The Happy Zombie Sunrise Home

The Happy Zombie Sunrise Home Margaret Atwood & Naomi Alderman 3.5 / 5	Published 2012 First Sentences "Sometimes it's difficult to do the right thing. But Okie and I tried; we did everything humanly possible."
Publisher's Description: Okie's fifteen. She lives in New York. She's got a few problems: she's failing geography, her dad's a wimp, and her mother, Sumatra, is a stone cold bitch. But things get a lot worse when Sumatra turns into a zombie and eats Okie's dad. Clio, Okie's grandmother, lives in Toronto; but since the zombie apocalypse, Toronto's a lot further away than it used to be. Clio suggests that Okie transport Sumatra across the border, because family is family. But coaching Okie by cellphone isn't easy, and Clio has some zombies of her own to contend with. Luckily she has some garden tools. Naomi Alderman and Margaret Atwood team up for this unusual two-hander. Encompassing love, death, sex, and the meaning of family, The Happy Zombie Sunrise Home will surprise, delight, and convince you of the vital importance of keeping ready supplies of rhubarb and mini-wieners in your freezer at all times. (Description from Wattpad)
Dear Reader, This was a super quick read (although let's ignore that I read it in such little chunks that it took me a couple of weeks to get through! haha). It is available ONLY on Wattpad, so don't look for it in any other format (believe me, I tried!). It must be read either in a browser or using the Wattpad app (which is available for Android or iOS). NB: All reading options are free! In any case, this was a lighthearted and interesting take on the whole zombie apocalypse. I know, I know, it's been done 2,000 times already. But this story takes a different tack, and I really liked its ideas. For one thing, it posits the possibility of somewhere (NYC, in this instance) being able to build back up post apocalypse. This means that there are "safe zones" which are relatively "back to normal" (albeit with a bit more awareness & caution - mostly) and then the kind of no-mans-lands which exist outside of the city's gates. Life still goes on relatively normally within the safe zones: people go to school, "normal life" has returned. However, many choose to remain outside of the walls, but they know that they do so at their own risk. Clio, a fairly cool grandmother who resides in her marital home in Toronto, is one of those. She knows how to be safe with the wild creatures outside her garden walls. And she is an especially interesting character, because her late husband is perhaps the cause of the zombie plague! (Another thing I love: how the authors imply that it could be overconsumption of a fictitious energy drink which could have caused humans to turn into zombies.) So when her granddaughter calls with the news that "mom ate dad" (with the grandmother initially misunderstanding in a hilarious way), Clio tells Okie that she ought to hire a "Z-Liner" to transport both the kid & zombie mom to her place in Canada. The book isn't long so I don't want to give too much away, but I will restate how I enjoyed the light (but not silly) take on the zombie situation in this book. It was sweet and would be easy to gobble up in an afternoon (no pun intended!). I certainly recommend this for any zombie fans out there, particularly if you are of the belief that zombie behavior can be interpreted in various ways. This being just one humorous take. Yours, Arianna

Read this book on Wattpad:
http://www.wattpad.com/8164541-the-happy-zombie-sunrise-home

Station Eleven (Review by AmberBug)

Station Eleven Emily St. John Mandel 5/5	Published September 2014 First Sentence "The King stood in a pool of blue light, unmoored."
Publisher's Description: An audacious, darkly glittering novel about art, fame, and ambition set in the eerie days of civilization's collapse, from the author of three highly acclaimed previous novels. One snowy night a famous Hollywood actor slumps over and dies onstage during a production of King Lear. Hours later, the world as we know it begins to dissolve. Moving back and forth in time-from the actor's early days as a film star to fifteen years in the future, when a theater troupe known as the Traveling Symphony roams the wasteland of what remains-this suspenseful, elegiac, spellbinding novel charts the strange twists of fate that connect five people: the actor, the man who tried to save him, the actor's first wife, his oldest friend, and a young actress with the Traveling Symphony, caught in the crosshairs of a dangerous self-proclaimed prophet. Sometimes terrifying, sometimes tender, Station Eleven tells a story about the relationships that sustain us, the ephemeral nature of fame, and the beauty of the world as we know it.
Dear Reader, Love, love, loved this... and you will too (I hope). This is yet another story that happens to be post-apocalyptic, but to my surprise also features pre-apocalyptic and present day (we get to see it all go down). The main focus isn't on the tragic events but more importantly, on the characters brought to the stage. Yes, stage! Much of the plot centers around acting and more importantly, Shakespeare! This gives a little more of a whimsical side to the doom and gloom of an apocalyptic world. We travel back and forth in time, a technique that I love (but only if done right). One of the characters we meet, Arthur, is an actor with three ex-wives. Two of the exes are interwoven into the story as well as his best friend Clark. We also get introduced to Kirsten (I think it's Kirsten and not Kristen but please, let me know if I got that wrong), whom was but a small child when the "flu" came and wiped out 99% of the population, she knew Arthur through the "King Lear" play they both acted in. As we follow her into the future, we see her grown-up and grouped up with a traveling symphony that puts on Shakespeare and plays classical music to the towns they pass. The group is tight knit and quirky. At first, I didn't think I'd like reading the chapters that involved them because I'm not that into "Shakespeare", "acting" and "symphonies", but the story flows so well, those parts became some of my favorite ones. Mandel has given us a fully imagined world that you can easily picture yourself in. She also includes SO many references to our present day society but she uses them in the "past" sense because the world is left without novelty items, such as comic books. Speaking of comic books, I fell in love with the character, Miranda, who ends up writing this very intricate sci-fi comic that survives the apocalypse and keeps popping up among the future. I loved everything about those bits and I really hope the publisher or Author comes out with a "comic" side project to bring these to life? I'm sure anyone who falls in love with this book would agree. We want a Station Eleven comic, pretty please?! What else can I say that'll convince you to read this one? This story isn't like any other doomsday novel you've read before. The writing is beautiful. The characters are brilliant. The settings are done so real you feel yourself pulled into the story. You start wanting a "reset" to the life we currently live in, you can imagine yourself without all those distracting "extras". I think that might be enough reasons... don't you? Run out and get this one when it comes out, it's not to be missed. Happy Reading, AmberBug

Support Shelf Notes! Purchase your copy of this book here:

On Left: Hardcover - On Right: E-Book:

The Year of the Flood (MaddAddam Trilogy #2)

The Year of the Flood (MaddAddam Trilogy #2) Margaret Atwood 4.5/5	Published 2009 First Sentence "In the early morning Toby climbs up to the rooftop to watch the sunrise."
Publisher's Description: The long-awaited new novel from Margaret Atwood. "The Year of the Flood" is a dystopic masterpiece and a testament to her visionary power. The times and species have been changing at a rapid rate, and the social compact is wearing as thin as environmental stability. Adam One, the kindly leader of the God's Gardeners--a religion devoted to the melding of science and religion, as well as the preservation of all plant and animal life--has long predicted a natural disaster that will alter Earth as we know it. Now it has occurred, obliterating most human life.  Two women have survived: Ren, a young trapeze dancer locked inside the high-end sex club Scales and Tails, and Toby, a God's Gardener barricaded inside a luxurious spa where many of the treatments are edible.   Have others survived? Ren's bioartist friend Amanda? Zeb, her eco-fighter stepfather? Her onetime lover, Jimmy? Or the murderous Painballers, survivors of the mutual-elimination Painball prison? Not to mention the shadowy, corrupt policing force of the ruling powers . . . Meanwhile, gene-spliced life forms are proliferating: the lion/lamb blends, the Mo'hair sheep with human hair, the pigs with human brain tissue. As Adam One and his intrepid hemp-clad band make their way through this strange new world, Ren and Toby will have to decide on their next move. They can't stay locked away . . .  By turns dark, tender, violent, thoughtful, and uneasily hilarious, "The Year of the Flood" is Atwood at her most brilliant and inventive.
Dear Reader, First things first, check out my review of Oryx & Crake (MaddAddam Trilogy #1. The Year of the Flood is another smash hit for me, bringing Atwood one step closer to my heart. This book isn't really a "sequel" to Oryx & Crake but more of a linear story that helps build this strange world Atwood has imagined. I would say that you don't HAVE to read Oryx & Crake before picking this one up since the book is made up of entirely different characters. On the other hand I would suggest you read Oryx & Crake first because of the few crossovers and you'd definitely be missing out on some interesting plot points and the overall story Atwood is trying to tell. Even though this book might stand alone, the third book (from what I hear) brings both books together. I don't want to give away any spoilers but I think it's safe to say that reading this review won't ruin the first book for you (if you haven't read it). This book introduces a whole new cast of characters but set in the same world as Oryx & Crake. We meet the Gardeners, who worship life (animals, plants, even insects) and have taken a vow not to hurt anything that falls into the category of "life". The Gardeners live in the pleebs, what could be closest described to slums in this dystopia. The big Corps ignore The Gardeners and most groups/tribes like them, figuring the people won't be doing any harm to their perfectly controlled system/environment the "rich" live in. The story moves back and forward in time (just like Oryx & Crake did), the time span ranges from Year One to Year 25 (the year of the water-less "flood"). The characters of Ren and Toby take center stage in this book, we learn about almost everything just from their perspective. I think more people would relate to the characters in this book, there seems to be a nice balance between activism and self preservation (something I believe all humans possess). I found myself constantly pondering over the question of "what would I do in this situation?". Ultimately, I'd like to think that I'd fight for my rights and for the rights of those around me. In reality? I might succumb to self preservation but it's very interesting to think about. Atwood is fast becoming a favorite Author of mine and I can't wait to see where this story ends up. Happy Reading, AmberBug

Support Shelf Notes! Purchase your copy of The Year of the Flood (MaddAddam Trilogy #2) here:

Oryx & Crake (MaddAddam Trilogy #1)

Oryx & Crake (MaddAddam Trilogy #1) Margaret Atwood 5/5	Published 2003 First Sentence "Snowman wakes before dawn."
Publisher's Description: Oryx and Crake is at once an unforgettable love story and a compelling vision of the future. Snowman, known as Jimmy before mankind was overwhelmed by a plague, is struggling to survive in a world where he may be the last human, and mourning the loss of his best friend, Crake, and the beautiful and elusive Oryx whom they both loved. In search of answers, Snowman embarks on a journey with the help of the green-eyed Children of Crake through the lush wilderness that was so recently a great city, until powerful corporations took mankind on an uncontrolled genetic engineering ride. Margaret Atwood projects us into a near future that is both all too familiar and beyond our imagining.
Dear Reader, I loved this book. I stayed up way too late every night reading this book. Lack of sleep didn't stop me from picking up the second book The Year of the Flood the same night I finished Oryx & Crake. Not many books can keep me up like that, let alone wanting me to pick up the sequel directly after. Usually, I'm the type of person that likes to let it digest and even wait a few months to pick up the second book (if at all). Books with series (3 or more) get me anxious (mostly because of the invested time required), I find that I don't usually finish a complete series unless the book rates 4 stars or higher for me. There is just too many books and too little time!  Let me rewind a bit though, I haven't even told you anything about the book yet. Meet Snowman (a.k.a Jimmy), a self absorbed and somewhat dis-likable character who somehow survives this crazy Apocalypse. No, I didn't give anything away that wasn't already given to you by the books description. There are quite a bit of plot twists and surprises and I promise I won't divulge any of those delectable secrets. Atwood brings us back and forward through time using Snowman/Jimmy's eyes. Through Jimmy, we see as he reflects back upon everything that has happened and we meet all the characters that play the part from his perspective. Everything he goes through plays a small part of the impending changes of the future. Since I don't want to give anything away, I think I'll leave it at that.  I like the genre "speculative fiction" and this novel fits perfectly under that category. I really wish I had read this when it came out in 2003. Atwood has taken some scary ideas (most of them could very likely be true) and given us a novel that could very well be the next 1984. I predict that this novel will be looked back upon as a reference for future generations, almost like a warning that wasn't heard (hopefully I'm wrong about this). Wasn't that the same feeling Orwell's 1984 gave us? I obviously wasn't alive when 1984 was published, so I can't say personally but the book has that stigma of predicting the future.  Some of the creepy things we come across in Oryx & Crake include, animal splicing (the Rakunk which is a combination of raccoon and skunk), genetic alterations (chemically injecting food so it won't rot or attract bugs), voyeuristic programming (watching the most taboo of topics on the internet and becoming desensitized by it, like kiddie porn and suicide). Does any of this sound familiar? Atwood definitely gets her inspiration from our own technological advances, she brings the current inventions to a new scary futuristic level. This is a world that you can imagine, a world that could be our future... now THAT is scary! SPOILER!!! Don't Read Below This If You Haven't Read The Book ... (ALSO contains Battlestar Galactica Spoilers, if you've never seen or finished that show *and SHAME on you if you haven't seen the show!!*) I just wanted to talk about the main theme of the book, the Apocalypse. I think what I loved about this book reminded me why I loved Battlestar Galactica so much. Both give us a decaying world filled with crime, overuse of technology, morals gone wrong and pretty much complete disrespect of the land we call home (again, doesn't this sound a bit too familiar!) Also, both BSG and Oryx & Crake reset the world, taking away everything that was destroying it (including the mass population). Neither this book or the show gives us the aftermath but one can only imagine how the world will be rebuilt with the remaining survivors. BSG went one step further pushing the idea that humanity will just make the same mistakes over and over again. To quote from the show "All of this has happened before and will happen again".  I think the idea of resetting and starting anew, making the survivors live with the earth and nothing else, is SO fascinating. I've often thought of what we would do without all the technology we have, would we be able to survive? Would we be able to reset our own way of thinking and go back to scavenging for food and shelter? I actually think it would be kind of wonderful to get a second chance, but I think the same problems would arrive and like BSG showed us... humanity would be in an endless loop, making the same mistakes over and over again.  SPOILER DONE!!! I have nothing else to say but READ this book.  Yours, AmberBug

Support Shelf Notes! Purchase your copy of Oryx & Crake here: