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Feed (Newsflesh, #1)

Mira Grant

Start date: May 3, 2011

Finish date: May 31, 2011

Discussion: Books

Why we're reading this: io9 Book Club read for May
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Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell
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What Members Thought

Nov 02, 2011 Alex rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2012, science-fiction, zombies

This book has been on my to-read list for one and a half years and I was always thinking that it would be an awesome zombie novel. The reviews and the hype surrounding it supported my expectations. However, after starting reading it I was not hooked.

Initially, I said "Screw this. It's a new book and it takes a while to get the ball rolling. It will improve soon." Unfortunately, it didn't. It didn't show any sign of improvement even after I passed its half. So why did I give it such a high rating This book has been on my to-read list for one and a half years and I was always thinking that it would be an awesome zombie novel. The reviews and the hype surrounding it supported my expectations. However, after starting reading it I was not hooked.

Initially, I said "Screw this. It's a new book and it takes a while to get the ball rolling. It will improve soon." Unfortunately, it didn't. It didn't show any sign of improvement even after I passed its half. So why did I give it such a high rating, then, you might ask?

Because its core is not the zombie apocalypse and neverending fight for survival. It's not even the three valiant (and sometimes crazy) bloggers covering senator Ryman's campaign for the Presidency of the USA. You need to read the end to be able to understand the rest of it.

It's about humanity, love, hate, desires, wishes, hopes and dreams. It's about two siblings trying to take on the world in their unstoppable search for the truth. Here, the "truth will set you free" quote has different connotations. You're free to go wherever souls go after their hosts dies.

In terms of the science behind this story I was incredibly surprised to the thought put into engineering the disease. The Kellis-Amberlee virus was a result of 2 antiviruses created in the second decade of the 21st century, one to combat flu and the other to cure cancer. Nobody imagined that the combination of the two, albeit curing the said diseases, lead to people returning to life after dying. How it spread all over the world was another well-thought idea of Mira Grant and her friends. Everyone was carrying it, but they required contact with active virus before they would begin amplifying. Once that contact was made you had from half an hour to several hours before you became just a mindless husk with an insaitiable desire to feed and infect (not necessarily in that order).

(view spoiler)

By that time you are already accustomed with "Usain Bolt" zombies and the new world cowboys (the Irwins) and the blog style of the chapters and you'll maybe be waiting for everything to wrap up so you can move on to your next book on the reading list. Press on, if you've hit that "wall". You most likely won't regret it. I certainly haven't.

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Aug 30, 2015 Brian rated it liked it

I like zombie stuff. I feel like we reached peak zombie a few years ago, but I still enjoy a good romp with the walking dead from time to time. This was a pretty good book about life after the uprising. It's more of a political thriller with zombies, but that's ok. I liked the zombie parts more than the political parts. The writing was solid. Nothing too great, but it kept the pages turning. I think I'll read the second one. ...more

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