zombies

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.

The Weepers by Susanne Winnacker

TITLE: The Weepers
SERIES: The Other Life #1
AUTHOR: Susanne Winnacker
PUBLICATION DATE: May 15, 2012
PUBLISHER: Marshall Cavendish
PAGES: 261 pages
FORMAT: E-ARC
SOURCE: NetGalley
RATING: 4 stars

***THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS***

First off, I must say that I liked the original cover of this much better than the new one. I mean look at it!

Anyway, I really enjoyed this novel. It’s one of the few books I can name that I read in one day. I was hooked from the moment I started reading. Sherry’s habit of counting the days since her last normal experiences fascinated me. Watching this family try to deal with the fact that they are supposed to stay in this bombshelter even now when they are completely out of food had my full attention. What happened in the outside world? How would they deal with the loss of food? Would they decide that the best chance of survival was to become cannibals and eat Grandpa who died a few months prior and was in the freezer? Would they decide it was worth the risk to venture out and find food? Ding ding ding We have a winner. Daddy dearest and Sherry leave the shelter in search of food, but instead of finding it, they find a deserted Walmart where they are promptly attacked. Sherry is saved by Joshua, one of the few survivors who happened to be nearby, but Daddy isn’t so lucky. He has vanished and Sherry is beyond upset. Joshua takes Sherry to his home and introduces her to the other survivors. They go collect the rest of Sherry’s family from the bunker then Sherry & Joshua scamper off to try to find and rescue Daddy.

The more I learned about this world, the more intrigued I became. This post apocalyptic world was brought on by a mutated strain of rabies that infected the population. Not an act of nature, but a genetically altered version made by the government for who knows what purpose. It reminded me a lot of the tv show Firefly (or the movie Serenity). The government fucks up and while the disease merely kills the majority of the population, some have a more severe reaction and become cannibalistic monsters.

Then at the end to learn that not only is the government responsible, but they actually aren’t living in a post apocalyptic world. Oh no. It’s much worse in some ways. The area they live in is indeed deserted area, but it’s only because the government’s solution to the rabies infestation is to fence off the contaminated areas (California, Nevada, Oregon, and Arizona) and allow the rest of the world to continue living as if nothing has changed. They offer no assistance to anyone who may still be human, instead they heavily patrol the border of the fence and anyone or anything caught near it is turned into the scientists guinea pigs. The story ends right after this tidbit of information is revealed along with the rumor of a cure.

I found it to be a very exciting and enjoyable read. I loved that Sherry didn’t relish killing something but at the same time, when it came down to the monster or her she did shoot it. I also loved that she wasn’t a great shot. She’s human and fallible and it’s great. I can’t wait for the next novel.

****Thank you to Marshall Cavendish for providing me with an eARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review****