Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion

Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A zombie tale with a difference!

Characters
It's very interesting to have a zombie as the main protagonist, I wasn't sure how well it would work but it was done in an extremely clever way. R the main character is strong, likeable and by the end of the story you feel real empathy for him. He is a character that you can understand even though he is faces extraordinary experiences. He is a character you really root for.
Julie is also a strong character within the story. The relationship between her and R is strangely believable and touching.
M is my favourite side character. He is so different to R but also so similar. He is tough the whole way through the story but softens by the end. Perry is one other character I would like to mention because he is so unusual. I wasn't expecting him to imgerge as an important character in the story.
I enjoyed the parallels with Romeo and Juliet throughout his story. It was done subtly and it took a while for me to spot the connections ( R- Romeo, Julie- Juliet, M-Mercusio and Nora- Nurse).

Plot
The plot was fast paced and grabs you from the first sentence. I found the story to be so addictive that it was an extremely quick read.

Writing
The world building was great as was the character development. I personally loved the gripping writing style. The pictures at the start of each chapter were also an interesting addition to the story.

In summary this story was fantastic action packed, with an unusual and touching love element. It is a must read especially with the film due out in February.

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The Kill Order by James Dashner

The Kill Order by James Dashner
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The kill order is the long awaited prequal to James Dashners fantastic maze runner trilogy. It endevors to explain the events that lead to the Thomas' adventures in the Glade.

Characters:
When I first heared about this prequel I was expecting it all to be about Thomas and the others from the original trilogy.
The prologue and the epilogue are the only hints at the original characters, the rest of the story follows new characters Mark, Trina and Alec (there are other characters but I would argue that these are the main three). We follow the story from Marks perspective.I generally enjoy story's told through a male protagonist and this one is no different. Mark is an interesting and believeable character. I found his and Alec's relationship particularly interesting.

Plot:
The plot was extremely engaging. I found it vey hard to put down. The chapters are short and punchy, this helps the story to keep its pace and the sense of action and impending doom. The book was completely action packed from beginning to end and it kept you guessing. The ending was quite unpredictable and beautiful. It made me desperate to re-read the maze runner trilogy, this is what a good prequel should do.

Writing:
James Dashner is an author who clearly takes time to understand his characters and to make them as real as possible. His writing is full of action but also heart. He makes you care about his characters and the world as much as he does.
This prequel felt as though it had a lot to say and seemed as though he had planned to write it right from the beginning. It managed not to seem like an after thought as a way to cash in from the success of the trilogy.

To summarise this is a fantastic book in its own right as well as being an amazing prequel to a sensational trilogy. I just wish there were more maze runner books for me to enjoy,

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