Dread Nation WINNER VS. Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus.

From Gail: I thought I wouldn't be interested at all in Dread Nation. American Civil war - no thanks. Zombies - yuck. Boy was I wrong. I was taken in by the bad ass, give no damns, strong character, Jane. The issues Jane faces in Dread Nation go so much deeper than the nasty shamblers who seem to be evolving as the story progresses (yikes!). These issues are what makes the story so compelling: racism, sexism, class distinctions, and even residential schools make Jane's struggles quite timely and engaging.  Dread Nation is a page turner and the clear winner of this round.

Our other heroine from Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus is Aven. She is a delightful, resilient, funny teenager who, along with her misfit pals, help our readers with their empathy toward disability and difference. This book reminded me of John Green's bestseller, The Fault in Our Stars with a little Anne of Green Gables sprinkled on top. Heck Aven is an adopted red head after all! 

From Colin and Linda: The Insignificant Events in the Life of the Cactus

The word, “quick” might fairly describe the pace of events in this story situated in the parched Arizona desert. On that note, Linda and I agreed that it was a quick read with an incredibly quick conclusion to a brief mystery. 

Modest criticism aside, we both embraced the author’s positive take on the resilience required of individuals - especially middle school kids - with unique physical and mental challenges. In Linda’s words, the characters are not unlike a “trio of musketeers” whose comradery and antics save the day and leave their adversaries bewildered. 

In brief, a suitable book for many teen readers.

Dread Nation

Neither of us generally go out of our way to watch or read about the walking dead, however this novel kept us captivated!  

We sincerely enjoyed the combination of the post-civil war context, the stealthy street-smart heroine, and the many ways the undead were relieved of their upper extremities. 

Not lost amongst the zombie-versus-human shenanigans peppered generously throughout the book, was the author’s message about the social license some groups enjoy to discriminate and exploit the labour of others. A case could maybe be made that the author is suggesting that zombies weren’t so much the enemy, but simply the lowest caste so to speak in a hierarchy dominated by the fair-skinned true believer. 

Case in point, we were both intrigued by the tinkerer and his steam punk inspired inventions - a zombie powered electrical grid! Not a zombie union rep within a hundred miles of the place!

On a cautionary note, the “modest” teen reader might be a little put off by references to houses of ill repute and painted ladies.  By comparison, you’ll likely find both Linda and me flipping through the gritty, dare I say salacious, pages of the sequel. 

Submitted by Colin Woelfle and Linda Freeman  (SMS--Team 12)
Our "up to her eyeballs in progress reports" colleague Shelley says "ditto, Dread Nation for the win"