The Girl with All the Gifts by M.R. Carey

Had I known that this was a zombie novel, I might not have picked it up - and that would have been sad. Ahhh... now look at what I have just done. I have put an expectation out there. ZOMBIES!!! Ignore it. Stop what you're thinking. Get rid of ALL those expectations and assumptions that have just sprung up in your head. Blank slate yet? Good. Because that is completely the best way to go into this.

For a change, I am not going to write my own synopsis for this book. I am just going to tell you what it says on the back. Because that is why I bought it. "Every morning, Melanie waits in her cell to be collected for class. When they come for her, Sergeant Parks keeps his gun pointing at her while two of his people strap her into the wheelchair. She thinks they don't like her. She jokes that she won't bite, but they don't laugh." Do you have questions racing through your head yet?

What all can I say? There is so much to say but I just do not want to spoil anything. Knowing that this is a zombie novel alone is a spoiler. (It was that and the fact that this is considered YA by some folks that let it sit on my shelf for AAAAGES, my interest turned jaded.) This one is best read completely blind.

So, an exercise on reviewing a book without saying anything about it. Let the experiment proceed.

Do you like books that are character driven? Do you like seeing characters who cannot and will not get along, tossed together and left to interact? If you are smirking now, then this might be the book for you.

Do you enjoy science and biology? Right-o, then this is for you too. Wait, you don't? No worries. Nothing is so involved that the average literate person can't work it out.

Do you enjoy waves of nostalgia when childhood books are mentioned? Do you have a love for philosophy? There are references in here you might appreciate. This book manages to cater to science lovers and avid readers.

Do you like books that are mature in content, mature in thought and very well written? Yes? Well then, what are you waiting for? Go and read this!

Just a side note here. I really loved the metaphors and similes used in this book. I think it can quiet honestly say that I didn't just read this book, I experienced it.

And there we go. A review without saying anything really. If you like reading, read this. I doubt you will regret it.

I gave this 4 stars on Goodreads, although if I were using Goodreads's rating system, it would have been a 5. Agh, what the hell. I think I am going to bump it up to a 5. It deserves it.

Oh, and just in case you are wondering why I am not doing the 2015 TBR Reading Challenge updates anymore, it is because there are only 6 days left of 2015 and my TBR pile has *drum roll please* increased. Yeah, you thought I was going to say 'is finished' or something else as accomplished as that. Meheheheh. Retail therapy, folks, retail therapy.