lightreads: a partial image of a etymology tree for the Indo-European word 'leuk done in white neon on black'; in the lower left is (Default)
lightreads ([personal profile] lightreads) wrote2019-11-02 09:12 pm

The Boy on the Bridge by MR carey

The Boy on the Bridge

4/5. Prequel to The Girl with All the Gifts, that post zombie apocalypse book I really liked. This one is also good. It's classic Carey – short, sharp-edged chapters featuring various people in a small, stressed social ecosystem, including people with disabilities. It's not as layered and brilliant as Gifts as it lacks some of the scope. But what it does do is subvert my expectations. I went into this book assuming I knew in broad outlines what was going to befall every single character, given what we know from Gifts, and I was wrong in both sad and hopeful ways. I also assumed that this entire story would be the story of failure – it's an expedition to find a cure for the zombie infection – and it turns out that is also a lot more complicated.

Okay but real talk, the point of this review is actually to share this article. Because (1) I see your inspiration, Mike Carey, and (2) good luck ever sleeping again, everyone.