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A review by oomilyreads
Z for Zachariah by Robert C. O'Brien
challenging
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Z for Zachariah written by Robert O’Brien
A post-apocalyptic YA sci-fi novel published in 1974. The story unfolds through journal entries from the perspective of 15yo Ann Burden. Since the holocaustic nuclear war ended, she has been living alone thinking she may be the last person on earth as the valley she lives in thrives on its own ecosystem & she's been able to survive with a few animals.
One day a man shows up in her little green valley & that’s when things get super weird. Her diary entries did not feel like any young person's thoughts and feelings. It was just a log of events. I felt disconnected with the MC after horrific events happened in the story & actually felt enraged with her decisions. This was clearly written by an older man who thinks this is how a young girl thinks. Being dumb and wanting to marry the first guy she meets.
The title is weird and the ending was unsatisfactory. While Ann was a sweet enough character, she could have been written as a real bad-ass female protagonist. The author could have gone into the inner workings of the human psyche and why things turned out the way it did. Book had little action and was kind of boring & dumb.
My husband has fond "memories" of this book in high school but after asking me to read it with him, he realized he never finished the book in school and thought it was pretty annoying too. 😒
!!!!! Spoiler:
There’s a part where he randomly tries to rape her for no reason. There was no build up. She said “oh well I guess I’ll give him my house and live in the caves” and still bring him food and things. Like WTF is happening here. He ends up locking her out of the store and later shoots her in the foot and her entry goes like this “he shot me today.” NO. I’d be like “that MF” In the end she moves out of HER valley after thinking
she’ll just shoot her dog cause he’s using her dog to track her. She could at least say her crazy religion was the reason why she’s acting like that but no, it doesn’t delve into that either!!
A post-apocalyptic YA sci-fi novel published in 1974. The story unfolds through journal entries from the perspective of 15yo Ann Burden. Since the holocaustic nuclear war ended, she has been living alone thinking she may be the last person on earth as the valley she lives in thrives on its own ecosystem & she's been able to survive with a few animals.
One day a man shows up in her little green valley & that’s when things get super weird. Her diary entries did not feel like any young person's thoughts and feelings. It was just a log of events. I felt disconnected with the MC after horrific events happened in the story & actually felt enraged with her decisions. This was clearly written by an older man who thinks this is how a young girl thinks. Being dumb and wanting to marry the first guy she meets.
The title is weird and the ending was unsatisfactory. While Ann was a sweet enough character, she could have been written as a real bad-ass female protagonist. The author could have gone into the inner workings of the human psyche and why things turned out the way it did. Book had little action and was kind of boring & dumb.
My husband has fond "memories" of this book in high school but after asking me to read it with him, he realized he never finished the book in school and thought it was pretty annoying too. 😒
!!!!! Spoiler:
There’s a part where he randomly tries to rape her for no reason. There was no build up. She said “oh well I guess I’ll give him my house and live in the caves” and still bring him food and things. Like WTF is happening here. He ends up locking her out of the store and later shoots her in the foot and her entry goes like this “he shot me today.” NO. I’d be like “that MF” In the end she moves out of HER valley after thinking
she’ll just shoot her dog cause he’s using her dog to track her. She could at least say her crazy religion was the reason why she’s acting like that but no, it doesn’t delve into that either!!