I don't absolutely hate certain cliffhanger endings if the author ends the story in a place that makes sense and there is at least some resolution. BU...moreI don't absolutely hate certain cliffhanger endings if the author ends the story in a place that makes sense and there is at least some resolution. BUT ending a story in the middle of a somewhat "dramatic" scene feels to me like a cheap underhanded ploy to get me to buy the next book to find out what happens. Unfortunately for this book, the ridiculous direction the author took after the first senseless cliffhanger right in the middle of the book, ensured that by the end, I could care less what happens to these stupid characters or the poor excuses for zombies. Do yourself a favor and pass this up in favor of just about any other post-apocalyptic story. There are TONS that are more cohesivem better written, without the cliffhanger ending, and with much more believable zombies. (less)
Ever since reading Feed by Mira Grant I have been strangely drawn to zombie fiction. (Thank you Wendy, Maja, and Michelle) This is especially strange...moreEver since reading Feed by Mira Grant I have been strangely drawn to zombie fiction. (Thank you Wendy, Maja, and Michelle) This is especially strange considering that I'm usually pretty squeamish and blood and guts fiction has never been my thing. While I'm still not a fan of the gore, for some reason, I seem to enjoy stories about how people survive in a world gone completely insane. The First Days certainly fits in that category with a sizable helping of the gory bits included.
The First Days begins by traumatizing the reader into a state of frozen terror by describing how a woman is watching her 3 year old's bloody fingers scrabbling under the door in an attempt to get to her and goes on to explain how the woman had earlier walked in on her husband consuming the child in his crib and she wonders how there was enough left of him to make it downstairs since her husband has always been known to have a big appetite. With such an insane beginning, I was repulsed by the story and also intrigued with where this author could possibly go from there.
While I don't believe The First Days had the emotional impact of Feed, it definitely held my interest from start to finish. The rest of the book didn't exactly fulfill the promise of that first chapter, but there was no shortage of zombie action either. The fast moving plot and well written female characters made up for the fact that the male characters, other than Jenni's stepson Jason, were pretty meh. I also felt like there were a lot of unnecessary explanations about Katie's sexuality. Jenni and Katie's weird bond was fascinating but the stand-out character for me was Narit, who fascinated me for some reason.
The First Days is a blood soaked crazy look at how chaotic a zombie apocalypse can be. I absolutely enjoyed this from beginning to end and am looking forward to reading the second in the series. (less)
I was debating between a 3 and a 4 for this one, but I went with a 3 because I don't really care for endings without resolution. Other than that thoug...moreI was debating between a 3 and a 4 for this one, but I went with a 3 because I don't really care for endings without resolution. Other than that though, I definitely enjoyed the story. (less)
The Forest of Hands and Teeth is reminiscent of the movie The Village, a group of people are living in a small isolated village surrounded by a high f...moreThe Forest of Hands and Teeth is reminiscent of the movie The Village, a group of people are living in a small isolated village surrounded by a high fence which separates them from the undead, or as the book calls them, the unconsecrated. The main character, Mary, is out doing her daily chores as the zombies claw at the fence trying desperately to get inside, when suddenly the sirens blare signalling an emergency, possibly a breach. This emergency begins a series of events which dramatically alter Mary and the rest of the villager's day to day existence. While the villagers look to the Sister's to answer their questions and explain god's will, the Sister's may be hiding some secrets that could endanger their very existence. Meanwhile, Mary's main concern is that the brother that she is crushing on has chosen her best friend to marry and she might be stuck with the other brother instead.
I listened to the audio of this and I would not recommend it to anyone considering reading this. You should read it in either print or ebook format. The narrator was very lifeless and monotone and frequently used odd pronunciation. She also, for some unknown reason, used a spanish-like accent for some of the characters which just didn't fit in a story where the characters had all lived in the same isolated village for generations. I felt like either ALL of the characters should have an accent, or NONE of the characters should have an accent.
I have such a mixed opinion about The Forest of Hands and Teeth. I really enjoyed the story but found Mary, the main character, to be absolutely insufferable. I would say that she is one of the most well written godawful characters I've ever read. I don't know that I've ever read a more frustratingly selfish main character. I can't even call her a "heroine" because all she really manages to do is put people in a lot of really bad situations. Apparently, throughout Mary's life her mother had told her stories about life before the zombies and many stories in particular about the ocean. So now Mary's only obsession, other than which brother she loves that day, is making her way to the ocean regardless of who she puts in danger to do it, even though she's not completely sure if it even exists.
I actually found most of the players to be rather 2 dimensional and spiritless and I spent most of my time hoping one of them would be eaten by a zombie. Mary's brother was the only one who showed a bit of personality sometimes, unfortunately it wasn't exactly a winning personality. He was a bit of an asshat. The two brothers were equally insufferable as they constantly made long winded angst filled declarations of their devotion to Mary who couldn't make up her mind which one she loved. I was hoping zombies would eat them too.
"He's so tender, so eager to make me happy in ways that no one else has. Tears start to crowd in my eyes and my body begins to respond to this man as if it were his brother whispering into my ear. As if my body can't tell the difference between the two, between their whispers and the feel of their breath on my flesh."
The fact that she basically admitted that she was just a run of the mill ho almost made her character a little more interesting than she had been up to this point. I was still hoping a zombie would eat her though....
On the other hand, the writing and world building was wonderful and the flow of the plot was evenly paced and enjoyable. I honestly don't understand how I liked a book so much when I didn't like any of the people in it. Some of the instances when the villagers were going about their day to day existence and the author would describe the scene with zombies just feet away literally breaking their fingers off in the fence trying to get in and a constant cacophony of undead moans was the background noise to the point that only its absence was notable. This world was so creepy and written in such a matter of fact way that I could really feel the hopelessness of this kind of existence. This book definitely left me with some haunting images of what unthinkable things could happen in such a world.
I don't know if I'm going to continue to the next book. As much as I loved the writing and story, the ending left me hating the main character even more than I had through the story and I really don't care what happens to her unless it includes being eaten by a zombie. (less)
The Immortal Rules is a dark, violent, edge of your seat, up all night kind of story. And it is hands down the very best book I've read all year. I re...moreThe Immortal Rules is a dark, violent, edge of your seat, up all night kind of story. And it is hands down the very best book I've read all year. I read and loved Kagawa's Iron Fey series, but The Immortal Rules is even better. I mean, the first line of the story starts with a public execution, and it just gets darker from there. I was 9 pages in when I knew this book would make it to my favorites list.
The world that Kagawa has created is terrifyingly brilliant with an almost post-apocalyptic or dystopian feel. The US has been decimated by a disease that almost destroyed the human race to the point that vampires, who had before hidden among humans were alarmed that their food source was being wiped out and so created cities where they ruled and kept the humans penned in like sheep under the guise of "protection". Because outside these walled cities among the ruins of other towns and cities were inhabited by mindless scavenging "rabids" which are essentially vampire zombies. Yes, I said Vampire Zombies. So the vampires protected the humans from these things as well as provided food and necessities to the registered and in return for this protection, the humans were required to give a quota of blood every couple weeks. Those unregistered humans were not required to give blood, but they also were not given food and the penalty for stealing is death. The majority of the humans live in what is called the Fringe, outside the walls of the inner vampire sanctum, but inside the walls of the city itself and out of reach of the rabids.
The main character, Allison, was basically a street urchin, living in abandoned building, eating garbage, bugs, rats or anything just to stay alive. Allie's bravery, loyalty, and wit quickly endeared her to me. She seemed to be always struggling with a balance between self-preservation and the need to protect those she cared about. Kagawa certainly wasn't kind to her, this poor girl, throughout the story gets the crap kicked out of her both physically and emotionally as she attempts to hang on to her humanity. While Allie was a kick-ass main character, everyone in the story had a depth and background that made the entire story just come to life. I was drawn so deeply into this story that there were several times that my husband spoke to me from right in front of me that I didn't even notice him standing there. (He so loves when I do that :P)
And yes, there is a bit of romance between all the blood and starvation. Vampire Zombies be damned, teens will insist upon falling in love, no matter how hopeless it seems. In this situation, however, the romance was absolutely fitting. It built so slowly from them beginning to trust one another based on their actions, then coming to understand one another's differences. It added yet another poignant element to the story and it definitely worked, despite their differences and despite how impossible things may seem.
The writing was stellar, flawless. Kagawa effortlessly built this bleak and frightening world populated with terrifying creatures, a broken society, and a heroine with a strength built on years of pain and disappointment and yet a capacity to love that almost defies that world she grew up in. I don't know what I was expecting when I picked up The Immortal Rules, but I know I had no idea I would be so completely blown away by this incredible story. If you haven't read this yet, you should do so immediately.
I have read so many glowing reviews of The Reapers are the Angels that I simply had to see what all the fuss was about and even though I was warned ah...moreI have read so many glowing reviews of The Reapers are the Angels that I simply had to see what all the fuss was about and even though I was warned ahead of time about the bloody bits, I still wanted to read this. I decided to listen to this on audio and I think the narrator did an amazing job giving voice to the conflicted and unique character that was Temple. I would certainly recommend this audio to anyone who is planning to read this.
Temple was an intriguing character, so full of contrasts, she was kind and considerate but with the capacity to become extremely violent if provoked which made sense considering the dangerous world she grew up in. She was also extremely intelligent, logical, and self-aware but at the same time illiterate and simplistic in many ways. Her character fascinated me and reminded me, in a lot of ways, of Saba from Blood Red Road except Temple was much more complex. I was fascinated with the way she accepted the world for what it was and did her best to work within it instead of fight against what she could not control. I have to say, Temple is one of the most interesting characters I’ve read.
The writing was vividly descriptive and unapologetically raw. It brought to life a bleak and desolate world overrun by the undead who were themselves more pathetic and sad than scary. The pockets of survivors that Temple came upon showed the best and worst of humanity. It was interesting to see the many ways that desperation and hopelessness may cause people to react. There were some people and situations that pushed the boundaries of believability, even for a zombie book but for the most part, I could realistically imagine that this is what the aftermath of a zombie apocalypse would look like.
For some reason, I felt really disconnected from the story. I’m not sure whether it was the third person narration or the philosophical and highly allegorical way this was written, but while I could pick out a hundred beautifully phrased quotes, I was never truly engaged in the story. At times I felt that the writing was almost a bit pretentious and that it tried so hard to be literature as opposed to genre fiction that it overreached and ended up just being absurd. Or it could simply be that I am more interested in being entertained by a story than in trying to ponder life’s mysteries or decipher allegory.
I definitely enjoyed listening to The Reapers are the Angels and, while it wasn’t really my thing, I can certainly see where other people would appreciate the writing style and depth. (less)
Definitely didn't like this as much as Feed. The last 3 hours of the audio were the best of the entire book and I'm glad I stuck with it when I was re...moreDefinitely didn't like this as much as Feed. The last 3 hours of the audio were the best of the entire book and I'm glad I stuck with it when I was ready to put it down in frustration. Full review soon.(less)
The Walking Dead Rise of the Governor is a story about survival in a world that has lost all semblance of civilization and one man’s journey as he bec...moreThe Walking Dead Rise of the Governor is a story about survival in a world that has lost all semblance of civilization and one man’s journey as he becomes what some would consider a diabolical madman. The zombie apocalypse is happening and pockets of survivors are doing what they need to do to exist amidst all the carnage. One man in particular, along with his brother, daughter, and a few friends have found themselves in a suburbia gone mad and may find themselves going mad along with it.
I only heard about this series after being offered this audio to review. If you, like me, are unfamiliar with the wildly popular comics, graphic novels, and TV series, this is a perfect introduction. The Walking Dead will deposit you right in the middle of all of the undead chaos and introduce you to the small band of survivors attempting to make a life in this suburban nightmare. It was fascinating the way the book explored the emotional reactions of the group. Most of the reactions were quite understandable, but it really makes you wonder what you would do, say, feel if you found yourself in an unbelievable and terrifying new reality. The Walking Dead, didn’t lack for action either! In this world where the normal rules no longer apply, the zombies are at least the one danger in which you know what to expect, the humans are another story altogether. You would think that the struggle with the zombies would be action enough, but The Walking Dead contains some shocking twists and an ending that will leave you speechless.
The audio was narrated by Fred Berman who does an incredible job of bringing The Walking Dead to life in the most gruesome way possible. Fred Berman perfectly communicated the terror of the group trying to carve out a place in this altered world as well as conveyed each gory detail in a way that brought images to my mind that I may be a long time erasing. This is definitely a perfect audio for someone with a strong stomach and a love for zombie mayhem! (less)
Feed came so highly recommended by those whose opinions I trust most that I finally put aside my aversion to all things zombie and decided to read thi...moreFeed came so highly recommended by those whose opinions I trust most that I finally put aside my aversion to all things zombie and decided to read this book. And wow, am I so glad that I did. I was told that Feed did not have what you would usually expect from a book containing zombies, there weren't any vivid brain devouring scenes of blood and gore, the absence of which is what finally prompted me to pick this book up. There are essentially zombies all through this book and they are a huge part of the story, but this book is moreso about how people are surviving in a world turned to chaos and how essential an unbiased media presence would be when trying to once again create a semblance of order.
For me, the real heart of Feed was George and Shaun's story. I LOVED these characters. This adopted brother and sister pair very quickly stole my heart and their relationship fascinated me throughout the entire book. It reminded me of some documentaries that I've seen about identical twins, that they grow up relying so heavily on each other that it is difficult if not impossible to allow other people into their world. I love the way Shaun always protected his sister even though, from George's perspective, it always seemed that he was the impulsive, unruly, naughty child that she had to look out for, always warning him to stay out of trouble and worrying about his reckless behavior. But the truth was in the beautifully written small details. For example, Georgia wasn't comfortable touching people, so Shaun would automatically step up to offer a handshake when meeting someone. They knew each others thoughts and loved each other with a depth that goes beyond most siblings yet wasn't romantic or sexual even though it kind of gave that kind of vibe.
There were some slow chapters where the author gave a lot of information about the politics, the world, and journalism. I wasn't really able to relate to the constant obsession with ratings. Especially considering the way George and Shaun were raised (view spoiler)[ how their parents exploited them to boost their own ratings (hide spoiler)] it was hard for me to understand why they would also concern themselves so much with what seems to me such an irrelevant thing. But then, I'm not really that kind of blogger myself, things like that genuinely don't matter to me so it makes sense why its hard for me to relate to that in someone else. There were only a few small things that seemed inconsistent to me (view spoiler)[like that the senator was running on a republican ticket but almost all of his positions on things screamed democratic party (hide spoiler)] but I enjoyed the story so much that these small issues were inconsequential. At the end of the day, I loved this story. Despite, or maybe even because of, the many many tears I shed at that very unexpected twist near the end. For me, that was the end of the book because I honestly can't remember what I read after that point although I know there were some more words, pages, etc after that. I just don't remember what they said.
I'm going to leave my first thoughts after turning the last page as part of this review:
My masochistic heart can do nothing but rate this book a full 5 stars. I have to commend Mira Grant on how she managed to create such a compelling story and include zombies (which I don't even like btw) and introduce me to these amazing characters that I have no choice but to fall completely in love with and then, without warning, take it all away. I can almost picture the sadistic smile on this author's face as she gleefully ripped my heart out, stomped on it, then poked it a few times with Shaun's zombie stick, leaving me a broken, sobbing mess. Nice, Mira Grant, very nice.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys dystopian fiction, sci-fi, and those who understand that not every story requires a H-E-A. (less)
Eh, I feel like I've read it before. I don't think there was anything new and interesting brought to the story. It was ok for what it was, very short...moreEh, I feel like I've read it before. I don't think there was anything new and interesting brought to the story. It was ok for what it was, very short and very predictable. It was kind of like like "The Walking Dead- the lite and condensed version" (less)
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