The Girl With All The Gifts - M R Carey

                                                                                                                         

I kept seeing this on people's lists.  People liked it.  I just didn't know why - and then I read it myself.  Dystopia and Zombies?  I don't think so!  I like a bit of dystopia and I never, ever read books which have  zombies in; until this one.  The end of the world as we know it in this scenario is caused by a ........ no, I don't think I'll say what it's caused by, because that would be half the excitement of the read done with, and it would be so much better to ease yourself into this odd beginning.  A child, who has a cell to herself to sleep in, gets buckled into a wheelchair every morning, hands and neck restrained, and is pushed into her classroom along with several other children, all similarly restrained.  A selection of teachers help the children to learn with 30 year old text books and stories - and Melanie, the brightest child in class is keen to learn.  But why is she restrained all day?  And why are the children only fed once a week?  And showered once a week also?  And actually, where the hell are they?

I read huge chunks of this at one sitting and it gets a 10/10 for me, although I have to say this is not a book for everyone and the squeamish amongst you may not enjoy this. The best kind of thrillers are those which are different.   After all, those with garrish covers bought at the airport for a holiday read are ten a penny, and this is definitely not one of those.  There are some odd characters within the pages too, a couple of soldiers, a scientist, an few teachers.  But it is Melanie I felt empathy with and she will stay with me a long, long time.