender non-conforming, and it's great. I also loved that it didn't shy away from the violence of a zombie apocalypse and the inevitable loss of friends and family members. So all of that was great.
However.
I had several problems with this:
1. There's literally no indication of which protagonist is speaking and it often took me a decent chunk of the chapter to work it out. Even if the chapters had started with the character's name, it would have made it an easier reading experience.
2. I...don't love Evans' writing style and I can't pinpoint why. I had the same problem with Ida.
3. There was very little worldbuilding and very little drive to the story. Like, there really wasn't much of a PURPOSE to the story besides "these three groups of kids will eventually meet up".
4. I never really felt like I knew who any of the characters were. The reader is jump dumped into things as the zombie outbreak happens and there's very little explanation of who these kids actually are.
5. I don't really understand the decision to leave one of the protagonists nameless for the first 300 pages of the book. Like, a nameless narrator can definitely work, but there needs to be a reason for it. It didn't seem like there was one here.
6. I really didn't like some of the choices made for the largely nameless narrator. I...yeah. The spelling and grammar is grating in those chapters and given that I felt like we didn't get to know the characters, it didn't really mean much??
7. It ended just as things were finally getting really interesting.
Basically? I went in hoping i would love this and I just...didn't. Sigh.
fish_beholder's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
brooklynne_michelle's review
5.0
This book, was my top pick for the first book to read of the year, one because it was hella queer but also because it had been on my to-read list for so long. Boy howdy did it serve up all my dreams and hopes. First off, sorry cis men but none of the ones we meet survive the novel.
For the complete review please check out my blog Lost In Literature or become a patron at my patreon for a first look.
For the complete review please check out my blog Lost In Literature or become a patron at my patreon for a first look.
rosamarie's review
4.0
This was great! I'm a total sucker for zombie apocalypse shows and books. And the fact that Highway Bodies was set in Australia made this an even more exciting read. I love how the author illustrated perfectly the very primal struggles people in our technologically advanced society would face trying to meet basic human needs for survival without luxuries we take for granted such as supermarkets and the internet. The sense of isolation and helplessness was palpable, for example, when the characters weren't even sure where they were going without access to Google Maps and in the absence of readily available paper road maps. The fact that there was limited information as to the cause or extent of the epidemic also ensured that the reader more acutely felt the character's panic at not knowing what was going on. I also love how apocalypse novels allow an author to explore human behaviour in a lawless environment.
My only complaint was the way the gender diversity element of the book was so explicitly forced into the text rather than just implicitly being there. It felt like the author wanted to make sure every letter in the LGBTQIAP+ acronym was represented and that the reader was clearly told which character fell into which category. For me, it really detracted from the flow of the book and could have been included in a more natural fashion rather than a random, info dump sentence from one character to another.
My only complaint was the way the gender diversity element of the book was so explicitly forced into the text rather than just implicitly being there. It felt like the author wanted to make sure every letter in the LGBTQIAP+ acronym was represented and that the reader was clearly told which character fell into which category. For me, it really detracted from the flow of the book and could have been included in a more natural fashion rather than a random, info dump sentence from one character to another.
quirkyaquarian's review
3.0
One of the most LGBTIQ-inclusive books I've read so far which was awesome. I also love a good apocalypse story and this did not disappoint. Ending wasn't as exciting or conclusive as I would've liked but it suited the natural trajectory of the plot so that's ok. Oh, and it's set in Australia!