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 shannonmiz on

5 of 5 stars

Share
You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight

I'll go ahead and say it: Jane McKeene is my new favorite character. She's got to be Top 5 all time, for real. I loved everything about her. And I'd read about doing any mundane thing, but reading about her fighting the hell out of zombies (and assholes, because a lot of times the assholes are scarier than the zombies) is basically epic. Jane is so multifaceted, and she makes for a character who you cannot help but adore. She's smart, she's funny as hell, she's strong and tough and a fighter. Of course, she also has flaws which she often straight up admits to, which makes her all the more relatable.

As you can imagine, there is more to this book than just zombies- the zombies highlight the problems plaguing the country, then and now. There are a lot of really important topics and themes in this book, and since this takes place right after the Civil War, you can be sure a lot focus on race and inequality faced  by various groups. Jane's experience as a black woman is of course the focus, but there are many other stories portrayed through other characters. It's fabulously done, and I certainly won't do any further discussion justice, so I implore you to read it yourself.

Beyond the importance of this book, it's just damn entertaining. Like I said, Jane is awesome. And her relationships with those around her are complicated, sometimes messy, and sometimes really freaking inspiring. And, because Jane had such honest and realistic relationships with the characters, I grew to care about them a lot too. Obviously, the zombie-fighting itself is action packed. The secondary action part (treading carefully with spoilers here!) is even more harrowing, and kept me wholly invested.

You'd think this might have some lulls because of its length, but it really doesn't feel long. Even in the quieter moments, I was just enjoying Jane's inner dialogue, enjoying the world building in general. The atmosphere is on point throughout, and Jane's knowledge about the zombies' history (which is totally legit, given her background studying them) make the world fascinating. I really am excited for the sequel, not just to continue the story, but also because the world itself that the author created has drawn me in so much.

Bottom Line: This book basically has it all: A genuine, badass heroine, a ton of important messages, twists that totally caught me off guard, and a plot that kept me turning the pages.

Last modified on

Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 21 February, 2018: Finished reading
  • 21 February, 2018: Reviewed