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Author Robert C. O'Brien booklist (click here)

Book Review By Neil Morey
Z For Zachariah by Robert C. O'Brien

Anne Burden is alone. After a nuclear holocaust only her valley is left untouched. Anne tries to make a new life for herself, dreaming of a time when she has somebody else to share it with. One day however somebody does come, wearing a strange suit that protects him from the radiation. Anne hides at first but when the newcomer swims in the polluted steam and falls sick she must reveal herself. But after nursing him back to health Anne starts to wish that she had remained alone as things all start to go wrong.


Plot & Themes
Tone of book - sensitive (sigh....)
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION? - King Arthur
Youngster becomes - great naval officer
Explore:
Adversaries are… - giant monsters
Is this an adult or child's book? - Kid's book (ages 7-14)
GIANT monster(s) Yes
Descript. of chases or violence - 0 %
planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 10 %
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 10 %
Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 80 %

Main Character
Identity: - clone
Profession/status:
Age: - 60's-90's
If magical mental powers: - can cast many different spells
Really unusual traits?

Main Adversary
Identity: - Female Alien
Age: - a kid
Profession/status:
Has magical powers? Yes
Magical/mental powers of main antagonist: - can cast all sorts of spells
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - throughout most of the book.
How sensitive is this character?
Sense of humor - Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence - Brain damaged

Setting
Earth setting: - general past
Takes place on Earth? Yes

Writing Style
Accounts of torture and death? - very explicit references to deaths and torture
scientific jargon? (SF only) - the book is simply packed with technical jargon
Sex in book? Yes
What kind of sex: - descript of touching personal anatomy - licking - major character becomes a sex slave - actual description of sex - lesbians! - description of breasts - rape/molest (yeech!)
How much dialogue? - mostly dialog
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