Publisher's Weekly Review
Marion's third Warm Bodies zombie novel (after 2013's series prequel, The New Hunger) continues the story of a postapocalyptic world where some of the walking dead have achieved a sentient state-a conceit that some readers will have trouble buying into. The protagonist, known simply as R, is one of those evolved zombies; 67 days before the book begins, he found an "exit" from an unremembered number of years spent as a mindless flesh eater. During those two months, R's mind has somehow reached the point where he can narrate his biography with luminous prose: "In simpler times, life was a one-act play, and when it was over we took our bows and caught our roses and enjoyed any applause we earned; then the spotlight faded and we shuffled backstage to nibble crackers in the greenroom of eternity." The unconvincing central premise is coupled with a conventional story line, in which R and his allies are confronted by a threat from a militant group of human survivors, and underdeveloped characters, including R's human love interest. (Feb.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Booklist Review
*Starred Review* Marion's Warm Bodies (2011) was a refreshingly unique zombie novel. It told the love story of R, a recovering zombie, and Julie, a human girl. The book's popularity led to a movie and a clamoring for a sequel, but it was clear that in order to continue R and Julie's story, Marion would have to deepen the world building and characters so, instead, he wrote a prequel, The New Hunger (2013). Now, Marion has finally returned with that much-desired sequel. R and Julie are still helping recovering zombies rejoin the slowly healing world, but a new threat flies in a corporate entity known as Axiom, with henchmen, secrecy, and violent domination on their minds. R, Julie, and their friends, including an Axiom employee, end up on the run. What follows is a cross-country journey to discover the truth about just how much of humanity is left out there, but along the way, our heroes also begin to understand more about themselves, their pasts, and how they each fit into the story of the end of the world. With exciting action sequences, intriguing characters, and a much more epic scale to the story, this will leave readers satisfied but eagerly anticipating book four. Suggest to fans of Justin Cronin's Passage trilogy or Mira Grant's Newsflesh series.--Spratford, Becky Copyright 2016 Booklist
Library Journal Review
In the postapocalyptic world established in Warm Bodies, some of the undead are returning to life, like R. But while a few are only "Nearlies"-zombies who are continuing their journeys, R is truly alive. Slowly regaining human memories and skills, R continues to pursue the relationship that grows between him and new love interest Julie. Then the helicopters arrive: the Axiom Group has risen from the ashes to restore order. R, Julie, her best friend Nora, and a few others are on the run, traveling the country looking for answers to this new crisis. But R's recollections may hold clues, and the past may resurface to bite him harder than any zombie could. VERDICT This sequel to Warm Bodies (The New Hunger was a prequel) continues R's quest to personhood and relearning how to function in a world forever changed. [See Prepub Alert, 8/22/16.]-KC © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
