Feed (Newsflesh Trilogy, #1)

May 08, 2012 karen rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: death-is-not-the-end, tastes-like-people, october-is-spooky

three stars - look at me!! i am right in the middle of the road with this one!! watch out for traffic, karen!!!

i wanted to read this as soon as it came out. i think i bought it the week we got it into the store. but, you know how i roll, this was just sitting around for ages and ages in a stack by the door. and then i heard that it was amaaaazing. and then i heard that it was terrrrrible. and etc etc.

and it wasn't until zombie month 2011 that i managed to see for my damn self.

and for me, it was...more

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Apr 19, 2011 Kemper rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, horror, germs-viruses, politics, zombies, vast-conspiracy

This book is about mobs of mindless zombies influencing American politics. Surprisingly, it’s not about the Tea Party.

In the year 2014, genetically engineered viruses mutated and caused the dead to come back to life and start munching on people like senior citizens at a casino buffet. Over 20% of the world’s population got gobbled up like popcorn shrimp, and in 2040 the threat of the still existing virus and zombies has changed life forever. Since the virus is present in everyone’s system, when...more This book is about mobs of mindless zombies influencing American politics. Surprisingly, it’s not about the Tea Party.

In the year 2014, genetically engineered viruses mutated and caused the dead to come back to life and start munching on people like senior citizens at a casino buffet. Over 20% of the world’s population got gobbled up like popcorn shrimp, and in 2040 the threat of the still existing virus and zombies has changed life forever. Since the virus is present in everyone’s system, when anyone dies, whether it’s from zombie bite or natural causes, they will turn into one of the undead cannibals. Large gatherings of people rarely occur, everyone’s homes and cars are fortresses equipped with high tech screening equipment and huge areas (like Alaska) have been given up as zones too hazardous to enter without special permits and training.

Georgia Mason and her brother Shaun are part of the new generation of bloggers. Georgia is a straight Newsie, reporting only the facts and trying to get past the spin. Shaun is kind of like one of the guys on Jackass who goes out to taunt the undead while recording and posting his exploits. When they are offered a chance to follow the presidential campaign of a senator it’s a chance for them to move to the head of the pack of web journalists. However, when the senator’s caravan is the victim of a zombie attack the Masons get caught up in a dangerous conspiracy.

This was a pretty unique zombie tale with some very good ideas in it. The explanation for the way the virus works is one of the more thought out causes of the undead I’ve read. It also shows a lot of thought of what the media of the future is going to look like with competing websites featuring a mix of news/opinion/death defying features and even fiction. Mira Grant has created a tale of how the fear of external threats can become an everyday part of society that’s ripe for exploitation.

However, at 600 pages it feels a bit overstuffed. We’re repeatedly walked through the blood screenings and other security measures that are part of society to the point of boredom. Georgia has an eye condition due to the zombie virus present in her system, and there are about 1236 instances of security guys demanding that she take off her prescription sunglasses and the problems it causes. And for a book where the threat of zombies is ever present, there are very few actual zombie attacks in it.

I couldn’t quite wrap my head around the Mason’s role in this story. They’re supposed to be young journalists on their way up, but somehow Georgia‘s reports quickly become must reading on the web as she instantly became an expert on presidential politics her first time covering a campaign. Also, Georgia and Shaun are constantly looking down their noses at everyone around them for being ‘amatuers’ when it comes to dealing with zombies because (as we are repeatedly reminded) they are licensed and trained journalists with extensive time in the field. So these young people are apparently the only ones with the smarts, experience and ability to see what’s going on and everyone, including a US senator, defers to them to an unbelievable degree.

Still, this was fun mash-up of a zombie story and a political/ conspiracy thriller with some interesting predictions about where the new media will take us. I’ll probably check out the next one in the series, but I hope there’s more brain munching and fewer blood tests in the second book.(less)

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May 23, 2012 Michelle, the Bookshelf Stalker rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Ok, I really got to stop adding things to my review.. but just this last time..

Feed (and the entire Newsflesh Trilogy) made the list for..

Best Badass Zombie Books...

http://badassbookreviews.com/the-best...

Ok... All you FEED fans... for your viewing pleasure...(from Mira Grant's aka Seanan McGuire's blog)

FED by Mira Grant

What if the ending of FEED had been … different?
FED, by Mira Grant.
But trust us, if you haven't read FEED, you don't want to read on. This ending contains massive spoilers.

Still...more

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May 23, 2011 Wendy Darling rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: dystopian-post-apocalyptic-utopian, pn-zombies, thriller-suspense, adult, favorites-all-time, heroines-butt-kicking, made-my-heart-hurt, read-2011, sci-fi-or-futuristic, 2010-favorites, questionable-ethics, supportive-author

This book has zombies in it, but to call it a zombie or horror novel does it a disservice. There are some awesome action sequences, but no gratuitous feeding scenes, screaming teenagers, or B-horror movie cliches or gore. It's more of a novel about journalism, the right to information and free speech, and the personal and political ramifications of a wide-spreading disease. With occasional zombie action.

This is also not necessarily a young adult novel. Not because it's inappropriate in any way,...more This book has zombies in it, but to call it a zombie or horror novel does it a disservice. There are some awesome action sequences, but no gratuitous feeding scenes, screaming teenagers, or B-horror movie cliches or gore. It's more of a novel about journalism, the right to information and free speech, and the personal and political ramifications of a wide-spreading disease. With occasional zombie action.

This is also not necessarily a young adult novel. Not because it's inappropriate in any way, but because the themes it addresses are hard and sometimes the narrative is pretty dry. In the year 2039, Georgia and Shaun Mason, along with their friend Buffy (recognize any zombie-related names there?), are invited to cover Senator Ryman's presidential campaign in a world in which the Kellis-Amberlee virus has decimated the country's population and resources. Traditional news organizations have given way to the rise of internet journalism, and the trio of young bloggers must uncover a terrible conspiracy and disseminate information to their readers, all while risking their very lives.

The strengths in this novel include incredibly well thought-out world-building, strong characters, snappy dialogue, unexpected plot twists, and excellent action sequences. Mira Grant's attention to detail in Feed regarding precautionary measures, sterilization procedures, and waiting for heart-pounding test results all rang very true. (Richard Preston's The Hot Zone: A Terrifying True Story scared the bejesus out of me when it was first published in 1999, and for awhile I was fascinated by the CDC and read a lot of books about various outbreaks and plagues.) Georgia, who is the primary narrator, is a butt-kicking heroine with a huge amount of integrity, and I loved her adopted brother Shaun, who sports both a cheerfully bantering demeanor and a crossbow. I have a healthy amount of respect for their efforts to survive and for their pursuit of truth, which often came at great cost to themselves and to those they hold dear.

This is not to say that this is a perfect novel. There are overly long info-dumping passages (they are intelligently written and provide necessary back story, but they are info-dumps all the same) that would have been better served with more dialogue; a surprisingly uncomplicated, easy-to-spot villain; and some aspects of Georgia and Shaun's relationship that were teased but perhaps a bit unexplored. I wish there was also better build up of tension, a few more zombie encounters, less politics (a personal preference, though, since I find politics a big snoozefest), a less prolonged ending following a major game-changing event, and a little more emotion throughout the book. Overall, I think the spareness of prose and Georgia's all-business approach worked within the context of the story, but because I'm always looking for emotional connection, I would liked to have seen it spread out in more than just a couple of places.

However...the scenes with emotional impact pack a gigantic wallop. It's hard to surprise me these days with unexpected story twists, but this one managed to do it not once, but twice--and the outcomes of both those revelations ratchet up the stakes in a way that nothing else could have. I had early, anxious worries about the ending, but things didn't unfold the way I expected--and it still didn't prepare me for the tears that flowed freely and the awful ache in my throat, both of which still come and go as I think about the book. That characters would still, in such extreme and tragic circumstances, behave with such integrity and nobility and selflessness and love, just wrenches my heart.

To be honest, this would probably normally be a 4 star review because of points I mentioned. But because of its heartrending and unforgettable ending, it gets 4.5 stars from me. I think as readers, most of us go through dozens and dozens of books hoping to find that one book that shatters our expectations and leaves us speechless with unexpected feeling. For me, Feed is one that definitely does that.

********************

Here is my spoiler-free review of the sequel (which is okay to read even if you haven't read FEED). Reminder: DO NOT READ the synopsis for the second book in the trilogy, however, as it spoils major plot points for this first book. (less)

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Aug 05, 2011 Flannery rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2011, read-on-kindle, reviewed-2011, readalong

A Venn diagram with 3 large circles-politics, blogging, and zombies. The mixture of politics and blogging is The Huffington Post. The portion with blogging and zombies is http://zombieresearch.net and the mixture of zombies and politics is 'Theories of International Politics and Zombies' by Daniel Drezner. The central portion mixing zombies, politics,and blogging is 'Feed' by Mira Grant

I think my Venn diagram says it all. What? It doesn't? Well, alright then. This book was a real roller coaster for me. I attempted to read a library copy in November and I just couldn't make it through. THE POLITICS. THE BLOGGING. There are several sections of Feed that really slow down the pacing. At points, I felt like I was running around an empty track. At others, someone had tied concrete blocks to my feet and I was running in quicksand. I am so happy that I finished it my second time throu...more

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Aug 18, 2012 mark monday rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: teenworld, after-the-fall

YO, THERE'S SOME MUTHAFUCKIN' SPOILERS UP IN THIS BITCH, FOR REAL

★ 1 Star for the most grindingly obvious villain that i've had the displeasure of experiencing in years. he's a militaristic, right-wing, fundamentalist old man with the ruthless urge to dominate and no respect for youth, the media, liberals, etc. i know these people exist, obviously. but can't targets be picked with a bit more subtlety and finesse? this guy was out of central casting and only needed a moustache to twirl to be more...more YO, THERE'S SOME MUTHAFUCKIN' SPOILERS UP IN THIS BITCH, FOR REAL

★ 1 Star for the most grindingly obvious villain that i've had the displeasure of experiencing in years. he's a militaristic, right-wing, fundamentalist old man with the ruthless urge to dominate and no respect for youth, the media, liberals, etc. i know these people exist, obviously. but can't targets be picked with a bit more subtlety and finesse? this guy was out of central casting and only needed a moustache to twirl to be more obvious. geez louise, Captain Obvious: The Author... not only is the target predictable, but his every villainous move is telegraphed with thudding, insulting He Is Bad Man-ness. how trite. obvious, obvious, obvious. SNORE!

★ ★ 2 Stars for some pretty shoddy writing at times. many times. no, i don't need to hear snarky comments made every other paragraph - because that's the way young adults on tv talk, not real young adults. at least not 100% of the time. and no, i don't need to read incensed reactions to hyper-vigilant security protocols every single time that a security protocol happens. good grief, enough is enough! repetition does not make this heart grow fonder. the second time this happened, i grimaced. the third time it happened, i began to hold a grudge. by the time it happened for the umpteenth time, yo, i was cursing up a muthafucking storm, for real. also, characterization for supporting characters: WEAK. i find out that Buffy was "the funniest person" that Shaun ever knew - and yet the reader has been given no evidence of this. in fact the reader has been given no evidence whatsoever that Buffy even has a personality beyond an OCD desire to be technologically on top of things. and at the end i find out that the nonentity known as "Rick" is now a vice-presidential candidate? uh, whatever. words can't convey my feelings of derision at that announcement.

☆ ★ ☆ 3 Stars for Overall Enjoyment. i, as the stars say, "Liked It". would i recommend it? no, probably not, except maybe to a teenager (although, duh, that's the target audience, mark, get a grip!). so despite the above complaints, and see below, overall this wasn't a disagreeable experience for me. the zombie attacks were sparse, and despite being a zombie lover, i appreciated their sparseness - it rather lifted this book above straight-up horror. and this is, i suppose, a bonafide YA novel... so i also really, really, really appreciated the lack of Corny Eyerolling Romance Lite. thank you, author! 3 Stars should be automatic for any novel that has intelligent goals behind its design, that seeks to entertain but also seeks to provoke and to make the reader both think and feel. 3 Stars for getting that right.

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ 4 Stars for Edjumakation for the Youth. i am probably going to sound like an old man here (what's new), but the lessons in this novel actually are pretty important. and i think it is really important that The Young People, whoever they are, listen up. for real. the whole novel is an obvious parallel for what is happening in the States RIGHT NOW. or i guess what could be happening in the forseeable near-future. the U.S. is at a very dangerous crossroads as we speak, with religious fundamentalists and sociopathic assholes in political power (and often in collaboration with parts of the mainstream media), and poised to turn this country into Taliban Lite in terms of both domestic and foreign policy. yes, that's an exaggeration, but a purposeful one. now i love my conservative friends, so no offense to you all, but elements of the right-wing have degraded debate to a point where "debate" is simply a game of chicken. who can go the farthest? who can block the most policies? who can call who a communist or anti-american or [enter pathetic cliche here]. i think all the viciousness of the extreme right-wing quasi-fundamentalists is simply the viciousness of a group of close-minded, money-grubbin bullies who smell that the wind is blowing against them. but they are still in power! and they want to remain in power! and they have the resources to accomplish their disgusting dreams. so yeah, i appreciate all the points laid out so energetically in Feed. kids, teens, young adults, whatever... people should know what exactly is happening, and they should be pissed off and angry. the time for old men like myself is fading fast. and i'm not even that old - but me and my friends' main concerns these days seem to be more about day-to-day things involving work and family. and vacations. it was different when i was younger - i was angry! and broke, with very little in the way of tangible responsibilities. nowadays i just want to make sure i do the right thing on a daily basis - if i can say i've accomplished that, i've had a good day. so i really hope all the folks who are younger than me, all the folks who are inheriting this country and the earth... i hope that they are pissed off, angry, and that they want change. and for that, Feed is a 4 Star Call-to-Arms. well, not "arms" as in guns. you know what i mean. anyway, i really admire Feed's passion and its anger. i truly appreciate it.

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ 5 Stars for that one chapter, and the one before it, and the one after. you know the ones i mean. She Dies. my God, that was moving. it was tough to read. i may have a ton of complaints about the writing overall, but in those three chapters, no complaints whatsoever. perfectly accomplished. i felt sick, i felt sad, i felt moved, i felt so much. beautiful job on that. incredible, really. i wouldn't change a word of Chapters 25, 26, and 27 because they all flirt with a kind of minor-note brilliance. just the kind that i like. wow! wow. so thank you for that, Mira Grant. a sad kind of thanks.

~

oh, and this was a Drunk Review. or at least a tipsy one. happy hour drinks after work with my pals, that's the way we old folks roll. now what's on tv? it's time to not-think. a perfect time for a zombie attack!(less)

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Sep 13, 2012 Lauren rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: fail, zombies, toilet-paper-when-world-ends

This is not a zombie book, or at least not a zombie book in the way it is marketed. That's only part of the reason why this book pisses me off. It promises a zombie novel despite the fact literally hundreds of pages go by without seeing one. It kicks off with a bang and some zombie action and then that's it. When I buy a book on the understanding it's about zombies, I do actually expect to, you know, experience them. Mira Grant assumes otherwise.

Two things that genuinely confused me; -- The pop...more

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Mar 30, 2012 Emily May rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: dystopia-utopia, ya-na, 2011, zombies, its-me-not-you, boring

Looks like I'm going to have to add this book to the list I call 'Popular books I can't appreciate' along with novels like The Lord of the Rings trilogy and Magic Bites. To all those goodreads members who loved this book - I tried, I swear I did. I finished a book that failed to grab my interest one bit right up to the last page, I have never forced myself to read 571 pages of a book that felt like wading through sludge. Perhaps I am not intelligent enough for this story, but whatever the reaso...more

Looks like I'm going to have to add this book to the list I call 'Popular books I can't appreciate' along with novels like The Lord of the Rings trilogy and Magic Bites. To all those goodreads members who loved this book - I tried, I swear I did. I finished a book that failed to grab my interest one bit right up to the last page, I have never forced myself to read 571 pages of a book that felt like wading through sludge. Perhaps I am not intelligent enough for this story, but whatever the reason, I've come away with nothing but relief that it is now over.

I won't give it 1 star, it is not a bad novel. The characters were varied and developed, the writing was sophisticated... but the story was just boring. Drab. Dull. I have mixed feelings about zombie novels; zombies themselves don't interest or scare me so there has to be something more to the story - this wasn't a problem. In fact, the book wasn't largely dedicated to flesh-eating and zombie moans, it was dedicated to something which I am very interested in and should have been what sold the book to me: politics.

I am a self-confessed politics nerd, I have been for a long time - probably ever since I was eleven reading Orwell's 1984 and discovering for the first time how politics could be used to create one hell of a fictional story. I was delighted when I read that the novel was more political than anything else. Ah, well, it wasn't what I expected. In fact, this novel is one very long, drawn-out presidential campaign that made me want to tear my hair out with boredom. I am very surprised that I finished the book at all.

I think I was waiting for a great pivotal change to occur about half way through - I've read several reviews saying that the pace picks up in the second half. I would say it does... marginally. I think other members obviously found a greater difference between the first and second halves that I didn't pick up on. It's difficult to say a novel is 'slow' to get going when I never really thought it did. Get going, that is.

I found Feed to be a novel that was too long, too dull and too concerned with technical mumbo-jumbo. I'm not a genius but I'm no idiot either and I can't believe that I could be the only one thinking "what on earth?" at all the medical lingo and weird descriptions of things that I'd never heard of. I like books that can be educational as well as fictional but if I don't know what the author's talking about I can't take anything away from the experience.

By about page 300 of this book, I would look at it on my desk and want to groan at the thought of picking it up again. I cannot imagine there would ever be any desire in me to pick up Deadline.
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Apr 29, 2011 Maja rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: zombies-zombies-everywhere, books-that-changed-me, made-me-cry, role-models, never-saw-it-coming, favorites, post-apocalyptic, all-the-right-choices, own-a-dtb, reviewed-in-2011

This book broke my heart. Twice. Today I have a headache and puffy bags under my eyes. But it was worth it.

Kellis-Amberlee is a fact of existence. You live, you die, and then you come back to life, get up, and shamble around trying to eat your former friends and loved ones. That's the way it is for everyone.

Two of my favorite books this year both have zombies in them. One is The Reapers Are the Angels. The other is Feed. (view spoiler) But they...more

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Aug 15, 2012 Giselle rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebook, favorites, dystopia-or-post-apocalyptic, zombies

"The zombies are here, and they’re not going away, but they’re not the story. They were, for one hot, horrible summer at the beginning of the century, but now they’re just another piece of the way things work. They did their part: They changed everything."

If you're looking for a simple zombie book, this ain't it. Filled with political intrigue, conspiracies, and a long, tedious political campaign -- amidst a zombie-filled post apocalypse world, of course -- Feed is intelligent, it's intense, an...more "The zombies are here, and they’re not going away, but they’re not the story. They were, for one hot, horrible summer at the beginning of the century, but now they’re just another piece of the way things work. They did their part: They changed everything."

If you're looking for a simple zombie book, this ain't it. Filled with political intrigue, conspiracies, and a long, tedious political campaign -- amidst a zombie-filled post apocalypse world, of course -- Feed is intelligent, it's intense, and though some may find the first half a little long winded, it's completely worth it! A few things I learned once I started reading is 1) this is not a young adult novel; and 2) it's not about the zombies.

The very first thing I noticed going into this book was the exquisiteness of the writing. The narration being notably mature and quick-witted makes it an exceptionally smart novel that is just a breath of fresh air. I felt intelligent just by reading Mira's words. This fantastic prose comes together with outstanding world building and amazing characters that become so real you can't help but get emotionally invested. Mira proves, via generous scientific details and infinite facts, that she has done her research through and through, bringing about a world filled with science and technology that turns this zombie apocalypse into a real threat with push beneath it, making it plausible and indefinitely scary. As it's a more technical and political novel especially during the first half, this "info-dumping" -- for lack of a better term -- could be a bit dry for some tastes; however, as someone who loves to absorb all this geeky information that essentially makes it one of the most realistic zombie novel I've ever read, I was kept thoroughly engaged in it from the start. Howbeit, I wasn't disappointed when we hit that half way mark and the shit hit the fan! Because once the ball starts rolling on this one, it rolls non-stop until we arrive at one of the the most shocking endings I've read, making me idolize Mira for this daring conclusion.

Working a political campaign that turns deadly, the team of bloggers (aka news media) selected to travel with a candidate find themselves in the midst of it all. The leader of this group, Georgia, is our resourceful protagonist who can slap someone silly with her indestructible retorts, and shimmy her way into finding out any and all answers. She wants justice, and she's determined to get it! I loved every single thing about this girl. She has such vibrancy no matter if she's dealing with the campaign, her relationship with her adoptive brother, or writing her blog posts. Her voice oozes out this aptitude that makes her a warrior through and through. Her adoptive brother and best friend, Shaun, is also an incredible character who has the more silly, down to earth side of the coin that will make you chuckle, but he also shows his multi-layered personality through his blog postings from his perspective that we get at the end of several chapters. Working with this duo is a whole team of bloggers that -- even those we only glimpse at regularly -- all become strong players in this dangerous game.

In the end, as the quote at the beginning states, it's not really about the zombies, it's a political thriller set in a post apocalyptic future where zombies run rampant. Still, the zombies do heighten the intensity of the plot, making is constantly exhilarating as you never ever feel safe. There are a million ways to die in a zombie novel, and this one is no exception.

It's all just sort of unbelievably amazing.

--
For more of my reviews, visit my blog at Xpresso Reads

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Jun 25, 2011 Janina rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Janina by: Wendy Darling

Shelves: mystery-thriller-suspense, dystopian-apocalyptic, the-zombicalypse, cats, made-me-cry, read-in-2011, sci-fi, did-not-see-that-coming, better-than-expected, adult-fiction, given-away, series-lost-interest

A gripping, suspenseful read with lots of heart.

Feed is by no means a perfect book. It could be considered lengthy. There is way too much info-dumping (although I found the info dumped very interesting!). The blood testing procedure is described in detail about 478 times. Georgia is forced to take off her sunglasses by unfriendly security officers at least every 50 pages. The senator and his wife are a little too nice, whereas the villain is a little too fanatic and easy to spot. It is not that...more

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Apr 24, 2013 Kristalia rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to Kristalia by: Ariana

Shelves: me-likey-mucho, reviewed, cut-my-heart-out, dark, series-i-must-own, best-series-award, best-couple-award, be-my-hero-plz, sob-fest-its-just-so-sad, new-adult, recommended-to-me-mwahaha, adult

Final rating: ★★★★★/★★★★★

◉ edit: ◉
Changed the rating to 5 stars, because even after 6 months, i still think that this book and series is priceless, and that something that had such plot twist at the end deserved at least 5 stars.
◉ end of edit ◉

Sooooo....ever heard of Zombie reporters? No? Well, here they are :D Glorious Georgia Mason and Shaun Mason from After the end times! Bravo!!!

Now seriously. It is one of the rare books where you actually have two siblings for main characters who aren...more

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May 26, 2011 Catie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2011, sci-fi, ya, series, speculative-fiction

Please, please don’t let the z-word turn you away from this book. I mean, don’t get me wrong: this book has some fantastic, edge of your seat type action, including some of the zombie battling classics...

I only have one bullet left!
SAVE IT FOR YOURSELF!

But the truth is, the zombies are merely the stimulus behind the really scary stuff in this book: human complacency and fear, the mass marketing of lies, and the biggest freak show of them all – the republican primary. Replace the zombies with...more

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May 22, 2012 Ariana rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: great-books, favorites, dystopia, zombie, series, beloved, rereading-material, best-of

4.5 stars - I am used by now to read books that are ~~great~~ amazing in the beginning, ok by the middle, and surprise the hell out of me all through the ending.
Feed is that kind of book and even more.

I loved how it started (with such a great adventure), and I loved that feeling I got through the story, like I was part of it, finding more and more information about the world, the virus, the people involved. Yes, at some point it got to be a bit slow, but it was still full of useful information and...more

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Nov 18, 2012 Keertana rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Feed is one of those books that deserves a full review from me, but I just can't deliver. What can I really say about Feed anyway? I suppose that the first thing you need to know is that Feed isn't a book for everyone. It takes place in a futuristic world where zombies are a part of everyday life, but opposed to leaving it at that, Grant gives you what you really crave - world-building. Mira Grant's world-building is so detailed, precise, and complete that it can almost be hard to get through th...more

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Jun 08, 2011 Jo rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya, boy-crush, things-are-rotten-in-the-state-of-d, e

Initial Thoughts
I’m sorry, I can’t actually read this last page BECAUSE OF THE TEARS. Or at least the metaphorical ones… because I don’t cry at books… but you get what I mean. This book is horrifically sad.

High points.
ZOMBIES. I am a huge fan of zombies… and I always thought that everyone else was too, but from reading reviews of this a main reason why people were unsure about this was because of the zombies. Zombies were the reason why I picked up these books. More than zombies- even though I...more

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Jun 04, 2011 Isamlq rated it 5 of 5 stars

Second time around and this is me:

o.O

Gosh.

Second time around and my hair still stands on end.

Deadline had me wanting to go back to where it all started... and FEED is still, most definitely, a favorite. A zombie book, but much, much more than that. It's smart and it's got heart. It had my heart pounding, had me bursting out into tears, had me excited, had me feeling so many things that I am again left at awe at Mira Grant's storytelling skills. I still love Feed.

More people should read this,...more

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Jan 15, 2013 BarkLessWagMore rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: audiobook, horror

I went into this book mostly blind. I was honestly a bit surprised when I kept seeing “Feed” in my Goodreads updates and Blogger feed. The only “Feed” I knew about was a 2005 atrocity of a film about a force feeding fetish and I wrongly assumed this was the novelization. How the hell had a book like that become so popular? But since everyone seemed to be reading it I stuck on my Ipod when it was offered on Overdrive. And, yes I know there is something terribly wrong with me besides sometimes act...more I went into this book mostly blind. I was honestly a bit surprised when I kept seeing “Feed” in my Goodreads updates and Blogger feed. The only “Feed” I knew about was a 2005 atrocity of a film about a force feeding fetish and I wrongly assumed this was the novelization. How the hell had a book like that become so popular? But since everyone seemed to be reading it I stuck on my Ipod when it was offered on Overdrive. And, yes I know there is something terribly wrong with me besides sometimes acting the lemming that is.

By the time I got around to listening to the audio I had figured out it was about zombies and that made so much more sense! The world wasn't going weird on me after all. I’m going to try my best to be brief about the plot and avoid spoilers because there is so much that can be spoiled here and everyone's read it by now anyway. It’s the year 2039. Back in 2013 scientists managed to cure cancer and the common cold but something went terribly wrong and mutations happened that caused a zombie outbreak that killed off a third of the population. Now any living creature over 40 pounds can potentially turn into a brain-dead walking corpse that only “lives” to spread the disease. The world is dangerous and very different. But it’s still corrupt and not-so-shockingly zombies aren't always the biggest danger.

Feed follows bloggers George (Georgia) and her brother Shaun along with their expert team as they report on the news and various goings-on in their blogs and live feeds. George lives for the news while Shaun is more of a reckless, zombie taunting type. Their parents are mostly non-existent in their lives and they pretty much can only depend on each other and have a tight brother-sister bond.

“Maybe it’s geeky for a girl my age to admit she still loves her brother. I don’t care. I love him and one day I’ll bury him and until then I’m going to be grateful that I’m allowed to watch him talk.”

Ouch and damn. How could I not keep reading and not root for them even when boring politics threatened to overtake the entire story?

After an exciting beginning that’s pretty much what happened for a good chunk of the story. George and her team are offered the chance to follow around a presidential hopeful and don’t turn it down. It means ratings people! And ratings are what count. What follows is often unexpected and sometimes a wee bit tedious if you’re not a fan of the ins and outs of blogging, politics and corruption BUT the characters truly made it worth reading. The world and character building is very, very good and there is enough snark and sarcasm to make up for the slower bits. This isn’t a hardcore zombie novel with a lot of zombie action but I fear many of the scenes will haunt me for quite some time. It’s rough and it’s heartbreaking and that’s all I’m going to say.

This audio version was read by Paula Christensen and Jesse Bernstein. Paula Christensen narrates the majority of the book and does a terrific job with all of the characters, including the males. Parts of the story is direct blog readings and Jesse Bernstein voices the shorter snippets, mostly from Shaun’s direct point of view. His voice gives Shaun the perfect devil may care attitude that worked really well. Both narrators sound youthful but never too young and their reading always sounds natural. They both enhanced the story and added emotion just where it was needed, never over-doing it.

Feed is not sexy, romantic or even a typical zombie book but it tore me up and made me feel a myriad of emotions when most books leave me cold. Yeah, it was complicated and over-long but I’ll be reading the sequel because somewhere along the way I grew to truly care about these characters.(less)

8 likes · like · see review

Jul 15, 2011 Carol rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: apocalypse, zombies, urban-fantasy

A perfect summer read. It starts out with our heroes poking sharp sticks at zombies and a narrow escape. It's a good way to develop interest, but the plot actually focuses on an adopted brother-sister news team, Georgia and Shaun Mason. Their careers take off when they win the chance to follow and blog about a presidential candidate as he campaigns for his party's nomination. I thought Grant did a great job of projecting technology into the future without becoming particularly silly about it (no...more A perfect summer read. It starts out with our heroes poking sharp sticks at zombies and a narrow escape. It's a good way to develop interest, but the plot actually focuses on an adopted brother-sister news team, Georgia and Shaun Mason. Their careers take off when they win the chance to follow and blog about a presidential candidate as he campaigns for his party's nomination. I thought Grant did a great job of projecting technology into the future without becoming particularly silly about it (no flying cars here); instead, we have micro-dot cameras, ear-cuff phones and instant video feeds. It's a projection that feels mostly possible--is an ear cuff that different from an ear-clip phone? In fact, that might be my only complaint of future technology: with so much of the country devastated and compressed into tight communities, would there really be instant internet access everywhere? And I do mean everywhere, as the kits that test for zombie virus are immediately uploaded to the CDC, even outside a zombie zone, or on highways in the middle of nowhere.

I thought the main characters, Georgia and Shaun Mason were developed well (quibble--I found his name quite distracting: 'Shaun?' Really? "Shaun of the Dead"?? but maybe "Buffy" was as well for those raised on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer.") I loved Georgia, her tone, her "don't-touch-me" interactions, her smart strategy in growing their news-site, her willingness to have ethical code govern her practices. The political people were cardboard cutouts, but thankfully we don't spend overmuch time with them. The parents were actually quite interesting in their weirdly dysfunctional relationship with their adoptive children and their survival mentality. The tech was largely well thought out, with zombie kits that report to the government, even if the seal is broken and not used, and virus testers built into "safe" vehicles. I imagine that Grant hit possible response to a worldwide disaster spot on--the attempt to cure, the consolidation of resources, the short term strategies. She even thought of the impact zombification would have on autopsies and forensics--now that's a well thought-out system.

I'd disagree with other reviewers who feel the story has an incest angle (view spoiler) Grant does an admirable job of developing an extremely close relationship between the brother and sister. After finishing, my sense was of an unusually close relationship developed by adversity and coping strategies, but not an inappropriate one. Quick flashbacks and side remarks give us a picture of emotionally distanced parents, so the children connected to the only people they could connect with in a relatively isolated situation (they grow up outside the safest zoned areas). It's apparent that emotional distancing is how Georgia has coped with her upbringing and is how she interfaces with the world. Some people might object to the rather "emotionless" tones of the narration, but I feel Grant did well, with a tone that is quite true to Georgia's character.

I enjoyed the pace, and the building of suspense as zombie attacks become more and more directed. The villain is a little stereotypical, coming down clearly on the side of people that kick dogs and make small babies cry, but give Grant a break--she added zombies to her political conspiracy. I'm looking forward to the next book. Three stars for keeping me up at night until bleary-eyed.(less)

4 likes · like · see review

Jun 09, 2011 Lisa O. rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, ebook, favorites

I started reading this book with all the wrong expectations: I thought it would be YA and that it would be about zombies.
As already stated in endless reviews before mine, zombies do not represent the lion's share in this book.
Nor is it YA lit.

The year is 2039. Society as we know it has changed profoundly. Due to the combination of two potent "vaccinations", one meant to cure colds and the other cancer, a new virus had developed and has affected the whole world population. Side effects? Once you...more

14 likes · like · see review

Jun 08, 2012 Kwesi 章英狮 rated it 3 of 5 stars

Recommended to Kwesi 章英狮 by: Tina

Shelves: owned, mira-grant, 2012

Slow morbid death. — A Feed by Mira Grant Book Review

I’m behind from my yearlong challenge, the quantity challenge which sponsored by Goodreads, for the past two months. It’s like I’m working twenty-four seven in the outside world without knowing that I’m lying on my bed without doing something, idle for hours and it’s becoming my favourite habit. Well, Feed, Feed is another issue. I read slowly; the book’s pacing was slow; exhausted from a week long travel. In the end, I finished the book for...more

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May 03, 2012 Cameron rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: post-apocalypse, zombies, waste-of-paper

I read this for the Apocalypse Whenever book group and ended up not liking it at all. I'll admit I have some prejudices that pushed me to that assessment:

1) I really hate it when I can hear an author's opinions or point of view coming out of the mouths of his or her characters; Ian Malcom in Jurassic Park, Laszlo Kreizler in The Alienist, etc. Laszlo even *looks* like Caleb Carr. I know that authors almost always use their characters to channel some of the authors own thoughts and opinions, but...more I read this for the Apocalypse Whenever book group and ended up not liking it at all. I'll admit I have some prejudices that pushed me to that assessment:

1) I really hate it when I can hear an author's opinions or point of view coming out of the mouths of his or her characters; Ian Malcom in Jurassic Park, Laszlo Kreizler in The Alienist, etc. Laszlo even *looks* like Caleb Carr. I know that authors almost always use their characters to channel some of the authors own thoughts and opinions, but when the writer uses the character as a direct mouthpiece it just looks amateurish and vain. Grant does this so blatantly that I feel I can comfortably assume she is a single, geeky, female who doesn't get along with her parents but still lives with them, drinks lots of Coke, has frequent migraines, loves cats, has given up on sex, and wishes she could wear sunglasses all the time without looking odd. No offense meant to geeks - I'm one too.

2) I'd also assume that she writes and/or reads a lot of fanfic. That was the very first impression I had when I started reading this book and 500 pages later it hadn't changed. Again, no offense meant to those who enjoy reading or writing fanfic - if you like it, go for it - but I personally don't care for the stuff. It's almost always bush league (if that), written for a niche audience, and full of errors in style and editing. This book strikes me as the product of a fanfic writer who learned to structure a novel well enough to be published.

3) Plenty of style and editing errors show through, though. It was bad enough that half way through the novel I started dog-earing pages so I could return to reference. The characters of Governor Tate and presidential candidate Ryman are so one-dimensional as to be completely unbelievable. She may as well have had Tate throttling kittens and Ryman running a baby dolphin rescue organization (hint: one of those examples is not my invention). I'm not racking my brain over it but I really can't think of an instance where I've encountered two flatter characters.

4) She should fire Matt Branstad, "who was responsible for verifying the accuracy of my firearms design..." A lot of zombie fiction fans are also interested in survivalism and are gun enthusiasts, and when it came to weapon technology the details were only superficially touched upon. The computer technology details, on the other hand (which make up a large part of the book) seemed to be top notch, believable, and well researched. Of course I have no first-hand knowledge of that kind of stuff so I have no idea if it's accurate or not.

5) Tons of lame self-aggrandizing statements like, "He was a journalist after all and we're all incurably insane." *EYEROLL*

6) She has a strange preoccupation with handshakes, describing three different characters as having handshakes that are strong but not too strong. (pg 81, 235, 399)

7) She describes a VW Thing as having airbags which they were not built with. I suppose one could have been retrofitted but there's no mention of that detail. Furthermore, you can't be pinned by an airbag.

Anyways I'm starting to sound like I'm piling on. Despite being a big fan of zombie stories I won't be picking up the sequels in this trilogy.

eta: I'd logged around 400 books on Goodreads before creating the "waste-of-paper" shelf, just for this book.(less)

18 likes · like · see review

Apr 15, 2011 Paul rated it 2 of 5 stars

The short of it is I had a like/hate relationship with this novel.

The Good: FEED has an undeniable energy to the pace and proceedings. The world building, in terms of how folks deal with the zombies/viral outbreak is very good too. The author clearly knows her stuff when it comes to tech and virology. That aspect of the novel is very impressive.

The Bad: In my opinion, the politics read too much like a white/middle class/suburban dream. The dueling candidates were broad brush stereotypes (includi...more

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Jun 10, 2012 Christian rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed

'Feed' is a novel by Mira Grant about life in the USA after a zombie uprising. Its main characters are siblings Georgia and Shaun Mason and the novel opens with a set-piece zombie encounter... STOP!!! Sorry, can't do this - do you not see that large grey thing over by the coffee table?

Is it just me or did anyone else pick up a really yucky Diet Incest vibe about the Shaun/Georgia relationship by about page 5? I mean, there's close, there's really close and then there's 'crap-this-is-gonna-cost-s...more

8 likes · like · see review

Jun 01, 2011 Chichipio rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to Chichipio by: Maja

Shelves: favorites, dystopia

Confession time. I'm not a fan of zombie movies. Well, maybe the Resident Evil series, but that's more because of Milla Jovovich being a badass with big weapons and small clothes; the zombies are just convenient dummies for her to punch. But movies like 28 days? *yawn* No, thanks. They're too predictable, and improbable. Besides, the human race is almost gone in those films, so where is the fun in watching the last survivors being hunted by a gazillion zombies? It's already over. They won, even...more Confession time. I'm not a fan of zombie movies. Well, maybe the Resident Evil series, but that's more because of Milla Jovovich being a badass with big weapons and small clothes; the zombies are just convenient dummies for her to punch. But movies like 28 days? *yawn* No, thanks. They're too predictable, and improbable. Besides, the human race is almost gone in those films, so where is the fun in watching the last survivors being hunted by a gazillion zombies? It's already over. They won, even if some last humans are too stubborn to admit it.

That's what I was thinking before starting Feed. That and what is up with this whole Seanan McGuire/Mira Grant duality? Why write under two names if you're going to remind everyone about how you're the same person all the time. Hmm… I'm getting off track. The thing is that I was also thinking about how some decisions made by Toby Daye—the heroine in Seanan McGuire's other series—annoyed me. So, combining those things, despite what people kept telling me, I was afraid of not liking this book very much. Luckily, ~~I'm brave and proactive so I decided to get it over with~~ Maja kept ~~pestering~~ encouraging me to read it until I finally started it. Then, it was hard to put down.

First, this book is not about zombies. Saying that is like saying that Ender's Game is a book about the Buggers. The focus is very much on the humans. How would society deal with a zombie apocalypse? What changes, what stays the same. It was a believable background and I liked the amount of information about the virus, its evolution, and the protocols in place to contain the infection, though I admit that some people might find all this a little tedious. In this case, I think it was necessary and well executed.

We see all this from the perspective of a team of bloggers—the new source of reliable information—as they follow a senator in his campaign for the presidency. Every one of these bloggers has a very defined personality and they are always true to it. None of them is an idiot; not even the one whose job is to poke zombies with a stick to see how they react. This was extremely refreshing; in a world riddled with zombies, it would be too easy to have characters always putting themselves in danger. Instead, they are competent and make sensible decisions.

Besides that, there are several other things that make the bloggers super cool. For instance, one of them, a spunky small blonde, goes by the name of Buffy! And then, the group of the ones always seeking adventure are called the Irwins! Two names, two wins.

I'm not going to give spoilers about what happens near the end, but I can say that it's something that only reinforces your feelings for the characters and makes their actions through the book more important. Even after a few days, I still have some sentences, said as part of some random dialog or written in their blogs, stuck in my head. I don't think that would be the case if it would have ended differently. Also, I wasn't expecting it. I was getting ready for something like that, but not exactly what finally happened.

Only those who have read both this book and Scalzi's Old Man's War will understand this—probably, maybe—but at several points in the the story I was reminded of that book. I'm being cryptic because I don't want to spoil anything and I'm too lazy to explain it inside a tag.

I could keep telling you how good this book is, but playing at being a newsie, I'll just finish with "go read it and make up your own mind."(less)

14 likes · like · see review

May 21, 2012 Tina rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ebooks, 2010, favorites, dystopia-post-apocalyptic, 2011, sci-fi, 2012

Reread it in preparation for Deadline. I still loved it, it was still as awesome as the first time. But I tell you -- it kind of sucks when you know what will happen and you can't do anything to stop it. My heart broke again. 3

If you have a copy of this book and you haven't read it yet...well, why haven't you?! READ IT.

* * *

Original review at Pinoy Pop

It was a normal afternoon at work. My colleagues and I were preparing to attend a required meeting when the boys started discussing their last Lef...more

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Jun 18, 2012 Tracy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-dystopia, ya-romance, young-adult, young-adult-speculative-fiction, zombies, library-books, made-me-cry

What a roller coaster ride of a book. At least the last half of it was. I did find that the first half of the book dragged a bit, there was a lot of information and I found it a little tedious. There were a few days where I put it down and didn't look at it at all. But once it picked up it really picked up and I gobbled down the final 2/3's of the book in a day. I went out to dinner last night and mostly thought about this book. Finished the final chapters and shed some tears.

Feed tells the st...more

What a roller coaster ride of a book. At least the last half of it was. I did find that the first half of the book dragged a bit, there was a lot of information and I found it a little tedious. There were a few days where I put it down and didn't look at it at all. But once it picked up it really picked up and I gobbled down the final 2/3's of the book in a day. I went out to dinner last night and mostly thought about this book. Finished the final chapters and shed some tears.

Feed tells the story of brother and sister News team, Shaun and Georgia Mason. Shaun is an Irwin, he goes out to hunt and torment zombies and films it then posts it to the Internet. Frankly at first I thought he was a complete idiot. He did grow on me though. His sister, Georgia was much more to my liking. She totally kicked ass. Quieter and more thoughtful than her brother but brave and ass-kicking when it was required. She is a Newsie, a news blogger. Her passion for the unvarnished truth takes her and Shaun down some very dark paths.

This book has everything. Conspiracies, killer plagues, science, technology and the Republican/zombie convention (and why can't the Republicans find a candidate like Peter Ryman). It's pretty awesome. A lot of the issues dealt with in this book exist now, religious fanaticism, private versus public education, etc. Mira Grant crams a whole lot into this novel. It is well written and for the most part exciting. My only problem with it is that the main characters are pretty emotionless at times when I would be falling apart. When a close friend of Georgia's betrays them and is killed for it all we get from Georgia is a dry little blog entry. I would have been a screaming tearful wreck. I know she lives in a zombiefied world but Georgia says that this is the first person she has lost in her life, the first real death she has experienced on a personal level. I know she can't cry (due to eyeballs full of zombie virus) but I think a little more emotion would have been in order. The only person she really gets emotional about is her brother. They are so close there is no room for anyone else in her life to care about. Shaun is the same way about Georgia. Fortunately Mira Grant manages to keep this relationship out of Flowers in the Attic territory (ick).

The zombie virus is endemic in every mammal massing over forty kilos on earth. At any given time any human can spontaneously enter viral amplification and turn into a zombie. It is rare but it happens. Also as soon as anyone dies they go into viral amplification and become a zombie. I'm a nurse. How do they run hospitals? People die in hospitals every day. The leading cause of death in high income countries isn't cancer. It's heart disease and stroke. Then third is lung cancer followed by Alzheimer's and other dementia's. This followed by chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, lower lung infections (pneumonia), then colon and rectal cancer. This is followed by diabetes mellitus, hypertensive heart disease and breast cancer. In this world they have wiped out cancer and the common cold. But that still leaves a whole lot of ways to die. I've seen a lot of people die of a heart attack (as I am a cardiac nurse) do you code people or just let them die? Do you code them and then when the physician calls the code you put a bullet in their head? I guess along with our stethoscopes and name tags we'd need a side-arm.

Everyone carries a gun in case someone around them dies and reanimates and people mostly stay at home out of crowds. They live in fear always. They don't go outside ever, even eating on a patio is dangerous. I think I'd rather keep cancer and the common cold (the zombie virus, Kellis-Amberlee is a mutation of the genetically engineered virus's that cure cancer and the common cold). (less)

5 likes · like · see review

Jun 24, 2011 Lyndsey marked it as to-read

Shelves: to-read-definitely, about-zombies-purple-people-eaters, free-or-cheap-download, own-on-kindle, on-hold

Hell freakin yes! Only $2.99 on Kindle!! Find it HERE. I have been wanting to read this FOREVER. The price is down from $9.99 and this probably won't last long at all, so get it as soon as possible. Woot Woot!!

This book has been nominated for a Hugo and the second book will be released on June 1st. Also, apparently DO NOT read the blurb for the second book as it contains major spoilage for the first book.

4 likes · like · see review

May 01, 2013 Jessica Meigs rated it 5 of 5 stars

Quite possibly the best zombie novel to be written since World War Z by Max Brooks. Definitely deserves the Hugo Award nomination it's received. (And I hope it wins!)

7 likes · like · see review

Jul 06, 2012 Alona rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Alona by: Tina

Shelves: e-book, sci-fi, favorites, zombies, horror, 2012

Original review posted at Off The Wall

4.5/5

Disclaimer: This review contains major spoilers. Read at your own risk.

Did you ever feel like asking one question and you think that question sums up all questions in your head? I know I'm not making any sense but after readingFeedI feel like my brain is in shambles and I'm left with one word or one question—Why?

Feedis my first zombie read. I've been hearing a lot of positive feedback about this from my GR friends and the book blogging community but I d...more

4 likes · like · see review

topics	posts	views	last activity
I was tricked!	15	162	May 09, 2013 11:40am
A question-SPOILER	8	95	Apr 29, 2013 09:47am
is this any good?	21	136	Mar 23, 2013 01:22pm
Anything Goes Boo...: Feed by Mira Grant	8	30	Mar 21, 2013 11:48am
Zombies!: I'm searching for a great Zombie Novel ...	60	490	Dec 13, 2012 03:38pm
SOS: Serious Over...: September Buddy Read - Feed by Mira Grant	64	63	Oct 31, 2012 01:33pm
Feed	12	67	Oct 04, 2012 05:22pm

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avg rating	preview: Feed Goodreads rating: 3.94 (15315 ratings)
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