So this was a little different.
Full disclosure. I have a severe dislike of anything to do with vampires, werewolves, fairies, mermaids or anything else fantastical or otherworldly. Ostensibly, this is a zombie book, but only insofar as the main character is dead… stay with me.
But Warm Bodies by
Isaac Marion is a little different. It’s
a love story beginning when a zombie (who knows himself only as ‘R’) eats the
brain of a boy, collecting his memories and immediately falling in love with
the boy’s girlfriend, Julie. Not your
typical setup for a book about the zombie apocalypse. R makes it his mission to protect Julie until
he can return her to safety.
The real strength in Warm
Bodies is R’s narration. He
recognizes that he’s different from the other zombies around him. He has a preoccupation with human objects, gathering
tchotchkes to put in his home (an abandoned 747), and has a sizable collection
of vinyl. The introduction of Julie only
magnifies these differences tenfold.
Marion uses this dissonance to examine exactly what constitutes
“humanity.” Can a person be completely
written off just because he’s dead?
This is a brisk read; the narrative pushes forward from one
major event to the next. It makes it
easy to get through it one sitting. It’s
also an excellent book for anyone who isn’t a fan of the zombie craze that’s
happening. Warm Bodies is fun, action packed, and offers a little bit to think
about when you’re finished reading.
Still don’t really care about zombies, but want a well
written story with a side of quirk? Head
on over to John Green’s Paper Towns. Looking for a little more hardcore zombie
action? World War Z by Max Brooks, it is.
~Meredith T.
~Meredith T.
Meredith, I totally agree with your review of this book. I have read the book and watched the film and found them both very good. I noticed in the film they went with a Romeo and Juliet theme which was interesting. The Balcony scene brought it out clearly to me. Now looking back at the book I see it differently.
ReplyDeleteMary Beth P.