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466th out of 7,903 books
—
39,476 voters
Z for Zachariah
A gripping, thought-provoking story about life after a nuclear holocaust, by a Newbery Medalist.
Ann Burden is sixteen years old and completely alone. The world as she once knew it is gone, ravaged by a nuclear war that has taken everyone from her. For the past year, she has lived in a remote valley with no evidence of any other survivors.
But the smoke from a distant campf...more
Ann Burden is sixteen years old and completely alone. The world as she once knew it is gone, ravaged by a nuclear war that has taken everyone from her. For the past year, she has lived in a remote valley with no evidence of any other survivors.
But the smoke from a distant campf...more
249 pages
Published
(first published 1974)
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I thought the book was pretty bad. I did not like how the story was told. I thought that Ann was really really really weird. I think she should have killed Mr. Loomis and then killed herself because there was nobody left on earth besides them two. My Loomis should have been dead right away when Ann saved him, I wanted Ann to shoot him, and so the book could have at least been good. I do not recommend this book to other readers, unless you want to read a very very very boring book that made no se...more
Nov 12, 2010
Lady Danielle aka The Book Huntress
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
readers who enjoy stories of survival
Shelves:
girl-power,
young-adult,
apocalyptic-postapocalyptic-dystopi,
owned-copy,
a-to-z-book-challenge-z,
capable-heroine,
thriller-suspense,
science-fiction,
survival,
insane-or-mentally-ill-character,
cat-and-mouse,
favorites,
heroine-i-loved,
epistolary-narrative,
coming-of-age,
psychological-horror
Z for Zachariah was a very suspenseful book. From the moment I started it, I had a knot in my stomach. For most of my life, I lived with my fear of nuclear war and its aftermath. As a child of the 80s, I remember that Sword of Damocles hanging over our heads. Were the Soviets going to push the button, or the Americans? Either way, we'd both lose. I remember everyone in school was watching "The Day After Tomorrow," and I was afraid to watch it, but I heard all the ugly details. I inadvertently wa...more
Reviewed by Lynn Crow for TeensReadToo.com
Sixteen-year-old Ann Burden has been living on her own for a year, since the nuclear bombs turned everything surrounding her little valley into a wasteland, and her parents drove out to find other survivors... and never came back. Knowing she may be the only person left, Ann struggles with her loneliness and tends to the farm as best she can. But then a man comes over the hills in a protective suit and arrives in the valley. At first he provides Ann with...more
Sixteen-year-old Ann Burden has been living on her own for a year, since the nuclear bombs turned everything surrounding her little valley into a wasteland, and her parents drove out to find other survivors... and never came back. Knowing she may be the only person left, Ann struggles with her loneliness and tends to the farm as best she can. But then a man comes over the hills in a protective suit and arrives in the valley. At first he provides Ann with...more
This is one of those books you read when you're in middle school, but you never forget about it. In fact, I've been ceaselessly frightened of radiation poisoning every since. Sort of like my plague fears, which developed immediately after I read the first chapter of Albert Camus's The Plague. If you didn't read this then, you ought to read it now; it's really fantastic.
ETA: I found this pic today and immediately thought of this book. :D
Z for Zachariah was a very good post-apocalyptic, dystopian novel. It's important to note that the novel was first written and released in 1975. Keeping that time frame in mind, the way that sixteen year old Ann deals with the loss of her family and the events that follow are nothing short of amazing.
Ann, having lost her mother, father and two brothers, finds a way to not only go on, but build a life for herself at her family h...more
Z for Zachariah was a very good post-apocalyptic, dystopian novel. It's important to note that the novel was first written and released in 1975. Keeping that time frame in mind, the way that sixteen year old Ann deals with the loss of her family and the events that follow are nothing short of amazing.
Ann, having lost her mother, father and two brothers, finds a way to not only go on, but build a life for herself at her family h...more
I just re-read this amazing book that I've had for a long time. The first time I read it was when I was in 4th grade because my sister had read it. I found it boring. I read it again in 7th and understood it better than I had in 4th grade. And now, for 12th grade, it's just plain awesome. It's about a girl who survives the dropping of a nuclear bomb. She thinks she's the only one left alive, but soon discovers she is not alone at all. Not only is she alone, she's in great danger. I can't say any...more
Feb 13, 2009
Hannah
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Anyone who likes suspenceful books
Recommended to Hannah by:
Fort Mill High School
Shelves:
book-club
In this book, Ann Burden thinks she's the only one left on the planet after a huge nuclear war leaves millions of people for dead. She lives in complete solitude until, one day, she sees smoke raising into the sky. Afraid, she leaves her home and stays in a cave spying on the person coming. At first she is excited, but then she learns that there our worse things than being alone...
I thought this book was really good! I liked how it went from bad to worse in the events. I liked it because the aut...more
I thought this book was really good! I liked how it went from bad to worse in the events. I liked it because the aut...more
Aug 30, 2007
Lindsay Gassmann
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Everybody.
I read this in my 6th or 7th grade english class. It is a wonderful story about one girls struggle to survive after a tragic event. I learned that you can not count on everyone to be there for you all of the time, that you have to be independant or else you will most likely will not it if you were to lose everyone.
I really enjoy post-apocalyptic stories. I really liked the narrator and her ability to survive alone. But when I finished reading all I could think was I am so tired of bullying men. Tired of them in my movies, tired of them in my books, tired of them in the news and tired of them in my government.
Ann Burden is sixteen years old, and the last person alive. She knows this because after the disaster, her family went off to search for survivors, and they never came back. Her valley is safe, somehow protected from the nuclear disaster that has wiped out the rest of the world by some sort of weather formation. And so she tills her field and keeps her house and stays alive, alone. Until he comes. When John Loomis shows up in her valley, wearing a safe suit that protects him from radiation, Ann...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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I thought that the book was pretty good. It got better the more I read. I wish it would have told more about what happened to Ann and Mr. Loomis and the end. I wanted it to keep going. I rated it with 3 stars because it was a good book but it was not that awesome!
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
The book I’m reviewing today is Z for Zachariah by Robert C. O’Brien. It’s a nonfiction story. The main themes in Z for Zachariah is to be strong and continue your life no matter what happen to you or your family wasn’t around you anymore.
Z for Zachariah is about a girl who is sixteen years old. Her name is Ann Burden. She’s think she is the only person who still alive on earth after an atomic war. Her family went search for people who needs help but they never returned. One day a man with a gr...more
Z for Zachariah is about a girl who is sixteen years old. Her name is Ann Burden. She’s think she is the only person who still alive on earth after an atomic war. Her family went search for people who needs help but they never returned. One day a man with a gr...more
Feb 16, 2009
Raymond Hernandez
rated it
2 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
anyone who just wants to read a disappointing book
Recommended to Raymond by:
Fort Mill High School
This story is about a girl who survived the war and is (from her observation) the only person left on the planet. Her parents and brothers went off to see if there were anymore survivors, but they didn’t return. Now she lives everyday of life alone and thinking that she is the only human left on Earth. Until one day she spotted smoke from a distant campfire which was cause by another human. Now she is afraid and excited because she doesn’t if this man/woman is harmless or untrustworthy.
What I t...more
What I t...more
Apr 03, 2013
Phil Williams
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Anyone asking what if an immature girl and a grim scientist were the last two people left alive.
I first read this book some 15 years ago, and I'd more or less forgotten about it since then. Which was strange because we spent painful months studying it in school. As one of those set texts you go over again and again, it was bound to become mind-numbingly banal eventually. But it was different to the usual meandering dramas we were given (*cough*I'm the King of the Castle*), because it had a notably bleaker setting. It's not often you study post-apocalyptic novels at school.
The novel follows...more
The novel follows...more
A bit of a let-down this one was.
A tale of two post-nuclear holocaust survivors united by nothing short of sheer luck in the last remaining patch of fertile soil on planet Earth. I give this novel props for trying. It is based on a great idea, but unfortunately, the storyline is a bit dry and managed to leave an unpleasant taste in my mouth.
OK, so Mr. Loomis and whats-her-face are the last remaining humans on the face of the planet, as far as they know- I get that. But still, didn't anybody el...more
A tale of two post-nuclear holocaust survivors united by nothing short of sheer luck in the last remaining patch of fertile soil on planet Earth. I give this novel props for trying. It is based on a great idea, but unfortunately, the storyline is a bit dry and managed to leave an unpleasant taste in my mouth.
OK, so Mr. Loomis and whats-her-face are the last remaining humans on the face of the planet, as far as they know- I get that. But still, didn't anybody el...more
Yeah, the Hunger Games, you owe a hella lot to this book.
Basically, it's about a teenage girl (who I didn't realize was a girl for the first few chapters, Bravo!) trying to survive on her own in a post-apocalyptic world where it seems like she might be the only person left in her little secluded valley on her well-stocked farm. But then John Loomis, who is a truly terrifying specimen of manhood (is he faking sick? Is he out to make her his Child Bride? Does he just want to take her stuff and get...more
Basically, it's about a teenage girl (who I didn't realize was a girl for the first few chapters, Bravo!) trying to survive on her own in a post-apocalyptic world where it seems like she might be the only person left in her little secluded valley on her well-stocked farm. But then John Loomis, who is a truly terrifying specimen of manhood (is he faking sick? Is he out to make her his Child Bride? Does he just want to take her stuff and get...more
I like the book...well, mostly. It was a great idea, engaging characters and an amazing plot line. I just, can't get over the ending. It was terrible, but I can understand why. The author of this book died before finishing and the book was finished by his wife and daughter based on his previous notes. I can understand that the ending of the book may not be as good as if Robert C. O'Brien had wrote it but it still is no excuse for an ending THAT BAD. It doesn't really close the book and I cannot...more
I had gone out of my way to get a copy of this book and the effort was well worth it. It's an excellently written story, kept simple so the focus is clear. It's about humans destroying the world; survival; holding on to values; hope; and the misuse of power. The details of many of the themes, such as Loomis' possessiveness, are cleverly layered in to the narrative. It reinforces something I've suspected for years: a well-written young adult novel can be just as engaging and tense as something wh...more
I thought this book was very thought-provoking and always had you in that state of mind where you thought "what would I do if that were me?"
Now because the author was dying in the process of writing this, and ultimately died before he finished it, some people say that it could have been written better. But I think that's the case with any story. The true beauty in a story is in fact the story itself, not how well it's told.
I think the plot of the story kind of hits that spot in everyone's mind...more
Now because the author was dying in the process of writing this, and ultimately died before he finished it, some people say that it could have been written better. But I think that's the case with any story. The true beauty in a story is in fact the story itself, not how well it's told.
I think the plot of the story kind of hits that spot in everyone's mind...more
My brother brought home this book from school. He had to read it for assignment. This must have been back in the day when schools had excess funding because he was allowed to keep the book. Outside of Stephen King, I had never read any apocalyptic novels. In fact, I think my entire library was composed of second-hand V.C. Andrews books and King books I had purchased at Walmart. I was just starting to discover that there was other authors that excellent at storytelling.
Almost 20 years later and...more
Almost 20 years later and...more
I'm not sure this is the edition I read, but I don't think that makes that much difference, in the case of this book; as I don't believe that different editions vary much.
This is a book I picked up, frankly, because of the title. Otherwise I found it quite disappointing. It's hardly the first post-apocalyptic book I've ever read, and I found little evidence of any real thought in this one. The protagonist is poorly educated and not particularly ingenious. The man who comes to her for succor is n...more
This is a book I picked up, frankly, because of the title. Otherwise I found it quite disappointing. It's hardly the first post-apocalyptic book I've ever read, and I found little evidence of any real thought in this one. The protagonist is poorly educated and not particularly ingenious. The man who comes to her for succor is n...more
I read this book for school and I thought it was really interesting. Notice my word choice. INTERESTING, not GOOD.
It was interesting because I was like, hmm, if I were to be the past person on Earth because of a nuclear bomb, would I be as calm and cool and apathetic as Ann?
And then I was like, well, if there was a nuclear war, I would NEVER be the last person on Earth. First things first, I don't live inside a little valley where my family farms that would protect me from death by nuclear radi...more
It was interesting because I was like, hmm, if I were to be the past person on Earth because of a nuclear bomb, would I be as calm and cool and apathetic as Ann?
And then I was like, well, if there was a nuclear war, I would NEVER be the last person on Earth. First things first, I don't live inside a little valley where my family farms that would protect me from death by nuclear radi...more
I read this book in sixth grade. I loved it even though it scared the hell out of me. Of course, Ronald Reagan was President, so the Cold War was a semi-regular topic of discussion in school.
Ann was a character I could relate to as a sixth grader. I re-read this novel in 1999 (before the world was going to end with Y2K:-) and still enjoyed it. I did have more questions about who went to war and why than I did in sixth grade, but I think that's to be expected. Back in 1983, I just used the mental...more
Ann was a character I could relate to as a sixth grader. I re-read this novel in 1999 (before the world was going to end with Y2K:-) and still enjoyed it. I did have more questions about who went to war and why than I did in sixth grade, but I think that's to be expected. Back in 1983, I just used the mental...more
Jan 12, 2012
Philip
added it
By: Robert C. O’Brien
Published in 1973
Science Fiction
This story takes place in a hill near Ogdentown. This hill is the last hill to contain any life because in the story everything was bombed. There were only 2 people alive left in the whole world after this bombing and one of them is the great hero Ann Burden. She thought she was the only life force left, until one man showed up and nearly killed her. She faced many problems in trying to hide from him. For example she hid in caves and was force...more
Published in 1973
Science Fiction
This story takes place in a hill near Ogdentown. This hill is the last hill to contain any life because in the story everything was bombed. There were only 2 people alive left in the whole world after this bombing and one of them is the great hero Ann Burden. She thought she was the only life force left, until one man showed up and nearly killed her. She faced many problems in trying to hide from him. For example she hid in caves and was force...more
I think that Z for Zachariah was boring in the beginning. Once it got into the more intense and mysterious parts, however, it became really good. In the beginning, all she is doing is farming. Then when the stranger comes, she hides. I don’t get why she would hide, because if this guy turns out to be dangerous, what’s so bad about dying? It would mean seeing all your family and friends again, and you would no longer have to struggle to survive. And if he wasn’t bad, then you could finally have a...more
Nov 18, 2011
Derrick
added it
The overall book Z for Zachariah isn’t bad. Although I would have liked it more if they writer kind of stuck with reality on the event of a nuclear war. I don’t think that living in a valley would save you from radiation. Maybe from the blast, but not the shockwave or the radiation and if this was a nuclear war I’m assuming that numerous bombs were dropped and that would make it even harder for people to survive. Having said that and if you can get around the fact that she might die of radiatio...more
I liked the book Z for Zachariah. It started out slow and I was thinking “is this ever going to end?” Then in middle of the book it started to make more sense and click a little more. Also, it was starting to go faster. Towards the end it just kept going, but it was so intense I wanted to keep reading. Faro seems like a cute dog too even though I like cats better. My favorite part would probably have to be when Mr. Loomis started to go crazy because I think it’s kind of funny, but it just gets...more
I thought that the book Z for Zachariah was a horrible book and a great one. I honestly didn’t like the book to start off with because of what happened to the girl first of all. Second of all I hated how slow the story was at first. I also hated the character Mr. Loomis because he seemed like a creep and I understand his intensions but I find that he is crazy and if it was me I don’t think he would have lived as long as Ann let him. Another reason why I didn’t like the Mr. Loomis character is be...more
Robert Leslie Conly (better known by his pen name, Robert C. O'Brien) was an American author and journalist for National Geographic Magazine.
For more information, please see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_C...
More about Robert C. O'Brien...
For more information, please see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_C...
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Apr 30, 2013 04:58pm
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