Title:Dust

Author: Joan Frances Turner

Genre: Horror, Zombies, Post-Apocalyptic, Speculative Fiction

Publisher: Ace
Publication date: September 7 2010
Hardcover: 384 pages

Nine years ago, Jessie had a family. Now, she has a gang.

Nine years ago, Jessie was a vegetarian. Now, she eats very fresh meat.

Nine years ago, Jessie was in a car crash and died. Nine years ago, Jessie was human.

Now, she’s not.

After she was buried, Jessie awoke and tore through the earth to arise, reborn, as a zombie. Jessie’s gang is the Fly-by-Nights. She loves the ancient, skeletal Florian and his memories of time gone by. She’s in love with Joe, a maggot-infested corpse. They fight, hunt, dance together as one—something humans can never understand. There are dark places humans have learned to avoid, lest they run into the zombie gangs.

But now, Jessie and the Fly-by-Nights have seen new creatures in the woods—things not human and not zombie. A strange new illness has flamed up out of nowhere, causing the undeads to become more alive and the living to exist on the brink of death. As bits and pieces of the truth fall around Jessie, like the flesh off her bones, she’ll have to choose between looking away or staring down the madness—and hanging onto everything she has come to know as life.

Stand alone or series: Stand alone

How did we get this book: Review copies from the publisher

Why did we read this book: Thea loves zombies and Ana has a new found appreciation for the creatures. When we first heard about the book, we both went: WANT.

Review:

First Impressions:

Thea: According to the marketing promo behind Dust, the novel promises to be…different than the average zombie novel. It promises to tell the story of life after death, from the walking dead’s perspective. It promises to make readers question what they know about life and death, through the eyes of a not-so-young heroine, named Jessie. These are a whole lotta promises for a debut novel to deliver, but deliver Dust certainly does. It’s a haunting, elegiac portrait of life after death, of relationships and emotions from the perspective of a character that is no longer human, but not a monster either. Dust is one of those books that gets better the more that I reflect upon it. I loved it. (And, I think that you should listen to me and not Ana, because she is wrong and I am right, and that is all there is to it.)

Ana: I had very much the opposite reaction to the book – the more I reflect upon it, the less I like it. It starts well enough but half way through the book, it loses its steam. The marketing promo, the blurb, the cover of my ARC (a letter from the marketing department) all tell me how different the book is going to be and I think that ultimately it does not deliver on its promise. I think that story-wise it doesn’t work that well and the basic themes of life and death and being human x being a zombie, were extremely heavy-handed. I didn’t like it.

On the plot:

Thea: Dust is the story of Jessie, or Jessica Anne Porter that was, a girl that was fifteen when she was killed in a car accident only to rise days later as a zombie. Fighting her way out of her cement sealed grave under six feet of dirt, Jessie finds refuge of a kind with a gang of other undead, that call themselves the Fly-By-Nights. After taking their brutal initiation of beating, breaking her bones and causing her to retch up a dark mixture of fetid, congealed blood (“Coffin Liquor,” as the zombies call it), Jessie becomes an official member of the gang, and she finally feels at home. Roaming the forest together for deer, possum and other wild prey, Jessie is respected by her fellow gang members as a fighter – even one-armed, as the book opens with Jessie finally losing her right appendage, Jessie is perhaps the fiercest fighter of the group. But then, something strange disturbs Jessie’s comfortable routine. First, there’s the strange blonde “hoo” (zombie slang for human) that stumbles into their woods, so far from the protections of civilization. Disoriented, sweating a strange, non-human, chemical smell, the girl seems like something caught between living and dead – not quite hoo, but not quite zombie either. Then, gang leader Teresa starts acting strangely, smelling eerily like the not-hoo girl from the woods. Something frightening is happening to the undead and living alike, and not a soul will be left untouched.

Well, what can I say about Dust? It is a haunting story that lingers with you long after finishing the novel. It is deeply unsettling, unique, and beautifully written. It is a story that is, more than anything else (and contrary to what Ana will tell you about romance or whatever) about people that have lived, died, and been born again in a cold, cruel world. Yes, they are flesh-hungry, but they aren’t “monsters” – at least, not any more than humans are monsters. From a plotting perspective, Dust is a quiet novel, a loving macabre ode to sinew and blood, of decay and the maggots and blowflies that feed upon the flesh of the dead. But instead of being gratuitous or overly gory for the sake of being gory, Dust is in actuality a beautiful, melancholy book – Ms. Turner manages to make the sight of dusty, parchment-thin skin beautiful, the warm blood and entrails of a fresh kill vibrant and delectable. Dust isn’t a book that aims to shock and disgust; rather, it simply is an honest recording of the life of Jessie and her gang.

Dust also is a mystery of sorts, and a book of discovery and reconciliation. There is the question of the cause and nature of the strange new infection that sweeps the forest, a biological mystery that unfolds beautifully and gradually over the course of the novel. The cause of the apocalyptic bacteria is insignificant though, really, as the more important, underlying theme is not on the macro but micro level – personal guilt, family loyalty and perceived betrayal. Though the idea of the microbe unleashed by humanity ultimately leading to the species’ demise is nothing new, Ms. Turner handles this aspect of the novel beautifully, creating a tempered, well-paced tale that I devoured whole in essentially a few short hours.

On the more technical, zombie-fan sort of stuff, I must say that I loved Ms. Turner’s take on the life cycle of the zombie, as I did the newly imagined method that they communicate with each other, although I will say that certain aspects felt underdeveloped (the strange, literal “danse macabre” and the way they hear thoughts in terms of music – or perhaps only Jessie does this?). Still, I loved their new, superior neuron-firing capable brains, and most of all, their perceived “superiority” to the idiot, stinking hoos. They aren’t superior of course – this is the beauty of Dust, with its flawed characters, laying bare the faults of both humanity and zombie, the difference between the two not so dramatic as one might suspect. I loved that the book doesn’t feel the need to explain everything explicitly, that Ms. Turner makes some unorthodox choices towards the end of the novel, too. And, contrary to the notion that Dust is romantic or some sort of cautionary tale, I will say that, in my opinion, this misses the point of the book. In my opinion, I didn’t find this book romantic at all (certainly not in the conventional, human interpretation of the word) and it certainly is not a factor in anything that Jessie chooses to do – take, for example, Jessie’s last huge decision to walk to the sands. If this were all about true love, wouldn’t she have dragged her true love with her? No. She goes by herself. Very, very late in the book (i’m talking the last 30 pages) there is, I guess, what can be interpreted as a romantic development, but Jessie isn’t exactly a romantic person. I didn’t see this relationship as a romance so much as it is a reunion between people that thought they would never see each other again. But this is all moot, and I don’t even want to spend any more time on this because the book is really not a romance, it’s only a teeny tiny 1% of the overall book, and it’s distracting from the main point:

Dust is above all a deconstruction of the zombie myth.

Instead of using the undead as a catalyst for human ugliness, it instead approaches zombies as people…that have died and been born again. It is their story, through one of their own’s eyes. It is not a cautionary tale about the evils of humanity or the presumptions of science or whatnot; to reduce the complexity of Dust to such an interpretation does the book a grave disservice. I’d liken Dust to a novel such as Kazuo Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go, which plays on the same human/inhuman blurry areas (but more on that in the character section below).

I will say, however, that Dust is a book that clearly is NOT for everyone. Take the ending, for example (which I think, as a zombie fan, is an homage to a cornerstone of scifi horror) – it’s a risk and understandably, not for everyone. But for me? I loved it.

Ana: Dust has a promising start and I loved the first half of the book: with gore and violence and a wonderful look at how Jessie lives now. I especially liked how zombies are still decaying and will eventually, and very slowly, go through what all dead bodies go through: all the stages of decay but with the different that it happens to the zombies whilst they are conscious. It is in fact the living dead in all their horrifying glory.

But is Dust really that different from the average zombie novel? I don’t think so. Sure, it is from a different perspective ,ie from the living dead themselves but at its core it still deals with fear, love and what it is to be human. THAT’s what bothers me the most about the book – that it promises a world of difference, but that it doesn’t deliver.

I will agree with Thea when she says that Dust is above all a deconstruction of the zombie myth but beyond that, is where we fundamentally disagree. I think that this deconstruction is not well done at all, it is heavy – handed and yes, with an underlying message. I think that the idea that zombies “are just people who died” is hammered over and over again in a less than subtle way. In trying to show the other side’s story, I believe the author did in fact a 360 turn going right back at the starting point – by making them just like humans only with a different diet. The more the story progresses, the more Jessie and her companions sound like humans and when the virus hits they even start to look like humans. Which brings me back to the point I am trying to make: the story to me is not unique, or original; it simply deals with flawed characters who can be as good and bad, as violent or not, as humans are. Perhaps that is actually the point. In which case, it is just another story that doesn’t have anything special to it, at least not for me.

It is also very predictable: I saw the resolution coming a mile away, I saw the identity of one the characters as soon as she walked into the novel and I saw the romantic development between Jessie and another character basically from page 1 and yes, there is romance there although not – I agree with Thea here – central to the story. And although I don’t think that the book is about messages, they are undoubtedly THERE : in what humans are capable of, what science is capable of, what people would do for misguided love. It is so there that at one point Jessie muses:

“typical human and no, I refused to start thinking of myself as one too. “Speaking,” I said, as coldly and calmly as I could muster, “as someone with a little actual afterlife experience? This isn’t hell. There is no hell. It’s just what your kind always do to the world in one form of another, so pull yourself together and keep walking”.

I kept thinking about “identity” and how what really differentiates zombies and humans is simply how each chooses to consume their food: zombies like it raw, humans like it cooked. At first, it seemed to be more than that: it seemed that there was going to be MORE that identified the zombies as separate entities– perhaps their aggressive culture, perhaps their danse macabre – but the former can be put down as another thing that is actually remnants of their humanity and the latter is never truly explored. I think this makes the book less complex and more simplistic, as a matter of fact.

But beyond that: the novel has problems with pacing as well with the second half dragging itself to a conclusion full of navel gazing. With regards to the ending: count me in as one that did not like it, but then again, I am not a horror-sci fi fan and probably failed to see as the homage that it possibly is.

On the characters:

Thea: Dust is one of those books that gets better upon reflection, especially from a character perspective. As with any book filtered through the perspective of a single character, there is a degree of unreliability – and I think that it is important to keep in mind that our narrator, Jessie, is a flawed character that sees what she wants to see, and interprets things in the way she wants to interpret them. Again, the important thing to remember about Dust is that it is a book about the life after death – about people that have lived and died, and have been reborn. As such, Jessie and her ilk experience emotions that are very human and familiar – and yet at the same time, they are not exactly human (which makes sense – if all of our life experiences contribute to how we see things and interpret the world around us, the effect is even more dramatic on those that have been killed and reanimated). And this is the main point of contention between Ana and myself, because Ana thinks that the emotions that Jessie feels are TOO human to be zombie, to which I ask, what then makes a zombie? Must they only be mindless creatures hungering for braaaaaains? And then I would ask, why this hate against the zombie? In other books featuring vampires or fairies or werewolves or angels, they all experience “human” emotions, and those are considered successes or acceptable, but when it’s a zombie this is a failure? It seems hypocritical to me. Zombie discrimination, I tell you! Again, this is Ms. Turner’s deconstruction of the zombie, by making them something other – not human, certainly not, but not so unfamiliar either. Not living, not dead, but something in between.

As a narrator and protagonist, Jessie is a mess of sharp edges, tough attitude, and strangely, vulnerability. Jessie’s narration is by turns funny, astute, and hard. Though she was only fifteen when she died, death and revival have a way of changing a body, both physically and emotionally. Through her memories, we learn about her less-than-ideal human life, and her final ability to find a home only beyond the grave. Her relationship with her gang, especially the tangled, complicated relationship with Joe, is fodder for reflection. Yes, Jessie feels emotions – remorse, love, hate, guilt, although I would argue that her brand of emotion is twisted and if human in origin, no longer exactly human in expression – and over the course of the book she grows and changes as a character, as do the other main characters in the book. And, unlike vampires locked in eternal youth, or zombies in films locked in eternal hunger, Jessie and her crew’s desires for food do not dictate who or what they are. They are not in permanent stasis, as each zombie has a life cycle of its own. When the shit hits the fan later in the book and both zombies and humans begin to change again, mutating from undead to..sort of living again, these emotions and needs morph as well. I think it’s a pretty awesome catalyst for character development, and an original way to take a look at the connection between eating, and (non)humanity.

“How many kinds of living and dead and living dead and dead living had I been in just these few months, these few days, after the stasis of plain old human living and dying? I deserved some kind of existential medal.”

As for the other characters, I thought they were all wonderfully handled and written, in particular ‘maldie Renee (lost and friendless and discriminated against for the fact that she was embalmed), the dustie Florian with his pacifism and insightful senility, the quiet and less aggressive (yet courageous) Linc, and of course, the manipulative, screeching electric guitar that is Joe. If there’s anything that will differentiate the zombie from the human, I think it is apparent in Jessie and Joe’s relationship, in which they crush each other’s bones and fight to the point of threatening each other’s deaths as a normality, but find solace in that rage. It is what by hoo terms we would call an abusive relationship, but our interpretations don’t really apply to the walking dead. Theirs is a tangled mess of hate and trust and love, and while there are glimpses of humanity and these characters (or at least Jessie) has some semblance of right and wrong, the zombie rulebook is completely different from the human one. It is this otherness that makes the deconstruction a success, in my opinion.

I will briefly address what I know Ana will bring up (based on our emails back and forth). I just want to say that I do NOT think the author assigns any moral judgements to her characters, to Jessie’s relationships, or to any aspect of the story. Jessie does have a sense of morality, although it clearly has changed since her time as a human (from a vegan animal rights activist to an animal huntress and zombie killer as one of the most fierce of the gang’s fighters, and in the end, eating anyone and anything – human, plant, inanimate object, friend, enemy – in order to survive). The presence of Jessie’s ability to make decisions based on her own concepts of morality does not equate to a moral message or judgement for the book, however. In my opinion, this just confirms how these biological changes effect the experience and perception of each character in this book. I think that it is important to remember that Dust is a book about what are by definition non-human characters, with vestiges of humanity – they remember who they were, certain things from their lives, and they feel emotions. But it is vital to keep in mind that they are creatures that have died and been reborn, their very brains rewired and reconfigured. They do not think in the same way that we do, as much as a twenty-year old thinks and behaves in the way that an eighty-year old would, and so for that reason their motivations may sit strangely with us hoo readers – but that, I think, is the point. There is no underlying message, no judgement or subtext that says that zombies are GOOD and humans are EVIL or any such nonsense. I urge everyone to please, please, for the love of all that is good in the world of literature, to try to step outside of your comfort zone and view Jessie’s world through the eyes of someone that is neither living nor dead, but someone caught in between.

Ana: What are zombies? I don’t know. They might not be all about braaaaaaaaaiins but I think it is clear that they are not simply “humans who died” either. They are “other”. And this is indeed the greatest point of contention between Thea and me when it comes to the book: I think that the book completely fails in capturing this “otherness” of these characters and fully exploring and developing it. I think that the zombies here are utterly familiar, completely humanised and to me that include human moral judgments as well or else Jessie would not mind eating humans; or else Jessie would not know that there is “right” and “wrong” and that her abusive relationship with Joe for example falls under the latter. That is definitely this awareness here and I honestly don’t see a complete re-wire of their brains. Dust might be a book about non-human characters but still so very human that they still have very human concepts of morality and emotions.

Jessie is very much still human, (even though she will tell you that she is not and I am agreeing on the unreliability of her narrative here), wanting to be loved and accepted which is in direct contrast to what happened to her when she was alive – she was neither loved or accepted when alive. Which is why she fell into the relationship with Joe – not because as a zombie she doesn’t care anymore, or her brain has been re-wired but because of her very human characteristics of wanting to fit in, be accepted. At one point she thinks:

“Even knowing then and later that I should have collected my strength and wits, turned around and left for good, no looking back. I stayed because of him. Like I said, I was fifteen”

and then:

“I hated that look. I hated that I could never even see the sorry part of it anymore, the part that really mattered, all I could see was how it was still always me that was wrong and him that was right. Always. No matter what.”

This reads as though it could apply to anybody. I would have loved to see the “otherness” or a true Zombie 2.0 story. To me, I just read another book of a character that had family issues and carried them to grave and beyond – with a bit of mystery on the side.

Final Thoughts, Observations and Rating:

Thea: Clearly, Dust is not for everyone. At times funny, at times painful, this reimagining of the zombie resonated for me, like the strings of the electric guitar or quiet plink of piano Jessie hears in her undead brain. It’s a strange book, but a memorable one for all that. A notable, if not favorite, read of 2010 for me.

Ana: Definitely not for everyone and above all, definitely not for me. Dust left me completely cold and underwhelmed.

Notable Quotes/Parts: From Chapter 1:

My right arm fell off today. Lucky for me, I’m left-handed.

In the accident that killed me I rocketed from the back seat straight through the windshield–no seatbelt, yeah, I know–and the pavement sheared my arm to nothing below the shoulder. Not torn off, but dangling by thin, precious little bits of skin and bone and ligament. I had a closed casket, I’m sure of it, because they never wired the arm or glued it or any other pretty undertaker trick. I managed to crawl back out of the ground without its help anyway, and of course after nine perfectly uneventful years of fighting and dancing and hunting and getting by fine with the left arm, the right finally shuffles its coil right on the banks of the Great River County Park’s not-so-Great River, smack in the middle of a meat run. Joe, my boy, my backup, was not sympathetic in the least….

You can read the full excerpt online HERE.

Additional Thoughts: Dust has a pretty cool website, complete with extras such as the following book trailers (this one is hilarious, if not really having anything at all to do with the book):

You can see the other trailers HERE.

Rating:

Thea: 8 – Excellent

Ana: 5 – Meh

Reading Next: Dead Beautiful by Yvonne Woon

Giveaway Details:

Courtesy of publisher Ace, we have FIVE copies of Dust up for grabs. The contest is open to addresses in the United States only, and will run until September 4th at 11:59 pm (PST). To enter, leave a comment here telling us what your favorite zombie novel is. Only ONE entry per person, please! Multiple comments from the same I.P. address will be automatically disqualified. Good luck!

Happy Sunday to all and to all a good night!

Wait. I think I’m getting my greetings mixed up. Oops.

Covers, Covers, Covers:

Quite a lot has been going on in the world of speculative fiction-fantasy cover-land. Orbit has another fabulous, insightful, and hilarious survey up (a reprisal of their original census of covers from 2008). Here are the results (click to enlarge):

Also, io9 has an interesting post up about the two rules of awesome sf/fantasy art, worth taking a look at.

On the opposite end of the cover spectrum, however, more of the same ol’ shit strikes again. We’re talking…

Whitewashing: Yeah, It Happened Again

This time, the subject is Catherynne M. Valente’s The Habitation of the Blessed. Here is the proposed cover, from Night Shade Books (whom you may have heard of – publisher of this year’s Nebula award winning novel The Windup Girl):

First, the cover is kind of ridiculously out of proportion and the art frankly bizarre. Comments on Ms. Valente’s site make fun of the Ghost Rider-esque head on fire, the ginormous man hands, the fact that Prester John looks shockingly like China Mieville. As one commenter puts it, “If I had to guess for this? I’d say it’s a book about a European guy who, idk, hangs around Europe summoning pretty “exotic” ladies from books? Or something? Which, yeah, no.” When one takes into account the fact that Cat Valente’s book is about a non-white main character and cast, this all sort of comes to an awkward convergence. Cat has already been fighting her publishers for changes to the characters’ appearance on the covers – apparently, Nightshade Book’s response to her request to nix the whitewashing was to change the girl on the cover from a blonde to a brunette. Umm…great.

Fan Onaleopard, on her The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland LJ has read the book and has a passionate, awesome post about the whole fiasco. She says:

*The action of covering a book full of characters of color with pictures of white people, throwing some mehndi and eyeshadow on one of them, is fully an exercise and manifestation of staggering privilege, not a shrewd decision or anything that “inspires a sense of awe and wonder.”

The mehndi lady keeps making me choke out in impotent rage. I’ve read this book. The one character she could possibly represent is the woman in yellow. The woman in yellow? Has red-brown skin. And wears yellow. And is not running around naked and white covered in mehndi being partially disembodied and in the background behind Prester John like an Exotic Lady Assistant, let me tell you what.

This is infuriating. Everything about this is infuriating – the short shrift given to Cat’s name, the slapdash, garish, busy design, the utter lack of congruity between the book and its cover, the way in which the cover represents every trope the book subverts, the gross departure from the look and feel of a Valente novel, the cheap appearance…the fucking whitewashing…it’s just bad. I saw my friend saying, over and over, that they weren’t listening to her. This is not what I am used to when the newest Valente cover comes out. I expect HOORAY JOY HAPPY from the comments section, not “What is this? What is happening? Why can’t I read the title? Why are Jonathan Rhys-Meyers and some white lady who went a little overboard at the MAC counter and the “henna tattoo” shop at the mall running amok in Prester John’s kingdom?” It’s like a bad dream. It’s like they fed this book to the Opposite Machine and put the results on the cover.

We could not agree more. Hopefully Night Shade Books will get the message and change the cover – and if you post about it or write them a letter, you can help get the ball rolling, too.

Mockingjay 13 District Tour and Tor.com:

Thanks to everyone that entered (and continues to enter) our Mockingjay Giveaway! The tour is still moving along and we still have 25 iSkins up for grabs. If you haven’t entered yet, there’s still time before the contest closes on September 1!

Also, in addition to the giveaway, we have put a post up at Tor.com about what to read after you’re done with Mockingjay – you know, to counter the shaky Katniss withdrawal. Check it out.

An Awesome Trailer:

You might have guessed that we (or at least Thea) are big Walking Dead fans. Well, AMC has finally released the official trailer for the comic book’s television series adaptation (under the guidance of Frank “Shawshank Redemption” Darabont). We cannot freaking wait.

This Week on The Book Smugglers:

On Monday, we have our latest entry in our A Dude Reads Paranormal Romance segment, with Harry’s review of The Bloodgate Guardian by Joely Sue Burkhart.

Tuesday, we have Thea’s review of young adult novel Nevermore by the wonderful Kelly Creagh, with an interview with the author later in the day.

On Wednesday, Thea reviews Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins, the final book in her Hunger Games series, at long last. Is it everything she could have hoped for?

Thursday, we have a joint review of zombie novel Dust by Joan Frances Turner – with a giveaway opportunity.

Finally, we close out the week on Friday with Ana’s review of The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart.

As always, we remain…

Title: Zombies vs. Unicorns

Authors: Team Unicorn edited by Holly Black – Kathleen Duey, Meg Cabot, Garth Nix, Margo Lanagan, Naomi Novik & Diana Peterfreund; Team Zombie edited by Justine Larbalestier – Libba Bray, Alaya Dawn Johnson, Cassandra Clare, Maureen Johnson, Carrie Ryan & Scott Westerfeld

Genre: Speculative Fiction, Young Adult

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry (Simon & Schuster)
Publication Date: September 2010
Hardcover: 432 pages

It’s a question as old as time itself: which is better, the zombie or the unicorn? In this anthology, edited by Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier (unicorn and zombie, respectively), strong arguments are made for both sides in the form of short stories. Half of the stories portray the strengths–for good and evil–of unicorns and half show the good (and really, really bad-ass) side of zombies. Contributors include many bestselling teen authors, including Cassandra Clare, Libba Bray, Maureen Johnson, Meg Cabot, Scott Westerfeld, and Margo Lanagan. This anthology will have everyone asking: Team Zombie or Team Unicorn?

Stand alone or series: Stand alone collection of short stories (although some stories fit in established universes for other series’ – i.e. Carrie Ryan, Diana Peterfreund)

How did I get this book: ARC at BookExpo America 2010

Why did I read this book: Did you SEE that author list? Although I’m not really a huge anthology fan or unicorn lover (Diana Peterfreund’s killer unicorns the exception), I am always down for a zombie collection. Not to mention, we got to meet the lovely Justine Larbalestier and Holly Black (as well as Scott Westerfeld and Diana Peterfreund) at BEA this year as they were signing galleys for Zombies vs. Unicorns. Put all that together, and there was no way I was going to miss out on reading this promising anthology.

Review:

An anthology is a tricky thing to put together – there are almost always a few gems, sparkling ever-so-brightly (not unlike a unicorn’s pretty, pretty sheen) and there are some stinkers (not unlike a zombie’s dessicated stench). The general trend of Zombies vs. Unicorns, I am happy to report, is toward the positive. While there were a couple of stories I could have done without, overall, I was entertained by and pleased with the quality of the stories in this collection. Mostly.

Here’s my take on each of the stories.

“The Highest Justice” by Garth Nix (Unicorn)

A strong start to the anthology, Garth Nix writes probably the best self-contained short story in the whole book. Featuring both a zombie AND a unicorn in the same story – on the same “side” too (I think this counts as breaking the rules) – “The Highest Justice” is a fantasy tale about a grieving young princess, her unfortunate (zombified) mother, poisoned at the hands of her treacherous father and his twisted lover. And there’s justice too. This one is a bit old school (Garth Nix is one of my favorite authors from childhood, and reading this new story reminded me of how much I love his style of fantasy and writing), and I mean that in the best way. A phenomenal start to the book – well done, editors, for beginning with this one.

Rating: 8 – Excellent

“Love Will Tear Us Apart” by Ayala Dawn Johnson (Zombie)

This short story, one of a surprising – refreshing! – many that feature a same-sex romance, is a frustrating mix of AWESOME and not-so-awesome for me. I loved the sardonic, mac-and-cheese loving voice of teen infected protagonist Grayson. The food comparisons alone are wonderful, and I loved the very real, astonishingly deep relationship portrayed between him and the delectable Jack. Lust, hate, revulsion, love all rolled into one complicated package of emotion, fueled by violence (and set to a killer soundtrack), the overall characterizations and direction of the story is brilliant. The ending line is EPIC. But, there were some stylistic choices that irritated the crap (brains?) out of me. The story is divided into different mini-chapters, alternating the realtime storyline with Grayson’s little asides about his past – and, for the most part, the little asides (in my opinion) were largely unnecessary, dragging down the irresistible momentum of the actual story. Plus, the cheese factor in the asides was high – the “Dirty Harry” chapter in particular, with cringe-worthy rules such as, “Use your brains! Or someone else will eat them for you” didn’t do anything for me, not really flowing well with the heavier, more dramatic tone of the story. But again, just my opinion. Overall, another winner.

Rating: 7 – Very Good

“Purity Test” by Naomi Novik (Unicorn)

I have had Naomi Novik on my shelf for a while now, but have yet to read her Temeraire books. As such, “Purity Test” was my first introduction to the author, and I was thrilled to finally try some of her work… but, unfortunately, this was one of the few duds (for me). Working the humor angle with a trapper-keeper unicorn on the hunt for a certain young woman, “Purity Test” as its title suggests plays on the bond between virginity and unicorns. Unfortunately, the dialogue felt kitschy, the jokes pretty bad, and the story (though well-executed), ultimately forgettable.

Rating: 5 – Meh

“Bougainvillea” by Carrie Ryan

My favorite story of the anthology. I adored The Forest of Hands and Teeth and thoroughly enjoyed The Dead-Tossed Waves, so I was thrilled to discover that “Bougainvillea” fits in the same universe, albeit at a much earlier time. Alternating between past and present (or “Then” and “Now”), “Bougainvillea” follows Iza, a young woman on the island of Curacao shortly after The Return. Daughter of a ruthless – but effective – leader, Iza struggles with her own sense of worth, her relationship with her father, the growing threat of pirates offshore, and the ever present Mudo surrounding them all. Iza’s is a beautifully crafted, bittersweet character arc (this is right in Ms. Ryan’s wheelhouse) and I loved it from beginning to end. Especially the end. “Bougainvillea” provides valuable insight to The Return and Mary and Gabry’s world in TFOHAT and TDTW, also provoking some interesting questions, too.

I would LOVE to see Iza’s journey continue in another story or book…whaddya say, Ms. Ryan? Pretty please?

Rating: 10 – Perfection

“A Thousand Flowers” by Margo Lanagan (Unicorn)

If “Purity Test” was kitschy and plays with the technicalities of virginity and its connection to unicorns, “A Thousand Flowers” takes that virginity connection and perverts and twists it beyond recognition. Ms. Lanagan is not one to shy away from gritty, less-palatable elements and she explores the darker, more complicated side of sexuality (this is the author of Tender Morsels we’re talking about, after all). Ms. Lanagan’s work might not be for everyone, certainly not for the faint of heart, but this is an author with a gift for storytelling as she interweaves magic and wonder together with the uglier side of human nature. Is “A Thousand Flowers” a little sensationalist and exploitative? Yes. But it also is an effective, brutal explication of female sexuality and “virtue.” I’m not really sure if I particularly liked this story, but it’s certainly thought-provoking and memorable, to say the least.

Rating: 7 – Very Good

“The Children of the Revolution” by Maureen Johnson (Zombie)

This story was my first exposure to Maureen Johnson’s writing – I’ve been dying to read something by her ever since her awesome keynote speech at Book Blogger Con earlier this year. Funny, charming, incredibly witty – these are the words I would use to describe the lovely Ms. Johnson. And, just as I hoped, “The Children of the Revolution” was similarly enchanting (well, you know, in a more slimy, guts and brains and raw sinew kind of zombie way). Following a college freshman duped into following her stoner boyfriend out to the UK for a study abroad program only to learn that said program is essentially slave labor and said boyfriend is a grade-A jackass, “The Children of the Revolution” also pokes fun at Hollywood celebrities and their penchant for truly insane religions. Little adorable toddler zombies. Sponge Bob. How could I not love this story? Ms. Johnson’s voice is wry, flippant, and totally winsome. I’ll be back to sample her other work, very soon.

Rating: 7 – Very Good

“The Care and Feeding of Your Baby Killer Unicorn” by Diana Peterfreund (Unicorn)

This story, along with Ms. Ryan’s and Mr. Westerfeld’s, were my most highly anticipated stories of this collection, and I am happy to report that Diana Peterfreund once again delivers. “The Care and Feeding of Your Baby Killer Unicorn” might sound like a playful, lighthearted title, this is a surprisingly moving story about a girl struggling with her terrifying new-found abilities, her family expectations, her relationships, and, of course, a baby killer unicorn. One of the longer stories in the bunch, “Baby Killer Unicorn” actually feels like more of a novella than a short story. I love that protagonist Wen is markedly different from the other female leads in this collection, and in fact from Ms. Peterfreund to date – she’s not as rough as Astrid (of Rampant) or as assured as Amy (of the Secret Society Girl books). Wen is quieter, religious (which stands out in a sea of usually agnostic/atheistic or religion-free genre stories), and confused – but when she does stand up for herself, it’s an awesome, empowering feeling.

While I loved the story overall, what didn’t quite work for me, however, was the question of time frame. First, the integration of unicorns into modern society sits strangely. In Rampant, the existence of unicorns isn’t really something people take as fact – but in this short story, a jump has been made where unicorns are commonly known of (they are on the news, for example) and universally feared. Also in terms of time frame, Flower/Flayer (titled killer baby unicorn)’s growth and Wen’s caring for him felt rushed and abrupt.

That said, this is one of the strongest unicorn pieces in the book, and one of the keeper memorable stories in the collection.

Rating: 7 – Very Good

“Innoculata” by Scott Westerfeld” (Zombie)

My second favorite story of the book, “Innoculata” proves to me, yet again, that Scott Westerfeld is the bees knees. Once zombies have taken over the planet and only a handful of humans remain in a basically safe enclosure, equipped with food, water and shelter, what else is there to do? “Innoculata” is a story about a rarely examined side effect of the zombie apocalypse: boredom. I love the idea of completely random inoculation (and the idea of the cowpox/smallpox explanation); I love the characters (a F/F pairing this time!); I love the idea of apocalypse survivors on a weed farm led by a former DEA raider; I love the action-packed awesomeness of it all.

Another gem of a self-contained story.

Rating: 9 – Damn Near Perfection

“Princess Prettypants” by Meg Cabot (Unicorn)

Ahh, Meg Cabot. How I loved this story – my favorite Team Unicorn entry of the whole bunch. “Princess Prettypants” (truly awesome name) pokes fun at the Lisa Frank type of unicorn:

On Liz’s seventeenth birthday, she gets an honest-to-goodness unicorn from her crazy Aunt – one that literally farts rainbows and is named “Princess Prettypants.” Seriously. What begins as the worst birthday ever turns into a sweet revenge tale, with the help of one really, really pretty unicorn. Hilarious, smart and just…cool, written with Meg Cabot’s trademark wit and verve, “Princess Prettypants” is absolutely delightful.

Rating: 8 – Excellent

“Cold Hands” by Cassandra Clare (Zombie)

Cassandra Clare’s take on zombies is slightly different than the usual “no room in Hell”/pathogen/demonic possession sort of deal – in this story, one town is plagued by a curse that brings deceased loved ones back to life as zombies. These aren’t the eat-your-brains types of zombies; rather, they are the forlorn undead that only want to be with their families and lovers. Because the undead will follow those loved ones wherever they go, no one from “Zombietown” (as Lychgate it is known to the rest of the world) is allowed to leave. That doesn’t bother Adele so much, however, because she has her true love, James, who also happens to be the next Duke of Lychgate, by her side. But when James is killed by his Uncle, their love is tested to its limits, as James returns to claim his place, and to be with Adele.

A solid entry, I liked how earnest and romantic this story was as both Adele and James are tragic characters. Although the time period felt a little oddly anachronistic (Dukes? Really?) and the overall story leaned towards the melodramatic, I finished the story feeling basically satisfied and entertained.

Rating: 6 – Good

“The Third Virgin” by Kathleen Duey (Unicorn)

I’m not going to lie, this story was a near DNFer (“Did Not Finish”). Maybe it’s because the story is so exposition-heavy, and almost entirely internalized for the majority of the tale, from the perspective of a unicorn. Most likely it’s because “The Third Virgin” is yet another unicorn story dealing with the unicorn-virginity connection – which is unfair to Ms. Duey and her story, because had this been placed earlier in the anthology, I probably would not have had such a hard time getting through it. I’ll schedule it for a reread later, but I simply could not get hooked with the slow moving plot, and the lackluster voice of the narrating character. At this point, I think I was a little unicorn’d out.

Rating: 5 – Meh

“Prom Night” by Libba Bray (Zombie)

Well, talk about going out with a bang. “Prom Night” is one of the more haunting stories in the collection, by virtue of that ending. I loved the moral quandary this particular story posed – which is something that none of the other entries attempted. Even though the world has turned into kill or be killed, eat or be eaten, what is the moral thing to do? Did the teens of “Prom Night” do a terrible thing by sending their infected parents beyond their walls? At what point does the veneer of civilization begin to wear thin?

Libba Bray’s closing is a fitting end for a pretty one-sided showdown. Sorry Team Unicorn – from where I’m sitting, Team Zombie is the clear victor.

Rating: 7 – Very Good

On the Introductions…

The book and each story are prefaced by quick exchanges between editors Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier – and while I enjoyed this quippy rapport, and the general idea of a zombie-unicorn throwdown, my only quibble is that after a while, these introductions felt a bit repetitive and the teeniest bit self-serving and silly. I’m absolutely certain that it was a blast to write and work on this collection together – but as a reader, the introductions seemed to be more fun for the authors than perhaps they will be to their audience.

That said, overall, Zombies vs. Unicorns is a solid anthology, and well worth checking out. I definitely recommend it – especially for the zombie or unicorn lover.

Overall Rating: 7 – Very Good

Reading Next: Dark Life by Kat Falls

Giveaway Details:

And would you look at that? We’ve got TWO copies of Zombies vs. Unicorns up for grabs. The contest is open to addresses in the US and Canada and will run until Saturday August 21 at 11:59pm (PST). ONLY ONE ENTRY PER PERSON – multiple entries from the same IP address will be disqualified. Entry is simple – just let us know which team floats your boat – zombies? Or Unicorns?

Good luck! We will announce the winner on Sunday in our weekly Smuggler Stash.

Welcome to our sixth guest post of YAAM, the 2010 edition. As part of our celebration of all things YA, we have invited authors from different genres to write articles about the books and the genres they write.

Today’s guests are none other than Smuggler favorite authors Carrie Ryan and Diana Peterfreund. Carrie writes some of the sickest, most emotionally engaging YA novels around with her zombie series (The Forest of Hands and Teeth and The Dead-Tossed Waves), and Diana is basically THE pioneer of the killer unicorn novel (see Rampant). Needless to say, we are huge fans. So, after we received ARCs of Zombies vs. Unicorns and met Diana at BEA, we decided that it was time to get the intrepid pair back over for yet another guest blog.

Ladies and gentlemen – or Undead and Majestical – we give you Carrie Ryan and Diana Peterfreund!

MEDIATOR: You both know why we’re here today. The zombies versus unicorns debate has been raging its way across the internet for years now, and it has grown increasingly polarized. Accusations have been made – like the one that says [checks paper] Unicorns are responsible for the death of one Nymphadora Tonks—

UNICORN: Vile slander. (I think.)

ZOMBIE: I would like to point out that neither we nor our representatives are responsible for that one. It was all John Green. We cannot be held accountable for claims made by our fans. Also…braaaaaaaaiiiinnnnns.

UNICORN: You know how you can make it up to us? Go eat John Green’s brains. I hear he has some to spare.

MEDIATOR: [clears throat] So…I’m glad I’ve been able to get you two to sit down together to talk over your differences.

ZOMBIE: You mean this wasn’t a battle to the death? Oops, I think I’m in the wrong place. [starts to shamble to its feet]

UNICORN: [begins to sharpen horn on edge of table]

MEDIATOR: Guys, come on, settle down now. And, since you brought it up, Zombie, let’s discuss this whole battle-to-the-death thing that seems to be so popular. The image depicted on the cover of Zombies vs. Unicorns is a good illustration of what people seem to be looking for.

UNICORN: Yeah, and if you notice, we’re totally winning that fight.

ZOMBIE: Over our dead bodies.

UNICORN: All your bodies are dead, mush-for-brains.

ZOMBIE: Mmmmm, brains.

UNICORN: [holds up hooves in frustration] See what I’m dealing with?

MEDIATOR: The internet seems very fond of discussing who would win in a zombie/unicorn battle. But one question has been skipped over, and I want you two to think very hard about this for a minute. What purpose would zombies and unicorns have in actually fighting?

UNICORN: [whinnies in contemplation] Hmmmm…

ZOMBIE: [moans in meditation] Braaaaaainnnnns…

UNICORN: You know, I never even thought of that.

ZOMBIE: Me neither. I mean, first of all, we zombies are pretty shambly and not sentient so… I hate to say it, but unicorns would pretty much just kick our ass.

UNICORN: Except we do need to eat and sleep… and you guys would just… keep coming.

ZOMBIE: We do do that. Though the question is, why would we come after you?

UNICORN: Unless, of course, zombies fear that our magical healing properties could cure them of their zombie state. Wait, do zombies WANT a cure?

ZOMBIE: No, we pretty much just want to nom on the sweet, sweet flesh of humans. Non-zombie humans would be the only ones looking for a cure. Now that could really change things—especially if some evil pharmaceutical company like in Diana’s books harnessed unicorns to test out a cure.

UNICORN: [Shudders.] But they’d also be harnessing zombies to experiment on.

ZOMBIE: Yeah. We’d be prisoners together. So would non-zombie humans then turn the unicorns onto the zombies in order to prevent infection?

UNICORN: Since when is that our job? Humans don’t tell me what to do. As far as I can tell, humans are only interested in capturing and/or killing unicorns, and destroying unicorn habitat. We never did anything to them!

MEDIATOR: [starts twiddling her thumbs on the table]

UNICORN: I’m not seeing much of a downside for the zombies. We get imprisoned but no big deal to you. It sounds like the unicorns get the short end of the horn in that scenario. As per usual. I mean, “farting rainbows?” Who comes up with this crap?

ZOMBIE: Humans.

UNICORN: Darn humans.

ZOMBIE: But really, the losers there are the humans who get eaten either way – all that effort to experiment on you (if they even can, I hear you’re not so great with the captivity thing), and you don’t do what you’re told.

UNICORN: Yeah, we’re wild like that.

ZOMBIE: Though, question, would a virgin zombie be able to kill a unicorn?

UNICORN: Virgin zombies. I suppose so. But then, why would they bother?

ZOMBIE: Good point. This is all a question of motivation.

UNICORN: And it keeps leading us back to the same place.

[Both Zombie and Unicorn cast sideways glances at the Mediator, who looks increasingly nervous.]

UNICORN: [tapping hooves together on the tabletop] I think it’s rather damaging for us to keep defining ourselves in terms of the third party. It’s humans who have drummed up this whole supposed feud to start with.

ZOMBIE: They’re trying to get zombies and unicorns to fight for their own (human) protection!

UNICORN: [obviously carefully choosing phrasing] I know zombies feel more attached to humans, having been previously human…

ZOMBIE: That’s funny. I think zombies are more attached to humans for wanting to eat them.

UNICORN: Whereas we unicorns are more than happy to be human-avoidant. We’re pretty live and let live, you know, as a species goes. We like wild spaces, independence…

ZOMBIE: We like human brains.

UNICORN: I’m beginning to think this whole feud is not a natural one. Why should we be enemies?

MEDIATOR: Good point, Unicorn!

UNICORN: It’s not a natural thing, like with werewolves and vampires.

ZOMBIE: Right! This whole war was drummed up by humans. You know, “Get the two murderous monsters to fight each other.” It’s like those SyFy movies on Saturday afternoon: the only way to kill the mega bear and mega boar and save the humans is to have the mega animals fight to the death!

UNICORN: Absolutely! So it’s really the humans that are the problem. Grrrr…. trying to cover their own asses by making us reduce our own ranks.

MEDIATOR: Okay, guys, settle down…

UNICORN: Manipulative, destructive beings. That’s SOOOOO like them. I hope they all get zombified.

ZOMBIE: YUM! Though of course that makes one wonder what happens when the last human becomes zombie. Unicorns can prance off and enjoy life… zombies just… starve. Yuck. I don’t like the thought of starving.

[The Mediator starts slowly loading her shotgun underneath the table.]

UNICORN: Wait, do you starve?

ZOMBIE: Hmmm… no idea. Depends on your zombie mythos, I guess. In Carrie’s books, we’d all collapse into blissful nothingness.

UNICORN: I suppose, if the starving thing is an issue, that you have to learn to conserve your resources. You know how I feel about conservation.

ZOMBIE: Pffft – zombies can’t learn!

UNICORN: [rolls eyes] This is what comes of being derived from humans.

ZOMBIE: If only humans weren’t so tasty. It is difficult.

MEDIATOR: [lets out a nervous bark of laughter] Okay, I think we’ve followed this train of thought quite far enough for one day, huh, guys? I mean, I’m pleased that you two seem to be getting along so well, but, um… I think, maybe we should…

UNICORN: Clearly the zombies and unicorns have been duped into this war by those pesky pesky – [nods at Zombie] and tasty humans.

ZOMBIE: Yes. [Looks at Mediator] Tasty. Brains.

MEDIATOR: Guys…

UNICORN: It occurs to me that zombies, in general, would be better for the environment than humans. After all, you’re only interested in the consumption of humans, who are a huge overpopulation burden.

ZOMBIE: Braaaaaiiiiins.

UNICORN: Yo, Deadmeat, stay focused. Zombies are, when you think about it, a boon to the preservation of wild spaces and a decrease in the spread of the human menace, which only bring environmental destruction and deforestation. You have no interest in unpopulated areas, right?

ZOMBIE: No, we’d vastly prefer a city. More human meat. More chances to infect.

UNICORN: Precisely. And there would never be MORE zombies. We could halt the population explosion with a zombie apocalypse. You could even reduce it. I mean, what do you think your ratio of infected human to food humans would be?

ZOMBIE: Huh?

UNICORN: Never mind. Every little bit helps, after all. And I wouldn’t have to worry about humans hunting me anymore.

MEDIATOR: I think we’ve gotten waaaaaay off topic, here. The point of this meeting was to—

UNICORN: The point is, it doesn’t make sense that we’re fighting each other, does it? When it seems so obvious that we have a mutual enemy.

ZOMBIE: No, it doesn’t. [checks out unicorn’s more deadly attributes] That horn… pretty great for goring, huh?

UNICORN: Oh, yeah. The best.

ZOMBIE: I like gore. And goring. Look, I know you’re better at plans and strategies and stuff, but…

UNICORN: Way ahead of you, Deadmeat. [shoots glance at Mediator]

[The Mediator springs to her feet and levels her shotgun at the Unicorn.]

MEDIATOR: Not so fast, monsters. [She shoots her gun at the Unicorn. It goes way wide.]

UNICORN: Huh. Not a virgin, clearly. [The Unicorn knocks the gun from the Mediator’s hand as the Zombie shambles forward.] Stupid humans.

ZOMBIE: Braaaaiiiiiinnns.

[The Unicorn pushes the Mediator to the ground and pins her down with a hoof. The Zombie is now salivating.]

MEDIATOR: No!

UNICORN: Quite right. No! Zombie, wait! Follow the plan. You infect her, I gore her and then – boom.

ZOMBIE: Instazombie.

UNICORN: Right. Let the apocalypse start tonight.

ZOMBIE: But when can I nom delicious humans?

UNICORN: Later. Maybe you can start with Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier, for drumming up this whole feud.

ZOMBIE: Great idea. Except I hear Justine’s totally prepared for the apocalypse.

UNICORN: True. And I know for a fact that Holly has a secret bunker in her basement.

ZOMBIE: What about Carrie Ryan and Diana Peterfreund?

UNICORN: Don’t you think we should spare them? You know. For getting us in this room to chat things out?

MEDIATOR: [from floor] Or… me? Spare me!

[The Unicorn and the Zombie regard the mediator for a moment.]

UNICORN: Nah. Let’s spare no one.

ZOMBIE: I’m all for that! [Chomps down on Mediator’s arm. The Mediator screams.]

[The Unicorn regards the sign on the door: ZOMBIES VS. UNICORNS: PEACE IN OUR TIME]

UNICORN: Yes. Peace in our time. [The Unicorn gores the Mediator.]

MEDIATOR: Gurgle. Gurgle… Moooooooooaaaaaaaan.

END

About Carrie Ryan: Carrie Ryan is the New York Times bestselling author of two critically acclaimed novels set decades after the zombie apocalypse: The Forest of Hands and Teeth (Delacorte Press, 2009) and The Dead-Tossed Waves (Delacorte Press, 2010). The third in the trilogy, The Dark and Hollow Places, will be released in Spring 2011. Her first novel, The Forest of Hands and Teeth, was chosen as a Best Books for Young Adults by the American Library Association, a Best of the Best Books by the Chicago Public Library and a finalist in the Borders Original Voices program.

Born and raised in Greenville, South Carolina, Carrie is a graduate of Williams College and Duke University School of Law. A former litigator, she now writes full time. She lives with her writer/lawyer husband, two fat cats and one large puppy in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are not at all prepared for the zombie apocalypse.

You can read more about Carrie on her website or catch her on her blog.

About Diana Peterfreund: Diana Peterfreund has been a costume designer, a cover model, and a food critic. Her travels have taken her from the cloud forests of Costa Rica to the underground caverns of New Zealand (and as far as she’s concerned, she’s just getting started). Diana graduated from Yale University in 2001 with dual degrees in Literature and Geology, which her family claimed would only come in handy if she wrote books about rocks. Now, this Florida girl lives with her husband and their puppy in Washington D.C., and writes books that rock.

You can read more about Diana on her website or at her blog.

Thank you, Diana and Carrie!!

Make sure to stick around for our review of Zombies vs. Unicorns later today!

Title: Passing Strange

Author: Daniel Waters

Genre: Horror, Young Adult, Speculative Fiction

Publisher: Disney/Hyperion (US) / Simon & Schuster (UK)
Publication Date: June 2010 (US & UK)
Hardcover: 400 pages

Karen DeSonne is used to pretending to be something she’s not. All her life, she’s passed as a normal all-American teenager; with her friends, with her???? family, and at school. Passing cost her the love of her life. And now that Karen’s dead, she’s still passing – this time, as alive.

Meanwhile, Karen’s dead friends have been fingered in a high-profile murder, causing a new round of anti-zombie regulations that have forced nearly all of Oakvale’s undead into hiding. Karen soon learns that the “murder” was a hoax, staged by Pete Martinsburg and his bioist zealots. Obtaining enough evidence to expose the fraud and prove her friends’ innocence means doing the unthinkable: betraying her love by becoming Pete’s girlfriend. Karen’s only hope is that the enemy never realizes who she really is – because the consequences would be even worse than death.

Stand alone or series: Book 3 of the Generation Dead series

How did I get this book: Review copy from the UK Publisher

Why did I read this book: Author Daniel Waters is a Smuggler favorite – his Generation Dead series keeps getting better (I loved both Generation Dead and Kiss of Life), so when we were offered a copy of Passing Strange, it was a no brainer. No pun intended.

Review:

Passing Strange opens with a new perspective: Karen DeSonne. Beautiful. Confident. Zombie. In a departure from the dominant perspectives of Phoebe Kendall and Adam Layman, Karen’s story is every bit as haunting and beautiful as the prior two books. Ever since Generation Dead I have been intrigued by this beautiful, confident zombie – especially since we learned that she was a teen suicide, and suicides never come back. At least, they never did before Karen. But Karen is…different. Passing Strange is Karen’s story – about her feelings, her depression, the events leading to her suicide, and the hard months after she has come back as a teen zombie (as you might guess, relationships with her parents and sister, her mother especially, are strained). These revelations and insights to Karen’s character are well worth the two book wait – Mr. Waters handles Karen’s depression, suicide, and her relationships with the honesty and respect they deserve. Karen’s inner voice (before this book completely unheard) is beautifully detailed, spunky, and…well, so Karen.

While this is a character focused book, a revelations book, it also advances the overall series arc – tying up loose ends, especially where bigotry and opposition to the “differently biotic” are concerned, especially through the character of Pete Martinsburg. In Passing Strange, Karen decides to “pass” as human (with the aid of contact lenses, a little hair dye, and her almost-human fast reflexes) by holding a normal job at the mall. And, when she notices Pete Martinsburg (the bully that made hell of Tommy’s time on the football team, the same venomous bigot that killed Adam Layman, the same anti-zombie zealot suspected of framing the undead for numerous attacks and even deaths) checking her out – unbeknownst to him that she is in fact Karen and a zombie – she makes a decision. Karen has long suspected Pete and his meathead friends of impersonating the undead, framing them for the murder of a lawyer, and she sees a valuable opportunity. Under the fake name Christie, Karen begins to date Martinsburg – and what she discovers he has planned next is nothing short of terrifying. Karen must earn Pete’s trust and stop his next plan, but at great risk – for if Pete discovers Karen’s true identity, she will be re-terminated. Permanently. From a plotting perspective, there’s a lot going on with Passing Strange and I was pleased with the general progression of the story (and, as I mentioned above, with the change in point of view). While the plotting is a little on the melodramatic side, it is because of the strength of the characters that the novel – that the series, really – works. Karen, as mentioned before, is exquisite as a narrator, sounding very distinct from Phoebe, but ever as endearing as a heroine.

And then, the other two characters we learn a lot more about in this novel are Pete Martinsburg himself, and the fearsome zombie Takayuki – and both characters are extraordinary. Pete is a loathsome, vile excuse for a human being. His past actions and his vitriol in this book make him an easy character to hate – but I love that Mr. Waters gives him a depth, a certain understanding that even if it does not excuse his behavior, it explains how he has become the way he is. We’ve already heard about Pete’s lost love, Julie, in prior books, but in Passing Strange in his relationship with Karen/Christie, more of those layers are peeled back, and we see how broken Pete is, how misdirected his anger and impotence. I’ll never like Martinsburg, but I can understand him – and I think that was Daniel Waters’ point with this complicated character. The same goes for Karen’s friend, the troubled Takayuki. Misguided and angry in his own way, Tak and his band of followers deal with the continued survival of the zombies in the small Connecticut town – whatever the consequences. Tak’s revelation in this book isn’t entirely unexpected, but touching nonetheless. He’s a character I always felt a little wary and a little cold towards, but Passing Strange examines his feelings and reasons beautifully too.

One more thing – I love the parallels Mr. Waters draws here with Karen’s “passing” for a living teen. It is an intriguing concept, with obvious parallels – I’m thinking of “passing” in the racial sense. Karen’s narrative reminded me in some ways of Passing by Nella Larsen; although Karen’s decision to pose as a living teen has different motivations than Irene’s in that novel. Essentially, Mr. Waters’ series *is* a book about tolerance and injustice, suppressed rage and hope and fear and love, and these books, Passing Strange in particular, mimic a familiar history with Tommy spreading his message of equality and understanding, marching on Washington D.C., Karen passing for the living, taking a job, even fooling a boy. For this reason (along with Daniel Waters’ solid writing and complex characterizations), Generation Dead remains one of my favorite paranormal YA series’, and I cannot recommend it enough.

Notable Quotes/Parts: No official excerpt is up for the book, but you can check out author Daniel Waters’ blog, the UK Facebook page, and UK publisher page for more information about this awesome book.

Additional Thoughts: I mentioned Passing by Nella Larson above, and I do think it is an apt book to keep in mind when reading Mr. Waters’ work (his zombie metaphor is a solid one). Here’s the skinny on Passing:

Married to a successful physician and prominently ensconced in Harlem’s vibrant society of the 1920s, Irene Redfield leads a charmed existence-until she is shaken out of it by a chance encounter with a childhood friend. Clare Kendry has been “passing for white,” hiding her true identity from everyone, including her racist husband. Clare and her dangerous secret pose an increasingly powerful threat to Irene’s security, forcing both women to confront the hazards of public and private deception. An important figure in the Harlem Renaissance, Nella Larsen was the first African-American woman to be awarded a Guggenheim fellowship. Her fictional portraits of women seeking their identities through a fog of racial confusion were informed by her own Danish-West Indian parentage, and Passing offers fascinating psychological insights into issues of race and gender.

Rating: 8 – Excellent

Reading Next: East by Edith Pattou

Title: The Enemy

Author: Charlie Higson

Genre: Young Adult, Horror, Speculative Fiction

Publisher: Hyperion (US) / Puffin (UK)
Publication Date: May 2010 (US) / September 2009 (UK)
Hardcover: 448 Pages (US)

In the wake of a devastating disease, everyone older than sixteen is either dead or a decomposing, brainless creature with a ravenous appetite for flesh. Teens have barricaded themselves in buildings throughout London and venture outside only when they need to scavenge for food. The group of kids living at Waitrose supermarket is beginning to run out of options. When a mysterious traveler arrives and offers them safe haven at Buckingham Palace, they begin a harrowing journey across London. But their fight is far from over — the threat from within the palace is as real as the one outside it.

Full of unexpected twists and quick-thinking heroes, The Enemy is a fast-paced, whiteknuckle tale of survival in the face of unimaginable horror.

Stand alone or series: Ostensibly the first in a series (I hope!), but can be read as a stand alone novel.

How did I get this book: Review Copy from BEA (signed, too!)

Why did I read this book: Let’s do a brief breakdown, shall we? Post-Apocalypse – check. Young Adult – check. ZOMBIE ADULTS – check.

Seriously, this book has “Thea” written aaaaaall over its gorgeous black sided pages.

Review:

Following the outbreak of a deadly virus, anyone above the age of sixteen has either died, or turned into a maurading, flesh-hungry, mindless creature – that is, a zombie. These adults aren’t truly zombies as they aren’t technically dead, but like 28 Days Later or the recent film adaptation of I Am Legend, they share the same sort of…joie de le vivre. The children left behind, terrified and untouched by the strange affliction that has turned their parents, older siblings, teachers and neighbors into ravenous beasts, have banded together. Gravitating to the supermarkets that their parents shopped at, the kids group and fortify the stores, and The Enemy opens with one of these groups, the Waitrose kids. Even with the walls they have rigged up, the grownups remain a constant threat and the first chapter opens with a breach and the loss of Small Sam, taken by the “moms” and “dads.” Maxie, the second in command of the Waitrose kids, mourns the loss of the young Sam and anxiously awaits the return of leader Arran and his scavenging party. All is not well with Arran, however, as he and his crew come into a skirmish with adults, and Arran is bitten. Reunited at Waitrose, they children regroup and rest, but then fate comes calling.

An unknown teenage boy in a patchwork coat calls for help outside their walls, and when they let him in, he has quite a story to tell. Jester, as the boy says his name is, comes from a group of children fortified in – no joke – Buckingham Palace. He claims that they have supplies, established order, and have even begun to grow food. Jester’s role is to seek out new recruits to join the palace, and he implores the Waitrose kids to set out with him. And, after a brief debate, the group decides to strike out for the city center, leaving the stagnant halls of the supermarket behind. Following Jester’s lead, the Waitrose kids team up with the neighboring Morrisons kids (the other grocery in the area) and make their way to Buckingham Palace. But what they find along the way, and at the palace itself isn’t all sunshine and ponies. As the kids’ numbers dwindle and tensions between the Buckingham Palace kids and the newcomers grow, it becomes clear that even though the zombie-like adults are the enemy, there are far worse dangers and evils among supposed allies.

I immensely enjoyed The Enemy, from dramatic opening sequence to its gritty conclusion. The plotting is deft, alternating between two separate main storylines – one following Small Sam as he bravely flees his captors, the other following Maxie and the Waitrose/Morrisons kids as they journey to (and ultimately reach) Buckingham Palace. In many ways, Mr. Higson’s novel is similar to Michael Grant’s Gone books – there’s the same fast plotting and tight action, the same large cast of young characters (though focusing on a central few), the same unspeakable horror – both supernatural and very sadly human. The Enemy manages to be action-centric (with no shortage of gore and gristle) as well as driven by strong, sympathetic characters, and surprisingly thought-provoking all at the same time. As this is a “zombie” novel (well, sort of), there is a copious amount of gore and violence, as is the genre’s prerequisite, but like the best works in the zombie canon, Mr. Higson manages to go beyond simple shock factor and poses some intriguing questions about human nature. One of the things I love the most about the aforementioned Gone books and holds true for The Enemy too is the explication of human nature each book holds – which is even more resonating as these stories are told through the perspective of children. Fear, cruelty power hunger, and violence know no age limits after all, and it’s very interesting to see how these children behave in a world without parents. Well, with parents that are intent on eating them alive.

It also bodes mentioning that Charlie Higson has created a very well conceived world with his version of the apocalypse. Starting a book post-apocalypse (as The Enemy opens long after the initial outbreak) is an interesting choice, but also means that instead of focusing on the initial chaos, The Enemy can focus on the equally interesting aftermath. I loved the idea that these children would naturally gravitate to the stores at which their parents shopped, and how they all banded together along those dividing lines. The images of a decayed London, the diseased adults overwhelming the Underground, sleeping in Wembley Stadium, and children taking over Buckingham Palace, it’s all deliciously evocative stuff.

But the most impressive thing about The Enemy is the strength of its characters. Mr. Higson casts a wide net with his protagonists – and in true ensemble cast fashion (ahem, Lost), he’s not afraid to kill his characters. This is both awesomely realistic, but also heartbreaking at the same time. Many a character falls in this book, and after getting to know these children, it’s a hard thing to say goodbye to them so suddenly. But, that’s the zombie apocalypse (well, sort of) for you, right? There’s nothing more infuriating in a disaster movie than to see every single one of the hero characters survive – and I’m very impressed with Mr. Higson’s resolve in this book. As for the characters themselves, Maxie and Small Sam are the clear favorites – the former for her strong yet sympathetic nature as a leader, the latter for his six-year-old innocence and bravery. That’s not to say that all the characters are sweet, angelic heroes, however – just as with any large group, each character has their positives and negatives. There’s the ruthless fighter Achilleus, the slippery wily Jester, the calculatingly intelligent Ollie, juvenile delinquent Freak…it’s a good mix.

And best of all? The Enemy ends with hope – for the kids, and for us readers, as there is a ton of room for a sequel. I can only hope that Mr. Higson has book 2 underway.

Notable Quotes/Parts: From the official excerpt:

The glass doors of the swimming pool were cracked and so covered with dust on the inside that it was impossible to see anything through them. Deke hefted his sledgehammer and took a swing, aiming for a spot next to the handles. The glass exploded with a bang and fell out of the frame in sparkling nuggets.

‘Cool,’ said Freak.

‘Yes it is,’ said Deke, who loved destroying things. In the early days, just after the disaster had happened, and before he understood the dangers, Deke had wandered the streets in delight – breaking, burning, smashing – hardly able to believe that there was nobody around to stop him and that he could do whatever he wanted.

That crazy, joyous freedom had been cut short when he’d discovered that not all the adults had died. And those who had survived would treat you far worse than any parent, teacher or policeman if they ever caught you. A parent might have grounded you, a teacher might have kept you in after school and the police might have arrested you, but none of them would have tried to eat you, like the grown-ups who wandered the streets these days.

He still got a kick out of destroying things, though, when he got the chance, which was why he often volunteered to join a scavenging party.

He stood back from the shattered door to let Achilleus see inside.

Achilleus leant in and looked around.

‘We’ll need the torches.’

They all carried hand-powered LED dynamo torches that didn’t need batteries. They quickly fired them up by pumping the triggers that spun the flywheels inside. After thirty seconds the torches were charged enough to give a good three minutes of light.

They stepped into the entrance lobby and shone their beams across the dirty floor and walls. Ahead of them was the reception desk. To the right, past a turnstile and low barrier was a small seating area that opened out on to the pool.

A wide passage led the other way to the changing rooms.

The reception desk was covered with cobwebs and the faded, peeling posters on the walls were from a different world. They showed smiling, happy children and talked of health and fitness and community activities. There were a few animal trails in the dust and debris on the floor, but no sign of any recent human activity.

‘Vending machines used to be through there,’ said Freak, nodding towards the fixed tables and chairs in the seating area.

‘We’ll take a quick look,’ said Arran, and, without having to be told, Achilleus led the way. He climbed over the turnstile and dropped into a crouch on the other side, spear at the ready.

‘All clear.’

One by one the others followed, Ollie bringing up the rear, torch in one hand, slingshot in the other.

They walked cautiously forward. As they moved closer to the pool they noticed a smell. The choking, rotten stink of stagnant water.

‘Aw, who’s farted?’ said Deke, holding his nose. Freak sniggered, but nobody else laughed. The pair of them liked to joke around to keep the fear away, but the others had their own ways of dealing with their nerves.

Achilleus was tensed and alert, ready for action, almost willing a grown-up to jump out at him. Arran tried to stand tall and appear unafraid, imagining he was casting a protective shield around his little group. Ollie kept glancing back over his shoulder. He was so used to watching their rear that he almost found it easier walking backwards.

‘That is an evil smell,’ said Freak.

‘Keep it down,’ said Achilleus.

‘Come off it, Akkie,’ said Deke. ‘If there was anyone here I think they just might have heard that bloody big bang as I took out the door.’

‘Shut up so’s we can listen, Deke.’

‘OK, OK.’

They shone their torches around the seating area where the vending machines had once stood.

Nothing. Empty.

You can read the full excerpt online HERE.

Additional Thoughts: As I mentioned earlier, fans of The Enemy will certainly love the Gone books by Michael Grant – so far, comprised of Gone, Hunger, and Lies.

For more information about The Enemy, I highly recommend you check out the book’s website – loaded with goodies, including a zombie gallery and a way to zombify your own pictures. And of course, there’s the book trailer:

Verdict: Highly enjoyable, thought-provoking, and delightfully action (and guts) filled novel, The Enemy seizes you by the jugular and doesn’t ever let up. I hope there is more in the future for the kids of Waitrose – I’ll be first in line for the sequel.

Rating: 7 – Very Good, narrowly missing an 8 only because I *know* there is more to come from this series.

Reading Next: Go, Mutants! by Larry Doyle

“Inspirations and Influences” is a series of articles in which we invite authors to write guest posts talking about their…well, Inspirations and Influences. The cool thing is that the writers are given free reign so they can go wild and write about anything they want. It can be about their new book, series or about their career as a whole.

Today we have the lovely Mira Grant (also known as Seanan McGuire) over. Mira is the author of the brand spankin’ new Newsflesh trilogy; book 1, Feed was just released at the end of last month (you can check out Thea’s review HERE). To celebrate the release of Feed, we decided to invite Mira Grant to talk about her new book and her Inspirations and Influences.

Please give it up for Mira Grant!

Hi, Ana and Thea! Thank you so much for inviting me to do an Inspirations and Influences post for you. I’m really excited. And not just because I haven’t actually slept since December.

The question “where do you get your inspiration?” sort of drives me crazy, largely because my answer tends to drive everybody else crazy. I was literally once inspired to write a book by the combination of jetlag, a woman on the plane to London who was wearing a sweater the same color as mine, and trying to navigate the Tube system while I was so tired that my eyes were crossing. Another book—actually another series, but that’s another story—basically grew out of listening to a Counting Crows song while half-asleep and commuting.

Okay. So a lot of my ideas start with sleep deprivation. But today, I’m going to talk about the inspirations for the Newsflesh Trilogy, and for Feed in specific.

I love horror movies. The first movie I consciously remember watching was Alien. I was three. When I was eight, my cat got a burr in her eye. After a midnight trip to the emergency vet to have the burr removed—the cat was fine, in case you were worried—we returned to the house, and my mother let me watch The Blob on Channel 20 to calm down before I went to bed. (I did not go to school the next day.) This has basically wired my adult brain to follow certain logical paths. Never say “Be careful” or “I’ll be right back.” Never go outside to see what that noise was, because it wasn’t the wind. And never, never date a man named Johnny.

My passion for horror movies might just have resulted in my having a really weird DVD collection (which it did). Unfortunately for my mother’s sanity, I went and combined it with a highly analytical mind, and a tendency to pick things to pieces. Why did the monster want to eat people? How did the vampires decide who to convert into their undying companions, and who to treat as a Happy Meal with legs? If King Kong had been eating women for years, what was it about the blonde chick that really got to him? The list went on, and drove most of the adults around me crazy. Even after I became an adult, it kept driving most of the adults around me crazy, as they were forced to sit through my analysis of the horror movie of the week as I twisted it to start, well…making sense.

So I love horror. And I love things that make sense. That, more than anything, was the initial genesis of the Newsflesh Trilogy. What would it take to set up a classic horror movie apocalypse, and have it make sense? Real, solid, pick-it-apart sense? I started chewing on the question, and decided that the best apocalypse—where “best” is defined as “the most fun for me”—was the zombie apocalypse.

I love zombies. But I bet you guessed that part.

One of the most illogical things about your standard horror apocalypse is the way nobody in a horror movie has ever seen a horror movie. They hear the funny noise and they go running toward it. Their loved ones come shambling into the room with blood circling their mouths, and they hug, rather than aiming for the head. I know too many people with apocalypse plans and weapons in their closets to believe that things would go that bad, that fast. So what happens when you combine the apocalypse with a world that actually knows how to react? And how would those people share information in a fast, efficient manner?

Enter the Internet. Thanks to social media and the blogging community, a whisper is now capable of circling the globe in less time than it takes to shout. So say the Internet gets involved in the zombie apocalypse. How much difference will it really make? And what will the mainstream news media have to say about the things that are going on out there in the world? Probably nothing good.

So I started tinkering with my apocalypse. I spent, oh, about a year having a happy apocalypse party to which all my friends were invited, whether they wanted to be or not. It was the end of the world, and they knew it (many of them did not feel fine). And in the process of hashing out my apocalypse, I realized…I didn’t want to write that. It’s been done. By everybody. If you’re going to tell a zombie story, you’re going to tell the apocalypse. So screw it, I said. I’m not going to write the apocalypse.

I’m going to write what comes after.

The Newsflesh Trilogy is about the world as it exists twenty years after the dead rose, the Internet mobilized, and we managed to come out on the other side still kicking. Everything has changed. Everything. The whole structure of society has shifted, because the threat of the dead isn’t going away. The virus that caused the initial outbreak is still around, and everyone in the world is infected, making all of them quietly ticking time bombs just waiting to blow.

But that’s setting. That’s not story. Story arrived later, in my friend Michael’s kitchen. I was complaining—okay, whining—about the fact that I had this fantastic world and nothing to set there. He looked at me, and asked, “Well, have you considered writing about a Presidential campaign?”

I’m pretty sure he was just trying to shut me up. That doesn’t really matter, because the question had been asked, and the snowball was rolling down the hill, gathering speed as it went. Before dinner was over, I had a protagonist, Georgia Mason, named after George Romero—like half of her generation—with a serious yearning for the truth. I had her adopted brother, Shaun. Both of them were reporters, working in different facets of the Internet news media. And they were going to follow a man along the campaign trail, hoping for a crack at the truth.

Another friend of mine asked another question later in the process, this one about the way my zombies worked, and changed everything all over again. But that was two hundred pages in, and that’s another story.

When will you rise?

About the Author: Seanan McGuire is the good twin. Mira Grant is the evil twin. One of them is planning to destroy the world one day, but no one’s really quite sure which one it is, and nobody really wants to ask. When not plotting world domination or watching horror movies, Seanan writes semi-constantly, which explains how she’s completing three books a year. The lack of sleep probably helps with that, too. She studied folklore in school, and continues to study zombies and pandemic disease as a hobby. She sometimes claims to be the lost Disney Princess of Halloweentown. There’s a good chance that she’s right.

Seanan McGuire and Mira Grant live in the same body, and the body lives in Northern California, which has three seasons, Dry, Wet, and Actively On Fire. Feed is her third book, and the first published under the name Mira Grant.

Ana and Thea will now give things away. I appreciate this. They will not, however, give you a zombie army.

Sorry.

Thank you Mira/Seanan! And now, for the giveaway.

Giveaway Details:

We are giving away ONE copy of Feed to a lucky reader! Entry is simple – just leave a comment here telling us what your favorite apocalyptic horror book/film/tv show/comic is. The contest is open to residents of the US and Canada only, and will run until Saturday, May 8 at 11:59 PM (PST). Only ONE comment per person, please! Multiple comments WILL be disqualified. Good luck!

Title: Feed

Author: Mira Grant

Genre: Horror, Thriller, Zombies

Publisher: Orbit (US & UK)
Publication Date: April 2010 (US) / May 2010 (UK)
Paperback: 608 pages

EVERYONE HAS SOMEONE ON THE WALL

Shaun and Georgia are orphans of the Rising, the cataclysmic event which left the world reeling in the aftermath of the zombie uprising. Adopted by the Masons and raised in the strange world of the post-Rising media, they’ve spent their lives chasing the next big story, the one that will allow them to break into the big leagues once and for all. Now, in Senator Peter Ryman’s run for the Presidency of the United States, they’ve finally found it.

All they have to do is survive until the election.

In a world filled with the constant threat of both the living and the living dead, it will be all that Shaun and Georgia can do to keep themselves in one piece. Accompanied by the rest of their blogging team, Senator Ryman’s staff, and a whole lot of caffeine, they might succeed…or they might finally answer the big question of their post-Rising world: When will you rise?

Stand alone or series: Book 1 in the Newsflesh Trilogy

How did I get this book: Bought my copy (at the LA Times Festival of Books!)

Why did I read this book: It’s no surprise that I am a fan of Seanan McGuire’s – her October Daye series is one of my current favorites in the Urban Fantasy (sub)genre. SO, when I heard that the lovely Ms. McGuire would be writing an entirely new, totally different series – featuring politics, blogs and zombies – I was ecstatic. Writing under the name Mira Grant, Feed was as irresistible to me as brains are to zombies.

Review:

Kellis-Amberlee – such a pretty name for such a deadly, combined virus.

In the year 2014, a young girl, Amberlee, was cured of her terminal Leukemia. In the same year, one Dr. Kellis created a bold new rhinovirus strain that would cure the common cold. In an unfortunate confluence of events, the two viruses combined, creating an airborne hybrid that quickly replicated and swept across the face of the planet. Sickness was invariably cured – cancer and the sniffles became things of the past. But the new virus, Kellis-Amberlee, also had a peculiar side effect – namely, raising the dead. Those with weaker immune systems, those with direct, fluid contact with high quantities of the virus were the first to reanimate. The virus infected animals (with sufficiently large bodymass) and humans alike, causing a worldwide panic, and an all out war with the undead.

Twenty years later, Kellis-Amberlee is still humanity’s largest threat though it has been beaten back and contained through strict testing and regulatory procedures. In addition to wiping out a large portion of the population and reanimating the dead, KA also caused a shift in power. In the media, traditional outlets were sluggish to respond to “the rising,” bound by their myriad ties to governments and companies hesitant to give heed to crazy accounts. The new media – that is, news bloggers – were faster, more accurate, and helped inform the public how to defend itself in a time when defense and knowledge were sparse – and ever since the summer of the Rising of KA, bloggers have remained the highest rated source for the truth.

Feed follows Georgia “George” Mason (a by the book “newsie”), her foster brother Shaun Mason (a daredevil “Irwin”) and Georgette “Buffy” Mesonnier (a dreamy creative) – a team of successful, highly rated news bloggers who are selected to follow Republican Presidential candidate Senator Peter Ryman on his run for the highest office in the nation. As members of Ryman’s press corp, George and her team have the break of a lifetime. Their ratings skyrocket, and the ever-skeptical and pessimistic George finds herself believing in Senator Ryman’s message. But things are never so simple, and when the Senator’s campaign, his well-being, and his family come under brutal attack, George and her crew will stop at nothing to get to the bottom of the matter and to bring out the truth – even if it means their own lives are at risk.

After all, everyone is already infected with Kellis-Amberlee. It’s only a matter of time before it takes over each and every host on the planet.

When I started Feed, I was under the impression that it was more of a horror novel – which isn’t really true. Feed is more of a thriller – a political thriller, a medical thriller, all wrapped up in one delightful undead package. Instead of copious amounts of gore, flesh-eating, decapitation, etc, the dominant theme in Feed is that of uncovering truth, at any cost. It is undoubtedly a zombie novel, but it’s not a book about killing zombies. It has action in spades, but the true carnage is on the human – not the undead – level. It’s a horror novel, but the terror lies in the actions of human nature, much more so than the supernatural fear of the walking dead. Like the most memorable works in the zombie canon, Feed uses its zombies (those reanimated corpses teeming with Kellis-Amberlee) to examine humanity. And this, dear readers, is really goddamn cool.

More than anything else, I loved the amount of thought Ms. Grant put into writing this book. Feed is INCREDIBLY detailed; George’s world is fleshed out, from the genesis of the deadly pathogen to the constant vigilance required living with this airborne virus. Ms. Grant’s vision of a future American ravaged by KA is grimly complete. Nothing occurs in a vacuum in Feed, and rather than glossing over any details (or creating some stupid hokey explanation for the emergence of the virus *cough*28DaysLater*cough*), Ms. Grant uses George to fully explore all social, scientific and historical aspects of KA. The benefit of having such an intelligent and well-tuned in narrator is the fact that George knows everything that has happened and can explain it all. Historical context, the political game (i.e. tobacco companies’ unabashed rise to power since cigarettes no longer cause cancer), laws concerning animals…Ms. Grant covers it all. I loved the actual detail level of the disease itself, too – for example, mutations are present, and some characters like George suffer different forms of Kellis-Amberlee. In Geroge’s case, she suffers from retinal KA, rendering her pupils permanently dilated (meaning she cannot go anywhere without strong, filtered sunglasses to preserve her retinas; it also means that she cannot pass any retinal scan for KA, as her test results will always come out positive – think of it like living with a positive TB test).

I loved the idea that news bloggers would end up taking over traditional media outlets when the world falls apart (hey, as a blogger, this feels really cool). *As an aside, the whole ‘bloggers being the harbingers for the zombie apocalypse’ thing felt very reminiscent of Romero’s Diary of the Dead – which, while self-indulgent and not a very good movie, is an intriguing concept, and one I think Ms. Grant delivers on exceptionally well.* Plot-wise, Feed also shines. Though it’s pretty easy to guess, ultimately, who is behind the sabotage and attacks on Senator Ryman and the End of Times crew, the pacing is brisk, and the various clues/revelations flow unimpeded to a dramatic – shocking, heartbreaking! – conclusion.

I loved the characters, too – George, her foster brother Shaun and the (odd combination) tech-savant/poet Buffy make a wonderful team that balances each other out perfectly. Note their names too – George for Romero (and in my heart, the beloved George of my Nancy Drew days!), Shaun (of the Dead), and Buffy (the Vampire Slayer). Each balances the other, creating not only a winsome news team, but a cast that readers genuinely care about. I loved the close relationship between George and Shaun, even if it did feel a little bit weird at times (sharing a room together, voluntarily), but it makes sense given all they have been through together.

While there was a lot to love with Feed, one of its greatest strengths also was its greatest hinderance, in this reader’s opinion. Feed is very, very wordy. Very exposition-y. George is knowledgeable and explains everything in her inner narrative – there are literally pages and pages where heroine Geroge is relating details of her world, from Kellis-Amberlee, anecdotes about the Rising, political info, etc – and she does it all without really “talking” to anyone (i.e. this running narrative is completely, solely for the reader’s benefit and understanding). It is cool to see this kind of detail, but these passages could also be a bit wearying, not to mention unrealistic (no one, not even George, recalls all these details to themselves!). The level of detail is really, really awesome, but it comes at a price.

That said, this is a minor flaw in a solid book. I truly enjoyed Feed, and eagerly await the release of Deadline.

Notable Quotes/Parts: From Chapter 1:

Our story opens where countless stories have ended in the last twenty-six years: with an idiot—in this case, my brother Shaun—deciding it would be a good idea to go out and poke a zombie with a stick to see what happens. As if we didn’t already know what happens when you mess with a zombie: The zombie turns around and bites you, and you become the thing you poked. This isn’t a surprise. It hasn’t been a surprise for more than twenty years, and if you want to get technical, it wasn’t a surprise then.

When the infected first appeared—heralded by screams that the dead were rising and judgment day was at hand—they behaved just like the horror movies had been telling us for decades that they would behave. The only surprise was that this time, it was really happening.

There was no warning before the outbreaks began. One day, things were normal; the next, people who were supposedly dead were getting up and attacking anything that came into range. This was upsetting for everyone involved, except for the infected, who were past being upset about that sort of thing. The initial shock was followed by running and screaming, which eventually devolved into more infection and attacking, that being the way of things. So what do we have now, in this enlightened age twenty-six years after the Rising? We have idiots prodding zombies with sticks, which brings us full circle to my brother and why he probably won’t live a long and fulfilling life.

“Hey, George, check this out!” he shouted, giving the zombie another poke in the chest with his hockey stick. The zombie gave a low moan, swiping at him ineffectually. It had obviously been in a state of full viral amplification for some time and didn’t have the strength or physical dexterity left to knock the stick out of Shaun’s hands. I’ll give Shaun this much: He knows not to bother the fresh ones at close range. “We’re playing patty-cake!”

“Stop antagonizing the locals and get back on the bike,” I said, glaring from behind my sunglasses. His current buddy might be sick enough to be nearing its second, final death, but that didn’t mean there wasn’t a healthier pack roaming the area. Santa Cruz is zombie territory. You don’t go there unless you’re suicidal, stupid, or both. There are times when even I can’t guess which of those options applies to Shaun.

“Can’t talk right now! I’m busy making friends with the locals!”

“Shaun Phillip Mason, you get back on this bike right now, or I swear to God, I am going to drive away and leave you here.”

Shaun looked around, eyes bright with sudden interest as he planted the end of his hockey stick at the center of the zombie’s chest to keep it at a safe distance. “Really? You’d do that for me? Because ‘My Sister Abandoned Me in Zombie Country Without a Vehicle’ would make a great article.”

“A posthumous one, maybe,” I snapped. “Get back on the goddamn bike!”

“In a minute!” he said, laughing, and turned back toward his moaning friend.

In retrospect, that’s when everything started going wrong.

You can read the full excerpt online HERE.

Additional Thoughts: Speaking of awesome, check out the wicked cool website for Feed, courtesy of Orbit. The site has some truly great bonus material related to the book (campaign trail tidbits, Irwin info, etc). Check it out HERE.

Make sure to stop by later in the day as Mira Grant joins us for an Inspirations & Influences post!

Rating: 7 – Very Good, leaning towards an 8

Reading Next: In Her Name: First Contact by Michael Hicks

Title: The Affinity Bridge

Author: George Mann

Genre: Speculative Fiction, Steampunk

Publisher: Tor
Publication Date: July 2009
Hardcover: 334 pages

Welcome to the bizarre and dangerous world of Victorian London, a city teetering on the edge of revolution. Its people are ushering in a new era of technology, dazzled each day by unfamiliar inventions. Airships soar in the skies over the city, while ground trains rumble through the streets and clockwork automatons are programmed to carry out menial tasks in the offices of lawyers, policemen, and journalists.

But beneath this shiny veneer of progress lurks a sinister side.

Queen Victoria is kept alive by a primitive life-support system, while her agents, Sir Maurice Newbury and his delectable assistant Miss Veronica Hobbes, do battle with enemies of the crown, physical and supernatural. This time Newbury and Hobbes are called to investigate the wreckage of a crashed airship and its missing automaton pilot, while attempting to solve a string of strangulations attributed to a mysterious glowing policeman, and dealing with a zombie plague that is ravaging the slums of the capital.

Get ready to follow dazzling young writer George Mann to a London unlike any you’ve ever seen and into an adventure you will never forget.

Stand alone or series: Book 1 of the Newbury & Hobbes Investigation series

How did I get this book: Review Copy

Why did I read this book: When I first caught wind of this book from Tor.com (for their fantastic steampunk month a few months back), I knew I had to have it. Victorian setting, check. Intrepid male-female duo, solving mysterious supernatural phenomena, check. Steampunk, check. Plus, I’ve been hearing nothing but praise for editor-turned-fiction author George Mann (his Ghosts of Manhattan is high on my wishlist).

Review:

The year is 1901, in fair London, where we lay our scene. By virtue of a steam-powered life support system, Queen Victoria remains alive and on the throne. Mechanized taxi cabs and dirigibles are the norm, as are occult influences and dealings. Revenants – that is, brain-rotted, flesh-hungry corpses – roam the fog-shrouded streets of the city and a vengeful glowing policeman spectre prowls London by night, killing unsuspecting victims with his ghostly touch.

To whom does the Crown turn in such desperate times, where such diabolical acts can be committed?

The answer is simple: to the esteemed (and dashing) academic Sir Maurice Newbury and his lovely (and capable) assistant, Miss Veronica Hobbes. Sir Maurice, a gentleman and a scholar, works by day amongst the dusty stacks at the British Museum, with Veronica Hobbes as his dutiful, intelligent secretary. Their true calling, however, lies in investigations around London. Hot on the trail of the spectral Glowing Policeman murders, Newbury and Hobbes are summoned away to another site by the Queen herself – a dirigible has crashed, and everyone on board has been killed, incinerated…except for the pilot, who has strangely gone missing. The plot thickens when the duo learns that the pilot was in fact an automaton, one of the new mechanical men that have come to replace human pilots aboard Chapman and Villiers Air Transportation Services’ increasingly popular dirigibles. With dominant industrialists Chapman (heir and business man) and Villiers (mechanical genius, though quite possibly mad), ghostly apparitions, not-so-harmless automatons, and flesh-hungry revenants thrown into the mix, Newbury and Hobbes have their hands very full of an increasingly perilous mystery.

The Affinity Bridge marks the first adventure of this enterprising duo that is Maurice Newbury and Veronica Hobbes, and what an introduction it is! The Affinity Bridge is a genuinely fun book. Featuring fast-paced plotting that manages to nicely tie together three seemingly disparate mysteries together with one fell swoop, Mr. Mann writes with deft sure-handedness, making for a light, highly enjoyable read. So far as steampunk goes, Mr. Mann has the aesthetic down pat – The Affinity Bridge is set in Victorian London (well, Victorian, thanks to the fact that the Queen is still alive by artificial means), complete with mechanized taxi cabs, berserk automatons, and equipped with the quintessential icon of Victoriana SF – the Dirigible. There’s also a sort-of supernatural, occult element to the story, which adds a nice spin to an otherwise very traditional world. In addition to the aforementioned revenants (those afflicted with the zombie plague), the book opens with a seance, and over the course of the novel it becomes clear that Sir Maurice himself entertains – even dabbles in – the dark arts. Though this isn’t the main focus of the novel, it is most certainly an intriguing plot seed for future books in the series. (On another note, I have to say that I am quite enjoying this popular crossover with steampunk and zombies. I especially loved how the revenants fit in to the overall mystery by the end of the book…but I won’t spoil that for you.)

So far as the rest of the setting goes, Mr. Mann’s turn of the century London feels pretty spot on with only a few exceptions. Most notably, the gender roles felt a trifle off, especially in the case of the charming Miss Veronica Hobbes. Veronica is a young, high ranking gentleman’s secretary – but she’s also the daughter of a genteel, well-to-do family. She’s fairly young and attractive, and from what I can tell from the book, Veronica is not in “spinster” territory. And yet, she’s living on her own (with neither parents nor chaperone), off the meager means she makes as a secretary? It doesn’t quite add up – but that’s a very minor niggling criticism, overall. Otherwise, the social mores seem right on point – down to the Gentlemen’s Clubs and manners of dress – and the details are all are very fun.

Then, there are the characters. I loved the dynamic duo that is Maurice Newbury and Veronica Hobbes – Sir Maurice is the laid-back intellectual (who isn’t afraid to throw himself into the fray and get his hands dirty) with his own personal demons, while Veronica is a strong (figuratively and literally) sidekick. There’s also a delightful attraction between the two characters, which always makes for good fun. While Maurice’s cheerfulness is delightful, the true standout character of the novel, for me, was Veronica. I loved the interludes between her and her institutionalized sister (another tantalizing plot seed for future novels), and I loved how Maurice and everyone else tended to admire her but still underestimate her. She’s very much a woman of her time period (read, she’s not annoyingly glib or incongruously modern or badass), but she shows her mettle – and I totally dig that. There are echoes of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson here (if Watson were an attractive young lady), smatterings of the formidable Amelia Peabody and Emerson Radcliffe from Elizabeth Peters’ truly excellent Amelia Peabody books. And, oh yeah, it feels similarly entertaining in the manner of Gail Carriger’s Soulless (which was released last year) – but I infinitely prefer Mr. Mann’s novel to Ms. Carriger’s intimation of supernatural “steampunk” (while The Affinity Bridge definitely counts as steampunk, Ms. Carriger’s novel falls much more into the gaslamp category).

The only criticisms I have for The Affinity Bridge lay with its inherent lightness – it’s not exactly a deep book that challenges the constraints of society. But then again, it’s not meant to be. The characters are a tad undercooked, the mystery was a tad predictable – but that said, I’m looking at this as an optimist. There’s plenty of room for growth – and with George Mann’s skill as a storyteller in this well-realized steampunk setting, I have no doubts the series will keep getting better.

BUT IS IT STEAMPUNK?! Yep, yep, yep. It most certainly is, in the most traditional sense of the subgenre. It’s set in Victorian London with steampowered machinery galore – and this technology plays a central role to the plot. Hence, it is Steampunk (not Gaslamp), and a pretty gosh darn fun one at that.

Notable Quotes/Parts: You can read a full preview of the book online HERE.

Additional Thoughts: For those readers bummed out about the hardcover prices for books, you’ll be ecstatic to hear that The Affinity Bridge will be available from Tor Books in trade paperback format (4/27/2010)!

Furthermore, fans of Newbury and Hobbes need not wait long for the next mystery! Book two, titled The Osiris Ritual, will be out in August of this year.

Death stalks London and the newspapers proclaim that a mummy’s curse has been unleashed. Sir Maurice Newbury, gentleman investigator for the crown, is drawn into a web of occult intrigue as he attempts to solve the murders. And he soon finds himself on the trail of a rogue agent – a man who died to be reborn as a living weapon.

Meanwhile, Newbury’s able assistant, Miss Veronica Hobbes, has her own mystery to unravel. Young women are going missing from a magician’s theatre show. But what appears to be a straightforward investigation puts Miss Hobbes in mortal danger.

Can Newbury save his assistant, solve the riddle of the mummy’s curse, capture the deadly man-machine and stop the terrifying Osiris Ritual from reaching its infernal culmination?

For more about George Mann, make sure to check out his website HERE – you can also read some Newbury and Hobbes short stories for free online HERE.

Verdict: A solidly enjoyable romp through a steam-powered Victorian London, The Affinity Bridge blends action-filled mystery with a winsome, intrepid pair of protagonists. Definitely recommended (especially to those looking to ease into steampunk without feeling hopelessly overwhelmed!).

Rating: 7 – Very Good

Reading Next: Girl Genius by Phil and Kaja Foglio

Today marks the second stop on the official Blog Tour for author Carrie Ryan’s newest release, The Dead-Tossed Waves – book 2 in her planned trilogy documenting a world ravaged by the zombie apocalypse. You can check out the first stop on the tour over atCynsations and her interview with Carrie yesterday.

Poignant. Memorable. Heartbreaking. These are words that describe Carrie Ryan’s work – and The Dead-Tossed Waves is no exception.

We are proud to have the incredibly talented Carrie Ryan over for a chat about her book, and to talk about her own favorite zombie books/comics/movies. Without further ado, we give you the awesome Carrie!

The Book Smugglers: Ever since delighting and terrifying mainstream audiences vis-a-vis George A. Romero’s NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, zombies have been an iconic “monster” in popular culture. Some authors and films use zombies for the obvious schlock, horror and gore…but some authors, like yourself, use the zombie story as an insightful critique of human nature. To you, what does the zombie represent? Why do you write about humans living in a zombie-plagued world?

Carrie: Wow, great question! I think the zombie can represent so many things: the inevitable and inescapable march of death, fear of the future, nihilism, uncertainty about the world. In my stories I think the zombie often represents existence for existence sake — the idea of plodding through time for no other reason than to occupy space. This is something that I think we all wonder about at some point — the idea of why am I here, what do I contribute to those around me, what will I do with my life?

As for why I write about humans in a zombie-plagued world, I think I’ve just always been fascinated by the idea of survival and the extremes people will go through to stay alive. I’ve always been fascinated by books like Hatchet or movies like Alive. The zombie apocalypse is something that the world wouldn’t recover from quickly and I really enjoy pondering the question of what you do when everything you’ve ever known so radically changes?

The Book Smugglers: There are some striking themes in THE FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH and THE DEAD-TOSSED WAVES – the loss (and restriction) of knowledge, fear of the known and unknown, and in the midst of this oppressing fear, love and the will to survive. Instead of overwhelming bleakness (i.e. Cormac McCarthy’s THE ROAD and other post-apocalyptic novels), there is the light of hope in your books – can you tell us why you choose this path for your stories? Are you an optimist?

Carrie: I’m glad you see the hope in my stories because to me it’s definitely there! I think that since the dawn of time people have had to struggle to survive and carve out a place in the world but even in the most daunting of circumstances, they find time for love, friendship, companionship. To me this is what life is about — it’s sort of the phrase you always hear that life isn’t about the destination but the journey. My characters could focus only on getting through the life they’ve been given or they can choose to take advantage of the calm moments.

I like to think of myself as an optimist though I think I have an uncanny knack for coming up with the worst-case scenarios (which served me well as a lawyer).

The Book Smugglers: Another resonant image in both of your books is that of fences and barriers. These enclosures keep inhabitants safe from The Unconsecrated/Mudo, but simultaneously imprison them – not only are the walls obstacles, but their fear and lack of knowledge shackles them too. Do you think these barriers are more harmful than helpful? If you were faced with the decision to stay safe behind the fences or risk the outside world, what would you choose?

Carrie: I definitely think the lack of knowledge is more harmful than helpful — I think that it’s hard to ask someone to make a decision about their life without giving them all the tools they need to make that decision, including all relevant information. At the same time, I think Sister Tabitha withheld knowledge purely out of love (you learn a lot more about her in my short story Hare Moon coming this summer in the Kiss My Deadly anthology edited by Trisha Telep).

To use another quote I had in my “quote journal” growing up: “a ship in harbor is safe, but that’s not why ships are built” (William Shedd). This is how I see Gabry in The Dead-Tossed Waves. I think it’s easy to want to stick with the status quo and avoid scary/hard to take risks. I remember the first time I had to go to court and I was terrified. My initial reaction was to say no but if I wanted to learn, I had to overcome the fear (yes, my fly was down when I stood up in front of the judge so I figured it could only get better from there).

That’s a great question, what would I choose? I think there are a lot of people who live very happy and fulfilled lives in my books — people content in Mary’s village and in Gabry’s town and so I don’t think they made bad choices for wanting to stay behind their barriers. At the same time, I know Mary would never be content to stay safe and Gabry made her decisions out of fear which constantly held her back. I’d like to think that I don’t make decisions out of fear, but that I’m also not reckless — that I appreciate what I have.

The Book Smugglers: Why did you decide to write Young Adult novels, as opposed to any other genre or category?

Carrie: When I was in high school I read about a romance author who said she sat down to write after reading a book and thinking “I can do that!” Reading those words I thought to myself “if she can do that, I can too!” And I think that because I was reading romance at the time I always assumed I’d write romance when I grew up. For a couple of years after college I did write romance and then after law school when I dedicated myself to writing again I realized that what really inspired me were young adult books. These are the books that taught me to love reading, to escape in other worlds and kept me up late speed reading to the end. The idea that I could join those ranks was just too tempting for me to give up!

I also really love that young adult books are all shelved in one mass — you can combine romance and sci fi and fantasy and horror and anything else and not worry about where you’ll get shelved in the bookstore.

The Book Smugglers: What books do you recommend for readers, ravenous for more books like yours after they have devoured THE FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH and THE DEAD-TOSSED WAVES?

Carrie: Anyone interested in the zombie apocalypse would probably enjoy World War Z by Max Brooks. For tense dystopia I’d recommend The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. For action Diana Peterfreund’s Rampant and for romance Graceling by Kristin Cashore and The Season by Sarah MacLean.

And now, for Carrie’s Favorite Zombie/Post-Apocalypse/Dystopia Books/Comics/Movies!

1. World War Z. Max Brooks is just a genius with this book — not only does he go through the zombie apocalypse step by step but he creates a huge cast of very distinct voices and stories along the way. Utterly absorbing.

2. Dawn of the Dead. I know most people hate the remake, but it will always have a place in my heart as the movie that started it all.

3. Night of the Living Dead. George Romero’s movie that really created the modern zombie (though they weren’t called zombies in the film). I actually really hated this movie the first time I saw it because I was so frustrated at the characters inability to get it together to survive. But then I heard Romero talk about the point of the movie which was society’s inability ot get their act together to solve really big issues in the world like poverty, hunger, war, etc. This made me love the movie.

4. Shawn of the Dead. This zombie flick perfectly nails the kitch humor of zombies and then the utter pathos and despaire that can come along with it. I don’t think I’ve laughed as hard at a movie or been more moved.

5. The Walking Dead. Robert Kirkman notes that his goal with this graphic novel series is that it has no end — there’s not set story arc but instead he just wanted to explore what happens to people constantly trying to survive after a zombie apocalypse.

6. Left 4 Dead (1 and 2). Brilliant video game with lots of zombie killing.

7. Zombie Fluxx is a fun little card game where the rules are constantly changing. And one rule is that every time you draw a zombie card you have to groan like a zombie – best rule ever!

8. 28 Days Later. Sure some zombie purists don’t count this as a zombie flick, but these fast zombies are utterly terrifying.

Born and raised in Greenville, South Carolina, Carrie Ryan is a graduate of Williams College and Duke University School of Law. A former litigator, she now writes full time. She lives with her writer/lawyer fiancé, two fat cats and one large puppy in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are not at all prepared for the zombie apocalypse.

You can read more about Carrie on her website HERE, or her blog HERE.

A huge thank you to Carrie Ryan! And make sure to check out the next stop on The Dead-Tossed Waves blog tour! Tomorrow, she’s at MTVNews.com’s “Hollywood Crush”.