Reviews with content warning for 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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kengiedamali's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional tense fast-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? It's complicated

4.5

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jenniferwong's review against another edition

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challenging dark tense fast-paced

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

2.25

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lalesbianlune's review against another edition

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adventurous dark inspiring reflective tense fast-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? No

4.0

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wordsareworlds's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional funny tense 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? No

4.0

I found Dread Nation riveting, and very difficult to put down almost from the very beginning. Ireland weaves plot tension with Jane's backstory and world building in a perfect balance that kept me excited to see how the story would play out. Ireland's writing style is excellent, and I enjoyed the combination of feeling like Jane was telling a story to the reader after the fact with the immediacy of it being in present tense.

While Ireland focuses on the cruelty and pervasiveness of racism in the book, I never felt like Jane and Katherine would be broken by it. The way their relationship evolved was wonderful, and I'm excited to get Katherine's PoV in the next book.

The one thing keeping this book from being pretty much perfect is the representation of other non-white races. The Native characterization is not good, and Native reviewers have gone into detail on why it can be harmful. There are two references to Chinese immigrants, both relying on stereotypes, and the second felt shoe-horned in as an afterthought.

Overall, this is an excellent book that I highly recommend to anyone looking for a unique take on alternate histories, YA adventure, and zombies. I am looking forward to reading Deathless Divide and Ireland's other works.

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