Dystopia

Review: The Split by Gigi Nally

April 16, 2026

Synopsis:

One girl. Two rival factions. And a captor she can’t ignore.

Kota is a scrappy 21-year-old who would do anything to keep her family safe—including the dangerous job of running goods across zombie-infested South Carolina. But when she’s kidnapped in a crumbling truce between two hostile settlements, she quickly finds herself as a political pawn in a brewing war that threatens the future of humanity itself.

A single wall divides Kota’s seemingly prosperous community from the anarchists on the other side. But when Jasper—Kota’s cunning and dangerously alluring captor—unearths shocking truths about her home, it will throw everything she believes into question…She expected Jasper to kill her. But now their fates are intertwined.

Forced to team up with the enemy settlement, Kota plunges into a shadowy world of secrets, subterfuge, and political machinations—all while fighting her growing attraction to Jasper. As tensions spiral toward war, Kota must decide where she stands.

Review:

We begin by meeting our main character, Kota, as she hunts for food with her crew. It quickly becomes clear that her daily life is harsh and driven by one main goal: keeping her family safe. The community she lives in is ruled by a strict regime where food is scarce, and failing to meet daily quotas means people go hungry. Kota isn’t happy with this life, but she has learned to accept the status quo.

Bit by bit, the story reveals what led to this world. A virus was released, forcing humanity into survival mode during a zombie apocalypse. Two opposing communities now exist, separated by an actual wall. The leader on Kota’s side presents a deeply distorted view of the people beyond it. When Kota is kidnapped, she slowly begins to realize just how oppressed she has been, and that the other side isn’t nearly as monstrous as she was led to believe. This forces her to rethink her past decisions and confront the truth that she has been lied to for years.

I really enjoyed the dystopian setting, and I’m always drawn to a well‑done zombie story. The book starts off fast‑paced, and the worldbuilding is handled in a way that makes the situation easy to understand. The story slows down a bit in the middle before picking up momentum again.
While the plot doesn’t introduce many entirely new ideas, it was still an entertaining read. Not everything fully made sense (Kota’s sudden transformation into a highly capable fighter, for example), but I accepted it for what it was and enjoyed the journey overall.

🌙 Recension: The Split by Gigi Nally
📚 Genre: Dystopia
📅 Release Date: March 3, 2026
📖 Publisher: Gilly Publishing
📱 Read as: Kindle
📗 available in various formats – included in Kindle Unlimited
💸 I received an advance review copy, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
🗣️ Language: English
📆 Pages: 374
⭐️ 3.5/5