Before I start my review of The Blondes I need share this: I can’t decide if it was fate or just incredibly funny that as soon as I finished reading The Blondes, this article about Mindy Kaling’s brand new blonde look popped up on my facebook (note: she’s not full on blonde now, but her new hair looks gooooooood).
Anyways, The Blondes. I originally heard about this book when author Emily Schultz posted about it on her hilarious blog, Spending Stephen King Money (go check it out if you haven’t) and after reading the description, I needed to check it out. (I need to note here to clear up any confusion, The Blondes, was originally released internationally in 2012. The edition I reviewed will be coming out in April 2015.)
The Blondes take place in the modern United States where a rabies like disease has developed and is rapidly spreading throughout the world. The odd part about this disease? It only affects blonde women. Natural or dyed, blonde women are rapidly being transformed into rabid killers. The novel is told from the point of view of Hazel, a graduate student trying to complete her thesis in New York City. The story opens with Hazel discovering her pregnancy from an affair at the worst possible time and recounting her story of survival to her unborn child.
The Blondes did not disappoint. I found my self having a hard time putting it down and probably could have read through the entire story in an afternoon (if I had had the time to). As I read through it, I went back and forth between laughing and being disturbed, but fascinated the entire time. Schultz does an excellent job releasing small facts and stories about Hazel’s life throughout the novel that helped keep me intrigued and wondering how Hazel has gotten to where she is.
I want to include if a “if you liked this book, then you’ll like this book” but I’m honestly having a hard time narrowing it down! I found similarities in it to Stephen King, Station Eleven, the MaddAdam Series, and a whole handful of coming of age novels about women in their 20s. Really, if you found any of those subjects interesting, I would say to give The Blondes a chance when it comes out this April. It won’t disappoint.
Note: This novel was given to me as an advance copy to review.
