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The Monster Librarian Presents:
Reviews of Zombie Fiction
While zombies are popular in adult fiction and popular culture zombies are found in books, graphic novels, movies, and video games. There currently aren't many zombie young adult novels, but there is a .
My
So-Called Death
by Stacey Jay*New Review
Flux, 2010
ISBN:
978-0738715438
Available: New
Karen
tragically died from a major fall from the top of the cheerleading pyramid. Even
more tragically, she has discovered that she is a genetic zombie and now has to
live out the rest of her days slurping down animal brains and fearing maggot
infestations. She's even transferred to DEAD high, where supposedly she'll learn
how to cope with her new, long-lasting, but secret, un-life.
But high school, even undead high school, is cruel, and to make bad things worse, a full day into Karen's new life a body of a student is found with her brain harvested by an unknown bad guy that just happens to be lurking around the school. Now perky, driven Karen is taking it upon herself to ferret out the killer before something really, really bad happens.
My So-Called Death weaves back and forth over the line between strong characterization and too much. As amusing as Karen's ultramodern and perky inner monologue is, it, and the lack of strong characters outside of the lead, her best friend, and her boyfriend, is bound to annoy some readers who never saw the spirit behind similar tales, like the movies Clueless and Legally Blonde. It's a perky-fun-gruesome mystery, horror-lite in terms of gore, violence and general darkness. But it's not without creepy, and almost-serious scenes, sort of like the dread one would feel at seeing a bedazzled pirate flag on an approaching ship.
As for its value to collections, there's definitely an audience for Jay's kind of
creepy-gross-not-quite-dark
humor. At the very least, adults could enjoy it for all the in-jokes about
iconic 80s and 90s culture.
Contains: fried brain
bites and giant maggots
Review by Michele Lee
Zombie
Queen of Newbury High by Amanda Ashby
Penguin Group, 2009
ISBN: 9780142412565
Available: New
Mia gets good grades and has an obsession with “Buffy”. Popular kids rarely notice her, so when Rob, the most popular boy in school, asks her out, and then invites her to the prom, she can’t believe it. But Samantha, the popular girl in class, is trying to steal Rob away – and it looks like it is working. Dejected, Mia and her hypochondriac best friend Candice go to visit a creepy old lady who sells herbs and spells to buy a love spell. Mia completes the “love spell” and believes it’s working, but then suddenly everyone is being nice to her, and giving her snacks… and for some reason they all think she smells like roasted chicken. The quiet new boy, Chase, lets Mia know that the spell she cast wasn’t actually a love spell – it is actually slowly turning the whole school into zombies. Mia, Chase, and Candice get to work trying to save their school from a zombie infestation just a week before Prom!
Written for the 12 and up age group, this book is sweet, funny and quite charming. Themes of friendship and childhood relationships run through the book. (Example: just because a guy is popular doesn’t make him the right guy for you.) This book is geared toward girls and plays heavily on the scattered, over-dramatic mindset of high school girls. There is a romantic thread in the book, though it’s by no means in the forefront of the story.
Contains: people with the intention of eating Mia, a kiss, and some name calling of the catty high school girl type.
Review by KDP
The Forest of Hands
and Teeth by Carrie Ryan
Delacourt, 2009
ISBN: 9780385736817
Available: New
In Carrie Ryan's
debut novel, The Forest of Hands and Teeth, Mary is a teenaged girl who
lives in a small village surrounded by a metal fence, all that stands between
her village and "the forest of hands and teeth," Mary's name for the seemingly
infinite flood of undead which besiege the fences day and night.
The undead are not the only source of anxiety for Mary. She is of an age where she must either marry or join the Sisterhood, the religious order which controls every facet of the villagers's lives. Mary chafes at the restrictions placed upon her by the traditions of the village and the dictates of the Sisterhood. She dreams of the ocean, a place which her mother has told her about, but which many believe to be nothing more than a fairy tale.
The Forest of Hands and Teeth is a
highly imaginative take on the zombie story and well worth reading. It is an
outstanding example of how a classic monster story can be reimagined as a
complex and original novel. Carrie Ryan's crisp, clear prose has created a
tense, action-packed novel which is difficult to put down. The book is listed as
being for ages fourteen and up and would make an excellent addition to any
library collection for teen readers. Highly recommended.
This review originally appeared in a more extensive form on the Green Man Review
Web site.
Review by Kestrell Rath
Generation
Dead: Kiss of Life by Daniel Waters
Hyperion Books, 2009
ISBN:9781423109235
Available: Pre-order (May release)
Kiss of Life picks up where Generation Dead left off. Phoebe Kendall is dealing with the aftermath of the events that caused the death of her best friend Adam, who died protecting her from Pete, a deranged jock upset about Phoebe’s relationship with living-impaired Tommy Williams. Adam has now returned as a zombie, and although he is not yet fully functional, Phoebe has realized she has romantic feelings towards Adam. This creates an awkward love triangle between Phoebe, Adam, and Tommy. In the meantime an anti-zombie group co-opts Pete into joining them and making trouble for the zombie population. Kiss of Life is a continuation of the strong storytelling from Generation Dead. Unlike the first book, though, Kiss of Life moves beyond Phoebe’s experiences to include the impact of the living-impaired and their enemies on a larger scale, throughout the United States. While Phoebe is still the main character, Waters starts to flesh out the other characters, devoting more time to them in this book. As with any sequel, readers will want to know if Kiss of Life is a stand-alone book, or if it’s necessary to read Generation Dead first. In this case, enough of the story is built upon Generation Dead that you really need to read it first. It is likely that we can expect another book as well, as the ending includes enough unknowns to keep fans of the series waiting for the next installment. Highly recommended.
You are So Undead to Me by Stacey Jay
Razorbill, 2009
ISBN: 9781595142252
Available: New
Megan Berry wants a date to Homecoming and a place on the pom squad, but just as everything seems to be coming together, missing memories return and she discovers that she is a Settler. Her job is to help zombies, who rise from the dead to deal with unfinished business, to finally rest in peace. It’s not enough that she’s being followed by the needy undead, though. Someone is using black magic to send bloodthirsty RC’s, or reanimated corpses, after her. Megan has a lot on her plate as she searches for the person behind the RCs, plans for her pom squad tryouts, and works out her feelings for Ethan, another Settler who also happens to be a hot guy. The premise of You are So Undead to Me requires considerable suspension of disbelief. According to the story, Settlers are a secret group, but it’s a challenge to believe that zombies are crawling out of their graves trudging around town in search of a Settler, with nobody the wiser. Still, in spite of this, and although the plot doesn’t make much sense, You are So Undead to Me is a nice mix of romance, mystery, and breathless action that will keep teen girls turning the pages. Readers advisory note: Readers who like this book may also like Zombie Queen of Newbury High or Generation Dead, but are likely to prefer paranormal romance to more hard-edged zombie fiction. Recommended for general YA fiction collections in public libraries and for middle and high school media centers.
Contains: violence, black magic, kissing.
Feiwel and Friends, 2008
ISBN 9780312372989
Available: New
When Hannah and her father move into the town of Maplecrest, Hannah finds herself into the familiar role of the “new girl”. Hannah notices that the popular group in her new school are a set of blonde, blue eyed cheerleaders. Lukas, a school misfit, warns Hannah that the cheerleaders are dangerous creatures that hold sway over the entire town. When Hannah is invited to join the cheerleading squad she jumps at the chance to enjoy the benefits of popularity, including the hunky boy friend. What lies underneath the surface, though, isn’t pretty, and once Hannah’s “in,” she may not have an out. Zombie Blondes is an effective little tale of terror that taps into the anxieties that go along with wanting to fit in successfully in high school. It should be noted that Zombie Blondes is much more of a horror tale than many of the other young adult “horror” books. Zombie Blonds is recommended for public and school libraries.
Contains: Violence, a little blood letting
Generation
Dead by Daniel Waters
Hyperion, 2008
ISBN: 143210921X
Available: New
Something is causing teenagers to return from the dead as zombies, or “living impaired.” Unlike traditional zombies, though, Daniel Waters’ “living impaired” creations are simply teens reanimated with varying levels of functionality and ability to communicate. The “living impaired” are not accepted by society at large. They have few rights and can even be killed without penalty. Against this backdrop, we are introduced to Phoebe and Adam, next door neighbors with very different backgrounds- Adam is a star football player and Phoebe is a goth girl. Phoebe develops an interest in a “living impaired” student, Tommy Williams. When Tommy joins the high school football team, he and his friends become targets of a group of football players called the “Pain Crew.” Adam must choose his loyalties and decide how far he will go for friendship.
The characters in Generation Dead are beautifully layered. Although it seems at first like Waters is depending on common stereotypes, as the book continues, the characters’ surfaces are peeled away, revealing much more complex personalities and motivations than a reader would initially expect. The plot is gripping and moves at a good pace. Readers will want to keep turning the pages to see what happens next, and the ending is extraordinarily powerful. Waters leaves enough plot threads dangling to easily write a sequel, but this book clearly stands alone. Daniel Waters has written an incredibly strong first book. He enters new territory by writing zombie fiction for young adults, but his work transcends categorization. Generation Dead will appeal to a wide audience of both horror readers and general readers in young adult fiction, and has strong enough writing that adult readers will want to pick it up as well.
It is still early in the year but Generation Dead is compelling and innovative enough that it has already earned itself a spot on our top picks for young adult horror fiction for 2008. Highly recommended for both public and school libraries.
Contains: violence, minor gore.