SO GOOD and so different! I really adore Ireland's take on American history with zombies. Even though the zombie hype has died down, I'm always dubious of them being written, but this book has elements that remind me so much of Pride & Prejudice & Zombies but with so much heart. Jane's humor is dry and very tongue-in-cheek, and the approach on post-war racism is not only realistic, but heart-wrenching too. Although the amount of times Jane "takes in a deep breath" or "files that away" is a bit much, though I appreciate her patience and tenacity

Amazing work, Justina Ireland, I cannot wait for the second book! ( )

CW: sexism, extreme racism

Well I really enjoyed this book. It is seriously begging to be made into an action blockbuster movie.

The book is set in an alternate post Civil War USA where slavery is no longer legal but racism is still running rampant, along with hordes of zombies. I think Jane is an excellent main protagonist and I really love the relationship she has with Kate (That’s not my name, it’s Katherine). It’s so great to see strong friendships develop between intelligent and confident women. Jane has such a no-nonsense approach to survival and her action scenes are epic. The zombies whilst well written and ever present are not the real monsters in this book. It’s in the holiest of places that you will find the demons in this book.

I am going to leave this review here and let Justina Ireland’s own words tell you her thoughts about her brilliant book:

“Dread Nation is a book about the American Dream, and how that dream only truly exists for a small subset of the country. It’s about who gets to lay claim to their humanity, and who is seen as little more than a tool that can be used to achieve the goals of others. It’s about loving a place that doesn’t love you back, no matter how much you might be willing to bleed and die for it. It’s about understanding that, maybe, the things we’re told and the things other people believe aren’t enough to keep us safe. We can follow the rules and do the right thing, but at the end of the day life isn’t fair for anyone. And for some of us, an equal chance was never even an option.” - Justina Ireland in Black Girl Nerds
Source: https://blackgirlnerds.com/zombies-and-the-tragedy-of-black-lives-are-the-inspir...

Come for the zombies, stay for Jane!
A must read. ( )

I'm not usually one for Zombie stories, but this one is an exception. The story and characters are incredibly compelling.

I loved that Jane wasn't a perfect hero or person. She felt more realistic in the way she was portrayed.

I will admit, I had to set the book down a few times because of the views of the antagonists in the book. I'm aware that those are views that were held by a significant portion of the population, if not the majority, not too long ago. I also recognize that the views are portrayed negatively (as they should be), but it got a bit overwhelming at times.

Also, I love that Katherine is Ace, and Jane is either bi or pan. We love queer heros! ( )

I loved this book. Loved it. ( )

WHEW THIS BOOK. It was so gory and horrifying and suspenseful and amazing. While it does take place in an alternate timeline, the racism and inequality of the Reconstruction South feels like it rang true. It's really saying something when the racism is scarier than the zombies. There were parts of this that were hard to read and very sad (zombies attacking children etc., the kind of racism that you already know to expect). A flawed and well-rounded character, Jane is pressed but not crushed, and I rooted for her and her fighting spirit. I can't wait to read the sequel!

Read the full review and trigger warnings at https://fileundermichellaneous.blogspot.com/2022/11/book-review-dread-nation-by-... ( )