A review by wordsareworlds
Dread Nation by Justina Ireland

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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