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A review by birdbrainbooks
Dread Nation by Justina Ireland
adventurous
dark
tense
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? Yes
3.5
The concept of this book is everything: speculative historical fiction, set in a post-American Civil War world where zombies threaten humanity. I enjoyed the themes of racism and colorism woven throughout. But overall the execution was a bit lacking for me. Ultimately the plot wasn’t pulling me in the way it should have—there wasn’t anything I was really trying to find out besides “will they survive.” Some of the writing, particularly the dialogue, also felt a bit cliched and repetitive. Tell me one more time that Katherine shouldn’t be wearing a corset while running from zombies! Overall it was a fun ride but I’m 50/50 on whether I would continue with the sequel.
Graphic: Violence, Death, Murder, Racism, Racial slurs, Religious bigotry, Slavery, Kidnapping, and Gore