Review: “Deadline,” Mira Grant

Pros: In love with this series
Cons: …
Rating: 5 out of 5

In Mira Grant’s (Seanan McGuire’s) Newsflesh series, Deadline (Book two of Newsflesh) the Zombie apocalypse has changed the world–although not entirely in ways you might assume. What’s more interesting is the news structures that came together as the traditional news channels hemmed and hawed. Now it’s bloggers who rule the stream. Some are “Newsies,” the ones who report on facts. “Irwins” like to get themselves into dardevil dangerous situations. Fictionals write the poetry and fiction that give people a bit of escapism. They’ve found that this combination works best. and draws some of the best ratings. One particularly good group consists of George (Georgia-newsie), Buffy (Georgette–fictional), and Shaun (the Irwin) This particular group is good at what they do and their ratings just keep going up–except that George and Buffy are both now dead. Shaun has to step up to the plate to assign new faces to jobs, but he’s also been hearing George in his head wherever he goes. Soon he’ll have to pull together his news team to uncover another terrible plot that threatens the world.

Shaun’s weird (crazy?) connection to George isn’t really escaping anyone’s notice, and Shaun’s just fine with having her there. Hell, sometimes he even drinks Coke–which he hates–to appease her. It doesn’t matter what their relationship was (adopted siblings), it matters that her voice sometimes saves him from doing some very stupid things.

There’s research being done in the area in which George had problems: she had a ‘reservoir’ of infection in her eyes, and she’s not the only one to find such reservoirs in their bodies. So far the scientists think it’s some sort of defense of the disease, but they can’t figure it out. Especially since people keep killing their test subjects as an unusually high rate.

Why are you asking me questions you know the answers to already? Nobody here needs the exposition.

Hallelujah or whatever. I love the meta-joke and the fact that she acknowledges the possibility. I think the eco-system of the various bloggers, their types, the permits they need, the materials they’re required to take in order to defend and so on is fascinating. Shaun’s grief is woven beautifully into his stories.

This is where I’d love to tell you one or two things, but they’d be spoilers. You’ll have to trust me that things get wild.