High impact action with just as much emotional punch! 
 The Girl with All the Gifts was definitely not what I expected and exactly what I needed. I've been in such a reading slump for the past few months that while everything sounded good nothing could capture me. In a way this books very vague description gave it even more of an edge. If you haven't read this already and you are considering reading it I advise stay far away from reviews with spoilers because it will ruin so much of the experience for you. Go in fresh...and clean so you can get ripped to shreds with the emotional impact you are in for. I literally experienced an entire range of emotions while reading this and that takes a really well written book to pull that much from me. 
 But who...who am I? What are we doing here? 
 Melanie is just a little ten year old girl. One that lives a strange life on an army base. When she isn't in her cell she's in the classroom learning from her teachers. She doesn't know much about herself or anything from the outside world other then what she's taught and can't remember a time other then being there. A small group of rotating folks but above all her favorite teacher is Miss Justineau. Beautiful, fun and eccentric Miss Justineau. She teaches them all sorts of things, plays games with them, reads them stories of Greek myths and she is the only one that seems to actually connect and care about the children she is teaching. I would be putting it mildly to say that Melanie is a smart little girl, she's pretty much a genius. But who is she really and why is she on that base...in that cell? 
 That's right it's a zombie novel - but you haven't walked this hungryland before! 
 I went through a zombie book binge period several years back. I was literally devouring every zombie book I could get my hands on. Suffice to say I burnt myself out and that I feel like I've read this theme from a zillion different ways. But The Girl with all the Gifts fell so fresh and new. I can only say that it comes at the theme from a familiar direction but then travels down a new and unique path from then on. If you're a zombie aficionado, a horror fan, or even if you aren't either of those things this is a book that should not be missed. 
 There's more then just Melanie along for the ride 
 While Melanie is most definitely the main character of The Girl with All the Gifts we get to read from the perspectives of 4 other additional characters. Though I won't say who those characters are at this point. I know 5 perspectives might sound like a lot for a stand alone novel but it worked so perfectly for this book. Each character had a role to play and such a unique voice that I felt like each one of them was important to the overall story and picture that was being painted. Oh I didn't mention before but I listened to the audio and read the book together because I just couldn't bring myself to stop at any time (ok well except for this one particular night where it was really late and the action was so thick and intense that I was getting scared and just KNEW that if I went any further I would have nightmares...of course I had nightmares anyway). 
 I need more of the smack you are selling 
 So M.R. Carey, I'm hooked now. You've got to give up the goods. I love love loved that this was a stand alone novel. If there is more - of course I will read them. But I'm even more excited to see what new worlds and characters you might bring to life in future books. Count me in - when do I queue up for the next meal?