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The Living and The Dead Kindle Edition

by Sara Furlong-Burr (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 25 ratings
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Dying is optional.
Living is forbidden.

The year is 2111, and scientists have discovered how to cheat death by extracting memories, thoughts, and personality traits from the dying, methodically implanting them into artificial bodies. At the time, it seemed too good to be true, never having to lose anyone to illness or time, and maybe it was.

Rejected as being nothing more than imposters of the living, the dead are shunned by society. Their families, friends, and neighbors, having grown to fear them, erected walls around their cities to keep them out. Over time, those cities were replaced with colonies overseen by governors to keep order.

At seventeen, Zaila Lockhart has only known isolation. Isolation from the world that extends both outside and inside her colony. As the daughter of the unpopular governor, she is the target of resentment, especially now that resources are becoming more scarce, since all trade between the colonies has been interrupted by a group marauders. Starvation seems imminent, and a war between the living and the dead over much-needed provisions looms on the horizon.

In search of food and other supplies, Zaila takes it upon herself to secretly venture outside her colony’s walls. Joined by Pax Muldoon, her only friend, the pair are ambushed by a group of scavengers. Identified as being the governor’s daughter, Zaila is brought back to the scavengers' base in a city occupied by both the dead and their living sympathizers.

Zaila thought she knew everything there was to know about her captors, that the history being taught in the colonies was rooted in fact. But some lessons are better learned outside the classroom, where the living have grown to fear life, and the dead are the only ones truly living.
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  1. Reading age
    12 - 18 years
  2. Print length
    335 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Grade level
    6 - 12
  5. Publication date
    August 27, 2016
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  9. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  10. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

From the Red Headed Book Lover Book Blog
The Living and the Dead is a thrilling, poignant, fascinating piece of science fiction that is guaranteed to entertain its readers for hours on end. The Living and the Dead can only be described as a piece of fiction that is moving and enthralling at the same time; the unique premise of this story is one that will make many readers think and ponder the themes explored in this brilliant piece of fiction. Those books, in my opinion, are the best kind because they keep you hooked and entertained from beginning to end. Besides, the wonderful author Sara Furlong- Burr is a phenomenal writer so you can't help but be gripped and entertained the whole way through!

The Living and the Dead follows the protagonist of the novel, Zaila. Zaila is a bright young woman who is the daughter of the governor of her colony - Stasia. Stasia is a walled off city in which protects its residents from people known only as the hollow ones. The hollow ones are artificial bodies which contain memories, thoughts, and feelings of the dying so that they can attempt to live forever. Society has shunned these beings and set up subsequent colonies to protect themselves from the 'unknown'. The premise of this novel is just this and let me tell you now book lovers, it makes for a thrilling, riveting piece of dystopian fiction that should not be missed!

The story of The Living and the Dead is a poignant one in which the reader feels for the characters we come across in the book. We feel for these characters because they are living in harsh conditions and experiencing frightening things. Furlong-Burr is a talented author because she writes her characters so that readers can emphasise, relate or loathe them; they are all believable and unique, and their narratives are superb! In particular, I loved Zaila; she is a brave, daring young woman but she is also compassionate, and she desperately feels the need to change her world for the better and the lives of the people she loves. Zaila makes for a stunning protagonist and this is all thanks to the talent of Furlong-Burr.

What I loved about this novel in particular, besides my evident love for the author's beautiful literature, was the narrative avenue she decided to take. The novel is told in alternate viewpoints after each chapter; we get the pleasure of reading viewpoints from Zaila's, Pax's and Flint's narratives. The switch in narratives is a superb plot device and one of my favorites because it adds an extra layer of depth to the novel; the reader is able to experience more feelings, witness more events and so I am in awe of Furlong-Burr for choosing to write her book this way!

Sara Furlong - Burr is a phenomenal writer because she is dedicated to her work as well as passionate. Her passion shines off the page and into the reader's mind. Her sometimes lengthy, beautiful descriptions will send the readers mind into visual overdrive, the reader will be able to perfectly imagine every detail the reader comes across and that in my opinion, is the sign of a talented author.

Furlong - Burr can only be described as a talented wordsmith. Her tale is gripping and consistent from beginning to end; as the reader reads this book, they will be taken on an unforgettable journey which will unfold bit by bit at a perfect pace that will keep the reader engrossed. Furlong-Burr's vivid writing will enable the reader to fall madly in love with this book and be kept hooked because you simply can't help but do this! The fluidity alone in her book is sensational and unlike anything, I have read before, never once did I find myself getting bored of the story or even the characters. Furlong-Burrs managed to continually shock and surprise me thanks to her fantastic plot devices such as twists and turns; overall Furlong - Burr is a talent to watch and now that I think of it... why is this book not a movie?!

To summarise my thoughts on the brilliant and riveting The Living and the Dead; I would say if you are a reader who is looking to read a phenomenal piece of literature that will keep you hooked from beginning to end then this incredible book is for you! This superb book gets Five Stars from me!

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B01K26O7VO
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ (August 27, 2016)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ August 27, 2016
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 754 KB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 335 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 25 ratings

About the author

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Sara Furlong-Burr

Sara Furlong-Burr

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Sara Furlong Burr is an award-winning author of romcoms filled with angst, heartbreak, and a sprinkle of laughs. She was born and raised in Michigan and currently still lives there with her husband, two daughters, a lively corgi that closely resembles a sack of potatoes, three judgmental cats, and a hedgehog named Juniper who's almost as antisocial as she is. When she's not writing, Sara enjoys reading, traveling, spending time with her family, using her treadmill as a clothes hanger, and mindlessly scrolling through TikTok and Instagram. She's also an advocate for melanoma awareness, having been diagnosed with stage 1b melanoma in 2017.

Join Sara's readers group on Facebook for the latest updates on future books: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2950011398558211/?source_id=179374038873249

Other Ways To Follow Sara:

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Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorSaraFurlongBurr

Website: https://www.sarafurlongburr.com

Sign up for her newsletter: https://sarafurlongburr.com/newslettersignup

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
25 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

fbpsmum
5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic dystopian storyline!
Reviewed in the United States on October 22, 2016
Verified Purchase
The start of what will hopefully be another fantastic saga by Sara whose 'Enigma Black' series is one of my all-time favorites! This story beings in 2111 and is told in chapters that alternate in viewpoint between the three main characters: Zaila, Pax and Flint.

Zaila is the daughter of the governor of her colony, the walled off city of Stasia. The walls protect the people from the 'hollow ones', artificial bodies containing the memories and thoughts from the dying in an attempt to live forever. However, society shunned them and eventually battles broke out between the factions leading to the formation of various colonies set up to protect the living. Her only real friend is Pax, a boy in her class.

To help the people in her colony, Zaila sneaks out of the colony in search of food and material goods. On one mission, Pax joins her and they are ambushed by a group of scavengers. Zaila is injured and taken by the scavengers to their base in former Detroit. There she meets Flint, a hollow boy and discovers that things are not what they seem.

I really enjoyed the story as it played out, and once again find myself torn between the characters that Sara has created. I'm really hoping it does become a series as while it is not a cliffhanger ending, the narrative could definitely be extended into another book if not more.
One person found this helpful
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Shana Mueller
5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding
Reviewed in the United States on April 29, 2023
Verified Purchase
I was happy, sad, and mad! Was a great book, but I still have questions. The writing depicted a clear vision of the world and made me feel for each character. Highly recommend.
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I Feel the Need, the Need to Read book blog
5.0 out of 5 stars Very different dystopian with surprises
Reviewed in the United States on February 27, 2019
Verified Purchase
This book is a quick read and didn't take me long to finish. Mainly I think it was because of the characters and the intrigue/suspense of their story. I did like the multiple perspective chapters. I know there are a lot of people that don't seem to like that and prefer to stick to one POV, but not me. I think if it's done correctly (as it is here), you can gain a better understanding of a character and their thought process. I was very happy that the author chose the ending that they did. I thought for sure that this book was going to go in a very cliche way but was very surprised that it didn't. I highly recommend and I hope to see more of these characters.
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Heather
5.0 out of 5 stars Which side are you on?
Reviewed in the United States on November 11, 2016
Verified Purchase
Sara Furlong-Burr has an easy way of bringing every detail of her stories to beautiful life. I was pleasantly surprised by the twists in this tale, including a huge reveal that was completely unexpected. I remained not only interested, but captivated by the story and the characters. And truth be told, I even envied the heroine, Zaila. She's powerful, daring and compassionate. Zaila Lockhart strives to bring forth real change in her little world, and for the people she cares about. I'd like to have just a tiny bit of this character's courage.

The Living and the Dead deserves the 5 star rating. And do not miss out on the author's dystopian trilogy. Great reads.
One person found this helpful
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Kayla Bug
4.0 out of 5 stars Great Dystopian Read
Reviewed in the United States on March 9, 2019
I received this book for free from Hidden Gems in return for an honest review.

The Living and The Dead takes place in 2111 and there may be a war between the living and the dead, memories and personalities and lives that have been transferred into fake bodies, meaning there is no death of a loved one if they are placed into the "Dead". The chapters go between the three main characters Zaila, Pax and Flint.

Zaila is the daughter of an unliked Governor and doesn't like the life she's living, trapped within the city she was born into. Her only friend, Pax is by Zaila's side when she decides to head out and see what's beyond her city, as well as finding provisions.

When Zaila meets Flint she finds herself unsure of what it is that she believes now after meeting him and him being one of the Dead.

I enjoyed reading the different points of views of the characters throughout the novel and though I admit I wanted a bit more from the ending, I'm hoping that there may be a second book. I look forward to reading more from this author, this was the first book I've read by them and hope that I will enjoy even more of their work.
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Jessica Hillis
5.0 out of 5 stars Great New Young Adult Adventure
Reviewed in the United States on February 26, 2019
I really enjoyed reading this. The characters were reminiscent of all the great young adult/apocalyptic fiction. The three main characters had the quirks and dynamics of Hunger Games (including a love triangle), the scene was such as that in Divergent (Chicago/Michigan area that you knew once existed, but has since taken a decidedly negative turn because of war), and had the run-at-top-speed-to-save-yourself-and-your-friends like The Maze Runner.

Zaila is a teen who is NOT like her overbearing and controlling mother (the governor of the colony in which they live). Because of her mother's control, nobody except one person likes her (Pax). Colonists are not allowed outside the fence of their community because of the dead (not zombie dead, but personality-replaced robots who have been enhanced and humanized by actual people who died and can now live on in perfect robot bodies).

Of course, Zaila has the itch to explore, but also to help their starving community. When she get a chance to actually interact with the supposed despicable dead, she finds they are not what she has been taught to believe her entire life. The dead, though not biologically the same as the living, still feel and apparently love.

What makes one "living" or "human" does not necessarily have to do with whether one has a beating heart or blood in the veins.

Through struggle and overcoming obstacles (both internal and external), Zaila, Pax, and Flynn (Zaila's non-human friend), war is avoided and a hope for a new understanding between the living and the dead is started.

I enjoyed the characters, the witty back and forth communications between all the key and secondary players. I had a premonition of who the mysterious Wraith was (and was correct), and was very happy that the mystery was solved at the very end without too much fanfare. I at times wished mother Governor would see the error and evil of her ways and show true love for Zalia, but the way the book ended, I am glad she didn't change, which then could lead to actual true change among the colonists. Being an advanced copy, I noticed a few grammar issues, but nothing that took away from the enjoyment of the book.
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