So much friggin fun. As a long-time devoted fan of sci-fi (old and new, in all of its glorious tropes), in TV, movies, and books, it was an absoluteSo much friggin fun. As a long-time devoted fan of sci-fi (old and new, in all of its glorious tropes), in TV, movies, and books, it was an absolute blast to see it all satirized so well, and with such likeable characters. The humor was spot on, aside from a few moments of falling flat, and the ending was one of the most satisfying endings I've read in a while....more
(*Received a free copy of the book for an honest review through OnlineBookClub.org*)
This book was definitely a lot of fun - it had an amazing amount(*Received a free copy of the book for an honest review through OnlineBookClub.org*)
This book was definitely a lot of fun - it had an amazing amount of research put into it, and clearly a great deal of genuine enthusiasm for the subject matter. It takes the reader through the history of the zombie, from its origins in Haiti and its journey into pop culture, through its evolution over the decades into the current zombie-loving-culture we know today. Its scope and verve make it both entertaining and informative.
The reason for three stars lies in its structural issues. It may have just been the Mobi ebook edition that I read, but none of the images matched up correctly with their intended passages (e.g: the poster for a Nazi zombie movie ended up in the middle of a description of a gel-form man designed for anti-zombie weapons testing, and the actual picture of that gel-form ended up several pages later, with a drink recipe), and none of the pictures were sourced. Also, the author had trouble with some overly repetitious ideas, awkwardly phrased passages and whole chapters that just felt rushed and underwritten. They weren't the end of the world, but detracted from the writing quality. Plus, and this might just be a personal preference, the book really felt like it could've used a conclusion to tie in to its introduction and make it feel more complete, rather than ending so abruptly on a note that really didn't feel like an ending.
Anyway, all that being said, the book earned the three stars for entertainment value. It genuinely opened my eyes to a bunch of history and trivia about the genre that I'd never known before, and I had a lot of fun with the passion and hard work put into putting together this expansive ode to the world of zombies....more
I listened to the audiobook for this one, and the narrator was perfect - easily the highlight for me. The story itself... it started out so strong,I listened to the audiobook for this one, and the narrator was perfect - easily the highlight for me. The story itself... it started out so strong, and interesting, and different from any fantasy I'd seen in a very long time. Then it somewhat devolved into a constantly repeating cycle of "MC gets in peril, gets beat up, loses someone close to her, screams, 'NO!!', and escapes/is rescued and escapes. MC journeys to the next story checkpoint, and rinse and repeat." By the end, I wasn't even really rooting for her any more, except not wanting the bad guys to win, for obvious reasons. I just wanted the cycle to stop, or change in any way, but even for the end: MC journeys to the finale, gets beat up, loses someone close to her (no spoilers), screams, 'NO!!', and escapes/is rescued and escapes. UGH. Shame to see an interesting idea become so insufferable through the execution. Three stars for the first half of the book, and for the narrator, but I won't be reading any sequels....more
Fascinating and absolutely entertaining dissection of evolution, fate, and how mankind might be lost and saved all at once. It had a wonderful styleFascinating and absolutely entertaining dissection of evolution, fate, and how mankind might be lost and saved all at once. It had a wonderful style to it, of telling pre- and post-apocalypse sides of the story simultaneously, and the characters were a lot more relateable and easy to get attached to than in Cat's Cradle. Would recommend it, and probably read it again....more
Solid sci-fi/action/drama, with super likeable characters, nicely fleshed-out world building, and an all-around really intriguing premise for aSolid sci-fi/action/drama, with super likeable characters, nicely fleshed-out world building, and an all-around really intriguing premise for a series. My one issue is that with how very well-fleshed out everything was, it kinda felt like the plot was just REALLY starting to get going when suddenly it was over. Aside from that, solid read for sci-fi fans, for sure....more
An incredible book that humanizes doctors and the medical field on level that I haven't seen a book do before. Beautifully written, and gives a newAn incredible book that humanizes doctors and the medical field on level that I haven't seen a book do before. Beautifully written, and gives a new and even life changing perspective on life, illness, death, and the doctors that meet us and treat us all along the way. Absolutely recommend it....more
Great follow-up to the first book! Cleared up a lot of the problems with pacing, and felt like a much fuller experience. Same great characters, humor,Great follow-up to the first book! Cleared up a lot of the problems with pacing, and felt like a much fuller experience. Same great characters, humor, and world/universe-building as the first book, and definitely has me hooked to read the next installment....more
Couldn't put it down (or hit stop, rather, since this was an audiobook read) - John Malkovich as a narrator for Vonnegut material (especially thisCouldn't put it down (or hit stop, rather, since this was an audiobook read) - John Malkovich as a narrator for Vonnegut material (especially this book's contents) was a stroke of brilliance; his deadpan throughout made me laugh out loud more than once! As a book aside from that, it was genuinely entertaining, smart, self-aware gem that was addictive from start to finish....more
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