Book Review: Warm Bodies

Warm Bodies

By: Isaac Marion

Published By: Atria Books

Release Date: April 26, 2011

Buy it at Amazon

Source: ARC received from Regal Literary
Audience: Adult & Older Teens

I am not one of those readers who enjoys a lot of explicit violence in her books so when I was approached about reading this ARC I did hesitate. I remember thinking as I read over the email that any zombie book written by a guy was sure to be full of long, descriptive passages of brain eating. I just wasn't sure that my stomach was up for the challenge. However, I couldn't have been more wrong about Warm Bodies. Yes, there are some moments of zombie eating, but they were well worth getting through to get to the rest of the story. The focus is not on the eating habits of the zombies, but rather on how love can truly change people.                                                                                                 

Warm Bodies is the perfect book for people who think they don't like zombie novels. It doesn't read like a traditional zombie book at all. I can't think of another novel that tells the story from the perspective of a zombie. It's always the perspective from the people running from the zombies or the people wanting to kill all the zombies. I found Isaac Marion's approach to be a creative and fresh way to look at an old supernatural bad guy. Marion's words paint a picture of R that is so poignant that you can't help rooting for him. There were moments reading this book that I had to pause and reread sentences over and over; the language was that beautiful. It felt odd for me to favor the zombie character when my brain has been so conditioned to see them as the bad guy; it was a lot like experiencing everything right alongside with Julie, a human girl.

R on the outside is a mindless, shuffling zombie who is only thinking of his next meal, but in reality his mind is full of beautiful thoughts and desires. He doesn't enjoy the life that has been thrust upon him and yearns to somehow break free from his undead chains. After meeting Julie everything begins to change for R. Could he really evolve past the life of a zombie and become something more?

The love story between R and Julie was one of the most interesting ones I have read. R only finds Julie worth saving in the beginning after consuming the brain of her boyfriend, Perry. Brains contain memories and are almost like drugs for the zombies in Isaac Marion's world. Eating and savoring the memories allows the zombies to feel alive again - even if only for a fleeting moment. Seeing Julie through the thoughts of someone who loved her deeply allows R to see her for more than a midnight snack. He feels a strong desire to protect Julie and to be near her. This begins the formation of an unheard of relationship between a zombie and a human. 

Overall, this is a book I couldn't put down. I devoured every single plot morsel, let the words dance over my tongue as my brain savored every moment, and am still thinking about it as I write this three days later. 

One Last Gripe: I wish that there was something in the book to describe how the plague started

My Favorite Thing About This Book: Isaac Marion's way with words - How could you not love this:

"A lone starling swoops across the distant sky, and I imagine a white jet trail stretching out behind it, like a florid signature on a love note." ~ pg. 238

He takes simple images and infuses them with beauty.

First Sentence: I am dead, but it's not so bad.

Favorite Characters: R, Julie, Perry

Least Favorite Character: Julie's Dad

Summary:

A zombie who yearns for a better life ends up falling in love—with a human—in this astonishingly original debut novel.

R is a zombie. He has no memories, no identity, and no pulse, but he has dreams. He doesn’t enjoy killing people; he enjoys riding escalators and listening to Frank Sinatra. He is a little different from his fellow Dead.

Not just another zombie novel, Warm Bodies is funny, scary, and deeply moving.