Series Review: Newsflesh

Title/Author: Feed, Deadline, and Blackout by Mira Grant

Publication Date/Publisher: –

Series: Yes, Newsflesh Trilogy

Source and Format: Own

Rating: 5 stars

From Goodreads (Feed Only):

The year was 2014. We had cured cancer. We had beaten the common cold. But in doing so we created something new, something terrible that no one could stop.

The infection spread, virus blocks taking over bodies and minds with one, unstoppable command: FEED. Now, twenty years after the Rising, bloggers Georgia and Shaun Mason are on the trail of the biggest story of their lives – the dark conspiracy behind the infected.

The truth will get out, even if it kills them

It’s not often you come across a series that is so consistently great. There are series that are great, with maybe a clunker book (or two), but the Newsflesh Series is completely 5 stars all the way through.

This is surprising to me based on the fact that, at first glance, this is a series about living in a world plagued by zombies. On top of that, they’re zombies created by scientists, so the science jargon and smarty pants terms are plentiful. What saves it is that the information is presented in a way that makes sense, even to those of us that don’t have a Ph.D. But still, zombies.

I’m not a horror person, so I definitely gave the zombie thing the side-eye. Luckily, these are not horror books. It’s a scary situation, true, but our heroes are smart and brave enough that we don’t worry about them until it’s too late.

I was extremely surprised at how emotional I became while reading. In the zombie apocalypse death is a given. Rising from the dead is almost a given, but can still surprise you. Underneath the zombie exterior, the Newsflesh Trilogy is very much about humanity, all different kinds of love and family, bravery, and sacrifice. I thought (several times) while reading yet another character giving up their lives to save their friends that I could never do that. I mean, maybe in a zombie infested life where I have to plan on dying every day.

The Newsflesh Trilogy is very Joss Whedon-y: supernatural/horror with humor. The most popular name is George, for George Romero, and it’s SO popular that even girls are named after him. In this series, we start with Shaun, Georgia (George), and Georgette (Buffy) at the center, with their merry band of misfits just on the outside. Every character feels very real and important and amazing and I just love them all so much.

I recommend binge reading. You won’t be able to NOT do it, so you might as well go into it knowing not to start unless you have all three books at your disposal.

(I read this series in February 2014…approximately 5 months before The Rising. That was pretty crazy, honestly. And I think Kellis Amberlee is a really pretty name.)

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Favorite Books So Far in 2014

This week, The Broke and the Bookish is asking for the Top Ten Books in X Genre…but I never know what genre books fall into! Instead, this week I’m going to talk about my Top Ten Favorite Books so Far in 2014.

1. Red Rising by Pierce Brown: I didn’t read this one in 2014, but it was released in January. Most of the books on this list are going to be books I read this year, but I can’t not mention Red Rising because I loved it so much.
2. The Girl of Fire and Thorns Series by Rae Carson: I binge read this one right at the beginning of the year, as sort of a way to start the year off right.
3. Cress by Marissa Meyer: My most anticipated book of the year, already come and gone.
4. Feed by Mira Grant: I’m reading this series with my husband. He reads the books, then I read the book. Feed was so unexpected – I didn’t expect to cry so much at a zombie book!
5. Ask the Passengers by A.S. King: I just read this one, actually. I read it for the book club pick, in case my book club actually decides to meet this month. It was UH-MAZING and absolutely perfect.
6. The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski: I haven’t been able to stop thinking about this one since I read it (possibly because I have multiple reviews for it in my reader every day, but I’m okay with that!).
7. Fire and Flood by Victoria Scott: My cats refuse to become pandoras and that makes me pretty sad. The next book in the series doesn’t come out for foreverrrr and that makes me even more sad.
8. A Mad, Wicked Folly by Sharon Biggs Waller: Another one I can’t stop thinking about.
9. Far From You by Tess Sharpe: A must read! Don’t even look at the blurb, that’s barely what the book is about. Heartbreaking and wonderful.
10. Uncommon Criminals/Perfect Scoundrels by Ally Carter: The Heist Society series is the most fun series I’ve read in recent memory.