Z for Zachariah by Robert O'Brien

"Z for Zachariah" by Robert C. O'Brien is a captivating and thought-provoking book set in a world devastated by a nuclear war. The story revolves around Ann, a young girl who believes she is the only survivor. Everything changes when she meets Mr. Loomis, another survivor. As their relationship develops, suspicion and tension arise, revealing the complexities of human nature.

O'Brien's writing skillfully captures the bleak atmosphere of a post-apocalyptic world. Through Ann's perspective, we witness her determination to survive, even as she struggles to trust Mr. Loomis and discern his true intentions.

"Z for Zachariah" prompts us to think about questions about trust, morality, and the dark side of human behavior. It encourages readers to reflect on their own choices in challenging situations. With its gripping story and powerful themes, this book stays with you, provoking deep thoughts long after you've finished reading. (Alex. Grade 8)

Rating: 4/5

Vocabulary Difficulty: 2/5

"Z for Zachariah" by Robert C. O'Brien is a thought-provoking and haunting science fiction historical book. The book is set in a post-apocalyptic world where a young girl named Ann Burden appears to be the only survivor after a nuclear war. Ann's world is a desolate wasteland, However, her world is turned upside down when a mysterious stranger named Loomis arrives in the valley. Personally, I really enjoyed this book as it especially in the first half kept us in suspense as Ann had to react to the new arrival. The book also conveys the sense of loneliness in the world very well. In conclusion, I would recommend this book to any one because I believe all people can find it interesting, especially people enjoying the dystopian science fiction genre. (Oliver. Grade 8)

Rating: 4/5

Vocabulary Difficulty: 2/5

Z for Zachariah is an interesting dystopian/post-apocalyptic novel written by Robert C. O'Brien. This novel is about Ann Burden, a teenage girl who lives alone in a valley shielded from the radiation that ended most of the world around her. Not long after the story starts, a scientist appears in the valley and acts strangely when he meets her. There are a few things I like about this book. One interesting feature of this book was the theme of being completely alone in the world and having to be self-sufficient. The progression of the events was very smooth, the story wasn't moving too fast or too slow and it was interesting all the way through. One thing I didn't like about the book though was that it was quite old (it was first published in 1974), which made some of the words and sentences hard to understand. I recommend this book to teenagers who like dystopian/post-apocalyptic novels or books published in the 20th century. (James E. Grade 8)

Rating: 4/5

Vocabulary Difficulty: 3/5

Z for Zachariah by Robert C. O’Brien is an action and thriller story about a teenage girl who, as far as she knows, is the only person left on earth. Nuclear radiation has destroyed the rest of the world but has not touched the valley where she lives. Suddenly, one day she discovers that someone else is still alive. She must decide what she will do next. The book was very well written and descriptive as I could visually imagine what the protagonist was doing but the story was sort of predictable. In addition, I was not really satisfied with the ending. However, it was interesting to read her inner thoughts and be in the shoes of the girl. Overall, even though I did not really enjoy this book. I would recommend this to people who like action or thriller books set in a dystopian future. (Seoyeon. Grade 8)

Rating: 3/5

Vocabulary Difficulty: 3/5

The book I read is called “ Z for Zachariah ”. It is a novel by Robert C. O’Brien. The genre of this book is action. I gave it a ⅘ rating. And the difficulty of the words was ⅖.

This book, in my opinion, was nicely written (it didn’t repeat itself and was well thought out. This was a very fantastic book. Typically I wouldn't say I like novels, but this was one that I was eager to finish and hear the ending. The story is about Ann Burden, a teenager, who believes she is the solitary survivor of a nuclear war. Since her family went missing in the search for additional survivors, she has lived alone on her farm in a little valley free of nuclear pollution. A year after the war, a guy dressed in radiation-resistant clothing visits her valley… I loved it because it has a survival instinct and you never know what will happen next, which is kind of scary. Anyone who enjoys adventure stories and science fiction should read this book, in my opinion.  (Alexis. Grade 8)

Rating: 4/5

Vocabulary Difficulty: 2/5

“Z for Zachariah” by Robert C. O’Brien is a novel that takes place during World War II. This story follows the life of a fifteen-year-old girl called Ann Burden. One day, her whole family leaves the valley where they live to go search for war survivors and leaves her at home. She never sees them again. Without her family, she lives alone until one day she spots a man coming towards her house. At first, she keeps her distance but when he falls sick, she rushes to help him. Once he gets better, instead of thanking and repaying her, he betrays her, and Ann will be left alone to fend for herself yet again. This was a good book. I would recommend it to people who enjoy the genres of historical fiction and a bit of adventure. It is targeted to grades 6 and up because it might be a bit of a hard topic for younger ages.   (Nina. Grade 8)

Rating: 4/5

Vocabulary Difficulty: 2/5

“Z for Zachariah” by Robert C. O’Brien is a book related to World War II. Ann Burden is the only one left on Earth, or so she thinks. After the war ended, everything that ran on electricity died. It is because the nuclear radiation spread throughout the world except for the valley where she lives. Then one day a man came and Ann’s life came crashing down little by little. I would recommend this book to the ages of 11-13 as it fits that age range. The genres of this book are realistic, historical and a bit action as well. Overall, I would rate this book a 3/5 as it wasn’t that entertaining to read and was a bit slow-paced.  (Ellery. Grade 8)

Rating: 3/5

Vocabulary Difficulty: 2/5

Z for Zachariah: The book I read is called “Z for Zachariah”. It has 249 pages and I think it fits very well in the following genres. The genres are Adventure and Drama, because there's much adventure happening and things that go wrong. And I liked it because there’s always stuff happening in the book. The author's name is Robert C.O'Brien he was an american novelist and journalist for the National Geographic Magazine. In my opinion this book was well written and well thought out. You can see this when all the different stuff you heard is coming together perfectly. Normally I don’t find reading enjoyable or fun, but in this book I wanted to know how it ends. I think it was like that because it has a unique story about nuclear war and stuff that I found pretty interesting. You should read this book if you want to have an adventurous book with a unique story. (Tomek. Grade 8)

Rating: 4/5

Vocabulary Difficulty: 3/5