Scan barcode
A review by leahmonroe
Return to Woodbury by Jay Bonansinga, Robert Kirkman
adventurous
dark
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Though definitely flawed, filled with deus-ex-machinas and conveniences, repetitive villains and lazy resolutions, being done with Jay Bonansinga's The Walking Dead felt heavy.
Lilly Caul, a character that I read many people hate and find unbearable, I actually have grown attached to. I actually felt her struggles, her heartbreaks, her tumultous love life, her jokes and grins and obssessiveness. She and all the other characters, be they of minor or major importance, made the story so immersive and such a page-turner.
What also made it a page-turner is that these were simply action books. I realised this while reading and thought that I was actually okay with this. I longed for character development and drama, about which I'll talk in a bit, but the pulpy aspect of these books is something I've accepted and affirmed, because, after all, these are zombie books. Obviously, that doesn't mean that they're supposed to be unambitious, not at all, it's just that holding them to the same standards as The Godfather is being just a tad unrealistic, and frankly, a bit of a whininh killjoy behaviour. Come on, it's zombies! And in my opinion, they were handled quite well.
It's because the action elements - all these bloody chases and gunfights and explosions and rescue missions were written well enough for the reader to fully be into it - as I were, suddenly realising that I'm thirty pages further and enjoying myself immensely.
I found great joy in nitpicking details and plotholes that I discovered along the way, but they never were things that would take out the fun or make me angry or bored or whatever. In my little notes that I took, I made some legitimate concerns, which would ultimately be my only ever problems with these series, and with Return to Woodbury really.
It was a shame that, while the action-packed sequences were awesome, they took up much of the space that could've been given to expanding and actually developing this walker-infested world and the characters. Some of the themes introduced in Search and Destroy that brought a promise of freshness, such as big cities, vaccines, community politics and railroad building, were never really explored as we rushed to face off another madman that lacked depth and humanity in him. I wanted to see some gray - as I sincerely believe that nothing in this world is black or white. It wasn't jarring that the plot was a bit repetitive, it's just that the plotpoints that could've been explored and shown Jay's creativity in how he handles the developing pandemic and its impact on the world were barely touched, giving us descriptions of cracked streets and kudzu vines again and again.
I also felt that Lilly's character and her dynamics with the group never reached their full potential. I feel like her mother-son relationship with Tommy was an amazing premise, something I teared up about in the last book during the goodbye scene, and here at the very end felt again, but knowing what it could've been breaks my heart, because I know Jay has the abilities to write something meaningful and emotional, but he went on to describe some other stuff that could never be of this impact as what that relationship might've been. I found myself rewriting the story at certain times, thinking over how great it would've been for the emotional aspect and the conflict and morality, wishing it was Jay who thought of it. Wishing that Jay would've stirred some drama in our group of survivors, who, whilst naturally loyal to Lilly, never really had any doubts or minds of their own. I wanted their strained psyches to turn up and sow doubt and frustration. I wanted Lilly's obsession with Woodbury to go the next level, to make her delusional, others to differ and see through that. I wanted some mystery. I wanted some depression and hopelessness and existential crisis. I wanted Lilly to actually unconsciously turn into the Governor, with her and the reader slowly realising it and feeling the terror and marveling at how this world plays with people.
And whilst I got none of that, and it did cause me disappointment, I will still stand by my three stars. Because it wasn't a pain to go through, quite the opposite. It was a pleasure to get through and I feel sad about leaving these series, though I do feel like it's a much deserved departure. Eight books in this setting and this format is enough. In a good way. I loved the characters. I loved the entertainment. I loved my tearing up. It was a wild ride. A good adventure.
Lilly Caul, a character that I read many people hate and find unbearable, I actually have grown attached to. I actually felt her struggles, her heartbreaks, her tumultous love life, her jokes and grins and obssessiveness. She and all the other characters, be they of minor or major importance, made the story so immersive and such a page-turner.
What also made it a page-turner is that these were simply action books. I realised this while reading and thought that I was actually okay with this. I longed for character development and drama, about which I'll talk in a bit, but the pulpy aspect of these books is something I've accepted and affirmed, because, after all, these are zombie books. Obviously, that doesn't mean that they're supposed to be unambitious, not at all, it's just that holding them to the same standards as The Godfather is being just a tad unrealistic, and frankly, a bit of a whininh killjoy behaviour. Come on, it's zombies! And in my opinion, they were handled quite well.
It's because the action elements - all these bloody chases and gunfights and explosions and rescue missions were written well enough for the reader to fully be into it - as I were, suddenly realising that I'm thirty pages further and enjoying myself immensely.
I found great joy in nitpicking details and plotholes that I discovered along the way, but they never were things that would take out the fun or make me angry or bored or whatever. In my little notes that I took, I made some legitimate concerns, which would ultimately be my only ever problems with these series, and with Return to Woodbury really.
It was a shame that, while the action-packed sequences were awesome, they took up much of the space that could've been given to expanding and actually developing this walker-infested world and the characters. Some of the themes introduced in Search and Destroy that brought a promise of freshness, such as big cities, vaccines, community politics and railroad building, were never really explored as we rushed to face off another madman that lacked depth and humanity in him. I wanted to see some gray - as I sincerely believe that nothing in this world is black or white. It wasn't jarring that the plot was a bit repetitive, it's just that the plotpoints that could've been explored and shown Jay's creativity in how he handles the developing pandemic and its impact on the world were barely touched, giving us descriptions of cracked streets and kudzu vines again and again.
I also felt that Lilly's character and her dynamics with the group never reached their full potential. I feel like her mother-son relationship with Tommy was an amazing premise, something I teared up about in the last book during the goodbye scene, and here at the very end felt again, but knowing what it could've been breaks my heart, because I know Jay has the abilities to write something meaningful and emotional, but he went on to describe some other stuff that could never be of this impact as what that relationship might've been. I found myself rewriting the story at certain times, thinking over how great it would've been for the emotional aspect and the conflict and morality, wishing it was Jay who thought of it. Wishing that Jay would've stirred some drama in our group of survivors, who, whilst naturally loyal to Lilly, never really had any doubts or minds of their own. I wanted their strained psyches to turn up and sow doubt and frustration. I wanted Lilly's obsession with Woodbury to go the next level, to make her delusional, others to differ and see through that. I wanted some mystery. I wanted some depression and hopelessness and existential crisis. I wanted Lilly to actually unconsciously turn into the Governor, with her and the reader slowly realising it and feeling the terror and marveling at how this world plays with people.
And whilst I got none of that, and it did cause me disappointment, I will still stand by my three stars. Because it wasn't a pain to go through, quite the opposite. It was a pleasure to get through and I feel sad about leaving these series, though I do feel like it's a much deserved departure. Eight books in this setting and this format is enough. In a good way. I loved the characters. I loved the entertainment. I loved my tearing up. It was a wild ride. A good adventure.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death