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gategrrlY'all know I love zombie books and short stories. I wasn't convinced I'd like Feed, because when I picked it up for a quick look in the bookstore, I wasn't drawn into it. Luckily for the author, B&N allows you to download a sample of about 24 pages. So I downloaded the sample, and HAD to order the whole book. I was hooked.
I stayed up until 4 am this morning to finish it, and I rarely do that anymore. I probably will have to reread some of the last bits to refresh my memory about what happened since I was wandering in & out of consciousness for a few minutes.
The title refers to not only the virus created zombies that wander the landscape, but also the main characters' online profession of being blogging reporters in their post-apocolyptic world.
A lot of the book's first third is devoted to copious amounts of worldbuilding/infodumping, but believe me, it's necessary to read through it, and it's not all that bad. The zombies aren't actually the main feature of the story, although as an active background that forms the behaviors and rituals and medical requirements of the people in this world, they're vital. The real story is about how a pair of very bright siblings forge ahead to build a blogging site that will set them up for life. How? They've been selected to report on a presidential candidate.
The main character, Georgia Mason, is 20, a reporter and too good at what she does. She rarely missteps, is savvy, shrewd and is just this side of being believable. She's so competent she's scary. Her brother, the same age, is more of an adventurer (tho Georgia is, too) and fills the irresponsible side of the equation. And then there's Buffy, their tech wizard (yes, she named herself after THE Buffy). Really bad things start happening to the presidential candidate and his family and coworkers. He's being sabotaged, and no one but Georgia thinks there's anything to that.
I don't mind worldbuilding when it builds to something, and you gain the benefits of knowing the background to the story. In this case, Mira Grant/Seanan McGuire does a pretty good job. Some of it is repetitious, and could have been mentioned less often, but, what the heck, it worked for me and got me immersed.
A commenter on Hathor Legacy mentioned how disappointed she was by the point of view shift that happens late in the novel, and I could see her point. I usually dislike it a lot, too. In fact, I HATED it in The Reapers are the Angels. In that book, the POV shifts from the main female character abruptly in the final chapter or coda to the male character who's been tracking her with the intent to kill her. In Feed, the shift is not as sudden, not coming out of the blue, and when it happens, you feel that character's grief legitimately. Really, this is how it should be done, if it should be done at all. I was leary about it, but as I said, Georgia is almost too perfect, and we don't get to see many of her flaws (if any).
Do I recommend this? Yes, even if you're not into zombies--zombies are not the main meal in this book. Now, I can't wait for the sequel to come out.
I stayed up until 4 am this morning to finish it, and I rarely do that anymore. I probably will have to reread some of the last bits to refresh my memory about what happened since I was wandering in & out of consciousness for a few minutes.
The title refers to not only the virus created zombies that wander the landscape, but also the main characters' online profession of being blogging reporters in their post-apocolyptic world.
A lot of the book's first third is devoted to copious amounts of worldbuilding/infodumping, but believe me, it's necessary to read through it, and it's not all that bad. The zombies aren't actually the main feature of the story, although as an active background that forms the behaviors and rituals and medical requirements of the people in this world, they're vital. The real story is about how a pair of very bright siblings forge ahead to build a blogging site that will set them up for life. How? They've been selected to report on a presidential candidate.
The main character, Georgia Mason, is 20, a reporter and too good at what she does. She rarely missteps, is savvy, shrewd and is just this side of being believable. She's so competent she's scary. Her brother, the same age, is more of an adventurer (tho Georgia is, too) and fills the irresponsible side of the equation. And then there's Buffy, their tech wizard (yes, she named herself after THE Buffy). Really bad things start happening to the presidential candidate and his family and coworkers. He's being sabotaged, and no one but Georgia thinks there's anything to that.
I don't mind worldbuilding when it builds to something, and you gain the benefits of knowing the background to the story. In this case, Mira Grant/Seanan McGuire does a pretty good job. Some of it is repetitious, and could have been mentioned less often, but, what the heck, it worked for me and got me immersed.
A commenter on Hathor Legacy mentioned how disappointed she was by the point of view shift that happens late in the novel, and I could see her point. I usually dislike it a lot, too. In fact, I HATED it in The Reapers are the Angels. In that book, the POV shifts from the main female character abruptly in the final chapter or coda to the male character who's been tracking her with the intent to kill her. In Feed, the shift is not as sudden, not coming out of the blue, and when it happens, you feel that character's grief legitimately. Really, this is how it should be done, if it should be done at all. I was leary about it, but as I said, Georgia is almost too perfect, and we don't get to see many of her flaws (if any).
Do I recommend this? Yes, even if you're not into zombies--zombies are not the main meal in this book. Now, I can't wait for the sequel to come out.
