Book Review #431 - The Walking Dead (The Walking Dead #1-12) by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moor, Charlie Adlard & Cliff Rathburn

The world we knew is gone. The world of commerce and frivolous necessity has been replaced by a world of survival and responsibility. An epidemic of apocalyptic proportions has swept the globe, causing the dead to rise and feed on the living. In a matter of months society has crumbled: no government, no grocery stores, no mail delivery, no cable TV. In a world ruled by the dead, the survivors are forced to finally start living.

My Rating: 5/5

This is the first full length Graphic Novel that I have read that hasn't been converted from another book. 

As a fan of the TV Show, I have been wanting to read the graphic novels for the longest time and had high expectations for it. 

Apart from character development I thought that it was equally as good as the show. Nothing could be done about the character development though because clearly it is easier for that on TV. 

There were a few main characters on the show that were noticeably missing such as Daryl, Merle and Beth but the plot was on a basic level the same. 

If these hardcover books weren't so expensive I would definitely be reading the second book right now.

Book Review #430 - Because It Is My Blood (Birthright #2) by Gabrielle Zevin

“Every time I think I’m out, they pull me back in.”- Michael Corleone, The Godfather

 

Freed from jail, Anya hopes that things will get back to normal. But life on the outside is even more dangerous than life behind bars. Some of her gangland family want revenge for the crime for which she has done time: the shooting of her uncle. Forced to flee the country, Anya hides out in a cacao plantation in Mexico. There she learns the secrets of the chocolate trade, a trade that is illegal and deadly in her native New York. There too she discovers that seemingly random acts of violence carried out across the world have a single target: her family. As innocent bystanders get caught in the crossfire Anya must act fast and decisively to stop it, no matter what the danger to herself.

My Rating: 4.5/5

This book is the sequel to All These Things I've Done and is the second book in the trilogy. 

I liked this book a lot more than the first one. Simply because I found the plot more interesting and I loved the character development. 

In this book Anya discovers that she can't escape her life as she was born into it but that she can control it to be something she feels comfortable with. Through this discovery, I felt like she matured a lot even though she was already very mature. 

Natty was the character that matured the most. She went from a dependent young girl to a independent teenager in the space of Anya's stay at Liberty. 

I really liked the chemistry between Anya and Theo. I would like Theo to play a larger role in the third and final book as I really can't stand Win. 

Book Review #429 - The Kill Order (The Maze Runner #0.5) by James Dashner

Before WICKED was formed, before the Glade was built, before Thomas entered the Maze, sun flares hit the earth and mankind fell to disease. 

Mark and Trina were there when it happened, and they survived. But surviving the sun flares was easy compared to what came next.

Now a disease of rage and lunacy races across the eastern United States, and there’s something suspicious about its origin. Worse yet, it’s mutating, and all evidence suggests that it will bring humanity to its knees.

Mark and Trina are convinced there’s a way to save those left living from descending into madness. And they’re determined to find it—if they can stay alive. Because in this new, devastated world, every life has a price. And to some, you’re worth more dead than alive.

My Rating: 3/5

I received this book for review from Chicken House for Scholastic Australia. 

It feels like forever since I read The Maze Runner. In fact that was only the 9th book review I posted on this blog. 

Apart from the epilogue, I didn't really feel any connection with The Maze Runner at all. I liked Mark's story and battle against losing his mind though. 

I liked the extensive background in terms of world building and the whole history of the sun flares and viruses.   

I am definitely looking forward to reading the rest of the series and can't believe I haven't done so yet.