The Girl with All the Gifts

The Girl with All the Gifts can be classified as a zombie/horror novel, but in many ways it transcends the genre. How does Carey make his novel more than a straightforward horror tale? Cite specific examples.

Carey opens the novel with Melanie’s perspective and a detailed litany of her daily routine. Melanie’s tone is very detached and matter-of-fact when describing her life in a cell and strapped into a wheelchair. How does that tone affect the reader’s perception of Melanie and her situation?

Carey shifts perspective throughout the novel, giving readers the point of view of all five survivors at various times. What purpose does this shifting perspective strategy serve? How would the reading experience be different if Carey had focused his narrative through a single point of view?