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A review by xxjenadanxx
How We End by L.M. Juniper
adventurous
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
If like me you have just finished the season finale of The Last of Us and are already looking for ways to fill the void then I have the perfect book for you.*
*Pedro Pascal sadly not included
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It is no secret that zombie books are my not so guilty pleasure but too often the genre is dominated by an almost formulaic combination of white, cishet alpha men, an improbably hot damsel in distress who doubles as a sharpshooter and maybe a token POC somewhere in the background. How We End has taken that and turned it on it's head, with an Asian trans masc MC, and a supporting cast of characters across the spectrum of ethnic diversity and neuro-divergensy.
I loved that you can tell the author is a genuine fan of zombie subculture as there are plenty of nods to other works woven into the book. I also really appreciated how realistically the situation was handled in regard to civilian and governmental response, and that when the SHTF there wasn't the instantaneous fall of humanity that we typically see in the genre, with instead a more steady but gradual spreading of chaos and contamination. That paired with the fact that the zombies are fast, seemingly intelligent, and constantly mutating makes the story that much more unsettling for both the reader and the crew in the book, as they can never fully adjust to their new reality unlike in so many other series.
I don't really want to go into too much more detail as to avoid spoilers, however I will make an exception to say THE DOG SURVIVES.
*Pedro Pascal sadly not included
------
It is no secret that zombie books are my not so guilty pleasure but too often the genre is dominated by an almost formulaic combination of white, cishet alpha men, an improbably hot damsel in distress who doubles as a sharpshooter and maybe a token POC somewhere in the background. How We End has taken that and turned it on it's head, with an Asian trans masc MC, and a supporting cast of characters across the spectrum of ethnic diversity and neuro-divergensy.
I loved that you can tell the author is a genuine fan of zombie subculture as there are plenty of nods to other works woven into the book. I also really appreciated how realistically the situation was handled in regard to civilian and governmental response, and that when the SHTF there wasn't the instantaneous fall of humanity that we typically see in the genre, with instead a more steady but gradual spreading of chaos and contamination. That paired with the fact that the zombies are fast, seemingly intelligent, and constantly mutating makes the story that much more unsettling for both the reader and the crew in the book, as they can never fully adjust to their new reality unlike in so many other series.
I don't really want to go into too much more detail as to avoid spoilers, however I will make an exception to say THE DOG SURVIVES.