Dread Nation

Dread Nation by Justina Ireland, 455 pages

I finished this book a few days ago and have already recommended it to most of my friends and
family. Th book takes place in an alternate 19th century. Zombies rose from the battlefields of the Civil War and changed American history forever. The Civil War reached a tenuous conclusion when the living were forced to band together to fight the zombie hordes that could turn entire towns within hours. Slavery was ended but that does not mean that black people were free. The Native and Negro Reeducation Act was put into place. This forced black and native people into combat schools where they were trained to fight the zombies.

Jane McKeene attends one such school where she and other black girls are trained to be attendants to white women - part servant, part guard. She is strong-willed, opportunistic, and impulsive. I instantly loved her character. When she stumbles upon a mystery, she can't help but to investigate and quickly finds that things are not all as they seem at Miss Preston's School of Combat. I listened to the audiobook, which was read by the author. Ireland has a lovely voice and is able to give so much personality to the characters through her reading. I listened to it constantly - when I got ready in the morning, on my commute to work, and while doing my chores. My only regret is that the release date for the sequel has not been announced.

This book is perfect for anyone who loves conspiracies, zombies, or characters who could not be more different coming together to overcome the difficult situations they find themselves in.

The Sudden Appearance of Hope

The Sudden Appearance of Hope by Claire North (2016) 468 pages

People began to forget who Hope Arden was when she was sixteen. Eventually, even her parents didn't understand why she was in their house. Hope became a world traveler, stealing cash and valuables and buying fake passports on the dark web to finance her life. (One can't earn a living in the usual ways when everyone sees you as a newcomer each time they look at you.)

In her travels, Hope notes a phenomenon called Perfection, an app used by people--especially wealthy people--that is downloaded to one's phone and which takes over one's life with strong suggestions for ways to look and act, well, perfect. It's an insidious program offering prizes at various point levels, as well as penalties which take away points, too, causing its users to obsessively follow its directives.

Through the dark web, Hopes meets another person, who, like herself, wants to destroy Perfection. This story leads us all over the world, including the Middle East, the US, and Europe. Action plus introspection abound. Why does Perfection, with its cookie cutter results, appeal to its users?  And what kind of life can one lead if one can't develop any relationships (outside the digital world) because no one can remember you?