Book Shelf: Red Hill by Jamie McGuire

When the world ends, can love survive?

For Scarlet, raising her two daughters alone makes fighting for tomorrow an everyday battle. Nathan has a wife, but can’t remember what it’s like to be in love; only his young daughter Zoe makes coming home worthwhile. Miranda’s biggest concern is whether her new VW Bug is big enough to carry her sister and their boyfriends on a weekend escape from college finals.

When reports of a widespread, deadly “outbreak” begin to surface, these ordinary people face extraordinary circumstances and suddenly their fates are intertwined. Recognizing they can’t outrun the danger, Scarlet, Nathan, and Miranda desperately seek shelter at the same secluded ranch, Red Hill. Emotions run high while old and new relationships are tested in the face of a terrifying enemy—an enemy who no longer remembers what it’s like to be human.

Set against the backdrop of a brilliantly realized apocalyptic world, love somehow finds a way to survive. But what happens when the one you’d die for becomes the one who could destroy you?

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Review:

From popular bestselling author Jamie McGuire comes Red Hill, a post apocalyptic thriller that will excite fans of The Walking Dead. Red Hill is a beautifully told story that mixes together excitement and danger against the pitfalls of love and surviving in the midst of tremendous odds!

Told through the eyes of Scarlet, a divorced mother of two, Nathan a man in a loveless marriage and Miranda, a college girl on her way home for the summer with her sister and their boyfriends, Red Hill depicts the events that follow when a deadly virus finds its way into the population; infecting those bitten and turning them into mindless zombies. In the tradition of The Walking Dead, Red Hill is a very realistic and chilling novel. A far cry from other zombie novels where futuristic elements play a part, Red Hill explores what would happen if a zombie apocalypse happened in today’s society.

Personally I don’t think this book is going to appeal to everyone. Though McGuire’s pertinent to detail is spot on and her writing solid, Red Hill lacks some of the excitement and over dramatization that I would hope to see in this kind of novel. Red Hill is in no way a romantic zombie story. McGuire doesn’t romanticize her zombies; this isn’t a story about a bunch of capable and kick-butt people taking on the zombies. This is a story about a group of very real, very authentic, very frightened people who are just trying to survive when the world as they know it ends.

I found it really interesting seeing Jamie McGuire weave together the lives of her characters without them even knowing it. Until the moment they all meet at Red Hill, Scarlet, Nathan and Miranda are put in the vicinity of each other numerous times, even interacting with the same individuals, be it at different points in time and don’t even know it.

Throughout Red Hill, McGuire explores the complexity of human emotion and an individual’s capacity to love in the face of tremendous odds, where survival is far from a sure thing. It’s impossible not to question certain idealisms and notions when reading this book. I mean, what is stronger than a mother’s love for her children, or a father’s love for his child? The power of love between two people sure they want to spend the rest of their lives together? How can we judge people as conceited and selfish when the selfishness seen is as simple as the lengths at which a mother is willing to go to to protect her child? How can you judge someone for putting the life of the one they love over a complete stranger?

It may seem cruel, but in a world gone wrong, what happens to a person’s capacity to care when everyone is out for themselves and do cruel things? It’s a chilling thought, and through out Red Hill, amidst the danger and entertaining story it’s hard not to think of this. At least, I know I did.

Filled to the brim with high stakes, violence and danger, Red Hill mixes friendship and love with bittersweet happiness and sadness. Though it might not be for everyone, Red Hill is a nicely written, and in my opinion, a great read!

Rating:
Source: Sent for review by Simon & Schuster (Thanks guys!)
Format: Paperback
Buy it: Bookworld | The Nile | The Book Depository | Amazon
My Recommendation: Jamie McGuire fans won't want to miss this, but zombie fans, especially those who love The Walking Dead are sure to appreciate this book.
Cover: Simple, but fitting--I really like the simplicity of it.
Will I read sequel/continue with series: This is a stand alone novel, but as a die hard McGuire fan I'll read whatever she releases next!