I have been known to whinge about "kissable zombie" books. Zoms are bitey. Zoms are monsters. That's the way they should stay. Well, Marion didn't exactly turn his zombies into dream dates, but he did go a long way towards...humanising them. And I loved the result.
The blurb:
R is a young man with an existential crisis–he is a zombie. He shuffles through an America destroyed by war, social collapse, and the mindless hunger of his undead comrades, but he craves something more than blood and brains. He can speak just a few grunted syllables, but his inner life is deep, full of wonder and longing. He has no memories, noidentity, and no pulse, but he has dreams.
After experiencing a teenage boy’s memories while consuming his brain, R makes an unexpected choice that begins a tense, awkward, and strangely sweet relationship with the victim’s human girlfriend. Julie is a blast of color in the otherwise dreary and gray landscape that surrounds R. His decision to protect her will transform not only R, but his fellow Dead, and perhaps their whole lifeless world.
Scary, funny, and surprisingly poignant, Warm Bodies is about being alive, being dead, and the blurry line in between.
I came to care for R in a way I never thought would be possible. I was convinced I knew what the ending would be before I was very far into it--I read it in New York and I would say to my friend, shaking my head, this is not going to end well.
But Warm Bodies is as unexpected as it is warm. It follows an unusual trajectory for an apocalyptic novel, one that I've only seen explored once before (in Children of the Dust). I really loved this book.
I loved Warm Bodies too, it was such a great read! I also liked the fact that it was a stand alone and fairly short, there is so many bricks and series out now(I don't mind but it is nice with a change). :)
ReplyDeleteSo true. It was nice to have some closure after reading just one book!
ReplyDeletei really cannot wait to read this one. it sounds deliciously different and quite heartfelt.
ReplyDeleteplus ~ that cover ! <3
oh ~ and i have read children of the dust. although it was a very long time ago (and much of the plot has faded from my mind ~ but i do remember the tone/vibe)
ReplyDeleteBah humanising Zombies misses the point dammit!
ReplyDeleteHighfive, bananadance, fistpump HELL YES! I'm so glad you fell in love with WARM BODIES, too. It's fantastic, heartfelt, and completely unexpected, isn't it? Still in the running for one of my favorite books of 2011.
ReplyDelete@Nomes I hope you remember what I mean about the plot when you read it. It's very unusual.
ReplyDelete@Rory Right, that's it. You're getting my copy to read.
@Thea Yep, it's up there with my favourites too!
Warm Bodies is an incredibly enjoyable read. I wanted to simultaneously laugh and cry throughout the story. This is not your usual zombie yarn. It is intriguing, thought provoking, and, well. extremely sweet. Who would have thought a zombie tale could be romantic? R is a fascinating character and I could not help but fall in love with him. Forget what you thought you knew about the undead and give this book a read. You won't be disappointed and if you are, you should seriously have your brains eaten by a zombie.
ReplyDeleteI wasn't quite sold on the romance of this one, but I did love the novel overall, and loved that R was a tongue-tied philosopher--he's a man of contradictions, for sure.
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