The Girl With All the Gifts, M.R. Carey

This book, The Girl With All the Gifts, by M.R. Carey, was a real departure for me. I've never really jumped on the Zombie bandwagon but this book is not as much about the undead as it is about man's inhumanity and what it really means to be alive. 

But First, THE BLURB:

Melanie is a very special girl. Dr Caldwell calls her "our little genius."

Every morning, Melanie waits in her cell to be collected for class. When they come for her, Sergeant keeps his gun pointing at her while two of his people strap her into the wheelchair. She thinks they don't like her. She jokes that she won't bite, but they don't laugh.

MY REVIEW:

The character of Melanie is an amazing, complex little girl. She is innocent and honest, and that never changes no matter what happens. She has one bright center to her universe, and that is her favorite teacher, Miss Justineau, the only person who has ever treated her with a shred of decency. 

In many ways, the characters of Sergeant Eddie Parks and Private Gallagher are over the top, but that doesn't matter. The core of this tale revolves around the evil perpetuated by Dr. Caldwell and her obsession, the very real and reasonable fear the teachers and jailers have of Melanie and the other children in the facility, and the inescapable realization some wars can't be won.

The way Carey concludes this tale is, when you think about it, the only way it could have ended. 

If I have any complaints at all, it is that the Kindle version is quite expensive, $9.99 and so for readers who are on a budget, this book may be off the menu until it comes out at the second-hand bookstore.