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katmeowcentee's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
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
3.5
nbrown2's review
4.0
I really enjoyed this book! It was a fairly quick and easy read. I wasn’t overly blown away but I definitely liked it. I had high hopes based on other reviews I had read and the description, so I think I was hoping it was going to be more than it was. But overall it was enjoyable!
What I really liked: The plot line was really interesting and not something I’ve read before which was extremely refreshing. It was a good Halloween/October read that wasn’t at all scary (can’t go to sleep without my lights on isn’t exactly my genre of choice). The story line moved quickly and the there was enough detail to make sense of what was going on.
What I didn’t love: Sometimes I felt like the language was all over the place. This makes sense since different chapters are told from different character perspectives (more on that in a minute). But sometimes the language seemed almost colloquial and sort of child like and the next there was random more harsh/crass language that just didn’t seem to fit with the overall tone. It sort of distracted me a bit whenever it popped up because it took me out of the moment. And the character perspectives! I didn’t know when I started reading that the point of view would change. Now this isn’t always a bad thing; it seems to be a pretty popular trend right now. But I did seem like it came out of nowhere and it didn’t always flow too well.
But overall this was a really enjoyable read. It’s not something that’s normally my genre of choice so I was pleasantly surprised by how much I did actually like it!
What I really liked: The plot line was really interesting and not something I’ve read before which was extremely refreshing. It was a good Halloween/October read that wasn’t at all scary (can’t go to sleep without my lights on isn’t exactly my genre of choice). The story line moved quickly and the there was enough detail to make sense of what was going on.
What I didn’t love: Sometimes I felt like the language was all over the place. This makes sense since different chapters are told from different character perspectives (more on that in a minute). But sometimes the language seemed almost colloquial and sort of child like and the next there was random more harsh/crass language that just didn’t seem to fit with the overall tone. It sort of distracted me a bit whenever it popped up because it took me out of the moment. And the character perspectives! I didn’t know when I started reading that the point of view would change. Now this isn’t always a bad thing; it seems to be a pretty popular trend right now. But I did seem like it came out of nowhere and it didn’t always flow too well.
But overall this was a really enjoyable read. It’s not something that’s normally my genre of choice so I was pleasantly surprised by how much I did actually like it!
eramirez8008's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I really enjoyed it. But felt a little empty at the end. I still recommend.
jrice92's review against another edition
4.0
I fell in love with M.R Carey thanks to The Girl with All The Gifts.
This book is a must read for any horror fans especially fans of the slightly over saturated zombie/infection genre, that being said you cant compare this book to anything similar that’s come before.
The setting (based in the UK) works perfectly with the story, it’s nice to see a story based in the UK and UK horror of this style (i.e 28 days later) has its own style and feel vs Hollywood style zombie fiction.
Why does this work so well? Firstly, the characters, Melanie is a loveable lead character with believable motives, she loves Miss Justineau and will do anything to protect her, Miss Justineau is a well fleshed out character with a strong back story that means you understand her motives and reasoning when you might otherwise question what she does. Finally, and my favorite is Sargent Parks, Parks starts off as the “Bad guy” in the story keeping space between Melanie and Miss Justineau but again Parks is such a well fleshed out character that you understand his reasoning, he’s scared yet everyone is looking to him for answers.
I won’t say much more as I’ll have to get into spoilers but let me just say this book is so underrated, The Girl with All The Gifts is a must read for any horror fans and one I will recommend to everyone who will listen!
This book is a must read for any horror fans especially fans of the slightly over saturated zombie/infection genre, that being said you cant compare this book to anything similar that’s come before.
The setting (based in the UK) works perfectly with the story, it’s nice to see a story based in the UK and UK horror of this style (i.e 28 days later) has its own style and feel vs Hollywood style zombie fiction.
Why does this work so well? Firstly, the characters, Melanie is a loveable lead character with believable motives, she loves Miss Justineau and will do anything to protect her, Miss Justineau is a well fleshed out character with a strong back story that means you understand her motives and reasoning when you might otherwise question what she does. Finally, and my favorite is Sargent Parks, Parks starts off as the “Bad guy” in the story keeping space between Melanie and Miss Justineau but again Parks is such a well fleshed out character that you understand his reasoning, he’s scared yet everyone is looking to him for answers.
I won’t say much more as I’ll have to get into spoilers but let me just say this book is so underrated, The Girl with All The Gifts is a must read for any horror fans and one I will recommend to everyone who will listen!
leflambeur's review against another edition
4.0
Wonderful writing. A plot worthy of a Twilight Zone episode. Don't let the subject matter scare you off, it is an enjoyable read.
wiltar4evr's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
lighthearted
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
yodamom's review against another edition
4.0
I don't know what to say without spoiling the effect of this story for you. I was struck down to my knees on this one. I went into it totally blind which is how I think it would be best read. It is not a pretty happy read, it is dark twisted filled with heart-wrenching emotional bursts. It is a dystopian horror novel with a unique twist and some very difficult moments. If you need to know before you take the plunge there are many reviews with spoilers, I hope you don't and allow yourself to watch this tory unfold through blind eyes.
watch_me_read_and_suffer's review against another edition
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25