Google+ Secret Book Lover: Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion - Review

Sunday 3 February 2013

Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion - Review

Warm Bodies

PREMISE

R is a young man with an existential crisis–he is a zombie. He shuffles through an America destroyed by war, social collapse, and the mindless hunger of his undead comrades, but he craves something more than blood and brains. He can speak just a few grunted syllables, but his inner life is deep, full of wonder and longing. He has no memories, no identity, and no pulse, but he has dreams.
After experiencing a teenage boy’s memories while consuming his brain, R makes an unexpected choice that begins a tense, awkward, and strangely sweet relationship with the victim’s human girlfriend. Julie is a blast of color in the otherwise dreary and gray landscape that surrounds R. His decision to protect her will transform not only R, but his fellow Dead, and perhaps their whole lifeless world.

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Okay, so I heard about the movie coming out (it's releasing in the UK and Ireland this weekend), and I figured it'd be a good idea to read the book. I like to read the books before I see the films anyway, so I did that instead of studying for my mocks - probably not my smartest move. Here's what I thought:

Warm Bodies was refreshing.  It scared me at first because I saw that the movie was being made by Summit (the same company that produced Twi-Shite), but I trusted in the trailer because it looked funny and sweet.
It delivered.

It's written in the present tense, and that usually puts me off, but it just worked for this book. The zombie "R" has so many thoughts swirling around his head - a lot of them very deep, meaningful and witty - but doesn't have anyway to communicate them because his very limited vocabulary consists of "Unghh" and his record for speaking is six syllables in a row. He has to live in the present tense because the past for a zombie is just a depressing haze....until he meets Julie. Together Julie and R face the impossible task of not only surviving in a post-apocalyptic world, but healing it.

I really liked this book because it was told in the point of view of the zombie. The narrative in enthralling, descriptive and R has a very unique, almost spiritual outlook on everything. I also liked the fact that there's no classic romantic staples in this book. There's no declarations of love, hot-and-heaviness, sappy hand holding - none of it. It's really sweet and poignant and R just wants to protect Julie because she embodies everything worth fighting for. Even though he's a zombie, he's kinda sweet.

There's a deeper meaning that permeates through the whole book - a comparison between the zombies and the way people act now. Everyone now is so taken up by their iPhones, PlayStations, TV and computers that they don't actually connect with anybody anymore. (I bet you're on your laptop right now, reading this, so don't tell me it's not true. I'm on mine writing about books instead of having a life!) It was nice that someone came to this conclusion and drew the comparison, and it makes the novel all the scarier because it becomes symbolic, all of a sudden. It made me look around at the people around me and realize that we are sort of zombies right now. I like a book that makes me think.

There are a lot of things in this book that are never really explained. I can't tell of that's done on purpose (I have heard that there's a sequel in the works), if it's because the character themselves don't know what's going on and it's written on the present tense, or if it's just glossed over because the author got lazy. It doesn't really matter in the long run, but I do hope that some light is shed on the situation.

All in all, I thought it was a good book and a great break away from the stress of exams. I can't wait to see the movie and I hope that they do as good as promised. It definitely deserves:
 

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