4.5 rounded up to 5

CW: A little bit of gore

Book 11 of my zombie-a-thon!

Well this was the one I was waiting for and it truly delivered!

A clever exploration of what it means to be alive when you are dead. There is a little bit of satire in there which was thoroughly entertaining. At one point the Living Dead are at a conference and one delegate proposes they are no longer referred to as LDs or zombies, but instead they should be called 'Differently Living'. There are various factions within the LD that have differing ideas on whether they should merely exist or in fact thrive. I won't say too much more but the characters are rich and engaging and I thoroughly recommend this amazing novel.

Thank you to my fellow Cantabrian, Fiona, for suggesting I read this for Zomvember!

Here endeth my zombie-a-thon for 2021! ( )

One of the best zombie apocalypse stories I have read! ( )

Really enjoyed this. Believable in a weird way (yes, it's another zombie apocalypse book) and not so loopy that it becomes eye-roll worthy (George Romero's Dawn of the Dead is referred to as "the Romero documentary"). The magical elements at the end kind of stretched the believability of it (as if a zombie baby that somehow grows up wasn't already stretching believability) but all in all a very enjoyable read. ( )

Threw this into my 'to read' pile because of the reviews, but I was a bit put off by the title... sounded like Rebbeca of Sunnybrook Farm. So I let it sit, unread. Finally download it from Audible and listened to it in the car. LOVED it! Is it a zombie story? Yes. Is it a coming of age zombie story? Yup! And Stony is an interesting character, as are the characters around him. Highly recommended! ( )

The first half of this novel was probably the best-written YA featuring a zombie I've read, and I generally have a slight repulsion for the idea, so the fact that I actually LIKED this was rather impressive.

Taking place at the same time as Romero's first Dead movie and steadily marching through time as a handful of zombies who weren't summarily wiped out in the first outbreak quickly regained normal human consciousness, we follow this particular kid, Stony Mayhall. He grows up, being unusual enough because he learns how to actively heal himself, unlike other LD individuals, and interestingly enough, he joins the ranks of other hiding LDs, keeping his head low and biding his time until the eighties... when, like gay demonstrators, they take to politics and equal rights.

Wow, right? It just became a completely different kind of novel! But it doesn't end there. I loved the idea of getting their own island and eventually heading to space, being naturally resistant to G forces and radiation. :) :) Reminds me of that Fallout New Vegas scene. :)

But when the hope crashes and the crackdown falls on the poor zombies, the novel takes another complete turn... in a concentration camp, featuring torture, learning positive skills, and being curious about the nature of zombies. When does a zombie end, for example. All those chopped limbs and reanimating prosthetics was fascinating. :)

And then the novel changes yet again. Modern zombies. :) And the pendulum swings yet again.

Wow. This was a seriously understated and fascinating LD novel. :) I'm very happy to have read it, and I should add that Daryl Gregory should never be underestimated. This is my third and they've all been very excellent. :) ( )