The Girl with All the Gifts (The Girl With All the Gifts, #1) in Beyond Reality

Jul 02, 2014 Wealhtheow rated it really liked it

Shelves: sci-fi

Holy crap guys. This book hooked me fast and hard from the very first page, which presents a smart little girl in an odd situation that grows steadily more worrying and strange as she slowly parcels out more information about it. I started reading this while working out and was so enthralled that I did plank crunches for like half an hour just so I could read more of it.

Each of the characters is fully fleshed out, the post-zombie world feels totally real and solid, and the new context in which ...more

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Jun 09, 2014 Banner rated it it was amazing

Shelves: sci-fi, zombie

The story hooks you from the beginning and doesn't let go until it's finished (and maybe a little beyond that). Set in a near future England that has fallen prey to a zombie apocalypse we are introduced to some strong willed personalities that are trying to make the best of things in their own way. Among these characters we have the solider, the scientist and the teacher, along with some very interesting children.

The writing style achieves a balance between being fast pace and building suspense ...more

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Mar 22, 2017 H. R. rated it really liked it

Shelves: movie-adoptation, science-fiction, horror, apocalpyse

Here's the formula: zombies, protagonist, antagonists, death and risk of death, a dangerous journey, tech, climax with 'the end of everything.'

4 stars because the writing quality was great.

But please, authors of our era, Shakespeare was a great writer, and note he managed to skip the zombie theme.

Any questions? ...more

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Dec 20, 2015 mina rated it really liked it

Stunning.

[SPOILERS AHEAD. I warned you :) ]
I cannot believe I am saying this to a book about zombies. Or shall we say 'zombies'? Para-zombies? I have been successfully avoiding to read all kinds of zombie books (even if I have World War Z on my bookshelf) until I got fascinated by the short synopsis of this book. I am hoping for a psychiatrical story of mentally-deviated children. But several pages into the book, I let out a swear word. But it's too late, I was already hooked.

The characters! I
Stunning.

[SPOILERS AHEAD. I warned you :) ]
I cannot believe I am saying this to a book about zombies. Or shall we say 'zombies'? Para-zombies? I have been successfully avoiding to read all kinds of zombie books (even if I have World War Z on my bookshelf) until I got fascinated by the short synopsis of this book. I am hoping for a psychiatrical story of mentally-deviated children. But several pages into the book, I let out a swear word. But it's too late, I was already hooked.

The characters! I hate Miss Justineau the most, thinking she's the holier-than-thou kind of person. Even when I knew that she had a reason for it. I think it is really fit that she is the one who needs to "suffer" at the end. For other characters, they are more grey, and I like them because of that. Especially Parks who's progressing to a better person. Or maybe he's a better person since the beginning.
I love it that the book did not waste time with unimportant characters. It really zeroed in to only 5, with each person's given an opportunity for perspective of his/her own in looking at their life, even the 'zombie' kid, Melanie, who struggled to understand who she is, who she will become, and who she wants herself to be. We understand what motivates each person doing what they are doing, and we ultimately appreciate their choices.

Scariest moment is when I found the combination of zombie and alien-ish thing in the concept of the tall fungus tree sprouting out of a "dead" zombie. I think it is so eerie, surreal, and fascinating. And when we get to know what is the fungus wall made of, I am even more awed.

And the ending! I developed my own ending when the story got to the part of the fungus wall, but even at that time I realized that my ending was a bad one. I do not know whether it is sad or happy one, but I think the ending given by the book is the best. An acceptable one. Maybe we have defined a human being in a very narrow definition all this time.

But of course before you get to the ending, you will have to go through all the pains and boring story of running away from zombies, much like when you watch a zombie movie or TV series (I still do not understand why people are torturing themselves watching several seasons of running away from zombies. Masochism, perhaps?). Not that I watch them. I only saw one, and it is not even a good zombie movie: Warm Bodies, all because the main actor is the gorgeous Nicholas Hoult.

I am torn between giving this book a 3.5 or 4. I decided to give it a 4, because of a peek into Melanie's mind and the superb ending.

Must-read, must-owned.
This author is soooooo into my list now. ...more

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Nov 21, 2014 Christine H rated it it was amazing

Spoiler-free review, copied from my Audible account.

Where does The Girl with All the Gifts rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
Near the top. The narration isn't perfect, but the story is so fabulous, this is in my top five.

What other book might you compare The Girl with All the Gifts to and why?
I don't want to give too much away. I would say if you like science fiction or horror with really excellent characterization, relationships, and well-earned emotion, you will love this ...more

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Jan 12, 2015 Adrienne rated it liked it

Shelves: post-apocalyptic, zombies, bookskype

Some largish plot holes, plus the fact that I don't really like zombies.. but at least this was a somewhat fresh take on the zombie apocalypse? I also did not expect the ending to be what it was! ...more

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Oct 07, 2016 Alexandra rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi, anglophilia, travel, utopias-and-dystopias, horror, 2016, oct-2016

Amazing!!!

Such, such such a good book. Would highly recommend it to anyone, even people who aren't fans of the genre. Compellingly written, really beautiful. ...more

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