R is a zombie. He doesn't remember how he became one or
even who he used to be. He is satisfied with his
uneventful days, slow thoughts, and stunted speech until
the day he meets Julie. Julie is the girlfriend of a young
man whose brain R just ate, and he sees some of her past
through flashes of her boyfriend's memories. Not knowing
why, R does something he never thought possible. He spares
Julie's life and takes her back with him to the airport
where he lives. During their time together R is inspired
by her vibrancy and finds himself wanting to be more. No
longer content to just exist passively, he begins to think
about himself, his past, and his future. He grows, learns,
and reaches for the humanity that he lost long ago.
Eventually his attitude even starts to affect the other
zombies. But the most amazing change of all is the love he
feels for Julie. Is it possible for a zombie and a living
woman to find a way together in a world filled with fear
and hatred?
WARM BODIES is a unique and poignant story about life,
love, and change. It is very existential in nature,
dealing with the choices R makes given his limited memory
and knowledge. It focuses on his personal growth and
development as he moves away from the narrow existence that
is all he has known. Isaac Marion does an outstanding job
of showing R's progression and his continuous desire to
know and feel more. Julie is maturing as a person as well,
differentiating her beliefs from those of her father and
former boyfriend and understanding that change is possible
no matter how futile things may seem. Anyone who has ever
struggled to rise above their current situation or tried to
change the world for the better can relate to these very
real characters.
The love story is very sweet and gentle. Despite their
differences, R and Julie don't judge one another, and the
feelings that grow between them are real and not fueled by
lust or circumstances. They are natural enemies since
zombies eat the living, and Julie has to protect R from the
living as much as R protects Julie from the zombies. Like
Romeo and Juliet, theirs is a relationship that no one
approves of, and I suspect it is intentional that the
character's names start with the same letters.
Marion's writing style is straightforward, funny and
strong, just like his characters. That combined with an
enjoyable plot makes this a must-read book. You can't help
but be drawn into this post apocalyptic world and route for
love and hope where none should exist. WARM BODIES is the
most unexpected and compelling story I've read this year.
R is a young man with an existential crisis--he is a zombie.
He has no memories, no identity, and no pulse, but he has
dreams. His ability to connect with the outside world is
limited to a few grunted syllables, but his inner life is
deep, full of wonder and longing.
After experiencing a teenage boy's memories while consuming
his brain, R makes an unexpected choice that begins a tense,
awkward, and stragely sweet relationship with the victim's
human girlfriend. Julie is a blast of color in the otherwise
dreary and gray landscape that surrounds R. His choice to
protect her will transform not only R, but his fellow Dead,
and perhaps their whole lifeless world.
Scary, funny, and surprisingly poignant, Warm Bodies
explores what happens when the cold heart of a zombie is
tempted by the warmth of human love.
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