The Girl with All the Gifts

“Melanie finds this interesting in spite of herself — that you can use words to hide things, or not to touch them, or to pretend that they're something different than they are.” ― M.R. Carey, The Girl with All the Gifts

4****

What a strange and memorable story! I had seen this book in the store for quite a while before finally picking it up as a summer read. Little did I know what an absorbing, unique story awaited me. I don't want to give away too much, in terms of plot, but the story centers around Melanie, a zombie of sorts - am I losing you? I know I was skeptical, too, normally shying away form reading books about the undead,but it's definitely not your average dead-man-walking story. Melanie is a being that doesn't want to succumb to what it means to be a zombie. She is desperate for human kindness, for learning and understanding, an this makes her a fascinating character. Along on this strange ride are a few other human characters, notably, my favorite, Melanie's teacher and advocate, Miss Justineau. This is an odd story, but a very moving, thoughtful one as well. The ending was a little rushed, as I saw it, but otherwise, an excellent read!