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George is a political blogger in 2032, a time when blogs have truly become the main sources of news to the masses while still being sneered at by those in powerful circles. This novel follows George, her brother Shaun, and other talent at After the End Times, as they report on the US presidential election and more everyday things . . . like zombie encounters.

OK forget the zombies and politics, because this book is really about us. And I don't mean "life in post-9/11 USA", although that statement would not be entirely inaccurate. I mean it is about "life as a human being". It is about family, and love, and fear. Most of all it is about one of the great human mind tricks which transcends all of those attachments; Understanding. George would name it Truth, but I find that word to be a bit too ambiguous. I think we would both agree in defining this as that which is what it is. George narrates the story in a traditional manner interspersed with short blog postings from her and other characters. If you ignore a few fantastical elements, like a sincere and successful politician, the characters are believable, fully realized individuals. The author does not strip them completely bare, yet develops them so fully that reader can both formulate questions about them which were never broached in the novel and figure out the probable answers to those questions. Plotting is mostly character-driven and quite strong up until the end, when you are far too invested to notice much. Writing is tight, rings true to the narrator, and is nicely paced; frankly it is nearly flawless.

Overall the tale was so engaging and well-done that it's excellence as a character study only became clear as I thought back over it. Thematically it seemed to be about Understanding, the pursuit, the cost, and the worth of it. But from another angle it seemed to be about understanding George, IMHO a girl well worth getting to know.