FEED by Mira Grant

I admit that the cover is what drew me in. The story is what kept me there.

The year was 2014. We had cured cancer. We had beaten the common cold. But in doing so we created something new, something terrible that no one could stop. The infection spread, virus blocks taking over bodies and minds with one, unstoppable command: FEED. Now, twenty years after the Rising, bloggers Georgia and Shaun Mason are on the trail of the biggest story of their lives - the dark conspiracy behind the infected. The truth will get out, even if it kills them.

Synopsis from Goodreads

FEED (Newsflesh Trilogy, Book 1) by Mira Grant is not your average zombie book. Zombies play a pivotal  role in FEED, but so does blogging, the news, and politics. Part zombie horror and part political thriller, this novel was a lot to digest. The protagonists, Georgia and Shaun Mason are bloggers who have been invited to follow the campaign trail of Senator Peter Ryman, positioning for the Republican bid. It is 2039, and America has been living in a post-apocalyptic world. Kellis-Amberlee has been born, and is now a fact of life, creating zombies and destroying our world. As a result, the news is no longer popular in print, but a booming blogging industry has helped to mold the way people get their information. Georgia and Shaun are at the front of the pack. FEED follows the duo as they uncover some ugly truths about Kellis-Amberlee, the government, and the CDC.

I did enjoy this novel. It wasn't a 'typical' zombie novel. The political thriller aspect really added a new dimension to the sub-genre of zombie thrillers. The characters were well developed and the overall world was created with skill. Grant also did a fabulous job with the back-story of Kellis-Amberlee and the Mason's family. I find myself always searching for those answers in books, and she delivered. I can imagine that explaining the medical back-story of such is difficult, but Mira Grant explained it well enough that I feel like I can totally explain Kellis-Amberlee to anyone as if I was living during the zombie era.  I do feel as though the novel was a bit overworked at times, and a bit of a drag. I hit some spots where I just got a bit tired of it- not quite as fast-paced as I would have enjoyed. However, the overall concept is what pushed me through. I was beyond glad that I did, because as I moved further into the story and the political thriller became more evident,  the novel just propelled itself. The last chapters of FEED were all-consuming, and I just couldn't put it down. Grant has many twists and turns that keep the reader interested, but the ending was mind blowing. I was shocked and can honestly say that I didn't see it coming- which doesn't happen often. Thrilled and surprised, I closed FEED and was immediately anxious to continue the story with the next in the series, Deadline.

write to be understood, speak to be heard, read to grow