Dread Nation Hardcover – Deckle Edge, April 3, 2018

This book was even better than I could have hoped for.I mean, post-Civil War era zombie-fighting girls does kind of sound right up my alley, but still, I had no idea what a blast this book would be.Starting out, can I just say what a creative and unique concept this is? I have no idea how Justina Ireland came up with this idea and I’m amazed that she pulled it off so flawlessly. It’s this kind of originality that makes a book truly stand out.Even though I started this book during my (very stressful) first week of the semester, I did not want to put it down at all, and even when I was doing other things that I was supposed to be doing, at least a portion of my mind was still in this book. It stuck with me from start to finish, and I’m still thinking about it over a week later and I want to tell everyone to go read it. So, yeah, go do that.Characters…The star of this story is Jane McKeene, a young mixed race woman training to become an Attendant and fight off “shamblers” for her wealthy employers, even as she misses her faraway home and wonders why her white mother won’t respond to any of her letters. I loved having Jane for a narrator – basically everything she did made me figuratively jump out of my seat and cheer. Not only was she clever and formidable with a weapon, but she took no nonsense from the people around her and tried to make the best of whatever horrible situation she was in. Though she could be a bit hotheaded and judgmental of others, I feel like she learned and grew so much over the course of the novel. Plus, she was the queen of snark. Seriously, Jane is one of my new favorite fictional female leads. I adore her.Some other major characters that come into play Jackson, or “Red Jack,” Jane’s, ahem, acquaintance who’s never up to any good. As well as Katherine, one of Jane’s least favorite girls at Miss Preston’s School, who’s always been treated differently than the other girls because she can pass as white.I really appreciated the fact that, although we never actually meet Jane’s mother in the course of the story, we get a strong sense of who she is, as well as Jane’s relationship and feelings toward her, simply through Jane’s memories of her. That’s a difficult way to portray a character, especially one with such a complicated relationship with the narrator, yet it’s done so well in this book.Plot…For most of this story, I hadn’t the faintest clue what was going to happen next. This plot was in no way formulaic or predictable and I was kept guessing the entire time. During the action scenes (of which there were plenty!) I was right on the edge of my seat because I had the sense that anything could happen and everything could change at a moment’s notice. And now I really, really need the next book to come out soon because this story is perfect and I want more of it.Writing…One of my biggest pet peeves in books that take place in different time periods is when characters talk like they’re from the 21st century. And this book avoided that perfectly. Jane and the other characters talked exactly how I would imagine people in the American South during the late 1800s would talk, while still feeling accessible and entertaining and even funny to today’s audience. It seemed authentic and really helped to transport me into that setting. Jane’s voice, both in her narration and her dialogue, was so distinct and fun to read.Overall feelings…While this was an incredibly fun book about girls killing zombies, it was also a book about race in the 1880s, and it did not shy away from those aspects. We get a very strong sense of what it was like to be a woman of color in that time period (which also had some things to say about being a woman of color in today’s world). Jane’s powerlessness because of her race and gender was complicated by the fact that she’s been trained to fight and defend herself, yet even that is used to take power away from her because she’s not given a choice in the matter. The way that the world is built is fascinating and so well done.So basically, I loved every second of this book. If you haven’t gotten around to picking it up, I highly recommend that you rectify that as soon as possible, because you’re missing out. Jane’s story is heart-poundingly exhilarating and nonstop entertaining, and I’m so happy that it’s not over yet. The only downside is that I have to wait so long for the next book.

Hands down, this story was one of the best pieces young adult fiction that I've witnessed in quite some time. To have a fictional story such as this, and for it to contain so many elements that speak to me is downright amazing. Its one thing to read a fictional tale, and god knows i've read plenty, but to be able to identify so strongly with not only Jane, but with a number of the bevy of characters whom we are introduced to.The life of an Attendant is most certainly a grueling task and Jane is a young woman who plies her craft well for her utmost survival. What made me love the main character so much is how flawed of a woman she is as we witness her moments of hubris, vulnerability, jealousy, and other traits intermixed with her heroism. Jane is a black woman who is careful of the optics which surround her and most certainly knows how to pull the "okey doke" in the realm of white supremacy. She deceptively tones down her keen intellect, her brassy attitude, and her deadly potential to put the minds of her oppressors at ease when she is far beyond the boundaries that they ignorantly believe her kind to be capable of. It's a tiresome and frustrating tactic having to conceal one's true potential, but its one that keeps her safe and her enemies for the most part unguarded.Miss "Rich White Woman", Miss Katherine Deveraux was a standout. Like Jane she's also an Attendant, but unlike Jane she possesses a special trait that eludes Jane which is her proximity to whiteness. With her light skin, softened and loose hair texture, and her eurocentric features, she is seamlessly able to navigate the surroundings of her oppressors with ease. She, like Jane is a strong woman worthy of a true Attendant who rises above her peers. She also makes one fine Nemesis as their personalities differ like night and day. She carries the makings of a exquisite woman, with the personality to match. Beyond her fair complexion, she possesses has a Je ne sais quoi about her that has men falling over themselves, and leaves Jane mad with envy and insecure about herself. I empathize with Jane for her feelings of jealousy. You cannot help but feel the way she does when you have the entire world saying you're undesirable for who you are. Even by today's standards, Its the fair and light being placed to the forefront. Admittedly, I hated people like Katherine growing up. The light, bright, damn near white, ones who think by just the way that they look, they are somehow better when at the end of the day, you will never truly be one of them. Katherine however had proven to be furthest thing from that. As someone consciously aware of her privileges, She used her natural traits and her upscale "boujee" behaviour as a means to ensure survival for herself AND for Jane. She had absolutely no time for the affluent, privileged, and downright racist community that she was forced to become a part of, and with each passing day could read that it ate away at her. I grew to adore Katherine just as much as Jane. The dynamics between the two were so organic and despite their differences, these young ladies had more in common than they were willing to admit.There were times where I had to put the book down because I felt a deep seated feeling of anger at the treatment Jane was forced to go through. The obstacles she faced for being who she was took me back to some of the unfair experiences I faced as a black kid growing up. With the times, the ugliness of racism truly never dies. It simply evolves into something more concealable, not so blatant, yet equally as painful. Even in the face of what seems to be the end of days, they STILL must find a way to be on top! It was frustrating to read, but it strengthened my connection to Jane. As Wise Lady Whitley Gilbert would say, "I know this woman." I see elements of Jane in the mother who raised me, the older sister who protected me, and the "down for anything" bulldagger cousin who jumped in to take over a fist fight I was losing. I had to pace myself not to get through with this story to quickly because I sincerely did not want it to end. Its been so long since I've read something that I could Identify with. Finding stories with strong and BELIEVABLE people of color who arent side cast as the sassy, matronly, stereotypical, non believable, and ultimately forgotten types are genuinely hard to find. I was truly blessed to have both Children of Blood and Bone and Dread Nation at the same damn time, in the same damn year. Bless you Justina! I was truly honored.

A ideia de zumbis no final da guerra civil americana era uma das melhores que eu já tinha encontrado antes mesmo de começar a ler. Honestamente, achava a ideia tão boa já, que tinha medo de criar expectativas que nunca seriam superadas ou ao menos alcançadas. Mas toda a atmosfera do livro, toda a explicação dos zumbis e a personalidade da protagonista são melhores do que eu esperava. Tem tanta personalidade nesse livro, que foi fácil colocá-lo na minha lista de favoritos.Dread, aliás, é a palavra certa para ele, porque também é o sentimento que fica no leitor durante quase toda a história. Ela é dividida em duas partes e a segunda realmente me fez sentir como se fosse quase uma distopia histórica do velho oeste (muito bem feita, aliás). A história é sobre zumbis, então fui bem besta de ficar surpresa por algumas partes terem suspense e me deixarem, para ser sincera, um pouco assustada. Era de se esperar, né, e a autora conseguiu me deixar com a sensação de quem só estava esperando o mundo real ser tomado por zumbis (não é uma sensação bacana, admito).Eu, como muitas outras pessoas que se interessaram pela ideia desse livro, fiquei também um pouco apreensiva quando vi algumas resenhas negativas a ele. Depois de terminar de ler, está aqui minha melhor aposta para o que pode ter incomodado algumas pessoas: antes de mais nada, a protagonista. Eu simplesmente AMEI a Jane, é verdade. Gosto de personagens femininas com opinião, atitude, cérebro e nenhuma inclinação para se desculpar por ser quem é e pelo que pensa. Amo ainda mais personagens que admitem seus defeitos e não tentam necessariamente se livrar deles. Mas sei que tem algumas pessoas que ficam incomodadas com isso. A maioria das pessoas, aliás, detesta mulheres com opinião e confiança, infelizmente.A outra razão que imagino fazer muitas pessoas não gostarem tanto desse livro é que ele não segue exatamente um molde de enredo, não é uma jornada de herói, não tem um objetivo muito fixo no qual os personagens miram, seu clímax não parece tanto clímax e ele ainda deixa muita coisa só como começo para o resto da série (que não sei se será trilogia, duologia ou o quê). Mas eu não faço a menor questão de um livro seguir essas regras, só de ele ser interessante, diferente, provocativo, inteligente e divertido. E esse livro é tudo isso.Tem muita coisa incrível aqui, muitas frases e momentos que eu gostaria de compartilhar e infelizmente não posso (a não ser que dê spoiler). Tem desenvolvimento de personagens, mulheres se apoiando, conspirações, lutas e uma revelação no final que me deixou de boca aberta. Não tem romance. Talvez tenha em algum próximo livro, mas dá para ver que a autora não está fazendo a menor questão de deixar romance tomar o primeiro (ou segundo) plano. Para falar a verdade, se tivesse mais romance nesse primeiro livro, acho que tiraria um pouco do valor e do peso da história. Nem acredito que estou dizendo isso, mas fico feliz de não ter tido.Juro que fiz meu melhor para pensar no que poderia fazer alguém não gostar desse livro, mas não consigo entender mesmo assim. Não tem nada que eu mudaria aqui, e estou extremamente animada para o próximo da série! Vou sentir falta dessa ambientação maravilhosa dos Estados Unidos com zumbis e dessa voz narrativa da Jane que é muito característica e que reflete bem essa personagem incrível que ela é. Dread Nation é um livro único!Aliás, as páginas irregulares encaixam perfeitamente com a história!

I’ve been anticipating the Australian release of this book for over a year and OH MY GOD IT WAS WORTH THE WAIT.Jane McKeene is the definition of a kick butt female lead! She’s great with weapons, feisty, hilariously obnoxious, stubborn, smart, and she has so much agency. There’s nothing about her I didn’t like and she truly felt like a person rather than just a character - which is no easy feat! I also adored her narration and I could practically hear her voice and accent in my head!The pacing and plot were also fantastic. I initially thought the story would be wholly set in the school in Baltimore, but there’s a prairie element to the story that elevates it to another level. The story is tense, action-packed, and nails that eerie feeling of “something isn’t right here”. And while it’s well-rounded, impactful, and wrapped up nice enough to be a standalone, there's enough ambiguity and potential to go further.Every character in the book is compelling, interesting, and has a clear purpose. I adored Katherine as a side character, loved and wanted to know more about Gideon, Redfern, and the Duchess, and the villains were downright HATEFUL. With good villains you either wanna bone em or fight em, and it was definitely the latter here. They were just SO vile!And refreshingly, there’s no romance! There are hints of romantic feelings, but these characters have their priorities right: they’re not here to shack up, they’re here to survive.Slavery and racism are central themes in this story, and obviously as a non-black reviewer I can’t speak to how well these elements were executed. To my ignorant self it read well, felt contextualised well to the (alternate) time period, and the racism was deliberately uncomfortable without ever veering toward exploitative or gratuitous.There’s some interesting discourse here about fair passing privilege and the race equivalent of the gay/trans panic defence. And I liked that the author always specifies a character’s skin colour instead of just limiting it to the POC as other authors are wont to do.The author’s note also includes some valuable context about how Native people were treated during this time, and the real events that informed her portrayal of the school and the town.This book was honestly worth every minute of the agonisingly wait. I wish I had the language to properly articulate how great it is, because I could never do it justice! It’s strong and well-rounded and it’s already shot to the top of the list of my fave reads of 2019.

I loved this book. It was so interesting and new. I loved the strong characters and the snarky banter, I loved the setting and the little bits of History mixed in with the fantasy. I thought it was so well written and so well paced that I was constantly thinking about it even when I should have been concentrating on other things. The letters before the next chapter were a great touch and the chapter names themselves were so funny and gave you that little insight into the chapter. I also didn't see the twist revealed at the end coming at all which was so nice for a change.

I loved it! Read it in one sitting (while in lockdown of course lol)

Flawless piece of storytelling. Instant classic gothic Americana. Highly recommended. Women, blades, zombies. Everything a good tale needs. Great read.