Teen Tuesday and Audiobook Review: Dread Nation by Justina Ireland

Dread Nation by Justina Ireland. Unabridged e-audiobook, 10 hours. Narrated by Bahni Turpin. HarperAudio, April, 2018. 9780062822956. (Review of e-audiobook borrowed from public library.)

Now, I don't like horror in general and zombie stories in particular. Except when I do. I force myself to read it because I have students who love horror. When I do read horror, it's usually been well-reviewed. I'd been hearing a lot about this one so when it popped up on the "new" list of audiobooks on Libby, I gave it a try. Bonus points for Bahni Turpin narrating. 

I will try to give a synopsis of this alternate history/ zombie mash-up; but I won't do justice to the world that Ireland has built. Zombies rise during the battle of Gettysburg derailing the efforts to abolish slavery. We don't know much about Jane McKeene except she's a crack zombie fighter training to become an elite attendant who will protect Baltimore's wealthy, white elite from zombie attacks. Plans go awry and Jane, her nemesis and her ex are shipped out west.

I loved Jane's voice from the start, smart and sarcastic, brash and bold. Of course she gets in trouble thanks to her mouth! The story is fast-paced and suspenseful. Events are totally believable! There are a fair number of social parallels to today as well. I was unaware that this is the first of a duology and cannot wait for the next installment.

As usual, Bahni Turpin turned in another flawless performance. 

2018 Debuts

January (1)
1. The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl by Stacey McNultey (MG)(Read in 2017)*

February (0)

March (2)
2. Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi (3/3)**
3. Lucy and the String by Vanessa Roeder (3/10)* (author debut)

April (2)
4. The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo (4/13)*
5. Adrian Simcox Does Not Have a Horse by Marcy Campbell (4/26)

May (1)
6. Julian is a Mermaid by Jessica Love (5/26)*

June (0)

July (3)
7. Front Desk by Kelly Yang (7/26)
8. Surprise! By Caroline Hadilaksono (7/29)
9. Perfect by Max Amato (7/29)* (2019 debut)

August (2)
10. Thank You, Omu! By Oge Mora (8/6)
11. Aru Shah and the End of Time by Roshani Chokshi (MG debut) (8/19)

September (2)
12. Speechless by Adam P. Schmitt (9/8)
13. Heretics Anonymous by Katie Henry (9/17)*

October (1)
14. The Science of Breakable Things by Tae Keller (10/13)*

November (7)
15. Ivy Aberdeen's Letter to the World by Ashley Herring Blake (11/3)* (MG debut)
16. Little Red Fort by Brenda Maier (11/5)
17. Just Like Jackie by Lindsay Stoddard (11/18)
18. If This Were a Story by Beth Turley (11/9)
19. Smack Dab in the Middle of Maybe by Jo Watson Hackl (11/24)
20. P. S. I Still Miss You by Jen Petro-Roy (11/25)
21. Dry by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman (co-author debut) (11/25)*

December (5)
22. Like Vanessa by Tami Charles (12/3)*
23. The Benefits of Being an Octopus by Ann Braden (12/9)*
24. The Doughnut Fix by Jessie Janowitz (12/8)
25. Darius the Great is Not Okay by Adib Khorram (12/21)*
26. Love Like Sky by Leslie C. Youngblood (12/ 29)

2018 Audiobooks

January (5)
1. Far from the Tree by Robin Benway (1/7)
2. Before the Devil Breaks You by Libba Bray (1/13)
3. Dear Martin by Nic Stone (1/15)*

4. The Sleeping Prince by Melinda Salisbury (1/23)
5. They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera (1/28)*

February (6)
6. My Own Words by Ruth Bader Ginsburg (2/7)
7. Scythe by Neal Shusterman (2/10)*
8. Alex & Eliza: a love story by Melissa de la Cruz (2/15)
9. All the Crooked Saints by Maggie Stiefvater (2/21)*
10. Posted by John David Anderson (2/23)
11. Born a Crime by Trevor Noah (2/28)*

March (8)
12. Scar Island by Dan Gemeinhart (3/6)
13. Ever by Gail Carson Levine (3/7)
14. Paperboy by Vince Vawter (3/9)
15. Hoodoo by Ronald L. Smith (3/15)
16. Listening for Lucca by Suzanne LaFleur (3/21)
17. Beautiful Blue World by Suzanne LaFleur (3/25)
18. A Skinful of Shadows by Frances Hardinge (3/27)*
19. Solo by Kwame Alexander and Mary Rand Hess (3/30)

April (8)
20. Rocks Fall, Everyone Dies by Lindsay Ribar (4/7)
21. I am not your perfect Mexican daughter by Erika L. Sanchez (4/10)
22. American Street by Ibi Zoboi (4/12)*
23. The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo (4/13)*
24. Love is the Drug by Alaya Dawn Johnson (4/16)
25. Patina by Jason Reynolds (4/21)

26. History is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera (4/27)
27. The Cruel Prince by Holly Black (4/29)

May (4)
28. Love, Ruby Lavender by Deborah Wiles (5/3)*
29. The Dark Prophecy by Rick Riordan (5/12)
30. Sophie Quire and the Last Storyguard by Jonathan Auxier (517)*
31. Pip Bartlett's Guide to Magical Creatures by Jackson Pearce and Maggie Stiefvater (5/18)

June (6)
32. A Higher Loyalty by James Comey (6/7)
33. The Burning Maze by Rick Riordan (6/9)
34. Boying Up by Mayim Bialik (6/10)
35. Love and First Sight by Josh Sundquist (6/13)
36. Saving Montgomery Sole by Mariko Tamaki (6/18)
37. Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman (6/30)

July (8)
38. Warcross by Marie Lu (7/4)
39. Binge by Tyler Oakley (7/6)
40. Baker’s Magic by Diane Zahler (7/8)
41. The 57 Bus by Dashka Slater (7/9)
42. The Stars Beneath My Feet by David Barclay Moore (7/14)
43. Reckless by Cornelia Funke (7/14)

44. Girls Like Us by Gail Giles (7/15)*
45. The Odds of Getting Even by Sheila Turnage (7/28)*

August (12)
46. A Boy Called Christmas by Matt Haig (8/1)
47. Everland by Wendy Spinale (8/2)*
48. The Swap by Megan Shull (8/4)
49. The Icarus Show by Sallie Christie (8/5)
50. Extraordinary Means by Robyn Schneider (8/11)
51. The Speaker by Traci Chee (8/15)*
52. Dead Fathers Club by Matt Haig (8/18)
53. Aru Shah and the End of Time by Roshani Chokshi (8/19)
54. Locomotion by Jacqueline Woodson (8/22)
55.Come August, Come Freedom by Gigi Amateau (8/23)
56. A Boy Called Bat by Elana K. Arnold (8/25)
57. Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds (8/31)*

September (7)
58. The Traitor’s Game by Jennifer A. Nielsen (9/2)
59. Amal Unbound by Aisha Saeed (9/4)
60. Dread Nation by Justina Ireland (9/13)
61. Fuzzy Mud by Louis Sachar (9/14)
62. Heretics Anonymous by Katie Henry (9/17)*
63. From Twinkle, with Love by Sandhya Menon (9/23)
64. Black Panther: the young prince by Ronald L. Smith (9/30)

October (11)
65. Reaper at the Gates by Sabaa Tahir (10/2)
66. A Heart in a Body in the World by Deb Caletti (10/7)*
67. Sunny by Jason Reynolds (10/9)*
68. Betty Before X by Ilyasah Shabazz (10/11)
69. The Science of Breakable Things by Tae Keller (10/13)*
70. The Night Diary by Veera Hiranandani (10/15)
71. One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus (10/17)
72. Tight by Torrey Maldonado (10/18)*
73. You Go First by Erin Entrada Kelly (10/21)
74. Property of the Rebel Librarian by Allison Varnes (10/25)
75. Resistance by Jennifer A. Nielsen (10/30)

November (12)
76. An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green (11/1)*
77. Ivy Aberdeen's Letter to the World by Ashley Herring Blake (11/3)*
78. Squirm by Carl Hiaasen (11/8)*
79. Merci Suarez Changes Gears by Meg Medina (11/8)

80. My Brigadista Year by Katherine Paterson (11/8)
81. The Perfect Score by Rob Buyea (11/11)
82. The Key to Every Thing by Pat Schmatz (11/14)
83. The Wizards of Once by Cressida Cowell (11/20)
84. The Truth as Told by Mason Buttle (11/22)*
85. The Third Mushroom by Jennifer L. Holm (11/23)
86. Dry by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman (11/25)*
87. Zora and Me: the cursed ground by T. R. Simon (11/30)*

December (7)
88. Lu by Jason Reynolds (12/6)*
89. The Orphan Band of Springdale by Anne Nesbit (12/7)*
90. Failing Up: how to take risks, aim higher and never stop learning by Leslie Odom, Jr. (12/15)

91. The Season of Styx Malone by Kekla Magoon (12/16)
92. Darius the Great is Not Okay by Adib Khorram (12/21)*
93. Pride by Ibi Zoboi (12/22)
94. The Lady's Guide to Petticoats and Piracy by Mackenzie Lee (12/29)*

2018 Picture Books

January (9)
1. The Street Beneath My Feet by Charlotte Guillain (1/4)
2. Up! Up! Up! Skyscraper by Anastasia Suen (1/4)
3. The Fish Who Cried Wolf by Julia Donaldson (1/5)
4. Colores de la vida: Mexican Folk Art colors in English and Spanish by Cynthia Weill. (1/10)
5. The Too-scary Story by Bethanie Deeney Murguia (1/11)
6. Groovy Joe Dance Party Countdown by Eric Litwin (1/11)
7. Zog and the Flying Doctors by Julia Donaldson (1/12)
8. Schomburg: the man who built a library by Carole Boston Weatherford (1/18)
9. Don't Forget Dexter! by Lindsay Ward (1/22)*

February (13)
10. Bertha Takes a Drive: how the Benz automobile changed the world by Jan Adkins (2/7)
11. The Boo-Boos That Changed the World: a true story about an accidental invention (really) by Barry Wittenstein (2/7)*
12. Little Melba and Her Big Trombone by Katheryn Russell-Brown (2/11)
13. Dorothea Lange: the photographer who found the faces of the Depression by Carole Boston Weatherford (2/11)
14. The Legendary Miss Lena Horne by Carole Boston Weatherford (2/12)
15. Malcolm Little: the boy who grew up to become Malcolm X by Ilyasah Shabazz (2/12)
16. Voices from the Underground Railroad by Kay Winters (2/15)
17. Malala's Magic Pencil by Malala Yousafzai (2/19)
18. Barack Obama: son of promise, child of hope by Nikki Grimes (2/19)
19. Ella: queen of jazz by Helen Hancocks (2/19)
20. Rettie and the Ragamuffin Parade by Trinka Hakes Noble (2/19)*
21. Blue Grass Boy by Barb Rosenstock (2/22)
22. Waiting for Pumpsie by Barry Wittenstein (2/22)*

March (17)
23. Lucy and the String by Vanessa Roeder (3/6)*
24. The Word Collector by Peter H. Reynolds (3/14)*
25. Tiny and the Big Dig by Sherri Duskey Rinker (3/14)
26. When Sophie Thinks She Can't by Molly Bang (3/14)
27. Ducks Away by Mem Fox and Judy Horacek (3/15)
28. Little Choo by Stephen Shaskan (3/15)
29. Be Brave, Little Penguin by Giles Andreae (3/15)
30. The Pink Hat by Andrew Joyner (3/24)
31. Unplugged by Steve Antony (3/24)
32. Thank You, Mr. Panda (3/24)
33. Breathe and Be by Kate Coombs (3/26)
34. The Girl Who Thought in Pictures: the story of Dr. Temple Grandin by Julia Finley Mosca (3/26)
35. Grace Hopper: Queen of Computer Code by Laurie Wallmark (3/26)
36. Muddy: the story of Blues legend Muddy Waters by Michael Mahin (3/28)
37. The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba (3/28)
38. The Youngest Marcher by Cynthia Levinson (3/29)
39. Keith Haring: the boy who just kept drawing by Kay A. Haring (3/29)

April (9)
40. Lines by Suzy Lee (43)*
41. Animal Ark: celebrating our wild world in poetry and pictures by Kwame Alexander (4/3)
42. Mama Africa: how Mirian Makeba spread hope with her song by Kathryn Erskine (4/9)*
43. Long-armed Ludy and the First Women's Olympics by Jean L.S. Patrick (4/9)
44.  Caroline's Comets: a true story by Emily Arnold McCully (4/9)
45. American Gothic: the life of Grant Wood by Susan Wood (4/9)
46. Charlie Takes His Shot: how Charlie Sifford broke the color barrier in golf by Nancy Churnin (4/18)
47. Hedgehog Needs a Hug by Jen Betton (4/26)
48. Adrian Simcox Does Not Have a Horse by Marcy Campbell (4/26)

May (3)
49. Llama Llama loves to read (5/26)
50. Run Wild by David Covell (5/26)
51. Julian is a Mermaid by Jessica Love (5/26)*

June (2)
52. Julian is a Mermaid by Jessica Love (6/1)

53. Grandad Mandela by Zazi Siwelene and Zindzi Mandela (6/29)

July (9)
54. The Wall in the Middle of the Book by Jon Agee (7/4)*
55. The Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson (7/4)
56. Carmela Full of Wishes by Matt de la Peña (7/4)
57. Chester Nez and the Unbreakable Code: a Navajo Code Talker's Story by Joseph Bruchac (7/4)
58. Thank you, Earth: a love letter to our planet by April Pulley Sayre (7/12)
59. Surprise! by Caroline Hadilaksono (7/29)
60. Hope by Matthew Cordell (7/29)
61. Perfect by Max Amato (7/29)*
62. Grow Up, David! by David Shannon (7/29)

August (21)
63. Pride: the story of Harvey Milk and the Rainbow Flag by Rob Sanders (8/4)
64. Thank You, Omu! By Oge Mora (8/6)
65. It’s Show and Tell Dexter! By Lindsay Ward (8/10)
66. Who Eats Orange? by Dianne White (8/12)
67. Irving Berlin: the immigrant boy who made America sing by Nancy Churnin (8/12)

68. Write on Irving Berlin by Leslie Kimmelman (8/12)
69. Tool School by Joan Holub (8/13)

70. Old MacDonald Had a Farm by Gris Grimly (8/13)

71. Jack and the Beanstalk and the French Fries by Mark Teague (8/13)

72. Back to School with Bigfoot by Samantha Berger and Martha Brockenbrough (8/13)

73. Monster’s New Undies by Samantha Berger (8/13)

74. Mary McScary by R.L. Stine (8/13)

75. Alabama Spitfire: the story of Harper Lee and To Kill a Mockingbird by Bethany Hegedus (8/18)
76. Grandma Gatewood Hikes the Appalachian Trail by Jennifer Thermes (8/20)

77. The 5 O’Clock Band by Troy Andrews (8/20)*

78. Small Things by Mel Tregonning (8/20)
79. Sisters & Champions by Howard Bryant (8/28)

80. The Rough Patch by Brian Lies (8/29)*

81. Drawn Together by Minh Le (8/29)

82. Walt’s Imagination: the life of Walt Disney by Doreen Rappaport (8/29)
83. Between the Lines: how Ernie Barnes went from the football field to the art gallery by Sandra Neil Wallace (8/30)

September (8)
84. Marvelous Cornelius: Hurricane Katrina and the spirit of New Orleans (9/3)*

85. How Sweet the Sound: the story of Amazing Grace by Carole Boston Weatherford (9/3)
86. Good Rosie! By Kate DiCamillo (9/8)

87. Joan Proctor, Dragon Doctor: the woman who loved reptiles by Patricia Valdez (9/9)

88. Nothing Stopped Sophie: the story of unshakable mathematician Sophie Germain by Cheryl Bardoe (9/9)
89. Who Says Women Can’t be Computer Programmers? By Tanya Lee Stone (9/23) 90. Bone Soup by Alyssa Satin Capucilli (9/23) 91. Lighter than Air: Sophie Blanchard, the first woman pilot by Matthew Clark Smith (9/23)

October (11)
92. I am Jazz by Jessica Herthel and Jazz Jennings (10/15)
93. What Do You Do with a Voice Like That: The story of extraordinary congresswoman Barbara Jordan by Chris Barton (10/15)*
94The Epic Adventures of Huggie and Stick by Drew Daywalt (10/16)

95. Carl and the Meaning of Life by Deborah Freedman (10/16)
96. Elizabeth Warren: nevertheless, she persisted by Susan Wood (10/17)
97. A House in the Sky and Other Uncommon Animal Homes by Steve Jenkins (10/23)

98. Wet Hen: a short e adventure by Molly Coxe (10/24)

99. I am Human: a book of empathy by Susan Verde (10/27)

100. Seeing into Tomorrow: haiku by Richard Wright. Biography and illustrations by Nina Crews (10/28)

101. Loops, repeat, repeat by Patricia Stockland (10/29)

102. Yasmin the Explorer by Saadia Faruqi (10/29)

November (9)
103. This is the Day! By Amy Parker (11/1)
104. Bunny’s Staycation (Mama’s Business Trip) by Lori Richmond (11/2)

105. Good Night Bunny by Lauren Thompson (11/3)

106. Rabbit Moon by Jean Kim (11/3)
107. A Truck Full of Ducks by Ross Burach (11/4)

108. The Little Red Fort by Brenda Maier (11/5)

109. Interrupting Chicken and the Elephant of Surprise by David Ezra Stein (11/9)*

110. Storm by Sam Usher (11/9)
111. Interrupting Chicken by David Ezra Stein (11/14)

December
112. Up & Down: the adventures of John Jeffries, first American to fly by Don Brown (12/13)
113. Flying Deep: climb inside deep-sea submersible ALVIN by Michelle Cusolito (12/13)

114. A Moon for Moe and Mo by Jane Breskin Zalben (12/14)
115. Three Years and Eight Months by Icy Smith (12/17)

116. Stretch to the Sun: from a tiny sprout to the tallest tree on Earth by Carrie A. Pearson (12/17)*

117. Captain Raptor and the Perilous Planet by Kevin O’Malley and Patrick O’Brien (12/ 17)

118. Baseball Saved Us by Ken Mochizuki (12/18)

119. Pig the Fibber by Aaron Blabey (12/26)*
120. Captain Raptor and the Space Pirates by Kevin O’Malley (12/28)

121. Captain Raptor and the Moon Mystery by Kevin O’Malley (12/29)