R' is a zombie. He has no name, no memories and no pulse, but he has dreams. He is a little different from his fellow Dead.
Amongst the ruins of an abandoned city, R meets a girl. Her name is Julie and she is the opposite of everything he knows - warm and bright and very much alive, she is a blast of colour in a dreary grey landscape. For reasons he can't understand, R chooses to save Julie instead of eating her, and a tense yet strangely tender relationship begins.
This has never happened before. It breaks the rules and defies logic, but R is no longer content with life in the grave. He wants to breathe again, he wants to live, and Julie wants to help him. But their grim, rotting world won't be changed without a fight...
Warm Bodies was given to me with a heartfelt recommendation. Having seen and enjoyed the film I wasn't sure how much more I would get from the book. Marion's book is, unsurprisingly, much more detailed than the associated movie and has much more to say.
I'd have to agree with many of the reviews on the cover, I never thought that I would really feel for a zombie, R, however, is different. From the beginning his narration is unique and riveting, he has a surprising amount to say for a character that can only manage a scarce amount of syllables at at time.
Based on Romeo & Juliet Marion's novel has a lot more to say, is a lot more socially aware, than it lets on. The depth of detail given to the zombie element in the novel is something not explored in the movie and yet perhaps the most rewarding part of the novel.
If you enjoyed the movie and want more I'd highly recommend the novel, at the same time if you didn't enjoy the film I'd still suggest giving the much more sophisticated book a go.
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