Author: M.R. Carey
Series: -
Genres: Horror, Science Fiction, Zombies
Publisher: Orbit
Release: 2014
Source: Audiobook
Pages: 460
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BLURB:
Melanie is a very special girl. Dr. Caldwell calls her "our little genius."
Every morning, Melanie waits in her cell to be collected for class. When they come for her, Sergeant Parks keeps his gun pointing at her while two of his people strap her into the wheelchair. She thinks they don't like her. She jokes that she won't bite, but they don't laugh.
Melanie loves school. She loves learning about spelling and sums and the world outside the classroom and the children's cells. She tells her favorite teacher all the things she'll do when she grows up. Melanie doesn't know why this makes Miss Justineau look sad.
The Girl with All the Gifts is a sensational thriller, perfect for fans of Stephen King, Justin Cronin, and Neil Gaiman.
I saw Jessie talking about this book on booktube and it kinda got my interest. I must admit I had no idea it was released in 2014 till I started writing this review, I really thought it was 2016 release LOL
THE WORLD: December happened to be a month when I read two Zombie books so it is natural that I compare them a little bit. Anyways, having that said...this book is pretty much post apocalyptic where story takes place after the Hungers take over most of the world. At first we are in this military base which has all these children and who are these sorta Hungers and this crazy scientist experiments on them. Anyways, eventually we move to the cities where Hungers rule and they are pretty much what we know of Zombies: stupid flesh eaters. So yeah that was not very original. Also these Hungers are supposedly caused by this fungus. Basically in nature you have this pathogenic fungus that is nickname zombie fungus because it infects ants and makes them climb to the highest points where they die and fungus is carried further by wind. This is a true thing, this fungus is real and it does take over the ants completely turning them into a machine for it to spread. So what this book did was take this fungus further where it mutated and eventually infected humans making them into zombies and then they eat flesh because they need protein to sustain fungus inside them and they bite to allow spreading of this fungus. I personally thing this is a very plausible idea except for the part where such mutation would take thousands and thousands of years. But other than that well done.
CHARACTERS: So we have a few. Main one is Melanie, a little girl who is half Hunger half human. Basically when she smells you she wants to eat you but if you keep your distance she is just a normal human. It is because this fungus infected her either when she was really little and before her neuronal development was final, tho this I would need Laura to confirm, it's her specialty. Or her mother was infected while pregnant and the kid was born with fungus which again interfered with neuronal development. Hmm, I have no idea here and in book they also don't really know. Anyways so Melanie is this kid who is not eaten by Hungers which hey is great because she can help the actual people. And there are a few of them starting with her teacher, the Sergeant and the crazy scientist. Now I have no feelings towards the teacher as for me she could have not existed. I did like the sergeant on the other hand, but I always had a thing for military :D What did really piss me off in this book was this crazy scientist. I mean she is supposed to cure humanity right, but really if you pay attention she is a screw up, a total self absorbed bitch who never even made to top 20 for this mission, the only reason she is here is purely luck of not being eater by Hungers. I hated her so much simply because it was so fake. Nobody ever and I mean ever is going to study science just to get glory. Why? Because even if you ever done something amazing that changes the world best case scenario you will get a nobel price when you are already dead. And scientists are also not paid well. Let me give you an example, you study well not study more like memorize stuff for 3 years to get your BSc which is really worth nothing, then you memorize shit louds of stuff for another 2 years to get MSc and yet you still can basically work only in McDonalds and then you spend 4 years getting your PhD which in other words is minimum wage for hours and hours in the lab, forget weekends forget going home when it's still light outside and pray nobody else publishes same stuff you working on before you because then you just spent 4 years for nothing. And then you get postdoc which again work work work for a little bit more money. You want a house? A new car? You want three weeks holidays in Hawaii? Sorry wrong specialty my dear. So do you get why nobody ever goes to science for glory? :D If you want glory you become a doctor. So yeah this was kinda long but I just had to get it out.
LOVE: Well of course how could we ever go without love. In this case it is actually twisted but oh well, nothing is perfect.
PLUS: As I said I liked the fungus theory. And in general it was pretty interesting read.
MINUS: The ending. I have never ever read such a stupid and just plain ridiculous ending. I mean seriously. Also representation of science.
MINUS: The ending. I have never ever read such a stupid and just plain ridiculous ending. I mean seriously. Also representation of science.
OVERALL: It was interesting basically from the point where I decided to turn my brain off. As long as you don't thing too much this book is really interesting and fast paced. I do recommend it but don't go into expecting to learn something. Just saying.
What do you guys think about A GIRL WITH ALL THE GIFTS?
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