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Hellsbelles

Hellsbelles@bookwyrm.social

Joined 9 months, 3 weeks ago

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reviewed MaddAddam by Margaret Atwood (MaddAddam, #3)

Margaret Atwood: MaddAddam (Hardcover, 2013, Nan A. Talese)

A man-made plague has swept the earth, but a small group survives, along with the …

A let down to an incredible series

I was pretty disappointed in the final book in the Maddaddam trilogy. Oryx and Crake is one of my favorites of all time, and I enjoyed Year Of The Flood, though not as much. But Maddaddam is just a let down compared to the other two. The women characters seem to kind of just…exist in this one, which I was disappointed with especially for Atwood. Even Toby, who has previously been multidimensional and interesting, is just a lovelorn writing device (sometimes literally) to keep the story moving forward. I understand that this one is supposed to give us background on Zeb, which it does and I had been looking forward to. But the book somehow feels simultaneously rushed and yet like to drags.

What is objectively supposed to be one of the most important scenes, The Battle, is told by Blackbeard and thus loses most of its punch and …

Emerald Fennell: Monsters (2015, Hot Key Books)

Disturbing, yet sad.

I know this book is supposed to be disturbing, and it certainly accomplishes that. It ties in a child-like sense of humor with its darkness that makes you feel off kilter. But it is also incredibly sad in a way. The narrator never stood a chance of normalcy. I feel so bad for her.

Margaret Atwood: Oryx and Crake (Paperback, 2004, Anchor Books)

The first volume in the internationally acclaimed MaddAddam trilogy is at once an unforgettable love …

Still beautiful, but a bit too real.

I first read this book in high school and it stuck with me for these last twenty years. Rereading it as an adult is a different type of dread, especially as many of the aspects of the book get more and more possible. It’s art, and it’s a warning.

Kylie Lee Baker: Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng (Hardcover, 2025, Mira)

Cora Zeng is a crime scene cleaner, washing away the remains of brutal murders and …

Horror is more than things that go bump in the night

This book is a beautiful exploration of how grief and horror are deeply intertwined. It left me heartbroken but kept me enthralled and turning every page. The profound and compounding impacts of trauma and racism impact every day of life.

reviewed Feed by Mira Grant (Newflesh Trilogy #1)

Mira Grant: Feed (Paperback, 2010, Orbit Science Fiction)

"The year was 2014. We had cured cancer. We had beaten the common cold. But …

The characters are terrible, but you’ll want to finish it.

This book is…not great. The characters are all one dimensional and their dialogue is forced and often irritating.

That being said, it is a REALLY good take on zombies and what could happen. I really loved the take that humans just…adjust. Like we do to every other horror, we keep going and figure it out. Medicine/technology/etc doesn’t all disappear just because people die and humans will always figure out a way to keep going and thrive, regardless of the restrictions.

The science about the virus and how it works and why was also really refreshing to a lot of other zombie/apocalypse books where the reason for the disease is pretty much “just cause.”

I would not recommend this book necessarily, as the characters are so painful to get through and cloying. But, once you start reading it you are going to want to finish reading it.

S. A. Bodeen: The Compound (Hardcover, 2008, Feiwel & Friends)

The Compound

I am 33 years old and an avid horror fan, yet this book still had me anxious to see how it would turn out. It’s more the horrors of humanity than anything else, and while the prose is obviously elementary (as it should be!) still a worthwhile read for adults.