Sign in with Facebook
Kemper's Reviews > The Reapers are the Angels
The Reapers are the Angels (Reapers, #1)
by
by
Kemper's review
bookshelves: 2013, apocalypse-now, horror, zombies, modern-lit, rednecks
Mar 11, 2013
bookshelves: 2013, apocalypse-now, horror, zombies, modern-lit, rednecks
It’s like all the best parts of The Road, The Walking Dead and Winter’s Bone.
Temple is a fifteen year old girl who has grown up in the ruins of America following the zombie apocalypse. She wanders the remains like a post-apocalyptic tourist looking at the wonders created by a 'slick god' and encountering a variety of people along the way. Supremely capable and confident, Temple has little problem surviving and dispatching the 'meatskins' she runs across, but she winds up with a determined killer on her trail.
This is one of those books that fuses genre with literature, and it’s one of the best I’ve read that’s attempted that trick. Incredible writing not only establishes a completely new society and an unforgettable heroine as well as a rich supporting cast that’s well-plotted, it’s also all done is less than 250 pages. I got way more out this than the hundreds of pages of Justin Cronin’s bloated version of a monster apocalypse or Mira Grant’s overstuffed and repetitive take on the aftermath of a zombie uprising.
I found it a bit unbelievable that over a decade after the zombies took over that Temple can still find edible supplies in convenience stores and working cars so easily. Also, (view spoiler)
These are relatively minor gripes about a haunting story that’s going to stick with me.
Temple is a fifteen year old girl who has grown up in the ruins of America following the zombie apocalypse. She wanders the remains like a post-apocalyptic tourist looking at the wonders created by a 'slick god' and encountering a variety of people along the way. Supremely capable and confident, Temple has little problem surviving and dispatching the 'meatskins' she runs across, but she winds up with a determined killer on her trail.
This is one of those books that fuses genre with literature, and it’s one of the best I’ve read that’s attempted that trick. Incredible writing not only establishes a completely new society and an unforgettable heroine as well as a rich supporting cast that’s well-plotted, it’s also all done is less than 250 pages. I got way more out this than the hundreds of pages of Justin Cronin’s bloated version of a monster apocalypse or Mira Grant’s overstuffed and repetitive take on the aftermath of a zombie uprising.
I found it a bit unbelievable that over a decade after the zombies took over that Temple can still find edible supplies in convenience stores and working cars so easily. Also, (view spoiler)
These are relatively minor gripes about a haunting story that’s going to stick with me.
Sign into Goodreads to see if any of your friends have read
The Reapers are the Angels.
Sign In »
Reading Progress
March 11, 2013
–
Started Reading
March 11, 2013
– Shelved
March 19, 2013
–
Finished Reading
Comments Showing 1-50 of 65 (65 new)
message 1:
by
carol.
(new)
-
rated it 4 stars
Mar 12, 2013 10:12AM
Well, well. Looking forward to your thoughts.
reply
|
flag
Carol wrote: "Well, well. Looking forward to your thoughts."Been meaning to get to it for a while now. Liking it a lot in the early going.
::bites nails:: I'm looking forward to your thoughts too... unless you hate it ... then I'm terrified.
No worries Kemper, but if you don't like this then you're wrong.Just sayin'.
Terry wrote: "No worries Kemper, but if you don't like this then you're wrong."I always am. Gotta keep that streak going.
Terry wrote: "No worries Kemper, but if you don't like this then you're wrong.Just sayin'."
Or misguided, and in need of re-indocterination.
Interesting. No matter what, you'll miss the point!
Well done Kemper! Welcome to the right-thinkers club.
Whew! Dodged a bullet there. We may have had to strip you of your members only jacket. Great review and it is amazing isn't it, when you stack up what this little book accomplishes next to its bloated competitors like Feed and The Passage (sorry mark!)
Re: your spoiler (view spoiler)
Oh and I'm sure this is a piece of knowledge you already possess, but the author is married to your sweetie Megan Abbott.
message 12:
by
Stephanie *Eff your feelings*
(last edited Mar 19, 2013 10:00PM)
(new)
-
rated it 3 stars
The reason I gave this a 3 instead of a 4 is what you mentioned in the spoiler.....it seemed so stupid in the middle of a smart book. I guess it bothered me a little more than it bothered you.
I think I am going to have to revisit this title someday. I sorta feel like maybe I missed something, like I let the minor bugs interfere with my overall view of the book. Sometimes it takes a while for me to get to the heart of a book. If it lingers in my memory then It's getting closer.
Stephanie wrote: "The reason I gave this a 3 instead of a 4 is what you mentioned in the spoiler.....it seemed so stupid in the middle of a smart book. I guess it bothered me a little more than it bothered you."You missed the point.
Krycek wrote: "I think I am going to have to revisit this title someday. I sorta feel like maybe I missed something, like I let the minor bugs interfere with my overall view of the book. Sometimes it takes a whil..."I've noticed that sometimes these fusions of genre and literature just really don't click with some people. Zone One comes to mind. I think maybe that these ones in which the language of the story is as important as the story itself that if you just don't get into the flow of that particular writer's style, you just aren't going to like it. Whereas in the straight genre stuff we generally just react to the plot and characters so the the more artsy ones can just put you off simply in the way they're presented and make it tougher to put your finger on what you didn't like.
It's a working theory. I'm still pondering it.
Terry wrote: "Well done Kemper! Welcome to the right-thinkers club."I'm sure someone will be along shortly to tell me how wrong I am.
Trudi wrote: "Oh and I'm sure this is a piece of knowledge you already possess, but the author is married to your sweetie Megan Abbott."I'm most jealous of him because he probably gets to read her stuff months before its published.
About (view spoiler)
Trudi wrote: ""[spoilers removed]..."You seem defensive. Are you taking this personally?
I kid! I kid! I swear."
You're edging into the Danger Zone there.....
Kemper wrote: "You missed the point. ..."Of course I did.
Kemper wrote: "You're edging into the Danger Zone there..."hehe, yup. I feel pretty safe up here on the bald Canadian prairie though. I figure your reach isn't that long, and with the corn liquor, I'm sure your aim is terrible.
The extra finger helps, though.
Laugh it up, ladies. I'm loading the pick-up truck with all the corn liquor it'll hold and headed north so we can discuss this issue in person.
(view spoiler) and I want some of this corn liquor. Room enough for two in that truck? I have plenty of Allman Brothers and Skynnard CDa to get us from A to B.
Anthony wrote: "[spoilers removed] and I want some of this corn liquor. Room enough for two in that truck? I have plenty of Allman Brothers and Skynnard CDa to get us from A to B."I was actually thinking it'd be like a horror movie in which an anti-social redneck who has become horribly mutated due to a batch of corn liquor being contaminated by toxic waste goes on a cross-country revenge spree against those who have taunted him on the interwebs.
If you want to ride shotgun for that descent into hell, come along.
It’s like all the best parts of The Road, The Walking Dead and Winter’s Bone.With a tagline like that, it has to be good.
Amanda wrote: "It’s like all the best parts of The Road, The Walking Dead and Winter’s Bone.With a tagline like that, it has to be good."
Or another way to put it: Ree Dolly fights zombies as written by Cormac McCarthy!
Kemper wrote: " If you want to ride shotgun for that descent into hell, come along. "
I have been waiting my whole life for someone to say that to me.
I have been waiting my whole life for someone to say that to me.
Kemper wrote: "Amanda wrote: "It’s like all the best parts of The Road, The Walking Dead and Winter’s Bone.With a tagline like that, it has to be good."
Or another way to put it: Ree Dolly fights zombies as w..."
Little of column A, little of column B.
Kemper wrote: "Ree Dolly fights zombies as written by Cormac McCarthy! ..."Love it!
Kemper wrote: "I was actually thinking it'd be like horror movie in which an anti-social redneck who has become horribly mutated due to a batch of corn liquor being contaminated by toxic waste goes on a cross-country revenge spree against those who have taunted him on the interwebs.If you want to ride shotgun for that descent into hell, come along. ..."
That's like Hollywood movie script gold. You could sell that idea and make us all rich!
Trudi wrote: "Kemper wrote: "I was actually thinking it'd be like horror movie in which an anti-social redneck who has become horribly mutated due to a batch of corn liquor being contaminated by toxic waste goes..."If I was Stephen King I would have already cranked out a 1000 page book based on the idea last night.
Kemper wrote: "I was actually thinking it'd be like horror movie in which an anti-social redneck who has become horribly mutated due to a batch of corn liquor being contaminated by toxic waste goes on a cross-country revenge spree against those who have taunted him on the interwebs."Sounds like "The Toxic Avenger" meets "Deliverance". Cool.
Terry wrote: "Sounds like "The Toxic Avenger" meets "Deliverance". Cool."That's how I'll pitch it when I start meeting with the Hollywood execs.
Kemper wrote: "Trudi wrote: "Kemper wrote: "I was actually thinking it'd be like horror movie in which an anti-social redneck who has become horribly mutated due to a batch of corn liquor being contaminated by to..."
I think when King was at his most prolific, there were a lot of drugs involved.
I think when King was at his most prolific, there were a lot of drugs involved.
Anthony wrote: "Kemper wrote: "Trudi wrote: "Kemper wrote: "I was actually thinking it'd be like horror movie in which an anti-social redneck who has become horribly mutated due to a batch of corn liquor being con..."I think our road trip is going to turn into some kind of Leaving Las Vegas style binge but instead of seeking the American dream, we'll try to get a horror movie out of it.
Anthony wrote: "I think when King was at his most prolific, there were a lot of drugs involved."Yeah, but that was also back when he could still be edited so the books weren't as fat.
Kemper wrote: "Anthony wrote: "I think when King was at his most prolific, there were a lot of drugs involved."
Yeah, but that was also back when he could still be edited so the books weren't as fat."
I thought books like Tommyknockers and Needful Things were written in that period? No editor was a mile in sight of either of those.
Yeah, but that was also back when he could still be edited so the books weren't as fat."
I thought books like Tommyknockers and Needful Things were written in that period? No editor was a mile in sight of either of those.
Anthony wrote: "I thought books like Tommyknockers and Needful Things were written in that period? No editor was a mile in sight of either of those."True. I think It was coke-fueled too. Still, the lack of drugs haven't stopped him from dropping some doorstops on the reading public on a regular basis.
Kemper wrote: "I think our road trip is going to turn into some kind of Leaving Las Vegas style binge but instead of seeking the American dream, we'll try to get a horror movie out of it. "See, Trudi--we're perfectly safe. I'm just waiting for the moment they decide it'll be a good idea to include a chimpanzee and go out for sammiches.
Carol wrote: "See, Trudi--we're perfectly safe. I'm just waiting for the moment they decide it'll be a good idea to include a chimpanzee and go out for sammiches."No monkeys! Are you trying to ruin the movie?
Kemper wrote: "Anthony wrote: "I thought books like Tommyknockers and Needful Things were written in that period? No editor was a mile in sight of either of those."
True. I think It was coke-fueled too. Still, ..."
Looking back at IT, it certainly does feel coke-fueled. Back when I was 12, I don't think I did anything but read that book for like a week straight.
True. I think It was coke-fueled too. Still, ..."
Looking back at IT, it certainly does feel coke-fueled. Back when I was 12, I don't think I did anything but read that book for like a week straight.
Kemper wrote: "No monkeys! Are you trying to ruin the movie? ..."
Carol wrote: "See, Trudi--we're perfectly safe..."I figure you and I will hear the banjo music first, and it will give us ample time to make our escape!
mwah ha ha!
Trudi wrote: "Kemper wrote: "No monkeys! Are you trying to ruin the movie? ...""
Your picture didn't work. I assume it's because of the Canadian interwebs you're using.
Is it showing now? Shizzle Canadian interwebs.
Kemper wrote: "No monkeys! Are you trying to ruin the movie?"
Why did this show ever go off air?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBAzET...
Why did this show ever go off air?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBAzET...
Anthony wrote: "Kemper wrote: "No monkeys! Are you trying to ruin the movie?"Why did this show ever go off air?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBAzET..."
Why was it ever on the air is a better question.
Trudi wrote: "Is it showing now? Shizzle Canadian interwebs."Using Hangover 2 to boost the idea of putting a monkey in the movie isn't really helping your proposal.
