The Girl with All the Gifts

A stunning read

Any additional comments?

Having listened to hundreds of audiobooks, this is the first review that I've written … and I'm doing so only because my opinion is so at odds with the two-and-a-half stars that this book has been awarded so far.
I found this a thoroughly gripping and thought-provoking tale; a highly original take on, to be honest, a somewhat hackneyed genre. (I won't mention the genre, as the part of the joy is the gradual unfolding of the protagonist's identity.)
The characters are satisfyingly rounded and the plot both engaging and pacey. From the outset through to the final few minutes, I had no idea of the book's conclusion and, when it finally came, I was far from disappointed.
Mention must also go to Finty Williams for some beautiful characterisation and a warm and textured performance.
So, if I’m waxing so lyrical about this production, why has it been so poorly received elsewhere? Well, I have to admit that it's not the book I had anticipated; and this is due to the necessarily vague publisher’s description. (As I mentioned earlier, giving too much away at the beginning would leach the joy from the first section of the book). So, like me, perhaps other listeners didn’t end up with the book they’d anticipated but, unlike me, found themselves in too much of an unfamiliar setting to enjoy their surroundings.
So, without giving too much away, what you get in the box is, ostensibly, a somewhat bleak post-apocalyptic drama, laced with plenty of warmth to balance the grit and revolving around an intriguingly textured central character. I hope that you find the surprises as pleasing as I did.

160 of 169 people found this review helpful

worth it

I really struggle sometimes to find a book that hits the spot. Having been spoiled with Sanderson and Rothfuss, whose epic fantasies tick every box, it's regularly hard to find a viable alternative. This book was it. Not a true fantasy by my standards, rather it's of the apocalyptic variety.

Enough new stuff to keep me interested - and keep me thinking. Well written too. One of those books that will stay with me for many years, I'm sure.

It has a slight shock factor - probably hits different people at different stages. Well narrated.

Certainly worth a credit - even if not your normal genre.

71 of 78 people found this review helpful

A very tantalising thriller!!

Where does The Girl with All the Gifts rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Top 3, definitely!!

Who was your favorite character and why?

Miss Justanou because she identified, accepted and sought to protect the childlike innocence of Melanie despite the danger of Melanie's nature.

Did Finty Williams do a good job differentiating each of the characters? How?

Yes, definitely yes!! She almost had a distinct voice for each character and through the appropriate voice she reflected their intended character extremely well!!

If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

I don't know.

6 of 6 people found this review helpful

STOP WHAT YOU ARE DOING AND DOWNLOAD THIS BOOK

If you could sum up The Girl with All the Gifts in three words, what would they be?

time to think

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Girl with All the Gifts?

My house has never been so clean, I made up jobs to carry on listening, The whole concept of what we could become

Any additional comments?

I have not stopped thinking about the play of characters since I finished this. I forgot time and place and lost myself in this book.

59 of 67 people found this review helpful

An interesting twist on a horror classic.

I loved everything about this book. The story was gripping from start to finish, the characterisation pulled me in from the beginning and Carey rapidly built a world I wanted to know more about. The genre was familiar but this was such a different take that it never felt clichéd, and the very British nature of the story also made it more haunting for me. And the ending - perfect.
I had never heard this narrator before but she captured the voices and the tone perfectly and really added to the novel.
I admit that I was sad that there was no new Felix Castor but if this is an example of what we can expect from Carey in the future then I'm very happy indeed.

12 of 13 people found this review helpful

Couldn't stop listening

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, definitely. You immediately get drawn into the main characters and I finished the book in 24 hrs

Who was your favorite character and why?

Actually the teacher. I found her to be both likeable and naive.

What about Finty Williams’s performance did you like?

The pace of the narration was perfect as was the pitch. I was extremely content to listen for hours on end.

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Yes. I cried at the end. Not giving anything away but it was a satisfactory ending.

36 of 43 people found this review helpful

Totally gripping

Where does The Girl with All the Gifts rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Right up there, I couldn't switch it off, kept saying to myself, "just one more chapter" and always ended up listening to more than that, so it only lasted 2 days!

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Girl with All the Gifts?

The action in the lab while the characters are still at the base, and the central protagonist i.e. the first character we're introduced to and asked to view the story through her eyes, is in mortal peril, and I had no idea how she'd get out of it or where the story would go from there. Brilliant, fast-moving action which never dulls for a second. Never read anything by M.R. Carey (or whoever he is behind the pen-name) before, but definitely will seek his novels out from now on - witty, intelligent, compassionate.

What does Finty Williams bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

A really solid, professional narrator. Takes the story seriously, gives each of the characters equal weight and doesn't try to steer the listener towards seeing any one of them as more or less villainous or heroic than the others. Subtle and steady narration which was very easy to follow (even for the long scientific descriptions which I didn't totally understand but got the gist, and how they suited the rigid character of Dr. Caldwell). Seeing a book is narrated by Finty Williams gives me confidence in the quality.

If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

The title itself is already a great tagline in the way it alludes to Pandora, and the mystery behind Melanie.

Any additional comments?

Really well written, excellent descriptions, absorbing changes of narrative perspective between characters for almost every chapter. Shares similarities with Kazuo Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go, particularly at the beginning, as well as countless Zombie horror movies, and apocalyptic fiction. Really accessible even if you don't normally like the genre. Just a great read.

8 of 9 people found this review helpful

Not the story i expected but very good

Not my normal sort of read but this was a class act and I am so glad I followed the recommendation. My only complaint and it shows how picky I am, was the use of the word "Hungries" it just jagged a bit. The hard hitting story being told with the child view to the front makes the whole much more sinister and disturbing.
The end is to die for, loads of pun intended. I had not seen that coming.
Not sure if there could ever be a sequel or prequel. I can but hope.
Slight surprise was to find out the author was a man. I had assumed it was a female author all the way through. Now I need to find out who M R Carey really is.
Basically this a great read and I would recommend to anyone, provided they are OK with a bit of horror and gore.
Nice one M R

8 of 9 people found this review helpful

Surprised !

If I had realised what this story was about I would NOT have chosen it....
It was only once I was into the story that I slowly started to realise that Melanie wasn't normal, nor was her environment. Something made me continue to listen and I became more and more engrossed!
I ended up listening avidly to the whole book and eagerly returning for more.
I really enjoyed it and, as I said at the begining, I would not have chosen it or anything of this ilk....very pleasantly surprised!

30 of 36 people found this review helpful

Cracking Story

Any additional comments?

An unexpected story, I wouldn't normally listen to a book where the main character is a child, but this was a real surprise as a fast moving story with an original theme
Well worth a read !

25 of 31 people found this review helpful