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A review by shaun_dh
Dread Nation by Justina Ireland
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
YA is not my usual genre, but I really enjoyed this! Books from this time period are hard for me bc I’d rather read books about Black joy than Black resilience, but the twist of zombies drew me in
I really only read this in the first place bc it was listed as a book for the Queer Lit Readathon and I was under the impression that the MC is bisexual. She talks an awful lot about interest in boys/men and only a mere two sentences about her having kissed a girl, so idk that I would call this queer representation
The author’s note about Indigenous boarding schools was appreciated bc Idk if that is being taught in schools and if the young audience would know about that otherwise
Overall, this was a good read. Jane is a fantastic MC. I love a young woman who takes no shit from men—especially when it’s so subversive for the time. It would make a killer movie. I liked it enough to want to pick up the sequel. Almost every content warning you can think up for how Black people were treated during that time is applicable, so heed that
I really only read this in the first place bc it was listed as a book for the Queer Lit Readathon and I was under the impression that the MC is bisexual. She talks an awful lot about interest in boys/men and only a mere two sentences about her having kissed a girl, so idk that I would call this queer representation
The author’s note about Indigenous boarding schools was appreciated bc Idk if that is being taught in schools and if the young audience would know about that otherwise
Overall, this was a good read. Jane is a fantastic MC. I love a young woman who takes no shit from men—especially when it’s so subversive for the time. It would make a killer movie. I liked it enough to want to pick up the sequel. Almost every content warning you can think up for how Black people were treated during that time is applicable, so heed that
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Murder, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Animal death and Confinement
Minor: Child abuse, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Abortion, and Alcohol