Seriously though, be free.

So, today I finished a very disturbing, not exactly enjoyable, but definitely eye-opening novel based around the identities of a number of Meth addicts and their struggle amidst a Zombie Apocalypse.

Now before you dismiss it as another wild attempt by an author to shake up the typical zombie story, let me share with you a few things that I learnt from this book.

The story kicks you straight into the action from the very first page. I know this is something you learn to do in primary school, however I’ve found that quite often the ‘rules’ set out for writing narratives are usually dismissed by authors. And for good reason really. It’s a story people, it’s meant to be exciting, unpredictable and captivating. You can’t cage it like a zoo animal. It needs the open pastures of Africa to run wild and free.

That said I do approve of starting in the midst of something exciting, because essentially engaging readers from the first page is important. Seriously though, be free. 

Reading the first page was like a slap to the face with a wet rubber glove. So yeah, I’m all about letting the story run wild and free, but no speech marks? That’s so beyond wild I can’t even come up with a good metaphor for it. The lack of speech marks wasn’t what got me; it was the crudeness, the absolute harsh honesty and the naked, unfettered portrayal of humanity in its most real form. I found myself comparing the story to an open wound. Like, that’s what’s inside of me. There isn’t stardust, or great acts of bravery or magic. I can’t choose the high road and not eat my roommate’s TimTams, let alone sacrifice myself for the greater good or save the world. I’m just human.

The characters in this book were like cornered animals. There was no heroism; no firm sense of morality, there was only survival.

I want to believe that if I was ever faced with a situation that I’ve put my characters through I’d be able to show the same amount of selflessness that they do, but the honest truth is that humans are animals and, like animals, when our survival instincts kick in, thinking rationally and making decisions as we would sitting around the dinner table, is impossible. Our lives aren’t tested on a day to day basis, those of us in Western society don’t live each day in uncertainty and fear.

The book really shocked me. The further I got in, the less I wanted to continue reading, but at the same time I had to. Today I finally read the last page. As a firm believer in happy endings, the ending cut me to the core. But I suppose I should have expected it after watching the lives of the characters completely and utterly go up in flames.

Despite everything I’ve just said, I still remain a firm believer in the power of good. And I do believe that there must be a hero in every story. However, after reading this book and then going to watch a Disney movie (because gosh, I was in need of a serious pick me up), I came to realise that this realistic depiction of human behaviour is very important in all character creation.

Sometimes you can’t give readers everything they want. A character, in order to be relatable, in order to truly fall in love with, to really invest your emotions in, can’t be a perfect Disney princess. They have to be someone you could imagine meeting and talking to. They have to stress over decisions, they have to react without thought, they have to fall down and get back up and most of all their experiences have to change and mould them.