Isaac Marion

Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion

TITLE: Warm Bodies
SERIES: Warm Bodies #1
AUTHOR: Isaac Marion
PUBLICATION DATE: October 28, 2010
PUBLISHER: Emily Bestler Books/Atria Paperbacks, an division of Simon & Schuster Inc
PAGES: 239 pages
FORMAT: Paperback
SOURCE: Gift
RATING: 4 stars

I had heard a small amount of buzz about the upcoming Warm Bodies film on several blogs, but it never really grabbed my interest….then I saw the full preview for the film and was hooked. I immediately went to my local bookstore to purchase a copy of the book only to learn that I’d either have to buy a used one online or wait a few months because they had stopped publishing it to redesign the cover to match the film.

I couldn’t make my mind up on whether to wait or to go ahead and buy a used one because I wasn’t entirely crazy about the original cover, but on the same note, I don’t generally like the movie book covers. Then a friend said she was planning on buying it for me for my birthday and problem solved. The book arrived and I’m genuinely glad I waited because I really love the new cover.

I mean, look at it. Teresa Palmer and Nicholas Holt make that red cover pop. ::drools::…anyway, enough rambling on onto reviewing.

Warm Bodies is told in first person from the perspective of R, a zombie. You may be wondering what R stands for and you can keep wondering because he has no idea. He has forgotten his name, all the zombies have. He feels lucky to remember that letter, that’s more than most can remember. He isn’t your typical zombie, he genuinely feels bad about killing people and eating their brains….that’s not enough to stop him from doing it, but he is definitely conflicted about it. Then he eats Perry’s brain and everything changes. Perry was in love with Julie and now R can’t help but feel some of that emotion. He saves her from the horde of zombies with him and basically kidnaps her. The bond they form is the beginning of a major change in him and in all the zombies in general.

After reading the book, I’m insanely curious on how they are going to portray everything in the movie. Voiceovers are going to be a must and how exactly do they plan on handling Perry? Are they going to change it? Edit those parts out? Throughout the story, Perry actually talks to R. Yeah, dead Perry, the one whose brain R on nom nomed on at the beginning of the novel. You’ll have to read it to get the full picture, but I want to know how the film-makers are going to handle that. Whoa, off topic again.

This book is really amazing. It’s an unique take on zombies that I wasn’t expecting. It’s well written and completely addictive. It’s one of those stories where you just can’t stop reading because you have to know what happens next. I recommend it for everyone looking for an unexpected love story.