Thursday 23 September 2010

Review: The Reapers are the angels - Alden Bell

Genre: Fiction, dystopian, futuristic
Pages: 225
Published: August 2010 Holt Paperbacks

 Zombies have infested a fallen America. A young girl named Temple is on the run. Haunted by her past and pursued by a killer, Temple is surrounded by death and danger, hoping to be set free.

For twenty-five years, civilization has survived in meager enclaves, guarded against a plague of the dead. Temple wanders this blighted landscape, keeping to herself and keeping her demons inside her heart. She can't remember a time before the zombies, but she does remember an old man who took her in and the younger brother she cared for until the tragedy that set her on a personal journey toward redemption. Moving back and forth between the insulated remnants of society and the brutal frontier beyond, Temple must decide where ultimately to make a home and find the salvation she seeks.


Oh yes, zombies, you read it right, my biggest nightmare. Still I watch those movies, but this is actually only my second book about them.

25 years ago they started to emerge, humans tried to fight back, and fought for years, but now the land is dead. People hiding behind barricades, and hunters on the road, fighting one zombie at a time. Among theses are 15 year old Temple, all on her own. All she ever has know has been death and destruction. She moves from place to place, hiding, running, fighting, and soon running from more that just zombies.

I liked Temple, she was kick-ass for sure. But then she grew up in a world that had slowly lost the fight. She is a good with a knife, she says what she thinks, and she remembers those that have fallen. She also feels that there is a darkness within her, but growing up like that who can blame her.

It is not a scary book, there is no real zombie action. She avoids them the best she can, she knows their tricks, and they are pretty slow and stupid. The danger here is more from other humans. When society falls so does everything. You learn about those that prayed on other humans, raping, killing and then the most scary of them all show up, hillbillies, you'll see. But there are also nice people, just trying to get by, and helping each other.

The book had this strange and nice flow to it. It was like it was happening, and like it had happened, and would happen. I liked it, he has a talent. It was a good book, and a sad one.

What do I think, well if people just manage to survive, then they will outlive the zombies, or this world will become a barren wasteland. I do wonder, since I do not get that answer.

This was a different sort of zombie book. It reminded me a bit of The Road, I have only seen the movie, but it had the same hopelessness to it, and at the same time that glimmer of hope. It is a story about a young woman on the road, aged far beyond her years.

Blodeuedd's Cover Corner: Not a fav, but fitting
Reason for reading: From the publisher
Final thoughts: I sure hope we don't get a zombie plague, and if we did, then I hope I could be so calm as she was.

4


28 comments:

  1. Great review B. :)

    I don't know why I have this thing for zombies. LOL Not in a romantical way - gross.

    I just think they are cool - and they have evolved so much from the black and white movies my Mom watched as a teen. :)

    My son loves his Resident Evil games and I play sometimes - I really stink at shooting zombies in the head. :)

    M

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  2. I quite love zombies...weird, I know haha Great review though! This sounds like a book I'd enjoy :)

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  3. Okay, that cover is freakin' creepy!!! I don't think I could have it in the house for fear that something frightening will leap out of it! Ahh yes, that is VFG's dark imagination at work with that comment.

    However, I like that you thought it wasn't too scary and that instead it focused more on human nature in the midst of this type of devastation. Is it just me, or we seeing more and more of this type of plot in both movies and books? Kinda chilling to think that a lot of people feel we're heading in this direction...

    Great review Blodeuedd! Not sure if this is the book for me but I appreciate the concept.

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  4. Chris
    No one screamed brains at least

    Michelle
    Thanks!
    Lol, yes you got it bad for zombies ;) But me, being a scared of zombies and all...I still like them. resident evil, 28 days later, and the scary scary Dead Snow!

    Melissa
    Nothing wrong with loving zombies, they are just the unattractive cousins to vamps...basically

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  5. VFG
    Don't go to that dark place now, or I wont get any sleep tonight, zombies!

    But yes it wasn't really scary, not jumped out at her, she even called them slugs, cos they were so slow. Still they did bite and kill.

    And the reality she lived in was sometimes more scary than the zombies. Those were just a manifestation of everything gone wrong with this planet

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  6. I love the title of it, but I don't think zombies are for me.After reading Boneshaker, I have gone right off zombies.

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  7. I just received this in the mail... I am so glad you enjoyed it!

    Zombies, Vamps, and Werewolves.. oh my!
    I have not read any Zombies recently only vampires... I am tired of them frankly... vamps that is. So Zombies should be a good change.

    I did only read the very end of your review, and will be back later when I am done reading.
    Cheers!

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  8. Ooh, this sounds good! I don't usually read anything with zombies so this would be interesting.

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  9. Zombies seem to be getting quite popular these days. I haven't read a zombie book yet - but I'm willing to give it a shot, haha.

    I hope you don't mind a little self-promoting! I did a book review VLOG for Gail Carriger's "Blameless". If you have 8 minutes to spare, please check it out and let me know what you think :)

    Thanks!
    ♥Isalys

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  10. No- no more zombies!

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  11. Vivienne
    Can't say there was much zombie action so you would be safe in that aspect

    Shellie
    I hope you like it! :D
    Cos yes vamps, lame, very lame, I am even growing tired of my dear weres. so a change was in order

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  12. Elysium
    It was new for me too, and I do like to see where humanity ends up, all kinds of scary scenarios

    Isalys
    Promote away, I will be there for your first vlog review :)
    Zombies are everywhere, and in all forms these days

    Carol
    How come? Now you make the rotting zombies sad

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  13. wow, a zombie plague!? i'm glad you enjoyed it!!

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  14. Yay, zombies! I hate zombie movies, but don't feel the same about books. Funny. :)

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  15. Wow, I keep seeing good reviews for this one. I'm not a fan of zombies though. I don't know...We'll see. :)

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  16. I do love a good dystopian book. I'll h ave to remember this one for when I'm in a zombie mood!

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  17. Hey honey! I am popping in my for dose of Blodeuedd!! How have you been honey?!?! I hope all has been well honey!

    Okay I can not do zombies.... but you did well with it. You always do the best reviews of books that I do not think I will like....

    Hugs to you honey and I hope you have a wonderful Friday!

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  18. Carrie
    Zombie plague is the word of the day. Zombies are such nasty creatures

    Janna
    Perhaps cos they are so gross looking in movies, and evil, in books, I can forget a bit

    Vixen
    Lol, neither am I ;) But it was a good one

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  19. Buckeye
    Do remember it :) And I am with you, I love dystopian fiction.

    Cecile
    Hi hon! All is good here, bf is home yay, and I actually got some school work done even though ;)
    Zombies, not so nice and pretty, but they do make good books

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  20. This I want!!!!!!!!!!! Give me more zombies LOL I have another zombie book in my TBR pile now, too. This will go underneath nicely.

    Thanks! My little zombie finder.

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  21. I actually think I could like this. I can't stand gore and anything freaky. SO I might enjoy this.

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  22. Zombies creep me out! I'll have to wait on this one - I'm still depressed from Mockingjay and can't take another sad dystopian so soon. Thanks for the review!

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  23. This sounds like a good one. I actually like zombie related books and films. I'm reading a zombie book at the moment myself.
    Great review.
    http://thebookworm07.blogspot.com/

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  24. I still have to read this one but my son loved it!!

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  25. I have yet to read a zombie novel, but I am certainly fascinated by them. Thanks for the wonderful review Linda.

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  26. Sassy
    Lol, I will bring thee zombies ;)
    Though I must say there is not a single zombie left now in my TBR pile

    Inked
    That was the good thing cos ewwww gore and gross zombies. Not a fan, of course this one did have violence, but it was never icky

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  27. Alyssa
    It was sad, really sad actually so I get where you are coming from. Dystopian fiction can be so depressing

    Naida
    A zombie book? Oh tell me more, or I will just see hopefully in a while :)

    Staci
    He did? Nice, cos yes, it was good, and of course boys will like those freaky zombies

    Jenny
    Not one single zombie book? I had actually counted wrong, this was my 3rd zombie book

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