White Trash Zombie Gone Wild by Diana Rowland

White Trash Zombie Gone Wild by Diana Rowland, 325 pages

From the MARC: "When hordes of people descend on her hometown for the Deep South Zombie Fest, Angel, submerged in redneck hell, is determined to focus on her upcoming college midterms until a decapitated body turns up at the edge of town, changing her plans."

This installment of the series felt like a return to form. Plenty of zombie madness, very little love triangle, and no Mama Zombie weirdness. I liked that Rowland explored what it means to be an addict and forever struggle with addiction, but still be capable. Angel's an addict, but that doesn't mean it has to consume her. She can acknowledge them but not limit herself to simply being an addict. She's a high school graduate. She's a college student. She's an integral part of the Tribe. 

 

Can You Survive the Zombie Apocalypse? by Max Brallier

Can You Survive the Zombie Apocalypse? by Max Brallier - 384 pages

Inside these pages lies unspeakable horror. Bloodsplattering, brain-impaling, flesh-devouring horror. You’ve probably read your fair share of zombie stories. But this time it’s different. No longer can you sit idle as a bunch of fools make all the wrong moves. All hell is about to break loose—and YOU have a say in humanity’s survival.

You have choices to make.

Moral dilemmas.

Strategic decisions.

Weapons. Vehicles.

Will you be a hero?

Or will you cover your own ass at all costs?

Can you withstand the coming hours, days, weeks, and months? Or will you die amidst the chaos and violence of a zombie uprising?

Or, worst of all, will you become one of them?

A fun read, especially if you like choose your own adventure books.  It was entertaining going through the different choices and seeing if I lived or died.  

How the White Trash Zombie Got Her Groove Back by Diana Rowland

How the White Trash Zombie Got Her Groove Back by Diana Rowland, 328 pages

From the MARC: "When the Saberton Corporation declares war against the Zombie Mafia, Angel and the remnants of her gang must claw their way through corporate intrigue, zombie drugs and undead trafficking to rescue their friends."

This installment was much better than the last. It was a little slow to start, but once it got going it didn't stop. My favorite part was diving deeper into the zombie lore of the world Rowland has pieced together. 

White Trash Zombie Apocalypse by Diana Rowland

White Trash Zombie Apocalypse by Diana Rowland, 320 pages

Angel Crawford is finally getting her (un)life together: she's trying to take care of her alcoholic father, figuring out her relationship with her not-quite boyfriend, and studying for her GED.  

When a zombie movie starts filming in town, Angel starts recognizing old, unwelcome faces and gets stuck in a web of industrial espionage, evil corporations, and the morally gray zombie mafia. 

So far, this is probably the weakest book in the series, but I still enjoyed it. It felt less like a bridge to the rest of the series and more like a water slide.  The interpersonal relationships in this book really shone, although the potential love interests did wear on me. Waiting to see what book four will hold! 

 

Even White Trash Zombies Get the Blues by Diana Rowland

Even White Trash Zombies Get the Blues by Diana Rowland, 312 pages

Angel Crawford is still adjusting, not only to life as a zombie but also as a functioning member of society. Just when she thinks she has a handle on things, she stumbles into a web of conspiracies, zombie hunters, and the zombie mafia.  Angel has no idea who she can trust and has to fight to stay (somewhat) alive.

I am really enjoying this series. Angel reads so differently than most heroines I read in this genre. She's smart, raw, savvy, and funny. She is self aware and doesn't shy from her questionable past, instead choosing to energetically approach her future.

Eat Your Heart Out by Kelly Devos

 

EAT YOUR HEART OUT by Kelly Devos  352 pages

Vivian Ellenshaw is fat, but she knows she doesn't need to lose weight, so she's none too happy to find herself forced into a weight-loss camp's van with her ex-best friend, Allie, a meathead jock who can barely drive, and the camp owner's snobby son. And when they arrive at Camp Featherlite at the start of the worst blizzard in the history of Flagstaff, Arizona, it's clear that something isn't right.

Vee barely has a chance to meet the other members of her pod, all who seem as unhappy to be at Featherlite as she does, when a camper goes missing down by the lake. Then she spots something horrifying outside in the snow. Something...that isn't human. Plus, the camp's supposed "miracle cure" for obesity just seems fishy, and Vee and her fellow campers know they don't need to be cured. Of anything.

Even worse, it's not long before Camp Featherlite's luxurious bungalows are totally overrun with zombies. What starts out as a mission to unravel the camp's secrets turns into a desperate fight for survival--and not all of the Featherlite campers will make it out alive.

This was a good story that shows kick-ass, confident  people come in all sizes. She's thinking of making a sequel. There's definitely more to the story.  I hope she does.  

Desmond Cole Ghost Patrol: Night of the Zombie Zookeeper

 

Desmond Cole Ghost Patrol: Night of the Zombie Zookeeper  

122 pages  by Andres Miedoso (book #4)

For this case, Desmond and Andres off to the zoo! Zoo field trips are the best. You get to ride in a bus, you get to spend the day outside, and all the animals are safely far away in their enclosures. Nothing scary here, right? Wrong! Leave it to Desmond Cole to find the one zookeeper who’s also a zombie.

My Life as a White Trash Zombie by Diana Rowland

 My Life as a White Trash Zombie by Diana Rowland, 310 pages

Angel Crawford, loser and former juvenile delinquent, wakes up in a hospital with no clue of how she got there, or why she's so ravenously hungry. When a mysterious benefactor gets her a job, Angel struggles to put her life on track, only to find herself craving brains. 

I have consumed a lot of zombie media, but this book didn't feel like retreading ground at all. This whole book felt ironically fresh and was a whole lot of fun. Angel is a complex character but funny, and I couldn't help but root for her. I can't wait to read the rest of the series! 

The Boy on the Bridge by M. R. Carey

The Boy on the Bridge by M. R. Carey - 400 pages

This book is a companion to "The Girl with All the Gifts" by the same author.  It tells the story of how  society fell to a fungal pathogen that turns people into mindless zombies known as "hungries."   A heavily fortified research RV is sent out from the Beacon which is where British society has retreated to in the wake of the plague.   Their mission is to try and find a possible way to combat or even cure the fungal plague.  The reader is thrust into a mission in progress with fully realized well lived in characters in the midst of all sorts of personal and external crises.  It reminded me a little of Alien as a character study of the choices made in the face of an unrelenting enemy.  Towards the end of their journey something new is discovered which turns everything on its head and leads to the events that are featured in "The Girl with All the Gifts."  An epilogue ties the two books together in a satisfying way.  Highly recommend.      

The Girl With All the Gifts by M.R. Carey

 

The Girl With All the Gifts by M.R. Carey - 448 pages

This is an excellent dystopian post apocalyptic story set in England shedding light on modern society the best manner of science fiction.  The interpersonal relationships feel very real in a very unreal situation and the horror creeps up on you in the best possible way.  It does involve a deadly virus that devastates the world so if your headspace isn't there right now, put it on your To Read list for better times.   

I discovered its also been adapted by the author into a feature film that came out in 2016 so I'm off to find that too.  

Kim Reaper, v. 1: Grim Beginnings by Sarah Graley

Kim Reaper, v. 1: Grim Beginnings by Sarah Graley - 112 pages

Becka has a crush on goth Kim.  Little does she realize that Kim has a job as a grim reaper escorting souls to the afterlife.  Will this new relationship survive Kim's job?

I didn't really care for this graphic novel.  The artwork bothered me for some reason.  I also thought Becka's feelings seemed to waffle a little too much.

The Dark and Hollow Places by Carrie Ryan

The Dark and Hollow Places
(Book 3 - the Forest of Hands and Teeth series)
by Carrie Ryan
376 pages









Annah knows she has a twin sister, but she forgot her long ago. Back when they went to play in the Forest of Hands and Teeth, she and Elias lost her, and after that there was no going back to the village.
Life's been hard, but Elias has taken care of her, and living in the Dark City can help one to forget the horror of the Unconsecrated - if you try hard enough.
But when Elias disappears, Annah's world crumbles. To her, life isn't worth much more than the walking dead who roam the wasted world she lives in. It's not until she meets Catcher that she cares to start living again.
Yet Catcher has secrets. Dark, terrifying secrets that link him to a past she's longed to forget and to a future too deadly to consider.
Annah must decide: Can she continue to live a world covered in the blood of the living?
Or is death the answer to all her problems?
Read preview >

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

The Forest of Hands and Teeth
by Carrie Ryan
310 pages











In Mary's world there are simple truths. The Sisterhood always knows best. The Guardians will protect and serve. The Unconsecrated will never relent. And you must always mind the fence that surrounds the village; the fence that protects the village from the Forest of Hands and Teeth. But, slowly, Mary's truths are failing her. She's learning things she never wanted to know about the Sisterhood and its secrets, and the Guardians and their power, and about the Unconsecrated and their relentlessness. When the fence is breached and her world is thrown into chaos, she must choose between her village and her future - between the one she loves and the one who loves her. And she must face the truth about the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Could there be life outside a world surrounded in so much death?

Dread Nation by Justina Ireland

Dread Nation by Justina Ireland, 455 p.

"Jane McKeene was born two days before the dead began to walk the battlefields of Gettysburg and Chancellorsville—derailing the War Between the States and changing America forever. In this new nation, safety for all depends on the work of a few, and laws like the Native and Negro Reeducation Act require certain children attend combat schools to learn to put down the dead. But there are also opportunities—and Jane is studying to become an Attendant, trained in both weaponry and etiquette to protect the well-to-do. It’s a chance for a better life for Negro girls like Jane. After all, not even being the daughter of a wealthy white Southern woman could save her from society’s expectations.

But that’s not a life Jane wants. Almost finished with her education at Miss Preston’s School of Combat in Baltimore, Jane is set on returning to her Kentucky home and doesn’t pay much mind to the politics of the eastern cities, with their talk of returning America to the glory of its days before the dead rose. But when families around Baltimore County begin to go missing, Jane is caught in the middle of a conspiracy, one that finds her in a desperate fight for her life against some powerful enemies. And the restless dead, it would seem, are the least of her problems."

Great juxtaposition of zombies and the plight of the "colored folk." Many characters to love and many more to hate. Really looking forward to the next in the series. Listened to this on audio, and the narrator did a phenomenal job. 

Pale Guardian by Barbara Hambly

Pale Guardian: A James Asher Vampire Novel by Barbara Hambly --- 248 pages.

Barbara Hambly is a prolific author of fantasy, horror, historical and mystery fiction.  Although I'm not generally a fan of horror fiction, her James Asher series caught my interest from the first book, Those Who Hunt the Night, and continues to enthrall with this, the seventh book in the series.

The series began at the turn of the previous century, featuring James Asher, an Oxford philologist who has a second, top secret career as an agent provocateur  for the British Secret Service; and his wife Lydia, an early feminist who horrifies her wealthy, aristocratic family by pursuing a medical degree and an interest in researching glandular and blood disorders.

Pale Guardian picks up where the last book, Darkness on His Bones  left off. World War I has begun. James is convalescing in England from the pneumonia that nearly killed him, and Lydia is a volunteer working at a medical station on the front lines in France. The vampire Don Simon Ysidro, disguised as a British colonel on special assignment, is fulfilling his promise to watch over Lydia's safety.

Every vampire in Europe is haunting the battlefields and casualty tents; but Lydia soon discovers that even worse creatures called revenants have appeared, a contagion that infects anyone who is exposed to their blood. Revenants attack and devour both the living and the Undead. They have a kind of hive mind and hunt in packs. And there are those on both sides of the battle who think they can control the creatures and use them as weapons to destroy their enemies.

Asher and Lydia must make a devil's bargain with the vampires to prevent this madness. Don Simon as always is their ally. The World War I setting creates a chilling tale of the evil that men do in pursuit of victory at any cost.

Click HERE to read the review from Publishers Weekly.

Click HERE to read the review from Kirkus Reviews.

Afterlife with Archie, Book One: Escape From Riverdale by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa

Afterlife with Archie, Book One: Escape From Riverdale by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, Artwork by Francesco Francavilla, 160 pages

I remember reading Archie comic books as a kid and how much I enjoyed the adventures of Archie, Jughead, Veronica, Betty and the whole gang.  I could not resist reading a horror version of the original comic books.  I love that Jughead turned into a zombie after being bitten by his dog Hotdog who Sabrina the witch brought back to life from the dead.  It was so appropriate to read this on Halloween when the setting for the book is the Halloween dance at school.  What will become of the townspeople of Riverdale as slowly people are being turned into zombies?  Can Archie, Veronica and Betty find safety at Veronica's house or will they have to leave their beloved town?

School-Live, v. 7 by Norimitsu Kaihou

School-Live!, v. 7 by Norimitsu Kaihou - 176 pages

The girls have arrived at St. Isidore College.  They meet and join up with the Degeneracy Appreciation Society.  But is it truly safe at the college?

This is the latest volume in the School-Live! manga series.  It was interesting to see that the college students were less interested in survival and figuring out what happened than the younger high school kids.  As the cast grows, it is difficult to keep the various characters straight.  They look similar and the use of several different names (nicknames, formal names, honorifics) makes it difficult to remember which character is which.

School-Live, v. 1 by Sadoru Chiba & Norimitsu Kaihou

School-Live, v. 1 by Sadoru Chiba & Norimitsu Kaihou - 178 pages

Kurumi thinks school is the best place ever.  She loves the classes and her extracurricular club -- School Living Club!  They just have to watch out for the zombies intent on killing them all.

This was interesting to read as it took a while to figure out that there had been a zombie apocalypse.  I'm interested to find out exactly what happened to Kurumi that she doesn't realize there has been one.

Dark Metropolis by Jaclyn Dolamore

Dark Metropolis by Jaclyn Dolamore  292 pages

Sixteen-year-old Thea Holder's mother is cursed with a spell that's driving her mad, and whenever they touch, Thea is chilled by the magic, too. With no one else to contribute, Thea must make a living for both of them in a sinister city, where danger lurks and greed rules. Thea spends her nights waitressing at the decadent Telephone Club attending to the glitzy clientele. But when her best friend, Nan, vanishes, Thea is compelled to find her. She meets Freddy, a young, magnetic patron at the club, and he agrees to help her uncover the city's secrets - even while he hides secrets of his own. Together, they find a whole new side of the city. Unrest is brewing behind closed doors as whispers of a gruesome magic spread. And if they're not careful, the heartless masterminds behind the growing disappearances will be after them, too.

The Girl With All the Gifts - M. R. Carey

The Girl With All the Gifts - M. R. Carey - 435 pages

Here we are, midstream into another zombie apocalypse...again...but hey, why not, right?  It's a trend theme, yeah, and it's usually all about the struggle of the noble (or not-so-noble) human race to beat the unliving tar out of their former friends, family, and neighbors.  This book, not so much.  In the same vein as Warm Bodies, it follows the story of Melanie, an anomoly among anomolies, as she's schooled by scientists who want to milk her brain for answers.

All the major sci fi archetype characters are here: the innocent, the mother/teacher, the military dude, the mad scientist, the noob soldier, and all are thoughtfully and convincingly written as their journey from Melanie's school to the safety of the last human outpost unfolds. 

On the cover of my copy sits a quote from Joss Whedon: "Heartfelt...painfully human," so take that as you will if you're familiar with that sadistic storytelling genius' work.  It also has the tagline, "The most original thriller you will read this year," scrawled across the top in convincing block letters.  I'm not sure that's as accurate, but it is a story that does that wonderful thing to your mind; it turns what you think you know about who you really want to win right on its head.