Book Review: Alice in Zombieland

Book: Alice in Zombieland (White Rabbit Chronicles #1) by Gena Showalter, 2012 by Harlequin Teen, 404 pages.

Synopsis from Goodreads:
She won’t rest until she’s sent every walking corpse back to its grave. Forever.

Had anyone told Alice Bell that her entire life would change course between one heartbeat and the next, she would have laughed. From blissful to tragic, innocent to ruined? Please. But that’s all it took. One heartbeat. A blink, a breath, a second, and everything she knew and loved was gone.

Her father was right. The monsters are real….

To avenge her family, Ali must learn to fight the undead. To survive, she must learn to trust the baddest of the bad boys, Cole Holland. But Cole has secrets of his own, and if Ali isn’t careful, those secrets might just prove to be more dangerous than the zombies….

I wish I could go back and do a thousand things differently.
I'd tell my sister no.
I'd never beg my mother to talk to my dad.
I'd zip my lips and swallow those hateful words.
Or, barring all of that, I'd hug my sister, my mom and my dad one last time.
I'd tell them I love them.
I wish... Yeah, I wish.

My Thoughts:
I found Alice in Zombieland to be a unique take on zombies, a way to make them into an urban fantasy myth and not a dystopian future novel. This was clever and innovative. That, combined with the Alice in Wonderland nuances made for an interesting read.

Ali grew up sheltered by her parents, believing her father was crazy because he saw monsters that no one else saw. He wouldn't let them go out at night, they had to learn to defend themselves, he patrolled the house, and drank himself into oblivion. Then, an accident changes everything for Ali. She learns that her father was right, that the monsters are real and she becomes determined to fight them.

The book combined Ali's new reality with knowing that zombies exist, trying to fit into a new high school and life, her new best friend, and falling for the badder than bad boy in the school. There is lots of drama around who likes who and social cliques. I felt the voice was probably pretty true to teenaged life, but, at times, it was also a bit much. Maybe it's just me, but I get tired of the gorgeous, uncommunicative, moody, irresistible love interest and the girl who puts up with it.

I am honestly torn with this book. I liked the paranormal aspects and how the zombies were portrayed, how Ali was determined to be strong and fight for herself, the relationship between Ali and her friend Kat, and the realism of Ali's devastation. However, I found Ali's relationship with Cole (the bad boy) predictable (except there was no real triangle, maybe that will be in the next book), and I wanted more Alice in Wonderland-y aspects to the book.

Overall, I think teens, especially girls, will like this book, but those looking for a meaty zombie book may be disappointed. It will be interesting to see where the author takes this series.

Here is the book trailer from YouTube:

Flesh & Bone by Jonathan Maberry

Book: Flesh & Bone (Benny Imura #3) by Jonathan Maberry, 2012 by Simon & Schuster Books For Young Reader, 469 pages.

Synopsis from Goodreads:
Reeling from the tragic events of Dust & Decay, Benny Imura and his friends plunge deep into the zombie-infested wastelands of the great Rot & Ruin. Benny, Nix, Lilah and Chong journey through a fierce wilderness that was once America, searching for the jet they saw in the skies months ago. If that jet exists then humanity itself must have survived…somewhere. Finding it is their best hope for having a future and a life worth living.

But the Ruin is far more dangerous than any of them can imagine. They are hunted by fierce animals escaped from zoos and circuses. They must raid zombie-infested towns for food and medical supplies. They discover the very real truth in the old saying: In the Rot & Ruin…everything wants to kill you.

And what is happening to the zombies? Swarms of them are coming from the east, devouring everything in their paths. These zoms are different. Faster, smarter, infinitely more dangerous. Has the zombie plague mutated, or is there something far more sinister behind this new invasion of the living dead?

In Flesh & Bone, Benny Imura, Nix Riley, Lou Chong and Lilah the Lost Girl are pitted against dangers greater than anything they've ever faced. To survive, each of them must rise to become the warriors Tom trained them to be.

My Thoughts:
Wow, another intense, page turning book by Jonathan Maberry. I absolutely love this series and was not disappointed by Flesh & Bone.

Flesh & Bone picks up right where Dust & Decay left off. Benny, Nix, Chong and Lilah are making their way through the rot and ruin, trying to find the elusive plane they saw on their quest to find a better life. It seems that the zombie plague has mutated and they must also contend with a fanatical group of reapers. Each character is pushed to their limits, having to evaluate and redefine what it is they are each after.

A large part of this book is about grief, so much so that Maberry even addresses the issue in a note at the beginning of the novel. Each character has lost someone, their old life, and even has had to reevaluate what they are looking for and why. They are each stripped raw and have to put themselves back together. They've even lost their certainty about what a zombie is and how it acts. That being said, each of the four kids grows up a lot in this book.

The reapers add a very dark and disturbing element to the series. Once again, it is not the zombies who are the monsters, it is human beings. Some of the book is told from in Saint John's head, which is creepy and terrifying.

On a fun note, Maberry added Joe Ledger, a character from his adult series, to this novel. I have read some of those, so thought it was clever.

I highly recommend this entire series for young adults and adults. Once again, these books are more than zombie books, they are decidedly human books -- they explore both the good and bad of humanity in a post apocalyptic setting.

Author Interview: Jonathan Maberry

Today I am excited to be able to interview the very talented Jonathan Maberry, the author of some of my favorite young adult books (Rot & Ruin and Dust & Decay).  His latest book is Dead of Night, a definitely not for kids zombie book.

Here is the synopsis of Dead of Night from Goodreads:
A prison doctor injects a condemned serial killer with a formula designed to keep his consciousness awake while his body rots in the grave.  But all drugs have unforeseen side-effects.  Before he could be buried, the killer wakes up.  Hungry.  Infected.  Contagious.  This is the way the world ends.  Not with a bang…but a bite.




Now for the interview:

Welcome to my blog today.  When my 12 year old son found out that I had the opportunity to interview you, he was as excited as I was.  He has read Rot & Ruin and Dust & Decay and they are among his favourite books ever.  He helped me to come up with the questions for you.
 
His first question is: 

QUESTION: Would you ever take on an apprentice? 

Book Review: The Dead Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan

Book:  The Dead Tossed Waves (The Forest of Hands and Teeth #2) by Carrie Ryan, Delacorte Books for Young Readers, 2010, 407 pages, young adult zombie dystopian.

Source:  library.

Synopsis from Goodreads:
Gabry lives a quiet life. As safe a life as is possible in a town trapped between a forest and the ocean, in a world teeming with the dead, who constantly hunger for those still living. She’s content on her side of the Barrier, happy to let her friends dream of the Dark City up the coast while she watches from the top of her lighthouse. But there are threats the Barrier cannot hold back. Threats like the secrets Gabry’s mother thought she left behind when she escaped from the Sisterhood and the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Like the cult of religious zealots who worship the dead. Like the stranger from the forest who seems to know Gabry. And suddenly, everything is changing. One reckless moment, and half of Gabry’s generation is dead, the other half imprisoned. Now Gabry only knows one thing: she must face the forest of her mother’s past in order to save herself and the one she loves.

Book Review: Ashes by Ilsa J. Bick

Book:  Ashes (Ashes Trilogy #1) by Ilsa J. Bick, EdgemontUSA, expected publication date Sept 6, 2011, 480 pages, young adult dystopian.

Source:  NetGalley.

Synopsis (from Goodreads):
It could happen tomorrow...

A cataclysmic event. An army of "The Changed."
Can one teen really survive on her own?

An electromagnetic pulse sweeps through the sky, destroying every electronic device and killing billions. For those spared, it's a question of who can be trusted and who is no longer human...

Desperate to find out what happened and to avoid the Changed, Alex meets up with Tom---a young army veteran---and Ellie, a young girl whose grandfather was killed by the electromagnetic pulse.

This improvised family will have to use every ounce of courage they have just to survive.

My Thoughts: 
For some reason, this book has taken me some time to wrap my head around and review, maybe it is because if I had to describe it in one word it would be "epic".  I read it, or shall I say, tore right through it, but then had to think about it for a bit.  I loved the book, even if it was very different from what I expected -  it is definitely a story of survival and horror.  Even with its love triangle, Ashes is definitly different from the other YA romance dystopian books out there. 

The beginning is really good and fast paced - we learn about Alex and her condition in a concise and intriguing way.  Bick has me turning the pages to see what will happen next and how the scenario plays out.  It is a book where everything goes from bad to worse, then worse again, then even worse again. 

The writing is vivid and imaginataive with some interesting phrasing (though there is the odd bit of distracting grammar), and this definitely applies to the gory bits - this book is quite brutal and has a great deal of graphic violence.  However, Bick's writing really drew me in and I loved how she was able to create tension, even when there wasn't much action.  She also used omnicient narrator quips that set reader up for tension, because we then know things that the characters don't.

The story is told from Alex's point of view (but not first person present as so many books are right now),  and I really felt for her.  Alex is a strong heroine, capable, intelligent and likable, but in a horrible situation.  I absolutely loved Ellie, the young girl that Alex finds herself looking after.  She has some great, honest reactions that feel authentic to her age.  I liked Tom as well, the army veteran and love interest for Alex, but I also felt a bit reserved about him, though I am not positive why.  Maybe he just felt a little more stereotypical.  Then there are the dogs, I love the addition of all of the dogs and how they add to the book.

Probably my favorite part of this book, and something I have found with other zombie type books lately, is the exploration of human nature and how people act in stressful or lawless situations.  I love how Bick delves into what is a monster - is it cancer?  is it zombies?  is it people who have free will and act in ways they never would under normal circumstances?  She also gets into the roles of hope and fate and freedom.

Ashes ends with a great cliffanger and I can hardly wait to read the next book in this series.  I would highly recommend this book to those who like zombie books or who don't mind graphically brutal scenes, but who like a good post-apocolyptic story.

Book Review: Dust & Decay by Jonathan Maberrry

Book: Dust & Decay (Benny Imura #2) by Jonathan Maberry, Simon & Schuster, Aug. 30, 2011.

Source:  Egalley from Simon & Schuster Galley Grab.

Synopsis (from Goodreads): 
Six months have passed since the terrifying battle with Charlie Pink-eye and the Motor City Hammer in the zombie-infested mountains of the Rot & Ruin. It's also six months since Benny Imura and Nix Riley saw something in the air that changed their lives. Now, after months of rigorous training with Benny's zombie-hunter brother Tom, Benny and Nix are ready to leave their home forever and search for a better future. Lilah the Lost Girl and Benny's best friend Lou Chong are going with them.

Sounds easy. Sounds wonderful. Except that everything that can go wrong does. Before they can even leave there is a shocking zombie attack in town. But as soon as they step into the Rot & Ruin they are pursued by the living dead, wild animals, insane murderers and the horrors of Gameland –where teenagers are forced to fight for their lives in the zombie pits. Worst of all…could the evil Charlie Pink-eye still be alive?

In the great Rot & Ruin everything wants to kill you. Everything…and not everyone in Benny's small band of travelers will make it out alive.

My Thoughts:
Wow, what a book!  I could barely put this down, it is so intense and action packed.  This is the second installment of the Benny Imura series, the first being Rot & Ruin.  These are young adult thriller zombie books with a decidedly human twist. 

Dust & Decay sees Benny Imura, his brother Tom, and their friends Nix, Chong and Lilah sevens month after destroying Gameland.  They have trained and are leaving the safety of town to go after the airplane they saw fly past, and to go after a different life.

This book really drew me in, right from the first lines, and each chapter had me wanting to read the next one.  Maberry's writing is often fast and abrupt, which adds to the pace of the book.  I loved how the humour, tension, action and horror mixed with the human story and how invested we become in the characters. There were also some great twists and turns.  I don't want to give anything away, but I even shed a few tears at the end, I was so wrapped up in the story.  The addition of a page from Nix's journal here and there was a good one as it answered a lot of the questions about the back story and asked a lot of the same questions I had about the zombies and the Rot & Ruin.

I enjoyed how the characters developed in this story, particularly Benny and Chong.   Benny has really matured.  I loved his ambivalence about going out into the Rot & Ruin as this seemed authentic and human.  It would be difficult for most people to leave the world they know and its safety for the danger and uncertainty of a new life, especially a dangerous one.  However, he has made his decision, and once he is out in the Rot & Ruin, his training and level headedness shows.

Chong was also great and showed real growth.  He seems authentic in his desire to go out into the Rot & Ruin, to have the adventure, but only for one day.  He doesn't take the situation completely seriously, just a I could see many teens doing.  The consequences of his actions put him in a position to show what he is really made of and examine himself, which he does.  It is sad to see him lose his last shred of innocence, especially because I felt for him.

There are also great female characters in this book in Nix and Lilah.  They are strong and can fend for themselves, something missing in many books where the girls have to be saved all of the time or are only accidentally strong.  Nix is smart and hurting from the events of the first book, but she can certainly hold her own.  Lilah is all brawn and "street smart" but learns more about her human side as the book goes on.

What I especially love about this series is how Maberry explores what it means to be human.  Dust & Decay explores various themes along these lines:  what it is to really live - is it OK to bury your head in the sand and exist and be safe, or is it better to take risks and be free and live?; the nature of evil - how intention and free will is needed to be evil; and how people act without laws - will evil and fear dominate with lawlessness, do we need a moral compass to tell us how to behave?

Something I haven't mentioned yet are the zombies.  Yes, this is definitely a zombie book and there are lots of zombies and graphically violent scenes.  There is also an underlying level of violence to the whole book, between the zombies and the bounty hunters.  I am not normally one for violent books, but the scenes do fit the story and do not seem out of place or gratuitous.

I loved this book and would easily recommend it to those who like zombie or action and adventure books or are OK with violent scenes.  There are great male and female characters in this book, which should appeal to both boys and girls.  I can see the length being initially off putting for some kids, but if they can get into it, the fast pace should carry them along.  My own son who is 12 loved Rot & Ruin and  has made me promise to buy him a print copy of Dust & Decay when it comes out at the end of August.  Personally, I can't wait to see what is next for Benny and his friends in the next book.

If anyone has any suggestions of other books along these lines, or are just great books, I would love to hear your suggestions.  I am always on the lookout for new books to read.  Thanks!

Book Review: Patient Zero by Jonathan Maberry

Book:  Patient Zero (Joe Ledger #1) by Jonathan Maberry, St. Martin's Press, 2009.  Zombie, thriller, suspense novel.  421 pages.
Source: library.

Wow, what a book - full of excitement, zombies, intrigue, fighting, betrayals, twists and turns!  And all of this done with a very human element.

Joe Ledger is a tough as they come, highly skilled cop who finds himself having to kill the same terrorist twice in one week.  This leads him to join the Department of Military Science, an ultra secret government agency designed to deal with a new breed of biological weapons, weapons which effectively turn people into zombies and threaten the whole of humanity.  Joe Ledger and his comrades need to stop the outbreak as well as find out who is doing this - is it a terrorist plot?  And, if so, who could be organized and skilled enough to pull this off?

I have to say that I am not one for gory novels, so I was not anxious to read this novel at first; however, I read Jonathan Maberry's Rot & Ruin not long ago (see review here), and felt compelled to read more books by him.  For those who like vivid, descriptive zombie attacks and action scenes, you won't be disappointed.  This novel is very macho, tough talking, and moves along quickly with lots of intrigue.  There is scientific and military conspiracies, post 9/11 terrorist plots, super secret government organizations, romance, and so much tension that the book is hard to put down.  Joe Ledger is beyond tough - you can feel the testosterone oozing out of every pore of this guy.

Probably my favourite thing about Patient Zero is that it is more than a zombie book - there is a very human element.  Joe Ledger and his friends don't just kill zombies, we see the full impact on them as people who do what they know is right even though they know it will leave a mark on them, contaminating them forever.  One of Joe's friends is Rudy, a psychiatrist, and this allows Joe to talk and be vulnerable in the wake of what he has to do.  There is a great dichotomy set up here and this really made the book for me.

The story is told in an interesting way, alternating between the first person narrative of Joe and the third person narrative of some of the other characters.  This even alternated from the present time to the past at times to fill in the details of how the situation developed.  I think this was done effectively, though it did jar me occasionally to go from third person to first person.

It is obvious that the author did a lot of research as all of the science described sounded plausible, as do the  descriptions of terrorist cells and how they work, as well as how the American and British governments have reacted to terrorism. I enjoyed suspending reality so that zombies could be real in a present day scenario rather than in a dystopian future.

The next in the series is Dragon Factory, and the third, The King of Plagues, has recently been released.  I am anxious to read them to see what is next for Joe Ledger.

Book Review: Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry

Our local librarian recommended Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry for my son; she said she likes to read a couple of chapters of all the new books that come in, but that she could not put this one down. When my son got to borrow the book, he was reading something else and it was sitting around, so I picked it up and was hooked almost immediately. Now, I like to read YA novels already, especially fantasy, but I had never read any of the zombie books. Still, this one immediately caught my attention.

Benny lives in a post apocalyptic world. Fourteen years ago, the dead woke up and became zombies. They bite the living and turn them into zombies, it is almost like a virus. No one knows why this happened, but the result is that the zombies have taken over the earth, except for a few areas where humans are fenced in. Other than killing people, zombies are actually quite passive.

Benny lives with his older brother, Tom, as their parents were turned into zombies on the First Night. Tom is a well respected bounty hunter, someone who goes out into the Rot and Ruin to track down zombies for people and quiet them, or kill them. Benny has just turned fifteen, the age at which he must get a job or have his rations cut in half. After much resistance, Benny decides to join his brother in the family business of quieting zombies. 

Tom, however, is not like some of the other bounty hunters in town, he is not full of bravado and exciting stories of killing zombies. In Benny's eyes, Tom is a coward.

Out in the Rot and Ruin, Benny watches Tom and the zombies and even some of the other bounty hunters. He sees for himself what is really going on and is faced with serious questions, not the least of which is who are the real monsters, the zombies or the humans.

I really enjoyed how this book examined some serious questions and explored what it means to be human, the nature of fear, how societies develop, and how people can close their eyes to what they know is wrong. The writing was good and moved easily and kept me interested. I also liked how the author played with the zombie story line, making it much more than a gruesome suspense or horror book. In a way, the zombies were not a big part of the book, but the set up to explore human behaviour. Rot & Ruin was left open for a sequel, and I have recently found out that it is called Dust & Decay and will come out August 2011. In fact, a four part series is planned.  I am looking forward to reading how the series progresses.

Here is a YouTube video interviewing Jonathan Maberry about Rot & Ruin: