This isn't related to the reading challenge. However the film of this particular British Dystopian Scifi Zombie Horror Thriller has recently been released in the cinemas. (Genre is only a concept).
The Girl With All The Gifts was only published in 2014. And I only read it after I received it for Christmas last year (thank you Neil & Becky). It's a novel I had been wanting to read for some time, having read reviews about this new twist on a dystoptian zombie survival genre, which was starting to run a bit dry and overworked. M.R. Carey certainly gave it a bit of a kick up the behind to get it going again.
Carey took his hand to scripting the screenplay for his novel, and joined with Scottish director Colm McCarthy (who's known for a whole load of hugely successful British programmes, like Sherlock, which I haven't really watched) and Creative England to produce the film adaptation of the novel. Since Carey joined the like of writers such as Michael Crichton (Jurassic Park) in adapting their own work to screen, I don't feel I can slag off the differences of novel and film the way I would with some other adaptations. (I have some views on Jurassic Park too, but Crichton did what he did. I do love Jurassic Park though).
One of the elements that sets aside The Girl With All The Gifts is the source of the 'Zombie' infection and how it spreads. Dr. Caldwell, who is one of those characters who you're not really meant to like (in the novel anyway, I found her rather likeable in the film.She is played by Glenn Close though), spends her time in the story searching for both understanding of the source of the infection and a cure. The method Dr. Caldwell uses for her investigation is slightly controversial, however it is integral to the message of the story.
Without giving too much away, the protagonist of the story is a 'girl' called Melanie. We see her viewpoint of the world around her, and most importantly how she is aware that she is different, but the same as the soldiers, Dr. Caldwell and her teacher Miss Justineau. The film starts with Melanie in her cell counting, so we know Melanie is the important key in this story, as Dr. Caldwell knows.
Dr. Caldwell is more involved in the beginning of the film than she is in the novel. Melanie has already built a relationship with her in the film, so that when the action really starts to kick in, Melanie isn't quite as afraid of Caldwell as she is in the book. I think this is done well in the film though because it shows how Dr. Caldwell personally saw how important Melanie was, and it also made Melanie suspicious of her own circumstance.
There are, of course, other children like Melanie in the book and the film. Some other people, who were the cause of the action kicking off in the novel, were omitted from the film. Although I was a little disappointed, I did enjoy the zombies. The action towards the end of the film felt a little rushed, and particular events which happened in the novel didn't in the film. However, I still felt the reminder of Borderlands (the game), which I'd felt reading the novel. The very end I particularly enjoyed, especially for some familiar characters we got to see again.
Another, rather obvious difference, from the book to the film, are that the looks of both characters Melanie and her beloved teacher Miss Justineau have been switched. But it shows how, when it comes down to it, a lot of things aren't really important when it comes down to the end of world.
