Dread Nation by Justina Ireland

Dread Nation by Justina Ireland
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I have to confess that I'm a bigger fan of the deadly zombies than the entitled white rich folk of this story. One thing this book does do is make a lot of good points about social issues and social inequity but without ever pulling you away from the actual story. It's both a reminder of what progress has been made in regards to racial issues in America, as well as a slap in the face to remind us that we are nowhere near where we should be, considering it's 2019.

Also, Jane is one of the most badass YA characters I have ever met, and she manages to remain confident and badass at all times, despite the endless racial slurs and overall degradation that comes with her position (effectively an enslaved zombie slayer for the privileged elite).

This is a dystopia that occurs in the midst of the Civil War, when the zombies rise up, but it's more of a Historical Horror Dystopian blend, with both faux history (on the zombies rise up side) and real history (on the serious racial inequity and oppression side).

This would be great paired up with some of these other YA books for a specialized lit class to discuss race issues in America, and even though I've already read them all, I would definitely want to take that class:


I'm sure there are other great options, but I've only listed books that I've read and that I think would add something interesting to group discussions.

Pages: 455