Dread Nation by Justina Ireland

Dread Nation (Dread Nation, #1)

by Justina Ireland

Jane McKeene was born two days before the dead began to walk the battlefields of Civil War era America derailing the War Between the States and changing the nation forever. In this new nation, safety for all depends on the work of a few, and laws like the Native and Negro Reeducation Act require certain children to attend combat schools to learn to put down the dead. But there are also opportunities and Jane is studying to become an Attendant, trained in both weaponry and etiquette to protect the well-to-do. It s a chance for a better life for Negro girls like Jane. After all, not even being the daughter of a wealthy white Southern woman could save her from society s expectations.

Reviewed by roundtableknight on

4 of 5 stars

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Rating: 4/5 stars
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This was a truly captivating book and an intriguing twist on America after the Civil War, or what became of the Civil War due to the undead. I loved Jane as a main character: she was brilliant, could make me laugh at her ploys, and yet be serious and loving toward the people she cared about. The plot traveled relatively fast, and the characters were all memorable in some way that I could remember who they were when they cropped up again.

I also appreciated the fact that this book made me realize that I could not survive a apocalypse, but until that day I shall survive!

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 14 August, 2020: Finished reading
  • 14 August, 2020: Reviewed