Book Review and Synopsis: The Girl With All The Gifts *SPOILERS*

You, dear reader, are about to venture into Spoiler territory.

Don’t say I didn’t warn you!

The Book The Girl with All The Gifts by M.R. Carey is an awesome read.

The main character is Melanie – a genius, super strong, super human Zombie. As we learn we also know that she has a photographic memory (comes with the genius title) and can experience a wide range of emotions. She develops a deep infatuation with Helen Justineau, a “teacher” at Melanie’s “school”. At this school for genius zombie kids is also a scientist; Caroline Caldwell. Another character is Sergeant Parks – the man who disciplines the zombie kids.Each day the kids are chained and bound to a wheelchair to attend their lessons. Sometimes a child will get wheel away by Sergeant Parks to Caroline Caldwell’s lab – and they don’t come back. It is assumed that Caldwell is experimenting on these children.

Something happens at the school one day that changes Melanie and everyone else’s life (I’ll try not to give too much away, but beware this review will contain some spoilers) and Melanie, Miss Justineau, Sergeant Parks, Doc Caldwell and a soldier called Gallagher are on their own trying to survive in the post-apocalyptic world. They have to all learn to trust each other and try and fight to stay alive. This is hard because 1. Sergeant parks does not trust Melanie. He keeps her chained and bound for awhile because he’s terrified she will eat them the first chance she gets and 2. no one trusts Dr Caldwell.

MAJOR SPOILER TO FOLLOW DUDES. 

Just to warn you.

In the end though – only Melanie and Miss Justineau survive. They learn exactly how the Apocalypse happened and what caused it; something called Ophiocordyceps. Melanie and Miss Justineau learn that Melanie was born as a Zombie… not made. They learn this when they find a group of children like Melanie, but living in the wild.

The Girl with All The Gifts does not need a sequel because we find out that  before Melanie’s generation of born Zombie kids, Ophiocordyceps was only transferable through blood and saliva (like your average Zombie infection). However, events lead to Melanie releasing the virus which has adapted to be airborne… this will turn the remainder of humanity into “hungries” which will eventually adapt, evolve and become more like Melanie.

This book is an interesting take on Zombies, and I enjoyed it a lot. I am a sucker for Zombie stories and this is one of the top ones I’ve read!

5/5 stars!

I’ve also learned that this book has been made into a movie! View the details HERE