Well, the whisperers weren't as frightening as I thought they would be, but I don't think we've heard the whole story yet. Points for coming up with a new way for people to go crazy in the zombie apocalypse. If they really did want to settle things peaceably, looks like Carl's going to muck that up, but I can't really blame him. I'm curious to see where Kirkman goes with this. ( )

I don't think I've ever rated a series so high as this one. Kirkman and company always seem to breathe new life into a concept that should be running on fumes by now.

Not a lot happens here, this volume is more of a set up for what comes next, obviously, but it opens up the character of Carl Grimes so much more. I'm still getting used to this new, older world, and I do miss Rick and Michonne, but there's some work being done here to lay a groundwork for the next few years.

Still loving it. ( )

I mean it wasn't bad but I think the story is less compelling than 20 volumes ago overall. ( )

What could have easily ended up as a novel twist has instead turned into an interesting question of morality. Do you interfere with others because you believe their way of life is wrong, or do you simply let them be to hold the peace? At what point are you simply protecting someone because you care about them, and putting others at risk? What if people only suspect you're doing so, when indeed people they care about are in the wrong... but they refuse to see it?

You can't please everyone, but can you hold the peace?

This volume introduced us formally to the Whisperers, a group who believes the proper way to live in this post-apocalyptic world is to accept that the old way of life is dead. You can't rebuild, you can't make it better, so you join with the dead. They wear the skins of zombies to move among them, and live off the land, moving with the herds. Is it right? Is it wrong? Is living with the dead you will soon become a step too far?

Questions, questions, questions. And then young Carl Grimes gets involved. Carl's character development is some of the best in the series, and this volume truly shows his mixed upbringing with Rick and Negan, to a certain extent, coming to its full fruition. His development just fascinates me because it's so believable. He didn't have the luxury of childhood, and he's had to go through so much to stay alive. Here, as it previously has, these hardships come to haunt him...

What will happen next? ( )

Carl has gone to live at The Hilltop, where Maggie has taken charge. Some people are good with this arrangement, and some aren't. The security men discover that walkers are whispering to each other, and this leads to Carl losing...something important. ( )