mehsi's review
5.0
Wow, just pure wow. This was just an emotional ride, a ride in a rollercoaster.
This book is about the San Diego Comic Con of 2014, right when the outbreak began.
I never been to the San Diego con (nor ever been in the US), but if we don't count the zombies, it sounds like a great con, maybe one day I will be able to visit it.
It is told from different POVs and I can tell you each of them were heartbreaking. Really, I cried tears for those that were trapped in there, trapped with zombies, trapped knowing they wouldn't be able to get out.
I would recommend this to everyone who likes the newsflesh books.
This book is about the San Diego Comic Con of 2014, right when the outbreak began.
I never been to the San Diego con (nor ever been in the US), but if we don't count the zombies, it sounds like a great con, maybe one day I will be able to visit it.
It is told from different POVs and I can tell you each of them were heartbreaking. Really, I cried tears for those that were trapped in there, trapped with zombies, trapped knowing they wouldn't be able to get out.
I would recommend this to everyone who likes the newsflesh books.
shatton72's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.5
nanceoir's review
5.0
Going into the story, you know how it's going to end. Everything, from the title to the narration to the dialogue, points to that end. Yet, as you read, you still have hope that the end will be averted somehow, that these people can escape their fates. Then, when the inevitable happens, that you've known will happen since you started the story, it's gutting. HOW DOES SHE DO IT? HOW?!
tanya_the_spack's review
4.0
I'm not really into zombies, and I'm completely unfamiliar with the rest of the series, but this was a lovely read.
starknits13's review
4.0
I liked this short story. It's talked about in the Newsflesh trilogy so it was good to actually "hear" the story of what happened.
raven_morgan's review
3.0
Didn't enjoy this as much as the Newsflesh trilogy, making me realise that what attracts me to Grant's works are her characters. Loved the nods to fandom, but couldn't get close enough to any characters to really care about them.
scottishben's review
1.0
Mira Grant aka Seanan McGuire achieved the impressive feat of having more Hugo Nominations than perhaps anyone had managed previously with a nomination for best novel, a nomination for this novella, two novelette nominations as well as a fancast nomination. I had enjoyed reading one or two blog posts from her so I approached this book with a certain amount of optimism although many people had suggested this was the weakest novella in the novella category this year.
There are few books that I give 1 stars to and this is because usually if I am not enjoying a book I just dump it and then I rarely feel it would be fair to review a book that I have read less than half of. With this book I did tough it out and read it to the end. I can see to a point why Mira Grant has many fans, she respects fandom/ geekdom, the pages turn quickly when you read her work, there is a decent amount of humor in the novella that works reasonably well...but the writing is really not that great. I mean as a stylist she is far better than Dan Brown or James Patterson but this was still probably the worst written book I have read in several years. Her prose is marred by repetition and cliche, the character motivation is barely believable at times, it looks like a bad first draft by a fan writer who writes with a certain amount of exuberance but not with any class. She is a bit like the pulp writers of the 30s and 40s though in that if you turn your brain off a bit then you can zip along with the dodge prose, questionable character motivations and hackneyed plot and find there are moments where it is mildly enjoyable.
As for the story itself, we have already had zombie outbreaks at SF conventions before, there is nothing here in this story that works as anything other than a fan titbit for those who love her novels in the series. To someone who has not read those books it all still make sense it just doesnt make anything interesting or worthwhile.
I can see why she has her fans just like I can see why people love CSI book tie is or the writings of Dan Brown but I cannot see me being tempted to pick up something else by Mira Grant unless her writing undergoes a bigger change than Robert Silverberg's did when he decided to actually try to write well rather than just produce the maximum number of sales for the minimum amount of effort. Even if I do hear about such a change I will take it with a somewhat large pinch of salt.
There are few books that I give 1 stars to and this is because usually if I am not enjoying a book I just dump it and then I rarely feel it would be fair to review a book that I have read less than half of. With this book I did tough it out and read it to the end. I can see to a point why Mira Grant has many fans, she respects fandom/ geekdom, the pages turn quickly when you read her work, there is a decent amount of humor in the novella that works reasonably well...but the writing is really not that great. I mean as a stylist she is far better than Dan Brown or James Patterson but this was still probably the worst written book I have read in several years. Her prose is marred by repetition and cliche, the character motivation is barely believable at times, it looks like a bad first draft by a fan writer who writes with a certain amount of exuberance but not with any class. She is a bit like the pulp writers of the 30s and 40s though in that if you turn your brain off a bit then you can zip along with the dodge prose, questionable character motivations and hackneyed plot and find there are moments where it is mildly enjoyable.
As for the story itself, we have already had zombie outbreaks at SF conventions before, there is nothing here in this story that works as anything other than a fan titbit for those who love her novels in the series. To someone who has not read those books it all still make sense it just doesnt make anything interesting or worthwhile.
I can see why she has her fans just like I can see why people love CSI book tie is or the writings of Dan Brown but I cannot see me being tempted to pick up something else by Mira Grant unless her writing undergoes a bigger change than Robert Silverberg's did when he decided to actually try to write well rather than just produce the maximum number of sales for the minimum amount of effort. Even if I do hear about such a change I will take it with a somewhat large pinch of salt.
mjfmjfmjf's review
4.0
Was re-watching Firefly when I turned this up. Pandemic and all and with San Diego Comicon cancelled along with everything else, thought this would be an awesome read. To say it was un-enjoyable doesn't really capture it. Believable. But sad on so many levels. I'm pretty sure I wish I hadn't read it.