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Newsflesh #1
Feed
« Feed, c’est le récit d’un avenir post-apocalyptique brutal, captivant, palpitant. Un chef-d’œuvre de suspense et une réflexion profonde sur la quête de la vérité et les manières de la présenter au monde. » Publishers Weekly
2034. Il y a vingt ans, l’humanité a vaincu le cancer. Le rhume n’est plus qu’un mauvais souvenir. Mais elle a créé une chose terrible que personne n’a été capable d’arrêter. Une infection virale. Qui s’est propagée à une vitesse redoutable, le virus prenant le contrôle des cerveaux, avec une seule obsession : se nourrir. Issus de cette génération sacrifiée, Georgia et Shaun Mason sont les maîtres de la blogosphere, devenue le seul média indépendant proclamant la vérité sur ce qui se passe derrière les barricades. Shaun, la tête brûlée, et Georgia, l’âme du duo, enquêtent sur l’affaire la plus importante de leur carrière: la sinistre conspiration qui se cache derrière les infectés. Et ils sont bien décidés à faire éclater la vérité, même s’ils doivent y laisser la vie.
Kindle Edition
First published April 10, 2010
About the author
Mira Grant
48 books6,214 followersMira also writes as Seanan McGuire.
Born and raised in Northern California, Mira Grant has made a lifelong study of horror movies, horrible viruses, and the inevitable threat of the living dead. In college, she was voted Most Likely to Summon Something Horrible in the Cornfield, and was a founding member of the Horror Movie Sleep-Away Survival Camp, where her record for time survived in the Swamp Cannibals scenario remains unchallenged.
Mira lives in a crumbling farmhouse with an assortment of cats, horror movies, comics, and books about horrible diseases. When not writing, she splits her time between travel, auditing college virology courses, and watching more horror movies than is strictly good for you. Favorite vacation spots include Seattle, London, and a large haunted corn maze just outside of Huntsville, Alabama.
Mira sleeps with a machete under her bed, and highly suggests that you do the same.
Born and raised in Northern California, Mira Grant has made a lifelong study of horror movies, horrible viruses, and the inevitable threat of the living dead. In college, she was voted Most Likely to Summon Something Horrible in the Cornfield, and was a founding member of the Horror Movie Sleep-Away Survival Camp, where her record for time survived in the Swamp Cannibals scenario remains unchallenged.
Mira lives in a crumbling farmhouse with an assortment of cats, horror movies, comics, and books about horrible diseases. When not writing, she splits her time between travel, auditing college virology courses, and watching more horror movies than is strictly good for you. Favorite vacation spots include Seattle, London, and a large haunted corn maze just outside of Huntsville, Alabama.
Mira sleeps with a machete under her bed, and highly suggests that you do the same.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 7,239 reviews
December 3, 2013
This is not a zombie book, or at least not a zombie book in the way it is marketed. That's only part of the reason why this book pisses me off. It promises a zombie novel despite the fact literally hundreds of pages go by without seeing one. It kicks off with a bang and some zombie action and then that's it. When I buy a book on the understanding it's about zombies, I do actually expect to, you know, experience them. Mira Grant assumes otherwise.
Two things that genuinely confused me; -- The pop culture references to the current world. Considering the fact this book is set 20 years in the future, in a completely different world and society and...people still remember Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Irwins are named after Steve Irwin, who, by the time all this takes place, is long dead. The whole George Romero thing irked me although I'm not really sure why. I understand his movies more or less catapulted zombies into mainstream culture but his most recent movies have flopped so hard people are wondering why he's still making them. I'm not ratting on the guy (Day Of The Dead was the movie that got me into zombies), I'm just saying I don't buy him having a god like status in society.
-- The lack of anything sexual. Why? I'm not saying I expected it, or really that the book would have been better with some sex scenes but Grant avoided them to obviously, going as far as the categorically state both Georgia and Shaun are celibate with such abruptness my 'icky sex' radar went through the damn roof. It didn't help that she went to noticeable lengths to point out that they only needed each other, no one else under ANY CIRCUMSTANCES. I'm all for siblings being close but Grant failed massively and just made me suspicious some kind of relationship beyond brother/sister was going on. I was honestly expecting some kind of incest (they're adopted but have been brought up together. Not sure if that counts) subplot to come out and bite me.
Georgia, for me, was a huge irritant. She was possibly an author insert and definitely a Mary Sue. She's awkward and hates the lime light yet gets lots of it, even though she tries her hardest to avoid any attention. She's the head of the team yet hates the recognition this gives her. She claims to deliver nothing but the truth, despite her blog posts being nothing but her opinion. She has an eye condition (another thing Grant doesn't let you forget) that means she's sensitive to light and can't go without her epic sunglasses. This takes nothing away from her appearance other than to make her look moody and cool. If my memory serves me right, someone even likens her to a rock star. On the occasions that she wears contact lenses, she wears bright blue colored ones so she can make people feel uncomfortable. Maybe Grant is under the illusion this is a flaw in some way (much like apparently being clumsy and falling over a lot is, ala Bella Swan) but it's obviously another way of showing how cool Georgia is.
There was one passage when she even avoids a hug off of a well meaning woman who has been nothing other than kind to her because she didn't want to have to touch her/be touched. Hugs last about 3 seconds and she made it sound like touching this woman was akin to licking dog shit. What a rude dick.
She cannot create good, believable characters. This is my biggest pet peeve. None of them (least of all Georgia and Shaun) can have a conversation without cracking juvenile one liners and generally showing how bad ass they are.
And then there's the constant references to the blood testing kit. It was ok the first time, but 40th? Nope. I get it, it's a dangerous place to live (judging by the lack of zombie action, it's not really, but I'll pretend to go along with Mira anyway). I don't need to be constantly reminded every time they want to open a door. It's not like it's mentioned in detail the once, she go into detail every single time.
The writing is repetitive to a point bordering on infuriating. If I had to read 'This is my brother Shaun, he pokes things with sticks!' one more time I probably would have burst a valve. She evens makes a reference to 'reaching for the stick' in the interview at the back. It wasn't funny the first time. Stop it.
I really, genuinely do not like this book. The more I think about it the more it pisses me off. I'm sorry but I'm not buying any of it.
Ps, the 'fictionals' made me want to smash my head off a wall. Wtf did she get that from?
Pps, stereotyping and judging is not good, Mira. The only female politician is described as having big fake boobs, zero brain cells and no real talents other than squeezing her ta-ta's together. Whether or not that's Georgia with a case of The Bitchies I don't know, but it's not exactly fair and reeks of pathetic insecurity.
The stereotyping? Oh dear. The only English character drops 'bloody hells' all over the place and has a blog called...'Fish & Clips'. I shit you not. Mira needs a holiday somewhere-outside-of-America.
Review for second book:
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
Two things that genuinely confused me; -- The pop culture references to the current world. Considering the fact this book is set 20 years in the future, in a completely different world and society and...people still remember Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Irwins are named after Steve Irwin, who, by the time all this takes place, is long dead. The whole George Romero thing irked me although I'm not really sure why. I understand his movies more or less catapulted zombies into mainstream culture but his most recent movies have flopped so hard people are wondering why he's still making them. I'm not ratting on the guy (Day Of The Dead was the movie that got me into zombies), I'm just saying I don't buy him having a god like status in society.
-- The lack of anything sexual. Why? I'm not saying I expected it, or really that the book would have been better with some sex scenes but Grant avoided them to obviously, going as far as the categorically state both Georgia and Shaun are celibate with such abruptness my 'icky sex' radar went through the damn roof. It didn't help that she went to noticeable lengths to point out that they only needed each other, no one else under ANY CIRCUMSTANCES. I'm all for siblings being close but Grant failed massively and just made me suspicious some kind of relationship beyond brother/sister was going on. I was honestly expecting some kind of incest (they're adopted but have been brought up together. Not sure if that counts) subplot to come out and bite me.
Georgia, for me, was a huge irritant. She was possibly an author insert and definitely a Mary Sue. She's awkward and hates the lime light yet gets lots of it, even though she tries her hardest to avoid any attention. She's the head of the team yet hates the recognition this gives her. She claims to deliver nothing but the truth, despite her blog posts being nothing but her opinion. She has an eye condition (another thing Grant doesn't let you forget) that means she's sensitive to light and can't go without her epic sunglasses. This takes nothing away from her appearance other than to make her look moody and cool. If my memory serves me right, someone even likens her to a rock star. On the occasions that she wears contact lenses, she wears bright blue colored ones so she can make people feel uncomfortable. Maybe Grant is under the illusion this is a flaw in some way (much like apparently being clumsy and falling over a lot is, ala Bella Swan) but it's obviously another way of showing how cool Georgia is.
There was one passage when she even avoids a hug off of a well meaning woman who has been nothing other than kind to her because she didn't want to have to touch her/be touched. Hugs last about 3 seconds and she made it sound like touching this woman was akin to licking dog shit. What a rude dick.
She cannot create good, believable characters. This is my biggest pet peeve. None of them (least of all Georgia and Shaun) can have a conversation without cracking juvenile one liners and generally showing how bad ass they are.
And then there's the constant references to the blood testing kit. It was ok the first time, but 40th? Nope. I get it, it's a dangerous place to live (judging by the lack of zombie action, it's not really, but I'll pretend to go along with Mira anyway). I don't need to be constantly reminded every time they want to open a door. It's not like it's mentioned in detail the once, she go into detail every single time.
The writing is repetitive to a point bordering on infuriating. If I had to read 'This is my brother Shaun, he pokes things with sticks!' one more time I probably would have burst a valve. She evens makes a reference to 'reaching for the stick' in the interview at the back. It wasn't funny the first time. Stop it.
I really, genuinely do not like this book. The more I think about it the more it pisses me off. I'm sorry but I'm not buying any of it.
Ps, the 'fictionals' made me want to smash my head off a wall. Wtf did she get that from?
Pps, stereotyping and judging is not good, Mira. The only female politician is described as having big fake boobs, zero brain cells and no real talents other than squeezing her ta-ta's together. Whether or not that's Georgia with a case of The Bitchies I don't know, but it's not exactly fair and reeks of pathetic insecurity.
The stereotyping? Oh dear. The only English character drops 'bloody hells' all over the place and has a blog called...'Fish & Clips'. I shit you not. Mira needs a holiday somewhere-outside-of-America.
Review for second book:
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
May 24, 2011
This book has zombies in it, but to call it a zombie or horror novel does it a disservice. There are some awesome action sequences, but no gratuitous feeding scenes, screaming teenagers, or B-horror movie cliches or gore. It's more of a novel about journalism, the right to information and free speech, and the personal and political ramifications of a wide-spreading disease. With occasional zombie action.
This is also not necessarily a young adult novel. Not because it's inappropriate in any way, but because the themes it addresses are hard and sometimes the narrative is pretty dry. In the year 2039, Georgia and Shaun Mason, along with their friend Buffy (recognize any zombie-related names there?), are invited to cover Senator Ryman's presidential campaign in a world in which the Kellis-Amberlee virus has decimated the country's population and resources. Traditional news organizations have given way to the rise of internet journalism, and the trio of young bloggers must uncover a terrible conspiracy and disseminate information to their readers, all while risking their very lives.
The strengths in this novel include incredibly well thought-out world-building, strong characters, snappy dialogue, unexpected plot twists, and excellent action sequences. Mira Grant's attention to detail in Feed regarding precautionary measures, sterilization procedures, and waiting for heart-pounding test results all rang very true. (Richard Preston's The Hot Zone: A Terrifying True Story scared the bejesus out of me when it was first published in 1999, and for awhile I was fascinated by the CDC and read a lot of books about various outbreaks and plagues.) Georgia, who is the primary narrator, is a butt-kicking heroine with a huge amount of integrity, and I loved her adopted brother Shaun, who sports both a cheerfully bantering demeanor and a crossbow. I have a healthy amount of respect for their efforts to survive and for their pursuit of truth, which often came at great cost to themselves and to those they hold dear.
This is not to say that this is a perfect novel. There are overly long info-dumping passages (they are intelligently written and provide necessary back story, but they are info-dumps all the same) that would have been better served with more dialogue; a surprisingly uncomplicated, easy-to-spot villain; and some aspects of Georgia and Shaun's relationship that were teased but perhaps a bit unexplored. I wish there was also better build up of tension, a few more zombie encounters, less politics (a personal preference, though, since I find politics a big snoozefest), a less prolonged ending following a major game-changing event, and a little more emotion throughout the book. Overall, I think the spareness of prose and Georgia's all-business approach worked within the context of the story, but because I'm always looking for emotional connection, I would liked to have seen it spread out in more than just a couple of places.
However...the scenes with emotional impact pack a gigantic wallop. It's hard to surprise me these days with unexpected story twists, but this one managed to do it not once, but twice--and the outcomes of both those revelations ratchet up the stakes in a way that nothing else could have. I had early, anxious worries about the ending, but things didn't unfold the way I expected--and it still didn't prepare me for the tears that flowed freely and the awful ache in my throat, both of which still come and go as I think about the book. That characters would still, in such extreme and tragic circumstances, behave with such integrity and nobility and selflessness and love, just wrenches my heart.
To be honest, this would probably normally be a 4 star review because of points I mentioned. But because of its heartrending and unforgettable ending, it gets 4.5 stars from me. I think as readers, most of us go through dozens and dozens of books hoping to find that one book that shatters our expectations and leaves us speechless with unexpected feeling. For me, Feed is one that definitely does that.
********************
Here is my spoiler-free review of the sequel (which is okay to read even if you haven't read FEED). Reminder: DO NOT READ the synopsis for the second book in the trilogy, however, as it spoils major plot points for this first book.
This is also not necessarily a young adult novel. Not because it's inappropriate in any way, but because the themes it addresses are hard and sometimes the narrative is pretty dry. In the year 2039, Georgia and Shaun Mason, along with their friend Buffy (recognize any zombie-related names there?), are invited to cover Senator Ryman's presidential campaign in a world in which the Kellis-Amberlee virus has decimated the country's population and resources. Traditional news organizations have given way to the rise of internet journalism, and the trio of young bloggers must uncover a terrible conspiracy and disseminate information to their readers, all while risking their very lives.
The strengths in this novel include incredibly well thought-out world-building, strong characters, snappy dialogue, unexpected plot twists, and excellent action sequences. Mira Grant's attention to detail in Feed regarding precautionary measures, sterilization procedures, and waiting for heart-pounding test results all rang very true. (Richard Preston's The Hot Zone: A Terrifying True Story scared the bejesus out of me when it was first published in 1999, and for awhile I was fascinated by the CDC and read a lot of books about various outbreaks and plagues.) Georgia, who is the primary narrator, is a butt-kicking heroine with a huge amount of integrity, and I loved her adopted brother Shaun, who sports both a cheerfully bantering demeanor and a crossbow. I have a healthy amount of respect for their efforts to survive and for their pursuit of truth, which often came at great cost to themselves and to those they hold dear.
This is not to say that this is a perfect novel. There are overly long info-dumping passages (they are intelligently written and provide necessary back story, but they are info-dumps all the same) that would have been better served with more dialogue; a surprisingly uncomplicated, easy-to-spot villain; and some aspects of Georgia and Shaun's relationship that were teased but perhaps a bit unexplored. I wish there was also better build up of tension, a few more zombie encounters, less politics (a personal preference, though, since I find politics a big snoozefest), a less prolonged ending following a major game-changing event, and a little more emotion throughout the book. Overall, I think the spareness of prose and Georgia's all-business approach worked within the context of the story, but because I'm always looking for emotional connection, I would liked to have seen it spread out in more than just a couple of places.
However...the scenes with emotional impact pack a gigantic wallop. It's hard to surprise me these days with unexpected story twists, but this one managed to do it not once, but twice--and the outcomes of both those revelations ratchet up the stakes in a way that nothing else could have. I had early, anxious worries about the ending, but things didn't unfold the way I expected--and it still didn't prepare me for the tears that flowed freely and the awful ache in my throat, both of which still come and go as I think about the book. That characters would still, in such extreme and tragic circumstances, behave with such integrity and nobility and selflessness and love, just wrenches my heart.
To be honest, this would probably normally be a 4 star review because of points I mentioned. But because of its heartrending and unforgettable ending, it gets 4.5 stars from me. I think as readers, most of us go through dozens and dozens of books hoping to find that one book that shatters our expectations and leaves us speechless with unexpected feeling. For me, Feed is one that definitely does that.
********************
Here is my spoiler-free review of the sequel (which is okay to read even if you haven't read FEED). Reminder: DO NOT READ the synopsis for the second book in the trilogy, however, as it spoils major plot points for this first book.
July 29, 2014
This book is about mobs of mindless zombies influencing American politics. Surprisingly, it’s not about the Tea Party.
In the year 2014, genetically engineered viruses mutated and caused the dead to come back to life and start munching on people like senior citizens at a casino buffet. Over 20% of the world’s population got gobbled up like popcorn shrimp, and in 2040 the threat of the still existing virus and zombies has changed life forever. Since the virus is present in everyone’s system, when anyone dies, whether it’s from zombie bite or natural causes, they will turn into one of the undead cannibals. Large gatherings of people rarely occur, everyone’s homes and cars are fortresses equipped with high tech screening equipment and huge areas (like Alaska) have been given up as zones too hazardous to enter without special permits and training.
Georgia Mason and her brother Shaun are part of the new generation of bloggers. Georgia is a straight Newsie, reporting only the facts and trying to get past the spin. Shaun is kind of like one of the guys on Jackass who goes out to taunt the undead while recording and posting his exploits. When they are offered a chance to follow the presidential campaign of a senator it’s a chance for them to move to the head of the pack of web journalists. However, when the senator’s caravan is the victim of a zombie attack the Masons get caught up in a dangerous conspiracy.
This was a pretty unique zombie tale with some very good ideas in it. The explanation for the way the virus works is one of the more thought out causes of the undead I’ve read. It also shows a lot of thought of what the media of the future is going to look like with competing websites featuring a mix of news/opinion/death defying features and even fiction. Mira Grant has created a tale of how the fear of external threats can become an everyday part of society that’s ripe for exploitation.
However, at 600 pages it feels a bit overstuffed. We’re repeatedly walked through the blood screenings and other security measures that are part of society to the point of boredom. Georgia has an eye condition due to the zombie virus present in her system, and there are about 1236 instances of security guys demanding that she take off her prescription sunglasses and the problems it causes. And for a book where the threat of zombies is ever present, there are very few actual zombie attacks in it.
I couldn’t quite wrap my head around the Mason’s role in this story. They’re supposed to be young journalists on their way up, but somehow Georgia‘s reports quickly become must reading on the web as she instantly became an expert on presidential politics her first time covering a campaign. Also, Georgia and Shaun are constantly looking down their noses at everyone around them for being ‘amatuers’ when it comes to dealing with zombies because (as we are repeatedly reminded) they are licensed and trained journalists with extensive time in the field. So these young people are apparently the only ones with the smarts, experience and ability to see what’s going on and everyone, including a US senator, defers to them to an unbelievable degree.
Still, this was fun mash-up of a zombie story and a political/ conspiracy thriller with some interesting predictions about where the new media will take us. I’ll probably check out the next one in the series, but I hope there’s more brain munching and fewer blood tests in the second book.
In the year 2014, genetically engineered viruses mutated and caused the dead to come back to life and start munching on people like senior citizens at a casino buffet. Over 20% of the world’s population got gobbled up like popcorn shrimp, and in 2040 the threat of the still existing virus and zombies has changed life forever. Since the virus is present in everyone’s system, when anyone dies, whether it’s from zombie bite or natural causes, they will turn into one of the undead cannibals. Large gatherings of people rarely occur, everyone’s homes and cars are fortresses equipped with high tech screening equipment and huge areas (like Alaska) have been given up as zones too hazardous to enter without special permits and training.
Georgia Mason and her brother Shaun are part of the new generation of bloggers. Georgia is a straight Newsie, reporting only the facts and trying to get past the spin. Shaun is kind of like one of the guys on Jackass who goes out to taunt the undead while recording and posting his exploits. When they are offered a chance to follow the presidential campaign of a senator it’s a chance for them to move to the head of the pack of web journalists. However, when the senator’s caravan is the victim of a zombie attack the Masons get caught up in a dangerous conspiracy.
This was a pretty unique zombie tale with some very good ideas in it. The explanation for the way the virus works is one of the more thought out causes of the undead I’ve read. It also shows a lot of thought of what the media of the future is going to look like with competing websites featuring a mix of news/opinion/death defying features and even fiction. Mira Grant has created a tale of how the fear of external threats can become an everyday part of society that’s ripe for exploitation.
However, at 600 pages it feels a bit overstuffed. We’re repeatedly walked through the blood screenings and other security measures that are part of society to the point of boredom. Georgia has an eye condition due to the zombie virus present in her system, and there are about 1236 instances of security guys demanding that she take off her prescription sunglasses and the problems it causes. And for a book where the threat of zombies is ever present, there are very few actual zombie attacks in it.
I couldn’t quite wrap my head around the Mason’s role in this story. They’re supposed to be young journalists on their way up, but somehow Georgia‘s reports quickly become must reading on the web as she instantly became an expert on presidential politics her first time covering a campaign. Also, Georgia and Shaun are constantly looking down their noses at everyone around them for being ‘amatuers’ when it comes to dealing with zombies because (as we are repeatedly reminded) they are licensed and trained journalists with extensive time in the field. So these young people are apparently the only ones with the smarts, experience and ability to see what’s going on and everyone, including a US senator, defers to them to an unbelievable degree.
Still, this was fun mash-up of a zombie story and a political/ conspiracy thriller with some interesting predictions about where the new media will take us. I’ll probably check out the next one in the series, but I hope there’s more brain munching and fewer blood tests in the second book.
August 18, 2018
three stars - look at me!! i am right in the middle of the road with this one!! watch out for traffic, karen!!!
i wanted to read this as soon as it came out. i think i bought it the week we got it into the store. but, you know how i roll, this was just sitting around for ages and ages in a stack by the door. and then i heard that it was amaaaazing. and then i heard that it was terrrrrible. and etc etc.
and it wasn't until zombie month 2011 that i managed to see for my damn self.
and for me, it was good but i have no choice but to rate it in terms of the other zombie books i have read thus far. it was way better than dust and frail, but not as good as the reapers are the angels or raising stony mayhall. so we gotta go with a solid and respectable three. fair is fair, after all.
i loved the characters in this book, i gotta say. george and shaun are both such damaged and driven people. and i was so relieved that grant didn't go where it looked like she wanted to go with their characters. she was toeing the line there for a while, and i was rolling my eyes and giving her warnings, but she never toppled over into 'ick' territory, and that made ME feel like the creep for seeing things that weren't there. i shake my fist at you, ms. grant, but appreciate that you made their relationship so exceptional without making it exceptionally gross.
also great is the world building. it is dense with details and mostly reasonable; on the one hand the virus' transmission or "activation" is really cool. and not something i have seen before. so - nicely done there. on the other hand - does anyone remember the dandy warhols today, in 2011?? i don't think anyone in 2040 will be remembering them. there is nostalgia, and then there is just foolishness. but other than that, i enjoyed the details that were original and specific to this particular zombie world. that is always my favorite part of these kinds of books: what the author is contributing to the mythology that is unique to their story.
the only reason i didn't like this as much as the two books that i really loved is because it is more of a traditional zombie story - an action story with political cover-ups and a central mystery and numerous action sequences. the books i found particularly great were more tricksy in the way they used the zombies. but that doesn't mean i am not going to read the second one. or the e-book short stories.
i am curious to see where she takes the story, now that THE THINGS THAT HAPPENED IN THIS BOOK HAVE HAPPENED. is my version of dancing around spoilers. all i know is that i liked this book, and even though i had to write some damn paper in the middle of it, which made my house look like this for a week or so:
(which looks totally cluttered, but is actually very carefully arranged.), i still was very interested in getting back to this book, and it was easy to fall back into its world when i needed a break from academia. i am going to read the second part later in the week, and then i guess wait patiently for the third part.
as a bonus, here is a picture of my cat in a drawer.
man, i have lost the knack for writing book reports. i all dizzy from learning. who wants to read a paper about readers' advisory?
come to my blog!
i wanted to read this as soon as it came out. i think i bought it the week we got it into the store. but, you know how i roll, this was just sitting around for ages and ages in a stack by the door. and then i heard that it was amaaaazing. and then i heard that it was terrrrrible. and etc etc.
and it wasn't until zombie month 2011 that i managed to see for my damn self.
and for me, it was good but i have no choice but to rate it in terms of the other zombie books i have read thus far. it was way better than dust and frail, but not as good as the reapers are the angels or raising stony mayhall. so we gotta go with a solid and respectable three. fair is fair, after all.
i loved the characters in this book, i gotta say. george and shaun are both such damaged and driven people. and i was so relieved that grant didn't go where it looked like she wanted to go with their characters. she was toeing the line there for a while, and i was rolling my eyes and giving her warnings, but she never toppled over into 'ick' territory, and that made ME feel like the creep for seeing things that weren't there. i shake my fist at you, ms. grant, but appreciate that you made their relationship so exceptional without making it exceptionally gross.
also great is the world building. it is dense with details and mostly reasonable; on the one hand the virus' transmission or "activation" is really cool. and not something i have seen before. so - nicely done there. on the other hand - does anyone remember the dandy warhols today, in 2011?? i don't think anyone in 2040 will be remembering them. there is nostalgia, and then there is just foolishness. but other than that, i enjoyed the details that were original and specific to this particular zombie world. that is always my favorite part of these kinds of books: what the author is contributing to the mythology that is unique to their story.
the only reason i didn't like this as much as the two books that i really loved is because it is more of a traditional zombie story - an action story with political cover-ups and a central mystery and numerous action sequences. the books i found particularly great were more tricksy in the way they used the zombies. but that doesn't mean i am not going to read the second one. or the e-book short stories.
i am curious to see where she takes the story, now that THE THINGS THAT HAPPENED IN THIS BOOK HAVE HAPPENED. is my version of dancing around spoilers. all i know is that i liked this book, and even though i had to write some damn paper in the middle of it, which made my house look like this for a week or so:
(which looks totally cluttered, but is actually very carefully arranged.), i still was very interested in getting back to this book, and it was easy to fall back into its world when i needed a break from academia. i am going to read the second part later in the week, and then i guess wait patiently for the third part.
as a bonus, here is a picture of my cat in a drawer.
man, i have lost the knack for writing book reports. i all dizzy from learning. who wants to read a paper about readers' advisory?
come to my blog!
June 9, 2015
YO, THERE'S SOME MUTHAFUCKIN' SPOILERS UP IN THIS BITCH, FOR REAL
★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ 1 Star for the most grindingly obvious villain that i've had the displeasure of experiencing in years. he's a militaristic, right-wing, fundamentalist old man with the ruthless urge to dominate and no respect for youth, the media, liberals, etc. i know these people exist, obviously. but can't targets be picked with a bit more subtlety and finesse? this guy was out of central casting and only needed a moustache to twirl to be more obvious. geez louise, Captain Obvious: The Author... not only is the target predictable, but his every villainous move is telegraphed with thudding, insulting He Is Bad Man-ness. how trite. obvious, obvious, obvious. SNORE!
★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆ 2 Stars for some pretty shoddy writing at times. many times. no, i don't need to hear snarky comments made every other paragraph - because that's the way young adults on tv talk, not real young adults. at least not 100% of the time. and no, i don't need to read incensed reactions to hyper-vigilant security protocols every single time that a security protocol happens. good grief, enough is enough! repetition does not make this heart grow fonder. the second time this happened, i grimaced. the third time it happened, i began to hold a grudge. by the time it happened for the umpteenth time, yo, i was cursing up a muthafucking storm, for real. also, characterization for supporting characters: WEAK. i find out that Buffy was "the funniest person" that Shaun ever knew - and yet the reader has been given no evidence of this. in fact the reader has been given no evidence whatsoever that Buffy even has a personality beyond an OCD desire to be technologically on top of things. and at the end i find out that the nonentity known as "Rick" is now a vice-presidential candidate? uh, whatever. words can't convey my feelings of derision at that announcement.
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆ 3 Stars for Overall Enjoyment. i, as the stars say, "Liked It". would i recommend it? no, probably not, except maybe to a teenager (although, duh, that's the target audience, mark, get a grip!). so despite the above complaints, and see below, overall this wasn't a disagreeable experience for me. the zombie attacks were sparse, and despite being a zombie lover, i appreciated their sparseness - it rather lifted this book above straight-up horror. and this is, i suppose, a bonafide YA novel... so i also really, really, really appreciated the lack of Corny Eyerolling Romance Lite. thank you, author! 3 Stars should be automatic for any novel that has intelligent goals behind its design, that seeks to entertain but also seeks to provoke and to make the reader both think and feel. 3 Stars for getting that right.
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ 4 Stars for Edjumakation for the Youth. i am probably going to sound like an old man here (what's new), but the lessons in this novel actually are pretty important. and i think it is really important that The Young People, whoever they are, listen up. for real. the whole novel is an obvious parallel for what is happening in the States RIGHT NOW. or i guess what could be happening in the forseeable near-future. the U.S. is at a very dangerous crossroads as we speak, with religious fundamentalists and sociopathic assholes in political power (and often in collaboration with parts of the mainstream media), and poised to turn this country into Taliban Lite in terms of both domestic and foreign policy. yes, that's an exaggeration, but a purposeful one. now i love my conservative friends, so no offense to you all, but elements of the right-wing have degraded debate to a point where "debate" is simply a game of chicken. who can go the farthest? who can block the most policies? who can call who a communist or anti-american or [enter pathetic cliche here]. i think all the viciousness of the extreme right-wing quasi-fundamentalists is simply the viciousness of a group of close-minded, money-grubbin bullies who smell that the wind is blowing against them. but they are still in power! and they want to remain in power! and they have the resources to accomplish their disgusting dreams. so yeah, i appreciate all the points laid out so energetically in Feed. kids, teens, young adults, whatever... people should know what exactly is happening, and they should be pissed off and angry. the time for old men like myself is fading fast. and i'm not even that old - but me and my friends' main concerns these days seem to be more about day-to-day things involving work and family. and vacations. it was different when i was younger - i was angry! and broke, with very little in the way of tangible responsibilities. nowadays i just want to make sure i do the right thing on a daily basis - if i can say i've accomplished that, i've had a good day. so i really hope all the folks who are younger than me, all the folks who are inheriting this country and the earth... i hope that they are pissed off, angry, and that they want change. and for that, Feed is a 4 Star Call-to-Arms. well, not "arms" as in guns. you know what i mean. anyway, i really admire Feed's passion and its anger. i truly appreciate it.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 5 Stars for that one chapter, and the one before it, and the one after. you know the ones i mean. She Dies. my God, that was moving. it was tough to read. i may have a ton of complaints about the writing overall, but in those three chapters, no complaints whatsoever. perfectly accomplished. i felt sick, i felt sad, i felt moved, i felt so much. beautiful job on that. incredible, really. i wouldn't change a word of Chapters 25, 26, and 27 because they all flirt with a kind of minor-note brilliance. just the kind that i like. wow! wow. so thank you for that, Mira Grant. a sad kind of thanks.
~
oh, and this was a Drunk Review. or at least a tipsy one. happy hour drinks after work with my pals, that's the way we old folks roll. now what's on tv? it's time to not-think. a perfect time for a zombie attack!
★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ 1 Star for the most grindingly obvious villain that i've had the displeasure of experiencing in years. he's a militaristic, right-wing, fundamentalist old man with the ruthless urge to dominate and no respect for youth, the media, liberals, etc. i know these people exist, obviously. but can't targets be picked with a bit more subtlety and finesse? this guy was out of central casting and only needed a moustache to twirl to be more obvious. geez louise, Captain Obvious: The Author... not only is the target predictable, but his every villainous move is telegraphed with thudding, insulting He Is Bad Man-ness. how trite. obvious, obvious, obvious. SNORE!
★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆ 2 Stars for some pretty shoddy writing at times. many times. no, i don't need to hear snarky comments made every other paragraph - because that's the way young adults on tv talk, not real young adults. at least not 100% of the time. and no, i don't need to read incensed reactions to hyper-vigilant security protocols every single time that a security protocol happens. good grief, enough is enough! repetition does not make this heart grow fonder. the second time this happened, i grimaced. the third time it happened, i began to hold a grudge. by the time it happened for the umpteenth time, yo, i was cursing up a muthafucking storm, for real. also, characterization for supporting characters: WEAK. i find out that Buffy was "the funniest person" that Shaun ever knew - and yet the reader has been given no evidence of this. in fact the reader has been given no evidence whatsoever that Buffy even has a personality beyond an OCD desire to be technologically on top of things. and at the end i find out that the nonentity known as "Rick" is now a vice-presidential candidate? uh, whatever. words can't convey my feelings of derision at that announcement.
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆ 3 Stars for Overall Enjoyment. i, as the stars say, "Liked It". would i recommend it? no, probably not, except maybe to a teenager (although, duh, that's the target audience, mark, get a grip!). so despite the above complaints, and see below, overall this wasn't a disagreeable experience for me. the zombie attacks were sparse, and despite being a zombie lover, i appreciated their sparseness - it rather lifted this book above straight-up horror. and this is, i suppose, a bonafide YA novel... so i also really, really, really appreciated the lack of Corny Eyerolling Romance Lite. thank you, author! 3 Stars should be automatic for any novel that has intelligent goals behind its design, that seeks to entertain but also seeks to provoke and to make the reader both think and feel. 3 Stars for getting that right.
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ 4 Stars for Edjumakation for the Youth. i am probably going to sound like an old man here (what's new), but the lessons in this novel actually are pretty important. and i think it is really important that The Young People, whoever they are, listen up. for real. the whole novel is an obvious parallel for what is happening in the States RIGHT NOW. or i guess what could be happening in the forseeable near-future. the U.S. is at a very dangerous crossroads as we speak, with religious fundamentalists and sociopathic assholes in political power (and often in collaboration with parts of the mainstream media), and poised to turn this country into Taliban Lite in terms of both domestic and foreign policy. yes, that's an exaggeration, but a purposeful one. now i love my conservative friends, so no offense to you all, but elements of the right-wing have degraded debate to a point where "debate" is simply a game of chicken. who can go the farthest? who can block the most policies? who can call who a communist or anti-american or [enter pathetic cliche here]. i think all the viciousness of the extreme right-wing quasi-fundamentalists is simply the viciousness of a group of close-minded, money-grubbin bullies who smell that the wind is blowing against them. but they are still in power! and they want to remain in power! and they have the resources to accomplish their disgusting dreams. so yeah, i appreciate all the points laid out so energetically in Feed. kids, teens, young adults, whatever... people should know what exactly is happening, and they should be pissed off and angry. the time for old men like myself is fading fast. and i'm not even that old - but me and my friends' main concerns these days seem to be more about day-to-day things involving work and family. and vacations. it was different when i was younger - i was angry! and broke, with very little in the way of tangible responsibilities. nowadays i just want to make sure i do the right thing on a daily basis - if i can say i've accomplished that, i've had a good day. so i really hope all the folks who are younger than me, all the folks who are inheriting this country and the earth... i hope that they are pissed off, angry, and that they want change. and for that, Feed is a 4 Star Call-to-Arms. well, not "arms" as in guns. you know what i mean. anyway, i really admire Feed's passion and its anger. i truly appreciate it.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 5 Stars for that one chapter, and the one before it, and the one after. you know the ones i mean. She Dies. my God, that was moving. it was tough to read. i may have a ton of complaints about the writing overall, but in those three chapters, no complaints whatsoever. perfectly accomplished. i felt sick, i felt sad, i felt moved, i felt so much. beautiful job on that. incredible, really. i wouldn't change a word of Chapters 25, 26, and 27 because they all flirt with a kind of minor-note brilliance. just the kind that i like. wow! wow. so thank you for that, Mira Grant. a sad kind of thanks.
~
oh, and this was a Drunk Review. or at least a tipsy one. happy hour drinks after work with my pals, that's the way we old folks roll. now what's on tv? it's time to not-think. a perfect time for a zombie attack!
March 30, 2012
Looks like I'm going to have to add this book to the list I call 'Popular books I can't appreciate' along with novels like The Lord of the Rings trilogy and Magic Bites. To all those goodreads members who loved this book - I tried, I swear I did. I finished a book that failed to grab my interest one bit right up to the last page, I have never forced myself to read 571 pages of a book that felt like wading through sludge. Perhaps I am not intelligent enough for this story, but whatever the reason, I've come away with nothing but relief that it is now over.
I won't give it 1 star, it is not a bad novel. The characters were varied and developed, the writing was sophisticated... but the story was just boring. Drab. Dull. I have mixed feelings about zombie novels; zombies themselves don't interest or scare me so there has to be something more to the story - this wasn't a problem. In fact, the book wasn't largely dedicated to flesh-eating and zombie moans, it was dedicated to something which I am very interested in and should have been what sold the book to me: politics.
I am a self-confessed politics nerd, I have been for a long time - probably ever since I was eleven reading Orwell's 1984 and discovering for the first time how politics could be used to create one hell of a fictional story. I was delighted when I read that the novel was more political than anything else. Ah, well, it wasn't what I expected. In fact, this novel is one very long, drawn-out presidential campaign that made me want to tear my hair out with boredom. I am very surprised that I finished the book at all.
I think I was waiting for a great pivotal change to occur about half way through - I've read several reviews saying that the pace picks up in the second half. I would say it does... marginally. I think other members obviously found a greater difference between the first and second halves that I didn't pick up on. It's difficult to say a novel is 'slow' to get going when I never really thought it did. Get going, that is.
I found Feed to be a novel that was too long, too dull and too concerned with technical mumbo-jumbo. I'm not a genius but I'm no idiot either and I can't believe that I could be the only one thinking "what on earth?" at all the medical lingo and weird descriptions of things that I'd never heard of. I like books that can be educational as well as fictional but if I don't know what the author's talking about I can't take anything away from the experience.
By about page 300 of this book, I would look at it on my desk and want to groan at the thought of picking it up again. I cannot imagine there would ever be any desire in me to pick up Deadline.
June 11, 2010
This is the best book I’ve read recently which tackles the zombie apocalypse and then goes, “Then what?”
In this case, what happened was the utter transformation of society. In Grant’s world, every human being is infected with the virus that causes zombiefication upon death, so the threat of a new outbreak is constant — every time someone has a heart attack or a bad car accident, their bodies have to be dealt with very quickly, or else. Sometimes they spontaneously “amplify” even before death, in response to stress or an injury, just like with any other virus. Grant’s done her science research on this one — epidemiology, sociology — but at its core, this is a story about the news. Yeah, the news. See, in this world, during the zombie apocalypse, the mainstream media proved it couldn’t be trusted. Reports from the major networks downplayed the severity of the problem, ridiculed evidence of flesh-eating monsters, and so forth — so the only safe, accurate information came from bloggers, who risked their lives to help the world survive. Years later, bloggers are the mainstream media, yet they retain their own quirky, quintessentially independent culture. The story follows intrepid newsie Georgia and her brother Shaun as they get the scoop of a lifetime: a chance to follow the presidential campaign of a young up-and-coming senator. The senator’s not that interesting, frankly, but the fact that someone’s trying to assassinate him with zombies is. So Georgia and her team must literally risk life and unlife to uncover the source of the threat.
This is a thriller wearing skiffy clothing. The fact that it takes place during the zombie apocalypse is irrelevant; it could be taking place during an outbreak of weaponized ebola. (Except ebola victims don’t try to eat you.) I count it as science fiction, though, because Grant deals realistically with the evolution of society; the worldbuilding here is fascinating in and of itself. And the characters kept me hooked all the way through, particularly as Grant pulls no punches in showing just how ugly a conspiracy in high places can get. There are some obvious digs at Bush-era politics and the information privacy wars, and some interesting namechecks of current media figures (e.g. Irwins). Bottom line: I can’t wait for the next book.
In this case, what happened was the utter transformation of society. In Grant’s world, every human being is infected with the virus that causes zombiefication upon death, so the threat of a new outbreak is constant — every time someone has a heart attack or a bad car accident, their bodies have to be dealt with very quickly, or else. Sometimes they spontaneously “amplify” even before death, in response to stress or an injury, just like with any other virus. Grant’s done her science research on this one — epidemiology, sociology — but at its core, this is a story about the news. Yeah, the news. See, in this world, during the zombie apocalypse, the mainstream media proved it couldn’t be trusted. Reports from the major networks downplayed the severity of the problem, ridiculed evidence of flesh-eating monsters, and so forth — so the only safe, accurate information came from bloggers, who risked their lives to help the world survive. Years later, bloggers are the mainstream media, yet they retain their own quirky, quintessentially independent culture. The story follows intrepid newsie Georgia and her brother Shaun as they get the scoop of a lifetime: a chance to follow the presidential campaign of a young up-and-coming senator. The senator’s not that interesting, frankly, but the fact that someone’s trying to assassinate him with zombies is. So Georgia and her team must literally risk life and unlife to uncover the source of the threat.
This is a thriller wearing skiffy clothing. The fact that it takes place during the zombie apocalypse is irrelevant; it could be taking place during an outbreak of weaponized ebola. (Except ebola victims don’t try to eat you.) I count it as science fiction, though, because Grant deals realistically with the evolution of society; the worldbuilding here is fascinating in and of itself. And the characters kept me hooked all the way through, particularly as Grant pulls no punches in showing just how ugly a conspiracy in high places can get. There are some obvious digs at Bush-era politics and the information privacy wars, and some interesting namechecks of current media figures (e.g. Irwins). Bottom line: I can’t wait for the next book.
April 29, 2011
This book broke my heart. Twice. Today I have a headache and puffy bags under my eyes. But it was worth it.
Kellis-Amberlee is a fact of existence. You live, you die, and then you come back to life, get up, and shamble around trying to eat your former friends and loved ones. That's the way it is for everyone.
Two of my favorite books this year both have zombies in them. One is The Reapers Are the Angels. The other is Feed. But they are really very different books, because The Reapers Are the Angels is completely character based. Temple is the only constant – you live and you die with her. Reading the first half of Feed felt very much like watching a documentary. This is a book about politics, about the clash of generations, about a world that is terrified. It’s about standing up for your beliefs, choosing your priorities and knowing who to trust. It’s about friendship, convictions and brotherly love.
It is the year 2039. and the world after the Rising is a very different place. Siblings Georgia and Shaun Mason and their friend Georgette "Buffy" Meissonier are journalists. The three of them run their own news blog. They are the first bloggers ever to be allowed full access to a presidential candidate and they intend to make the most of it. They have George to lead and be as objective as possible, they have Shaun using his people skills to open the doors for them, and, thanks to Buffy and her technology, they have eyes and ears everywhere – which can be both good and very dangerous. Their ratings are suddenly going up and their credibility is as strong as ever (which is all George really cares about). But politics is a dirty business and before they know it, they find themselves in a world of trouble.
If I would have to choose a single word to describe each of them, Georgia would be truth, Shaun would be adventure, and Buffy would be emotion. All three of them are weird in their own way, but they are also amazing persons.
It is with great joy that I report that the youth of America aren’t actually riddled with ennui and apathy; that the truth hasn’t been fully forsaken for the merely entertaining; that there’s a place in this world for reporting the facts as accurately and concisely as possible and allowing people to draw their own conclusions. I’ve never been more proud of finding a place where I can belong.
There is no romance in Feed. Georgia and Shaun don’t date. In fact, George doesn’t even touch people other than her brother. But there’s heart in every sentence and there are emotions too big for words. Seanan McGuire did extensive research for this book - it involved doctors, epidemiologists, technicians and people who were willing to try some of the stunts she described. That’s just one of the things that make this book amazing.
Feed has been nominated for the Hugo Award, and it's definitely a well deserved nomination. I'll keep my fingers crossed.
Apparently, it already won the Goodreads Choice Award for Science Fiction in 2010. That too was well deserved.
The second book, Deadline, was released on May 31st 2011. The third book, Blackout is expected in May of 2012.
Kellis-Amberlee is a fact of existence. You live, you die, and then you come back to life, get up, and shamble around trying to eat your former friends and loved ones. That's the way it is for everyone.
Two of my favorite books this year both have zombies in them. One is The Reapers Are the Angels. The other is Feed. But they are really very different books, because The Reapers Are the Angels is completely character based. Temple is the only constant – you live and you die with her. Reading the first half of Feed felt very much like watching a documentary. This is a book about politics, about the clash of generations, about a world that is terrified. It’s about standing up for your beliefs, choosing your priorities and knowing who to trust. It’s about friendship, convictions and brotherly love.
It is the year 2039. and the world after the Rising is a very different place. Siblings Georgia and Shaun Mason and their friend Georgette "Buffy" Meissonier are journalists. The three of them run their own news blog. They are the first bloggers ever to be allowed full access to a presidential candidate and they intend to make the most of it. They have George to lead and be as objective as possible, they have Shaun using his people skills to open the doors for them, and, thanks to Buffy and her technology, they have eyes and ears everywhere – which can be both good and very dangerous. Their ratings are suddenly going up and their credibility is as strong as ever (which is all George really cares about). But politics is a dirty business and before they know it, they find themselves in a world of trouble.
If I would have to choose a single word to describe each of them, Georgia would be truth, Shaun would be adventure, and Buffy would be emotion. All three of them are weird in their own way, but they are also amazing persons.
It is with great joy that I report that the youth of America aren’t actually riddled with ennui and apathy; that the truth hasn’t been fully forsaken for the merely entertaining; that there’s a place in this world for reporting the facts as accurately and concisely as possible and allowing people to draw their own conclusions. I’ve never been more proud of finding a place where I can belong.
There is no romance in Feed. Georgia and Shaun don’t date. In fact, George doesn’t even touch people other than her brother. But there’s heart in every sentence and there are emotions too big for words. Seanan McGuire did extensive research for this book - it involved doctors, epidemiologists, technicians and people who were willing to try some of the stunts she described. That’s just one of the things that make this book amazing.
Feed has been nominated for the Hugo Award, and it's definitely a well deserved nomination. I'll keep my fingers crossed.
Apparently, it already won the Goodreads Choice Award for Science Fiction in 2010. That too was well deserved.
The second book, Deadline, was released on May 31st 2011. The third book, Blackout is expected in May of 2012.
May 3, 2012
I read this for the Apocalypse Whenever book group and ended up not liking it at all. I'll admit I have some prejudices that pushed me to that assessment:
1) I really hate it when I can hear an author's opinions or point of view coming out of the mouths of his or her characters; Ian Malcom in Jurassic Park, Laszlo Kreizler in The Alienist, etc. Laszlo even *looks* like Caleb Carr. I know that authors almost always use their characters to channel some of the authors own thoughts and opinions, but when the writer uses the character as a direct mouthpiece it just looks amateurish and vain. Grant does this so blatantly that I feel I can comfortably assume she is a single, geeky, female who doesn't get along with her parents but still lives with them, drinks lots of Coke, has frequent migraines, loves cats, has given up on sex, and wishes she could wear sunglasses all the time without looking odd. No offense meant to geeks - I'm one too.
2) I'd also assume that she writes and/or reads a lot of fanfic. That was the very first impression I had when I started reading this book and 500 pages later it hadn't changed. Again, no offense meant to those who enjoy reading or writing fanfic - if you like it, go for it - but I personally don't care for the stuff. It's almost always bush league (if that), written for a niche audience, and full of errors in style and editing. This book strikes me as the product of a fanfic writer who learned to structure a novel well enough to be published.
3) Plenty of style and editing errors show through, though. It was bad enough that half way through the novel I started dog-earing pages so I could return to reference. The characters of Governor Tate and presidential candidate Ryman are so one-dimensional as to be completely unbelievable. She may as well have had Tate throttling kittens and Ryman running a baby dolphin rescue organization (hint: one of those examples is not my invention). I'm not racking my brain over it but I really can't think of an instance where I've encountered two flatter characters.
4) She should fire Matt Branstad, "who was responsible for verifying the accuracy of my firearms design..." A lot of zombie fiction fans are also interested in survivalism and are gun enthusiasts, and when it came to weapon technology the details were only superficially touched upon. The computer technology details, on the other hand (which make up a large part of the book) seemed to be top notch, believable, and well researched. Of course I have no first-hand knowledge of that kind of stuff so I have no idea if it's accurate or not.
5) Tons of lame self-aggrandizing statements like, "He was a journalist after all and we're all incurably insane." *EYEROLL*
6) She has a strange preoccupation with handshakes, describing three different characters as having handshakes that are strong but not too strong. (pg 81, 235, 399)
7) She describes a VW Thing as having airbags which they were not built with. I suppose one could have been retrofitted but there's no mention of that detail. Furthermore, you can't be pinned by an airbag.
Anyways I'm starting to sound like I'm piling on. Despite being a big fan of zombie stories I won't be picking up the sequels in this trilogy.
eta: I'd logged around 400 books on Goodreads before creating the "waste-of-paper" shelf, just for this book.
1) I really hate it when I can hear an author's opinions or point of view coming out of the mouths of his or her characters; Ian Malcom in Jurassic Park, Laszlo Kreizler in The Alienist, etc. Laszlo even *looks* like Caleb Carr. I know that authors almost always use their characters to channel some of the authors own thoughts and opinions, but when the writer uses the character as a direct mouthpiece it just looks amateurish and vain. Grant does this so blatantly that I feel I can comfortably assume she is a single, geeky, female who doesn't get along with her parents but still lives with them, drinks lots of Coke, has frequent migraines, loves cats, has given up on sex, and wishes she could wear sunglasses all the time without looking odd. No offense meant to geeks - I'm one too.
2) I'd also assume that she writes and/or reads a lot of fanfic. That was the very first impression I had when I started reading this book and 500 pages later it hadn't changed. Again, no offense meant to those who enjoy reading or writing fanfic - if you like it, go for it - but I personally don't care for the stuff. It's almost always bush league (if that), written for a niche audience, and full of errors in style and editing. This book strikes me as the product of a fanfic writer who learned to structure a novel well enough to be published.
3) Plenty of style and editing errors show through, though. It was bad enough that half way through the novel I started dog-earing pages so I could return to reference. The characters of Governor Tate and presidential candidate Ryman are so one-dimensional as to be completely unbelievable. She may as well have had Tate throttling kittens and Ryman running a baby dolphin rescue organization (hint: one of those examples is not my invention). I'm not racking my brain over it but I really can't think of an instance where I've encountered two flatter characters.
4) She should fire Matt Branstad, "who was responsible for verifying the accuracy of my firearms design..." A lot of zombie fiction fans are also interested in survivalism and are gun enthusiasts, and when it came to weapon technology the details were only superficially touched upon. The computer technology details, on the other hand (which make up a large part of the book) seemed to be top notch, believable, and well researched. Of course I have no first-hand knowledge of that kind of stuff so I have no idea if it's accurate or not.
5) Tons of lame self-aggrandizing statements like, "He was a journalist after all and we're all incurably insane." *EYEROLL*
6) She has a strange preoccupation with handshakes, describing three different characters as having handshakes that are strong but not too strong. (pg 81, 235, 399)
7) She describes a VW Thing as having airbags which they were not built with. I suppose one could have been retrofitted but there's no mention of that detail. Furthermore, you can't be pinned by an airbag.
Anyways I'm starting to sound like I'm piling on. Despite being a big fan of zombie stories I won't be picking up the sequels in this trilogy.
eta: I'd logged around 400 books on Goodreads before creating the "waste-of-paper" shelf, just for this book.
February 4, 2018
Going to artsy college is weird.
The school reading I’m used to is, like, white dudes with sharp writing styles from the mid-twentieth century. Or white dudes with clunky writing styles from the nineteenth century. Or the occasional lyrical white dude from ancient Greece.
There’s some of that at artsy college. But there’s also this.
Yes. I read this book, about bloggers in a zombie apocalypse, for a real, human class. For credit. This book got me that one extra step toward graduation.
Does it seem like I lead a legitimate existence to you? Because I question it sometimes myself.
Unfortunately, I didn’t like blogger zombie book. It’s crazy long, for one thing. 599 pages!!!
Those six hundred minus one pages are mostly made up of the same descriptions over and over, which makes for a notoriously fun reading experience. Not that many zombies, but I definitely heard about the protagonist’s need for light-blocking sunglasses 599 times. (Once per page. Like clockwork.)
I have also never, in my whole life, read worldbuilding quite like this. This is what the entire book was:
Little bit of plot -> dialogue -> 10-15 pages of worldbuilding -> continuation of presumed-dead conversation -> little bit more plot -> 20 pages of worldbuilding -> Emma just punching herself in the face to feel alive.
This went on for 600 pages.
Minus one.
Just, like. The most unlikable characters of all time. Plot holes that looked like someone drove a semi truck through the climax. (Probably me! I would love to drive a tractor-trailer through this book please!!!) Not a lot of zombies but a whole lot of explanation of the pseudo-science that allowed curing the cold and cancer to create a zombie virus.
Fun!
Bottom line: The previous word is a LIE.
The school reading I’m used to is, like, white dudes with sharp writing styles from the mid-twentieth century. Or white dudes with clunky writing styles from the nineteenth century. Or the occasional lyrical white dude from ancient Greece.
There’s some of that at artsy college. But there’s also this.
Yes. I read this book, about bloggers in a zombie apocalypse, for a real, human class. For credit. This book got me that one extra step toward graduation.
Does it seem like I lead a legitimate existence to you? Because I question it sometimes myself.
Unfortunately, I didn’t like blogger zombie book. It’s crazy long, for one thing. 599 pages!!!
Those six hundred minus one pages are mostly made up of the same descriptions over and over, which makes for a notoriously fun reading experience. Not that many zombies, but I definitely heard about the protagonist’s need for light-blocking sunglasses 599 times. (Once per page. Like clockwork.)
I have also never, in my whole life, read worldbuilding quite like this. This is what the entire book was:
Little bit of plot -> dialogue -> 10-15 pages of worldbuilding -> continuation of presumed-dead conversation -> little bit more plot -> 20 pages of worldbuilding -> Emma just punching herself in the face to feel alive.
This went on for 600 pages.
Minus one.
Just, like. The most unlikable characters of all time. Plot holes that looked like someone drove a semi truck through the climax. (Probably me! I would love to drive a tractor-trailer through this book please!!!) Not a lot of zombies but a whole lot of explanation of the pseudo-science that allowed curing the cold and cancer to create a zombie virus.
Fun!
Bottom line: The previous word is a LIE.
May 23, 2012
Ok, I really got to stop adding things to my review.. but just this last time..
Feed (and the entire Newsflesh Trilogy) made the list for..
Best Badass Zombie Books...
http://badassbookreviews.com/the-best...
Ok... All you FEED fans... for your viewing pleasure...(from Mira Grant's aka Seanan McGuire's blog)
FED by Mira Grant
What if the ending of FEED had been … different?
FED, by Mira Grant.
But trust us, if you haven't read FEED, you don't want to read on. This ending contains massive spoilers.
Still want to read FED..... go to
https://www.facebook.com/newsflesh/ap...
Update- 5/23/11- I did say I would pre-order the next book, and I did. Even though I have a Kindle and can get the book the same day I order it, I actually pre-ordered book 2 for my Kindle. Yes, I know I am a dork but I do love this book THAT much!
I'm not very good at writing reviews. Why? Because I don't like big words, suck at grammar, and frankly, I just want everyone to trust me when I say "read the book" without explanation. Nevertheless, I know that I must put forth more effort than begging you to read this book.
Mira Grant aka Seanan McGuire created a world that sucked me in every minute I was reading it. I thought the beginning of the book was long, and boring. But without it, the last 400 pages would have not been what it was, a truly magnificant book!
I can't stop thinking about this book. Everything that happened, George and Shuan, and their relationship, the ending (you'll either love it or hate it), the politics, the action, oh yeah, and the Zombies.
Will I read the next book ?
I, without a shadow of doubt, will hit the pre-order button as soon as the second book becomes available!
Update- my copy is circulating among my co-workers, I liked this book so much, I just bought another copy! The only other time I've ever done that was with the Fever series- Karen Marie Moning!
Another Update- I've placed this book on my "favorite book of 2010" shelf.
Feed (and the entire Newsflesh Trilogy) made the list for..
Best Badass Zombie Books...
http://badassbookreviews.com/the-best...
Ok... All you FEED fans... for your viewing pleasure...(from Mira Grant's aka Seanan McGuire's blog)
FED by Mira Grant
What if the ending of FEED had been … different?
FED, by Mira Grant.
But trust us, if you haven't read FEED, you don't want to read on. This ending contains massive spoilers.
Still want to read FED..... go to
https://www.facebook.com/newsflesh/ap...
Update- 5/23/11- I did say I would pre-order the next book, and I did. Even though I have a Kindle and can get the book the same day I order it, I actually pre-ordered book 2 for my Kindle. Yes, I know I am a dork but I do love this book THAT much!
I'm not very good at writing reviews. Why? Because I don't like big words, suck at grammar, and frankly, I just want everyone to trust me when I say "read the book" without explanation. Nevertheless, I know that I must put forth more effort than begging you to read this book.
Mira Grant aka Seanan McGuire created a world that sucked me in every minute I was reading it. I thought the beginning of the book was long, and boring. But without it, the last 400 pages would have not been what it was, a truly magnificant book!
I can't stop thinking about this book. Everything that happened, George and Shuan, and their relationship, the ending (you'll either love it or hate it), the politics, the action, oh yeah, and the Zombies.
Will I read the next book ?
I, without a shadow of doubt, will hit the pre-order button as soon as the second book becomes available!
Update- my copy is circulating among my co-workers, I liked this book so much, I just bought another copy! The only other time I've ever done that was with the Fever series- Karen Marie Moning!
Another Update- I've placed this book on my "favorite book of 2010" shelf.
October 4, 2015
Final rating: 5/5 stars
Final rating - for the whole series: 5/5 stars
Sooooo....ever heard of Zombie reporters?
No? Well, meet:
Georgia Mason and Shaun Mason~ from After the end times!
Now seriously. It is one of the rare books where you actually have two siblings for main characters who aren't blood related at all. I usually find many books with a whiny female who is sad about her life, she is boring or she is just so idiotic. This isn't the case, here we have strong main characters Shaun and George (Georgia), who are bloggers after the world officially ended 2014.
They are also not teenagers, going by their years, because: they were born 2017, and going by the events of the books, the range of years is between 2039-2041. So that makes the two of them 22-24 years (since they were both the same age). Finally, someone older than 15!!! I guess it's official stereotype to be teen between 15-17.
This is a book about zombies, but not about zombies. The zombies are only around, but never the main center of the story (like: a girl is in love with a zombie, or other way around-face it, it's just to sick). It's more about the people in post apocalyptic world. What i really loved though is the fact that the zombie virus was explained properly. For that i recommend reading Countdown after FEED.
FEED is split in 5 parts. The first two part of the book were boring,actually, that goes for second because first one was actually interesting with some little action and interesting lines such as:
And the first two parts focused a lot on politics and senator's campaign. It is important after, and i had to survive through it.Anyway, ALL OF THE OTHER PARTS of the book were AMAZING. especially after the second part of the book when they went on the field to search for evidences on the Senator's farm. That's where things go really cool.
After all, this is a story about perusing the truth, because no one deserves to live in a lie, however nice it sounded.
At the end, we have mind blowing turn of events. I certainly didn't expect that something like that would happen. Still, it was really shocking so....hm....
Well, it could have ended far more worse as seen in Fed, so i was satisfied with ending.
(for those who read it, who didn't cry at this part is unemotional-HUGE SPOILER BELLOW(MEGA SIZE))
I mean, all those emotions.....
At the beginning, i didn't like Georgia much, after a while i started to like her, but not as much as i love Shaun. I loved him from the start. It was just sad that he didn't get much attention here as he got in other two books. But nonetheless i loved both of them and other people like Rick, Mahir and other idiots :D
____________________________________________
OVERALL :
____________________________________________
To sum it up:
◉ what i liked
☑ zombies which weren't main part of the story
☑ amazing duo (Shaun and George)
☑ not many "love is everywhere parts"
☑ i loved journal entries between the chapters, especially those of other people (since George is the narrator). It makes you understand characters and only make you love them more.
☑ SHAUNSHAUNSHAUNSHAUNSHAUNSHAUN - i am so in love with him
☑ the end which was roler coaster of emotions and of coolness.
☑ amazing characterization.
☑ Last and the most important - Georgia was awesome!
◉ what i didn't like
☒ politics (i always hated it)
☒ second part of the book (all the others were great - to clarify things, I don't mean the sequel books, it's just that this whole book is split in 5 parts. The second part out of five didn't really stick with me and it was a bit boring. But the rest of the book pays off. I can guess why this book actually had such mixed reviews, probably because half of them never finished it - most likely during this part of the book).
p.s. Ari made me read it [not made me, not exactly, but something like that] (if you are reading this go check her review )
◉ edit: ◉
Changed the rating to 5 stars, because even after 6 months, i still think that this book and series is priceless, and that something that had such plot twist at the end deserved at least 5 stars.
◉ end of edit ◉
____________________________________________
● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
____________________________________________
MY NEWSFLESH REVIEWS:
◉ Feed (Newsflesh Trilogy, #1)
◉ Deadline (Newsflesh Trilogy, #2)
◉ Blackout (Newsflesh Trilogy, #3)
◉ How Green This Land, How Blue This Sea (Newsflesh Trilogy #3.5)
Final rating - for the whole series: 5/5 stars
Sooooo....ever heard of Zombie reporters?
No? Well, meet:
Georgia Mason and Shaun Mason~ from After the end times!
Now seriously. It is one of the rare books where you actually have two siblings for main characters who aren't blood related at all. I usually find many books with a whiny female who is sad about her life, she is boring or she is just so idiotic. This isn't the case, here we have strong main characters Shaun and George (Georgia), who are bloggers after the world officially ended 2014.
“I think you kids are totally insane.
Entertaining as all heck, and I love your site, but insane.”
They are also not teenagers, going by their years, because: they were born 2017, and going by the events of the books, the range of years is between 2039-2041. So that makes the two of them 22-24 years (since they were both the same age). Finally, someone older than 15!!! I guess it's official stereotype to be teen between 15-17.
This is a book about zombies, but not about zombies. The zombies are only around, but never the main center of the story (like: a girl is in love with a zombie, or other way around-face it, it's just to sick). It's more about the people in post apocalyptic world. What i really loved though is the fact that the zombie virus was explained properly. For that i recommend reading Countdown after FEED.
“My father has always had just one piece of advice about zombies and ammunition, one he’s drilled into my head enough times that it’s managed to stick: When you have one bullet left and there’s no visible way out of the shit you’re standing in, save it for yourself. It’s better than the alternative.”
FEED is split in 5 parts. The first two part of the book were boring,actually, that goes for second because first one was actually interesting with some little action and interesting lines such as:
“Our story opens where countless stories have ended in the last twenty-six years: with an idiot -- in this case, my brother, Shaun -- deciding it would be a good idea to go out and poke a zombie with a stick to see what happens.”
And the first two parts focused a lot on politics and senator's campaign. It is important after, and i had to survive through it.Anyway, ALL OF THE OTHER PARTS of the book were AMAZING. especially after the second part of the book when they went on the field to search for evidences on the Senator's farm. That's where things go really cool.
After all, this is a story about perusing the truth, because no one deserves to live in a lie, however nice it sounded.
“The difference between the truth and a lie is that both of them can hurt, but only one will take the time to heal you afterward.”
At the end, we have mind blowing turn of events. I certainly didn't expect that something like that would happen. Still, it was really shocking so....hm....
Well, it could have ended far more worse as seen in Fed, so i was satisfied with ending.
(for those who read it, who didn't cry at this part is unemotional-HUGE SPOILER BELLOW(MEGA SIZE))
I mean, all those emotions.....
“…but at the end of the day, there’s got to be somebody you’re doing it for. Just one person you’re thinking of every time you make a decision, every time you tell the truth, or tell a lie, or anything.
I’ve got mine. Do you?”
At the beginning, i didn't like Georgia much, after a while i started to like her, but not as much as i love Shaun. I loved him from the start. It was just sad that he didn't get much attention here as he got in other two books. But nonetheless i loved both of them and other people like Rick, Mahir and other idiots :D
____________________________________________
OVERALL :
____________________________________________
To sum it up:
◉ what i liked
☑ zombies which weren't main part of the story
☑ amazing duo (Shaun and George)
☑ not many "love is everywhere parts"
☑ i loved journal entries between the chapters, especially those of other people (since George is the narrator). It makes you understand characters and only make you love them more.
☑ SHAUNSHAUNSHAUNSHAUNSHAUNSHAUN - i am so in love with him
☑ the end which was roler coaster of emotions and of coolness.
☑ amazing characterization.
☑ Last and the most important - Georgia was awesome!
◉ what i didn't like
☒ politics (i always hated it)
☒ second part of the book (all the others were great - to clarify things, I don't mean the sequel books, it's just that this whole book is split in 5 parts. The second part out of five didn't really stick with me and it was a bit boring. But the rest of the book pays off. I can guess why this book actually had such mixed reviews, probably because half of them never finished it - most likely during this part of the book).
p.s. Ari made me read it [not made me, not exactly, but something like that] (if you are reading this go check her review )
◉ edit: ◉
Changed the rating to 5 stars, because even after 6 months, i still think that this book and series is priceless, and that something that had such plot twist at the end deserved at least 5 stars.
◉ end of edit ◉
____________________________________________
● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
____________________________________________
MY NEWSFLESH REVIEWS:
◉ Feed (Newsflesh Trilogy, #1)
◉ Deadline (Newsflesh Trilogy, #2)
◉ Blackout (Newsflesh Trilogy, #3)
◉ How Green This Land, How Blue This Sea (Newsflesh Trilogy #3.5)
January 28, 2023
This one was a confusing ride because I didn't like it?? but I also didn't dislike it???
What I can say is that Feed definitely had an impact on me (to the point where I had zombie nightmares) and I didn't want to put it down at any point - but I'm ultimately confused about what this book wanted to be.
The general gist is that we're following 3 bloggers who are selected to shadow and report on a presidential campaign... in a zombie apocalypse. Or not apocalypse I guess because the world doesn't end. The narrative is a kind of emotionless report of the presidential campaign with a smidge of witty aside, which fits the voice of our main character, a blogger... And the zombies just kind of exist.
The focus of this was definitely on the political plot, making this feel like more of a speculative "how would America continue in the aftermath of a zombie outbreak" than a zombie novel, and it weirdly had a bit of a noir feel to it more than dystopian or horror.
I am low-key intrigued to continue the series but this first one, while compelling, really just confused me.
What I can say is that Feed definitely had an impact on me (to the point where I had zombie nightmares) and I didn't want to put it down at any point - but I'm ultimately confused about what this book wanted to be.
The general gist is that we're following 3 bloggers who are selected to shadow and report on a presidential campaign... in a zombie apocalypse. Or not apocalypse I guess because the world doesn't end. The narrative is a kind of emotionless report of the presidential campaign with a smidge of witty aside, which fits the voice of our main character, a blogger... And the zombies just kind of exist.
The focus of this was definitely on the political plot, making this feel like more of a speculative "how would America continue in the aftermath of a zombie outbreak" than a zombie novel, and it weirdly had a bit of a noir feel to it more than dystopian or horror.
I am low-key intrigued to continue the series but this first one, while compelling, really just confused me.
May 26, 2020
A perfect summer read.
It starts out with our heroes poking sharp sticks at zombies and a narrow escape. It's a good way to develop interest, but the plot actually focuses on an adopted brother-sister news team, Georgia and Shaun Mason. Their careers take off when they win the chance to follow and blog about a presidential candidate as he campaigns for his party's nomination. I thought Grant did a great job of projecting technology into the future without becoming particularly silly about it (no flying cars here); instead, we have micro-dot cameras, ear-cuff phones and instant video feeds. It's a projection that feels mostly possible--is an ear cuff that different from an ear-clip phone? In fact, that might be my only complaint of future technology: with so much of the country devastated and compressed into tight communities, would there really be instant internet access everywhere? And I do mean everywhere, as the kits that test for zombie virus are immediately uploaded to the CDC, even outside a zombie zone, or on highways in the middle of nowhere.
I thought the main characters, Georgia and Shaun Mason were developed well (quibble--I found his name quite distracting: 'Shaun?' Really? "Shaun of the Dead"?? but maybe "Buffy" was as well for those raised on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer.") I loved Georgia, her tone, her "don't-touch-me" interactions, her smart strategy in growing their news-site, her willingness to have ethical code govern her practices. The political people were cardboard cutouts, but thankfully we don't spend overmuch time with them. The parents were actually quite interesting in their weirdly dysfunctional relationship with their adoptive children and their survival mentality. The tech was largely well thought out, with zombie kits that report to the government, even if the seal is broken and not used, and virus testers built into "safe" vehicles. I imagine that Grant hit possible response to a worldwide disaster spot on--the attempt to cure, the consolidation of resources, the short term strategies. She even thought of the impact zombification would have on autopsies and forensics--now that's a well thought-out system.
There's a potential TRIGGER WARNING in an extremely close relationship between the brother and sister. After finishing, my sense was of an unusually close relationship developed by adversity and coping strategies, but not an inappropriate one. Quick flashbacks and side remarks give us a picture of emotionally distanced parents, so the children connected to the only people they could connect with in a relatively isolated situation (they grow up outside the safest zoned areas). It's apparent that emotional distancing is how Georgia has coped with her upbringing and is how she interfaces with the world. Some people might object to the rather "emotionless" tones of the narration, but I feel Grant did well, with a tone that is quite true to Georgia's character.
I enjoyed the pace, and the building of suspense as zombie attacks become more and more directed. The villain is a little stereotypical, coming down clearly on the side of people that kick dogs and make small babies cry, but give Grant a break--she added zombies to her political conspiracy. I'm looking forward to the next book. Three stars for keeping me up at night until bleary-eyed.
It starts out with our heroes poking sharp sticks at zombies and a narrow escape. It's a good way to develop interest, but the plot actually focuses on an adopted brother-sister news team, Georgia and Shaun Mason. Their careers take off when they win the chance to follow and blog about a presidential candidate as he campaigns for his party's nomination. I thought Grant did a great job of projecting technology into the future without becoming particularly silly about it (no flying cars here); instead, we have micro-dot cameras, ear-cuff phones and instant video feeds. It's a projection that feels mostly possible--is an ear cuff that different from an ear-clip phone? In fact, that might be my only complaint of future technology: with so much of the country devastated and compressed into tight communities, would there really be instant internet access everywhere? And I do mean everywhere, as the kits that test for zombie virus are immediately uploaded to the CDC, even outside a zombie zone, or on highways in the middle of nowhere.
I thought the main characters, Georgia and Shaun Mason were developed well (quibble--I found his name quite distracting: 'Shaun?' Really? "Shaun of the Dead"?? but maybe "Buffy" was as well for those raised on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer.") I loved Georgia, her tone, her "don't-touch-me" interactions, her smart strategy in growing their news-site, her willingness to have ethical code govern her practices. The political people were cardboard cutouts, but thankfully we don't spend overmuch time with them. The parents were actually quite interesting in their weirdly dysfunctional relationship with their adoptive children and their survival mentality. The tech was largely well thought out, with zombie kits that report to the government, even if the seal is broken and not used, and virus testers built into "safe" vehicles. I imagine that Grant hit possible response to a worldwide disaster spot on--the attempt to cure, the consolidation of resources, the short term strategies. She even thought of the impact zombification would have on autopsies and forensics--now that's a well thought-out system.
There's a potential TRIGGER WARNING in an extremely close relationship between the brother and sister. After finishing, my sense was of an unusually close relationship developed by adversity and coping strategies, but not an inappropriate one. Quick flashbacks and side remarks give us a picture of emotionally distanced parents, so the children connected to the only people they could connect with in a relatively isolated situation (they grow up outside the safest zoned areas). It's apparent that emotional distancing is how Georgia has coped with her upbringing and is how she interfaces with the world. Some people might object to the rather "emotionless" tones of the narration, but I feel Grant did well, with a tone that is quite true to Georgia's character.
I enjoyed the pace, and the building of suspense as zombie attacks become more and more directed. The villain is a little stereotypical, coming down clearly on the side of people that kick dogs and make small babies cry, but give Grant a break--she added zombies to her political conspiracy. I'm looking forward to the next book. Three stars for keeping me up at night until bleary-eyed.
April 25, 2024
OK. It's been 24 hours since I finished this book and I can't stop thinking about it. Since finishing it, I've basically raved to anyone that will listen to me and my family is starting to look at me weirdly.
Feed is the most awesome not-a-zombie, zombie book ever. There are zombies but it's not just about the zombies - Feed is essentially a political thriller set in a post-apocalyptic backdrop. I loved all the witty characters and I was so enthralled by the conspiracies. And the ending - THE ENDING!!! Words cannot express how much I love this book.
I'm looking past all the flaws and giving this book 5 stars because it deserves it. I didn't think zombies could be done in such an original and refreshing way. Feed is easily one of my fav reads of the year!
Rating: 5/5
Feed is the most awesome not-a-zombie, zombie book ever. There are zombies but it's not just about the zombies - Feed is essentially a political thriller set in a post-apocalyptic backdrop. I loved all the witty characters and I was so enthralled by the conspiracies. And the ending - THE ENDING!!! Words cannot express how much I love this book.
I'm looking past all the flaws and giving this book 5 stars because it deserves it. I didn't think zombies could be done in such an original and refreshing way. Feed is easily one of my fav reads of the year!
Rating: 5/5
August 15, 2012
"The zombies are here, and they’re not going away, but they’re not the story. They were, for one hot, horrible summer at the beginning of the century, but now they’re just another piece of the way things work. They did their part: They changed everything."
If you're looking for a simple zombie book, this ain't it. Filled with political intrigue, conspiracies, and a long, tedious political campaign -- amidst a zombie-filled post apocalypse world, of course -- Feed is intelligent, it's intense, and though some may find the first half a little long winded, it's completely worth it! A few things I learned once I started reading is 1) this is not a young adult novel; and 2) it's not about the zombies.
The very first thing I noticed going into this book was the exquisiteness of the writing. The narration being notably mature and quick-witted makes it an exceptionally smart novel that is just a breath of fresh air. I felt intelligent just by reading Mira's words. This fantastic prose comes together with outstanding world building and amazing characters that become so real you can't help but get emotionally invested. Mira proves, via generous scientific details and infinite facts, that she has done her research through and through, bringing about a world filled with science and technology that turns this zombie apocalypse into a real threat with push beneath it, making it plausible and indefinitely scary. As it's a more technical and political novel especially during the first half, this "info-dumping" -- for lack of a better term -- could be a bit dry for some tastes; however, as someone who loves to absorb all this geeky information that essentially makes it one of the most realistic zombie novel I've ever read, I was kept thoroughly engaged in it from the start. Howbeit, I wasn't disappointed when we hit that half way mark and the shit hit the fan! Because once the ball starts rolling on this one, it rolls non-stop until we arrive at one of the the most shocking endings I've read, making me idolize Mira for this daring conclusion.
Working a political campaign that turns deadly, the team of bloggers (aka news media) selected to travel with a candidate find themselves in the midst of it all. The leader of this group, Georgia, is our resourceful protagonist who can slap someone silly with her indestructible retorts, and shimmy her way into finding out any and all answers. She wants justice, and she's determined to get it! I loved every single thing about this girl. She has such vibrancy no matter if she's dealing with the campaign, her relationship with her adoptive brother, or writing her blog posts. Her voice oozes out this aptitude that makes her a warrior through and through. Her adoptive brother and best friend, Shaun, is also an incredible character who has the more silly, down to earth side of the coin that will make you chuckle, but he also shows his multi-layered personality through his blog postings from his perspective that we get at the end of several chapters. Working with this duo is a whole team of bloggers that -- even those we only glimpse at regularly -- all become strong players in this dangerous game.
In the end, as the quote at the beginning states, it's not really about the zombies, it's a political thriller set in a post apocalyptic future where zombies run rampant. Still, the zombies do heighten the intensity of the plot, making is constantly exhilarating as you never ever feel safe. There are a million ways to die in a zombie novel, and this one is no exception.
It's all just sort of unbelievably amazing.
--
For more of my reviews, visit my blog at Xpresso Reads
If you're looking for a simple zombie book, this ain't it. Filled with political intrigue, conspiracies, and a long, tedious political campaign -- amidst a zombie-filled post apocalypse world, of course -- Feed is intelligent, it's intense, and though some may find the first half a little long winded, it's completely worth it! A few things I learned once I started reading is 1) this is not a young adult novel; and 2) it's not about the zombies.
The very first thing I noticed going into this book was the exquisiteness of the writing. The narration being notably mature and quick-witted makes it an exceptionally smart novel that is just a breath of fresh air. I felt intelligent just by reading Mira's words. This fantastic prose comes together with outstanding world building and amazing characters that become so real you can't help but get emotionally invested. Mira proves, via generous scientific details and infinite facts, that she has done her research through and through, bringing about a world filled with science and technology that turns this zombie apocalypse into a real threat with push beneath it, making it plausible and indefinitely scary. As it's a more technical and political novel especially during the first half, this "info-dumping" -- for lack of a better term -- could be a bit dry for some tastes; however, as someone who loves to absorb all this geeky information that essentially makes it one of the most realistic zombie novel I've ever read, I was kept thoroughly engaged in it from the start. Howbeit, I wasn't disappointed when we hit that half way mark and the shit hit the fan! Because once the ball starts rolling on this one, it rolls non-stop until we arrive at one of the the most shocking endings I've read, making me idolize Mira for this daring conclusion.
Working a political campaign that turns deadly, the team of bloggers (aka news media) selected to travel with a candidate find themselves in the midst of it all. The leader of this group, Georgia, is our resourceful protagonist who can slap someone silly with her indestructible retorts, and shimmy her way into finding out any and all answers. She wants justice, and she's determined to get it! I loved every single thing about this girl. She has such vibrancy no matter if she's dealing with the campaign, her relationship with her adoptive brother, or writing her blog posts. Her voice oozes out this aptitude that makes her a warrior through and through. Her adoptive brother and best friend, Shaun, is also an incredible character who has the more silly, down to earth side of the coin that will make you chuckle, but he also shows his multi-layered personality through his blog postings from his perspective that we get at the end of several chapters. Working with this duo is a whole team of bloggers that -- even those we only glimpse at regularly -- all become strong players in this dangerous game.
In the end, as the quote at the beginning states, it's not really about the zombies, it's a political thriller set in a post apocalyptic future where zombies run rampant. Still, the zombies do heighten the intensity of the plot, making is constantly exhilarating as you never ever feel safe. There are a million ways to die in a zombie novel, and this one is no exception.
It's all just sort of unbelievably amazing.
--
For more of my reviews, visit my blog at Xpresso Reads
June 13, 2022
a zombie apocalypse so well written it could be real.
still one of the best books i've read, when it comes to zombies.
still one of the best books i've read, when it comes to zombies.
November 7, 2017
‘Corruption’s been with us a lot longer than the living dead ‘
4.5 stars. This was great. Original and gritty, it shifted the centre of the story away from zombies and onto the political campaign of a Senator- a presidential candidate. It was an approach I haven’t seen developed before in terms of post outbreak stories. I’ve read some about how society survives years after a zombie infection, but not about the survival of technology and nation wide politics. An excellent addition to my zombie shelf!
4.5 stars. This was great. Original and gritty, it shifted the centre of the story away from zombies and onto the political campaign of a Senator- a presidential candidate. It was an approach I haven’t seen developed before in terms of post outbreak stories. I’ve read some about how society survives years after a zombie infection, but not about the survival of technology and nation wide politics. An excellent addition to my zombie shelf!
August 15, 2025
4.5 stars
I love my zombie books and so of course I've read quite a few. This one definitely rates up there among the top, achieving the goal of situating an interesting story in a post-zombie apocalypse world. The result in this case is a sort of genre mash-up of zombie survival with political thriller, and it works wonderfully.
Grant has a wordy storytelling style, which I first noticed when I read Parasite, but I think she makes it work with the narrative. In both cases the verbosity seems consistent with the characters, particularly here, where the main character is a news blogger. The only reason it took me so long to read it was that I listened to Feed as an audiobook. Even though it was very long, I never tired of it; both narrators did a great job. The last 20% of the book in particular is edge-of-your-seat listening.
One thing I particularly liked about this book was the relationship between siblings Georgia and Shaun Mason. Instead of the standard couple, we have a brother and sister who live and work together, who protect each other, and create an emotionally safe environment for themselves and each other in a dangerous world.
Definitely a book worth reading if you like the genre.
I love my zombie books and so of course I've read quite a few. This one definitely rates up there among the top, achieving the goal of situating an interesting story in a post-zombie apocalypse world. The result in this case is a sort of genre mash-up of zombie survival with political thriller, and it works wonderfully.
Grant has a wordy storytelling style, which I first noticed when I read Parasite, but I think she makes it work with the narrative. In both cases the verbosity seems consistent with the characters, particularly here, where the main character is a news blogger. The only reason it took me so long to read it was that I listened to Feed as an audiobook. Even though it was very long, I never tired of it; both narrators did a great job. The last 20% of the book in particular is edge-of-your-seat listening.
One thing I particularly liked about this book was the relationship between siblings Georgia and Shaun Mason. Instead of the standard couple, we have a brother and sister who live and work together, who protect each other, and create an emotionally safe environment for themselves and each other in a dangerous world.
Definitely a book worth reading if you like the genre.
May 10, 2017
You live, you die, and then you come back to life, get up, and shamble around trying to eat your former friends and loved ones. That's the way it is for everyone.
This book actually made me almost cry. That is truly a feat because I don't even usually get close to tears unless I'm cutting onions. And, yet I only gave it a three star rating because I would say I didn't care for the main story too much, but fell in love with the relationship between the main characters. So, I figured it deserved a middle rating for my love/hate relationship with this book.
This story is set 20 years after the zombie apocalypse through the eyes of three 20-something bloggers. Blogs are where people get their news now because people have basically had to retreat to living in isolation and fear since the zombies are always a huge threat. Everyone carries the virus that makes them turn into zombies upon death, and there is always the chance that the virus will spontaneously take over and someone will just turn zombie at any time. So, large crowds, or small crowds, are things of the past. It isn't safe to be around a group of people anymore.
Our bloggers are Georgia - our main narrator, Shaun - her brother and bff, and Buffy - their friend and colleague. They run a blogging news site and have been picked to follow a presidential candidate as part of his team while he makes the run for office. It is a big opportunity for them to make a name for themselves. We have their adventure told to us through blog entries and Georgia's narration.
The thing is, we get a LOT of info-dumping. We learn extensively how the virus of zombism came to be, how it works, and statistics like crazy, and then we learn more about journalism than I've ever wanted to know. On top of that, since they are following a presidential candidate around, we also get tons of political talk. I just found all of that really boring. Really boring.... I almost DNFed the book a couple of times because of it.
But, I didn't DNF because of the relationship between Georgia and Shaun - the brother and sister. They had the sweetest sibling relationship that I have ever read in a book. Often, in books, we get sisters who are super close, or brothers, and often twins, but we rarely get a brother/sister relationship that is as close as same sex siblings. And, since I had such an amazingly close relationship with my own brother, it was awesome to read about one. My brother and I were best friends, and sometimes people acted like that was weird, but it was awesome to have that. As I have mentioned before, he died a couple of years ago of AIDS, and I was the one who inherited everything he had. It was bittersweet to find a necklace that had an angel stamped into it with my name on it that he carried around as a good-luck charm, but that was how we felt about each other. I felt like the relationship between Georgia and Shaun captured the closeness, protectiveness, and friendship that siblings can have. And, I really related to them - Georgia, negative and practical, and Shaun, gregarious and protective. I remember when we were little and moved to a new home and my brother went up to some girls my age and asked them if they would be my new friends. ;-) And, I was the one who took him to his doctor's appointments when he was at his sickest.
Georgia: Maybe it's geeky for a girl my age to admit she still loves her brother. I don't care. I love him, and one day I'll bury him, and until then, I'm going to be grateful that I'm allowed to watch him talk.
So, this relationship made this book for me. It was special.... and then.... let the crying begin...
Okay, I'm off to read something to make me feel something along the lines of happiness again. ;-)
This book actually made me almost cry. That is truly a feat because I don't even usually get close to tears unless I'm cutting onions. And, yet I only gave it a three star rating because I would say I didn't care for the main story too much, but fell in love with the relationship between the main characters. So, I figured it deserved a middle rating for my love/hate relationship with this book.
This story is set 20 years after the zombie apocalypse through the eyes of three 20-something bloggers. Blogs are where people get their news now because people have basically had to retreat to living in isolation and fear since the zombies are always a huge threat. Everyone carries the virus that makes them turn into zombies upon death, and there is always the chance that the virus will spontaneously take over and someone will just turn zombie at any time. So, large crowds, or small crowds, are things of the past. It isn't safe to be around a group of people anymore.
Our bloggers are Georgia - our main narrator, Shaun - her brother and bff, and Buffy - their friend and colleague. They run a blogging news site and have been picked to follow a presidential candidate as part of his team while he makes the run for office. It is a big opportunity for them to make a name for themselves. We have their adventure told to us through blog entries and Georgia's narration.
The thing is, we get a LOT of info-dumping. We learn extensively how the virus of zombism came to be, how it works, and statistics like crazy, and then we learn more about journalism than I've ever wanted to know. On top of that, since they are following a presidential candidate around, we also get tons of political talk. I just found all of that really boring. Really boring.... I almost DNFed the book a couple of times because of it.
But, I didn't DNF because of the relationship between Georgia and Shaun - the brother and sister. They had the sweetest sibling relationship that I have ever read in a book. Often, in books, we get sisters who are super close, or brothers, and often twins, but we rarely get a brother/sister relationship that is as close as same sex siblings. And, since I had such an amazingly close relationship with my own brother, it was awesome to read about one. My brother and I were best friends, and sometimes people acted like that was weird, but it was awesome to have that. As I have mentioned before, he died a couple of years ago of AIDS, and I was the one who inherited everything he had. It was bittersweet to find a necklace that had an angel stamped into it with my name on it that he carried around as a good-luck charm, but that was how we felt about each other. I felt like the relationship between Georgia and Shaun captured the closeness, protectiveness, and friendship that siblings can have. And, I really related to them - Georgia, negative and practical, and Shaun, gregarious and protective. I remember when we were little and moved to a new home and my brother went up to some girls my age and asked them if they would be my new friends. ;-) And, I was the one who took him to his doctor's appointments when he was at his sickest.
Georgia: Maybe it's geeky for a girl my age to admit she still loves her brother. I don't care. I love him, and one day I'll bury him, and until then, I'm going to be grateful that I'm allowed to watch him talk.
So, this relationship made this book for me. It was special.... and then.... let the crying begin...
Okay, I'm off to read something to make me feel something along the lines of happiness again. ;-)
November 1, 2019
I went into this book mostly blind. I was honestly a bit surprised when I kept seeing “Feed” in my Goodreads updates and Blogger feed. The only “Feed” I knew about was a 2005 atrocity of a film about a force feeding fetish and I wrongly assumed this was the novelization. How the hell had a book like that become so popular? But since everyone seemed to be reading it I stuck on my Ipod when it was offered on Overdrive. And, yes I know there is something terribly wrong with me besides sometimes acting the lemming that is.
By the time I got around to listening to the audio I had figured out it was about zombies and that made so much more sense! The world wasn't going weird on me after all. I’m going to try my best to be brief about the plot and avoid spoilers because there is so much that can be spoiled here and everyone's read it by now anyway. It’s the year 2039. Back in 2013 scientists managed to cure cancer and the common cold but something went terribly wrong and mutations happened that caused a zombie outbreak that killed off a third of the population. Now any living creature over 40 pounds can potentially turn into a brain-dead walking corpse that only “lives” to spread the disease. The world is dangerous and very different. But it’s still corrupt and not-so-shockingly zombies aren't always the biggest danger.
Feed follows bloggers George (Georgia) and her brother Shaun along with their expert team as they report on the news and various goings-on in their blogs and live feeds. George lives for the news while Shaun is more of a reckless, zombie taunting type. Their parents are mostly non-existent in their lives and they pretty much can only depend on each other and have a tight brother-sister bond.
Ouch and damn. How could I not keep reading and not root for them even when boring politics threatened to overtake the entire story?
After an exciting beginning that’s pretty much what happened for a good chunk of the story. George and her team are offered the chance to follow around a presidential hopeful and don’t turn it down. It means ratings people! And ratings are what count. What follows is often unexpected and sometimes a wee bit tedious if you’re not a fan of the ins and outs of blogging, politics and corruption BUT the characters truly made it worth reading. The world and character building is very, very good and there is enough snark and sarcasm to make up for the slower bits. This isn’t a hardcore zombie novel with a lot of zombie action but I fear many of the scenes will haunt me for quite some time. It’s rough and it’s heartbreaking and that’s all I’m going to say.
This audio version was read by Paula Christensen and Jesse Bernstein. Paula Christensen narrates the majority of the book and does a terrific job with all of the characters, including the males. Parts of the story is direct blog readings and Jesse Bernstein voices the shorter snippets, mostly from Shaun’s direct point of view. His voice gives Shaun the perfect devil may care attitude that worked really well. Both narrators sound youthful but never too young and their reading always sounds natural. They both enhanced the story and added emotion just where it was needed, never over-doing it.
Feed is not sexy, romantic or even a typical zombie book but it tore me up and made me feel a myriad of emotions when most books leave me cold. Yeah, it was complicated and over-long but I’ll be reading the sequel because somewhere along the way I grew to truly care about these characters.
By the time I got around to listening to the audio I had figured out it was about zombies and that made so much more sense! The world wasn't going weird on me after all. I’m going to try my best to be brief about the plot and avoid spoilers because there is so much that can be spoiled here and everyone's read it by now anyway. It’s the year 2039. Back in 2013 scientists managed to cure cancer and the common cold but something went terribly wrong and mutations happened that caused a zombie outbreak that killed off a third of the population. Now any living creature over 40 pounds can potentially turn into a brain-dead walking corpse that only “lives” to spread the disease. The world is dangerous and very different. But it’s still corrupt and not-so-shockingly zombies aren't always the biggest danger.
Feed follows bloggers George (Georgia) and her brother Shaun along with their expert team as they report on the news and various goings-on in their blogs and live feeds. George lives for the news while Shaun is more of a reckless, zombie taunting type. Their parents are mostly non-existent in their lives and they pretty much can only depend on each other and have a tight brother-sister bond.
“Maybe it’s geeky for a girl my age to admit she still loves her brother. I don’t care. I love him and one day I’ll bury him and until then I’m going to be grateful that I’m allowed to watch him talk.”
Ouch and damn. How could I not keep reading and not root for them even when boring politics threatened to overtake the entire story?
After an exciting beginning that’s pretty much what happened for a good chunk of the story. George and her team are offered the chance to follow around a presidential hopeful and don’t turn it down. It means ratings people! And ratings are what count. What follows is often unexpected and sometimes a wee bit tedious if you’re not a fan of the ins and outs of blogging, politics and corruption BUT the characters truly made it worth reading. The world and character building is very, very good and there is enough snark and sarcasm to make up for the slower bits. This isn’t a hardcore zombie novel with a lot of zombie action but I fear many of the scenes will haunt me for quite some time. It’s rough and it’s heartbreaking and that’s all I’m going to say.
This audio version was read by Paula Christensen and Jesse Bernstein. Paula Christensen narrates the majority of the book and does a terrific job with all of the characters, including the males. Parts of the story is direct blog readings and Jesse Bernstein voices the shorter snippets, mostly from Shaun’s direct point of view. His voice gives Shaun the perfect devil may care attitude that worked really well. Both narrators sound youthful but never too young and their reading always sounds natural. They both enhanced the story and added emotion just where it was needed, never over-doing it.
Feed is not sexy, romantic or even a typical zombie book but it tore me up and made me feel a myriad of emotions when most books leave me cold. Yeah, it was complicated and over-long but I’ll be reading the sequel because somewhere along the way I grew to truly care about these characters.
March 17, 2019
4.5 stars - I am used by now to read books that are
Feed is that kind of book and even more.
I loved how it started (with such a great adventure), and I loved that feeling I got through the story, like I was part of it, finding more and more information about the world, the virus, the people involved. Yes, at some point it got to be a bit slow, but it was still full of useful information and there was still way too much to enjoy so I never got bored.
What did I expect?
Ahh.. zombies?! Duh!
I mean I am not a zombie fan, not at all, but this book was highly recommended to me so I said "What the hell, I am reading it, and I'm sure I'm gonna love it!"
What did I get?
A lot more than that.
Because this story is not really about zombies, you know? It's like saying that a book is about trees only because some scenes involve the main characters having fun in the park.. The trees are there, right, but the story is not really about them (ok, so maybe this is not such a good comparison because you don't see many trees trying to kill you in any story whatsoever, but you get my point).
Same here.. There are zombies, and there is this virus transforming people into zombies when they die or get bitten/infected, but the story is more about these 3 characters - Georgia, Shaun, Buffy - and their blogging passion and their need to find the truth (all kind of truths).
The 3 of them were friends, working together in a blog network, and they were so happy to get involved in the greatest adventure of their life, being selected in the position of "pet bloggers" for Senator Ryman's presidential campaign. What they never knew was how many dangers awaited for them.
Georgia Mason - smart, and honest with herself and the world.
She lived for the truth, she lived for the news, and she was pretty good at it. I like how she cared about her brother, Shaun, how she was always there to 'rescue' him when he was playing with the dead, and their adventures were awesome starting with the very first one.
"Our story opens where countless stories have ended in the last 26 years: with an idiot, in this case my brother Shaun, deciding it would be a good idea to go out and poke a zombie with a stick to see what happens"
Shaun Mason on the other hand was a bit childish, but he was also so damn cute, smart and caring, with a passion for danger and for 'poking zombies with a stick '. I loved his relation with his sister because they knew each other so well, and their conversations were refreshing and funny as they kept joking around even in the hardest of the times.
Their close relationship was all they both had, being raised by their adoptive parents that only cared about ratings and numbers, it always have been them vs. the world.. but then the world really turned against them, didn't it?
This was by far the best duo I've read about in a while and they also made me want to cry (oh, don't you EVER make me cry again, do you hear me?!!!).
There was this carousel of emotions (with the highs heavenly high and the lows so damn low) that left me feeling like I've been spinning around, and around, and around and.. I didn't see it coming, no I didn't.
And you know how you feel when you stop spinning around? You feel lost and confused, you need something to hold on to, and the only thing I know I can hold on to is the sequel, and I need to read it, because I simply need to know what happens next.
Buffy well, it's hard to talk about her because she was mostly kept into the shadow. She was the one handling all the technological part - image, sound, servers, security - it was all Buffy's work. I understood when she needed someone next to her, and I cared for her when she was afraid, but I wish I could have known her better. I don't want to spoil her relationship with the other 2 and her role into the story, so I'll leave it at this: she did surprise me.. a lot.
"She listened to all kinds of music, even the stuff that sounds like static and church bells. She played guitar really badly, but she meant every note."
Now, the part that I didn't like that much, was the one involving politics.. that part was so hard to get through. Of course, it was there to deliver more information about the settling, about the world, about how things worked.. not to mention that it was crucial into the story, with the 3 bloggers following the senator in his campaign, but at some point there was just too much settling and too little action and it made me yawn a bit and I put the book down a few times.
There would be some more things I loved or hated, but no, I can't talk about them because they are all spoilers. But I loved the characters, the story, the writing is great too, so if you want to try it I don't think you could possibly be disappointed. Really, you'll like it (even love it) :)
... Oh, I've almost forgot to tell you how much I HATE needles. Oh yes I do! And I think that if you were a journalist and you were suppose to take those damn test every time you entered/exited a room, your hand would look like a sieve, just saying o_O
Later Edit: Check My Book Boyfriend - Shaun
PS: Great, great cover.. Love it!
PSS: I love(d) all the blog posts inserted into the book.. where's the follow button when you need one?
This review can also be found at ReadingAfterMidnight.com - Feed
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November 11, 2020
Moral of the story: Don’t reread 3-star books, because you’re inevitably going to find MORE WRONG* WITH THEM.
Georgia narrates the story in a mildly pompous tone that absolutely grated on me. Her, Buffy, and Shaun’s irreverence was clearly meant to be funny and/or slick, but instead came off just plain obnoxious. And not to knock their smelted-in-the-zombie-apocalypse sibling bond or anything, but there was something so... Flowers in the Attic about Shaun and Georgia. (I mean, they’re grown-ass adults sleeping in the same hotel bed—though surely there was a budget for separate beds if not rooms—with him only clad in boxer shorts!! Yeesh.)
Yet I still read this damn 600-pager TWO. WHOLE. TIMES. There is no one to blame for this but me.
It's the zombies. Zombies are my X factor. I did it for the zombies, okay?
Also: Why Mira decided it was necessary to take the piss out of every woman side character is beyond me. From scantily clad, unnamed girls handing out cigarettes, to the interchangeable brunette interns (“a Jenny, a Jamie, or a Jill”), to the constant lampooning of a female politician—“Kirsten ‘Knockers’ Wagman”—whose only notable feature is how she decided to get a boob job to run for office...
Seriously? Like we don’t have enough “women are bimbos” stereotypes floating around to last several lifetimes? (“Floating” is too kind a term. More like aggregating oppressively and insidiously in workplaces, media, and academic, domestic, and political spheres.)
I will say, though, that reading this book—a story following the presidential campaign of a Republican senator—has been an interesting experience in 2020. I was highlighting passages like:
Those last few sentences! Shivers!
Bottom line: I can’t deny that this one was just a steaming heap of zombie-ungulate poop at times. That being said, I revise my opening statement a teeeeny bit: I was definitely better able to appreciate the political themes—and core messages—of this book because I didn’t skim just to read the zombie action bits, like I did the first time around. And as a result, I loved the horror world-building (so detailed, so verbose as to rival Stephen King) and even enjoyed some moments with Shaun and Georgia, especially toward the end.
* ofc, by “wrong” I mean personally disagreeable
◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️
I REALLY want to read Rise, the ginormous anthology of Newsflesh stories that I got at Indigo last summer for $4, but in order to make the most out of those novellas/companion stories, I need to refresh myself with the series.
AKA re-read Feed and actually get to reading the sequels. 😂
So here we go! Tackling zombie doorstopper #1....
Georgia narrates the story in a mildly pompous tone that absolutely grated on me. Her, Buffy, and Shaun’s irreverence was clearly meant to be funny and/or slick, but instead came off just plain obnoxious. And not to knock their smelted-in-the-zombie-apocalypse sibling bond or anything, but there was something so... Flowers in the Attic about Shaun and Georgia. (I mean, they’re grown-ass adults sleeping in the same hotel bed—though surely there was a budget for separate beds if not rooms—with him only clad in boxer shorts!! Yeesh.)
Yet I still read this damn 600-pager TWO. WHOLE. TIMES. There is no one to blame for this but me.
It's the zombies. Zombies are my X factor. I did it for the zombies, okay?
Also: Why Mira decided it was necessary to take the piss out of every woman side character is beyond me. From scantily clad, unnamed girls handing out cigarettes, to the interchangeable brunette interns (“a Jenny, a Jamie, or a Jill”), to the constant lampooning of a female politician—“Kirsten ‘Knockers’ Wagman”—whose only notable feature is how she decided to get a boob job to run for office...
Seriously? Like we don’t have enough “women are bimbos” stereotypes floating around to last several lifetimes? (“Floating” is too kind a term. More like aggregating oppressively and insidiously in workplaces, media, and academic, domestic, and political spheres.)
I will say, though, that reading this book—a story following the presidential campaign of a Republican senator—has been an interesting experience in 2020. I was highlighting passages like:
I can’t tell you to choose Senator Ryman as the Republican Party candidate just because I don’t like Governor Tate. But I can tell you this: The governor’s biases, like mine, are a matter of public record. Do your research. Do your homework. Learn what this man would do to our country in the name of preserving a brand of freedom that is as destructive as it is impossible to secure. Know your enemy.
That’s what freedom really means.
Those last few sentences! Shivers!
Bottom line: I can’t deny that this one was just a steaming heap of zombie-ungulate poop at times. That being said, I revise my opening statement a teeeeny bit: I was definitely better able to appreciate the political themes—and core messages—of this book because I didn’t skim just to read the zombie action bits, like I did the first time around. And as a result, I loved the horror world-building (so detailed, so verbose as to rival Stephen King) and even enjoyed some moments with Shaun and Georgia, especially toward the end.
* ofc, by “wrong” I mean personally disagreeable
◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️
I REALLY want to read Rise, the ginormous anthology of Newsflesh stories that I got at Indigo last summer for $4, but in order to make the most out of those novellas/companion stories, I need to refresh myself with the series.
AKA re-read Feed and actually get to reading the sequels. 😂
So here we go! Tackling zombie doorstopper #1....
February 22, 2015
Do you know what the one I found impossible to believe about this book?
Zombies? No. Sure, they are impossible but no, not that.
Hipsters with determination enough to create a top notch news site/blog? No...
That a society wouldn't just lose their collective minds when their dead friends and loved ones got up and tried to eat them, and yet somehow kept it together enough to create amazing tech to help them survive? When in 2015 I'm amazed most people can keep themselves alive, feed themselves and tie their shoes without the extra trouble of dodging zombies.
No. All of that is more plausible than the possibility of the GOP producing an electable, reasonable, presidential candidate with a heart, and only in a short 24 years.
That's laughable Mira! Crazy.
Zombies? No. Sure, they are impossible but no, not that.
Hipsters with determination enough to create a top notch news site/blog? No...
That a society wouldn't just lose their collective minds when their dead friends and loved ones got up and tried to eat them, and yet somehow kept it together enough to create amazing tech to help them survive? When in 2015 I'm amazed most people can keep themselves alive, feed themselves and tie their shoes without the extra trouble of dodging zombies.
No. All of that is more plausible than the possibility of the GOP producing an electable, reasonable, presidential candidate with a heart, and only in a short 24 years.
That's laughable Mira! Crazy.
January 31, 2013
So dumb: An Angry Analysis
And my final conclusion for this book is...
Here we are, 28 years into the future and the blogging world is the shit! The world has turned to blogs for their reliable truth after the zombie apocalypse. Please tell me why I don't have to explain how dumb that is? Fine. Not a big deal? Okay.
The bloggers have broken themselves down into three categories:
Newsies--Yes, as in from the ancient movie of the same title. These folks are straight reporters.
Irwins--As in Steve Irwin. These are the action/dare devil reporters. Oh for fuck's sake! It's 28 years into the future, Irwin has been dead now for how many years? But no, we're Irwins!
Fictionals--See bad stories and worse poems.
While I'm raging about pop-culture, which seems to have stalled out in this book at 2001, how the hell do we have Newsies and Irwins and nobody's heard of Buffy the Vampire Slayer? M'Kay. Sure.
The technology seems to have stalled out around the early 2000s as well. Apparently, Georgia needs three cell phones--er, why? Also, why the fuck do I need to know this? Lots of dumb details really weigh the story down.
That was annoying, but more annoying were the pages worth of the setting up of the technology. Dear, Lord! I don't give a flying fuck why you connected this to that, or the other. I don't need to read more pages about Buffy fixing this and wires being connected. No! You are wasting my time!
Oh, and don't get me started on the finger pricking blood tests! Apparently they have to hurt because the pain is psychological BARLB WHMOLUM. SCIENCE!
So, consumers don't want a blood scanner that doesn't hurt? You know, because they NEVER have to scan? Oh, wait! They do have to scan? Like ever other page? Oh. So why the fuck does it have to hurt and prick every fucking finger? GARBLE BLARB, SCIENCE!
Meanwhile in politics...this boring shit happened.
Yes, Feed is far more about the politics of the future than anything else--especially zombies. Surprise, fuckers! This zombie book is not about zombies! We get to hear all about the state of the union from George, who is the most cliche, unlikeable, hypocritical character ever!
George and why I hate her:
Wears nondescript black clothing with lots of pockets and boots
Doesn't like touching or affection of any kind
Does not like animals
Has a strange relationship with adopted brother
Believes that showing emotion is weak
Is an egocentric asshole who likes the sound of her own voice
Loves to power play everyone, including her employees
Grant writes George these horrible blog posts about her musings about the world. They suck! First, there's WAY too many of them. Second, they all start to blend together. Third, and this is 450 pages later, I began to realize that Grant is most likely the kind of person who loves the sound of her own voice. Oh, the self-important blathering!
Overall, this book is awful for all kinds of reasons! It's way too fucking long, the characters are completely without merit, and the story suuuukkkkxxx! Once I realized who the bad guy was, I was so done. Who wants to keep reading self-important BLAR BARL BLARB when you know who the cliche bad guy is. Can you say, President Snow, much?
Feed feels very much as though it were written ten years ago, or more. The pop culture references were terrible and could have been solved by changing the stupid terminology, or just not making the damn book set SO freaking far into the future. Newsies and Irwins? I about gagged. How dumb.
But here's the thing about dumb. I can suspend disbelief even for dumb if the characters and story work, but they didn't. George is awful and the plot is so predictable it actually made my head hurt. The world building was good, but honestly, a world without a plot is just a world.
And my final conclusion for this book is...
Here's why I eye-rolled myself into a headache while reading Feed
Here we are, 28 years into the future and the blogging world is the shit! The world has turned to blogs for their reliable truth after the zombie apocalypse. Please tell me why I don't have to explain how dumb that is? Fine. Not a big deal? Okay.
The bloggers have broken themselves down into three categories:
Newsies--Yes, as in from the ancient movie of the same title. These folks are straight reporters.
Irwins--As in Steve Irwin. These are the action/dare devil reporters. Oh for fuck's sake! It's 28 years into the future, Irwin has been dead now for how many years? But no, we're Irwins!
Fictionals--See bad stories and worse poems.
While I'm raging about pop-culture, which seems to have stalled out in this book at 2001, how the hell do we have Newsies and Irwins and nobody's heard of Buffy the Vampire Slayer? M'Kay. Sure.
The technology seems to have stalled out around the early 2000s as well. Apparently, Georgia needs three cell phones--er, why? Also, why the fuck do I need to know this? Lots of dumb details really weigh the story down.
That was annoying, but more annoying were the pages worth of the setting up of the technology. Dear, Lord! I don't give a flying fuck why you connected this to that, or the other. I don't need to read more pages about Buffy fixing this and wires being connected. No! You are wasting my time!
Oh, and don't get me started on the finger pricking blood tests! Apparently they have to hurt because the pain is psychological BARLB WHMOLUM. SCIENCE!
So, consumers don't want a blood scanner that doesn't hurt? You know, because they NEVER have to scan? Oh, wait! They do have to scan? Like ever other page? Oh. So why the fuck does it have to hurt and prick every fucking finger? GARBLE BLARB, SCIENCE!
Meanwhile in politics...this boring shit happened.
Yes, Feed is far more about the politics of the future than anything else--especially zombies. Surprise, fuckers! This zombie book is not about zombies! We get to hear all about the state of the union from George, who is the most cliche, unlikeable, hypocritical character ever!
George and why I hate her:
Wears nondescript black clothing with lots of pockets and boots
Doesn't like touching or affection of any kind
Does not like animals
Has a strange relationship with adopted brother
Believes that showing emotion is weak
Is an egocentric asshole who likes the sound of her own voice
Loves to power play everyone, including her employees
Grant writes George these horrible blog posts about her musings about the world. They suck! First, there's WAY too many of them. Second, they all start to blend together. Third, and this is 450 pages later, I began to realize that Grant is most likely the kind of person who loves the sound of her own voice. Oh, the self-important blathering!
Overall, this book is awful for all kinds of reasons! It's way too fucking long, the characters are completely without merit, and the story suuuukkkkxxx! Once I realized who the bad guy was, I was so done. Who wants to keep reading self-important BLAR BARL BLARB when you know who the cliche bad guy is. Can you say, President Snow, much?
Feed feels very much as though it were written ten years ago, or more. The pop culture references were terrible and could have been solved by changing the stupid terminology, or just not making the damn book set SO freaking far into the future. Newsies and Irwins? I about gagged. How dumb.
But here's the thing about dumb. I can suspend disbelief even for dumb if the characters and story work, but they didn't. George is awful and the plot is so predictable it actually made my head hurt. The world building was good, but honestly, a world without a plot is just a world.
January 21, 2012
Feed fractured my heart, and then broke it - so, of course, it deserves to be my first five-star book of 2012. It is definitely not your typical zombie story with sleazy action sequences and creepy cliches, but a wonderful mix of zombies, blogging, and politics.
The book takes place after the Rising of 2014, in which the cure to the common cold and the cure to cancer combined to form a virus that raised the dead. Several people were immediately infected and many more lost their lives during that initial outbreak. Now, twenty years later, Georgia and Shaun Mason are internet journalists devoted to seeking the truth at whatever the cost. When they are selected to follow the campaign of popular presidential candidate Peter Ryman, they may have their chance to do so as a twisted conspiracy threatens to take them under.
If not for school, I would have finished this book in a day. Feed has everything: strong world-building, convincing characters, shocking scandal, and a wild story that will hook you in and never let you go. I connected with the characters well, and the fact that I cried for half an hour after reading the ending serves as evidence as to how much the book affected me.
I am so glad I gave this book to one of my best friends as a Christmas present - she and I talk about zombies constantly now. We plan to become professional zombie slayers, though I doubt I would have the willpower to pull off such a feat. Anyway, if that random tangent hasn't assured you of the awesomeness of this book, you must go out and get it now!
*cross-posted from my blog, the quiet voice.
The book takes place after the Rising of 2014, in which the cure to the common cold and the cure to cancer combined to form a virus that raised the dead. Several people were immediately infected and many more lost their lives during that initial outbreak. Now, twenty years later, Georgia and Shaun Mason are internet journalists devoted to seeking the truth at whatever the cost. When they are selected to follow the campaign of popular presidential candidate Peter Ryman, they may have their chance to do so as a twisted conspiracy threatens to take them under.
If not for school, I would have finished this book in a day. Feed has everything: strong world-building, convincing characters, shocking scandal, and a wild story that will hook you in and never let you go. I connected with the characters well, and the fact that I cried for half an hour after reading the ending serves as evidence as to how much the book affected me.
I am so glad I gave this book to one of my best friends as a Christmas present - she and I talk about zombies constantly now. We plan to become professional zombie slayers, though I doubt I would have the willpower to pull off such a feat. Anyway, if that random tangent hasn't assured you of the awesomeness of this book, you must go out and get it now!
*cross-posted from my blog, the quiet voice.
July 15, 2019
4.0 Stars
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel, which managed to tell a fresh story about zombies that was intelligent and thought-provoking. This book featured a fantastic cast of well-rounded, imperfect characters. I particularly loved the lead female character. Georgia is a genuinely tough, independent woman with a strong, confident voice. She know exactly what she believes in and does not waiver from her convictions. Moreover, there is no love interest in this novel, which is a refreshing change. I have become so use to romance in dystopian fiction that I was genuinely surprised by its absence. Instead, the main relationship focus is the close bond between a brother and sister, which was endearing to read.
Unlike other zombie books, this novel tells the story of how humanity rebuilt and reacted after the outbreak was contained. I particularly appreciated the author providing an in-depth overview of both the history and current state of this dyptopian world. While this book features some zombie action, this is primarily a story of journalism, told in the setting post-apocalyptic world. This book addresses themes such as truth, ethnics and professional obligations within the media.
I would recommend this book to people looking for a fresh take on the post-apolotypic genre, which is more focused on the world-building aspects rather than the horror.
I listened to this as an audiobook, which was a great experience. The performance features two talented narrators, one male and one female, to voice this compelling story.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel, which managed to tell a fresh story about zombies that was intelligent and thought-provoking. This book featured a fantastic cast of well-rounded, imperfect characters. I particularly loved the lead female character. Georgia is a genuinely tough, independent woman with a strong, confident voice. She know exactly what she believes in and does not waiver from her convictions. Moreover, there is no love interest in this novel, which is a refreshing change. I have become so use to romance in dystopian fiction that I was genuinely surprised by its absence. Instead, the main relationship focus is the close bond between a brother and sister, which was endearing to read.
Unlike other zombie books, this novel tells the story of how humanity rebuilt and reacted after the outbreak was contained. I particularly appreciated the author providing an in-depth overview of both the history and current state of this dyptopian world. While this book features some zombie action, this is primarily a story of journalism, told in the setting post-apocalyptic world. This book addresses themes such as truth, ethnics and professional obligations within the media.
I would recommend this book to people looking for a fresh take on the post-apolotypic genre, which is more focused on the world-building aspects rather than the horror.
I listened to this as an audiobook, which was a great experience. The performance features two talented narrators, one male and one female, to voice this compelling story.
June 8, 2011
Initial Thoughts
I’m sorry, I can’t actually read this last page BECAUSE OF THE TEARS. Or at least the metaphorical ones… because I don’t cry at books… but you get what I mean. This book is horrifically sad.
High points.
ZOMBIES. I am a huge fan of zombies… and I always thought that everyone else was too, but from reading reviews of this a main reason why people were unsure about this was because of the zombies. Zombies were the reason why I picked up these books. More than zombies- even though I am all for zombies, they only have a cameo appearance in this story. It is about so much more and it’s a shame that this book is being described as a ‘zombie book’ because there is like a million other things that go on as well. Great depiction of siblings… very realistic but also hilarious and poignant *sob*. The setting- so much thought has gone into this and the back story is amazing. Also… LOVE the fact that variations of George (Romero) are the popular names of the time because that would actually happen. News and journalism- what a fascinating speculation of the future of the news and the rise of the importance blogs… I’m pretty sure Ms Grant saw into the future with that one. Hopefully not about the evil Rising and gnashing zombies though…
TENSION. Man, this book was tense I practically have no nails left. Red light green light red light green light red… ARGH. Subtle but effective writing that feeds (sorry… couldn’t think of a better word) little clue snippets into the dialogue so you’re left guessing write up until the end. And speaking of the end…in the great words of Bony M…. oh ma looooord.
This book was totally not what I was expecting and it always left me guessing. I don’t mean to sound big headed, but I quite often predict what is going to happen in things…not because they are necessarily flimsy plots, but because I’ve watched a lot of television and read a lot of books. So even though I had some pretty major quibbles with this book, I loved this book so much, not only for having an interesting story, exploring fascinating concepts and ideas but for proving that actually, Jo… you’re not as smart as you think. Because damn, I did NOT expect this book to go the way it did. Flabbergasted.
Low points.
This book really started off sooooo slow and it took quite a while for things to happen. There was also a lot of politics and even though it was interesting to get the back story and why what was happening was happening, I found it to be unnecessarily in depth and it became quite repetitive. I understand that it was important for the reader to get understand the big ideas (especially when you read Deadline, the second book of the trilogy)… but it did become a bit tedious. The blogging/technical side of things. Gosh there was a lot of technical jargon in this book (which is probably a high point for a lot of people, but I am a geek but not a computer geek) and a lot of it went over my head. This is probably my fault for my eyes glazing over whenever big bro tried to explain computer things to me… but about 60% of this was lost on my poor English Literature/Film Studying brain.
I loved Georgia as a character- she is intelligent, resourceful, dedicated to her profession and the search for truth and she’s caring but she’s not a simpering girly girl, which was great because I don’t think I could have handled romangst in this book. BUT… I really didn’t like her as a narrator. I like to connect with my narrators and I’m not saying George was heartless or anything, but… I think the only thing I had in common with her is how I take my caffeine: Cold.
Heroine/Hero/ Best friend.
I briefly mentioned George in the low points section… so I won’t go on too much about her. I’ll focus on my positive feelings towards her. I thought she was such an original character… a girl who runs a blog documenting the world post- zombie rising, who surpasses all the boys with her mad computer skills and can kill zombies? YES PLEASE. And also, she’s a writer looking for the truth. Aren’t we all, George? Aren’t we all?
What I loved about her was that even though George is a complete tom boy and perhaps the furthest away from loving material things as you can get (except for the hair dye, of course!)… she wasn’t really aggressive with it. She is different than all the other girls but she accepts this and just gets on with it and gets on with her job. I’m so glad that Grant wasn’t like ‘LOOK HOW ORIGINAL THIS TOMBOY CHARACTER WHO DOESN’T LIKE FASHIONABLE CLOTHES AND DOESN’T UNDERSTAND BOYS IS’ all the time, because in a lot of dystopian novels (*cough* Mockingjay *cough*) this happens and it’s so off-putting and amazing characters (*cough* Mockingjay *cough*) are ruined by this.
Even though I didn’t have much in common with George and didn’t relate to her as much as I have narrators in other books I’ve read… I appreciated that it was her telling the story because in hindsight (which, of course, is 20:20) I don’t think this book would have worked if it hadn’t been told from how she saw it from behind her aviators.
Which leads me nicely to Shaun (and yes, I immediately thought of this and this) but no offense to Simon Pegg, who does have some kind of nerdy British charm and an understandable fondness for Cornettos… this Shaun was muuuuuuch cuter and yes, I have a crush on him. He is George’s brother, co-worker and best friend. But unlike George, he's kinda glad there are zombies everywhere because his job is to go into the field and report on the zombies from up-close. And, of course, poke them with sticks.
Shaun is such a great character: he’s hilarious, he’s stupid, he’s a typical boy, he's dangerous, he walks around in his underwear (BOOM.), he’s reckless but he has such a good heart and he's so honorable and just a massive cutie in cargo pants.
I also love the relationship between George and Shaun, it’s such an interesting dynamic because normally with sibling relationships in books it seems so forced and ‘Ohh my brother/sister is soo annoying’. But G & S really care for each other, they rib each other but they seem to slot perfectly together, their relationship was my favourite part of this book. Sigh.
Baddie.
Ignoring the fact that the flesh-eating zombies are kinda baddies… I was a little disappointed with the main, main baddie. I like my evil characters with a bit of mystery and intrigue but this one seemed to just stroll up on the page and be like ‘HI JO, I’M EVIL AND I’M GOING TO CAUSE PROBLEMS. MUHAHAHA’ as he twiddled his moustache. BUT BUT… I’m writing this book after I read Deadline and like I said about hindsight being great, even though the baddie in Feed wasn't the best…Grant did an amazing job at setting up the baddies for book numero deux. The bigger picture ‘n’ all.
Theme Tune.
They Are Night Zombies!- Sufjan Stevens.
I was going to choose a very literal song for this book… but I decided against it when I found this gem by Sufjan Stevens. When I first saw the title, I was expecting it to be a funny song and then was surprised at the sense of melancholy, the lack of permanence and the poignancy that it evoked. Like how I felt with this book, when my preconceptions were challenged. The song is all about the resurrection and how the mistakes of the past can shape the future which makes it particularly relevant to the message of the book. Also… it has possibly the best title ever. (The full title is “They are Night Zombies! They are Neighbours! They Have Come Back from the Dead! Aaaah”)
Angst Level.
10/10. GOD. This book. I finished this book a few days ago but I literally couldn’t bring myself to write about it because the ending shocked me and affected me so much. I keep thinking about it and nearly drown in the emotion that it brings. There are a lot of deaths in this book, some are pretty obvious and easily to predict, but they are dealt with such raw emotion that even though you may have guessed it was coming, you still feel your heart ripped out and mourn with the characters.
Recommended For.
People who think zombies are better than unicorns. People who like adventure books. People who like dystopian books that have a bit more ‘ooomph’ to them. People who don’t mind their stories lacking in romance. People who like strong, original and unflappable female narrators. People who are interested in journalism and the way news is presented. People who like conspiracies. People who are scientifically inclined. People who saw 28 Days Later and thought “I want to go to there”. People who believe in exposing the truth, no matter what. People who have a brother/sister. People who would quite happily tolerate their boyfriend poking rabid dead people with sticks because he’s super cute. People who have nerves of steel. People who have no tear ducts and/or emotions.
I’m sorry, I can’t actually read this last page BECAUSE OF THE TEARS. Or at least the metaphorical ones… because I don’t cry at books… but you get what I mean. This book is horrifically sad.
High points.
ZOMBIES. I am a huge fan of zombies… and I always thought that everyone else was too, but from reading reviews of this a main reason why people were unsure about this was because of the zombies. Zombies were the reason why I picked up these books. More than zombies- even though I am all for zombies, they only have a cameo appearance in this story. It is about so much more and it’s a shame that this book is being described as a ‘zombie book’ because there is like a million other things that go on as well. Great depiction of siblings… very realistic but also hilarious and poignant *sob*. The setting- so much thought has gone into this and the back story is amazing. Also… LOVE the fact that variations of George (Romero) are the popular names of the time because that would actually happen. News and journalism- what a fascinating speculation of the future of the news and the rise of the importance blogs… I’m pretty sure Ms Grant saw into the future with that one. Hopefully not about the evil Rising and gnashing zombies though…
TENSION. Man, this book was tense I practically have no nails left. Red light green light red light green light red… ARGH. Subtle but effective writing that feeds (sorry… couldn’t think of a better word) little clue snippets into the dialogue so you’re left guessing write up until the end. And speaking of the end…in the great words of Bony M…. oh ma looooord.
This book was totally not what I was expecting and it always left me guessing. I don’t mean to sound big headed, but I quite often predict what is going to happen in things…not because they are necessarily flimsy plots, but because I’ve watched a lot of television and read a lot of books. So even though I had some pretty major quibbles with this book, I loved this book so much, not only for having an interesting story, exploring fascinating concepts and ideas but for proving that actually, Jo… you’re not as smart as you think. Because damn, I did NOT expect this book to go the way it did. Flabbergasted.
Low points.
This book really started off sooooo slow and it took quite a while for things to happen. There was also a lot of politics and even though it was interesting to get the back story and why what was happening was happening, I found it to be unnecessarily in depth and it became quite repetitive. I understand that it was important for the reader to get understand the big ideas (especially when you read Deadline, the second book of the trilogy)… but it did become a bit tedious. The blogging/technical side of things. Gosh there was a lot of technical jargon in this book (which is probably a high point for a lot of people, but I am a geek but not a computer geek) and a lot of it went over my head. This is probably my fault for my eyes glazing over whenever big bro tried to explain computer things to me… but about 60% of this was lost on my poor English Literature/Film Studying brain.
I loved Georgia as a character- she is intelligent, resourceful, dedicated to her profession and the search for truth and she’s caring but she’s not a simpering girly girl, which was great because I don’t think I could have handled romangst in this book. BUT… I really didn’t like her as a narrator. I like to connect with my narrators and I’m not saying George was heartless or anything, but… I think the only thing I had in common with her is how I take my caffeine: Cold.
Heroine/Hero/ Best friend.
I briefly mentioned George in the low points section… so I won’t go on too much about her. I’ll focus on my positive feelings towards her. I thought she was such an original character… a girl who runs a blog documenting the world post- zombie rising, who surpasses all the boys with her mad computer skills and can kill zombies? YES PLEASE. And also, she’s a writer looking for the truth. Aren’t we all, George? Aren’t we all?
What I loved about her was that even though George is a complete tom boy and perhaps the furthest away from loving material things as you can get (except for the hair dye, of course!)… she wasn’t really aggressive with it. She is different than all the other girls but she accepts this and just gets on with it and gets on with her job. I’m so glad that Grant wasn’t like ‘LOOK HOW ORIGINAL THIS TOMBOY CHARACTER WHO DOESN’T LIKE FASHIONABLE CLOTHES AND DOESN’T UNDERSTAND BOYS IS’ all the time, because in a lot of dystopian novels (*cough* Mockingjay *cough*) this happens and it’s so off-putting and amazing characters (*cough* Mockingjay *cough*) are ruined by this.
Even though I didn’t have much in common with George and didn’t relate to her as much as I have narrators in other books I’ve read… I appreciated that it was her telling the story because in hindsight (which, of course, is 20:20) I don’t think this book would have worked if it hadn’t been told from how she saw it from behind her aviators.
Which leads me nicely to Shaun (and yes, I immediately thought of this and this) but no offense to Simon Pegg, who does have some kind of nerdy British charm and an understandable fondness for Cornettos… this Shaun was muuuuuuch cuter and yes, I have a crush on him. He is George’s brother, co-worker and best friend. But unlike George, he's kinda glad there are zombies everywhere because his job is to go into the field and report on the zombies from up-close. And, of course, poke them with sticks.
Shaun is such a great character: he’s hilarious, he’s stupid, he’s a typical boy, he's dangerous, he walks around in his underwear (BOOM.), he’s reckless but he has such a good heart and he's so honorable and just a massive cutie in cargo pants.
I also love the relationship between George and Shaun, it’s such an interesting dynamic because normally with sibling relationships in books it seems so forced and ‘Ohh my brother/sister is soo annoying’. But G & S really care for each other, they rib each other but they seem to slot perfectly together, their relationship was my favourite part of this book. Sigh.
Baddie.
Ignoring the fact that the flesh-eating zombies are kinda baddies… I was a little disappointed with the main, main baddie. I like my evil characters with a bit of mystery and intrigue but this one seemed to just stroll up on the page and be like ‘HI JO, I’M EVIL AND I’M GOING TO CAUSE PROBLEMS. MUHAHAHA’ as he twiddled his moustache. BUT BUT… I’m writing this book after I read Deadline and like I said about hindsight being great, even though the baddie in Feed wasn't the best…Grant did an amazing job at setting up the baddies for book numero deux. The bigger picture ‘n’ all.
Theme Tune.
They Are Night Zombies!- Sufjan Stevens.
I was going to choose a very literal song for this book… but I decided against it when I found this gem by Sufjan Stevens. When I first saw the title, I was expecting it to be a funny song and then was surprised at the sense of melancholy, the lack of permanence and the poignancy that it evoked. Like how I felt with this book, when my preconceptions were challenged. The song is all about the resurrection and how the mistakes of the past can shape the future which makes it particularly relevant to the message of the book. Also… it has possibly the best title ever. (The full title is “They are Night Zombies! They are Neighbours! They Have Come Back from the Dead! Aaaah”)
Angst Level.
10/10. GOD. This book. I finished this book a few days ago but I literally couldn’t bring myself to write about it because the ending shocked me and affected me so much. I keep thinking about it and nearly drown in the emotion that it brings. There are a lot of deaths in this book, some are pretty obvious and easily to predict, but they are dealt with such raw emotion that even though you may have guessed it was coming, you still feel your heart ripped out and mourn with the characters.
Recommended For.
People who think zombies are better than unicorns. People who like adventure books. People who like dystopian books that have a bit more ‘ooomph’ to them. People who don’t mind their stories lacking in romance. People who like strong, original and unflappable female narrators. People who are interested in journalism and the way news is presented. People who like conspiracies. People who are scientifically inclined. People who saw 28 Days Later and thought “I want to go to there”. People who believe in exposing the truth, no matter what. People who have a brother/sister. People who would quite happily tolerate their boyfriend poking rabid dead people with sticks because he’s super cute. People who have nerves of steel. People who have no tear ducts and/or emotions.
February 13, 2017
“The difference between the truth and a lie is that both of them can hurt, but only one will take the time to heal you afterward.”
I've heard about Feed for a few years, but as usual I'm slow to join the party. After reading it, I agree it deserves its reputation. Look at the synopsis, and you may think: zombie. In reality its a book where the zombies hover in the background of a character-rich mystery. I forgot about the zombies half the time, because it's not a horror book about zombies; it's a drama/thriller with zombies in the world.
Not violent, you don't get many descriptions of the walking dead or graphic death scenes. A lot of it is heard about after the fact when relayed to the reader, and most of the deaths aren't actually zombie based, but zombie-virus tainted. If you're a gore reader picking this up expecting plenty of the red stuff and unrelenting terror, you won't be satisfied with those elements. If you're looking for a steadily paced and intriguing story, you'll be content.
The story is about a brother and sister following a political candidate who is set to become the new President, but they have to fight assassins and political trickery along the way. The culprit wasn't a surprise unfortunately, but there was a betrayal I didn't see coming, and a totally surprising death. Grant didn't hold the punches with the tragedy, and her writing style made the story flow smoothly.
It's not a perfect book - there are some slightly lagging parts and minor bugs, but just the enjoyment level alone was good enough for the five star rating. The book would have worked even better a little trimmed and sped up, but I still sunk into the character's mind as she pondered the fate of the world and chased truth across country. Adding in the weird background of her parents and their media frenzy gave a genuine feel to the backstory of the media influencing this world. The book is broken into editorials and pieces from the news cast; I skimmed a couple of them, but a few made me think.
Zombie-lite but intriguing story.
I've heard about Feed for a few years, but as usual I'm slow to join the party. After reading it, I agree it deserves its reputation. Look at the synopsis, and you may think: zombie. In reality its a book where the zombies hover in the background of a character-rich mystery. I forgot about the zombies half the time, because it's not a horror book about zombies; it's a drama/thriller with zombies in the world.
Not violent, you don't get many descriptions of the walking dead or graphic death scenes. A lot of it is heard about after the fact when relayed to the reader, and most of the deaths aren't actually zombie based, but zombie-virus tainted. If you're a gore reader picking this up expecting plenty of the red stuff and unrelenting terror, you won't be satisfied with those elements. If you're looking for a steadily paced and intriguing story, you'll be content.
The story is about a brother and sister following a political candidate who is set to become the new President, but they have to fight assassins and political trickery along the way. The culprit wasn't a surprise unfortunately, but there was a betrayal I didn't see coming, and a totally surprising death. Grant didn't hold the punches with the tragedy, and her writing style made the story flow smoothly.
It's not a perfect book - there are some slightly lagging parts and minor bugs, but just the enjoyment level alone was good enough for the five star rating. The book would have worked even better a little trimmed and sped up, but I still sunk into the character's mind as she pondered the fate of the world and chased truth across country. Adding in the weird background of her parents and their media frenzy gave a genuine feel to the backstory of the media influencing this world. The book is broken into editorials and pieces from the news cast; I skimmed a couple of them, but a few made me think.
Zombie-lite but intriguing story.
June 22, 2019
Re-Read
I fell hard for this book the first time I read it and its sisters, confirming in my mind just how much I love Mira Grant -- or rather, Seannan McGuire. But at the time, this was my first taste of the author.
I admit I cried. I thought I just loved it for the light and often funny tone, the great setup for a post-zombie-apocalypse, loving to death the medical basis, the hella great worldbuilding, and especially the main characters. Georgia. Shaun. Buffy. They all snuck in under my skin. Slowly. Surely.
And to ride along a campaign trail for a presidential hopeful? Get embroiled in some really nasty politics along the way, ZOMBIE style?
I was like... bbbbrrrrraaaaaaaaiiiiiinnnnssss? GIMMIE MORE.
Hella smart, hella swift, and hella emotional. After all the OTHER zombie books I had read before, I was perfectly happy to put this near the very top of the list.
Since then, I've read a number of equally great zombie novels, but this hasn't slipped all that much on re-read.
For sheer enjoyment value and emotional shock, it's still at the very top. Sorry, World War Z. :)
I fell hard for this book the first time I read it and its sisters, confirming in my mind just how much I love Mira Grant -- or rather, Seannan McGuire. But at the time, this was my first taste of the author.
I admit I cried. I thought I just loved it for the light and often funny tone, the great setup for a post-zombie-apocalypse, loving to death the medical basis, the hella great worldbuilding, and especially the main characters. Georgia. Shaun. Buffy. They all snuck in under my skin. Slowly. Surely.
And to ride along a campaign trail for a presidential hopeful? Get embroiled in some really nasty politics along the way, ZOMBIE style?
I was like... bbbbrrrrraaaaaaaaiiiiiinnnnssss? GIMMIE MORE.
Hella smart, hella swift, and hella emotional. After all the OTHER zombie books I had read before, I was perfectly happy to put this near the very top of the list.
Since then, I've read a number of equally great zombie novels, but this hasn't slipped all that much on re-read.
For sheer enjoyment value and emotional shock, it's still at the very top. Sorry, World War Z. :)
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