Girl With All the Gifts....ending question...(spoilers!)

[SagaNorensLeatherface]

I read this off the back of another thread asking for books you can get "lost in."

I really enjoyed it and certainly got lost in it! But I have one, probably stupid, question.

If all the humans die out, what are the pseudo-zombie-children going to feed on? Animals? Will they not be affected by the cloud of fungal spores raining down?

Bit confused by this possible plot-hole, tbh.

It's been a while since I read it, but what did they eat in the centre at the beginning?

I can't remember if they ate at all, but I assume it wasn't human flesh they were given if they did eat.

I don't think they will be affected by the spore cloud. The spore cloud turns people into zombies but the children from the centre were born to the zombies as a new species. They weren't turned by the spore cloud in the first place, but they were born as a result of it.

So I think they will be immune to the affects of it.

Worse - How is the woman in the hazmat suit going to live long enough in that suit without being infected by the spores to teach the zombie kids anything? Surely the oxygen in that suit will run out fairly soon or she will have to go to the toilet, for example, and so she will have to open up the suit and be exposed to the spores. Then she will be a zombie, too.

I meant are the animals not affected by the spores? I guess not seeing as how Melanie ate a cat or whatever at some point. But yes, Cote, I don't see how she will last long at all.

Zombie kids eat about once a week.

"the point about the teacher was she was going to help the zombies set up a new population"

Except that she won't be able to do much at all because she will be infected the second she opens that hazmat suit for even a second. Which will be the next time she needs to eat, drink, or go to the bathroom.

Ahhh yes I forgot the very obvious detail that they don't HAVE to eat! Was thinking they needed humans to nourish/make themselves stronger but they don't of course. Still, as you say about the teacher, I think we're supposed to infer that her days are numbered. Unless they figure out a way for her to stay in an air-locked infection controlled room like the vehicle lab thing forever. But what kind of life is that? I assume the fungus will grow over the Earth in it's entirety? Or was it's sole purpose to grow those bulbous things that broke open in order to contaminate the rest of humankind and then it will eventually die off? Hmmm....

"... the suit but I thought she'd just wear it round the zombie kids then come out when she was locked away."

That's not how air works in the real world, though. Open the door of her room and spores will come in there. Spores will be on her suit so will go in her room when she does, as well. And how long is her suit's oxygen supply expected to last? Several hours? That is not quite enough to teach those kids much, is it?

Oh I'm glad I read this. I'm struggling to enjoy it so can give up now.

I'm about 300 pages in and starting to get so bloomin bored..... Enough zombies already. If anyone has finished it can they tell, without too many spoilers, if it is worth finishing? I'm hoping the remaining 130 or so pages are full of twists and interesting stuff. Not just more tramping around escaping zombies in different ways. Ugh... I think I know the answer already

Give up, Betty and read the thread.

Give up, Betty. It's stupid and gets more and more stupid.

Remus is right. I got it from a thread here about unputdownable reads, and I did stick with it thinking "there must be something amazing waiting just on the next page!"

It never happened.

Oh I loved this so much!
I got it as an audio book and Finty Williams was brilliant at reading it.
I was so glad to have a train journey to listen.
I thought Ms Justineaux had an air locked room?

I was think about how their future would look today.
Such a shame other people haven't liked it, it was recommended on MN and I am so grateful.

Betty I would also give up. I read it and I only realised it was about zombies half way through... I was on a long journey and finished it because there was nothing else to do and I'm not a quitter dammit but it was not a thrilling read imo..

I LOVED this book, though not really for the story, more the way Melanie's view of Ms Justineaux (sp?) and her optimism for the world transformed made me feel. It was so sweet and terrible. I usually hate zombie books but this one had a dreamy, wistful feel to it that sets it apart from many of the uber gory ones. Anyway, in terms of the ending, I thought part of what made the book so compelling was how Ms J accepted her fate. Her days were numbered either way.