Zombie Baseball Beatdown

Zombie Baseball Beatdown by Paolo Bacigalupi, 292 pages

“While practicing for their next baseball game, thirteen-year-old friends Rabi, Miguel, and Joe discover that the nefarious activities of the Delbe, Iowa, meatpacking plant have caused cows to turn into zombies.” I didn’t really like this story much.  However, I can see why this is popular, especially with boys.  It’s a gory horror story for grade school that is also humorous.  It’s perfect for the right reader.  I’m just not that reader.

It Only Happens in the Movies

It Only Happens in the Movies by Holly Bourne     416 pages

Audrey is over romance. Since her parents' relationship imploded her mother's been catatonic, so she takes a cinema job to get out of the house. But there she meets wannabe film-maker Harry. Nobody expects Audrey and Harry to fall in love as hard and fast as they do. But that doesn't mean things are easy. Because real love isn't like the movies...

The greatest love story ever told doesn't feature kissing in the snow or racing to airports. It features pain and confusion and hope and wonder and a ban on cheesy clichés. Oh, and zombies... 

A part of me wishes that this book ended differently, but a different part of me knew it could only end the way it did and I'm glad Bourne chose to end it that way. The story is a beautiful monument to what is wrong with stereotype romance films and how, on the whole, these stereotypes warp society's way of experiencing love, expecting certain things, giving up others, letting things happen because love is the end goal.

Is love a choice or a feeling? When this question gets put to Audrey, she feels one way, but by the end, she recognizes that it isn't what she initially thought. Her character development is so strong in this book - I absolutely loved reading her. She begins the novel with a torn up heart - suffering from a teen, school romance gone sour - and on top of that, her own parents' bitter divorce has gotten much worse because her childhood home is being forcibly sold by her father to pay for his new family's lifestyle. Swearing off love, Audrey doesn't expect to fall into another relationship again, especially when it appears to come from the most stereotypical of sources. Harry's character is everything you'd expect out of a teen romance movie. Bourne did an excellent job, though, of building him into something that you could see Audrey accepting, the kind of guy who, despite being warned off by many, she falls for. Thus the romance ensues.

But Audrey's cinema class offers her an opportunity to explore what is wrong with Hollywood romances and to look at her own relationships with a critical eye. The book is full of amazing, stereotype-smashing scenes that really just make me love Audrey more. And the cast of characters is great, bringing the humor, the love, and the support that Audrey needs. This book wasn't what I expected it to be and so I understood why (view spoiler).

So yeah, a very well written book - despite my being unsatisfied with the end (it's not warranted, but as a rational human being I can accept it. I just like my romances to be...different). I would definitely put this in an anti-valentine display - Audrey's cinema project alone is a great example of anti-valentines protest. But I'd also recommend it just so people can read a genuinely well written female character. Audrey is flawed, but she is also strong, capable, and feeling. She makes mistakes but she also owns up to them and she does her best to be better. She tries. And I love her for it.

Undead And Unforgiven

Undead And Unforgiven by MaryJanice Davidson, 286 pages

“If Betsy Taylor has learned anything about ruling Hell it's: 1) She can't do it alone, and 2) She doesn't have to. She's got the help of a devoted vampire king, a dateless zombie, an exhausted new mom, an unshowered cop, a bitchy ghost, a kindly dead priest, and her late stepmother ("Go Team Satan 2.0!"). But the latest major hurdle in her afterlife is so big she can't even see it until it's on YouTube. Betsy's father and half sister Laura (a former Antichrist with a grudge) have teamed up, for what sinister purpose Betsy can't imagine. The former Antichrist didn't take kindly to getting what she wished for, and has decided that's entirely the fault of the vampire queen. What that means for Betsy is trouble (more than usual, even) and possible exposure to an unsuspecting world. Meanwhile Hell is having a deleterious effect on Betsy's friends ("I didn't think it was possible, but the damned are getting meaner."), the newly dead are confused about Hell's new rules ("A buddy system? Really?"), and the vampire king is trying to poach on Betsy's territory. Betsy loves her husband, but that's not the same as trusting him. Before long the king and queen of the vampires aren't speaking to each other, the mansion on Summit Avenue is a war zone, and Betsy's getting calls from a werewolf, a mermaid, and worst of all, her mother ("What do you mean you can't babysit?"). No one said life after death would be easy, but c'mon: this is ridiculous.”  These books are still pretty funny.  The storylines are getting a little crazy but I’m still enjoying them.  These are for people who like supernatural romantic comedy.

The Hunted

The Hunted by Charlie Higson, 454 pages

“Ella is out in the country, alone now except for her silent rescuer, Scarface, about whom she knows nothing, while Ed leaves London on a dangerous quest, determined to find Ella and keep his promise to Small Sam that he will reunite sister and brother.” This series got a little difficult in the middle but the first couple of books were pretty good and I felt like this one was an improvement over some of the middle ones.  I kind of feel like it’s dragging out too long though.  I’ll be glad to get the end of this series.  However, teens who like horror, especially zombies, will like it.

The Boy on the Bridge

The Boy on the Bridge by M. R. Carey    Audio Book:   13 hours, 1 minute        Hardback Book:   400 pages

What is the fascination with zombies?    Or in this book, “Hungries”?     Of all the monsters out there flesh eating dead or a hybrid thereof just never did it for me.    O.k. I do love Michael Jackson’s “Thriller,”  but those animated corpses are just out having a good time, they aren’t eating the living.     Funky, rotting dead things that seek to chow down on human happy meals just aren’t appealing to me, though a blood sucking vampire is certainly a turn-on, blame it on my Romanian roots,  I have my standards.   I surprised myself picking this title given the subject matter, but, all in all, the story is very well-written.   Kind of a knock-off of the “Walking Dead” but this story is told from a completely scientific/military setting rather than civilians dealing with “Walkers.”    Zombiefiles will really like this story and me as a non-Zombiefile thought it is a good story if a little overdone – geez!   Zombies are everywhere from Musicals to toys to t.v. to the Internet and all the many books, comic books and media in between.    And Mr. Carey did a fine job with telling his take on zombies, viral afflictions and the military response in a world gone rabid.       Well done.

Sankarea 1-4

Sankarea Volumes 1-4 by Mitsuru Hattori, 704 pages

Sankarea follows the life of high school student Chihiro who loves anything zombie. From films to manga if it has zombies he is going to have a copy of it. This obsession goes as far as following an old manuscript to make a potion to bring things back to life. He manages to use it successfully on his deceased cat, but doesn’t know if he actually wants to continue using/making it. Enter Sanka, a girl who hates her family and has run away. She, seeing the potion is made from a poisonous plant drinks the potion, with no apparent adverse effects. That is until she falls off a cliff and comes back as a zombie.

Sankarea is definitively a romantic comedy or romcom. It has Chihiro falling in love with Sanka all the while trying to hide the fact that she is a zombie from the world and her family. Despite how cheesy most romcoms are, this one is actually quite well written and enjoyable. It is pretty graphic and certainly earned its teen rating. 

Monsterland

Monsterland by Michael Phillip Cash   208 Pages

Monsterland has been billed as the scariest theme park ever. It houses the things that people fear most: vampires, werewolves, and zombies. Much like Disneyland, the park is divided into three areas: Vampire Village, Zombieville, and River Run.

The brainchild behind the park is Dr. Vincent Conrad, who has spent years gathering the near-extinct populations of vampires, werewolves, and zombies. In addition to actually seeing the creatures, one of the lures of the park is that visitors can interact with them. 

Conrad not only gathered enough specimens for a park in Cooper Valley, California, he gathered enough to open six parks around the world in China, Australia, Brazil, France, South Africa, and Egypt.

As the story opens, opening day is near, and excitement is building, especially for three nerdy high school friends, Howard, Melvin, and Wyatt. The guys are desperate to get their hands on the most-sought-after tickets in the world. A chance encounter in a local burger joint with Dr. Conrad, and the teenagers not only get tickets, Conrad gives them exclusive behind-the scenes tickets. The same types of tickets world leaders, like the President of the United States, have.

Of course, something goes horribly wrong, which makes the entire plot predictable. And of course, what happens in California is happening around the globe.

Just for the record, I don’t usually read books that contain vampires, werewolves, and zombies. I read this book because I have enjoyed other books by Michael Phillip Cash, and he sent me a copy. 

Another area I had trouble with was confusion between the characters whose names were similar. For example, I kept getting Wyatt’s stepfather, Carter, confused with Conrad. There were other instances, but I forget them now. One of the boys kinda disappeared after they entered the park, which I found odd.

I give Monsterland 3 out of 5 stars. The plot flowed, the story has good structure. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t good either.

Bits & Pieces

Bits & Pieces by Jonathan Maberry, 577 pages

This is a compilation of several different stories about several of the characters that we have met throughout this series.  We get to see some more of Tom and Benny's story from the First Night.  We also get some new stories about how some other people survived, or didn't survive First Night.  One story is about Rachael who was at a ComicCon when the plague hit.  We see how she survived in the first story about her and we get some ore of her story later, when different people's stories converge.  Although it was sad, I liked the story about Jack, who is dying of cancer when First Night hits.  His mother, father, uncle, and twin sister are all bitten during a huge storm, right before the levees break and a wall of water starts heading their way.  This was a good collection of stories and teen zombie story fans will enjoy this addition to the series.

Cinderalla

Cinderalla, by Junko Mizuno, 144 pages

Okay, this is a super-adult, super-weird, kind of grotesque, wait- really grotesque, loose re-telling of the Cinderella story.  Cinderalla runs a yakitori restaurant with her dad, who dies, but becomes a zombie, as the dead do.  He falls in love with a fellow zombie who also has two zombie daughters.  Cinderalla is soon constantly making pancakes for her new zombie stepmother, making bras for one of her step-sisters and keeping the other from performing lap-dances on customers (note: see the first sentence).  Also, everything is drawn in a very cute manner, but belies the fact that it's pretty darn gross most of the time.  And despite all of that... I found this utterly fascinating.  Also, kind of humorous if you can get past the gross and weird and unsettling.  A pretty fascinating read on a fairytale retold in a very unique manner.

World War Moo

World War Moo by Michael Logan
309 Pages

"It began with a cow that just wouldn't die. Yep. That's right. They're still un-dead, and now the disease has spread to humans. The epidemic that transformed Britain's bovine population into a blood-thirsty, brain-grazing, zombie horde...err...zombie herd... is threatening to take over the globe in Michael Logan's World War Moo . And there's not much time left to stop it. All of Great Britain is infected and hungry. The rest of the world has a tough choice to make. Should they nuke the Brits right off the map -- men, women, children, cows and all -- in the biggest genocide in history? Or should they risk global infection in a race against time to find a cure? With hungry zombies attempting to cross borders by plains, trains, boats, and any other form of transport available, it's only a matter of time before the virus gets out. And if it does, there's only one answer. This means war. "

The second book of the Apocalypse Cow series is not as strong as the first book and I found myself not caring about the fate of any of the characters. 

White Trash Zombie tetralogy

My Life as a White Trash Zombie, Even White Trash Zombies get the Blues, White Trash Zombie Apocalypse, and How the White Trash Zombie got her Groove back by Diana Rowland, 320, 312, 311 and 328 pages (1271 pages)

I had to Google what a four part series is called and websites insisted that tetralogy was the proper term. I guess if it is not people will certainly let me know in the comments.

I am not quite sure how I came across this series. I think that it was a recommendation based on what I had read and again I think that Alice in Zombieland is what triggered the recommendation. I could link my review of that here, but you can find it I am sure.

Basically Angel Crawford is a zombie. Not the kind that is shuffling around aimlessly trying to hunt down someone and eat their brains but the kind the looks just like you and me. Well as long as she has had some brains in the past week or so, otherwise she will start to rot. Luckily she lands a job working at the coroners office and has access to all the brains she needs.

But things start going horribly wrong when other suspected zombies start showing up beheaded. Then there is the zombie mafia, boyfriends, and trying to hold down a job while trying not to rot away.

I like the direction this series takes with the classic zombie idea. In White Trash Zombie world it is a parasite that makes you a zombie. Since this parasite lives in its human host it give that host speed, strength and regeneration abilities simply to protect itself. The downside is it needs brains to survive. This scenario seems a lot more plausible than other zombie fiction and helps make it more believable.

On the whole this series is pretty good. I was not a fan of the titles and I think I got some weird looks reading these books on the bus, but it was worth the read.

Despite the fact that I have caught up with the author, I don't think this series is quite done yet, and certainly has many more possibilities to explore if it wants to.

Dead to the World (iZombie #1)

Dead to the World (iZombie #1), by Chris Roberson (ill Mike Allred), 144 pages

Gwen is a gravedigger, and also a high-functioning zombie who has to eat a brain once a month in order to avoid becoming a stereotypical "braaaaains" sort of zombie.  I think it will make more sense in future issues.  Anyway.  When she eats a brain, she gains the memories of the dead person- and when the brain she eats appears to have been the victim of a weird culty murder, she sets out to investigate.  She has a couple of friends- a weredog who is unrequitedly smitten with her, as well as a 1960's ghost.  This could be a cute little series, if you're into mysteries, zombies, and/or strong female characters.

The Fallen

The Fallen by Charlie Higson, 533 pages

Even though this series is well written and the story is good, I have to say that I’m going to be glad when it ends.  It’s one of those series that I really want to see resolved in some way before I stop reading but all of the death and heartache is really starting to get to me.  This particular book takes place at the same time as the events in the previous book, The Sacrifice, and details what is happening to other groups of kids in London, which is basically more kids traveling to different locations and being eaten by the diseased adults.  Higson does a good job of making you care about the kids in the story and then letting them die.  This book seemed a lot worse for the lack of hope and it made me kind of tired of the whole series.  I’ll probably read the next book, but unless there’s a change in tone, I’m not sure if I’ll continue with the series after that.  Teens who like horror will probably still like this addition to the series though.

Postive

Positive by David Wellington
437 Pages

"Anyone can be positive . . . The tattooed plus sign on Finnegan's hand marks him as a Positive. At any time, the zombie virus could explode in his body, turning him from a rational human into a ravenous monster. His only chance of a normal life is to survive the last two years of the potential incubation period. If he reaches his twenty-first birthday without an incident, he'll be cleared. Until then, Finn must go to a special facility for positives, segregated from society to keep the healthy population safe. But when the military caravan transporting him is attacked, Finn becomes separated. To make it to safety, he must embark on a perilous cross-country journey across an America transformed--a dark and dangerous land populated with heroes, villains, madmen, and hordes of zombies. And though the zombies are everywhere, Finn discovers that the real danger may be his fellow humans."

Yet another zombie novel attempts to tell the story in a different light.  Zombies are not the main focus in this novel, but instead survival from a world of chaos years after the collapse of civilization.  I would recommend to others, especially those who enjoy dystopian fiction. 

Something stange and Deadly series books 1 and 2

Something Strange and Deadly and Darkness Strange and Lovely by Susan Dennard 388 and 408 pages (796 total)

Something Strange and Deadly and Darkness Strange and Lovely are the first two books in the Something Strange and Deadly series. That something that is strange and deadly is zombies. Lots and lots of zombies being brought back from the dead by a crazed necromancer. While the zombie attacks are somewhat off putting they are not quite worth noticing to Eleanor Fitt. She has much more pressing concerns like meeting her brother at the train station and trying to stop her mother from matching her up with every available rich young man she meets. Or at least those were her concerns until a zombie delivered a message from her brother. After that her world changes. The zombies seem more important as they seem to be connected to her brother, and there seems to be a man more and more in the picture. Of course this thrills her mother but she is not sure his motives are pure, or if he is also looking for her brother.

Despite how slow this series builds it ends each book with a thrill. Quite by accident I seem to be stuck in these Victorian era steampunk books. Not that I mind but it was not a genre I pictured myself reading. I quite look forward to reading the final book and seeing how Dennard wraps this up.

Highschool of the Dead Vol 2

Highschool of the dead Vol 2 by Daisuke Satao, 166 pages


Unsurprisingly this second volume picks up were Highschool of the Dead left off. If you missed my previous review, go read that first and then come back here... Now that everyone knows that this is about a group of high school students who witness a zombie outbreak happening at their school and decide to band together and find their families, you can continue reading this review.

What started out as a mostly cliché zombie manga series, where everyone strangely knows how to fight and have no morals about killing once fellow classmates, continues to stay in that niche and does nothing to impress. Volume 2 brings us the cliché fellow survivor held captive by rioting/out of control person and the big overused, main character risking their life, and ultimately everyone's life trying to save a child/loved one. There is even the classic government has sealed off all of the bridges to contain the zombies. The only thing that separates this most of the zombie works out there is the slightly younger age group this focuses on. But that is offset by everyone being mature beyond their years.

There was one thing that surprised me about Highschool of the Dead Volume 2 the pointless nudity. I am not talking about just random zombies in the background shuffling around, but a multipage drunken bath scene where even the characters involved are worried that they are crossing into porno. I know some of you may argue that pointless nudity is a classic cliché of modern zombie movies and to a degree I agree. But when the characters are all supposedly high school students it is nothing but inappropriate and obviously there to sell more issues. Though in all fairness this might just be a cultural thing that doesn't translate well across the Pacific Ocean.

This is likely where my reading of the series will end, namely because for some reason the library did not continue to buy this manga.(sarc) And to be quite honest I am not sure I want to risk ending up on some governmental or police watch list by trying to find and continue reading this online. I would say that maybe this is appropriate for teenagers, though the books are stored in the adult area.

Note: for everyone else that thinks highschool should be two words and not combined in the title, I entirely agree with you. But this is how it is written on the book and in the catalog.

Through the Zombie Glass

Through the Zombie Glass by Gena Showalter, 476 pages


This is the second book in Showalter's White Rabbit Chronicles. Again the book follows Alice as she and the rest of the zombie hunters strive to eliminate the zombies. Though this is less about that and more about Alice's inner struggle to stop herself from going zombie after she gets bitten. This is a very fast paced story that seems to leave behind some of the woven layers and romance that was featured in Alice in Zombieland.

You might remember from my previous review, or if you read the books yourself, that these zombies are quite different from the modern day depiction. They can only be seen by people with the right powers. If you don't have these powers you are basically zombie food. To fight the zombies Alice and the others must leave their bodies behind and project their spirits. I am not sure if I like this twist on the classical zombie but it is at least interesting.

This book was an adequate squeal to Alice in Zombieland. I was expecting more of the daring raids and zombie stomping action that the first one had, but seeing Alice struggle to stay human was at least original enough to keep me interested. I will be continuing in this series and look forward to what the next installment brings.

A note for the scorekeepers, this will be the last one for me this month.

Highschool of the Dead

Highschool of the Dead Book 1 by Daisuke Sato, 176 pages

This is another horror manga from the list I found online. It is about a group of highschoolers who are trying to survive a zombie outbreak. Luckily they are all from a gifted school, or from a school much cooler than the one I went to, as they know martial arts and some are weapon masters. Of course there are the ditzy ones that tag along and will likely get eaten, or someone will die to protect them, but it is a pretty solid group. In a very realistic manner all of the people in the group have a difference of opinion of what they should do now, which leads to some inter fighting.

While this first book is mainly used to set the scene and introduce the characters there is still quite a lot of action and zombie fighting. It will be interesting to see if this just follows the classic zombie line, or if this will transform into something more.

I am not sure if you can see it or not, but there is a parental advisory on the cover. I suspect that is because this is quite graphic and gory, but it could be the ecchi nature of it.

Extinction Parade

Extinction Parade by Max Brooks, 160 pages

This was a great graphic novel. It is about a hive of vampires that live in South America. Throughout their long lives they have watched small zombie apocalypse start and end with the humans surviving. It always ends the same way. The zombies start to appear the humans come and kill them. So when another zombie outbreak starts happening they don’t care. The humans will win eventually. Except this time the outcome is not as certain. Suddenly the vampires are faced with the hard truth of what do they eat if all of their food dies.

This is quite an unusual take on the standard vampire story, aided by the fact that there are also zombies. I look forward to seeing more of this series and if Brooks can keep this thriller of a graphic novel going.

New Deadwardians

The New Deadwardians by Dan Abnett, 172 pages


New Deadwardians is about a post apocalyptic London society and the survivors of an undead uprising. What makes this different from all of the rest of the zombie graphic novels out there is this one features a cure. A cure that makes you a vampire. In all honesty that is not much of a cure, you go from an undead zombie to an undead vampire. But I guess you avoid all that flesh rotting but still, not much of a cure.

The story follows a vampire or "Young" named George. He works as the only detective in the murder room. Ever since people started rising from the grave and the undead, namely the Young, were accepted into society there is no longer any murder, because people dont stay dead. That all changes when one of the Young turns up dead and not by any normal means (staking, beheading or incineration). What follows is an investigation that makes him question himself and society.

While using vampirism to avoid being changed into a zombie is a unique idea it is not enough to make this graphic novel anything special. It is not a bad read, but it didn't make that big of an impression on me.