Zombies & bloggers: joys of young adult fiction

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Moving out of work in a public library to a school library, means that I don't get easy access to the latest adult fiction, but I'm fast picking up speed on the young adult front.

Last week I read a book called 'Feed' by Mira Grant.  It was about zombies and bloggers.  I have to admit, I haven't spent much (like any) time reading about zombies (or bloggers for that matter).  But one of my colleagues convinced me to read it.

I did think the writing was clunky and laboured.  And the author kind of over-explained every concept in the book.  But in the end I didn't mind it too much.  Basically the idea is that a cure for cancer and the common cold has been discovered in 2014 and released into the atmosphere.  Unfortunately a viral mutation occurs, so that while people don't die of colds and cancer, when they do die, they don't really die.  They then stagger around as zombies looking for people to feed on (thus the title).

Of course the 'feed' aspect has a double meaning with the blogging side of the story.  Since the conventional news can no longer be trusted, bloggers are now the source of the latest, most trustworthy news.  There are different kinds of bloggers (all explained at great length) who do different kinds of blogging.  The main character is a 'newsie' - a blogger who reports the news.

The main storyline is focused on an American presidential race that the main characters are invited to 'blog' about by one of the candidates.  Of course, this involves a conspiracy, resulting in lots of death (and zombies).

I'd recommend this to a teenager who has moved on from 'Twilight' with enough gore for boys and praise be, no s*x.

There is a second book in the trilogy, 'Deadline' that I am yet (if ever) to read.  Another one is coming out soon.

Comments

Karen said…
I am not at all into zombies, vampires or anything supernatural. But I did find Pride and Prejudice and Zombies quite an amusing read.
March 3, 2012 at 4:15 PM
simone r said…
We like zombies. We like blogging. We like politics.

I'll look out for this one.

Thanks.
March 4, 2012 at 1:16 PM
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