I will continue to maintain the opinion that little kids are creepy and when they bite they are even creepier. In the Girl with all the Gifts, author M.R. Carey places us on a small military base that seems almost normal. Except about a dozen or so kids are being kept in locked in cells. Supposedly these children are "infected" and their placement on the base is a way for the government to study (and sometimes) experiment on them. The kids are simply thought of and called "hungries". It does not take a rocket scientist to figure out that the author is writing about Zombies; though these Zombies are bit more intelligent and highly functioning. They are definitely not of The Walking Dead variety. Instead of being infected by a bite these zombies have been infected with a fungus called Ophiocordyceps unilateralis. The "hungries" can pass the disease on via a bite but that is now how most of humanity got infected. I think that this alone is what made this book so interesting. It was a new way of explaining the way a zombie outbreak could occur.
The main character in the book is a little girl named Melanie. Nothing of Melanie's past is ever really revealed in the book; we never get a straight answer on where she comes from, where she got sick or how she ended up on the base. All we know is every morning soldiers come into her cell, strap her down to a chair and wheel her into a classroom. The classroom is ran by a young woman named Helen Justineau. Justineau seems to like the job she has interacting with the "students", she tries to teach them, tries to show them as much affection as she can. Even though she is very much aware of how dangerous they really are. A point that is driven hoemto her by Sgt. Parks, who upon catching her stroking on of the children's hair decides to demonstrate to her how lax behavior can get you killed. He proceeds to wipe off his e-blocker; which masks his scent from the children. As soon as he does, the animalistic nature of the child he is closest to comes out. The child tries to bite him. Of course, Justineau gets the message, she tries harder to stay professional with the children. While all this seems innocent enough Justineau and Melaine notices one or two children have gone missing from the classroom and from their cells. These kids are taken to the office of bases head scientist, Caroline Caldwell. Caldwell is not just running labs and conducting tests but is killing the children and dissecting them. She is trying to find a way to not only cure the "hungries" but is also trying to find a way to save the rest of humanity. She thinks the answer could lie with Melanie; so she attempts to take her. This is actually the moment all hell breaks lose. The base is attacked by un-infected humans and "hungries"; Caldwell, Sgt. Parks, Melanie, Justineau and Private Gallagher barely make it off the base alive. They decide to take their chances and ride back to the main city, the beacon. They believe the city will be a safe haven and Caldwell believes that she will finally be able to get a hold of Melanie and study her without Justineau there to stop her.
However, the city is not what it was when they left. No one seems to be alive, no one is one the streets, and in fact the fungus that started the whole damn mess seems to have planted itself firmly in Beacon.
What I loved about this book was its simplicity, non complicated story line and the authors fluid writing style. M.R. Carey weaved a tale that was down right believable and he gave you characters that while flawed are relatable and seem real. The thing I loved best about the book was seeing these events through the eyes of Melanie. Watching her come to terms with what she is but also see her decide to embrace what it means to be human. The one thing I would really like to know is that happens later with Melanie and Justineau. Carey left the story very open and I would love to see what the world looks like 20 years after The Girl with all the Gifts has ended. Maybe, I should tweet him that question. I gave this book 5/5 stars in goodreads.
Quotes I loved:
"If you keep me here, you have to put up with the minor inconveniences like me having a conscience"
"You carved up two children, Caroline. And you did it without anesthetic"
"The truth is the truth, the only prize worth having. If you deny it, you're only showing that you're unworthy of it"
"In an age of rust, she comes up stainless steel"
"She's as big as four-fifths of five-eighths of fuck all, but she takes no bullshit from anyone"
"No amount of expertly choreographed PR could prevail, in the end, against Armageddon. It strolled over the barricades and took its pleasure"
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