New York Times bestseller; 6 starred reviews!
At once provocative, terrifying, and darkly subversive, Dread Nation is Justina Ireland’s stunning vision of an America both foreign and familiar—a country on the brink, at the explosive crossroads where race, humanity, and survival meet.
Jane McKeene was born two days before the dead began to walk the battlefields of Gettysburg, … dead began to walk the battlefields of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania—derailing the War Between the States and changing the nation forever.
In this new America, safety for all depends on the work of a few, and laws like the Native and Negro Education Act require certain children 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.
But that’s not a life Jane wants. Almost finished with her education at Miss Preston’s School of Combat in Baltimore, Jane is set on returning to her Kentucky home and doesn’t pay much mind to the politics of the eastern cities, with their talk of returning America to the glory of its days before the dead rose.
But when families around Baltimore County begin to go missing, Jane is caught in the middle of a conspiracy, one that finds her in a desperate fight for her life against some powerful enemies.
And the restless dead, it would seem, are the least of her problems.
“Abundant action, thoughtful worldbuilding, and a brave, smart, and skillfully drawn cast entertain as Ireland illustrates the ignorance and immorality of racial discrimination and examines the relationship between equality and freedom.” (Publishers Weekly, “An Anti-Racist Children’s and YA Reading List”)
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Tremendously original, subversive, sharp, and all around badass, Dread Nation is not your mother’s Civil War–era zombie story.
An alternate historical timeline/horror/fictional mashup about a young female protagonist of color, Jane McKeene, that rises above the bigoted hatred heaped upon her daily. All the while she is mastering the combat skills taught to her, confounding the machinations of prejudiced bigwigs by employing her shrewdness and experiencing the everyday hell that goes along with eradicating the undead.
This is an easy read, action filled, twisted and haunting tale. With a diverse supporting cast of characters that enthralls and enhances the storyline greatly. I truly look forward to any continuing exploits of Ms. McKeene.
A must read for YA readers!
Brief summary: Black zombie hunters in the reconstruction era.
I mean, that is pretty attention-grabbing, right? Add to it that I have heard SO much buzz around this book. I went in with high expectations and it lived up to all of them.
I loved it!
Wow! Only put it down b/c I had to go to bed…
Dread Nation by Justina Ireland is in the top three books I’ve listened to this year. I couldn’t put it down and only did when it was bedtime (reluctantly). Even got guff from my family that I was listening to a book vs. talking with them. So yes, this book is fantastic and you should be listening/reading it. This would make one fantastic kick butt TV series or movie if done right.
I do no usually read any war related or slavery books, but thought I’d give it a chance since it had Zombies (aka Shamblers). The book takes place at what should have been the Battle of Gettysburg during the Civil War, however, instead of that battle happening, dead soldiers turn to zombies and the fight is on. The book’s main characters is Jane, a strong-willed young lady who has her own ways of dealing with the problems in the world. I’m not going to say anything more than this as I do not want to say too much and ruin the surprises in the book.
I would love more books in the series, but there’s also that part of me that says “This book is perfect how it is”. I will certainly be checking out Justina’s other books, along with the narrator. Bahni Tuprin is in my top three narrators. Do yourself a favor and listen to this book.
Parental guidance/Trigger warnings: This book is set to the time around the Civil War. Not going into specifics other than racism, sexism, slavery, killing, use of weapons, and like-things happening. There is one brutal descriptive scene of a lashing and a woman’s breasts are exposed to the public. Minimal romance/talk of relationships (more along the lines of having a crush on a guy, mentions of loving a guy/being in a relationship in the past but no sex or sex talk from what I recall).
I don’t read zombie books or watch zombie television or zombie movies. Not my thing.
This book has zombies and it’s one of the best books I’ve read this year. And you don’t actually see very much of them, though what you see is squicky. So unless you just really really hate zombies I suggest you give it a try.
Especially if you like historical fiction set around the time of the Civil War and are intrigued by a book in a world where the war ended differently.
The Civil War did not end because the North won. It ended because for some unknown reason, the undead began rising from the battlefields of Chancellorsville and Gettysburg.
Both armies had to stop fighting each other because they were fighting their own undead. Eventually they united [not that a lot of them were still living.] This is backstory before the book begins a few years later.
Or I suggest you give it a try if you characters with a distinctive, compelling, entertaining voice and world view. Read the first few paragraphs of the prologue.
I have a feeling the same thing is going to happen to a lot of you that happened to me. Your going to be too captivated by what’s happening on the page to care that eventually you will see a zombie or so.
And you’ll know why this book is currently in the final round of voting over on Goodreads!
This book was even better than I could have hoped for.
I mean, post-Civil War era zombie-fighting girls does kind of sound right up my alley, but still, I had no idea what a blast this book would be.
Starting out, can I just say what a creative and unique concept this is? I have no idea how Justina Ireland came up with this idea and I’m amazed that she pulled it off so flawlessly. It’s this kind of originality that makes a book truly stand out.
Even though I started this book during my (very stressful) first week of the semester, I did not want to put it down at all, and even when I was doing other things that I was supposed to be doing, at least a portion of my mind was still in this book. It stuck with me from start to finish, and I’m still thinking about it over a week later and I want to tell everyone to go read it. So, yeah, go do that.
Characters…
The star of this story is Jane McKeene, a young mixed race woman training to become an Attendant and fight off “shamblers” for her wealthy employers, even as she misses her faraway home and wonders why her white mother won’t respond to any of her letters. I loved having Jane for a narrator – basically everything she did made me figuratively jump out of my seat and cheer. Not only was she clever and formidable with a weapon, but she took no nonsense from the people around her and tried to make the best of whatever horrible situation she was in. Though she could be a bit hotheaded and judgmental of others, I feel like she learned and grew so much over the course of the novel. Plus, she was the queen of snark. Seriously, Jane is one of my new favorite fictional female leads. I adore her.
Some other major characters that come into play Jackson, or “Red Jack,” Jane’s, ahem, acquaintance who’s never up to any good. As well as Katherine, one of Jane’s least favorite girls at Miss Preston’s School, who’s always been treated differently than the other girls because she can pass as white.
I really appreciated the fact that, although we never actually meet Jane’s mother in the course of the story, we get a strong sense of who she is, as well as Jane’s relationship and feelings toward her, simply through Jane’s memories of her. That’s a difficult way to portray a character, especially one with such a complicated relationship with the narrator, yet it’s done so well in this book.
Plot…
For most of this story, I hadn’t the faintest clue what was going to happen next. This plot was in no way formulaic or predictable and I was kept guessing the entire time. During the action scenes (of which there were plenty!) I was right on the edge of my seat because I had the sense that anything could happen and everything could change at a moment’s notice. And now I really, really need the next book to come out soon because this story is perfect and I want more of it.
Writing…
One of my biggest pet peeves in books that take place in different time periods is when characters talk like they’re from the 21st century. And this book avoided that perfectly. Jane and the other characters talked exactly how I would imagine people in the American South during the late 1800s would talk, while still feeling accessible and entertaining and even funny to today’s audience. It seemed authentic and really helped to transport me into that setting. Jane’s voice, both in her narration and her dialogue, was so distinct and fun to read.
Overall feelings…
While this was an incredibly fun book about girls killing zombies, it was also a book about race in the 1880s, and it did not shy away from those aspects. We get a very strong sense of what it was like to be a woman of color in that time period (which also had some things to say about being a woman of color in today’s world). Jane’s powerlessness because of her race and gender was complicated by the fact that she’s been trained to fight and defend herself, yet even that is used to take power away from her because she’s not given a choice in the matter. The way that the world is built is fascinating and so well done.
So basically, I loved every second of this book. If you haven’t gotten around to picking it up, I highly recommend that you rectify that as soon as possible, because you’re missing out. Jane’s story is heart-poundingly exhilarating and nonstop entertaining, and I’m so happy that it’s not over yet. The only downside is that I have to wait so long for the next book.
Justina Ireland is now a must-read author for me. Her Dread Nation fantasy series (this is Book One) takes history, slavery, and zombies and crash lands it in a United-States-that-could-have-been. I don’t really want to say more, because that would be spoiling her most excellent world-building and her ability to keep the reader turning pages in utter suspense.
I’m a reader who normally solves the “big” mystery by page 2. This book kept me guessing (wrong) over and over again. And kept me delighted with what turned out to be right.
I’m not generally one for zombie stories, but this one is gooood! I love the way the different elements–historical fiction, horror and mystery–work together to create a truly compelling narrative. It helps that Jane is one kick-ass heroine with grit, wits and determination to spare. I really enjoyed everything about this novel, and look forward to reading the sequel.
Dread Nation is a fast, furious adventure that delivers some hard truths with its well-paced action, all via the POV of protagonist Jane McKeene, who excels at transitioning shamblers but is perhaps less comfortable in her dealings with those still living. (Side note, looking forward to seeing some Jane cosplayers when people can again be out in the world.) Highly recommended.
Really enjoyed this book. Zombies are not usually my thing, but I was drawn in by the amazing cover and thoroughly enjoyed the story.
This story takes the best elements of historical fantasy, urban fantasy and post-apocalyptic fantasy. And like the best zombie fiction, the story doesn’t hinge on killing zombies (thought there is definitely some action-packed zombie fights!). Instead, it is about how humans react when put in extreme situations. Jane is a hero I can really get behind. She’s tough and smart and just a little bit flawed. I can’t wait to read more of her story.
I heard ‘Dread Nation’ recommended by the author Elizabeth Acevedo and was immediately captivated by the concept. Let me tell you that Jane McKeene is one of the most amazing heroines I’ve ever read (as is Katherine, in book 2) and the plot, the character-building and the dramatic pacing were sheer brilliance.
These books, and this series, are utterly unique, utterly distinctive and some of the best story-telling I’ve read in years. I cannot recommend enough!
This might be a new series obsession for me. I devoured this book in a day, forsaking all adulting for the chance to live and explore this story. This book is everything, seriously; I cannot find one thing I didn’t enjoy about it. It has strong, beautiful, independent, talented characters with action, sass, strong wills, standing up for what is right, heart, determination and do much more. The story is heartbreaking in that it’s based on history, and the redemption and the love that Jane creates for herself and her friends… gah! My heart. I want to be Jane when I grow up. The way the authors woven in history, alternative history and many important issues just makes this about perfect. I cannot wait to read more!
A very character-driven story. There’s not much zombie-killing action. It isn’t scary either so a great read for those who don’t like horror stories but want to read something interesting and different.
3.75 I enjoyed this tale of kick a** women. It was a great companion in traffic. This was my first from the author and a different take on the lives of African Americans as it relates to slavery, freedom, and bonding through terrible times.
This book was so great I really want to see it on the big screen. The creativeness in this fictional story was so astonishing that I was shocked at how well it came together. Slavery is technically over but yet blacks are still forced to do the bidding of upper class whites. Which in this case happens to be fighting off the undead. Justina Ireland left me in anticipation for the sequel.
DREAD NATION was my first book by Justina Ireland, and it won’t be the last. I really enjoyed this alt-history (with zombies!) story, even though I usually hate zombie books and movies. The main character had such a fun, unique voice, and that really sold me. I love how adaptable she was and that she didn’t take herself too seriously or buy (much) into her own hype.
If you’re looking for an entertaining young adult read with a seriously kickass heroine, check this one out. The narrator was fantastic too, and I highly recommend the audiobook.
Fresh take on the zombie apocalypse with fantastic characters and great world-building. I can’t wait for the next book!
I loved it! Set in an alternate past, Dread Nation takes place post-civil war in a world where the dead rose from the battlefields and, just like racism, refused to die. Jane, the protagonist, is a young black girl studying to be an attendant (a bodyguard-of-sorts) to the well-to-do white folks who can’t fend for themselves. She is an impulsively witty know-it-all who can’t keep her mouth shut, doesn’t know her place in the world, and refuses to apologize for that. She is also, quite possibly, my favorite character of all time. I normally don’t like historical fiction, and even though this isn’t true historical fiction, the author did her research and used historical events to make it feel real and to try to help the reader feel the anger and unfairness of those who were oppressed.