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bookishkellyn's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
- 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
5.0
If you loved the first book, you may hate this because it has a vastly different vibe. It’s written in split POV and features less gore but deals heavily with friendship, heartbreak, and grief. I absolutely loved all the character introspection this sequel provided.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Grief, Murder, Violence, Death, and Blood
Moderate: Racism and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Racial slurs, Slavery, and Abandonment
emmehooks's review
adventurous
emotional
sad
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? Yes
3.0
The first half of this book was not it for me but I read the second half in one sitting. I would read a 3rd in the series. I disliked that Jane and Katherine’s perspectives switched between every chapter and would’ve preferred longer chunks.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Grief, Xenophobia, Violence, Racism, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Death, and Blood
Moderate: Colonisation, Torture, and Slavery
Minor: Cursing
beccaand's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
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? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Violence, Gore, Gun violence, Murder, Death, Blood, Child death, and Grief
Moderate: Slavery and Torture
kelburke's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Violence, Torture, and Racism
wardenred's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-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? Yes
3.0
Welcome to being friends with Jane McKeene, the hardest job in the world.
I really wish I liked this book more than I actually did. Because there was so much cool stuff here! The setting itself is beatuifully executed: all the historical details merged seamlessly with the added element of zombies, and all that light shed on the kind of people history loves to forget. The cast of characters is wonderfully diverse and pretty much everyone gets a moment to shine. There are plenty of little scenes that absolutely beg to play out on a tv screen. I loved the inclusion of Katherine as a narrator in her own right; I feel her chapters added a lot to the story, especially in the first part when Jane is largely out of action and mostly gets to be heartbroken over at least two different people. I liked every single action sequence.
But at the same time, all this awesomeness just never clicked into a solid story for me. The pacing is super rocky. There's that entire first half where nothing much happens until the plot twist in the middle. There are two absolutely beautiful chapters at the beginning of the first half (seriously, my favorite in the whole book and possibly the whole series) that carry such promise about all the change that happened to the characters, and then the story starts to meander again. A lot of the really important events happen either entirely off-screen or are jumbled into something very short; meanwhile, what feels like merely connective tissue drags on for pages and pages. There are numerous plot threads, including some coming all the way from the first book, that are underdeveloped or left hanging.
I frequently react to novellas with, "I wish this was a full-scale novel." With this book, my reaction is the opposite: I wish this was a novella. Or a string of short stories. Maybe all those meaningful parts would shine brighter if they weren't bogged down in all the rockiness!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Death, Violence, Animal death, and Confinement
Moderate: Slavery and Torture
gattolinos_nerdy_nook's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This had me hooked from start to finish. The plot and character development was something that I thought was done very well, and without spoiling everything I appreciate it felt realistic for the development to backtrack and then go forward again with the events of the book.
This is the second and final book in the Dread Nation duology, which picks up right where the last book left off. This book hits the ground running and doesn't hold back on moments that will shock or hurt at all. It is a ride that I loved it. The characters all feel real when reading too. They have their wants and needs and they are all the same, but it doesn't mean they are against one another.
This time the book had dual prospectives of Jane and Katherine which is changed up from the first book. I really liked this change up at it felt like it gave the whole story better and also really lets us see the world that the girls are living in.
This was perfect to read during spooky season.
This is the second and final book in the Dread Nation duology, which picks up right where the last book left off. This book hits the ground running and doesn't hold back on moments that will shock or hurt at all. It is a ride that I loved it. The characters all feel real when reading too. They have their wants and needs and they are all the same, but it doesn't mean they are against one another.
This time the book had dual prospectives of Jane and Katherine which is changed up from the first book. I really liked this change up at it felt like it gave the whole story better and also really lets us see the world that the girls are living in.
This was perfect to read during spooky season.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Death, and Racism
Moderate: Child death, Panic attacks/disorders, Slavery, and Murder
queer_bookwyrm's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
4 ⭐ CW: zombies, violence, descriptions of blood and gore, slavery, racism, anxiety, murder, amputation, torture
Deathless Divide by Justina Ireland is the second novel in the Dread Nation duology. I loved this one just as much as the first book! We get more of Katherine in this one, so we go between her and Jane's POV.
We pick up with Jane and Katherine from last time as they try to find safety in another town. Everything goes tits up in the worst way, shamblers everywhere. I don't want to say too much more about the plot to avoid spoilers, but we get to see more of the west in this book and get some really great diverse historical context that brings in Californios, Indigenous people, and Chinese people. We also have a Bi MC of color, Aroace MC of color, lots of gay/lesbian rep, and disability rep.
I loved Jane and Katherine's friendship in this! They are wonderful together. Katherine is the sunshine to Jane's stormy countenance. Where Jane is brash, reckless, and impolite, Katherine is measured, refined, keeps Jane in line. Their banter gives me life. I also love that their relationship is never minimized and no one tells them to get a husband (Katherine is aroace). They both have some great dynamic character growth throughout the novel.
Ireland has given us the gift of putting Black people back into history. Like Ireland, I always loved old westerns or anything to with the Old West, but they were all white people. With this duology, we get out own western story. We also see themes on medical experimentation on Black people and the use of faulty science.
There were some great twists I didn't see coming! It also had a satisfying end. If you are usually not a fan of zombie stories, you should consider checking this book out. Yes there are zombies (shamblers), but it doesn't read like a zombie story. I'm usually not a fan, but I loved it. I can't wait to see what else Ireland puts out!
Deathless Divide by Justina Ireland is the second novel in the Dread Nation duology. I loved this one just as much as the first book! We get more of Katherine in this one, so we go between her and Jane's POV.
We pick up with Jane and Katherine from last time as they try to find safety in another town. Everything goes tits up in the worst way, shamblers everywhere. I don't want to say too much more about the plot to avoid spoilers, but we get to see more of the west in this book and get some really great diverse historical context that brings in Californios, Indigenous people, and Chinese people. We also have a Bi MC of color, Aroace MC of color, lots of gay/lesbian rep, and disability rep.
I loved Jane and Katherine's friendship in this! They are wonderful together. Katherine is the sunshine to Jane's stormy countenance. Where Jane is brash, reckless, and impolite, Katherine is measured, refined, keeps Jane in line. Their banter gives me life. I also love that their relationship is never minimized and no one tells them to get a husband (Katherine is aroace). They both have some great dynamic character growth throughout the novel.
Ireland has given us the gift of putting Black people back into history. Like Ireland, I always loved old westerns or anything to with the Old West, but they were all white people. With this duology, we get out own western story. We also see themes on medical experimentation on Black people and the use of faulty science.
There were some great twists I didn't see coming! It also had a satisfying end. If you are usually not a fan of zombie stories, you should consider checking this book out. Yes there are zombies (shamblers), but it doesn't read like a zombie story. I'm usually not a fan, but I loved it. I can't wait to see what else Ireland puts out!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Racism
Moderate: Blood, Murder, and Torture
Minor: Slavery
booksthatburn's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
DEATHLESS DIVIDE is a strong sequel, briefly echoing some of the events of DREAD NATION in a new town before things take a grimly foreseen turn, setting the characters on a new, even bloodier path on their way to California.
The emotional core of the story is the friendship between Katherine and Jane, as this tests how far Jane will go for vengeance and how far Katherine is willing and able to follow her. They began the first book as social rivals and ended it scarred by the same waves of zombies and death, as well as a myriad of more individualized heartaches and wounds. DEATHLESS DIVIDE continues their dangerous trek as they try to keep the other members of their traveling party alive.
This wraps up several things left hanging from the previous book. The main storyline starts here and mostly wasn’t present before, with several big things that are both introduced and resolved within DEATHLESS DIVIDE. This appears to be the end of the duology, and while the world of these stories is grand enough to contain more tales it does feel complete for these particular characters. There was a particular goal expressed early in DREAD NATION which ends up resolved, and that in particular helps this to feel like the end of the story. Jane is a returning narrator and her voice is consistent with the first book. Katherine is a welcome addition as narrator, and her view of herself and of Jane is very different from Jane’s perception of them. They're a fine pair of narrators, seeing each of them through the other one’s eyes is a great way to explore their personalities.
I like a lot of the secondary characters, both the new ones and the returning minor characters who get more of a role this time around. There was a tendency for the book to feel like it picked them up and then just shoved them to the background as they stopped being relevant to some emotional beat in Jane and Katherine's journey. Sue is consistently present, which was nice, and the very dangerous journey meant that the very large cast was necessary as people kept dying and getting replaced by new people to keep safe. Part of that is because the plot isn't about them and it isn't trying to be, but it did make for a strange feeling every time a new person was introduced as I waited to find out whether they were going to get killed or just fade into the background. Lily in particular faded, she was so important as a person to find and keep safe in DREAD NATION and then she just is around but mostly stops being relevant less than halfway through DEATHLESS DIVIDE. I know how she ends up, the story doesn't lose track of her so this isn't a plot hole or something, but it felt odd, and she wasn't the only one this happened to. It might be a reflection of how much Jane and Katherine are surrounded by death and it makes Jane in particular pretty numb to other people's feelings, so anyone that only Jane was keeping track of is prone to fade from the story.
This is a great finish to a solid duology with vibrant main characters and a very memorable setting. I had a great time reading it and I like how it ended, it was open enough to imply possibilities while also addressing the whole reason for their quest for California in the first place.
The emotional core of the story is the friendship between Katherine and Jane, as this tests how far Jane will go for vengeance and how far Katherine is willing and able to follow her. They began the first book as social rivals and ended it scarred by the same waves of zombies and death, as well as a myriad of more individualized heartaches and wounds. DEATHLESS DIVIDE continues their dangerous trek as they try to keep the other members of their traveling party alive.
This wraps up several things left hanging from the previous book. The main storyline starts here and mostly wasn’t present before, with several big things that are both introduced and resolved within DEATHLESS DIVIDE. This appears to be the end of the duology, and while the world of these stories is grand enough to contain more tales it does feel complete for these particular characters. There was a particular goal expressed early in DREAD NATION which ends up resolved, and that in particular helps this to feel like the end of the story. Jane is a returning narrator and her voice is consistent with the first book. Katherine is a welcome addition as narrator, and her view of herself and of Jane is very different from Jane’s perception of them. They're a fine pair of narrators, seeing each of them through the other one’s eyes is a great way to explore their personalities.
I like a lot of the secondary characters, both the new ones and the returning minor characters who get more of a role this time around. There was a tendency for the book to feel like it picked them up and then just shoved them to the background as they stopped being relevant to some emotional beat in Jane and Katherine's journey. Sue is consistently present, which was nice, and the very dangerous journey meant that the very large cast was necessary as people kept dying and getting replaced by new people to keep safe. Part of that is because the plot isn't about them and it isn't trying to be, but it did make for a strange feeling every time a new person was introduced as I waited to find out whether they were going to get killed or just fade into the background. Lily in particular faded, she was so important as a person to find and keep safe in DREAD NATION and then she just is around but mostly stops being relevant less than halfway through DEATHLESS DIVIDE. I know how she ends up, the story doesn't lose track of her so this isn't a plot hole or something, but it felt odd, and she wasn't the only one this happened to. It might be a reflection of how much Jane and Katherine are surrounded by death and it makes Jane in particular pretty numb to other people's feelings, so anyone that only Jane was keeping track of is prone to fade from the story.
This is a great finish to a solid duology with vibrant main characters and a very memorable setting. I had a great time reading it and I like how it ended, it was open enough to imply possibilities while also addressing the whole reason for their quest for California in the first place.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Racism, and Violence
Moderate: Animal death, Child death, Genocide, Kidnapping, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Slavery, and Torture
Minor: Ableism and Child abuse
theasbookworld's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Murder, Physical abuse, Racism, Slavery, Torture, and Violence
tieflingkisser's review
dark
sad
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Cannibalism, Death, Gun violence, Racism, Violence, Gore, Murder, Physical abuse, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Slavery, Grief, and Torture