Reviews tagging 'Racism'

Dread Nation by Justina Ireland

150 reviews

beccaand's review

adventurous dark 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, and Violence

Moderate: Body horror, Physical abuse, Sexism, Kidnapping, and Religious bigotry

Minor: Child abuse and Child death

spriteluver's review against another edition

dark tense medium-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

4.0

this book is equally charming and uncomfortable. i thoroughly enjoyed reading it. although some describe the book as slow, i enjoyed even the "boring" parts. the characters are amazing, jane is a perfect protagonist. i love her personality, especially her wit. 

and yes, it is VERY uncomfortable to read. it should be, especially for white readers like me. america's history is deeply disturbing, even without zombies thrown into the mix. the real history is considerably worse—those atrocities are real, so real, and still affecting Black and Indigenous people today. white supremacy is violent outside of fiction, too. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Racial slurs, Racism, Torture, Violence, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Slavery

romiress's review against another edition

adventurous dark slow-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

3.75

Did I like it? Yeah. Did I enjoy the reveals? Yep. Did I like the characters? Sure. Do I actually want to read the next book? Not really. I think this book had pacing issues, and it never quite sucked me in.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, and Murder

Moderate: Pregnancy

Minor: Homophobia and Acephobia/Arophobia

maggie_t's review against another edition

adventurous lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore and Violence

Moderate: Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, and Slavery

miranda_redmond's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional 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? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, and Murder

toffishay's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

4.5

A really interesting world. It is no spoiler to say that this book has zombies, which I normally hate, but the whole world around it and the characters let me overlook that part lol! I loved the book and it really took me off guard and I was excited to read the sequel.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism

jaqylantern's review against another edition

dark tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

I had a few issues with this book. 
1. As with too many zombie books, the zombies too a back seat to humans being the villains. 

2.  Jane is too good at killing zombies. To a point where they aren't even a threat.

There is a scene where HUNDREDS of zombies are coming at them at night. Most have shoddy weapons, most are scared, and nearly all have no training. Yet the only ones to be injured/die are nameless or introduced a paragraph earlier.

 

3. The pacing just felt too fast, personally

4. The steam powered horses seemed really out of place? There didn't seem to be any other technological advances along the same lines. It just felt like a weird choice. 

5. I never worried about Jane because she seemed untouchable. Even when she was caught sneaking about at night I didn't worry cause I knew she would get out and people would take care of her. 

I did like the logical changes to the outfits while still fitting with the time period style. 
I also really liked the LGBT aspect. That it was just a facet of the character. They just happened to be bi/ace while everything else is happening. It didn't define their characters or stories.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism

gattolinos_nerdy_nook's review

adventurous challenging dark mysterious 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

4.5

As someone who does not often read horror, actually I try to actively avoid it at times, this book came as a surprise love. I could hardly put it down after I started. It also helped me get out of my beginnings of a reading slump with how quick paced and and action grabbing it is.

I love love love the main character Jane with all of her attitude. It is not often that I read a book with a character that makes decisions or acts in a way that has me going "Yeeeeeeeah I would have done that too.". She is someone that I liked reading as she plans and strategies her way through the story. It's always great to read these sorts of characters but with Jane's passion and gentle side to those people who deserve it, made her a really compelling character.
I especially liked her relationship with Katherine. I loved seeing it slowly grow and the two slowly trusting one another and getting to know each other. Katherine is also a nice balance to Jane when reading. She is the well behaved and level headed of the two, and normally the rule follower.

As for the storyline itself, I didn't find it overly scary for a horror book. It has the undead and they do pop up through out the story, but it is not at the forefront of the plot. Instead the story is focused on the racism and the society of the late 1800's. The undead are used as a tool to further highlights these main focuses.
I cannot wait for to read the second book. I have lingering questions about characters and what will happen to them in the next book.

Did MR Gideon get out? Will the Duchess and her girls, Red Jack, and Lily follow Jane and Katherine to California or are they going their own way?

I recommend giving this book a read. If you are not a huge horror fan and/or a scaredy cat like me, I think this is a good read to dip your toe into the genre and see if it is for you or not.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs and Racism

Moderate: Death, Gore, Hate crime, Misogyny, Sexism, Slavery, Violence, Religious bigotry, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Murder, Colonisation, and War

admunro20's review against another edition

adventurous dark 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, and Slavery

Moderate: Classism

wogslandwriter's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny tense medium-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

5.0

This book is an amazing alternative history story about the racial and class divides of America, the complicated nature of being a mixed black person, and who counts as Black. It's an important perspective beautifully wrapped in zombie fights and pretty 19th century dresses. The characters are lovable but complicated, making them all the better. Jane is a fantastically unreliable narrator, which I love. Piecing together the pieces of her relationships of those around her just from the heavily biased perspective she gives us, is a treat.

I also love the surprise of Summerland and the extreme setting shift that comes with it. Summerland allows Dread Nation to be both a western and a Victorian drama, which are two of my favorite things.

All told the book is an exciting and enjoyable read with phenomenal characters and an interesting plot.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, and Murder

Minor: Child abuse, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Abandonment, and Classism

The details of zombie deaths and how the zombies look are not skimped on. They are described in sometimes gruesome detail.

For child death, there is graphic description of the death and consumption by zombies of one of Jane's childhood friends. Jane and her friend are also kidnapped and shipped on a train to the west where they are put to work in slave-like conditions.

There is also violence and racist rhetoric against our main cast of black characters. There is discussion of the conditions of the enslaved prior to the zombie uprising and a large portion of the anti-black rhetoric from characters is based in Christian religion.