Do you like reading zombie books? Neither do I. They aren’t my top pick. They are always full of gore. I can handle gore, probably better in literary form than in movie form. But it’s not my favorite thing. Although I did love Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. Well this book is definitely a zombie book. But it’s more than that too. If I said that this is a zombie book with heart, would that be too cheesy? Because I think it’s an apt description.

It’s beautifully written. The main character, named Temple (a girl who seems a lot older than her fifteen years) is from the south. The narration and her voice have a southern accent. Kind of like Huck Finn I guess. I bet Alden Bell read Huck Finn before he wrote this book. Anyway, here is a small sample of the writing,

See, God is a slick god. He makes it so you don’t miss out on nothing you’re suppose to witness firsthand.

That’s another thing. Most, if not all, post-apocalyptic fiction I’ve read ignores God. He is either no where to be seen, long forgotten or given up on. This book brings God in from the first page. It also seamlessly blends in evolution. I love that the characters all talk about God. I keep wondering if setting this book in the south is why God still exists in the minds of the characters.  Anyway, people in this novel even go to church. Not our main character, of course, but other people do.

Now for the problems. Every book has them. This book is set 25 years after a zombie infestation began. 25 years. There are times in the novel where Temple runs into an abandoned store and gets supplies. It’s a small thing but so unbelievable for me. I would think that the packages of cheese crackers she grabs would be either long gone in 25 years or really bad. People still also had electricity. How is that possible? Is it? I don’t know but it seems strange that there would still be electricity if no one is around to work in the plants. The setting, the way it all played out, it wasn’t really that original. There wasn’t a lot that was completely new. It was worth reading, for me, because of the style. It was beautiful and haunting. I just finished reading it, but I can already feel it haunting my brain. I was even thinking in a southern accent for at least an hour after I read it. But, I Hated the ending.

Even with all it’s problems, I would still give this one a solid 4 stars (out of 5). If you like zombies, then this is definitely a book worth reading.