FEED by Mira Grant

FEED
by Mira Grant

Orbit
May 1, 2010

From Goodreads:

The year was 2014. We had cured cancer. We had beaten the common cold. But in doing so we created something new, something terrible that no one could stop.

The infection spread, virus blocks taking over bodies and minds with one, unstoppable command: FEED. Now, twenty years after the Rising, bloggers Georgia and Shaun Mason are on the trail of the biggest story of their lives—the dark conspiracy behind the infected.

The truth will get out, even if it kills them.

This near-future zombie book was a very pleasant surprise. 

I picked it up thinking I was getting into a mindless gore-fest with gnashing teeth and shambling bi-pedal moan machines. And honestly, I would have been fine with that. Instead, a got a story that was thought-provoking, deep and inspiring, still with plenty of action and excitement. 

As with many of the great zombie stories, the zombies aren’t the main enemy. They aren’t even the biggest obstacle to overcome. They are an element of the world, a way of life that could be replaced by killer bees or freak lightning storms. As expected, the main threat to humans living in a zombie infested world is still other humans!

What wasn’t expected was a political thriller, and though I’m not usually drawn into political thrillers, this one had its hooks in me big time. Maybe it was because our journalists didn’t just write for one newspaper or another. They were bloggers. That’s an immediate connection for any of us that are part of the blogosphere.

While the plot is somewhat predictable, this story keeps you guessing in other ways. Most things can be seen from miles away, like a shambling zombie making its way across a desert. However, like the zombie that pops out of a closet and makes the whole theatre jump, there are a few surprises that you WON’T see coming.

If you’ve ever decided against reading a book because it was “just a zombie book” (why would you even do that?) I would recommend giving this one a try. It’s rich with satisfying story without a heavy zombie aftertaste. 

Fun fact about this post: Mira Grant is a pseudonym for Seanan McGuire!