Status
Available
Call number
Series
Publication
Orbit, Paperback
Description
Not every gift is a blessing. Every morning, Melanie waits in her cell to be collected for class. When they come for her, Sergeant Parks keeps his gun pointing at her while two of his people strap her into the wheelchair. She thinks they don't like her. She jokes that she won't bite. But they don't laugh. Melanie is a very special girl.
Media reviews
One of the more imaginative and ingenious additions to the dystopian canon.
Comics writer Carey (Lucifer) delivers an entertaining take on several well-worn zombie tropes
User reviews
LibraryThing member tenaciousreader
I just loved this book. I don’t want to say too much about the plot because I think it is better to go into this one knowing as little as possible. But as you can likely gather from the blurb, it starts by introducing the reader to Melanie. She is a young girl who is raised in a environment where
Seeing Melanie’s bright and inquisitive nature within the stark, sterile conditions is quite a contrast. But, Melanie has never known any different, so to her, this is normal. We are introduced to a number of the adults in her life. The soldiers who strap her down and wheel her to class each day, and the the group of teachers that they alternate through day to day, the Doctor who works within the compound. They are all damaged people living in a damaged world. But they go on, as people must. And there is quite a diverse set of backgrounds and personalities.
I absolutely love Melanie’s character. She is so bright, yet so sheltered and she brings a unique (and sensible) view to situations. And since Melanie loves Miss Justineau, you know, I think I have to as well. Miss Justineau actually sees Melanie for the person she is, which in Melanie’s world is quite meaningful. We also get to know Sarge, the soldier who points the gun at Melanie. I don’t think there are any simple characters in this book and exploring them is part of what makes this book work.
The horror elements of this book are extremely well done. There is tension and suspense, and there is a psychological component that really just pull the reader in and keep you on edge. But I would not just classify this book as horror because there is also a strong science fiction bend to this story, beyond just the dystopian setting. The science aspect of it was fascinating and added plausibility to the environment they live in (even if ultimately it is fiction).
If I haven’t convinced you this book is worth reading, I don’t know what else to say (other than READ THIS!). It also has an absolutely amazing ending. I love when I adore an ending to a book, and this one was as near to perfect as I think you can hope for (at least for me). So go on, get this in your reading queue!
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kids are kept in individual cells. When it is time to go to class, three soldiers come into her cell. One to point the gun at her, two to restrain her to the wheelchair. That is just the way things are done. Melanie is an exceptionally bright child and loves to learn. She has a particular fondness for one her teachers, Miss Justineau.Seeing Melanie’s bright and inquisitive nature within the stark, sterile conditions is quite a contrast. But, Melanie has never known any different, so to her, this is normal. We are introduced to a number of the adults in her life. The soldiers who strap her down and wheel her to class each day, and the the group of teachers that they alternate through day to day, the Doctor who works within the compound. They are all damaged people living in a damaged world. But they go on, as people must. And there is quite a diverse set of backgrounds and personalities.
I absolutely love Melanie’s character. She is so bright, yet so sheltered and she brings a unique (and sensible) view to situations. And since Melanie loves Miss Justineau, you know, I think I have to as well. Miss Justineau actually sees Melanie for the person she is, which in Melanie’s world is quite meaningful. We also get to know Sarge, the soldier who points the gun at Melanie. I don’t think there are any simple characters in this book and exploring them is part of what makes this book work.
The horror elements of this book are extremely well done. There is tension and suspense, and there is a psychological component that really just pull the reader in and keep you on edge. But I would not just classify this book as horror because there is also a strong science fiction bend to this story, beyond just the dystopian setting. The science aspect of it was fascinating and added plausibility to the environment they live in (even if ultimately it is fiction).
If I haven’t convinced you this book is worth reading, I don’t know what else to say (other than READ THIS!). It also has an absolutely amazing ending. I love when I adore an ending to a book, and this one was as near to perfect as I think you can hope for (at least for me). So go on, get this in your reading queue!
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LibraryThing member bragan
It's hard to know how much to say about this book, and what might or might not constitute a spoiler. I've heard several people suggesting that it's best to know very little about it going in, or that they really enjoyed doing so and figuring out what was going on as they went along. So, although I
With or without spoilers, it's a novel that got a lot of praise when it came out a couple of years ago, and this is one of those cases where I think the hype was pretty well justified. I enjoyed it a lot and it felt to me, all the way through, that the author did just about everything right. The characters, while lightly sketched, are very real-feeling, and often more complex than they first appear. There are some great fresh variations on ideas that could have felt very old and tired indeed. The writing is scientifically literate, which is something that always pleases me, and full of vivid, apt, natural-feeling metaphors. And the ending is a corker, and not what I was expecting at all.
Basically, after a few less-than-satisfying recent books, this one totally hit the reading spot.
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don't think knowing what genre it's in hurt the experience of reading it for me at all, I'll be a little cagey about the premise and just say that it starts with a very special little girl who's being kept in a cell on an army base where she is instructed by teachers and studied by scientists, and that it's clear very quickly that something has gone very wrong in the world outside.With or without spoilers, it's a novel that got a lot of praise when it came out a couple of years ago, and this is one of those cases where I think the hype was pretty well justified. I enjoyed it a lot and it felt to me, all the way through, that the author did just about everything right. The characters, while lightly sketched, are very real-feeling, and often more complex than they first appear. There are some great fresh variations on ideas that could have felt very old and tired indeed. The writing is scientifically literate, which is something that always pleases me, and full of vivid, apt, natural-feeling metaphors. And the ending is a corker, and not what I was expecting at all.
Basically, after a few less-than-satisfying recent books, this one totally hit the reading spot.
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LibraryThing member reading_fox
Creepy and disturbing. Well written though. Dystopian Zombie thriller, written about the time of the big zombie craze, and according to the interview at the back, co-written at the same time as the film script, which I've not seen.
The setting opens with a small group of children in a classroom
The characters are excellent. Melanie is probably written far too old for her apparent age, but her interactions with Justineau, the soldiers and the scientists are wonderful. The science is pretty unlikely - in general authors shouldn't attempt to explain zombies, they don't won't and can't exist, so trying to shoehorn in real science just comes across as daft. The ethical dilemma of how to research a fatal disease amongst humans is much trickier to answer. All the same Caldwell is not well portrayed and very much the weakest part of the plot, at most a foil against which to infodump some speculations.
I'd have liked to have known much more about the Junkers and Beacon, but that would have taken the focus away form the immediate situation the Melanie finds herself in. As it is the frequent switching between characters makes it hard to fully empathise with the difficulties they face. AT times gripping and harrowing, I certainly didn't expect the ending to turn in quite that direction.
One of the better zombie books around.
The setting opens with a small group of children in a classroom
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learning mundane facts. The children are strapped into wheelchairs, and the guards take great pains not to come into contact with them. We follow the thoughts of Melanie, one of the children, who's completely inured to such treatment and knows nothing else. Her favourite teacher is Miss Justineau who manages to make the lessons fun, varied and interactive, despite the constraints. Melanie is although unspecified young, but extremely clever and she manages to make correlations about the outside world which she's only ever experienced through classroom books. Her physical world is limited to her cell, the connecting corridor and the classroom at one end. Nevertheless it becomes apparent from the soldiers' remarks that we're in a post-apocalyptic zombie world - the hungries - will get you. The Base Echo, is where she currently is, and most of surviving humanity in the UK is an emergency city Beacon (not Brecon on S wales although would also have made sense). Technology and infrastructure has failed completely (cf Feed by Mira Grant), but soldiers can sometimes raid working items, highly prized for their rarity. A few isolated pockets of Junkers remain - uninfected humans living free and wild, although how they remain so is also little known. The purpose of base Echo is research into the fungus that causes the zombism. However you can guess that the base becomes overrun by zombies, and Melanie manages to flee with Justineau and some of the soldiers, to brace an epic trek across the ravaged lands and attempt to find safety.The characters are excellent. Melanie is probably written far too old for her apparent age, but her interactions with Justineau, the soldiers and the scientists are wonderful. The science is pretty unlikely - in general authors shouldn't attempt to explain zombies, they don't won't and can't exist, so trying to shoehorn in real science just comes across as daft. The ethical dilemma of how to research a fatal disease amongst humans is much trickier to answer. All the same Caldwell is not well portrayed and very much the weakest part of the plot, at most a foil against which to infodump some speculations.
I'd have liked to have known much more about the Junkers and Beacon, but that would have taken the focus away form the immediate situation the Melanie finds herself in. As it is the frequent switching between characters makes it hard to fully empathise with the difficulties they face. AT times gripping and harrowing, I certainly didn't expect the ending to turn in quite that direction.
One of the better zombie books around.
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LibraryThing member renbedell
I'm currently studying for boards, and if I fail them it is because of this book...and it would be worth it. This book is so good, I could not put it down. I had no idea what this book was about and I think that is the perfect way to experience this book. You discover what is going on along with
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Melanie and you almost start to feel like her. The theme may not be new, but the story is completely original and I would say one of the best of their kind (I don't want to give anything away, so you'll understand once you read it). This book is full of suspense, a small amount of horror, great character development, and an ending that leaves you satisfied. Show Less
LibraryThing member Berly
Post-apacolypse zombie novel set in the US. Not just the traditional gore-filled scary book; but also explores what does it mean to be human and cross-species relationships. A real page-turner!! Highly recommended.
LibraryThing member busyreadin
Sometimes the synopsis of a book really grabs me. A small girl in strapped in a wheel chair being moved by soldiers that won't even speak to her...an interesting premise.
Unfortunately, just another mediocre zombie book.
Unfortunately, just another mediocre zombie book.
LibraryThing member julie10reads
When your dreams come true, your true has moved.
It’s been twenty years since the Breakdown. When the fungus turned everyone in its path into hungries who literally ate civilization. Some thirty miles north of London, a fortified base operated by a skeleton staff is the site of a small,
The Girl With All the Gifts takes the zombie genre to the heights of a new mythology. It is at once a thriller, a love story and an apocalypse paradigm shift. I couldn’t put it down. As the book jacket proclaims, M. R. Carey has written the most original book you will read this year.
It’s been twenty years since the Breakdown. When the fungus turned everyone in its path into hungries who literally ate civilization. Some thirty miles north of London, a fortified base operated by a skeleton staff is the site of a small,
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jury-rigged laboratory and a classroom. Here Dr. Caroline Caldwell obsessively researches the pathogen hoping to find its off button. Here Helen Justineau teaches a small classroom of unique children. One of these children is Melanie. She says her name means “the black girl”. Melanie is a special girl, the girl with all the gifts.The Girl With All the Gifts takes the zombie genre to the heights of a new mythology. It is at once a thriller, a love story and an apocalypse paradigm shift. I couldn’t put it down. As the book jacket proclaims, M. R. Carey has written the most original book you will read this year.
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LibraryThing member ohsillytwigg
I never read Zombie stories. I usually avoid them. But this one was worth breaking my rule.
Melanie is fascinating. She's supposed to be a stumbling shell of a person, but she's inquisitive and loving. She actually reminds me a lot of Helena from Orphan Black. She lives in a jail. She doesn't
This is one of those books that you want to read without reading spoilers. So stop reading reviews and go read this.
Melanie is fascinating. She's supposed to be a stumbling shell of a person, but she's inquisitive and loving. She actually reminds me a lot of Helena from Orphan Black. She lives in a jail. She doesn't
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remember before and she doesn't know why she's there. This is one of those books that you want to read without reading spoilers. So stop reading reviews and go read this.
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LibraryThing member Strider66
Pros: thought provoking, fascinating characters, interesting premise, tight prose
Cons:
Melanie loves the story of Pandora. She loves attending Miss Justineau’s class, where she heard the legend. She doesn’t love Sergeant Parks, who sometimes makes Miss Justineau look sad, or Dr. Cauldwell,
This is a post-apocalyptic story with zombies (called hungries) that will feel very familiar. But Carey’s prose and storytelling ability makes it a brilliant addition to the subgenres.
The book alternates between several viewpoints but starts with Melanie, explaining her day, her week, her life. She’s such an intelligent girl and the author manages to explain so much of what’s happening - and what’s wrong in the world - by her observations of her normal life. Pay close attention, as there’s a lot of detail, with certain things being inferred rather than told outright.
I loved the rivalry between Miss Justineau and Dr. Cauldwell, both of whom believe very strongly that they’re in the right about the issues they face, and it’s hard at times to say they aren’t, even when their points of view are opposite. There are some great thought provoking moments, particularly around Dr. Cauldwell’s work and Melanie’s coming of age. Even Sergeant Parks has some introspection as he questions the experiments he’s been helping.
The book is definitely geared more for suspense than horror, though there are some horrifying scenes. The ending too, will remind readers of a memorable horror novel. The real question of the book lies in whether Dr. Cauldwell will find a cure for the hungries, and if the means she uses justify the ends she’s trying to achieve.
The story starts slow in order to really introduce the characters and the world before things get messy. The prose is tight, and the story, while not fast paced, is highly compelling. It’s a brilliant novel.
Cons:
Melanie loves the story of Pandora. She loves attending Miss Justineau’s class, where she heard the legend. She doesn’t love Sergeant Parks, who sometimes makes Miss Justineau look sad, or Dr. Cauldwell,
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who’s responsible for some of her classmates going away and never coming back. She likes her routine, and when that routine changes, all of their lives are irrevocably altered.This is a post-apocalyptic story with zombies (called hungries) that will feel very familiar. But Carey’s prose and storytelling ability makes it a brilliant addition to the subgenres.
The book alternates between several viewpoints but starts with Melanie, explaining her day, her week, her life. She’s such an intelligent girl and the author manages to explain so much of what’s happening - and what’s wrong in the world - by her observations of her normal life. Pay close attention, as there’s a lot of detail, with certain things being inferred rather than told outright.
I loved the rivalry between Miss Justineau and Dr. Cauldwell, both of whom believe very strongly that they’re in the right about the issues they face, and it’s hard at times to say they aren’t, even when their points of view are opposite. There are some great thought provoking moments, particularly around Dr. Cauldwell’s work and Melanie’s coming of age. Even Sergeant Parks has some introspection as he questions the experiments he’s been helping.
The book is definitely geared more for suspense than horror, though there are some horrifying scenes. The ending too, will remind readers of a memorable horror novel. The real question of the book lies in whether Dr. Cauldwell will find a cure for the hungries, and if the means she uses justify the ends she’s trying to achieve.
The story starts slow in order to really introduce the characters and the world before things get messy. The prose is tight, and the story, while not fast paced, is highly compelling. It’s a brilliant novel.
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LibraryThing member stefferoo
I confess, I’m not very good when it comes to pulling information out of book descriptions. But all I know is, when I first heard about The Girl With All The Gifts, it piqued my interest right away. Here you have a story about a bright young girl named Melanie, who for some reason everyone seems
So it really shouldn’t have surprised me when this book turned out to be Horror, and yet it did. Finding out about the genre, however, just made me even more excited to read it. And just when I thought things couldn’t get any better, OH HELLO, THEY DO!
By now, I gather it’s pretty safe to explain why I had myself a personal little freak-out when it hit me just what I was in for with this story. After all, the revelation comes very early on in the novel and is hardly a spoiler, not to mention the book has been out in the UK for months now and the cat is out of the bag. Anyway, my excitement levels exploded when I grew even more when I realized that The Girl With All The Gifts…is about zombies.
And I haven’t even gotten to the best part yet. What makes this a great zombie book – a great book, PERIOD – is the science. Ah, gotta love science. Like I always say, if you want to see some scary stuff, look no further than Mother Nature. Heck, some of the most frightening, bone-chilling things I’ve ever seen in film aren’t in horror movies, but in those dang Planet Earth documentaries. Who could forget the “Jungles” episode and the importance of fungi as illustrated by the life cycle of Ophiocordyceps unilatertalis? Oh, the sheer horror of watching the parasite take over an ant’s brain before the fruiting body explodes out of the back of its victim’s head, all while Sir David Attenborough goes on calmly narrating in those smooth, dulcet tones. That sequence was beyond traumatizing – but also fascinating. I remember being obsessed with the idea, thinking to myself, holy crap, someone pleeeeease write a zombie book based around this!
Well, even though the video game The Last of Us might have done it first, M.R. Carey ended up granting me my wish. And he does it in such a spectacular way, wrapping this fantastic idea around a story filled with mystery, action, and lots of gut-wrenching heartbreak. The Girl With All The Gifts is everything I look for in a zombie book – tight, energetic pacing with all the savagery, suspense and tension – but it’s also so much more. For me, this book is the next step in zombie fiction, delivering on the survival and post-apocalyptic elements we all know and love, while pushing the envelope with new ideas and deep characterization.
Due to its nature, it’s not surprising that the zombie-apocalypse survival subgenre tends to feature ruthlessness and characters with hard hearts who show no pity. But seeing the themes of mercy and compassion enter into the equation here is a nice change of pace. A lot of this is due to Melanie. If you also guessed from the description that there’s something different about her character, you’d be correct. Melanie is definitely a special little girl, and she’s part of what makes this book such an exceptional, atypical zombie novel and such a joy for me to read.
Even though I can probably go on for another couple pages about why I loved this book, I really don’t want to give too much away. There are lots of surprises, including an unpredictable ending that truly stunned me. So I guess to sum things up: 1) zombies, 2) nature is damn terrifying, and 3) creepy children. Oh, and of course, 4) I loved this book to pieces. Haunting, powerful and poignant, The Girl With All The Gifts is a novel I would recommend high and without reservation.
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deathly afraid of. Being held at gun-point while being strapped into a wheelchair just to go to class? Judging by level of paranoia with which she’s treated, you’d think little Melanie was Hannibal Lecter. The book jacket may be a little scarce on details, but there’s definitely something strange going on.So it really shouldn’t have surprised me when this book turned out to be Horror, and yet it did. Finding out about the genre, however, just made me even more excited to read it. And just when I thought things couldn’t get any better, OH HELLO, THEY DO!
By now, I gather it’s pretty safe to explain why I had myself a personal little freak-out when it hit me just what I was in for with this story. After all, the revelation comes very early on in the novel and is hardly a spoiler, not to mention the book has been out in the UK for months now and the cat is out of the bag. Anyway, my excitement levels exploded when I grew even more when I realized that The Girl With All The Gifts…is about zombies.
And I haven’t even gotten to the best part yet. What makes this a great zombie book – a great book, PERIOD – is the science. Ah, gotta love science. Like I always say, if you want to see some scary stuff, look no further than Mother Nature. Heck, some of the most frightening, bone-chilling things I’ve ever seen in film aren’t in horror movies, but in those dang Planet Earth documentaries. Who could forget the “Jungles” episode and the importance of fungi as illustrated by the life cycle of Ophiocordyceps unilatertalis? Oh, the sheer horror of watching the parasite take over an ant’s brain before the fruiting body explodes out of the back of its victim’s head, all while Sir David Attenborough goes on calmly narrating in those smooth, dulcet tones. That sequence was beyond traumatizing – but also fascinating. I remember being obsessed with the idea, thinking to myself, holy crap, someone pleeeeease write a zombie book based around this!
Well, even though the video game The Last of Us might have done it first, M.R. Carey ended up granting me my wish. And he does it in such a spectacular way, wrapping this fantastic idea around a story filled with mystery, action, and lots of gut-wrenching heartbreak. The Girl With All The Gifts is everything I look for in a zombie book – tight, energetic pacing with all the savagery, suspense and tension – but it’s also so much more. For me, this book is the next step in zombie fiction, delivering on the survival and post-apocalyptic elements we all know and love, while pushing the envelope with new ideas and deep characterization.
Due to its nature, it’s not surprising that the zombie-apocalypse survival subgenre tends to feature ruthlessness and characters with hard hearts who show no pity. But seeing the themes of mercy and compassion enter into the equation here is a nice change of pace. A lot of this is due to Melanie. If you also guessed from the description that there’s something different about her character, you’d be correct. Melanie is definitely a special little girl, and she’s part of what makes this book such an exceptional, atypical zombie novel and such a joy for me to read.
Even though I can probably go on for another couple pages about why I loved this book, I really don’t want to give too much away. There are lots of surprises, including an unpredictable ending that truly stunned me. So I guess to sum things up: 1) zombies, 2) nature is damn terrifying, and 3) creepy children. Oh, and of course, 4) I loved this book to pieces. Haunting, powerful and poignant, The Girl With All The Gifts is a novel I would recommend high and without reservation.
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LibraryThing member libgirl69
On the whole, an enjoyable read. Terrific ending which brought the story to full circle. More than made up for the finding of the mobile lab, which I thought was far too glib. Writing felt a little stilted in places.
LibraryThing member titania86
* spoilers *
Melanie loves going to class and interacting with her teachers, especially Miss Justineau. When she's not in class, she sits alone in her cell with no one to talk to and nothing to do until Sgt. Parks comes to collect her. When this happens, he trains a gun on her and straps her
The Girl with All the Gifts is a zombie novel. It's kind of weird this fact isn't advertised on the book jacket at all, but it was a pleasant surprise. The zombie apocalypse happened 30 years ago and only the smallest semblance of human society exists now. The zombies are called hungries for obvious reasons and the condition is caused by a fungus, a variation of Ophiocordyceps unilateralis. I love authors that take frightening, real things in the animal kingdom and apply it to humans like the tape worms in Mira Grant's Parisitology series or the parasitic crustaceans in the 2012 film The Bay. The real world version of this affects ants and makes them drastically alter their behavior. They abandon their nests, find a place where the fungus can flourish, and stay there until they die to further the fungus life cycle. In humans, this looks like attacking other humans to spread the fungus, which is only spread through saliva and blood. The first generation of hungries is completely animalistic. They are attracted by human scent, follow it to their prey, and mindlessly attack. When humans aren't present, they don't even move. It simply isn't necessary for the fungus that has spread throughout their bodies and destroyed their brains. Like the ants, the infected will also eventually lay down and die to allow the fungus to grow from their bodies. The second generation of hungries retains some of their mental faculties when out of the scope of humans and can eventually be taught to act like normal humans.
Melanie is one of the second generation of hungries. When the novel starts, she has no idea what she is. She only knows her teachers, her classmates, and the lessons she is taught. She has no memory of the time before when she roamed with the other hungries in the wild. Her compassion throughout the novel is truly unparalleled. She feels for hungries and humans alike, but she doesn't let her emotions control her choices. Her classes lead her to be fascinated with Greek myths (Pandora in particular) and her teacher Miss Justineau. Despite being very sheltered for the first few years of her life, she adapts perfectly to each situation. She fights her instincts to eat people when needed and cooperates completely when the humans need to restrain her to feel safe or when she needs to intervene with the wild hungries. Despite all of the chaos and violence, Melanie stays mostly quiet and contemplative, processing all the new information and figuring out her place in the world. She ends up making a very important decision for the future and comes to it through careful thought. The ending is bittersweet and weirdly hopeful. Although Melanie is only ten years old, she's clearly wise beyond her years and a compelling focus character.
The military base where our cast of characters starts is the only known instance of conventional society and of people actively studying the zombies and working towards a cure. Their work is fascinating, but dubious in ethics. They are doing what they can to discover a cure with no sophisticated technology and no outside support. Unfortunately, their work also entails vivisecting sentient zombie children. I don't like Dr. Caldwell, the spearhead of the science study, but I respect her. The whole of humanity depends on her research and she's presumably the only person working on this. She dehumanizes the sentient zombies, but it's necessary to keep emotionally detached and focus on her research. Her research comes before everything. I enjoy books that give the villains dimensions. Dr. Caldwell is arguably not a villain, but the closest thing to it besides the zombies. I can see where she's coming from and I admire her dedication despite her abhorrent actions. Other humans are known as junkers and are content to live day to day, finding other people's bases and looting them in order to live another day.
The Girl with All the Gifts is a superb zombie novel. Mike Carey managed to put a new spin on an oversaturated genre, but this is unsurprising looking at his past works, namely the Unwritten comic book series. It's the best zombie book I've read in a while and I can't recommend it enough.
Melanie loves going to class and interacting with her teachers, especially Miss Justineau. When she's not in class, she sits alone in her cell with no one to talk to and nothing to do until Sgt. Parks comes to collect her. When this happens, he trains a gun on her and straps her
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thoroughly into a wheelchair and takes her to class, to bathe, or to eat. Her classmates disappear periodically and don't return. One day, the base is attacked and Melanie finally gets to leave her very small world. She escapes with a small band of people including Miss Justineau, Sgt. Parks, Dr. Caldwell, and Private Kieran Gallagher. Together, they work to seek shelter, collect food, and avoid hungries in the wasteland that is England. Unfortunately, Melanie is discovering much about herself in her new environment, including keeping her own hunger in check...The Girl with All the Gifts is a zombie novel. It's kind of weird this fact isn't advertised on the book jacket at all, but it was a pleasant surprise. The zombie apocalypse happened 30 years ago and only the smallest semblance of human society exists now. The zombies are called hungries for obvious reasons and the condition is caused by a fungus, a variation of Ophiocordyceps unilateralis. I love authors that take frightening, real things in the animal kingdom and apply it to humans like the tape worms in Mira Grant's Parisitology series or the parasitic crustaceans in the 2012 film The Bay. The real world version of this affects ants and makes them drastically alter their behavior. They abandon their nests, find a place where the fungus can flourish, and stay there until they die to further the fungus life cycle. In humans, this looks like attacking other humans to spread the fungus, which is only spread through saliva and blood. The first generation of hungries is completely animalistic. They are attracted by human scent, follow it to their prey, and mindlessly attack. When humans aren't present, they don't even move. It simply isn't necessary for the fungus that has spread throughout their bodies and destroyed their brains. Like the ants, the infected will also eventually lay down and die to allow the fungus to grow from their bodies. The second generation of hungries retains some of their mental faculties when out of the scope of humans and can eventually be taught to act like normal humans.
Melanie is one of the second generation of hungries. When the novel starts, she has no idea what she is. She only knows her teachers, her classmates, and the lessons she is taught. She has no memory of the time before when she roamed with the other hungries in the wild. Her compassion throughout the novel is truly unparalleled. She feels for hungries and humans alike, but she doesn't let her emotions control her choices. Her classes lead her to be fascinated with Greek myths (Pandora in particular) and her teacher Miss Justineau. Despite being very sheltered for the first few years of her life, she adapts perfectly to each situation. She fights her instincts to eat people when needed and cooperates completely when the humans need to restrain her to feel safe or when she needs to intervene with the wild hungries. Despite all of the chaos and violence, Melanie stays mostly quiet and contemplative, processing all the new information and figuring out her place in the world. She ends up making a very important decision for the future and comes to it through careful thought. The ending is bittersweet and weirdly hopeful. Although Melanie is only ten years old, she's clearly wise beyond her years and a compelling focus character.
The military base where our cast of characters starts is the only known instance of conventional society and of people actively studying the zombies and working towards a cure. Their work is fascinating, but dubious in ethics. They are doing what they can to discover a cure with no sophisticated technology and no outside support. Unfortunately, their work also entails vivisecting sentient zombie children. I don't like Dr. Caldwell, the spearhead of the science study, but I respect her. The whole of humanity depends on her research and she's presumably the only person working on this. She dehumanizes the sentient zombies, but it's necessary to keep emotionally detached and focus on her research. Her research comes before everything. I enjoy books that give the villains dimensions. Dr. Caldwell is arguably not a villain, but the closest thing to it besides the zombies. I can see where she's coming from and I admire her dedication despite her abhorrent actions. Other humans are known as junkers and are content to live day to day, finding other people's bases and looting them in order to live another day.
The Girl with All the Gifts is a superb zombie novel. Mike Carey managed to put a new spin on an oversaturated genre, but this is unsurprising looking at his past works, namely the Unwritten comic book series. It's the best zombie book I've read in a while and I can't recommend it enough.
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LibraryThing member ossi
Had I known it was a book about zombies I would have not picked it up. All I can say is I am glad I did not know.
LibraryThing member LancasterWays
Melanie is a very special girl. She's smart, a genius, really. She enjoys her lessons, especially those given by her favorite teacher, Miss Justineau. She's polite. And she likes the taste of human flesh. Melanie, M. R. Carey's brainchild, is The Girl With All the Gifts (Hachette, June 10,
The Girl With All the Gifts opens in an indeterminate time and place, from Melanie's sheltered, childish perspective. Melanie and her classmates spend their days in school. Sargent Parks and his soldiers escort the children to and from class, restraining them in wheelchairs, one soldier tightening the restraints while the other covers him with his gun. "I won't bite," Melanie jokes, but no one laughs. Something is very wrong.
Carey creates suspense by establishing the setting gradually, over the first few chapters. "What the hell is going on?" the reader wonders. (And will continue reading.) This is England, circa the mid-twenty-first century. Civilization has collapsed in the wake of environmental catastrophe. A strain of the fungus Ophiocordyceps evolved that was capable of infecting humans, hijacking them to serve as vectors for spreading the parasite. Infection is rapid, irreversible, and turns the host into a mindless cannibal. Carey's characters call them "hungries"; we'd call them "zombies."
This isn't a new scenario, of course. The zombie trope made a comeback in the 2000s. Readers of The Girl With All the Gifts will compare the book to the film 28 Days Later, both of which feature zombie pandemics set in England. The comparisons end there, though. Melanie, herself a "hungry," is a point of interest. In addition to its horror elements and survival aspects, The Girl With All the Gifts is, in some ways, a distorted coming of age story, as Melanie learns the truth about herself, explores the world, and investigates the mystery of Ophiocordyceps.
Melanie, Miss Justineau, Sargent Parks, Private Gallagher, and Dr. Caldwell travel south through a stricken England, aiming for "Beacon," the fortress that serves as the last vestige of English government and society. There is tension in the group. Parks would rather dispatch Melanie, herself infected, than travel with her, but is opposed by Justineau, the girl's teacher, and Caldwell, the nominal leader. Justineau and Caldwell, civilians, are at loggerheads, too, the former treating Melanie as a human being, the latter considering her a future test subject. After saving Miss Justineau (with her teeth), Melanie has acquired a taste for flesh, which she must resist. And, in addition to the hungries, the group must avoid "junkers," survivalists who roam the countryside, living off of what they can scavenge. (The junkers reminded me of scenes from Cormac McCarthy's The Road.) Carey combines horror, survivalism, and elements of psychological thrillers to great effect.
Carey's prose is simple and straightforward, ideal for the story he tells. One sentence leads seamlessly to the next, a brisk pace that will hook readers and drag them along. I found myself trying to read faster than I'm able to, almost skipping ahead in my impatience to find out what would happen next, what new misfortune would befall the group. I suspect readers will have a similar experience. You're in Carey's hell, and he sets the pace.
London, of course, plays an inevitable role in The Girl With All the Gifts, serving as the setting for the last third of the story. The reader feels the characters' dread as they enter the ruins of the world's great cities. "No," you think, "don't go through London!" But of course they have to, and, of course, you want them to. The city is empty not only of people, but also, oddly, of hungries. In London, the fungus is taking a turn unobserved elsewhere, and which will feature, ultimately, in the outcome of the story. London is the crucible in which the characters' fates are decided.
The Girl With All the Gifts takes its title from Melanie's favorite story, the myth of Pandora, whose name translates as "all gifts." Carey, of course, is hinting at Melanie's role in his story. Action-packed, suspenseful, haunting, The Girl With All the Gifts is highly recommended.
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2014).The Girl With All the Gifts opens in an indeterminate time and place, from Melanie's sheltered, childish perspective. Melanie and her classmates spend their days in school. Sargent Parks and his soldiers escort the children to and from class, restraining them in wheelchairs, one soldier tightening the restraints while the other covers him with his gun. "I won't bite," Melanie jokes, but no one laughs. Something is very wrong.
Carey creates suspense by establishing the setting gradually, over the first few chapters. "What the hell is going on?" the reader wonders. (And will continue reading.) This is England, circa the mid-twenty-first century. Civilization has collapsed in the wake of environmental catastrophe. A strain of the fungus Ophiocordyceps evolved that was capable of infecting humans, hijacking them to serve as vectors for spreading the parasite. Infection is rapid, irreversible, and turns the host into a mindless cannibal. Carey's characters call them "hungries"; we'd call them "zombies."
This isn't a new scenario, of course. The zombie trope made a comeback in the 2000s. Readers of The Girl With All the Gifts will compare the book to the film 28 Days Later, both of which feature zombie pandemics set in England. The comparisons end there, though. Melanie, herself a "hungry," is a point of interest. In addition to its horror elements and survival aspects, The Girl With All the Gifts is, in some ways, a distorted coming of age story, as Melanie learns the truth about herself, explores the world, and investigates the mystery of Ophiocordyceps.
Melanie, Miss Justineau, Sargent Parks, Private Gallagher, and Dr. Caldwell travel south through a stricken England, aiming for "Beacon," the fortress that serves as the last vestige of English government and society. There is tension in the group. Parks would rather dispatch Melanie, herself infected, than travel with her, but is opposed by Justineau, the girl's teacher, and Caldwell, the nominal leader. Justineau and Caldwell, civilians, are at loggerheads, too, the former treating Melanie as a human being, the latter considering her a future test subject. After saving Miss Justineau (with her teeth), Melanie has acquired a taste for flesh, which she must resist. And, in addition to the hungries, the group must avoid "junkers," survivalists who roam the countryside, living off of what they can scavenge. (The junkers reminded me of scenes from Cormac McCarthy's The Road.) Carey combines horror, survivalism, and elements of psychological thrillers to great effect.
Carey's prose is simple and straightforward, ideal for the story he tells. One sentence leads seamlessly to the next, a brisk pace that will hook readers and drag them along. I found myself trying to read faster than I'm able to, almost skipping ahead in my impatience to find out what would happen next, what new misfortune would befall the group. I suspect readers will have a similar experience. You're in Carey's hell, and he sets the pace.
London, of course, plays an inevitable role in The Girl With All the Gifts, serving as the setting for the last third of the story. The reader feels the characters' dread as they enter the ruins of the world's great cities. "No," you think, "don't go through London!" But of course they have to, and, of course, you want them to. The city is empty not only of people, but also, oddly, of hungries. In London, the fungus is taking a turn unobserved elsewhere, and which will feature, ultimately, in the outcome of the story. London is the crucible in which the characters' fates are decided.
The Girl With All the Gifts takes its title from Melanie's favorite story, the myth of Pandora, whose name translates as "all gifts." Carey, of course, is hinting at Melanie's role in his story. Action-packed, suspenseful, haunting, The Girl With All the Gifts is highly recommended.
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LibraryThing member TheDivineOomba
I liked this book - it wasn't as great as the reviews it is getting - It was well written, kept me on my toes, and I did stay late in the night reading it. But... I found it strange, the mechanism of the story - it didn't make much sense, from a biology perspective. Which is a shame, because The fungus that turns people into zombies should not have been able to make the jump from ants to humans doesn't make sense. It is possible that the fungus can jump, but not at such a sophisticated level.
This is a book that is hard to review without giving away spoilers. The characters are very human - from Melanie, the little girl in the story, to the teachers - are all well written and very human, with faults and strengths. It is the strongest part of the book - what does it mean, to be human?
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everything else is so well researched. It would have been very easy to add a few sentences or paragraphs of the biology. This is a book that is hard to review without giving away spoilers. The characters are very human - from Melanie, the little girl in the story, to the teachers - are all well written and very human, with faults and strengths. It is the strongest part of the book - what does it mean, to be human?
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LibraryThing member AHS-Wolfy
Melanie's world is very small. She has the cell in which she lives, there's the corridor which houses the other cells of her fellow pupils, the shower room where they get doused with chemicals once a week and her favourite place - the classroom. Melanie knows there's a bigger world on the other
Melanie lives on a research facility within an army camp protected by soldiers and high fences from the outside world. But things are about to change when the camp is overrun and Melanie escapes with four others: Miss Justineau, Dr. Caldwell (head of research), Sgt. Parks (base commander) and Gallacher (a young soldier). And so begins a road trip. They've decided to head to Beacon, last bastion of civilisation in England, but it's through untamed country and they'll need to steer clear of the hungries and any survivalist groups that are out there. Will they make it and can Dr. Caldwell discover the cure for the disease that's infected the majority of the population?
This is a thrilling post-apocalyptic tale with a tinge of horror told, mostly, from a unique perspective. The original tale started out as a short story written for a themed anthology and after completing it wouldn't leave the author alone. So it was expanded into novel form and as it differs from the authors other books was released under a variant spelling of his name This snippet of information was picked up from an interview with Mike Carey (for it is he, author of the Felix Castor books and writer of the Lucifer and Hellblazer comics) which is available at the end of this book. It also mentions that he simultaneously wrote a screenplay so that will be something to keep an eye out for. A lot will depend on the casting of the central character though. Melanie is a fantastic creation and as she drives the narrative then that's essential but the others around her a little more clichéd but not to the point of spoiling the story as they do evolve along the way. This book has a lot going for it as it fits in with a currently popular sub-genre, is written by an author of which I've enjoyed the other books I've read and has been garnering a lot of favourable reviews so far. I'm happy to report that it doesn't disappoint.
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side of the door at the end of the corridor but she can't see outside when it's open and none of her classmates have returned to say what's there after being taken through it. Every day, except Saturday and Sunday, Melanie gets strapped into her chair, muzzled and wheeled in to her classroom hoping that Miss Justineau is the one giving the lessons today. Then a day arrives where it's Melanie's turn to go through the door at the end of the corridor. Will she like what she encounters?Melanie lives on a research facility within an army camp protected by soldiers and high fences from the outside world. But things are about to change when the camp is overrun and Melanie escapes with four others: Miss Justineau, Dr. Caldwell (head of research), Sgt. Parks (base commander) and Gallacher (a young soldier). And so begins a road trip. They've decided to head to Beacon, last bastion of civilisation in England, but it's through untamed country and they'll need to steer clear of the hungries and any survivalist groups that are out there. Will they make it and can Dr. Caldwell discover the cure for the disease that's infected the majority of the population?
This is a thrilling post-apocalyptic tale with a tinge of horror told, mostly, from a unique perspective. The original tale started out as a short story written for a themed anthology and after completing it wouldn't leave the author alone. So it was expanded into novel form and as it differs from the authors other books was released under a variant spelling of his name This snippet of information was picked up from an interview with Mike Carey (for it is he, author of the Felix Castor books and writer of the Lucifer and Hellblazer comics) which is available at the end of this book. It also mentions that he simultaneously wrote a screenplay so that will be something to keep an eye out for. A lot will depend on the casting of the central character though. Melanie is a fantastic creation and as she drives the narrative then that's essential but the others around her a little more clichéd but not to the point of spoiling the story as they do evolve along the way. This book has a lot going for it as it fits in with a currently popular sub-genre, is written by an author of which I've enjoyed the other books I've read and has been garnering a lot of favourable reviews so far. I'm happy to report that it doesn't disappoint.
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LibraryThing member Debra_Armbruster
I can't even begin to describe my excitement when I first heard about this novel. The idea that there were zombie children who were able to maintain some level of sentience roped me right in. Because honestly, there are a ton of great zombie works out there - authors, auteurs and actors continue to
Carey's zombie depiction adds an extra touch of ookieness in that, not only can they think, they are children...at least the ones we see for a good chunk of the book. They attend school (strapped into little chairs), sit confined to cells for the majority of their days, eat once weekly, endure chemical showering, disappear suddenly (never to return) - images that smack of the concentration camps. The central little girl is Melanie, bright, curious, and enamored of her teacher, Miss Justineau. Boundaries are crossed, rules are broken, and the fragile system is jolted (by outside forces) beyond repair. Cue the survival portion of the book, with the familiar assortment of soldiers and civilians, good guys and bad guys.
There are fascinating aspects to this version of the zombie apocalypse. The genesis of the zombie plague, the environmental factor, is pulled from a phenomenon occurring in regions of the real world, which is a pleasant and creepy tidbit. While a great deal of zombie literature has a research component to them, Carey does a good job keeping us focused on it (and it actually matters!) The concept of children being terrifying was beautifully utilized, particularly in the later portion of the book. It is a common horror trope, but not always well executed, as it it here. The other piece I truly enjoyed was the formation of the creation story, the reshaping of the world. It was well done and gave the conclusion of the book a satisfying blend of horror and hope.
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bring new twists to a creature that embodies one of our greatest collective fears: to lose our minds (and therefore our humanity) and be thus reduced to the most basic of parts, a mouth to be fed.Carey's zombie depiction adds an extra touch of ookieness in that, not only can they think, they are children...at least the ones we see for a good chunk of the book. They attend school (strapped into little chairs), sit confined to cells for the majority of their days, eat once weekly, endure chemical showering, disappear suddenly (never to return) - images that smack of the concentration camps. The central little girl is Melanie, bright, curious, and enamored of her teacher, Miss Justineau. Boundaries are crossed, rules are broken, and the fragile system is jolted (by outside forces) beyond repair. Cue the survival portion of the book, with the familiar assortment of soldiers and civilians, good guys and bad guys.
There are fascinating aspects to this version of the zombie apocalypse. The genesis of the zombie plague, the environmental factor, is pulled from a phenomenon occurring in regions of the real world, which is a pleasant and creepy tidbit. While a great deal of zombie literature has a research component to them, Carey does a good job keeping us focused on it (and it actually matters!) The concept of children being terrifying was beautifully utilized, particularly in the later portion of the book. It is a common horror trope, but not always well executed, as it it here. The other piece I truly enjoyed was the formation of the creation story, the reshaping of the world. It was well done and gave the conclusion of the book a satisfying blend of horror and hope.
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LibraryThing member mountie9
Loved this one. Was intrigued from the very first paragraph till the very end. Just so you know I am sooo not a Zombie novel fan, but this one blew my mind with its originality. Fast paced, mysterious, intriguing flawed characters and great dialogue. Could not put this one down (ok, turn off as I
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listened to the audio version & the narrator is brilliant) I'd make this a staff pick but two other co-workers have already beat me to it. Loved the ending, reminded me a little of Childhoods End. The characters are the big draw in this novel. Each one so wonderfully developed and flawed and so very human. Wish I could articulate my love for this one, but this is one you are just going to have to trust me and pick up. Show Less
LibraryThing member v_allery
The Girl with All the Gifts is a very special book. In the process of reading it, I have seen many reviews saying how it is incredible and such, and I was, like, wait, are we reading the same book? And then the last couple of chapters happened and it all clicked.
The middle part is your typical
Melanie is, at the first glance, your typical, curious 10-year-old girl, who is intelligent, clever, and loves Greek mythology. And then you live in her head for a few pages, and find out that as far as she can remember, she has basically been having the same day over and over: she wakes up, gets into a chair and waits for the men with guns to strap her and bring her to class. Since she does not know any other living and schooling model, she is perfectly fine and acceptable of the said situation.
It does not take long to figure out that she is part of some sort of government experiment.
And everything is learning, routine and day-to-day life until it is not.
Not to give much away, after that, the whole middle part of the book was your basic our base is gone, we need to run to the "safe" place and not get killed along the way story, which I enjoyed much less. I did, however, enjoy the character chemistry and Melanie herself, because the girl is a genius, if I had not mentioned it before.
The end... well, it is sad, unfair, yet completely logical. It is terrifying, mind-blowing, yet expected. It is final, irreversible, yet very hopeful.
And can I just marvel at the name of the book? Pandora is The Girl with All the Gifts in Greek mythology. Think about how well THAT ended.
The middle part is your typical
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post-apocalyptic stuff. You know, Justin Cronin's Passage - a lot like this. The beginning and the end parts are the real deal in here. Melanie is, at the first glance, your typical, curious 10-year-old girl, who is intelligent, clever, and loves Greek mythology. And then you live in her head for a few pages, and find out that as far as she can remember, she has basically been having the same day over and over: she wakes up, gets into a chair and waits for the men with guns to strap her and bring her to class. Since she does not know any other living and schooling model, she is perfectly fine and acceptable of the said situation.
It does not take long to figure out that she is part of some sort of government experiment.
And everything is learning, routine and day-to-day life until it is not.
Not to give much away, after that, the whole middle part of the book was your basic our base is gone, we need to run to the "safe" place and not get killed along the way story, which I enjoyed much less. I did, however, enjoy the character chemistry and Melanie herself, because the girl is a genius, if I had not mentioned it before.
The end... well, it is sad, unfair, yet completely logical. It is terrifying, mind-blowing, yet expected. It is final, irreversible, yet very hopeful.
And can I just marvel at the name of the book? Pandora is The Girl with All the Gifts in Greek mythology. Think about how well THAT ended.
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LibraryThing member enemyanniemae
Holy Moly, what a great book! Post apocalyptic fantasy at its terrifying best!
The title might lull you into thinking that the story is something altogether different. That's a good thing because when you realize what the story is actually about, you are in for the duration. I won't bore you with a
What I will tell you is that this is a book that rips very strong reactions from the reader's core. You care deeply about the characters, even the ones you hate. You understand their motivations, regardless of what you may think of them. You get to know them and they become real. You are driven to know what happens to them. Every major event along the way is a punch in the gut but you must continue. The ending is a sledgehammer. A sweet, painfully horrific sledgehammer.
The thing is... you'd happily submit to more of it. That is how awesome this book is.
Definitely recommended to anyone loving post apocalyptic fantasy. Excellent read!
Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!
The title might lull you into thinking that the story is something altogether different. That's a good thing because when you realize what the story is actually about, you are in for the duration. I won't bore you with a
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brief synopsis of the basic plot- you can read the dust jacket for that. What I will tell you is that this is a book that rips very strong reactions from the reader's core. You care deeply about the characters, even the ones you hate. You understand their motivations, regardless of what you may think of them. You get to know them and they become real. You are driven to know what happens to them. Every major event along the way is a punch in the gut but you must continue. The ending is a sledgehammer. A sweet, painfully horrific sledgehammer.
The thing is... you'd happily submit to more of it. That is how awesome this book is.
Definitely recommended to anyone loving post apocalyptic fantasy. Excellent read!
Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!
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LibraryThing member msf59
“Every morning, Melanie waits in her cell to be collected for class. When they come for her, Sergeant Parks keeps his gun pointing at her while two of his people strap her into the wheelchair. She thinks they don't like her. She jokes that she won't bite, but they don't laugh.”
Melanie is
One warning: Beware of the hungries!
“And then like Pandora, opening the great big box of the world and not being afraid, not even caring whether what’s inside is good or bad. Because it’s both. Everything is always both.
But you have to open it to find that out.“
Melanie is
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brilliant little girl, with amazing gifts. She is also wickedly dangerous. What exactly makes her so special? I am staying mum on this one, since one of the joys of this dystopian tale, is watching it slowly unfold, in this post-plague world. I will say, it is smart, fast-paced and well written. I will also confess, that Melanie, is one of my new favorite characters and she will stay close to my heart for awhile.One warning: Beware of the hungries!
“And then like Pandora, opening the great big box of the world and not being afraid, not even caring whether what’s inside is good or bad. Because it’s both. Everything is always both.
But you have to open it to find that out.“
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LibraryThing member bg853
Melanie is a special girl. Her doctor calls her "our little genius". She loves school with favorite teacher Miss Justineau. But her school is in a secure compound and Melanie attends class after she has been fastened to her chair by Sergeant Parks.
Then everything changes. The secure compound is
A fun exciting read with a gradual unveiling of all the characters.
Received through early reviewers. Highly recommended !
Then everything changes. The secure compound is
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breached and Melanie, the Doctor, Miss Justineau, Sarge, and Gallagher, another guard are on the run seeking safety.A fun exciting read with a gradual unveiling of all the characters.
Received through early reviewers. Highly recommended !
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LibraryThing member zmagic69
This is a zombie book! There I said it.
Three stars and I am being very generous. The is no problem with the writing, I take issue with the story.
1. There is no reason for this book to be 400 pages, 250 pages would have been fine.
2. The solution to the problem that is revealed in the last 20 pages
3. My biggest complaint, though was that this book and all of the 1000' of others out there like it, should be forced to have an extra large Z across the cover so the reader knows it is a zombie book. This genre is the exact same every single time. This one may have been a little better written and brought up some ethical and moral dilemmas, but it was a zombie book.
Three stars and I am being very generous. The is no problem with the writing, I take issue with the story.
1. There is no reason for this book to be 400 pages, 250 pages would have been fine.
2. The solution to the problem that is revealed in the last 20 pages
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could not have been that hard for everyone to figure out. And while it would a depressing solution someone or someone's would have acted on it.3. My biggest complaint, though was that this book and all of the 1000' of others out there like it, should be forced to have an extra large Z across the cover so the reader knows it is a zombie book. This genre is the exact same every single time. This one may have been a little better written and brought up some ethical and moral dilemmas, but it was a zombie book.
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LibraryThing member AltheaAnn
‘The Girl With All the Gifts’ is zipping right up to my ‘best zombie books’ list, right alongside World War Z and Zone One.
The book hits pretty much everything I might want from my literary zombies:
Tight, tense pacing? Check.
Believable, multi-faceted characters? Check.
A good number of
Violence, action, and gore? Check.
Total apocalypse? That too.
All that, and a super-sweet, delicately treated musing on the innocence of childhood, love, ethics, and the nature of what it truly means to be human.
In many ways, Melanie is a typical ten-year-old girl who loves stories, has a bright and curious mind, and a hero-worshipping love for her favorite teacher. But in other ways, Melanie is very, very different… The story starts with a tight focus on Melanie (it couldn’t be much tighter, as she has no memories of ever being much outside of her classroom and her personal cell…), but the view gradually pans outward, encompassing a blasted wasteland, an apocalyptic London, and eventually, the world…
I looked up the author, as it wasn’t a name I was familiar with. M.R. Carey is actually Mike Carey, well known for his work on (high-quality) comic book titles and some other novels. I wasn’t surprised – this doesn’t read like the work of a novice in any way. Highly recommended for fans of The Walking Dead – and just about everyone.
Copy provided by NetGalley - much (really, in this case a LOT of) appreciation. As always, my opinion is my own.
The book hits pretty much everything I might want from my literary zombies:
Tight, tense pacing? Check.
Believable, multi-faceted characters? Check.
A good number of
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familiar genre tropes, mixed with some strikingly original (and extra-creepy) elements? Check.Violence, action, and gore? Check.
Total apocalypse? That too.
All that, and a super-sweet, delicately treated musing on the innocence of childhood, love, ethics, and the nature of what it truly means to be human.
In many ways, Melanie is a typical ten-year-old girl who loves stories, has a bright and curious mind, and a hero-worshipping love for her favorite teacher. But in other ways, Melanie is very, very different… The story starts with a tight focus on Melanie (it couldn’t be much tighter, as she has no memories of ever being much outside of her classroom and her personal cell…), but the view gradually pans outward, encompassing a blasted wasteland, an apocalyptic London, and eventually, the world…
I looked up the author, as it wasn’t a name I was familiar with. M.R. Carey is actually Mike Carey, well known for his work on (high-quality) comic book titles and some other novels. I wasn’t surprised – this doesn’t read like the work of a novice in any way. Highly recommended for fans of The Walking Dead – and just about everyone.
Copy provided by NetGalley - much (really, in this case a LOT of) appreciation. As always, my opinion is my own.
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LibraryThing member mattclark
Full of action and wonder, and real heart. The author uses the zombie trope to cleverly explore right and wrong. What can be sacrificed for a greater good? Each character faces this decision at some point, responding with every extreme from selfless heroism to desperate self interest. Highly
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recommended. Show Less
Awards
Audie Award (Finalist — Paranormal — 2015)
British Fantasy Award (Nominee — August Derleth Award — 2015)
RUSA CODES Reading List (Read-alike to Winner — Horror — 2023)
Arthur C. Clarke Award (Shortlist — 2015)
Language
Original publication date
2014-01-14
Physical description
5.16 inches
ISBN
0127
Other editions
The Girl with All the Gifts [AUDIO] by M. R. Carey (Digital audiobook)