Reviews with content warning for Racism - Dread Nation

It has been years since I was so fully captured by a book that I couldn't stop reading/listening to it until I reached the end. Straight from the first couple of lines, I was drawn in by Jane McKeene and her story. Justina Ireland has created a gritty alternate history where the Civil War ended when soldiers began turning into zombies, forcing both sides to come to terms to deal with the greater threat. Slavery has technically ended, yet Black Americans are still being exploited and racism is still normalized. Black and Native American teens are forced to attend schools where they are taught to fight zombies in preparation for jobs where they will protect people of European descent.

Jane attends one of these schools where she has to learn etiquette (so as to be tolerable company for the people she will serve) alongside combat training with other teenage girls. As the story is told through her first-person POV, her dry wit, well-earned pessimism, practicality, and care for others are at the forefront. Jane is such a fascinating character full of acknowledged flaws alongside rarely acknowledged virtues. Had this been a book where she was just narrating her boring day at home in a world with no zombies, I still would have been attached enough to her to be enthralled. But this is a world with zombies as well as common human atrocities. So it was fascinating following along as she navigated the horrors of both zombies and racism, which equally threatened her life and the lives of those she loves.

I'm awed by Ireland's skill in creating a character and a world that felt so real and immersive.

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5aru's review against another edition

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adventurous dark fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

I thought this was an excellent premise to start a book from, and certainly something that was never done before. The worldbuilding is definitely the book's strongest point: it skillfully entwines the racial issues inherent to the American South setting while retaining the interest of zombie apocalypse stories. It's cool.

My biggest gripe was really the characterization. The protagonist is kind of unlikeable to me - Mary-Sue-ish, at times, and the love interests were very poorly handed, so much so that I'd rather they be removed altogether. I do thinkk I am a little too old for this book's intended audience, which might definitely have influenced this... But it was kind of disappointing for a book with such promise.

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greenlivingaudioworm's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.5

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clr00's review

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adventurous dark tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

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cadereading's review against another edition

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dark emotional medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

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whimsicalish's review against another edition

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adventurous dark medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

Let me start off with the good: the main character and her friend are interesting and well written. They have a great relationship and both grow individually. I was surprised how much I really enjoyed the friend by the end of the book. She did not flop into a dull character. Also, bonus for bi and ace representation.

While I'm not interested in historical fantasy, this book does add more interest with zombie apocalypse and racial/political discussion.

Not so great: my main disappointment might be the little direction in the second half of the book. The first half is interesting in a large city with schools teaching teen girls to fight zombies. We know the main character wants to go back home but she doesn't actively do much to follow that through. She's bossed around.

In the second half, there's a shock reveal but it never goes anywhere past that. I don't remember if it's even mentioned much after. Sadly the plot falls more disjointed with the climax leaving you underwhelmed and puzzled. I'm left with many questions and no answers. I was much more interested in the previous city any time it was mentioned.

Great characters and I love to see them grow. I only wish the plot was more fleshed out.

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