The Zombie genre--a well loved subgenre of horror--has built in climactic measures over the last few years. Zombies have been in the media for longer than many people know, beginning with old black and white movies such as White Zombie and I Walked With A Zombie. Usually the zombies in those films were of the voodoo origin. George A. Romero popularized the modern zombie--the shuffling, moaning, flesheater--with his film Night of the Living Dead. Looking back through time it is apparent that the concept of the zombie has always been popular. But never has it been as popular as it is now. It has gone from a geeky pass time to a main streamed and popular genre that millions indulge in. Much of this is thanks to the TV adaption of Robert Kirkman's well-read graphic novel, The Walking Dead.
And now zombies have began to infest young adult novels at an accelerated rate. One such novel is Zombie Blondes by Brian James. James takes the concepts of Zombies and twists them a bit to parody the life of the teenage girl. James' zombies aren't shambling, mindless, freaks, but are ruthless, conniving, and intelligent flesh-eaters. The tone and plot-line of the novel are reminiscent of R.L. Stein's Welcome to Dead House, which may or may not intrigue some young readers.
The story of Zombie Blondes revolves around a young girl name Hannah. Hannah lives a tough life for a middle-class American girl. Her father is forced to travel from town to town, picking up new jobs, and avoiding his past. They come to a new town called Maplecrest and immediately Hannah feels that there is something different about this town. Half of the houses in town are empty, all the adults in the town act strange and secretive, and most of all, the cheerleaders seem to be in charge. At first Hannah is only able to make one friend, Lukas--and he seems a bit strange too. He is obsessed with horror comics and seems convinced that all the cheerleaders on the squad are zombies! Hannah doesn't believe him and--determined to fit in--joins the cheerleading squad. She quickly becomes popular and she feels that for once in her life she has found true friends, true happiness. Hannah even manages to make some romantic endeavors in the process. But by the time she has seeped herself in popularity, she realizes the deep dark secret the town is holding, and it may be too late for her to get out.
The story itself is well written, despite the seemingly trite plot points of the teenage high school novel, and both of the main characters--Hannah and Lukas--are relatable. I was even impressed with some of the grim imagery that James manages to stir up. It makes for a morbid and atmospheric setting and mood for the novel.
My main complaint was the lack of actual horror throughout the novel. Much of the novel focuses on Hannah and her struggle to fit in. This makes her relatable and helps a young adult reader sympathize with a few of the situations. However, it overshadows the horror elements in the story and makes it feel a little cliché at moments. I've read this type of thing a thousand times and it gets old quick. The middle of the book especially suffers because of it. I was expecting to get to some of the more frightening elements more quickly. However, Brian James makes up for this by really hitting the reader hard when the scary stuff does happens. In some cases it may be too graphic for younger readers, and that is up to the discretion of the reader themselves. But James is a talented writer and the horror near the end of the novel is well constructed.
Lastly, the ending was exciting and reminiscent of old teen horror flicks from the 1980s. It leaves it a little open-ended for the reader's mind to run wild. I personally enjoyed it. However, the relationship between Hannah and Lukas seems forced right near the end and may appear contrived to some.
And now zombies have began to infest young adult novels at an accelerated rate. One such novel is Zombie Blondes by Brian James. James takes the concepts of Zombies and twists them a bit to parody the life of the teenage girl. James' zombies aren't shambling, mindless, freaks, but are ruthless, conniving, and intelligent flesh-eaters. The tone and plot-line of the novel are reminiscent of R.L. Stein's Welcome to Dead House, which may or may not intrigue some young readers.
The story of Zombie Blondes revolves around a young girl name Hannah. Hannah lives a tough life for a middle-class American girl. Her father is forced to travel from town to town, picking up new jobs, and avoiding his past. They come to a new town called Maplecrest and immediately Hannah feels that there is something different about this town. Half of the houses in town are empty, all the adults in the town act strange and secretive, and most of all, the cheerleaders seem to be in charge. At first Hannah is only able to make one friend, Lukas--and he seems a bit strange too. He is obsessed with horror comics and seems convinced that all the cheerleaders on the squad are zombies! Hannah doesn't believe him and--determined to fit in--joins the cheerleading squad. She quickly becomes popular and she feels that for once in her life she has found true friends, true happiness. Hannah even manages to make some romantic endeavors in the process. But by the time she has seeped herself in popularity, she realizes the deep dark secret the town is holding, and it may be too late for her to get out.
The story itself is well written, despite the seemingly trite plot points of the teenage high school novel, and both of the main characters--Hannah and Lukas--are relatable. I was even impressed with some of the grim imagery that James manages to stir up. It makes for a morbid and atmospheric setting and mood for the novel.
My main complaint was the lack of actual horror throughout the novel. Much of the novel focuses on Hannah and her struggle to fit in. This makes her relatable and helps a young adult reader sympathize with a few of the situations. However, it overshadows the horror elements in the story and makes it feel a little cliché at moments. I've read this type of thing a thousand times and it gets old quick. The middle of the book especially suffers because of it. I was expecting to get to some of the more frightening elements more quickly. However, Brian James makes up for this by really hitting the reader hard when the scary stuff does happens. In some cases it may be too graphic for younger readers, and that is up to the discretion of the reader themselves. But James is a talented writer and the horror near the end of the novel is well constructed.
Lastly, the ending was exciting and reminiscent of old teen horror flicks from the 1980s. It leaves it a little open-ended for the reader's mind to run wild. I personally enjoyed it. However, the relationship between Hannah and Lukas seems forced right near the end and may appear contrived to some.
Summing it Up
Zombie Blondes is by no means "good literature." It won't stand the test of time that many of it's cousins do. (However, it is a horror novel and rarely do they ever get accepted as "good literature") But it is a good read. It is fun and exciting and James' imagery is very vivid. Despite the dramatic drag in the middle of the book, it was a decent read. I simply wished the author would get to the Zombies quicker.
Deaths: 2
Language: 3
Gore Factor: 3
Sex Factor: 1
Scare Factor: 3
Fun Factor: 4
Overall Rating: 4
Deaths: 2
Language: 3
Gore Factor: 3
Sex Factor: 1
Scare Factor: 3
Fun Factor: 4
Overall Rating: 4
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