Hello Readers,
When I first started this book, a little voice in the back of my head told me I should reread The Girl With All the Gifts. For context, The Boy on the Bridge is a prequel to that novel. But honestly, I didn’t feel like I missed a thing. I feel like Carey writes in a way that makes this story fully accessible even for readers unfamiliar with the series.
Set a decade before The Girl With All the Gifts, The Boy on the Bridge stands strong as both a companion piece and a compelling standalone. Once again, we’re dropped into a post-apocalyptic Britain, overrun by “hungries.” But unlike its predecessor, this novel leans more into human conflict than external threats, building a slow-burning, tense narrative focused as much on morality and survival as on horror.
One of Carey’s greatest strengths is character development. Every character feels complex, flawed, and shaped by their own moral compass. There are no traditional heroes or villains just people trying to survive, each the protagonist of their own story.
Carey’s prose is another highlight: clean, precise, and emotionally resonant. His take on zombies is less about gore and more about what it means to be human in a dying world. That’s what truly sets this novel apart. The horror is not just physical it’s internal, political, and psychological.
The pacing is deliberate but ultimately rewarding, building to a powerful emotional crescendo. The final chapters are intense and heartbreaking, followed by a quietly devastating aftershock that lingers long after the last page.
The Boy on the Bridge is everything I look for in post-apocalyptic fiction thoughtful, immersive, and emotionally charged. I was completely swept away, and I know I’ll return to both books again, especially around Halloween.
L x
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