Audio: Dread Nation by Justina Ireland @justinaireland @TheRealBahniT @HarperAudio

Posted May 9, 2018 by Melanie in Book Review / 18 Comments

Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.


Audio: Dread Nation by Justina Ireland @justinaireland @TheRealBahniT @HarperAudioDread Nation by Justina Ireland
Narrator: Bahni Turpin
Series: Dread Nation #1
Published by HarperAudio on April 3, 2018
Genres: Historical Fiction, Young Adult
Length: 11 hours, 56 minutes
Format: Audiobook
Source: Publisher
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One StarOne StarOne StarOne Star

Jane McKeene was born two days before the dead began to walk the battlefields of Gettysburg and Chancellorsville—derailing the War Between the States and changing America forever. In this new nation, safety for all depends on the work of a few, and laws like the Native and Negro Reeducation Act require certain children attend combat schools to learn to put down the dead. But there are also opportunities—and Jane is studying to become an Attendant, trained in both weaponry and etiquette to protect the well-to-do. It’s a chance for a better life for Negro girls like Jane. After all, not even being the daughter of a wealthy white Southern woman could save her from society’s expectations.

But that’s not a life Jane wants. Almost finished with her education at Miss Preston’s School of Combat in Baltimore, Jane is set on returning to her Kentucky home and doesn’t pay much mind to the politics of the eastern cities, with their talk of returning America to the glory of its days before the dead rose. But when families around Baltimore County begin to go missing, Jane is caught in the middle of a conspiracy, one that finds her in a desperate fight for her life against some powerful enemies. And the restless dead, it would seem, are the least of her problems.

I went into this book not knowing a huge amount about it. I remember when the cover reveal was done and loving the cover. I thought it was just stunning. Then I heard it was about zombies. I’m a huge fan of dystopian stories and especially zombies. The final nail in the coffin saying I had to try this story, Bahni Turpin. I fell in love with her narration when she read the Downside Ghost series by Stacia Kane.

Now, all of that said, there are a few things which did concern me about this story. This is a young adult series. I won’t say  I don’t read YA, but I don’t read much. I’m pretty picky. Especially when that YA is set in a school setting, which is where this starts. Dread Nation is also a historical or alternate history story. I don’t read many, if any historical fiction, but I decided to give this book a go. I’m so glad I did.

In this book, the Civil War didn’t end because either side won, but instead because the dead got up and started walking again. Both sides decided they should fight the dead instead of each other. Because neither side won the war, slavery is still an issue and even when it isn’t, the people of color aren’t treated well. We don’t hear anything about buying and selling or even really owning slaves, but black people don’t have control over their lives either. Some white people even think the slaves are more immune to a shambler (which is how they refer to zombies) bite than white people. This isn’t the case, but an excuse to put black folks and Native people on the front lines.

Jane McKeene is a black girl at Miss Preston’s School of Combat in Baltimore. She is in training to learn to be an attendant to a white woman and how to fight the dead. It makes sense that your attendant should know how to protect you from the shamblers. On a trip into Baltimore for a lecture, Jane quickly learns things aren’t quite what they seem.

I had a really great time with this story. First, Jane is badass. Her friendenemy, Katherine “don’t call me Kate,” isn’t too bad either, though it does take some time for her to grow on me. There are several characters in this story I enjoyed. The one I really want to mention is Gideon. He’s known as “The Tinkerer”. He has created several inventions to help the people in the Kansas town get by. He is also one of the few white people who is actually nice to Jane. There is also The Dutchess, who runs the town’s brothel. She again, is one of the few white people who doesn’t treat Jane as subhuman.

Another thing I really enjoyed about this story was the world Ms. Ireland has built. There are a few differences in these zombies than in other stories I’ve read. First, there are two different forms of zombies. One kind you have to actually be dead to turn, the other can turn you with a bite. The zombies here are also faster when they are first turned and then get slower and slower as they decompose. There are also a few surprises that I don’t want to spoil.

I thought the racial disparity was written really well. I could really see our government, especially back in the 1800’s, coming up with a plan to use people of color as the first line of defense against a plague of shamblers. Then not give them the tools they need to fight off the horde. It also tackles the issue of skin color even amongst people of color. Jane’s friend, Katherine can pass for white, which has its own issues which come up in the story.

This story does start off a little slow, but given the start is in a school setting, I will give it a pass on that issue. By the time Jane, Kathryn and Jackson leave Baltimore for Kansas, the story really picks up. This book really leaves me wanting more. I wouldn’t call it a cliffhanger ending of any kind, but Jane is in a place where you really want to know what happens next. You can bet I will be jumping on book two when it is available in 2019.

Narration:

As I said, I really loved listening to Bahni Turpin in the past. I was very excited to see  she was narrating this book. She didn’t disappoint. I really love her narration of this story. She had several different accents. I thought she did a really great job with Jane’s different voices for when she was pretending playing dumb versus Jane being the really smart young woman she was. I love her male and female voices. If you haven’t listened to Bahni Turpin, you’re really missing out.

Listen to a clip:

 

About Bahni Turpin

Bahni Turpin is a Los Angeles-based actress with many television and film credits in addition to being an award winning narrator. She is honored to have been awarded an Audie for Best Female Narrator, 2015, Audible Narrator of the Year, 2016, and American Library Association’s Voice of Choice for 2017. In 2018, Bahni won best female narration again, and was also inducted into the Audible Hall of Fame. She is a two-time Odyssey Award winner, and was also named as one of Audiophile’s Golden Voices for 2019.

Bahni Turpin is also a famous TV and film actress. She started her career in 1987 with the film called “Tiszta Amerika”.

2010 Best Voice in Fiction: PRECIOUS

The talented narrator is now a devoted listener, too, but she came to audiobooks with a bit of skepticism. Another actress referred her to Books on Tape, where she later auditioned. “It was very strange to me at the time because I didn’t listen to audiobooks then.”

In time, Books on Tape engaged her to read A PIECE OF CAKE, by Cupcake Brown, and Bahni was hooked. She had always liked reading aloud and found the assignment to be a comfortable and enjoyable gig. Of course, she’s continued. But sometimes she’s surprised at a director’s requirements. “I auditioned for a new company, and the director was so picky,” she says. “Every time you cleared your throat, you had to restart the paragraph.”

Bahni, who now loves listening to women’s stories as she tools around Los Angeles, was mesmerized by her own voicing of the character Minny in THE HELP, by Kathryn Stockett. “While listening, I forgot it was me I was listening to,” says Bahni, who enjoyed the book’s rich emotions and vivid characterizations of several female characters.

The experience of absorbing audiobooks can be challenging for some modern listeners, Bahni feels. The heavy reliance on television for entertainment has led some to forget how to listen without a visual component. But she doesn’t draw a line between acting and narration. Bahni reads each book before recording and makes notes about how each character should sound. “I like to give each one a characterization and really try to read the way I feel the text should be heard. I especially enjoy doing dialects.”

About Justina Ireland

Author: Justina Ireland

Justina Ireland enjoys dark chocolate, dark humor, and is not too proud to admit that she’s still afraid of the dark. She lives with her husband, kid, and dog in Pennsylvania. She is the author of Vengeance Bound and Promise of Shadows.

Rating Breakdown
Plot
One StarOne StarOne StarOne Star
Writing
One StarOne StarOne StarOne Star
Characters
One StarOne StarOne StarOne StarHalf a Star
Dialogue
One StarOne StarOne StarOne Star
Narration (Audio)
One StarOne StarOne StarOne StarOne Star
Overall: One StarOne StarOne StarOne Star
Melanie
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Posted May 9, 2018 by Melanie in Book Review / 18 Comments


18 responses to “Audio: Dread Nation by Justina Ireland

  1. carolesrandomlife

    You have convinced me! I saw that this one is offered through Hoopla and have been tempted. I haven’t listened to Bahni Turpin yet but have heard great things. Glad you enjoyed this one!

  2. I haven’t read too many dystopian novels, but I really need to read more. And I am always on the lookout for good narrator’s so I will check out Bahni Turpin for sure.

  3. I thought the narration of this one totally rocked. Great story, loved the characters, but that ending? It just cut off right at the climax. It felt like the publisher chopped it off to sell more books. So frustrating.

    • Melanie

      Cliffhangers are almost always a thing anymore. It is very frustrating.

  4. My fried Maria and I just buddy read this and had lots of discussion on our blogs. She HATES horror so it was her first foray into the genre. Of course I consider it horror light. Great review and like you, I’m anxiously awaiting the next installment.

    • Melanie

      I agree that this is “horror lite”. It really isn’t that scary, but I’m also not a great judge. It takes a lot to scare me. 🙂 I’m so excited for book two. I’m glad you enjoyed this one as well.

      Melanie @ Hot Listens & Books of My Heart

    • Melanie

      I hope you do get a chance to try this book soon. It is a really fun story. I understand that mountain though. I add two books to my “to-read” list for every book I finish. LOL

      Melanie @ Hot Listens & Books of My Heart