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Dying to Live: Life Sentence by Kim Paffenroth

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Christina

(page 45 of 232)
— Sep 04, 2009 06:14AM

Michael

(page 91 of 232)
— Jan 27, 2009 07:56PM

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Sep 11, 2009

Thee_ron_clark rated it:

bookshelves: zombies

Read in September, 2009

I will begin by admitting that I was somewhat disappointed at the jump in time from the first in this series to its sequel. After the first couple pages, I was no longer disappointed and was very into this book.

Two perspectives are given in this story; that of an intelligent zombie and that of a young woman looking into her past.

At first, I suffered my usual level of disdain on the smart zombie idea. I will admit to bias on that subject. I have simply not liked smart zom...more

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Nov 30, 2008

Jon marked it as to-read

bookshelves: to-read

I'm sure this is as good or even better than the first, but I think I'll wait to pick it up until it is re-issued with a better cover.

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Nov 30, 2008

Mike rated it:

Read in January, 2009

For me, this is the “To Kill A Mockingbird” of zombie stories.

While the world of Zoey and Will is not as nearly as innocent or idyllic as the world of Scout and Gem, it is still a tale of growing up and discovering first hand how wondrous and terrible the world can be. And the themes of racism and “justified” killing are just as poignant. What makes this even more interesting is it is told from two separate points of view. In “Mockingbird” terms, we not only see the eve...more For me, this is the “To Kill A Mockingbird” of zombie stories.

While the world of Zoey and Will is not as nearly as innocent or idyllic as the world of Scout and Gem, it is still a tale of growing up and discovering first hand how wondrous and terrible the world can be. And the themes of racism and “justified” killing are just as poignant. What makes this even more interesting is it is told from two separate points of view. In “Mockingbird” terms, we not only see the events unfold from the point of view of Zoey (Scout), we also get to experience them from the perspective of Truman (a Boo Radley/Tom Robinson mix…sort of).

I was excited to jump back into the world of jack, Jonah, Milton and co., and I found the book to be a very original way to reintroduce the characters and locales from the first book. I especially enjoyed the fact that it was set so far after the initial zombie outbreak. There aren’t enough good books out there that spin a successful yarn about coping long-term with a dead world.

When I first realized that the book involved a “thinking” zombie, I just about threw it across the room with a cry of “Heresy!” on my lips. But Paffenroth’s siren-like prose and captivating characters brought me back and kept me glued to the pages.

It’s not often that an “apocalyptic” book doubles as a philosophical text, but this one offers as much thought-provoking speculation as it does gore. It almost makes you long for a simpler world, a world without mortgages, commute times, and a need for insurance…almost. As the cover snipe proclaims, this truly is the “thinking man’s zombie novel.”

And speaking of covers…what the hell?!? Why is there a “Sin City-ish” silhouette of a woman holding a bleeding baked potato on the cover?!? And judging by the little pool of blood on the bottom, she also has no legs or is standing in front of an invisible table or something. The cover is so BAD I was almost embarrassed to read it in any slightly public place.
Luckily, you cannot judge this book by the cover. Just create your own paper cover for it, and settle in for a tense, contemplative ride.
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Jan 29, 2009

Jennie rated it:

bookshelves: horror, zombies

Read in February, 2009

I actually didn't care much for the first book, but this story was fabulous. Its unique, well paced, and grabbed my attention right away. I am so glad that I didn't skip it; I would have really missed out.

The zombies were really, well, human...believable, sympathetic and really the best part of an otherwise well-written book.

There are 4 characters I really still want to know more about, so I am hoping there is a third book.

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Jun 14, 2009

Christina Holdsworth rated it:

bookshelves: zombies

Read in September, 2009

This is not your typical zombie novel. If you're looking for gore and action, this isn't the book for you. Although I can appreciate Paffenroth's philosophical explorations (because I think the zombie genre certainly lends itself to many theories) his story is pretty far-fetched as far as zombie fiction goes. Come on, a zombie that can read or one that plays the violin??? That goes against everything I love about zombies!

I think Paffenroth took a few too many liberties in exploring...more

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Jan 02, 2009

Emily rated it:

I wasn't a fan of the first installment of Dying to Live, but this one was great. Half of the book is told from the perspective of a zombie who suddenly becomes aware and tries to understand the strange new world around him. Fun!

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