Having always been an avid bookworm, I decided it was about time to start writing about what I read. The Good. The Bad. And everything in between.
There was no particular logic in how I chose my first book to review. It was more of a feeling. I just plucked a book off my shelf and went on reading. Zombie Abbey probably sounds like a strange choice, especially for someone just starting out like me, but honestly, if anything it made it even better because I had just watched the entire Downton Abbey series with my sister (and I kid you not, this is real). That same week this book hit shelves, so not only was it a new release but I was also basically an expert in the topic.
So here we are, me publishing My Very First Book Review (SO bear with me, it may be rough)
Hmmm, where to start? Let’s see what first drew my attention was the whole idea of asking myself what would happen if the cast of Downton had to face a case of zombies like their earlier ancestors in Pride and Prejudice did, and well I got my answer. This seemed to be a perfect match for my already brimming shelves and how could I not read something that put two of my favourites together (Downton Abbey and Walking Dead)!
Straight off the bat you feel the Downton energy, it’s in the writing and the atmosphere and even in the characters such as Lady Katherine with her haughty, above everyone else manner that Lady Mary is known for. That being said I must say although put off at first by the way it seemed to rip off the show (not in a good way) I finished the book feeling like it had its own identity.
Baratz-Logsted was smart. Crafting chapters with a focus on one or a few characters at a time helped with the flow of the story and made the characters get enough time to tell their perspective as the events unfolded. It allowed me as a reader to see the personalities of so many characters. It made it fresh. It’s as if Baratz-Logsted could anticipate what the reader would be thinking and then created the next chapter accordingly.
But you know what really sold me on this book? The humour! As soon as something was needed to lighten up everyone’s moods, humour was added! Making a chapter in the perspective of the two cats, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern was perfect. It gave an original thought that myself as a reader never even thought to cross my mind and yet it livened up the story while still keeping it important to the main plot. Everything that was written belonged as it contributed to the overall zombie plight. Being a cat person myself I always wished Downton Abbey had a cat opposed to a dog (even though Isis was adorable!) So this was a welcomed change to the beloved show.
However, a lot of the central characters seemed to be tightly reminiscent of the tv show counterparts such as Mr. Wright and Mr. Carson. The manner in which he spoke and carried himself got me picturing Carson down to the stiff and unrelenting manner he took pride in. By the end of the book it got me re-evaluating this because it was his stiffness in which helped create the humour used to break up tense moments like when he was baffled about Fanny wearing one of Lizzy’s dresses. He demanded that she take it off right that instant leaving readers laughing at her response, “This instant? And what? Do you want to see me in my knickers?” His flustered nature could only be possible with a character based like Mr. Carson because only he would be that embarrassed that he had suggested such a thing!
I think I want to reward Raymond Allen as the most changed character of all. I pegged him as a wimp that was surely going to run away as soon as the getting got tough but remarkably I was wrong and he didn’t. The guy couldn’t even dress himself so how was he supposed to survive a zombie apocalypse? This alone made me think he was going to be one of the first to die but by the time I finished I was relieved that he was safe.
One of the most important things to take away from this novel is the utter concept that women can take care of themselves and don’t need a man to survive. Lady Lizzy proved that when she saved her sister, Lady Katherine from Parker and then again when she saved everyone after church when they encountered the rotting corpse of Dr. Zebulon Webb. Despite being the youngest with no knowledge or interest in hunting until this weekend getaway, Lizzy proves her ability to take care of her and those she loves. I tell my sister all the time, a good book is one with great characters. If the characters have no personality or are whiny and unlikeable, it doesn’t matter how good the plot is or how well-crafted the writing is. The book will fall apart and force readers to close the book and not pick it up again. The protectors of this story is definitely the women. They are the ones who get their hands dirty for the sake of survival and they are the ones left to lead the charge in the impending war at Porthampton Abbey.
And let’s not forget that it was Fanny who figured out how the infection spread. She was smart when letting the villagers in by screening them and acted cool upon discovering that Will’s aunt, Jess Harvey was infected. She thought on her feet and attacked the situation head on strategically but without losing her compassionate for what Jess would ultimately be facing. It was her compassion that led her to give Jess the frying pan for safety despite knowing how little it would help. She made her feel like she would be ok and I think that’s exactly what she needed at that moment. This left me forgetting her earlier bratty and naïve behaviour that was reminiscent of Daisy, the early years.
Although this novel wasn’t high on romance, I found Baratz-Logsted hinting to such as a perfect alternative that suits both kinds of readers. The ones who only read romance to those who can barely tolerate it. Characters seemed to fit together without it being insta-love. Love was an after effect rather than being the central of the plot and I found that to be a welcome change.
Daniel and Grace were adorable and well suited from the beginning but them figuring out they liked each other and then acting on it didn’t seem rushed or unrealistic, leaving the romantic readers happy. Fanny and Duke were a shock but a good one. They suited each other and their interactions although commented on by Will near the end as inappropriate given their significantly different social class, was the first time they doubted their feelings. It didn’t seem to hold them back when they interacted until they were told it was inappropriate and I liked that! They didn’t let social class stop them from talking when there were more important things happening and that was what allowed them to open up to one another and see the potential in each of them. Bonding over the cracked hands and big ears were not letting these two down!
I still don’t understand how the book ended the way that it did without a clear cut answer as to whether or not a sequel is expected or even in the works. It certainly leaves on a cliffhanger but at least it’s one where it leaves the characters stronger and united, especially considering all the unknown factors that lay ahead for them. I hope there is a sequel because I am not done with these characters!