The GoodBook Club discussion

Just in time for the weekend, our discussion begins today. Share all your thoughts about The Voodoo Killings, a book unlike anything we've read in this book club before. We want to hear it all. Zombie theories, your favourite fiction kick-ass heroines, who would you recommend the book to? This folder/discussion closes May 31st. I won't distract you any longer. Go discuss!

Cheers,
Fatuma

I've never read any zombie-fiction books, but i must say it's very good so far. I'm not quite finished yet. But I love the bones (kathy reiches books) meets walking dead feel. I think thats a good analysis for this one. I am actually looking forward to reading more of the series, if there is to be more. I would reccommend this book to anyone who has read any interest in the supernatural/crime.

Started this book last night, I worked outside of Seattle for a few years so am really looking forward to the location aspect of the book. I'm wondering what it is about Seattle that "attracts" Zombies - one of my favourite recent shows has been iZombie....also set in Seattle!

This is totally not my style of book but I'm always for reading outside my comfort zone, however I'm unable to find this book in audio which is how I think I would enjoy it most. My library does have the ebook but I've got such a big stack of books to read, that I wouldn't get it read in time. I keep hoping one of my libraries will acquire the audiobook.

Louise wrote: "This is totally not my style of book but I'm always up to read outside my comfort zone, however I'm unable to find this book in audio which is how I think I would enjoy it most. My library does hav..."

I'm having a problem finding the book at my library also, only available in ebook format and the waiting list is probably too long for me to be able to read it in time for the discussion. Not sure why there's no actual book available? Also, because it's not my usual or preferred genre, I'm reluctant to buy it. So many books I want to read and my budget is limited, lol.

So far this is a good novel, gripping and you just have to admire Kinkaid Stranger and her housemateship with the ghost of Grunge rocker and how she is guiding Cameron Wight into the Otherworld of Seattle. i like how the setting is realistic with an element of fantasy.

I just got an email that my library just got it in & is holding it for me. Can't wait to pick it up & get started.

I'm planning to start this one before the end of the long weekend; I'm super pumped for it :D

I just started the other day and I am finding it really quick and fast paced. I am pleasantly surprised at how much I am enjoying it as I have had trouble with urban fantasy books in the past. And I haven't really read too much Zombie fiction either!

Oh, also - how is everyone pronouncing Kincaid's name? Is it Kin-said or Kin-kayd??? I can't decide!

I just picked this up today and will dive into it just as soon as I finish my current book All The Missing Girls. I can't wait as it looks so good.

Samantha wrote: "Oh, also - how is everyone pronouncing Kincaid's name? Is it Kin-said or Kin-kayd??? I can't decide!"

I've been pronouncing it Kin-kayd like the last name.

Pronouncing it Kin-Kayd here too.

Just started reading it and pronouncing the name as Kin-Kayd

I'm just about done the book (hopefully can finish it tomorrow), and I'm really surprised with how much I like it! I'm not a huge fan of zombies or the supernatural so I was unsure at the start if I was going to enjoy this one or not, but as the story progressed I found myself being pulled in! I love the crime/suspense aspect of the book and I think other readers who enjoy that genre would really enjoy The Voodoo Killings too! I also think it's a great book for anyone who wants to step out of their comfort zone and try reading something different!!

I am about a third of the way in and I love it. I am a fan of the paranormal, if the writing is well done. I would compare this very favourably to Kelley Armstrong's books and I have read all of them.

What I'm enjoying so far are all the creative ideas the author has made ABOUT zombies, ghosts, and the paranormal. I'm highlighting like crazy!

Just started reading it today. I'm not usually a fan of paranormal, but The Voodoo Killings is blowing me away. I love Kincaid, and I love the way the zombies and ghosts are handled.

Zara wrote: "What I'm enjoying so far are all the creative ideas the author has made ABOUT zombies, ghosts, and the paranormal. I'm highlighting like crazy!"

Interesting that you are hilighting do you normally do that with all your books?

I actually got to read an early copy of this, and loved it! I'm a huge paranormal fan, but don't normally enjoy zombie stories. I love how humanized the zombies are in this book. They aren't typical at all. And the idea of a ghost roommate is awesome.

It seems that I am in the minority. I got a copy and read the first two chapters and could not continue. Granted I knew going in that this isn't my kind of book but I had hoped the story would grab me but I'm afraid I just found it ridiculous. I just can't buy into the zombie thing. I can handle ghosts when done subtly or a bit of magic realism but not this, lol. I will follow along with the discussion anyway. I'm curious to know what the appeal is.

Louise wrote: "It seems that I am in the minority. I got a copy and read the first two chapters and could not continue. Granted I knew going in that this isn't my kind of book but I had hoped the story would grab..."

I can sympathize. I never got into the Zombie phase that everyone got into with the Walking Dead and WWZ that came out... I have to say it is the writing style of this particular author that has me seeing it in a different light and making me enjoy the story.

Starting the book right now I can't wait to see how the book unfolds :)

So I just finished this book, and I wasn't a huge fan.

First, major props to Kristi Charish for coming up with an idea for urban fantasy that isn't typical vampire/werewolf/demon. Voodoo is really unique for this genre.

I've read a lot of urban fantasy novels before, and my main issue with this book was that Kincaid was the typical carbon copy of an urban fantasy heroine down to the leather. There was nothing interesting or new about her character. I really didn't connect with her.

The plot was also really convoluted at times, and Aaron was a boring, needy jerk with about as much personality as a goldfish. Kincaid can do so much better. The only character I saw any potential for was Gideon, who was at least entertaining.

I don't think I'll be continuing on with this series, but I really want to try Kristi Charish's Owl series. I think I'll enjoy that better.

I finished this book today and have had some time to think about it.
I did enjoy it, I liked that the Zombies weren't all out to kill everything all the time (like Walking Dead) so it made it easier to enjoy the story and the development of the characters.
I did feel like this was the second book, there is so much back story that I felt I was missing out on some pretty important facts - like what exactly happened in Seattle with the paranormal and the laws and the practitioners working with the PD and the termination of all of that. Same goes with the Aaron connection - seems like there is a lot still to be said about the relationship.

I am interested to see where the story goes next, this is one of those books where I turned the page and expected the story to continue - and of course it didn't! Lots of potential for the next book!

I'm really loving where this is going, I'm only about 5 chapters in but so far the story is really flowing. I'm especially loving all the descriptors and the relationship between Kincaid and Nate her ghostly roommate. And the fact that she explains ghouls and zombies differently.

I'm 8 chapters in and so far it's good I just wish there was more background story as there are gaps especially if this is out first encounter with the characters as someone said here we have no idea how this whole zombie thing took place and how Seattle became what it became

I finished chapter 20 on the bus this morning and I really like it. I have read a few books with witch, vampire and fae characters, but this is the first book that I have read with ghosts and zombies.

So far, I like the relationship between Nate and Kincaid and I like following along as Kincaid tries to find out how Cameron came to be and what is going on with the murder cases. I can't wait to find out!

I also like the Seattle setting and the mentions of Seattle History, like the Great Fire and the underground.

Kin-kayd is the correct way! Great discussion so far folks. Who was your favourite character? Nate was definitely an in-house fave, things like his terrible spelling was very endearing.

-Fatuma

Gideon was definitely my favourite. I found it intriguing how he kept either trying to kill Kincaid or save her. Their interactions always amused me.

I'm only on chapter 5 but I am hooked! Is anyone else strongly reminded of Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake? At least in the early books of the series and so far without all the sex. Raising zombies, working with the police to raise the dead for questioning, wearing leather, black curly hair are all Anita Blake traits too. I loved that series at first so this isn't a bad thing but it does feel very familiar. My favorite character so far is Lee. She has such an interesting backstory and I feel like we've only scratched the surface with her.

I just finished reading voodoo killings and I don't know how I feel about it. It was a compelling story but there were a lot of pieces missing or that were touched upon but never expanded. It seems like the first book of a series so I felt like the author should've taken time to explain some things like Kincaid's relationship with Max and how the met. Why Kincaid is considered a great practitioner when she quit only two years into her study and she wasn't a medium. How the otherside works including the "globe", the bindings and symbols. It just felt like a lot of information is missing or that we were expected to somehow know or understand it. Perhaps I'm missing out on some backstory? Maybe from the author's other works? Also I felt like the characters weren't developed enough and the ending seemed a bit rushed. The story was interesting though and kept me turning the page, I just wish the story and characters had been fleshed out more.

As for my favourite character, it has to be Nate and his undying loyalty to Kincaid. He loves her in a platonic way and I really loved their relationship. Gideon is an interesting character for sure, I want to know more about him.

As for favourite heroines, it would have to be Hermione Granger, Buffy the vampire slayer and Elizabeth Bennett for sure. And as for zombie theories, I want to know more about this paranormal world. Where does the beer that Nate drinks go if Nate is a ghost and isn't corporeal? Why can the zombies walk and talk? Normally zombies are reduced to their bare minimum instinct which is satisfying an endless hunger but I like the idea of a cognizant zombie. I hope in the future books we get more details and background information on the otherside and how all the ghouls, ghosts and zombies work and come to be. I'm just sad that Max had to go, I wish we had learned more about him and his background and I am sad to see Cameron go, felt like his story was unfinished and would've liked to learn more about his as well, but at the same time I understand why he had to go and I like that he got to make his choice and not have it made for him.

I also want to know more about this otherside addiction. Sounds like a drug addiction and it seemed Kincaid needed it at some point to keep functioning and then that storyline was kind of dropped. The addiction part of it though reminded me of Willow and her addiction to magic in buffy the vampire slayer tv show.

I finished The Voodoo Killings and found it a promising book. There were some great characters with Nate being my favourite. The writing was uneven at times, but the story did flow well. I think it will develope into a good series.

Lots of great characters in this book. Which is really lucky, because I thought the other aspects of this book didn't quite come through. It was a very short novel considering how much info dump we got, yet at the same time, still lots of questions to be answered!

Plus I didn't feel the mystery aspect of the book was all that clever. (view spoiler)[ And we didn't really get to know any of the characters that intimately that when Max died, or when Randall betrayed Kincaid, it didn't have that much impact on me. That plot line may have been better suited for a later book, when we've had time to really care for these people. (hide spoiler)]

My favourite characters had to be Lee (and Lou). I am really interested in both their histories, and hope their story gets fleshed out a little bit more.

Nate is easy to be seen as a fan favourite, and while I did like him as well, I think it was more Cameron who brought the sass factor!

And Gideon was pretty awesome. I like that he calls Kincaid out on her idiotic decisions and knows just how to push her buttons. Just felt like he went from killer ghost to minor pest too quickly though... I felt like he could have been brought into the story a bit more smoothly.

I'm just getting to the Gideon Lawrence part and let's see how the books becomes. I wasn't a fan of the seance chapter just wasn't my cuppa tea.

I have about 150 pages left to go and I have to say, I'm struggling a little bit. This book is pretty far out of my normal zone, I don't usually read books about zombies or this kind of, I guess mythology, and I'm having a hard time getting into the story.

I find I'm just getting into a plot element, and then there's some sort of supernatural aspect that throws me off. Hopefully it gets better!

Glad to hear that you guys are enjoying it! The book reads so cinematically that I have to ask, which scene do you think would translate well to the screen? How about that college party?

-Fatuma

The book reads so cinematically that I have to ask, which scene do you think would translate well to the screen? How about that college party?

I didn't get the movie feel when I was reading it, interested to see what everyone else thought.
I did love the college party scene - thought the kid that organized it was pretty brilliant and would love to see him in the next story line!

I honestly love both Nate and Kincaid so far, Cameron is pretty great too. So as far as characters go those are my favorites.

I didn't really get a movie feel while I was reading it either, but I never get movie feelings while reading books mostly because film adaptations usually ruin the novel. I'd like to see Lee's bar on screen though, I think that would be a really spectacular movie set.

I think if they made an adaptation of this book, it should be TV, not film. I think there are just too many supernatural elements and so much backstory to cram into a movie without it being 4+ hours long.

That being said, I didn't really get the cinematic vibe either, some parts were descriptive, but others I found hard to visualize, the part where underground with Neon/Morgan and I kind of made my own visual up.

Certain parts had a cinematic feel for sure. I'd like to see Gideon and Kincaid's run in in the bathroom and Kincaid's encounter with Anna at the pier.

It is definitely a slower paced book than I'm used to reading, but I'm finding it enjoyable. I usually gobble books up really fast, but this is not a gobble up type of book. I understand why others want more explanation of how things work, but I like that we don't get a lot of explanation. Things are what they are. When authors try to explain everything, I get taken out of the story. I feel like a visitor to a foreign land. Does that make any sense?

On a side note - I love the layout of the book! It took me a while to notice the pages numbers and author's name is backwards on the left pages. It took me longer to realize it probably refers to how Kincaid needs to write backwards in the mirror to talk to Nate. Very clever!

Haven't finished the book, so I'm going to hold back my choice for a cinematic scene. But I will say that Kincaid's apartment building is a setting that I'd love to see on screen. I don't know what it is, but I love the image of her in the freight elevator with her bike. It sets the tone so well.

And as far as favourite characters -- Kincaid, for sure. I'm also liking Cameron a lot (against my better judgment, because I'm sure things can't end well for him).

The underground city has huge potential for cinematics - and it would be really interesting to see what everything really looks like when Kincaid pulls her globes.

And yes, I noticed the layout as well and thought it a neat touch. At first I was worried I was going cross eyed when I saw the backward page number!

Penguin Random House Canada wrote: "Kin-kayd is the correct way! Great discussion so far folks. Who was your favourite character? Nate was definitely an in-house fave, things like his terrible spelling was very endearing.

-Fatuma"

Love Kincaid so far. Nate is a definite favourite, and Cameron is quite endearing so far. Not a term usually associated with a zombie! I think Lee could be quite a fascinating character, but I haven't read enough with her to know for sure. Can hardly wait to get further along!

Louise wrote: "It seems that I am in the minority. I got a copy and read the first two chapters and could not continue. Granted I knew going in that this isn't my kind of book but I had hoped the story would grab..."

I also went in knowing it wasn't something I normally read, but I was hoping I could adjust as it went on. I think my problem is just that I don't love books about zombies and I've recently come to the conclusion that I like my fantasy a little higher than urban.

I just can't picture a world similar to this one with zombies and ghosts and whatever else. I don't know if you read The Bone Season or not, but I found this book similar to that one and I think it was because of the urban fantasy, which was an element I didn't love in either book.

I guess long story short, you aren't alone in not loving it.

I just finished reading the seance college party scene and it is definitely begging for movie or TV. I'd also love to see the underground city on screen because it's a bit hard for me to visualize. I think all the glowing globes and symbols would be really cool on screen too!

I think the book is more suited for a tv show or a made for tv miniseries

Ryley Reads wrote: "I guess long story short, you aren't alone in not loving it...."

Thanks Ryley Reads. It seems to have it's place since so many people like it. When I read a novel I insert myself into the story; the characters become my friends. I just cannot fathom living among zombies and ghosts. The only fantasy novels I have ever enjoyed are those more based on magical fantasy (like the Narnia Chronicles) where I could place myself within the setting.

So a question to those who enjoy this genre. Do you place yourself within the story?