Review: "The Girl With All The Gifts" by M. R. Carey
- Natasha Whearity
- Jan 13, 2016
- 3 min read
When I first picked up The Girl With All The Gifts, I wasn't sure what to expect.
I'd heard rave reviews from nearly everyone I spoke to, the kind attached to cult classics. But on opening the book I had no idea a) what the book was about or b) whether it was the kind of genre I liked reading. All I had was: you must read it. I went in with an open mind, but high expectations.
The first part did not disappoint: girl kept in a cell, taught like a normal school girl, strapped to a wheelchair, fed insects, showered in chemicals, experimented on by creepy doctor is bound to make anyone intrigued. Carey had a way of writing that was his own: tongue and cheek, punchy, disturbing, sci-fi.
The narration was highly entertaining, particular juxtaposed against the naive but super intelligent protagonist Melanie, a young girl turned hungry who has a huge crush on her teacher at the base Miss Justineau. That was one of the strongest points alongside the cracking beginning and cracking ending. It was the bit in the middle that concerned me most.
Whilst I enjoy zombie film and literature, the journey to get to a safer place story plot has been slightly overdone - see The Walking Dead, World War Z. Although I understand that there are only limited areas that a novel can venture to when it is of the zombie kind, I found this a disappointing move from Carey particular since he had started out with such a unique idea. When the narrative began to creep into this arc I immediately grew detached from the book - since the book had begun in such a different way and was so rare and exciting and different in its approach, I wanted the main plot to be quite different too.
However, I was proved wrong.
Carey did something quite unbelievable. He made quite a generic journey story plot extremely interesting.
This wasn't just down to the main characters - Melanie, Miss Justineau, Dr Caldwell, Sergeant Parks and Private Kieran Gallagher, an interesting and clashing assortment of people who really bounced off one another in frustration and friendship - who were realistic and amusing caricatures that suited Carey's style and who were also highly flawed, cough cough Dr Caldwell, but it was also down to the detail. This included the 'hungries' they encountered on their journey either singing and looking at pictures or pushing prams with dead babies in; the character determined decisions the characters took; and the bleak but sweet ending that ended in a unique and satisfying way. Another thing that really impressed me was the scientific detail in the biology. Ophiocordyceps is a word that I will never forget, particularly given its realistic connotations. The fact that Carey delved into the science behind the zombie made the novel feel even more real, even more frightening.
Reading The Girl With All The Gifts in both written and audio format, gave me a really unique reading experience also. Hats off to Finty Williams who did a fantastic job at portraying the characters and story in the audio adaptation. Her soft voice really ground against the gritty exterior of the words and this was thoroughly enjoyable to listen to.
If I had to rate this book, I would say it was a solid 8/10. The characters, the concept and the ending were fantastic, but I wanted something to hook onto in the middle before the journey story arc became interesting. I would certainly recommend this book. It really is a gift to the sci-fi genre.
M. R. Carey's latest novel Fellside (a separate novel, not a sequel) comes out in Hardback on 7th April 2016.
The film of the same name, starring Gemma Arteton and Glenn Close is currently in production, though a release date has not yet been issued.
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