Friday, March 18, 2011

Warm Bodies-Isaac Marion

Warm Bodies
Isaac Marion
Atria, Apr 26 2001, $24.00
ISBN: 9781439192313

Earth is dying due to global floods, wars that never end, riots and constant bombings. Seventy percent of America is dead, skeletal buildings lie vacant everywhere. There is no electricity and dwindling survivors hide behind barriers inside sturdy edifices like sports arenas and p[arks to keep out the newest planetary predator: zombies.

Nobody knows how these beasts first appeared, but one bite cause their victim to turn. They are sentient cannibals who decay with an odor of death emitting from their carcasses. R is one of these cretins, but he is a bit more compassionate than his species. He saves the life of Julie the human. R eats the brain of her boyfriend and obtains some of his memories of Julie, who he risks his life to keep safe. Together they create something that might, if allowed to blossom, reverse the path humans are traveling; that is if her father, who is behind zombie nation, and his minion does not kill them first.

This is not a typical zombie thriller as these reanimated dead are thinkers and not just senseless killing machines. Meeting Julie changes R; but the elder zombies recognize this and want him to live as he and his beloved may change the status quo for the good. R regains his lost human feelings especially when it comes to R and she reciprocates. Readers will enjoy this warm post apocalyptic tale as Isaac Marion provides a wonderful zombie love story; that is if this Romeo and Juliet couple survives the assaults by those who want them dead.

Harriet Klausner

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