FEED, by Mira Grant

No one ever talks about life after the zombies rise. Well, not until now…

Twenty-six years ago, over the course of a single summer, thirty-two percent of the world’s population died. Then they came back. The zombie apocalypse was happening, and the media refused to acknowledge it. Almost overnight, traditional news media lost most of its credibility, and people began to look for the truth elsewhere. They found it in the blogosphere, and a new era of journalism began. Blogging became a respected, legitimate source of information.

Georgia Mason is one such blogger. She, her adopted brother Shaun, and their friend Buffy run a well-respected news blog–it’s so highly regarded, in fact, that they’re asked to cover Senator Ryman’s campaign trail as he runs for President of the United States. The Senator is a genuinely decent stand-up guy who sincerely wants to serve his country. But all is not as it should be, and it seems like someone is sabotaging the campaign from the inside. As the body count rises, Georgia grows ever more convinced that it’s not all zombies-as-usual, no matter what anyone else says. But is letting the world know the truth worth the price she’ll have to pay?

Oh, yes, this is a zombie book. I don’t usually like zombie books, but I love this one. For one thing, the Rising already happened–so there’s none of the “oh, no! Zombies! Whatever shall we do?” nonsense that tends to clutter zombie fiction.

But more than that, it’s about honest reporting (hey! You could say that it actually is about ‘ethics in journalism!’), truth in the media, and the cost of personal integrity. It’s fast and it’s funny and it’s fun. It examines life after a cataclysm; the world keeps turning even when it seems to be ending. When the dust settles, whoever’s left finds new routines, new ways of living. They adjust, they adapt. The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Give FEED a shot. You won’t regret it. (But on the off-chance you do, you could always write a blog about it.)

Favorite Line:

I had to admit a certain affection for the Mattel booth advertising Urban Survival Barbie, now with her own machete and blood testing unit.

Don’t read if: you don’t like Coke, conspiracies, people who wear sunglasses, or references to Steve Irwin.