Reviews

The Girl With All the Gifts by M.R. Carey

vacantbones's review against another edition

2.0

Melanie sometimes says, "I won't bite." She says it as a joke, but Sergeant's people never laugh.

I think I'm one of the last remaining survivors who hasn't contracted Zombie Fatigue. This is probably because I haven't engaged with much of the zombie media that skyrocketed to popularity in the 2010s. I still find myself intrigued by the concept of undead beings that feed on human flesh, and this led to my picking up a copy of The Girl with All the Gifts.

This is, undoubtedly, a story that brings something new to the genre, and the first 100 pages had me hooked. But somewhere in the mid 200s, I found myself simply becoming bored. The ethical debate regarding life that simmers between Parks and Justineau is interesting but becomes frustrating as the novel continues.

A lot of people love this one and I don't blame them - for some, this book has all the elements they want. It just wasn't what I wanted it to be, and I don't think I'll go ahead with reading the sequel.

aaguilera97's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

bella_garcia333's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense

4.0

gtjarvis's review against another edition

4.0

This book started out a little rocky but ended with a very satisfying conclusion. The characters suffer from stupid syndrome like trusting their tank and only means of escape with the clearly dishonest ass of the group. But all in all it was a good read and I encourage others to seek it out.

goosehappy's review against another edition

adventurous dark 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

4.5

nujibuji's review against another edition

3.0

**update 9/22: Back down to 3 stars on a whim. Mainly because I compared it overall to books I read this year.

Oscillated between 3 and 4 stars and finally got 4 stars for being an overall compelling story that kept me turning the page until the very end. The ending was also really satisfying, so it helped keep the 4 stars!

sdeeim's review against another edition

adventurous dark slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

katiescho741's review against another edition

4.0

If you judge this book by the cover (and title), it sounds like a general "beach read" bestseller.
But, it's definitely not that.
It's hard to review this book without some spoilers, so I'll just say that it's a dark and violent story and an intriguing portrayal of the future.
It's tense and frightening, and raises ethical questions that may keep you up at night!
One of the best science fiction novels of recent times!

lolamei72's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark sad 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? Yes

3.5

hallowmas's review against another edition

4.0

I knew where this was going to go, but I’d hoped I was wrong. This was such a good book.