Shannon Hansbury Writes

Dread Nation by Justina Ireland

In an alternate retelling of 19th-century America, the Battle of Gettysburg doesn't end with the Union victory that Americans have come to learn in history books. Instead, a shocking turn of events causes the war to halt before it can be won - the dead rise from their battlefield graves. In response to the sudden danger that the undead (called shamblers) pose, the American government passes laws that force Black and indigenous children to attend combat schools to kill the undead—effectively using them as replaceable weapons to defend white children and citizens, and furthering the racial divide

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New York Times bestseller * Six starred reviews

At once provocative, terrifying, and darkly subversive, Dread Nation is Justina Ireland's stunning vision of an America both foreign and familiar—a country on the brink, at the explosive crossroads where race, humanity, and survival meet.

"Abundant action, thoughtful worldbuilding, and a brave, smart, and skillfully drawn cast entertain as Ireland (Promise of Shadows) illustrates the ignorance and immorality of racial discrimination and examines the relationship between equality and freedom. Mounting peril creates a pulse-pounding pace,       hurtling readers toward a nail-biting conclusion.”                                 - Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Dread Nation is everything I love—it’s beautiful, unflinching, lyrical, tender, and vividly imagined. Don’t miss this book!”

- Ann Aguirre, New York Times bestseller and coauthor of Honor Among Thieves

Source: Amazon