5 Word Summary: ZOMBIES, BLOGGING, HEART & POLITICAL INTRIGUE
Hey guys! Haven't done a book post in a while- have been reading regularly but didn't have anything much to say about stuff I read. (Maybe I'm just really lazy, or I think you guys may honestly not be interested in the stuff I read. Either way, I didn't get around compartmentalising the Marilyn Monroe biography...nor the Aung San one...and so there. / shrugs)
Today Imma be sharing the book Feed by Mira Grant.
What's it about: Two non-blood related siblings Georgia and Shaun live in a post-zombie world. They take blood tests everywhere- it's the standard procedure to limit contamination and infection. They are bloggers. Georgia's a Newsie- she reports fact. Shaun is an Irwin (yep, inspired by Steve Irwin)- a kinda of daredevil stunt type blogger. In a world where people try to stay indoors forever and a crowd is '15' people, these daredevils go out, get field footage and basically ' live'.
Add in Buffy, their tech-head and Fictional- people who write fic and poetry. The gang gets the gig of their live- reporting on the presidential campaign of Senator Ryman. Throw in politcal mystery and intrigue, action, zombies, danger, heart wrenching moments and ta da! You get a solid book.
Was honestly quite surprised by how I much I enjoyed this book. It's a little more thick and drawn out than necessary, but ah well. It drew me into its world and kept me engaged. And left me inspired. I believe the writer did her work.
WHAT I LOVED:
-How blogging is a legit thing. How traditional media ain't trusted anymore. This shit was written in 2010, and in 2015 the concept is still holding strong.
Okay, some context here: George was telling us about how the traditional news outlet dismissed early reports of the zombie infection very casually- supplying TV screens with 'teenagers horsing around with latex and bad stage makeup', while the blogosphere was already dishing out tips on self-defense and tips on how to survive. People felt immensely betrayed- millions of lives were lost. All because they didn't BELIEVE to spread the message. Oh my god.
I mean, I hate red tape and protocol (who doesn't?) but yes, they are put there for a reason. Who's gonna be held accountable at the end of the day if you fk up the checks just cuz you were lazy? What if you let low level employees who reall didn't think hard enough before releasing your statement to the press? Sometimes in a big corporation or organisation things like that are just not very feasible. You have to run through things with someone on top before you get an all clear.
I also liked the ideas of how religion came into play? Religion, politics, people blogging on the ground. Interesting mix. The religious fanatics also reminded me of Wall Maria and basically everything in Attack on Titan. Which I hesitate to watch due to the lack of Levi. How and seriously why is not in the movie? So puzzling.
I also liked how the some of the journo's jobs were to moderate the forums and websites- life would be hell when there is just spam and hate messages everywhere, without actual discussion of any sort. Fking respect la people who devote their lives to their work/passion/ one main thing.
NOPE:
Fun drinking game:
Take a shot each time someone says stuff like:
PROPS
Hey guys! Haven't done a book post in a while- have been reading regularly but didn't have anything much to say about stuff I read. (Maybe I'm just really lazy, or I think you guys may honestly not be interested in the stuff I read. Either way, I didn't get around compartmentalising the Marilyn Monroe biography...nor the Aung San one...and so there. / shrugs)
Today Imma be sharing the book Feed by Mira Grant.
What's it about: Two non-blood related siblings Georgia and Shaun live in a post-zombie world. They take blood tests everywhere- it's the standard procedure to limit contamination and infection. They are bloggers. Georgia's a Newsie- she reports fact. Shaun is an Irwin (yep, inspired by Steve Irwin)- a kinda of daredevil stunt type blogger. In a world where people try to stay indoors forever and a crowd is '15' people, these daredevils go out, get field footage and basically ' live'.
Add in Buffy, their tech-head and Fictional- people who write fic and poetry. The gang gets the gig of their live- reporting on the presidential campaign of Senator Ryman. Throw in politcal mystery and intrigue, action, zombies, danger, heart wrenching moments and ta da! You get a solid book.
Was honestly quite surprised by how I much I enjoyed this book. It's a little more thick and drawn out than necessary, but ah well. It drew me into its world and kept me engaged. And left me inspired. I believe the writer did her work.
WHAT I LOVED:
-How blogging is a legit thing. How traditional media ain't trusted anymore. This shit was written in 2010, and in 2015 the concept is still holding strong.
Okay, some context here: George was telling us about how the traditional news outlet dismissed early reports of the zombie infection very casually- supplying TV screens with 'teenagers horsing around with latex and bad stage makeup', while the blogosphere was already dishing out tips on self-defense and tips on how to survive. People felt immensely betrayed- millions of lives were lost. All because they didn't BELIEVE to spread the message. Oh my god.
"There was a war on, and the ones whose responsibility was to inform us wouldn't even admit that we were fighting it."How haunting is this statement? When you are brought up to believe everything you're told, and never question the 'official stance'? I shudder at this thought. This is why people think there are govt conspiracies all the time.
I mean, I hate red tape and protocol (who doesn't?) but yes, they are put there for a reason. Who's gonna be held accountable at the end of the day if you fk up the checks just cuz you were lazy? What if you let low level employees who reall didn't think hard enough before releasing your statement to the press? Sometimes in a big corporation or organisation things like that are just not very feasible. You have to run through things with someone on top before you get an all clear.
"People don't fear truth. They fear that a part of it is being withdrawn."Epic food for thought huh.
"In another time, they were anti-Semitic, antiblack, anti-women's liberation, anti-gay, or all of the above. Now, they're antizombie in the most extreme ways possible, and they use their extremity to claim that the rest of us are somehow supporting the 'undead agenda."This. This is going to happen everywhere, anywhere, and always, no matter what era you live in. Someone just hates the guts of things like that, and no matter how unfair it is, they'll always find a way to hate.
I also liked the ideas of how religion came into play? Religion, politics, people blogging on the ground. Interesting mix. The religious fanatics also reminded me of Wall Maria and basically everything in Attack on Titan. Which I hesitate to watch due to the lack of Levi. How and seriously why is not in the movie? So puzzling.
I also liked how the some of the journo's jobs were to moderate the forums and websites- life would be hell when there is just spam and hate messages everywhere, without actual discussion of any sort. Fking respect la people who devote their lives to their work/passion/ one main thing.
NOPE:
- Unbelievable 'parents'... meh.
- Didn't like the starting chapter either, but glad I stayed on. In hindsight I lowered my expectations a lot and I found that I enjoyed the book more as I went along. The world builds on its own.
- Repetitive sequences
- Chasing ratings. I don't hate this idea, but I find it kind of depressing to be chasing ratings, though it is a realistic goal. Dumb thing is I'm trying to fix one of these such ideas in my own new writing project, Top Ten. Wonder if I will even get this story out.
Fun drinking game:
Take a shot each time someone says stuff like:
- Shaun poking at dead things
- George's retinal KA condition
- Whenever someone takes a blood test
PROPS
- To all journos with all the integrity and oath to report the truth
- And also to all security men- the people who will die to keep you safe.
- I also liked the Extras section where the author talks a little about herself and the book. It's always heartwarming to see what they're inspired by. Many of them knew they wanted to be writers a long way before- for Mira she knew when she was 6. For others, they worked in copywriting before they wrote and published a novel. When someone mentions an experience that you had, you feel an instant bond and am super inspired too. At least for me. Maybe that's why like when the first women who held high positions in traditionally male dominated workplaces, it's really, really an encouraging thing. You're basically saying, "You can do it too." It really galvanises people who never saw themselves ever achieving things like that- our societies really train us to think in such square boxes.
Also I was reading a review by another Goodreads user and discovered the term 'Mary Sue'. A Mary Sue character is usually described as an ideal character that is too perfect and therefore lacking in realism. They are thought to be poorly developed and uninteresting. In other words, FLAT. (Sidenote: this term arose from a Star Trek thing!)
I realised then, that I have been writing Mary Sue main characters. That's why I can flesh out my supporting kids, my sidekicks, but when you make me write my main character, they're flat like a chopping board. Grr.
Yep. Go check it out. For other books, check out World War Z (made into a movie, I also had an epic dream of stabbing a zombie, building and holding a safe fort against zombies them- wow I'm so badass even in my dreams HAHA).
I haven't watched the Walking Dead, but SHOULD I?! Haha.
Also after another zombie book I totally really wanted to own a baseball bat just so I had a weapon that I can hit them with. (But of course, baseball bats mean short range attacks where you just die more easily.)
0 Comments