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ashurah's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Cursing, Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, and Cannibalism
sarahholliday's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Because of that complexity it can occasionally feel like a slog to get through, especially the middle chapters, but it is still an expertly crafted and well-written book. Perfect for anyone looking for a horror novel without the jump scares or high tension.
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Cursing, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Cannibalism, War, and Injury/Injury detail
j_boehnke's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Genocide, Suicide, Blood, Cannibalism, and War
trixiez's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
However, though the detail and breadth of the story was interesting, the execution was less than to be desired. Though I was initially excited by it, having read and enjoyed multiple books ([b:Daisy Jones & The Six|40597810|Daisy Jones & The Six|Taylor Jenkins Reid|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1580255154l/40597810._SY75_.jpg|61127102] and [b:Sleeping Giants|25733990|Sleeping Giants (Themis Files, #1)|Sylvain Neuvel|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1459785141l/25733990._SX50_.jpg|42721200], to name a few) in the style before, the interview format didn't work for me here. A couple of the stories stood out, such as the one in the submarine and the one following the boy in the Japanese apartment building, but most of them felt forgettable or started to blend together. I think the problem is that zombie stories, at least in my eye, are survival stories, and survival stories, by nature, are meant to be suspenseful as readers are forced to wonder if their favorites will make it out alive. However, because every interview in this novel is collected after the fact, the stories lose this element of suspense. We know that all of the characters survive because they lived long enough to be interviewed, so there's no source of tension to move the narrative forward—no "do they make it?" to agonize over. We already know the answer: it all worked out, they lived to fight another day.
Ultimately, I wanted to like this book, but it just wasn't for me. The worldbuilding around the Zombie War was intricate and detailed, but the story lost me in the characters (who felt indistinct and bled together) and the lack of forward-moving tension in the plot. There are a few stories in here that might make it worth the read, but overall I think they might have worked better as short stories than as an entire novel.
2/5 stars
Graphic: Gore, Suicide, Violence, and Blood
amarieb's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Death, Gore, Suicide, Violence, Blood, and Grief
catsy2022's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide
Minor: Animal death, Child death, and Death of parent