Dread Nation

By Justina Ireland

The powerful New York Times bestseller tells the gripping story of a young girl’s journey through a hostile world - Jane McKeene is an unforgettable protagonist, and Dread Nation is an unforgettable book.

Trained at Miss Preston’s School of Combat for Negro Girls in both weaponry and etiquette, Jane McKeene is poised for a successful career protecting the wealthy from the encroaching plague of walking dead. But when families begin to go missing, Jane uncovers a conspiracy that pits her against some powerful enemies. Sent far from home, Jane will need all her resourcefulness, wit and strength of character to survive.

A powerful, compelling tale of a young girl’s journey through a hostile world, Jane McKeene is an unforgettable protagonist, and Dread Nation is an unforgettable book.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Titan Books
• Release date: Feb 26, 2019
• ISBN: 9781789090888

Justina Ireland

Justina Ireland is the New York Times bestselling author of Dread Nation, Deathless Divide, Rust in the Root, and Ophie's Ghosts as well as the Star Wars High Republic novels A Test of Courage, Out of the Shadows, and Mission to Disaster. She is also the cocreator of the middle grade horror series The Tales from Cabin 23 and the author of the series' first book, The Boo Hag Flex. She lives with her family in Maryland, where she enjoys dark chocolate and dark humor and is not too proud to admit that she’s still afraid of the dark. You can visit her online at justinaireland.com.

Reviews for Dread Nation

[montzaleew · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

read Nation #1 by Justina Ireland is a book I found from the library. I got the audible version. Now, I don't normally read historical fiction even if it is altered and I hate reading books those that have slaves or racism but this book has both! Why I started it I will never know but once I started I couldn't stop. Our main character is a gal born from a rich white plantation last while the Lord of the major had been gone fighting in the Civil War. Our gal came out black and was almost killed by the midwife but saved by your auntie. This is a land of shamblers, we would call them zombies. When she is old enough she is sent to mandatory "Negro" schools to learn to fight them. This is a very exciting and frustrating book. Sometimes I wasn't sure who was really the monsters! I had a love/hate relationship with this book! The narration was absolutely brilliant! Perfect in every way!

[sheila1957 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Jane is at Miss Preston's school to learn how to defend and protect in the hope she will be hired by an elite family. What she gets is the lessons but is then sent west to protect a town. The secrets she learns cause her to seek her freedom. I liked Jane. She is kick-ass and determined. She knows what is what and is not willing to pretend that those is power care about her or those of her class. She is also smart. She has the skills to save herself and the empathy to save her friends if possible. I had a hard time putting this book down. I hope the sequel comes soon. I want to know if Jane makes it. Loved this book!

[heatherlinc · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Well, "Dread Nation" was a pleasant surprise. When I found out it was about zombies, I was reluctant to read it, but I am so glad I did. I was hooked from the first page and just wanted to keep reading until I reached the last one.Action-packed, with a great storyline, and set at the end of the American Civil War, this was one epic read. I loved Jane. Not only was she a Negro, she was also intelligent, stubborn, sarcastic and a fighter. I was cheering for her from the start. I also adored Katherine. At the start she annoyed me with her prissiness, but she ended up being a fabulous character and a loyal friend. The dialogue between her and Jane often had me laughing out loud, and the development of their relationship was one of the book's highlights.The secondary characters were just as likeable including Duchess, Gideon and Red Jack. However, there were some truly evil characters in this book as well, and I'm not talking about the undead. Pastor Snyder and his son, the local sheriff, were vile, and I hated them with a vengeance.Even though "Dread Nation" was a lot of fun, it also dealt with some serious issues including racism and slavery, and the author did a wonderful job creating a very entertaining, believable alternate history, and I can't wait to see what adventures Justina Ireland has next for Jane and Katherine. Loved it!

[cindywho-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A plucky heroine is in training to fight zombies just after the American Civil War - exciting and clever - this story really works its premise well and I can't wait to read more.

[liscarey · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Honestly, I hate zombie novels. And this is a zombie novel.So, it makes perfect sense that I love it, right?This is set after an alternate Civil War, that started the way ours did, and changes and ends when the battle dead start rising and attacking their fellow soldiers. Sherman's march from Atlanta to the sea happens, but the main point is to burn the zombies, or, as they are called here, shamblers. The slaves are freed, "combat schools" are opened for the freed slaves and the Indians, teaching them to fight shamblers and, for the black girls at least, teaching them to be refined attendants as well as guards for rich white ladies.Jane and Katherine are two of these girls in training to be attendants, in their final year at Miss Preston's School, just outside Baltimore. Baltimore boasts of being the safest city in the country. It might well be, but that doesn't mean nearly as much as most people think. And "darkies" like them are tasked with protecting the town, behind its impressive wall, so that white people can live lives not that different from pre-war plantation days.Or at least that's the goal. Some of the white people are there voluntarily, fully bought into the scheme. Others agreed to go only because they were threatened with worse alternatives. The town is run by Survivalists, who claim the shambler plague came upon the nation because of the sin of egalitarianism, the belief that all people are basically equal and that slavery is wrong.Jane and Kate need to figure out how to survive, and whether they can save anyone but themselves.They are smart, tough girls, with very different personalities and a tendency to annoy the heck out of each other. They also did very well in their training at Miss Preston's School, And even when they are thinking that they truly dislike each other, and have realized that Miss Preston was deeply involved in the treachery that sends them west, they remember that as Miss Preston's girls, they need to rely on each other.A zombie book, and I love it anyway.Recommended.I borrowed this book from my local library.

[aliceap-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Dread Nation: Rise Up by Justina Ireland is the first of a series about an alternate version of Civil War America where zombies roam the earth. Race and slavery are major themes of the story as well as feminism. In fact, it's black females that are sent to special schools to train to fight the undead ("shamblers") and protect their white employers. The reader follows Jane, a student at one of the more prestigious combat schools. While Jane is a talented fighter she is not gifted in the art of gentility (which is really just bowing down to societal pressures). In a lot of ways, this is a typical zombie apocalypse story with the requisite gore, guts, and guns. However, the setting, time period, and atypical female protagonist make for an exciting change of pace. I really enjoyed Dread Nation but some loose ends could have been tied off (and if they're not addressed in subsequent volumes I'm gonna be peeved). Fast paced, a good twist on a classic genre, and quality writing make this an A+ young adult novel for the zombie lover in your life. (Question: Witch, vampire, werewolf, or zombie? True fans will understand the importance of this question.) Bonus content at the back of the book: Indian American boarding schools were used as inspiration for the Negro and Indian combat schools described in this book. 8/10 with a few points deducted because the ending could have been tighter.

[wyvernfriend · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Interesting premise. What if during the American Civil War the dead arose and started laying waste to America. One bite is all it takes. The government decides that it will use young black and native americans to fight these undead, training them in academies quite like the boarding schools used to "civilise" Native Americans in the same period and later. It features period doctoring; deeply embedded racism and sexism of the highest order. Along with nefarious plots and skulduggery.Jane McKeene is an interesting character with a lot going on in her life. The cast is full of complicated people most of whom are just lazily racist and Jane is determined to survive.

[lisalangford_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I experienced this book as an audio book and loved it! Zombies during the Civil War, as told from the point of view of a black young lady going to school to fight zombies to protect white families. Well done!

[cathishaw · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Imagine if the American Civil War was also the scene of the zombie apocalypse? That's exactly what Justina Ireland does in her novel, Dread Nation.As if slavery and war weren't enough, now Jane has to contend with zombies! Jane's white mother is a plantation owner who had a desire for the black slaves who worked on her plantation. When Jane was born, she insisted on raising her daughter as her own even though (based on Jane's dark skin) the father is not her mother's husband. When that husband returns home from the war infected with the zombie virus, he is killed and Jane is sent to an unorthodox finishing school: Miss Preston's School of Combat. But things don't seem quite right - as friends and family begin to disappear, Jane begins to get suspicious but before she can truly investigate she finds herself in a utopian town out west where things are not quite as perfect as her friends would have her believe.This was a fun and unique read. The premise is so outside-the-box, that I was intrigued. And Jane is a strong, independent protagonist that had me hooked from page one. A fast paced adventure with zombies thrown into the mix makes this book tough to put down.

[sprainedbrain · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a really good audiobook. Alternate history where the Civil War ended due to the beginning of the zombie apocalypse. Loaded with race and feminist issues, strong female characters, great dialogue, and lots of zombie action. No annoying YA tropes and the audio is narrated by one of my favorite narrators - Bahni Turpin.

[cavernism · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I didn't expect to read not one but TWO historical fiction zombie young adult novels, but such is the way of the world. In this one, the zombies are called "shamblers" and they're inserted into Reconstructionist America in a clever way that deals with racial politics. I thought the book did some smart things, but I didn't personally get invested in the story. But I'll chalk that up to just not being in a very zombie mood.

[bdartnall_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

"Jane McKeene was born two days before the dead began to walk the battlefields of Gettysburg and Chancellorsville—derailing the War Between the States and changing America forever. In this new nation, safety for all depends on the work of a few, and laws like the Native and Negro Reeducation Act require certain children attend combat schools to learn to put down the dead. But there are also opportunities—and Jane is studying to become an Attendant, trained in both weaponry and etiquette to protect the well-to-do. It’s a chance for a better life for Negro girls like Jane. After all, not even being the daughter of a wealthy white Southern woman could save her from society’s expectations.But that’s not a life Jane wants. Almost finished with her education at Miss Preston’s School of Combat in Baltimore, Jane is set on returning to her Kentucky home and doesn’t pay much mind to the politics of the eastern cities, with their talk of returning America to the glory of its days before the dead rose. But when families around Baltimore County begin to go missing, Jane is caught in the middle of a conspiracy, one that finds her in a desperate fight for her life against some powerful enemies. And the restless dead, it would seem, are the least of her problems.At once provocative, terrifying, and darkly subversive, Dread Nation is Justina Ireland’s stunning vision of an America both foreign and familiar—a country on the brink, at the explosive crossroads where race, humanity, and survival meet."-J Ireland webpageDidn't think I'd enjoy this book much because zombies aren't my thing - but Ireland crafts her characters so well, esp the intrepid, foolhardy but courageous Jane- WOW-what a "kick butt" heroine!! and gets you well established in Jane's back story, the weird world of the 1870s America with Negroes emancipated but certainly not accepted as citizens or equals with their white "betters" - and the political/economic situation with the scourge of the zombies -"shamblers" -overtaking villages & towns everywhere, and the rise of "Attendants"- so weird, but Ireland makes it work, using it to build suspense & get Jane and her friends sent away from the eastern seaboard to the wilds of a Kansas outpost. At this point, the pace (& danger) increases, and I couldn't stop reading... AND Ireland also takes her tone from the typical 18th-19th century bildungsroman (i.e. in the spirit of some Dickens novel, or Moby Dick) and definitely hints of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, with her own irreverent anti-hero narrator, sometimes providing humorous asides or thoughts but delivered in an earnest way- loved this. Even the chapter titles tips off the reader:"A Prologue: In Which I am Born and Someone Tries to Murder Me" to "In Which I Look the Fool" etc. Her sly humor is an interesting counterpoint to the serious viciousness of the society in which Jane must survive. American racial history, post Civil War society, the Western in all its motifs, and a rousing, hair-raising series of pitched battles between the growing hordes of shamblers and militias, townsfolk, and Attendants. Ends without ending so surely, surely there's a sequel coming?

[ladycato · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This book could be classified as horror--not simply because of the zombie menace that is plaguing late 19th-century America, but because of the horrific racism endured by Jane and other characters in this YA book. The Civil War changed abruptly when the dead begin to rise at Gettysburg. Zombies are a hazard of daily life over a decade later. In keeping with the thought at the time, freed blacks, Native Americans, and other 'lessers' are trained up to be zombie slayers to keep the white population safe. Jane is such a young woman: impulsive, proud, and a darn good killer. However, the fools in charge in Baltimore are more dangerous than the undead, and when Jane discovers some dark machinations, she can't leave well enough alone.There was a lot of buzz around this book, and though I love historical fiction, I also don't typically favor zombie books. However, with this up for the Norton Award, I was glad to find it available from my local library. I found Dread Nation to be a fast read. The horrific racism is uncomfortable to read--as it should be. I tried to skim the zombie bits. Jane is the type of character who can sometimes grate on my nerves with her impulsiveness, but I liked her. She's easy to relate to, and her yearning for home and her mama is heart-wrenching. The book does shift settings in a major way, and in the end, I found that threw me off more than anything else. There are several elements around the situation there that I had difficulty believing, and the villains kept pretty close to type (second time in the past month I've had the evil preacher trope in a book, sigh). Still, easy to zoom through and overall enjoyable, and I can see why it garnered the Norton nom.

[rivkat_2 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The zombie uprising interrupted the Civil War, which was put aside while everyone fought the dead. Now Negroes (nominally freed) and Indians are put on the front lines, with more or less preparation to fight depending on circumstance. Jane, whose mother is the mistress of a Southern plantation, is at a high-class training school, preparing to be a white lady’s attendant if she can only master etiquette as well as she wields a blade. But events in Baltimore, and her former beau, conspire to put her in lots more trouble. It’s a cracking read, even for someone like me who doesn’t like zombies in general—a great premise and Jane makes a wonderful, hard-headed heroine against great odds.

[titania86_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Two days after Jane McKeene was born, the dead rose at the battle of Gettysburg and changed everything. Now that the North and South are more focused on fighting the dead rather than each other, the Native and Negro Re-education Act requires Native and African American children to enroll in combat schools in order to protect the general public from zombies as attendants. Jane takes classes in Miss Preston's School of Combat for Negro Girls, excelling in combat (except rifles) and falling short in etiquette. As she nears the end of her education, families around Baltimore County are disappearing at an alarming rate and no one seems to know why.Dread Nation is an alternative history of the Civil War with zombies with fleshed out characters and relevant social and political commentary. Jane is a fiery teen who can fight zombies with relative ease through training and practice. Even though she knows she's good at what she does, she is still plagued with insecurities about her appearance and hopeless in the face of a society constructed to keep her down. The Re-education Act had armed officers take her away from her family to attend school while the school officials kept her from communicating with her family and actively sabotaged her efforts at the school. Jane makes some rash decisions that go against social niceties because she sensibly values survival and safety about those niceties. She deftly recognizes what people expect of her and changes her demeanor to get them to underestimate her or surprise them with her intelligence and skill, depending on the situation. Watching her navigate this world is frustrating because of how everything is stacked against her.The Re-education Act is only one aspect of the legal enslavement of nonwhite Americans even after slavery was supposedly made illegal. The Survivalist Party has gained momentum with their message of keeping the natural order of things, specifically the racist notion that Native and African Americans should serve white people and protect them at all costs. One of the most disgusting displays of such racism is when a crackpot doctor has a black man bitten by a zombie to show his innate resistance to the disease. Of course it's all bunk, but everyone just allows him to do it (except Jane who is chastised for speaking out of turn) even when many know he is wrong. The vast majority of the crowd saw that man as inhuman and the others were kept silent by social norms. Slavery is also still legal in loopholes like enslaving criminals and considering zombie bitten people as inhuman (even if those wounds can't be proved to be zombie bites). The zombies of this world are as unique as the alternative history. There are two strains of the disease: the Gettysburg strain that turns people after death and the Custer strain that changes the living after a bit. The first strain (named after its place of origin) evolved into the second (named after the man killed by his own infected men). Early symptoms of the disease include yellow eyes and seizures. They can turn between a few minutes and an hour after being bitten. Newly turned zombies are as fast as humans and slow with age. They don't feel pain and tend to congregate in hordes. Their hearing is better than normal but their sight is worse. They can be killed by destroying hte brain or removing the head as usual. As the book goes on, Jane suspects that zombies have some sort of intelligence in how they attack cities and their awareness of people/food.Dread Nation had me reading for long hours. I couldn't put down this story and didn't predict what would happen. The social and political commentary definitely brings out some parallels to our own society such as institutionalized racism, legal slavery, the Alt-Right, the normalization of white supremacy on the politcal right, and their use of religion. Ireland does such a wonderful job of building her world, infusing it with relevant criticism and parallels, and creating engaging characters. I can't wait for the next book in the series to come out. Highly recommended on all fronts.

[geoffhabiger · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Dread Nation, by Justina Ireland is an action-packed tale blending the struggles of one young African-American girl in a post-apocalyptic “Old West” world. Jane McKeene is born into a world struggling through the greatest conflict a young nation has faced – the American Civil War. But things take a decidedly more dangerous turn as within days of Jane’s birth the dead suddenly begin walking and cause havoc upon a nation already mired in war. Nobody knows how the undead plague happened, but now Shamblers roam the land and threaten the survival of civilization itself. The story takes place 17 years later, where Jane is enrolled in the prestigious Miss Preston’s School of Combat in Baltimore, Maryland. There Jane is learning the skills necessary to become an Attendant – a woman trained in the art of etiquette as well as combat using sickles, scythe, and gun, so they can be hired to wealthy women as body guards. Jane doesn’t care about being an Attendant and only wants to return to her home and her mother at Rosehill plantation in Kentucky. But Jane soon finds herself embroiled in a political conspiracy and is sent west where she must fight for her very survival.Dread Nation is a wonderful tale of adventure and Justina Ireland has delivered a strong character in Jane McKeene. Jane is a hot-tempered, brash, single-minded, restless, and strong willed young woman. She is quick to tell a lie when it suits her (which is nearly always), often speaks when she should be listening, and keeps many secrets about her past and her family close to her. She is also practical, very intelligent, a skilled tactician and is very accomplished at dispatching Shamblers, preferably with a sickle – her favorite weapon – but just as easily with a gun or sword. Through Jane’s eyes, and snippets of letters between her and her mother, we learn about the world that is a post-apocalypse United States in the 1880’s. Justina has done a superb job of creating a post-Civil War U.S. that has been devastated by the undead plague. From the idea of the Attendants, who are trained and hired to protect women of means, to the intricate politics between Egalitarians and Survivalists, this is a fully thought out and detailed world. I can’t wait to see more of this world and what will happen to Jane.I did not have any problems or issues with the story. The other characters, such as Katherine and Jackson, provided a nice contrast to Jane. The minor characters, from the teachers at Miss Preston’s, the Mayor of Baltimore, and the Sheriff and his goons in Kansas, were a bit more stereotypical in the way they were portrayed, but they served a purpose to the story; their backward ideas about race and the undead plague providing a sharp contrast for the reader to better understand the complexities and motivations for Jane. I listened to the audiobook version narrated by Bahni Turpin, who has done another outstanding job of bringing these characters to life. Her range of voices made each character unique. My one problem with the production of the audiobook was the long pauses between paragraphs in the narration. This was distracting and that feeling never quite left me. A pause is necessary, but the length of these was too long.I highly recommend Dread Nation. If you love stories of a post-apocalyptic world (even one set in the 19th century) this book is for you. Justina Ireland has created a masterful tale of action, adventure, and powerful characters that will grab your attention. You won’t want to put the book down (or pause the audio).

[kathl33n-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I'm not sure how this got on my TBR since it is YA, so I went into it with a bit of trepidation. I needn't have worried, it was great! Jane, the MC, is so likable and such a bad-ass that I was immediately drawn into the story. There are a lot of subjects for deep discussions (race, politics, feminism, religion - just to name a few) but I chose to keep it light and not dwell heavily in any of them and I had the best time reading this. Can't wait for the next one.

[ellegato · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is one of the best YA books I've read in a long time.

REASONS:

1. One of my top complaints about YA/GENRE BOOKS IN GENERAL is the lack of real, substantial friendships between girls/women. It's so heartbreakingly rare to read about girls who care about one another, fight for each other, maybe fight WITH each other but always respect one another. The relationship at the heart of Dread Nation is between Jane and Katherine and it resonates SO STRONGLY. Jane comes to understand that for all Katherine's privilege, she still lives a life of danger, of lies, of pain. And Katherine comes to respect Jane's impulsiveness, her fearlessness, her ability to do what needs to be done. Jane and Katherine's friendship is never once sidelined for a romantic plot, even when Jane expresses jealousy of Katherine's appearance. Jane VALUES Katherine and they help EACH OTHER. It's sad this is so rare but this book gets it so exactly right

2. There are no mean girls v. The Super Special Not-Like-Other-Girls heroine. There are girls who are definitely not nice but Jane recognizes that they are the way they are because just surviving can make folks mean. Jane has sympathy for those who have turned mean in the face of a cruel, awful world and even though she doesn't let this sympathy stop her from protecting herself and her friends, the fact that she grapples with it is very well-done and well-expressed.

3. THE PACING IS ON POINT?? Like this is a huge issue in a lot of genre novels because worldbuilding takes up so much time and can sometimes drag a story down but this book is paced very well. The beats between the action scenes are effective and never feel like padding. It's overall a very strongly-constructed book.

4. Ok I get that this is a personal thing so others may not find this appealing but THE ROMANCE ELEMENTS IN THIS BOOK ARE SO SUBTLE AND NOT OVERBEARING AND I APPRECIATE THIS SO MUCH LIKE LOW-LEVEL ROMANCE IS MY THING

5. Not only is this book ownvoices and not only are the main characters almost all black but there are also characters that (without using the terms) express bisexual and aro-ace identities without those identities being used for shock plot value.

6. I'm not a big zombie person tbh like, I tend to avoid zombie books in general because...honestly I don't know why. I've just never really been into the whole walking dead sub-genre. But I love alt-history. I have my graduate degree in history, history is kinda my thing and I love reading takes on how history could've been different. On how things could've changed the past. And the introduction of zombies into Civil War-era America is incredibly original and interesting. I love how zombies (aka shamblers) both radically alter 19th century America but, at the same time, don't change the down-deep prejudices and systemic injustices that characterized American society at the time. It's realistic and well-done and the historian in me was incredibly intrigued at the alternate world of this novel.

OVERALL THIS WAS A REALLY GOOD BOOK OK YOU ALL SHOULD READ IT IMMEDIATELY

[thegenreminx · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Reading stories that are filled with oppression, especially of the racial variety, is always very tough for me. I usually end up getting so very angry at the oppressors that I just can’t finish the book. I knew that going in, Dread Nation was going to be one of those stories that could be hit or miss for me. Turns out it was an absolute hit, but it was in no way an easy read. There is plenty of action, an element of mystery, and humor but what there was an apparent absence of is fairness. Nothing is fair in this story. Do not expect for there to be any sunshine and rainbows or HEA’s. This story is about survival and survival is not always pretty.Jane McKeene, a Negro, was born shortly before the dead rose up to walk the world. She has known nothing beyond what the world became after the zombies destroyed everything. Slavery had been abolished but shortly after Congress had funded the Negro and Native Reeducation Act to have schools started like Miss Preston’s School of Combat for Negro Girls. It was determined that Negros and Native Americans were “resistant” to the bite of shamblers (zombies) and therefore should be taught how to become attendants to protect the white people from falling prey.Jane and her classmates at Miss Preston’s School of Combat for Negro Girls were taught how to kill shamblers in the most efficient manner possible. Jane may have been the top of her class in many ways but she definitely did not fit the mold that the instructors were trying to force her in. She was extremely intelligent and was very aware of societies perceptions of her abilities. Everything changed for Jane when someone she was close to asked for her help in finding a sibling. While trying to discover what may have happened to the missing family Jane stumbled upon a conspiracy that had dire consequences.Jane is truly a unique character in that she is aware of the unfairness equated to her and those of Negro and Native American race but her knowledge does not stop her from rising above it and doing what is right. Not to say that Jane is “good” per se because she was no stranger to letting others take the fall for her actions or bending the rules and laws when it suited her but she does whatever she can to protect those around her whether they deserve it or not. I loved this about her character! She was sweet, saucy, and fierce!The writing was thought provoking, painted a clear picture of the events between characters, and was paced very well. What I wanted more of was world development. I have an understanding of history and can imagine what the country would have looked like but with the story being told from Jane’s perspective it was based upon only what she saw or interacted with. So, in my mind’s eye if I was to imagine what was beyond a wall I was left to my own imagination. That might not matter to some but it matters to me in story that is set in an alternate world. Overall though, Dread Nation is an amazing read, and even better, is part of a series! I am eagerly awaiting the sequel and am dying to see where the story goes!This review is based on a complimentary book I received from Edelweiss+. It is an honest and voluntary review. The complimentary receipt of it in no way affected my review or rating.

[jackofmanytrades-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book is just stunning. I tore through it in half a day, the way a shambler might tear through a living man's throat. Jane is just a stunning protagonist, so smart and competent and with her secrets we visit and revisit over the course of the book. She's amazing. She made some rash decisions, but I never felt like the author had shoved the idiot ball in her hands. Jane is everything I love in a character.Kate is the opposite of that, but it's a testament to the author that I grew to like Kate at the same time Jane did. Red Jack, Jane's friend and ex, tends to go off half-cocked. Kate can be a bit too cautious. Jane is the balance that makes it work, because she's pragmatic and brilliant.I'm looking forward to a sequel because I want to see more of not just the characters but the world. There's a hint of magic, a lot of worldbuilding underneath the prairie, and I want to see what else is going on here.

[taurusreader · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A fantastic Alternate History about the ending of the Civil War and the Zombies who are taking over the world.

[christianr_899499 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The Civil War ended when the dead rose and began eating living people. Slaves were freed, but black youth were required to go to combat schools to train to kill the shamblers for good and to protect whites. The author based these schools on the schools that many Native American children were sent to to take the "Indian" out of them. The main character in the book, Jane, is quite good at killing shamblers but not as good at keeping out of trouble with whites. She and two friends are caught snooping in the mayor's house and as punishment are sent to the West, a supposed utopia for upper class people while blacks are forced to defend the town. It is a place with many secrets and Jane is determined to uncover the truth.

[virginiahomeschooler · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was a fantastic alternate history that is so much more than it seems on the surface. Yes, there are zombies (or shamblers), but at it's heart this is the story of a young woman's attempt to survive in a world that's determined to break her down. And there just happen to be zombies milling about. Don't get me wrong - I love a good zombie book, and this has some great action-packed zombie butt kicking. But, there's so much more to this hugely entertaining book. Even if you're not big on YA, I'd highly recommend this one.

[shellypya · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

When families go missing in Baltimore County, Jane McKeene, who is studying to become an Attendant, finds herself in the middle of a conspiracy that has her fighting for her life against powerful enemies.

[acargile-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This novel is along the lines of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. The novel is set after the Civil War, but it’s not the history you know. The war never actually ended because the Undead started killing/eating/biting (pick your favorite verb) everyone. Therefore, the equality of the black American isn’t settled. The black people are forced into training--they are the people who are supposed to fight the Undead because they are no more than animals and are expendable, according to the white people. Jane, a young black girl and daughter of a white woman, was raised knowing her worth and allowed to read and use her brain. She wasn’t told that she was stupid or worthless. She is, however, still rounded up and sent to Miss Preston’s School of Combat in Baltimore. It’s here where she learns to kill the Undead. She’s tough and she’s a survivor. This school makes her more lethal.After finishing school, the students become Attendants and spend their lives protecting the white women they are assigned to or purchased by--that was unclear to me. Of course, they could also die from being bit. The Undead are growing in numbers and it’s only a matter of time before more towns will cease to exist because they are overrun. Jane’s unlikely ally is another girl who can pass as white, Katherine, who is just as capable as Jane, making them an unbeatable pair. She also has Jackson as an ally who is a black young man who knows his way around and is as capable of fighting as she is. The three of them end up linked together to discover the truth of what is really going on politically. As black people were subjugated to abuse and forced to answer to an Overseer, the Survivalist party has a similar structure. Jane, Jackson, and Katherine are pawns in this chess game--they are treated like chattel yet expected to fight to save the white people; and, they are trying to survive life, in general, and not get bitten. The challenge is how to escape the clutches of the evil white man and save America.The author states that after seeing the death of Michael Ferguson in 2014, she knew how to put the story in her head into a cohesive novel. She knew she wanted zombies, a combat school, a black protagonist, and an intriguing survivor’s tale. It’s the environment that she didn’t have in which to place these elements. To believe that prejudicism doesn’t exist is naive. By placing the tale in the 1800s without a Civil War ending, Ireland can also comment on the wrongness of believing anyone is above another due to race or gender. It’s a fun and somewhat silly novel with the undead in the midst of a very serious topic about equality. I wasn’t enraptured by the novel because the writing style couldn’t pull me in. Jane’s voice wasn’t consistent to me. Even though she claimed to act as expected, hiding her intelligence by talking like she’s uneducated, I found her speech inconsistent. Her voice seemed forced and I never fell into the novel. I always felt separate. Would I read the second novel? If I had time, but I’m not dying to. A synopsis and I’d be fine--just to know what happened to some of the characters. I think middle schoolers will enjoy it more than I did.

[deslivres5 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Dread Nation by Justina Ireland is alternate post Civil War history with the United States full of zombies!Main characters Jane and Kate, two students at Miss Preston's School of Combat, are full of surprises and are just too cool!I listened to the audiobook narrated by the always fabulous Bahni Turpin.The writing is very vivid: I could picture this as a movie.I can't wait to read its sequel, Deathless Divide.

[infjsarah · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This has been on my TBR for a long time and I was finally able to borrow it from the public library. I didn't love it but it was readable enough for me to read the follow up novel eventually.

[guide2_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Interesting mix of slavery and zombies, with a dash of the impact of the Indian residential school system that is a very contemporary topic. Somewhat YA, but very readable overall. Looking forward to the second book.

[amcheri-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I loved this book. Loved it.

[whatsmacksaid · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I usually have a hard time enjoying zombie apocalypse books because the scale of cultural, technological, scientific, and historical loss tends to really bother me above and beyond what the story addresses. That was not an issue in Dread Nation, because we are shown the true underbelly of American white supremacy and it's very obvious how little is actually worth saving. I loved that aspect of this book. It's subversive and implicit, but I was ready to burn it all down alongside Jane.