Reviews with content warning for War - Die Berufene

Melanie’s routine was fixed every day. Every day, she would wait to be picked from her cell to the classroom, at gunpoint and strapped in a chair. She thought they didn’t like her.

This is a story of zombie apocalypse and I thought I could never be interested with this genre. I bought this book with the prospective of extraordinary kid, never thought she would be a zombie/hungry. But I stand corrected.

This book has given the perspective I always look for in a book - moral ambiguity.

Introducing Sergeant Parks, the military guy who was rigid, had no exceptions in his rules; hungries are hungries, no matter if they look human or a literal child. He would treat them with contempt, because for him, they were threats. Dr. Caldwell, a purely logical-thinking scientist, treating the kid hungries as test subjects. They were important for the sake of humanity progression. Feeling sorry for them only hinder their progress with the dying civilisation. And Miss Justineau, despite the nature of the kids, treated them with compassion. She believed they were just innocent sensitive kids and didn’t deserve any of the mistreatments in the centre.

Miss Justineau might be the most morally right, but with the current situation they were in, you would understand both Parks and Caldwell’s POV, and will be stuck in moral dilemmas.

I personally agree with the three of them at different situations, and even Miss Justineau at times was being dramatic that she almost jeopardised the whole crew. Parks’ instinct ensured their survival, while Caldwell’s study led to the new world they had to prepare for. While Justineau, with her compassionate personality, would be educating the future leaders of the new world.

I just concluded that these three distinctions were necessary to keep them going.

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challenging dark hopeful tense medium-paced

Diverse cast of characters? No

4.5

Scream what a fantastic ending!!

so as I said before I'm not really a sci fi person... and that proves itself in that a lot of the science-y explanations and more wordy action scenes did not stick any landings in my brain. but luckily the whole novel was not like that!! i actually found it very engaging and for the most part easy to read and understand.

how insanely violent this is was probably one of my least favorite things about it, like damn 🤢 i never knew reading about certain things could make me feel queasy but alas

and finally, the plot and the themes - great, interesting, super well done! i was enjoying myself and ready to give this 3.5 stars but the ending pushed it to 4 for me. everything just Clicked and it ended at once on a sad and hopeful note. beautiful.

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