Book #216 of 2018:
Dread Nation by Justina Ireland (Dread Nation #1)
This novel offers a great character voice and an intriguing world: a version of Reconstruction-era America in which the Civil War has ended prematurely due to a sudden zombie uprising. Unfortunately, the plot is fairly uneven, and the tone is all over the place. There’s no dramatic weight to any of the undead action or its high body count — which is a completely valid approach to the genre, but that sort of romp doesn’t sit well with the realistically cruel racism aimed at the black heroine throughout the story. I like enough about this book that I will probably read the forthcoming sequel, but I hope that one does a better job of reconciling its various aspects.
[Content warning for historical racism and corporal punishment.]
★★★☆☆
The Lesser Joke: book reviews and more 
Leave a comment