World War Z by Max Brooks
Reviewed by: Jonathan Richardson, Reference Assistant
Genre: Epistolary Fiction, Horror
Suggested Age: Teens, Adults
What is the book about?: 20 years ago, a new epidemic started to make its way around the globe, turning the infected into zombie-like creatures. The human race was on the verge of extinction, but was able to overcome the zombie hordes and reclaim some of its original, pre-war significance. As part of a study to determine the cause and effect of numerous world-wide events leading up to and during the Zombie War, the narrator conducted a series of interviews with military and surveillance officials, world leaders, medical personnel, and refugees. Their personal accounts helped to give insight into the world at that time, and hopefully teach lessons to avoid a similar catastrophe again in the future. This book is the unabridged collection of those interviews.
My Review: This is truly one of my favorite books. I love the epistolary style the book is written in, with each interviewee giving a tiny fragment of the whole picture, and the narrator piecing those fragments together. While some will gravitate towards this book because of the zombies themselves or the survivalist themes (both of which have plenty of detail and development), I tend to applaud it as a commentary on not just American society, but humanity as a whole, subtle and complex in its ideas. I recently listened to the audiobook version for the first time, and found it to add so much more to the story, simply from the tone of voice or the accent of the character being read, a completely immersive experience.
Three Words That Describe This Book: Thought-Provoking, Candid, Imaginative
Give This a Try if You Like… The Good War: An Oral History of World War II by Studs Terkel, Dracula by Bram Stoker, The Walking Dead (TV Series)
Rating: 5/5
About FDL Reads
Welcome to FDL Reads, weekly book reviews from Fondulac District Library. Librarians (and possibly some other guest reviewers) review all types of books, from children’s picture books, young adult favorites, to the latest adult thriller, and share their thoughts each week at fondulaclibrary.org. If the book is owned by Fondulac District Library (or another local library), you’ll see a direct link to the catalog entry and whether or not it is available. If it is checked out or at another local library, you will be able to place a hold as long as you have your library card and PIN numbers. As with any book review, these are our opinions…we disagree amongst ourselves about books frequently. We all have different likes and dislikes, which is what makes the world an interesting place. Please enjoy, and keep on reading!