Generation Dead by Daniel Waters: Review Posted by Michaela at 4:31 PM

Title: Generation Dead
Author: Daniel Waters
Published: May 6th 2008 by Hyperion
Pages: 392
Price: Amazon $6.80, Book Depository $8.98
Series: Generation Dead: Kiss of Life, Generation Dead: Passing Strange
Source: Bought
Rating: 2/5
Synopsis: Phoebe Kendall is just your typical Goth girl with a crush. He’s strong and silent…and dead.

All over the country, a strange phenomenon is occurring. Some teenagers who die aren't staying dead. But when they come back to life, they are no longer the same. Feared and misunderstood, they are doing their best to blend into a society that doesn’t want them.
The administration at Oakvale High attempts to be more welcoming of the “differently biotic." But the students don’t want to take classes or eat in the cafeteria next to someone who isn’t breathing. And there are no laws that exist to protect the “living impaired” from the people who want them to disappear—for good.
When Phoebe falls for Tommy Williams, the leader of the dead kids, no one can believe it; not her best friend, Margi, and especially not her neighbor, Adam, the star of the football team. Adam has feelings for Phoebe that run much deeper than just friendship; he would do anything for her. But what if protecting Tommy is the one thing that would make her happy? (Goodreads)

Initial Thoughts: I was pretty psyched about this book. I had heard great things about the short story set in this world, and I figured that the book would match up to my expectations.


Review: It did not.

I was not impressed with the characters. They lacked depth, and the speech sounded a little too forced for teenagers in everyday life. I doubt that many of them would be so calm about zombies going to school with them. Even though they seemed very polite, I would be carrying a machete with me at all times in case a sudden appetite for human flesh overcame them. In the book, there were very few people who were actually like, "Guys, seriously, they're dead. What are they doing in a high school?" Sure, there were tons of kids who ignored them, and some that didn't like them, but most of them were not alarmed at all. A shockingly large number were zombie activists.

The main character was not very likable, either, in my opinion. I thought she was kind of dull, and I had no clue why she would fall in love with a dead kid when she had an awesome neighbor who was obsessed with her (Don't worry, this isn't giving anything away. This is said in one of the first chapters). The plot was a little slow moving for about half the book, but the last half was pretty engaging.

None of these things really bothered me as much as the hidden lectures did. At least eighty percent of the book was spent trying to say that zombies deserve the same rights as humans do, and I really don't believe this. Call me evil if you want, but I think zombies are made for chopping, not for loving. I wouldn't mind so much if it was only a little bit of  "differently biotic" rights discussions, but the amount of this content in the book was distracting, and it made it hard for me to get into. Also, I was a little surprised that a zombie could be killed just by being shot. I would think that they would have to be chopped into a zillion little pieces.

I don't think that everyone would feel this way about the book - I'm sure lots of you wouldn't mind these hidden lessons - but I really prefer to keep my politics out of my reading unless I'm reading for that reason. I know that I would probably love this book if I didn't hate being lectured to so much. If you don't mind equal rights rants, than you should really give this book a try. In addition, I don't mean to trash the book - it was certainly not the worst I've ever read, and without the lecturing, I would have really liked it. It was just not my cup of tea. If you'd rather keep your nose in a book with traditionally terrifying zombies, I recommend sticking to Carrie Ryan's books.





Quick Review: There was a lot of talk about equal zombie rights, which was pretty distracting. The characters were a little dull, but if you look past that, this could be a really great book. I recommend it to
people who like current issues in their reading. It wasn't exactly my cup of tea, but if it sounds like yours, be sure to give it a try.

Bougainvillea by Carrie Ryan: a Zombies vs Unicorns story Posted by Michaela at 12:41 PM

Summary: When the mudo come, Iza's father is prepared. He takes them to Curacao, an island where they stave off the undead on the shores. But how long can they stay safe?

I loved this story. It's set in the same world as The Forest of Hands and Teeth, but it's right after the Return. The main character remembers things from before the zombies came, which I think is really cool, because you're able to see how things are compared to life today. This was beautifully written, and the ending was TREMENDOUS. I definitely recommend this story to lovers of TFHT as well as any person with eyes and the ability to read. Five out of five campers saved, and firmly rooted in Team Zombie.

The Dead-Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan (Review) Posted by Tiffany at 12:17 PM

 The Dead-Tossed Waves

 Carrie Ryan

404 pages (Hardcover)

Gabry lives a quiet life, secure in her town next to the sea and behind the Barrier. She's content to let her friends dream of the Dark City up the coast while she watches from the top of her lighthouse. Home is all she's ever known, and all she needs for happiness.

But life after the Return is never safe, and there are threats even the Barrier can't hold back.

Gabry's mother thought she left her secrets behind in the Forest of Hands and Teeth, but like the dead in their world, secrets don't stay buried. And now, Gabry's world is crumbling.

One night beyond the Barrier...

One boy Gabry's known forever and one veiled in mystery...

One reckless moment, and half of Gabry's generation is dead, the other half imprisoned.

Gabry knows only one thing: if she is to have any hope of a future, she must face the forest of her mother's past. (synopsis from Carrie Ryan's site)


This isn't your typical paranormal YA romance. You know: a somewhat shy girl meets a mysterious (and incredibly handsome) guy at school and falls for him, but he has a dark secret and, besides, what about that nice normal guy she liked before? It's a bit more 'shy girl really likes her best friend's brother, but is a bit more concerned about the flesh-eating zombies that are constantly trying to break into their village and kill everyone.' In other words, there's romance but there's also  a world full of zombies and teenagers being recruited into zombie-fighting armies and cults that worship those zombies. The romance is beautiful, that perfect combination of aching suspense and  sweetness, nothing dirty or overly sexual. The plot started a bit slow and then was nice and fast. The author didn't coddle the reader by having the characters manage to slide through everything without being harmed. Elias and his backstory added a lot to the overall story of the novel. His revelation towards the end was amazing and unexpected, tying TDTW to The Forest of Hands and Teeth and tying up some loose ends in the first novel. The ending set it up for at least one more book, which could go in a number of different directions. The Dark and Hollow Places has been announced, a companion novel to TDTW. It's not clear yet whether it will continue Gabry's story or be more of a parallel story that ties in at the end. Either way, I can't wait to read it. There's no cover yet, but I imagine it will be as beautiful as the first two were. 


Loved: The characters, especially Catcher and Elias. The development of the relationships between the main characters. The world in which her novels take place. I would love to see one set in one of the cities.


Hated: The cliffhanger ending (but in a good way.) I can't wait to see what happens to the characters now that they've been split up and are still being hunted. 


Rating: 5/5
Five campers out of five saved, a wonderful book.