Every morning, Melanie waits in her cell to be collected for class. When they come for her, Sergeant Parks 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.

Going in I didn't realise that M R Carey is the pen name of one of my favourite British authors, and I'm glad of it. While I still would've thorougly enjoyed this book it may have coloured my view/changed my approach as it is a different style for him. Read the extras at the end for some extra insight into how this story came about.

SPOILER ALERT: Don't continue if you plan to read this or see the film and you want to be surprised!





This is not your typical post-apocalyptic tale. Sure there is widespread destruction by a pathogen that is not fully understood, an enclave of survivors that don't necessarily share a common goal, and there are basically zombies ('hungries') whose sole purpose seems to be destroying whoever the pathogen hasn't yet gotten to.

But not all is as it seems. Why are Melanie and her classmates locked in cells and only let out - under armed guard - for classes and a weekly chemical bath? Why doesn't Miss Justineau want to get too close? Why is Sergeant Parks so determined not to let her? And why does a visit from Dr Caldwell mean some of Melanie's classmates are never seen again?

Well it seems not all hungries are alike. Some of them don't become mindless people-eaters. Some of them can learn... and continue to exhibit 'human' traits. As each of the central characters comes to terms with what it means to live in this new normal - and none more so than Melanie - Carey weaves a tale that is part mystery, part morality play and part Greek myth, with a result that is compelling and hard to put down.

Loaning to Rick and Philippa.