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musen_henning's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
reflective
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs and Racism
Moderate: Violence, War, Religious bigotry, Murder, Colonisation, Torture, Physical abuse, and Slavery
Minor: Child death, Cannibalism, and Cursing
alex_johnson_2021's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
stardust_heidi's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
I love nothing more than a strong, sassy as fuck FMC who has no patience for men in power.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery, Physical abuse, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Gore, Gun violence, Confinement, Racism, Misogyny, and Violence
bookph1le's review against another edition
4.0
Now this, this is a book to get excited about. That's especially significant for me, since I have very low tolerance for YA these days after being a devoted YA reader for some years. I just got to a point where I was burned one too many times by trite, derivative junk that was pushed out solely to jump on the latest hot trend. I have no idea if zombie YA is on trend right now, but even if it is, I was thrilled to read a book that doesn't feel like so much badly done YA drivel.
This book has things to say, important things. Even though it's set in an alternative US in which zombies rose during the Civil War, putting an abrupt end to that particular conflict without resolving *any* of the issues surrounding it, this book has a TON of relevance to the real, current America, and I know that's no accident. This book is smartly written and it makes many, many hard-hitting points about race relations in the US, about how people of color are mistreated, and about how blind most white people are to their privilege.
Plus, it has one of the most spirited, wonderful female characters I've read in some time. Jane is by no means perfect, which is what makes her a perfect character. She has rough edges, does bad things, and isn't always a nice person, but she is a complicated human being with whom I could sympathize. I really liked that she made no bones about who she was or what she had to do to navigate her circumstances. She was smart and insightful and a joy to read about.
Now, I gave it four stars because there were a couple of trope-y features (Hello, love triangle--or was it a love square?), and some plot points that stretched credulity for me--particularly when it came to the scheme Jane cooked up for Katherine. I couldn't for the life of me see how that would work. However, the writing is so strong and I found Jane such an engaging character that I wasn't as bothered by this as I might have been.
All in all, my reaction to this book was very enthusiastic, and I very much look forward to the next installment.
This book has things to say, important things. Even though it's set in an alternative US in which zombies rose during the Civil War, putting an abrupt end to that particular conflict without resolving *any* of the issues surrounding it, this book has a TON of relevance to the real, current America, and I know that's no accident. This book is smartly written and it makes many, many hard-hitting points about race relations in the US, about how people of color are mistreated, and about how blind most white people are to their privilege.
Plus, it has one of the most spirited, wonderful female characters I've read in some time. Jane is by no means perfect, which is what makes her a perfect character. She has rough edges, does bad things, and isn't always a nice person, but she is a complicated human being with whom I could sympathize. I really liked that she made no bones about who she was or what she had to do to navigate her circumstances. She was smart and insightful and a joy to read about.
Now, I gave it four stars because there were a couple of trope-y features (Hello, love triangle--or was it a love square?), and some plot points that stretched credulity for me--particularly when it came to the scheme Jane cooked up for Katherine. I couldn't for the life of me see how that would work. However, the writing is so strong and I found Jane such an engaging character that I wasn't as bothered by this as I might have been.
All in all, my reaction to this book was very enthusiastic, and I very much look forward to the next installment.
lilbookowl's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
monkeymouse113's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
4.5
chrissiewithanie's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
wallabystew's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
rsteve388's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This was an enjoyable and engaging book that blended Fantasy and History. In post civil war America, black girls get sent to schools to learn how to fight the undead, whixhs tarted rising at the end of the civil war. Jane attends this school and learns how to fight back against racism and the undead. Excellent story. Really engaging.