Ratings17
Average rating4.2
"Savvy, enlightening, and harrowing" Buzzfeed on Dread Nation After the fall of Summerland, Jane McKeene hoped her life would get simpler: Get out of town, stay alive, and head west to California to find her mother. But nothing is easy when you're a girl trained in putting down the restless dead, and a devastating loss on the road to a protected village called Nicodemus has Jane questioning everything she thought she knew about surviving in 1880s America. What's more, this safe haven is not what it appears—as Jane discovers when she sees familiar faces from Summerland amid this new society. Caught between mysteries and lies, the undead, and her own inner demons, Jane soon finds herself on a dark path of blood and violence that threatens to consume her. But she won't be in it alone. Katherine Deveraux never expected to be allied with Jane McKeene. But after the hell she has endured, she knows friends are hard to come by—and that Jane needs her too, whether Jane wants to admit it or not. Watching Jane's back, however, is more than she bargained for, and when they both reach a breaking point, it's up to Katherine to keep hope alive—even as she begins to fear that there is no happily-ever-after for girls like her.
Featured Series
2 primary books3 released booksDread Nation is a 3-book series with 2 primary works first released in 2018 with contributions by Justina Ireland.
Reviews with the most likes.
I am so glad that I was pointed in the direction of Dread Nation per the Book Riot Read Harder Challenge (and, no, this story is not hard to read, it is a fast-paced action driven historical fiction with zombies). The characters are so real. I wouldn't say things go “well” for the characters, but it seems like their nature drove them through the plot as you might expect. Some excitement and challenge.
The end is left open for possible future adventures.
I somehow forgot to review this when it was “fresh” and two months later, I'm afraid that I might mix up the first and second book events. However, I'm thinking there were some pretty deep undertones here because my book journal entry for this one says: We find ourselves after we find what we thought we wanted. Purpose is more than just direction.
Well done all in all - and I don't even like zombies.
The narration is well done in the audio version as well.
Glad this wrapped in a duology and didn't drag to a trilogy - kept the energy, plot, and characters compelling. As always, Bahni Turpin's audio narrative was WONDERFUL and Jordan Cobb as Katherine really held her own. I really liked the dual perspectives and giving both Jane and Katherine their own intertwined plots. A very satisfying ending to such an enjoyable series. Badass feminist action with some grey area morals, serious fighting, & modern-paralleled race/class nuance. Now that it's not a BOB book, can't wait to booktalk our copies!
Very different from the first book and not what I was expecting but an enjoyable adventure nevertheless.