REVIEW: The Girl With All The Gifts by M.R. Carey

 Title & Author: The Girl With All the Gifts

 SYNOPSIS: (According to my husband, who has NOT read the book —  see how well he listens to my bookish ramblings)

 Zombies have taken over.  Not just any zombies… some of these zombies are creepy children that are locked up in cells because they are kind of still humans.  Nutjob doctors want to dissect them.  Nice teachers want to love them.  Some guys want to pee their pants just looking at them.  THE WORLD IS GOING TO END.  Can the girl with all the gifts save them?

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•  THE KISSING –  Umm, not so much.  There aren’t many lips around that would choose kissing people over EATING THEM.
• THE SWOONING – Behind door #1 is Private Gallagher.  He spends his time obsessing over porno mags and women in general.  He’s also a bit of a weenie.  Behind door #2 is Sergeant Parks.  He likes to hold guns on children and yells a lot.  As you can see, the pickings are slim.
• THE SWAGGER –  Hungries are on the loose looking for humans to eat, but some of these zombie-like creatures still act like humans, which makes everything a bit tricky.  Doctors are insane and will behave unethically as possible to find answers.  When the game is survival, anything can happen.  People are out for themselves and the crap shall hit the fan!
• THE OH SNAP! –  1. Hungries  2. Junkers  3. Corrupt Research Methods  4. Children Caged Like Animals  5. Survival  6. Infection Spreading Quickly  7. Unlikely Allies  8. The Greater Good
• THE UMMMM WHAT?? –  Considering how easily this virus seems to spread, you’d think they would take more precaution.  When they approach dead bodies recently attacked by hungries they get up close and personal.  There are also numerous encounters where they fight these creatures hand to hand.  The infection apparently spreads through blood and saliva.  These things are COVERED in blood and obviously saliva.

• ENCORE:

This book was exactly what I needed.  I’ve been a bit romanced out lately and was craving something different,  which is what I got!  It had a lot of interesting dynamics… people responded and bonded with Melanie (half hungry) in a variety of ways.  I loved watching the characters open up to her and begin to have some compassion and trust as they spent more time with her and saw value in keeping her around.  As scary and evil as Doc Caldwell was, it is not that far-fetched from reality in some cases, which is kinda creepy.  She completely disconnected from the test subjects (CHILDREN) and had no conscience.  She was so caught up in her research that she saw nothing else.  I will probably have nightmares about her.  Ms. Justineau on the opposite side of the spectrum, found it impossible separate her heart from her work.  She saw something special in Melanie and became a motherly figure.  She was balls out and just plain awesome.  Neither of these extremes really offered a solution.  As Melanie discovered more about who and what she really was, her perspective began to change and she was the only one capable of seeing the whole picture.  The end gave me chills!  It was fun to imagine how I might respond if this happened.  I hope that I wouldn’t give up on people and that I would try to do the right thing even if it was risky!  Who am I kidding?  I’d probably pee my pants and get eaten 5 pages into the book.  ;)

On a side note, how cool is it that M.R. Carey is the pen name of a comic book writer— he has written for DC and Marvel– that’s what’s up!!

RATING: