Review: The Girl with All the Gifts

The Girl with All the Gifts by M.R. Carey
Age Group: Adult
Genre: Dystopia, Horror
Release Date: Published June 19th 2014 by Orbit
Buy Links: Amazon ♥ Book Depository

Book Description

NOT EVERY GIFT IS A BLESSING

Every morning, Melanie waits in her cell to be collected for class.

When they come for her, Sergeant Parks keeps his gun pointing at her while two of his people strap her into the wheelchair. She thinks they don't like her. She jokes that she won't bite. But they don't laugh.

Melanie is a very special girl.

♥ ♥ ♥

SPOILER ALERT: This is a book about Zombies. The world as we know it has died, and society has collapsed. Nature decided to fight back and infected the human race with a contagious fungi that makes people hungry for human flesh. The remaining survivors scramble for a cure, knowing time is running out. In addition to the survivors there are some very special children, like Melanie, who were born into a world of chaos and have to find out where they fit into the new world.

I loved Melanie's character. Her narration was what made this book for me. She was an endearing girl who had to face truths about herself that could have been hard to accept by some. She faced such harsh treatments from the people surrounding her because of what she was. Her inner conflicts, and how she dealt with them, and how she questioned them, made me care for her so much despite her being truly something else. There are several other POVs in this book and they really help to expand on the world building.

In all the zombie books I’ve read, there was always a sense of positivity anticipated at the end with new beginnings and chances to start civilization again, but The Girl With All The Gifts didn't feel positive for me. While the writing was phenomenal, the atmosphere and the ending truly gave me a sense of defeat. It made me feel sad about how the world has changed, and it made me fear of this situation were it ever to become a reality.

I really recommend this book. If you're looking for a zombie read that's not the usual action and zombie killing, or something on the side of philosophical with a sense of grief and melancholy of what mankind may become, look no further.

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