𝙁𝙚𝙚𝙙 - 𝘔𝘪𝘳𝘢 𝘎𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘵 (𝘙𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸)
Series: Newsflesh Trilogy
Grant's world feels almost startlingly too real, rooted in meticulous scientific research in a way that a lot of zombie fiction skips. The virus itself has many layers, from origin to behaviour, as well as how it presents itself to show how distinctive it truly is from most zombie media I have consumed. All of the research behind this book really shows in the details and gives way to the real paranoia that lingers in everyone's mind - the constant blood testing, fear, and tragedy pave way for the outbreak and response to be all the more believable (especially with recent events).
What I loved most was the focus on how society adapts, rather than resets. Politics, media, jobs, routines, even pop culture twist to survive in a world that is a plagued by the undead. The focus on blogging and journalism is pivotal, showing how people rebuild truth in a world where trust in government and institutions have long collapsed (and proved fatal). It left me wanting even more details and further exploration into the setting, on top of the excellent world-building that Mira Grant provided.
Georgia Mason is a stand-out protagonist and is portrayed to be resilient, witty, sharp, and adequately carries the main voice of the novel. I didn't fully connect with her character until much later in the novel as she felt extremely limited to the stereotypes of "I'm not like other girls". Some of her defining character flaws ended up furthering this stereotype. However, by the end of the novel her growth had made substantial progress from the first half of the book, making her a little more likeable as the story got moving.
Shaun Mason starts the novel as very "one note", but is proven to be endlessly loyal, compassionate, and even relatable. As the novel progressed, especially toward the last few chapters, I found myself really enjoying his development and intrigued by his complexities. He easily became my favourite character.
Buffy revealed unexpected layers that provided much needed mystery and intrigue while also adding a more gentle and soft, loveable core to the trio. Though, I wish her motivations had been explored even further.
Other characters did blend into the background for me but they generally serve the plot and highlight other unexplored ideas about the world. The antagonist, while predictable, fits the overall tone of the book and functions well to raise tension and conflict in the novel.
The pacing of Feed is uneven throughout, but as the book progressed I found myself completely immersed. Once the plot gained momentum, it was difficult to put the book down and I finished the book much faster than I originally thought. While readers expecting your average action-packed zombie story might be disappointed by the slower start, the deliberate pacing ultimately serves the plot well, allowing suspense to build naturally and making later acton more impactful.
Some descriptions, especially revolving around Georgia's Retinal KA and blood testing procedures, felt repetitive at times. The level of detail and recurring dialogue briefly pulled me out of the narrative. Some passages felt unnecessarily drawn out. However, these moments didn't majorly disrupt the overall flow.
Grant's narrative style is sharp and engaging. Her inventive mixture of blog style updates, internal narration, and traditional storytelling keeps the novel dynamic, breaking up slower sections while adding tons of depth. The creative use of multiple media styles enriches the world and character building to keep the reader hooked.
Although Feed demands patience in early chapters, the careful setup really pays off. The story is suspenseful, tense, and immersive, showing Grant's ability to balance world-building, character development, and narrative in a very compelling way.
🌸 Strong and sharp protagonist with a compelling narrative voice
🌸 Layered apocalyptic themes that were unexpected and a fresh take on survival in a post-outbreak world.
🌸 Detailed and immersive world-building
🌸 Virus grounded in scientific backing
🌸 Suspenseful and tension driven plot
🌸 Engaging writing style with blog entries, internal narration, and traditional storytelling
🥀 Slow start/pacing at the beginning
🥀 Overuse of descriptions and repetitive vocabulary
🥀 Supporting characters beyond the main cast felt underdeveloped
🥀 Characters felt as though they existed in a box, initially
Overall, I really loved this book. I went into it blind expecting your typical zombie story and left heartbroken and in love with the fictional world Grant created. I'm 100% picking up the next book ASAP and I can't wait to read even more!
