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amich's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
All things considered, it is a really great book. Writen in a particular way (resembeling an article), that's why it can appear boring to some. The constant switching between characters was a bit disatracting, but it gave a chance to show the situation from different angles.
hilofrank's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
frankikaos's review against another edition
5.0
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I was aware that it was written in a completely different style to what the film portrayed so, at first, I was a little sceptical, but I found myself getting sucked in to the little interviews and, in most cases, wishing the story of the individual was expanded.
I also found it quite interesting how some of the interviews were tied in with others- for some, it was really subtle and it made me flick back through what I'd already read just to make sure that I was thinking on the right lines, others name-dropped a character or specific place which made it a little easier to follow.
Some of the "interviews" have really stayed with me- I won't say which to avoid spoiling anything- and this is definitely a book that I will revisit.
I also found it quite interesting how some of the interviews were tied in with others- for some, it was really subtle and it made me flick back through what I'd already read just to make sure that I was thinking on the right lines, others name-dropped a character or specific place which made it a little easier to follow.
Some of the "interviews" have really stayed with me- I won't say which to avoid spoiling anything- and this is definitely a book that I will revisit.
faithtrustpixiedust's review against another edition
3.0
re-read review
3 stars
Honestly, I'm not sure what to think of this other than that I don't think I fully enjoyed it. It felt, in many ways, extremely America-philic and as someone who low-key has always been adverse to overly patriotic stuff—even when I was like 5, I hated patriotic songs and only liked America the Beautiful because it isn't about the country, it's about the land—this was honestly really annoying sometimes. But the thing is, it's done well enough that it feels like it's the fake interviewee that has these annoying MAGA opinions and not the interviewer, a meta Max Brooks—essentially, it feels accurate that the people in question would have those opinions and feel that way. But Max chose to focus almost entirely on the States (and even when he ventured past its borders, it was still often about an ex-patriot American living there) and how we alone were the true hope for the world and that's really stupid, I just gotta say.
Imma go ahead and rename this: America War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War as told through America's Eyes.
It's very in depth and interesting but honestly, not my cup of tea anymore.
Original review
4 stars
World War Z is absolutely nothing like the movie, I'll tell you that. Even the type of zombies was different (they're fast zombies in the movie, which does bring its own horror element, but they're slow zombies in the book for a reason that's central to the conflict and its resolution). The biggest difference was the turning point of the war, the catalyst of human victory. In the movie, it was a plot twist, a non-human element. In the book, it's human endurance. It was raw and emotional and very, very real. Suffice it to say that the book is way better than the movie.
This book is very comprehensive, almost boring at parts because of it, but undeniably exciting and meaningful likewise. It has something for everyone (except for fluffy romance lovers, I suppose). It goes very in-depth with the war aspects, listing war jargon, guns, as many abbreviations as possible, but without feeling too technical. It had unsettling implications and subtle consequences that I would never have thought of. It really felt real and truly frightening because of that. For anyone who is confused about the format of this book, it is stylized like a nonfiction history book told in specialized interviews with survivors, the interviewer being a meta Max Brooks. It's like the mockumentary version of a book. I really enjoyed it. It left me feeling both terrified and hopeful, along with the survivors in the book. The atmosphere was extremely palpable.
3 stars
Honestly, I'm not sure what to think of this other than that I don't think I fully enjoyed it. It felt, in many ways, extremely America-philic and as someone who low-key has always been adverse to overly patriotic stuff—even when I was like 5, I hated patriotic songs and only liked America the Beautiful because it isn't about the country, it's about the land—this was honestly really annoying sometimes. But the thing is, it's done well enough that it feels like it's the fake interviewee that has these annoying MAGA opinions and not the interviewer, a meta Max Brooks—essentially, it feels accurate that the people in question would have those opinions and feel that way. But Max chose to focus almost entirely on the States (and even when he ventured past its borders, it was still often about an ex-patriot American living there) and how we alone were the true hope for the world and that's really stupid, I just gotta say.
Imma go ahead and rename this: America War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War as told through America's Eyes.
It's very in depth and interesting but honestly, not my cup of tea anymore.
Original review
4 stars
Ignorance was the enemy. Lies and superstition, misinformation, disinformation. Sometimes, no information at all. Ignorance killed billions of people. Ignorance caused the Zombie War.
World War Z is absolutely nothing like the movie, I'll tell you that. Even the type of zombies was different (they're fast zombies in the movie, which does bring its own horror element, but they're slow zombies in the book for a reason that's central to the conflict and its resolution). The biggest difference was the turning point of the war, the catalyst of human victory. In the movie, it was a plot twist, a non-human element. In the book, it's human endurance. It was raw and emotional and very, very real. Suffice it to say that the book is way better than the movie.
The monsters that rose from the dead, they are nothing compared to the ones we carry in our hearts.
This book is very comprehensive, almost boring at parts because of it, but undeniably exciting and meaningful likewise. It has something for everyone (except for fluffy romance lovers, I suppose). It goes very in-depth with the war aspects, listing war jargon, guns, as many abbreviations as possible, but without feeling too technical. It had unsettling implications and subtle consequences that I would never have thought of. It really felt real and truly frightening because of that. For anyone who is confused about the format of this book, it is stylized like a nonfiction history book told in specialized interviews with survivors, the interviewer being a meta Max Brooks. It's like the mockumentary version of a book. I really enjoyed it. It left me feeling both terrified and hopeful, along with the survivors in the book. The atmosphere was extremely palpable.
For the first time in history, we faced an enemy that was actively waging total war. They had no limits of endurance. They would never negotiate, never surrender. They would fight until the very end because, unlike us, every single one of them, every second of every day, was devoted to consuming all life on Earth. That's the kind of enemy that was waiting for us beyond the Rockies. That's the kind of war we had to fight.
nothing60606's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.5
evebanu94's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
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? It's complicated
5.0