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A review by cassthebookseller
Dread Nation by Justina Ireland
3.0
I’m surprised I like this book.
Historical fictions don’t appeal to me, especially those in the Reconstruction era. And honestly, even the zombies weren’t a hard sell (though it did do enough to make me read it so I guess there’s that). I read this because my new ASM recommended it to me and I’m always ready to try something that someone else loves. It’s my job. Plus, it’s local, takes place in Maryland for half of the book and after just moving to the area it seemed fitting!
Not going to lie, it started off pretty slow. Being skeptical before I picked it up didn’t help either, so I had to stay focused on getting through it! But there’s one scene- and those that have read it know which one I’m talking about, that completely changes the pace of the book. I was so incredibly grateful for that because after, it was full steam ahead.
Jane, albeit annoying, ended up being a really strong main character. She’s hard headed and incredibly smart, she was real to me. As annoyed as I was at her throughout the book, it was a good kind of annoyed. Because she was one of the most real, relevant and relatable characters I’ve read in YA fantasy in a long time. And Kate, our other lead, is great from the get go. She’s incredibly interesting and very well developed. Their friendship was a slow burn, from competition and loathing, to mutual respect, to actual fondness of one another. There was some hinted romance (for some side characters), but their friendship took center stage without really overshadowing the plot. It was refreshing and much appreciated as a reader to see the author take that on so smoothly.
I know there has been some drama and interesting information circulating around the authors personal views, but I tried hard not to let that affect my opinions of the book. Because this book is damn important. It beautifully addressed problems about bigotry and racism in a language that speaks to its intended audience. And not in the expected, typical way. You have Civil War ZOMBIES, for crying out loud! It’s a great, different YA fantasy novel that deserves more attention than it’s getting.
I’m glad I took the time to read it.
Historical fictions don’t appeal to me, especially those in the Reconstruction era. And honestly, even the zombies weren’t a hard sell (though it did do enough to make me read it so I guess there’s that). I read this because my new ASM recommended it to me and I’m always ready to try something that someone else loves. It’s my job. Plus, it’s local, takes place in Maryland for half of the book and after just moving to the area it seemed fitting!
Not going to lie, it started off pretty slow. Being skeptical before I picked it up didn’t help either, so I had to stay focused on getting through it! But there’s one scene- and those that have read it know which one I’m talking about, that completely changes the pace of the book. I was so incredibly grateful for that because after, it was full steam ahead.
Jane, albeit annoying, ended up being a really strong main character. She’s hard headed and incredibly smart, she was real to me. As annoyed as I was at her throughout the book, it was a good kind of annoyed. Because she was one of the most real, relevant and relatable characters I’ve read in YA fantasy in a long time. And Kate, our other lead, is great from the get go. She’s incredibly interesting and very well developed. Their friendship was a slow burn, from competition and loathing, to mutual respect, to actual fondness of one another. There was some hinted romance (for some side characters), but their friendship took center stage without really overshadowing the plot. It was refreshing and much appreciated as a reader to see the author take that on so smoothly.
I know there has been some drama and interesting information circulating around the authors personal views, but I tried hard not to let that affect my opinions of the book. Because this book is damn important. It beautifully addressed problems about bigotry and racism in a language that speaks to its intended audience. And not in the expected, typical way. You have Civil War ZOMBIES, for crying out loud! It’s a great, different YA fantasy novel that deserves more attention than it’s getting.
I’m glad I took the time to read it.