The Girl with All the Gifts by M.R. Carey
January 14, 2014
460 pages
Genre: Horror, Fiction
Contains: Violence, language, disturbing images
Melanie is a very special girl. Dr. Caldwell calls her "our little genius."
Every morning, Melanie waits in her cell to be collected for class. When they come for her, Sergeant Parks keeps his gun pointing at her while two of his people strap her into the wheelchair. She thinks they don't like her. She jokes that she won't bite, but they don't laugh.
Melanie loves school. She loves learning about spelling and sums and the world outside the classroom and the children's cells. She tells her favorite teacher all the things she'll do when she grows up. Melanie doesn't know why this makes Miss Justineau look sad.
I don't know how to describe this book without giving too much away, hence the brief review. I went into this fairly blind, and am so glad that I did. Wow! What a fantastic read that challenged me in interesting new ways with the way it delved into such thoughtful subject matter and complex characters. The story went in directions I wasn't expecting and kept me glued to the pages. I really appreciated how this book made me think. Think about who I would be in this situation. What would I do? How would I react? What, if any, compromises would I make to myself? What kind of hope would I cling to and what would I do to get there? There were so many complexities, and I loved it. There were also so many heartfelt moments, beautiful moments, and truly horrifying moments. And after it all, I really respect the ending. I'm so very glad I read this and I highly recommend it.
I listened to the unabridged audio version of this novel earlier this year, which was really well narrated. A friend had recommended The Girl With All The Gifts as she'd read it for a book group. I liked The Girl With All The Gifts quite a bit, but didn't love it. It does make you think, but I felt the middle of the novel was kind of slow.
ReplyDeleteI agree there were some slower parts in the middle. It definiitely made me think, too.
DeleteI love it when I see a book cover and think, "Gosh that was a great book!" You made me want to read it again, but alas, the first time is definitely the best... Great (unspoilery) review!
ReplyDeleteThanks!
DeleteI loved it so much until the end. The end was a bit if a thumbs down for me. But I loved the scifi parts, the character relationships, everything else.
ReplyDeleteRebecca @ The Portsmouth Review
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The ending was definitely unique and unexpected for me.
DeleteLoved this book. Glad you did, too. Like Rebecca above me I cringed a little at the end, but it wasn't a thumbs down for me. Just a little nose wrinkle.
ReplyDeleteYeah, that ending was not what I was expecting. And it was uncomfortable the more I thought about it. But I liked that I didn't expect it too.
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