WARNING: Readers proceed with caution – The Girl with All the Gifts is not for the faint-hearted or weak of stomach! There are few front cover blurbs which are more irresistible than that of The Girl with all the Gifts by M. R. Carey. It tells of a girl confined to a cell who has to be escorted to class every morning strapped in a wheelchair. Those in her presence keep a gun pointed on her at all times and don’t even crack a smile at her jokes. The blurb tells the reader that “Melanie is a very special girl” … and that is it. To find out the rest of this story, you have to read it. I won’t give away any secrets here – the best way to walk into this novel is blind. In this way, the horror of this story will slowly be revealed to you, layer by layer. Once you realize exactly what is going on, it will be too late to turn and run away - you’ll be hooked.
Since I can’t really discuss the plot of The Girl with All the Gifts without spoiling the fun of the novel for future readers, allow me to share how I felt about this book. To start, I love when I can’t tell where a novel is taking me. Predictable is boring, and who has time to waste reading boring books? I loved that nearly 100 pages in, I still didn’t know precisely what I was dealing with in this story. Further on in the novel, there was still more to be revealed. This is the trend throughout The Girl with All the Gifts, down to the very last sentence. It keeps you guessing, wondering. Furthermore, I enjoyed that Carey wasn’t afraid to get raw and real. My stomach turned several times while reading this novel. There were even a couple of occasions where I had to put the book down for a couple of minutes and take a mental break from the atrocities within. Nothing is treated delicately here. Lastly, if there is truly one thing I cannot stand when I am reading a novel, it is when all of the plot points are tied up with pretty little bows by the end of the last chapter. I like for my novels to be a touch true-to-life, and very rarely in life does everything work out for everyone. No fear of that here. Carey allows life to unfold as it would.
So, who should read this book? Those who enjoy something different. Those who relish in tales that are a little off-kilter and unconventional. Those who aren’t turned off by stories that have bleak pockets and unsuspecting corners. The Girl with All the Gifts is perfect for the reader who loves terror that attaches to the very stuff that makes us human. Anyone who enjoys drawn-out suspense and many twists and turns will also have fun with this novel. While The Girl with All the Gifts isn’t for everyone, it is a novel that will find a place with many.
The Girl with All the Gifts is available at Lafourche Parish Library’s South Lafourche and Thibodaux branches, and is also available as an e-book through 3M. As always, if this novel is not at your home branch, it can be transferred to you for your reading enjoyment! Happy reading!
The Girl with All the Gifts Novelist Appeals
GENRES: Adult Books for Young Adults, Apocalyptic Fiction
TONE: Atmospheric, Creepy
STORYLINE: Intricately-plotted
WRITING STYLE: Compelling