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August Group Read #1: Jordan's Brains
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Jim
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Jul 31, 2013 05:45PM
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Thank you, Jim. I appreciate all the hard work you put into creating the poll and putting together the group reads. It should be a lot of fun! I am excited about moderating the group read of Jordan's Brains: A Zombie Evolution.The group read for Jordan’s Brains will be between August 1st and 14th. Here is the schedule I have put together:
Section 1: Chapters 1-11 (28% through the book) to be read by Sunday, August 4th.
Section 2: Chapters 12-22 (54% through the book) to be read by Thursday, August 8th.
Section 3: Chapters 23-33 (75% through the book) to be read by Sunday, August 11th.
Section 4: Chapters 34-43 (complete the book) to be read by Wednesday, August 14th.
I hope that works for everyone. The book is only 264 pages, and the chapters aren't very long. I plan to post a question for discussion on the evening that each section is to be completed. Please feel free to post any questions or comments you have as well. If you think your comment might contain spoilers, please don’t hesitate to send me a message. I love chatting with fellow zombie enthusiasts, and I look forward to interacting with you all. I hope you enjoy my zombie tale!
Wait, I am utterly confused which BOTM is first?
Tammy K. wrote: "Wait, I am utterly confused which BOTM is first?"We're reading Jordan's Brains first, I'm about to update the Mountain Man thread.
April wrote: "Tammy K. wrote: "Wait, I am utterly confused which BOTM is first?"We're reading Jordan's Brains first, I'm about to update the Mountain Man thread."
Thank you for clearing that up for me April. :-)
Hmmm. Stop playing WarTune. Finish up Jango. Start reading some brains...
Randy wrote: "Hmmm. Stop playing WarTune. Finish up Jango. Start reading some brains..."If that isn't a song, it should be! "Stop playing WarTune, Finish up Jango, Start... Reading... Some BRAAAAAINS!"
I am looking forward to this group read of "Jordan's Brains: A Zombie Evolution"!TAMMY!! How are you doing?
OMG, Cedric!I thought you had fallen off your computer chair & "could not get up!" Just like that old lady in her bathtub on TV, or maybe not "Just like" but similar, any way.
I was just about to add an event to my calender titled: Seek out Cedrics Youtube buddies by next Thursday (ish).
I had even pondered asking them to go check on you before all the hovering flies eat off all the skin on your face to the point that your corpse could not be identified! Because that is the kind of friend/fan I am.
Whew! It's a good thing I did not create that calender event!
Imagine the embarrassment that would have caused when they barged in while you were watching online... stuff. Yeah,... Stuff, that's what you would be watching online.
Well, it's relief to see your post and know that your mostly alive.
Oh, and, I will be participating in this BOTM Read. I promise not to get off topic again.. hmm let me reword that...I promise to try really hard not to get off topic again.
I've read the assignment and look forward to chatting on this tomorrow :)
Thanks, Tammy! I'm going to post my question about section one this evening. I'm so glad you're participating!
I'm ready for some Jordan's Brains discussion!!!
First of all, thanks so much for participating in the Jordan's Brains group read discussion. I’ll ask two questions after each section is completed, and you can answer one or both, or you can pose your own question.1. Jordan “rescued” several people in part one. If/when the zombies invade in real life, do you plan to go out of your way to help other survivors, or do you think you’ll focus on saving yourself and your family?
2. Lots of people are preparing for the zombie apocalypse by stocking up on food and weapons. Do you think it’s smart to prepare for a zombie invasion, or is it crazy to think that zombies will one day overrun the planet?
Thanks again for joining the discussion!
I’ll answer those in reverse order. Question 2: Due to a binding agreement made with the state of Washington, I do not own a gun.
And due to a healthy dose of medication, therapy and general supervision, I do not worry much about a zombie apocalypse.
However, I think it is smart to be prepared for "disasters". I have a fair amount of basic stock items.
I would not venture to say that I am a prepper, rather that I was raised to be self reliant.
I was born in the tail end of a very large family (when you count all my step and half siblings). As such I learned to cook in large quantities from scratch. It does you no good to buy basic back stock items if you lack the skill set to cook them.
I grew up on the city/county line where one side of the street had a sidewalk (the cities side) and the other side did not (the counties side, of course.)
We grew large gardens from first thaw til the last frost. We canned our food and stored them away to use in the winter.
I was still canning foods every summer with my mother until a couple years before she passed away. It’s not that she "needed to" can foods, but it was a habit that grew into a hobby that she kept up. We gave away most of what we put away, but in those last years it was more about a bonding experience than a "need".
Until I was eleven years old, we used to go to my grandparents on chicken slaughter day in the middle of fall. (Woo Hoo! Family outing!). On these memorable days my grandparents, parents and us kids would gather one weekend to "harvested" the spring chicks.
I always got feather plucking duty. Once that task was complete, I helped haul the freshly canned (jarred) chickens down to the root cellar for storage.
My family have always been hunters, fishers, and overall scavengers of the land. The meat on our table was, and in some of my sibling cases still is, more likely to have been caught off the land than by purchased at the local grocery store.
Skill set wise, I have it in me to be ready for any back-to-the basics disaster. Yet I seriously lack the desire to ever pluck a chicken (pheasant, quail, duck or turkey) again. Ditto for cleaning, scaling, freezing or making jerky of fish, deer, elk, rabbit, and any "lucky finds" a.k.a. road kill.
I am at the "Thank God for Winco, Walmart!" stage of my life.
If you are going to take away my grocery stores, then I do not want to go the apocalypse.
But as I said above, I believe in keeping the basic back up supply of food and water and so I follow the +1 rule. Meaning if I go shopping once a week, I buy for one week +1 day. It is a slow process but over time you’ll build up back-stock. At my age (Well, on second thought, let’s not discuss my age ), let’s say that I have a reasonable size of canned and dry goods stocked up.
Also, I only drink bottle water, because where I live the water taste like soap. Sure the city people says it’s fine even ‘healthy for you’ to drink it straight from the tap, but if you do, you will get terrible stomach pains come evening time. So water is something that I keep a very large back stock of!
Question 1: Yes, I would help others. It is part of my nature to do so. But I do believe in triage: help those who can survive not necessarily those who are in the worst shape.
Now, when I read your questions I thought What?! After writing a book, you want to know what I would do in a Zpoc and not about what I thought about the book or the events in the book?
Here are some questions that I will ask of any takers.
The first part of the story was written in a manor that it may have taken readers a while to figure out if the Zombie Apocalypse was real or not.
How did that style of writing effect your reading experience? Liked it, loved it, didn’t care for it, indifferent and so on.
At what point did you decided that the zombie apocalypse was real or unreal? Right off, I knew…. Or not until the end of the assignment, did I realize that... or I was a bit confused, and frankly I still am.
What do you think about the character’s Jordan’s mental health issues?
Did you find that Jordan’s mental health struggles made him/her more relatable?
How do you feel about the way Jordan’s family related to Jordan’s mental health issues?
Did the way that Jordan’s family relate to Jordan make them more realistic characters to you? or were they just plain jerks!
What did you think about the way Jordan’s doctor interacted with him/her?
What are your thoughts about Jordan’s living and work environment?
Ok, now keep in mind that no one has to answer any of those question, they are just points of interest that I have.
There were times that I would have not called this a zombie book at all, but a book about an individual struggling with his/her mental health issues.
Thanks for your answers, Tammy! I really like your +1 rule. I should start doing that. It sounds like you'll be more than ready for the zombie apocalypse (or any natural disaster). I would also be inclined to help others during a zombie invasion (probably to my detriment). Thanks for posing the extra questions! I'll be interested in reading the answers of any takers.
Thanks J. If I get any takers Than I will post my answers to them.
If not then I will be sure to address many of them in my final review.
MY first discussion thread whoop whoop! Great job so far in the book, J.Cornell Michel! As for your questions...1. Saving others/family:
I like to think that when this zombie apocalypse happens, I will still maintain the ideology to help others. Don't get me wrong, unlike Jordan, I don't think I would be able to save everyone or even the majority, but I would like to do my part to help the less fortunate/prepared. In saying that, I don't think I would compromise the safety of my family/friends by helping...let me explain. If me going out of my way to help someone else, put others in my group in danger, I wouldn't. If it just put me in danger (only affected me) then I would be fine to help. For example, when Jordan and his/her bro and bro in law were leaving the city, some people in cars were surrounded by zombies. Jordan's bro and brother in law were leaving the area, relatively safe, and Jordan put it upon Jordan to help them out- which is what I feel I would do. Now, if Jordan's family were in a car and it was choose between them and strangers, I would choose family. Some other things to consider in a zombie/survival situation involving rescuing/help would be...lost/needy women/children/helpless. If a lady came up to my safehouse and said "just take my baby" I have to think the heart strings would pull enough to save the kid...
2. Smart to prepare for a zombie invasion...UMMMMM YES!! Haha, well like Tammy posted above, let's call them "disasters" for the time being. But it's always a good idea to prepare. Lots of people take for granted running water, power and food at grocery stores. I'm not saying stock pile MREs or anything like that, but it can't hurt to have a stock of edible/canned food. In the event of earthquakes (where I'm from) or storms (where I've been before and heard stories of) utilities can go offline and we all need to eat and drink, so it would be smart to have something as a backup. Jordan's bro, Taylor, has a fallout shelter filled with goodies...would I go that far, probably not, but in the event of a true disaster/zombie invasion, our conveniences will be gone so would it be wise to invest in a water filtration unit or some canned foods, absolutely.
Great questions! Looking forward to next week!
1. Jordan “rescued” several people in part one. If/when the zombies invade in real life, do you plan to go out of your way to help other survivors, or do you think you’ll focus on saving yourself and your family?I subscribe to the put your own oxygen mask on first then help others. I think If I was put in a position to help someone directly without sacrificing the safety of my family, I would do it. I certainly wouldn't be running around trying to save every Tom, Dick and Harry. In the reality of here and now, I like helping others and do go out of my way, but all bets are off when bodies hit the ground... and get back up again.
2. Lots of people are preparing for the zombie apocalypse by stocking up on food and weapons. Do you think it’s smart to prepare for a zombie invasion, or is it crazy to think that zombies will one day overrun the planet?
I believe it's smart to be prepared in general. I keep hurricane previsions, hurricane shutters, and a generator (although the noise would surely attract zombies). For half of the year I live in the West Indies, so these things are essential. My regular food stock is also full because sometimes it could be a month or more before something I want comes back on island. I just like being prepared. Prepared is good, prepared never hurt anyone.
Weapons- I don't have but know how to use. Wait, does a drywall hammer count?
I don't think it's too crazy to think Zombies could overrun the planet. If you look at how diseases mutate and are spread, anything is possible.
How did that style of writing effect your reading experience? Liked it, loved it, didn’t care for it, indifferent and so on.
I liked it. I thought it was a fresh approach to something that has been done six ways to Sunday.
What do you think about the character’s Jordan’s mental health issues?
I have empathy for Jordan. If Jordan was a family member or friend I would hope I would be understanding. I agree with Tammy, there were times I would call this a book about an individual coping with mental health issues.
Excellent questions! I apologize for being late to the party, but i was detained by a small Zombie outbreak. It is under control. What's that? You say that Zombies aren't real?
Hmmm. Have you seen any Zombies?
No, you haven't.
You are welcome for that.
Question one, will I help others?
-That depends on a variety of factors. If I see a guy being chased by Zombies and he is wearing a shirt that has a chauvinistic message on it, I will probably let him die. If the person is known to me, and I know that they are an a-hole or scum-sack, I will probably let them die.
On the flip side of that, I will try my level best to save your ass, and I bring a lot of violence and mayhem to the table. If you don't meet the above criteria of a-hole or scum-sack, I will do anything I can to save you. I will keep my people safe, but I will still do what I can to help others. If I didn't do that, then the terrorists and the Zombies would have won. I am down with Jordan's mindset of trying to help, but Jordan is maybe a bit nicer than I would be. Okay, Jordan is the very model of stability compared to me!! Ha ha ha! Mwa-ha-ha-ha!
Question 2. Prepping, stocking up for Z-Day. Prepping is an excellent skill and mind-set. Learn the plants in your area, how to find water, what is edible, and places with good cover. Also know where the gun stores are, hard-ware stores, etcetera. Stocking up goods, though, can be a double edged sword. How much can you carry? What if some nasty motor-scooter and his crew of degenerates decides they want your gear? They set your house on fire, and when you run out, they shoot you. Then they run in and take all your stuff. Plan for all eventualities. Stocking up is cool, but stock up intelligently. I mean, seriously, as far as the Zombie-Apocalypse goes, it isn't a question of "if" but WHEN! Keep it light, keep it tight, and know your surroundings and survival skills BEFORE you actually need them! Jordan had a good plan, a bug-out-bag, light and fast.
Tammy, yeah, I have been trying to pull a lot of stuff together! I have the official ZFJ Knife being made, and the Charity giveaway that hardly anybody has entered, life, madness, and some other less interesting things going on. I am alive, barely! Thank you for being my Friend, Tammy. How are you? How is your shoulder?
J. Cornell Michel. Thank you so much for hosting this AWESOME group read. I LOVE your book, and I am actually reading it again along with everyone else! JORDAN'S BRAINS IS THE ZOMBIE GROUP READ!!!
Okay, so I've not read this book before, and have dutifully stopped at chapter 11 like a good little girl as I was told in the directions. So, I didn't really think that "it was all in Jordan's head" until I got to the end of the reading assignment and realized that Jordan's a little more off that I realized. I went along with Jordan and thought, "well, that's a damn slow zombie invasion. Maybe Jordan should get a sense of initiative."Tammy asks, "How did that style of writing effect your reading experience? Liked it, loved it, didn’t care for it, indifferent and so on." I can honestly say I enjoyed it - twists are good, even in the middle of a book. Isn't this why most of America loved the movie "Fight Club"? And who the hell was Kaiser Soze, anyway? Any author who can pull narrative red herrings like this is worth their weight in gold. I enjoyed the twist.
Would I save others? Possibly, but family first, of course. It's a biological imperative.
Am I stocked up? Not like Cedric, I'm not, but I have basic, basic survival gear to outlast a hurricane or two in the muggy, swampy Florida heat. If a real apocalypse occurred, my modern ass would probably be one of the first ones down. Sad but true.
So far only up to chapter 3, but having read the first two "zombie facts", I wasn't impressed by Jordan's so-called zombie "expertise".If zombies feasted on brains, it would be difficult for the newly dead to reanimate without them. Or with a skull that was broken open in order to get at the brains.
And you can't have a world-wide simultaneous outbreak of zombies if it can only be spread by bite. The outbreak would be a lot slower, starting from some patient zero.
Keep going Randy :-) OK I'll answer my questions since I had some bites.
I felt that Jordan’s mental health issues were perfectly portrayed. His/her obsession and delusional thinking were text book spot on, kudos J.
Being inside Jordan's head while he/she is locked in his/her own world made it easier for me, as a reader, to envision his delusions.
I recalled watching the movie, a Beautiful Mind. We (the viewers) seen the delusions that the schizophrenic main character seen. We had to ponder on what was happening, who was real, and could relate to the main characters confusion.
This reading section was like that in that only through the 'reality bleeds' could we the readers sort out what was Jordan's reality vs the real reality.
Because Jordan started off telling us where he/she lived and there past mental health issues, it was always at the back of my mind that Jordan might be inside a delusional mindset but it wasn't until the gas station robbery that I completely got that. Then I kept worrying about the nephews and the sister in laws safety were they really OK left in that shelter?
The way Jordan's family interacted with him/her also felt spot on. The mental, emotional, physical exhaustion of caring for a loved one with such a chronic condition tends to bring about a "burned out" relationship. Mom moving away while the siblings keep a distant presence.
The doctor missing Jordan's current obsessive mind state, shows just how burned out the mental health professional community is and why Jordan might be subject to a flare up.
Jordan having to deal with bullies at work and at mental health home, again points to the lack of care Jordan was getting and also showing why his/her symptoms might be flaring up.
OK now I told you all that I was seeing this (part) as more of a story about an individual who was struggling with his/her mental health and that is how I came to that conclusion for this reading section.
I think this was very well written.
As to the posed questions:1. I've said many times that I expect to be one of the early ones to die, but I would hope my death could mean something, as in rescuing someone else. I'd rather go down in a blaze of glory. :)
I currently live in a retirement community, with more assisted living than independent living, so I think most here would go very quickly.
2. I think it makes a lot more sense to prepare for an apocalypse where other people are the danger. They would be in any case, even if it it were a zombie apocalypse. And people can be a lot more dangerous, because they can think.
But if you put in a fallout shelter, you wouldn't want to advertise it. A gated community would help, although too big and it would be tough to secure, and keep secure.
I've never really been directly affected by a major disaster -- flood, hurricane, tornado, etc. At worst, I've lost electricity for less than 10 hours. So I have no experience in making mistakes for preparing for them, and learning from those mistakes.
===================================================
@Tammy:
1. The further I got into the story, the more I wondered about whether there really was an apocalypse. When it gets more or less confirmed that it's not real, though, I felt let down by the story. Like my time had been wasted. But I'll see where it goes. It was good for character development.
2. I liked the way Jordan's mental health issue was portrayed. Jordan seemed to revel in revealing it. And I'm seeing the character as female, or a maybe a very slight male. Just in how actions are described -- getting the SIL into the fallout shelter, lack of authority over nephews, being called "dear", and people not being all that afraid of being with an avowed mental patient.
3. I was also worried about whether the SIL and two nephews even knew how to get out of the fall shelter, in case the brother never made it home.
4. Who didn't figure out the car would get stolen? I was surprised John didn't take it. Again, I think that more likely if Jordan is male rather than female.
Thanks A.S., April, Cedric, Netanella, Randy, and Tammy. I appreciate your participation. All of you made some good points, and it sounds like most people have a plan for the apocalypse. A.S. - I agree that I would help others, as long as it wouldn't compromise the safety of my friends/family.
April - I think a drywall hammer counts as a weapon. It sounds like you'll be all set!
Cedric - when the zombies invade, I'm hiding behind you!
Netanella - I'm glad you enjoyed the twist! I would probably be one of the first ones to die during the apocalypse too, which is why I'm planning to hide behind Cedric!
Randy - That's noble that you would want to go down in a blaze of glory. It's the best way to go!
Tammy - Thanks for the extra input! Part two of the book is more about zombies than about a person with mental health issues. I hope you enjoy the next section!
1. It would be pretty far down on my list of priorities. I certainly won't be running around trying to save people like Jordan was. If I stumbled on someone who needed saving and I could do it without putting myself to far into harm's way I might consider it. Poor planning on your part and yadda yadda.2. Something is coming. Pick up a paper. Zombies? IDK, be prepared for something.
I loved the way the book started. There were a few times that I wondered whether or not it was some sort of delusion on Jordan's part. Sorry, but I am one of those annoying people that almost always guesses the end of a movie. I thought it was really well done, though, and did help in the development of Jordan's character.
I also thought that Jordan's family added a great element to the story. After I read the first scene at Jordan's brother's house I PMed the author on FB (we're friends. I know people) "Wow, I am friggin dying right now. You have some spoiled, coffee-drinking nieces and/or nephews don't you? I know because I have a few myself and that was totally spot-on. Really funny. Zombies love keys. LOL" The obvious dysfunction made Jordan much more relatable for me.
Ian!!! Thanks for participating. I feel like you'll be A-OK during the zombie apocalypse. You just need to make sure you're stocked up on beer :)
And smokes. I have my own +1 system on smokes and beer.
Oh goodie only one more day til we can talk more about the story.:)The slow pace is killing me!
Starts singing ....
tomorrow,tomorrow ...you're only a day away!!!!
Tammy K. wrote: "Oh goodie only one more day til we can talk more about the story.:)The slow pace is killing me!
Starts singing ....
tomorrow,tomorrow ...you're only a day away!!!!"
You are in a good mood! How is everything in Tammy-Ville today?
Life is good, it's it:-) I've been trying be a very good girl and "stay on topic"...
I'm off to do errands now, but will be in touch later.
either through email or group the group chat thread "new and active member chat" thread and we can catch up there. It's topic is getting to know each other and random stuff.
Bye for now my friend :-)
Thanks for your enthusiasm, Tammy! I hope you all are having a nice week! Here are the questions for section two of the group read.
1. Jordan decided to pass up the offer of a bullet to the head after being bitten by a zombie. If there is an actual zombie apocalypse and you're unfortunate enough to get bitten by a zombie, would you want someone to destroy your brain before you turn, or would you rather roam the earth as a zombie?
2. Do you think Taylor was right to lock up Jordan in the fallout shelter? Or do you think Jordan should have been able to live out his/her fantasy and go on the rescue mission with Taylor and Greg?
Note: I have decided that if Jordan is not going to choose a gender then I will do the politically correct thing and use the plural pronouns that are often used with dual gender individuals.(no more he or she or he/she! it's now going to be "they", or "them")
1) I think Jordan had the right idea, get a way from your family, do what you can to help them before you change, and then go have some zombie fun.
I liked Jordan's positive attitude "maybe I'll be a good zombie." (Pg 118)
2) No.
Taylor was probably thinking with his emotions "wanting to protect" Jordan, which in the end he failed to do.
On the first attempt, Gregg and Taylor had proven that their method of reaching Taylor's mom were not only ill-conceived, they were deadly.
Of course, Jordan was not the expert they thought that they (Jordan) were, but they lead them safely back to the shelter.
It was not shock when Taylor and Gregg came back as zombies. I felt no compassion for the two characters, but then every book with bloody deaths needs a "red shirt".
I actually cheered a little when they became zombies!
It did seem that the whole family (Taylor and Casey, veronica and the kids) were overly dismissive to Jordan. Yet again this makes me think about the mental healthy diagnosis stigma.
==========
What I most enjoyed about this reading section was the way Jordan reacted when they realized that their preconceived facts regarding the zombie apocalypse was incorrect.
I am not sure what motivated Jordan to get in the back of the Charlie and Anna's Van.
One moment Jordan's out having a little fun, the next they are getting in the van with fellow zombie victims.
After all the trauma when they first arrived at the facilities, Jordan just seem to go with the flow, like cattle to the slaughter house.
There is "zero resistance" on Jordan's part. They accept the brutal treatment that they receive with the same "happy go lucky" attitude.
Yup, I am going to say it again, its an expected behavior for an individual who has been stuck in any government treatment or incarceration program. Jordan has been "conditioned" to being treated like a "thing" rather than a person.
Tammy K. wrote: "Yup, I am going to say it again, its an expected behavior for an individual who has been stuck in any government treatment or incarceration program. Jordan has been "conditioned" to being treated like a "thing" rather than a person. "Wow, what a great observation.
1. I would have taken the bullet before, but now I'm on the fence. I've never really considered being sentient as a zombie before. Maybe it's pretty awesome.2.I was a little surprised by Taylor's actions. Jordan might have been a little nutty, but would be a much better partner than Greg, who seemed pretty useless all around.
I am with Ian, before reading "Jordan's Brains," I would have wanted a bullet to the brain, but now I'm not sure. I will just play it by ear if there is some Zombie bad-assed enough to get a piece of me when it is go-time and the Zombie Apocalypse gets bumpin'.Tammy made a hell of a great observation! I was raised in State homes and State run facilities and they do attempt to foster apathy and obedience in their charges. I automatically rebel at anything that even resembles a leash or bars, so I was lucky to avoid that apathetic fatalism. I will strike a cop that man-handles me as fast as I will strike a gang-banger that puts hands on me. So, hell no I would not get in the van and when they locked Jordan in the shelter I was MAD! I was like, "Come on, Jordan! Tear that pipe out of the wall! Don't let them cage you, you are going to DIE!!" I really wanted to de-nut Greg from the get-go, to be honest. Greg would not have made it long enough to be Taylor's partner if I had been Jordan, so the point would have never come up. Yeah, Greg would have had an accident, Shane-Style!!
Oh, hey, just in case you all didn't know, TAMMY K. ROCKS!! Pass it on!
Cedric,You are going to get us (well mostly me) in trouble for going off topic, but I have too now!
I think you are getting the role of Fan vs Author confused.
I am supposed to be the one prattling on praises for you, not the other way around!
Cedric is the hardest working man in the indie book world.
He has been selflessly giving a way all the money he makes (and has yet to make) off his book to charity until the end of his (and his fellow author buddies) promotion.
Both he and his character Jango have a heart of Gold.
Thanks Tammy, Ian, and Cedric for your answers.Tammy does rock!!
Ian, I'm pretty sure you'd be an awesome zombie :)
Cedric does have a heart of gold! He is doing a great thing with his giveaway/donation. I'm so glad that I've gotten to know Cedric over the past few months. He has been a great friend to me, and his zombie books are awesome!!!
Are you all very certain that the Zombie Apocalypse hasn't happened? Whenever I go to the post office, someone shambles at me speaking unintelligibly, with their hands reaching towards me, stinking to high heaven. Might just be drunks, it is Myrtle Beach South Carolina after all, but I feel like I should be packing whenever I run errands in the summer.
You have an excellent point, SueAnn. Sometimes I feel like the zombies have already invaded. I work in D.C., so I encounter soulless, brain sucking, zombie-like beings every day.I noticed that you read and rated Jordan's Brains. Thanks so much! I appreciate that you took the time to read my book.
J. wrote: "You have an excellent point, SueAnn. Sometimes I feel like the zombies have already invaded. I work in D.C., so I encounter soulless, brain sucking, zombie-like beings every day.I noticed that yo..."
Yes, sorry I didn't have time to write a review, but I had just finished Jordan's Brains when I saw this posting for the first time today. I was afraid I'd get ahead of the discussion time schedule. I'll wait until everyone else has finished the book.
Great! I'm glad you'll be joining the discussion, SueAnn. The group is scheduled to finish the book on Wednesday, August 14th.
Okay, I cheated and I read the rest of the book the whole way through! I've been trying to hold the pace to the sections for this buddy read, but I couldn't put the book down last night and had to finish it.So no spoilers, I'll stick to the questions:
1. Blaze of glory, I'd rather take one to the head than bet my chances that I might become an empathetic, thinking zombie, or that there's some cure out there that a 1:1 million chance might rescue me and give me my clear, smooth complexion back. Jordan's decision to stay alive and become a zombie - well, s/he's got the right t-shirt on for it: "This is what a zombie looks like".
2. No, Taylor was absolutely wrong to lock Jordan to the pipes with handcuffs. In most horror movies, that's an automatic death sentence - "Stay right here, I'll lock you up nice and tightly for your own safety." And when the boogie man comes, the token victim gets killed/slaughtered/eaten. Anyone who limits people's physical capabilities like that, thinking they know what's best for them, well, that's about as arrogant an "a" as they come. And Taylor got it in the end, so there. Kismet.
Looking forward to discuss the next section - I really enjoyed this book!
I think most of us have snuck ahead of the reading assignment. :-)
J. wrote: "Jordan decided to pass up the offer of a bullet to the head..."I don't think anyone should be dispatched after the bite and before they turn, unless circumstances don't allow for containment. If everyone is shot before turning, we'd never find out if there are some people with a natural resistance. Which is what we seem to be seeing in Jordan at the facility where she is now being held. Plus, I recall at least one story where the probability of the bite turning someone decreases as the zombie gets further from when they turned. Of course, it was talking about months or years, not hours, but the point still remains.
J. wrote: "Do you think Taylor was right to lock up Jordan in the fallout shelter..."
Yes, they were correct to lock Jordan up. Jordan's behavior would have been reckless out on the road. We already saw that in the first part of the book. And, as Jordan is discovering, her concept of a zombie apocalypse isn't what is really happening. They aren't even zombies.
But I will grant that Jordan was right in leaving the car behind and heading back to the shelter.
Tammy wrote: "I liked Jordan's positive attitude "maybe I'll be a good zombie."
Hear! Hear! :)
Tammy wrote: "It was not shock when Taylor and Gregg came back as zombies."
It was for me. Not that they turned, but I was surprised they came back and had memories. Although now that we know they're just infected and are not really zombies, retaining memory makes sense. I loved the bit about how her brother seemed to enjoy killing his wife.
Tammy wrote: "I am not sure what motivated Jordan to get in the back of the Charlie and Anna's Van."
My first thought was that they already had a cure.
Ian wrote: "Jordan might have been a little nutty, but would be a much better partner than Greg, who seemed pretty useless all around."
True. Greg probably got them both infected.
Cedric wrote: "I will strike a cop that man-handles me..."
That will get you far more attention than you want, in any situation. The last thing you want to do is have the situation escalate to the next level of violence. Flows of adrenaline can easily put things way out of control.
Netanella wrote: "Anyone who limits people's physical capabilities like that, thinking they know what's best for them, well, that's about as arrogant an "a" as they come."
Put me in that arrogant category. He knew Jordan couldn't be trusted to stay in the shelter, without being restrained. Almost every step of the previous journey to Florida was a disaster. Just because of this obsessive desire to help people. In a real zombie apocalypse, that just gets everyone killed.
PS: How did you feel about them restraining Merle on the roof in The Walking Dead? I also thought that was the right thing to do. Better than killing him outright. He was out of control.
Randy,It was killing me to have to wait for your comments. I kept thinking, "wait for it, wait for it..." But I came close to e-mailing you second friendly reminder.
I was also thinking that I might just have to buy a copy of that online game you , create a character, hunt you down (I'm sure you'd be the one with the skull face) and nagged your... Insert two words the Mods would delete here... .
But thankfully, none of that was necessary.
Boy aren't you glad I ain't your mother! (Look, two negatives in the same sentence just for you my friend :-) .... next time don't make me wait . I could've died you know! OK not really, that was a little off the deep end, even for me!
But once, I seen an I seen an episode of the Simons where Marge does that to Bart, it seemed especially cruel and yet very clever.
So back to your comments, I recall the first time you explained your reasoning with me on allowing for survivors, it was not something that I had seriously considered but I agreed then and still do now that it made sense.
Merle creeped me out! He was a jerk but rather then him chained to the roof top, he should have been thrown off.
Jordan wasn't a creep, just a little left from centered.
Tammy K. wrote: "Jordan wasn't a creep, just a little left from centered."And able to help, as we saw. But I just think the obsessiveness of the character would get in the way, more than help.
After all, Jordan's zombie rules don't really apply. And Jordan seems to be ecstatic about the whole apocalypse thing. :)
As for some people not turning, it's almost gotten to be a SciFi cliche that the pregnant woman is immune, because of all the hormonal changes going on in her body. Note that at this point, they seem to imply the drugs Jordan has been taking may account for the immunity. Or maybe just the different brain chemistry to begin with...
Randy wrote: "Tammy K. wrote: "Jordan wasn't a creep, just a little left from centered."And able to help, as we saw. But I just think the obsessiveness of the character would get in the way, more than help.
A..."
Hmm. I find no flaws in your overall reasoning. Yet, I feel a strong impulse to correct you by telling you Jordan's not a woman.
However I have no proof on that, he could be a she. But I
Lean more into making them a gender neutral individual.
Like Andrej Pejic
http://celematic.com/andrej-pejic
Randy: always thought-provoking comments from you! Handcuffing Merle to the roof in the Walking Dead...handcuffing Jordan to the pipes in the safe room... I think I like Tammy's idea that he just should have been chucked over the rooftop. (But then that story arc would have ended too soon...)Psychiatric wards...prison systems...law and order versus chaos. Obviously some people ought to be physically restrained, and I would never advocate that criminals or those with criminal tendencies ought to be out and about and free to do whatever they wish. Those who would harm themselves or others....
In a civilized society, or one whose rules are crumbling, it's those with the power that make these decisions for us. Sometimes it's just, and sometimes not.
And consider, perhaps Jordan's descent into empathetic zombie was also delusional? Should we really believe that the events happened the way they did in Jordan's mind? I won't write further, to avoid spoilers...
Netanella wrote: ".. consider, perhaps Jordan's descent into empathetic zombie was also delusional? Should we really believe that the events happened the way they did in Jordan's mind? I won't write further....."That possibility is too much for me. It would not be an enjoyable twist.
To quote a former president,
There's an old saying in Tennessee - I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee - that says, fool me once, shame on... shame on you. Fool me - you can't get fooled again.
