Book Review: Dread Nation by Justina Ireland

Jane McKeen grows up in a world of fear. The War Between the States ended not due to wins on the battle field, but rather the fact that the dead have risen and the North and the South have a common enemy: zombies. As a mixed race girl in the Baltimore area, Jane's opportunities are limited, and she chooses to go to the best school in the nation to train to be a lady's companion, or a zombie killer trained to act like a lady.

Of course, while the North may have prevailed, old attitudes remain, and for as much as Jane wants to move on, she is always suspicious of people and their motives.

Her suspicions seem right, and her life saving actions and instincts cause a lot of trouble. She is sent away from the world she knows to help build an ideal city, a city that is to prove that the un-dead are no match for the living. Of course, a city so perfect has to have its own dark secrets.

Dread Nation is a fast paced, page turning, action packed ride. You don't know who to trust, or who your allies are, but you have to trust someone, even if it is yourself. Jane is an awesome main characters, not defined by her gender or the color of her skin, and her partner in crime, Katherine, is a frustrating ally that you might find yourself cheering for as well.

Fans of zombies, alternate histories, and girls who kick butt won't want to miss Dread Nation by Justina Ireland.

I'll see you @ the library!
Katie