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Infinite Country by Patricia Engel | Thoughts

   Published : 2021   ||    Format : print   ||    Location : Colombia ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆   What was it about the country that kept everyone hostage to its fantasy? The previous month, on its own soil, an American man went to his job at a plant and gunned down fourteen coworkers, and last spring alone there were four different school shootings. A nation at war with itself, yet people still spoke of it as some kind of paradise.. Thoughts : Infinite Country follows two characters - young Talia, who at the beginning of this book, escapes a girl’s reform school in North Colombia so that she can make her previously booked flight to the US. Before she can do that, she needs to travel many miles to reach her father and get her ticket to the rest of her family. As we follow Talia’s treacherous journey south, we learn about how she ended up in the reform school in the first place and why half her family resides in the US. Infinite Country tells the story of her family through the other protagonist, El

The Walking Dead (Vols. 9 to 23) by Robert Kirkman (No Spoilers)

I just realized that it has been a while since I talked about the Walking Dead books. I posted about the first 8 volumes here, but since then I've caught up to Volume 22, so that's 14 books since Compendium 1. Volume 23 just got released yesterday so it will be a while before I purchase it and then Volume 24 is coming in September.


So far I love how far the series has come. We started with the undead being the biggest threat but now, it is the people who are alive who cannot be trusted. No surprise because isn't that the motif of most apocalyptic books? Still, it's interesting how many different ways this idea can be portrayed. I just hope it doesn't become old news.

There have been some awfully sad and sometimes very graphic events in these books. Much like in the TV show, but sometimes I feel that even the show doesn't always go to some of the places the books have been to. There is one particular incident concerning the death of a much-loved character that I am totally dreading. With the series now only a few volumes behind, that incident could possibly come very soon - maybe next season. I found it very interesting that they jumped ahead to the Wolves storyline - possibly to extend said character's numbered days? If they even show that scene on screen, on top of being one of the saddest deaths ever, it will also be one of the hardest deaths to watch, just because of the sheer violence of it. I am both curious about and totally dreading it.




Other than that one incident, I like where the characters are currently. There's a semblance of peace and order, and some kind of civilization is in existence, but new people who arrive aren't always willing to accept it. I find that funny - if you don't like a place, leave it. Do you really want to destroy all that for no reason other than your lack of trust? Of course, some people are innately nefarious, but it's when the neither bad nor good people muddle something that it bugs me - we don't need a plot like that, it feels too convenient and unbelievable.


I can't wait to see where the books are heading next. So far, some of my favorite characters are still hanging around, though two of my favorite characters in the TV show aren't in the books (one dead long ago, one never penned in these books). But most of the characters are so different now even from where they are currently in the show - Rick, Carl, Maggie, just to name a few.

Comments

Ti Reed said…
Are you going to watch the spin off series this summer? I am going to give it a shot but I have doubts about it being successful. I like that it's set in Los Angeles. That is a shooting challenge for sure with all of the busy streets and populated areas. My student assistant's neighborhood was turned upside down for three days to shoot a scene. She came home and the neighborhood was destroyed!! Cars overturned, rubble everywhere... smoke. She missed the posted notifications. What a surprise to come home to that!
Athira / Aths said…
I am thinking of giving it a try but I don't always enjoy spin-off series - they need to be really original and different for me to want to watch them. If they have the same ideas and themes as the original show, I wouldn't be interested.


Oh boy that destroyed neighborhood would have me freaked out! I can imagine just trying to contact everyone to know if they are still alive and then finding myself the laughing stock or something. But it would be amazing to see something like that.