The Aussie Zombie

From the moment I read the synopsis of I Am Alive I knew I wanted to read it – dystopian society, ranking scales and a game where teenagers fight for their lives? It’s like a mash up of every dystopian book that I’ve ever enjoyed, with a bit of romance thrown in for good measure. And I Am Alive certainly didn’t disappoint.

Decca definitely has some secrets, and in the course of the book more and more of them emerge as she fights for her life in a society where you are judged on your potential to be a ‘good’ person in a variety of ways. I really liked her toughness but also her vulnerability, especially when it comes to the people she cares about. Coupled with a great sarcastic sense of humour and an ability to quickly adapt to the situation she finds herself in, she was a great character to ride along with.

The pace of I Am Alive is pretty much full-throttle the whole way through and right from the first page I was intrigued to find out exactly what would happen, and as more of the world was revealed I was more and more hooked in the story. Along with some very imaginative plot lines (genetically modified tigers anyone?!), the action scenes were a great mixture of tension and intensity.

I found the world-building both fun and fascinating and fully appreciated the author’s ability to be both serious and a little bit cliché at the same time. Along with the plot itself being a well-done mixture of dystopian key elements, there are also some fun takes on pop culture and history that I found almost amusing as well as being relevant to the story.

There were a couple of moments that I was confused by what was happening, and the characters are not completely developed (although this is understandable for a first book in a series) and one section where the editing needed a little bit of work, but overall I really enjoyed this fast-paced dystopian with some fun elements thrown in. The ending in particular really stuck with me, so much so that I dreamed I was in that world myself the night after finishing the book….

Read more of my reviews at The Aussie Zombie