Feed

Grant's Feed can be seen in some ways as picking up where World War Z left off (even though the zombie backstory is different): Ok, so now we have taken back most of our country...now what? How do we keep on in something resembling our old lifestyles in a world with the zombie threat looming ever present? Indeed, everyone in Grant's world is infected with the combination of viruses that, while it has cured cancer and the common cold, turns someone into a zombie upon death or close contact with the infected. Not even animals are immune to it. Can you imagine how this would affect the way in which people socialize, conduct business or personal relations in public? Can you think of how animal rights groups would go to the mattresses with people who say that any animal able to spread the virus should be either strictly controlled or killed on sight? Grant has, and these are the kind of tensions that the people in her post-rising America have to sort out. The story follows a team of bloggers (relied upon much more as legitimate news service by a more fragmented and insular populace who saw the mainstream news fail to believe the zombie uprising as it was happening) who are following a presidential hopeful through the primaries. Along the way, they get more then they bargained for, and are entangled in a messy conspiracy that may lead to all of them joining the ranks of the shambling undead. The team consists of a brother and sister pair--the "newsie" Georgia Mason and her brother Shaun, an "Irwin" (who specialize in going into infected zones, telling you what's up, and taping themselves messing with zombies)--and their techie, Buffy. The brother/sister relationship effectively forms the emotional center of the book, and their characterization is pretty strong. The speculative center of the book hinges around some technological changes, but primarily concerns how human relations, political issues, and safety protocols have changed post-zombie uprising. Even though its set in 2040, there are lots of themes that have direct relevance to today's post-9/11, security-conscious atmosphere and to our relationship with online media. I gave it an 8/10 because, while I liked it, I wanted to like it more. There were some inconsistencies in the characters, cliched moments in the plot, and some predictable twists and turns that irritated the hell out of me and just drew me out of the story. Still, it's a good book and a nice addition to the zombie genre. Well worth reading.