14
Oct082010
All Hallows Eve – BOOK REVIEW: Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion
by Carolyn • Posted in 4 Star Reviews, All Hallows Eve 2010, Authors M-P, Book Reviews, Horror, Zombies
Title: Warm Bodies
Author: Isaac Marion
Publisher: Vintage
Publication Date: 28th Oct 2010
ARC: 230 pages
Genre: Zombie Romance
RATING: 8/10
SUMMARY:
“R” is a zombie. He has no name, no memories, and no pulse, but he has dreams. He is different from his fellow Dead.
Amongst the ruins of an abandoned city, R meets a girl. Warm and fierce and very much alive, Julie is a blast of colour in a dreary grey landscape; she means more than flesh and blood. Something imperceptible shifts, a switch is flicked, and R suddenly finds he wants to save Julie instead of eating her; he wants to protect her, whatever happens.
This has never happened before. This is against all the rules and beyond all expectations. R begins to have new thoughts and feelings and powerful longings, and together he and Julie attempt to bring the whole decaying world back from the dead.
REVIEW:
I was quite skeptical, as well as intrigued, when I was sent “Warm Bodies” to review. I would never have imagined putting “zombie” and “romance” in the same sentence. I assumed the putrid decomposition of flesh and the eating of brains would have been a bit of a turn off.
After reading the first page I didn’t know whether I would be able to take this book seriously: a zombie romance? And with quotes like these…
“My friend ‘M’ says the irony of being a zombie is that everything is funny, but you can’t smile, because your lips have rotted off. ““None of us are particularly attractive, but death has been kinder to me than some. I’m still in the early stages of decay. …”
… my lips were twitching with suppressed laughter. But after only a few more pages I wasn’t laughing any more, other than from the brilliant intentional dry sense of humour which was scattered throughout the book.
“Warm Bodies” was a total surprise. I didn’t expect it to be so heart-warming or to love the hero as much as I did considering he’s a brain munching zombie. I knew going in that this was a book about zombie romance, but it’s not in the ‘paranormal romance’ style. It has a bittersweet edge – along side the sweet endearing thoughts of “R” there’s lots of wonderfully descriptive detail on zombies eating humans, which was completely disgusting but I loved it all the same. I was right there with “R”.
The reader stays inside the mind of “R”, the hero of the piece, and I say ‘hero’ because that’s exactly what he is. He does eat people, yes, and he shuffles along with only one thought and that’s to munch his way through humanity, but things begin to change for “R” when he meets Julie. Unfortunately their meeting comes at an unfortunate moment, after “R” bites down on the skull of Perry, her boyfriend.
Nobody knows what caused the dead to rise. But “R”, who remembers nothing of his former life before becoming one of the living dead, has glimpses of the lives he kills when eating their brains. Memories of his victims flicker by in his mind and he treasures them. But after meeting Julie, and eating Perry, things begin to change.
With each bite of cerebrum, Perry comes alive in “R’s” mind and “R” sees Perry’s life from childhood until the very moment he dies. He also sees Julie as part of Perry’s memories and for some reason when he comes back to reality and sees her crouching and shivering with fright against the wall, he doesn’t devour her but instead takes her hand and leads her back to his home.
“R” lives in an aeroplane at an abandoned disused airport with many other zombies, they call their gathering a ‘hive’. They are also organised by another creature called the ‘Boney’s’ – they are not nice! The zombies are also hunted by the few remaining humans, one of which is Julie’s father. Julie and a few thousand other humans live in a stadium and have done for many years. It’s a community where children are born with soldiers protecting the parameters. Not much of a life, but survival all the same.
There’s a surprising amount of action in “Warm Bodies” and the story moves at an exciting pace. And when Julie and “R” become friends something miraculous happens and everything starts to transform for zombies and humans alike. The story ends a little ambiguously for my taste, but there’s hope and the promise of new beginnings.
VERDICT:
I devoured this book and enjoyed it from beginning to end.
It’s quite somber, but contains delicious bittersweet moments that we can identify with regarding our own humanity and mortality. This book wants to make you think about who we are, what we are and what a gift life is and how we shouldn’t take it for granted. As well as lots of brraaaaaaains – nom nom!
SOURCE: Thank you to Vintage for sending me this book to review.
Make sure you stop by later today as I have a great post by the author himself and a fab international giveaway!
14 Comments
This book sounds really awesome! I've never heard of it before this, but I will definitely be putting this on my TBR list. Thank you!
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While I like a good zombie story, I would normally not have even considered this one as it just sounds a bit to…icky… However, your great review (not to mention the gorgeous cover) has made me think again and I've added it to my wishlist. Thanks!
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I like the sound of this one, very eye catching cover too!
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I still did not read any zombie book will this one be the first? it seems that way
thank you for your fantastic review
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I absolutely loved this book!! The pacing, rises and falls of action were extraordinary. So glad that you enjoyed it as well
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Wow, I'm struggling to get my head around the idea of zombies and romance, but at the same time this book does sound intriguing!
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I am sold on this book! The cover's awesome and zombies have long been a favorite of mine, even if I haven't thought to date one yet.
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This sounds really awesome – adding it to my wishlist!
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I haven't read a zombie novel yet,because I am always afraid it's too scary or disgusting. But just as you describe it as a rombie( nice term for zombies+ romance, huh?:D)I could like this one. Maybe try it out someday. And I have to agree on the catching cover!
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Certainly sounds different!
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Titania86 – It is a great books, glad you've added it to your TBR list!
Splendibird – That's what I thought – zombies & romance, but it's a very different book and was really good
Dot – I hope you read it as I think you would like this one
Marco – You're welcome – I hope you read it
Ally – I'm glad you liked it too – it's such a different book isn't it, very original. I was impressed!
Laura – I struggled with the 'zombie/romance' thing too, but this is a bittersweet journey for "R" and that's what it was about, it's his story and I really enjoyed it.
Kate – Yay! I hope you read it soon
Chashire-cat – I'm pleased you've added it to your wishlist, I hope you enjoy it when you get around to reading it
Mis Page-Turner – "Rombie" – love it! LOL It's such a great book, I hope you do try it someday and enjoy it as much as I did
Nikki-Ann – it is different, but that's what makes it such a good book. Very orignal ideas, I really liked it.
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Great review! This is the first zombie book I want to read!
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I was also totally surprised by how much I liked this – I didn't think anyone could pull it off but the author did. I hope Isaac Marion writes more books!
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Wow, this sounds really interesting! From the summary I never would have thought to read it, but now I'm adding it on my list! Great review!
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