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dandaneaureads's review against another edition
4.0
Good, but something was missing. The writing wasn't anything special and once the main character died 100 pages in I didn't care to read on. I forced myself to finish, but I don't know why. I love zombie books, but the twist he put on it was very weird. I was dissapointed, that the kids could be bitten and not get the infection. I didn't know where Higson was going to take the rest of the characters after he died, especially is "girlfriend". It moved to fast and things didn't match up. It left me wondering but not in a good way.
jackthelad93's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
thee_eclectic_eccentric's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Fire/Fire injury, Blood, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Cursing, Vomit, Grief, Gore, Death, Gun violence, Child death, Pandemic/Epidemic, Violence, Animal death, and Murder
ericadawson's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I was hoping to enjoy this more than I did. Writing style was choppy, stilted, and plain. I can't count the number of times I had to force myself not to count how many words were in each sentence. The gree tedious early on in the book and remained so throughout.
There were too many characters. Arran Maxie blue Whitney Sam Ollie Jasper Ella this that and third. For this reason, I felt like I couldn't actually care about any of them. Maxie was really the only one I could keep track of, the only one whom I cared even a little if she got hurt or lived or died. Constant PoV changes/3rd person omniscient writing felt all over the place.
There's a minimum of two sideplots in this story that, from what I remember, don't directly connect to the main plot. It's not necessarily that they needed to, but that they didn't hold much weight on their own.
It's been said that British authors have a meanspirited voice in their writing. I'd dismissed it as exaggeration til I read this. The people who say this are right. I think the sense of meanspiritedness comes from physical appearance always being tied to morality or value somehow, at least in this book. If the character was fat or big they were bad, evil, disgusting, mean, aggressive, etc. it made for unpleasant reading when I had to go through yet another "X grownup was bald and fat and ugly (because he was fat)".
There were too many characters. Arran Maxie blue Whitney Sam Ollie Jasper Ella this that and third. For this reason, I felt like I couldn't actually care about any of them. Maxie was really the only one I could keep track of, the only one whom I cared even a little if she got hurt or lived or died. Constant PoV changes/3rd person omniscient writing felt all over the place.
There's a minimum of two sideplots in this story that, from what I remember, don't directly connect to the main plot. It's not necessarily that they needed to, but that they didn't hold much weight on their own.
It's been said that British authors have a meanspirited voice in their writing. I'd dismissed it as exaggeration til I read this. The people who say this are right. I think the sense of meanspiritedness comes from physical appearance always being tied to morality or value somehow, at least in this book. If the character was fat or big they were bad, evil, disgusting, mean, aggressive, etc. it made for unpleasant reading when I had to go through yet another "X grownup was bald and fat and ugly (because he was fat)".
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, Child death, Death, Gore, Blood, Body horror, Violence, and Cannibalism
Moderate: Fatphobia
Minor: Cursing
lacaross's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
murmurations_x's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
If a wolf attacks his sheep, the shepherd kills the wolf, but he eats the sheep when he's hungry.
I'm re-reading this series - I'm pretty sure I had only read the first three as a teen but I've intentions on reading the entire series, though I only really had a vague recollection of the first book and part of the second so I'm pretty much going in blind.
Simply put, I loved this book. I'm a total sucker for a zombie apocalypse theme (yes, I know they aren't technically zombies but they are in my eyes!). I think the concept of it being kids and all the adults and older teens have turned is really cool and unique, the setting of London is interesting too. This book really has so much packed into it, we get multiple storylines, interconnecting stories, interesting characters, action upon action, tense scenes, sad scenes it really has so much going on for it and for me it never slowed down. The chapters are a nice length too. Characterise too we get a great mix of personalities, but my favourite would have to be 'The Kid' No such word as can't. No such word as babagoozle neither!
It's a lot more graphic than I remember it being and that whole London underground sequence was so tense, excellent writing it stood out when I was a teen and stands out now. I know they probably can't adapt this book into a series or movies because they are kids unless they age them up but my god! this would make an incredible series! Especially with The Walking Dead and Last of us being so popular.
This book is still enjoyable to read as an adult because the horror, action and body horror is all there and its not kiddish at all! I'm going to be diving straight into the next one. For a first book of a long series it really set it up well and apparently from other reviews its only up from here so I cannot wait!
I'm re-reading this series - I'm pretty sure I had only read the first three as a teen but I've intentions on reading the entire series, though I only really had a vague recollection of the first book and part of the second so I'm pretty much going in blind.
Simply put, I loved this book. I'm a total sucker for a zombie apocalypse theme (yes, I know they aren't technically zombies but they are in my eyes!). I think the concept of it being kids and all the adults and older teens have turned is really cool and unique, the setting of London is interesting too. This book really has so much packed into it, we get multiple storylines, interconnecting stories, interesting characters, action upon action, tense scenes, sad scenes it really has so much going on for it and for me it never slowed down. The chapters are a nice length too. Characterise too we get a great mix of personalities, but my favourite would have to be 'The Kid' No such word as can't. No such word as babagoozle neither!
It's a lot more graphic than I remember it being and that whole London underground sequence was so tense, excellent writing it stood out when I was a teen and stands out now. I know they probably can't adapt this book into a series or movies because they are kids unless they age them up but my god! this would make an incredible series! Especially with The Walking Dead and Last of us being so popular.
This book is still enjoyable to read as an adult because the horror, action and body horror is all there and its not kiddish at all! I'm going to be diving straight into the next one. For a first book of a long series it really set it up well and apparently from other reviews its only up from here so I cannot wait!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Pandemic/Epidemic, Violence, Body horror, Child death, Death, Murder, and Blood
Moderate: Cannibalism, Grief, Kidnapping, and Death of parent
Minor: Body shaming, Bullying, Fire/Fire injury, Homophobia, and Animal death
cantsaybreakaleg's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
relaxing
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
The worst book in the series but still amazing
bethanieawp's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0