Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry

Are you looking a little bit of gore, a whole lot of heart, some teenage boy humor, and a few kick-ass females?  Even if you think you couldn't get into a zombie novel, Rot & Ruin might just be for you.

Benny doesn't want to get into the family business basically because he doesn't want to work with (and especially not for) his older brother Tom.  Sure Benny wants to kill zoms, but there are much cooler Bounty Hunters in Mountainside to look up to than Tom.  He doesn't understand why others seem to respect Tom; Benny remembers him as a coward, taking Benny as a baby and running from his parents rather than trying to save Mom from a sure death.  But not everything is black and white in this time after First Night, and Benny just might have to learn the hard way.  There are no rules, and what happens out in the Ruin, stays in the Ruin.

This novel has a great beginning, which will help to carry the reader though the melodramatic B-movie moments through some predictable twists and turns, alongside a few surprises.  Recommended to those who don't always need high-quality classic literature, but prefer to mix some pure entertainment into their reading lists.

The sequel, Dust & Decay, is due out later this month! 

Reviewed by kate the librarian.

Zombies vs. Unicorns edited by Holly Black & Justine Larbalestier

Justine and Holly, the editors of this anthology, are engaged in a heated, friendly argument about which is cooler: zombies or unicorns?  Justine is all about zombies; they are obviously much, much cooler.  But Holly insists that beneath their glittery charm, unicorns are just as dangerous and unrelentingly cool as some people think zombies are.  In between each short story -- a collection of titles by authors like Scott Westerfeld, Meg Cabot, Libba Bray, and Garth Nix -- Justine and Holly add their own snark to the mix, each making a case for their team.  It's up to you in the end, based on the material as it's presented to you, to choose which side you're on. 

Like most anthologies, there is a mix of quality on these pages, but in this case it's really a matter of good vs. great.  (I listened to the audio version and love Justine's Australian accent.  I definitely turned out to be on Team Zombie, and my favorite story was one about some special little kids . . .)

Reviewed by kate the librarian.

With a promo by John Green. :) www.youtube.com/watch?v=avhOcKHWb-Y

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

Mary has always and forever wondered what is past the fence, beyond the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Does the ocean exist, like in her mother's stories from before the Return? Are there really buildings that touch the sky? Or has everything been destroyed in the wake of the Return?

The fence protects the village by holding the Unconsecrated at bay, confining them to the Forest of Hands and Teeth. The Guardians and the Sisters protect the village by maintaining the fence, keeping watch over the Unconsecrated, and ensuring that families survive and new generations are created. Mary feels responsible for protecting her mother, who has not been the same since Mary's father fell to the Unconsecrated. When it comes time for Mary to decide whether to kill her mother or allow her to Return, she gives her the freedom to return to her love and live in the Forest. When the fence is breached and the Unconsecrated are uncontrollable, who will protect Mary?

This is more than a story about zombies; this is a story of the unbelievable strength of one teenage girl's dreams -- her dream of the ocean, of love, and of the future. She grows emotionally and spiritually in the time it takes her to journey from the village to the end of the Forest, and she gains a great love, and suffers more loss than she could have ever imagined. Recommended for readers who like traveling adventures, love stories, or rampant zombies murder scenes. There's nothing too graphic here, but pretty horrific all the same. This is an emotionally powerful story that creeps up on the reader without notice.
Call number: YA RYAN (Teen Room)

Reviewed by kate the librarian

Book Club - MAY - Generation Dead by Daniel Waters

All over the country, a strange phenomenon is occurring. Some teenagers who die aren't staying dead. Termed "living impaired" or "differently biotic," they are doing their best to fit into a society that doesn't want them. Fitting in is hard enough when you don't have the look or attitude, but when almost everyone else is alive and you're not, it's close to impossible. With her pale skin and goth wardrobe, Phoebe has never run with the popular crowd. But on one can believe it when she falls for Tommy Williams, the leader of the dead kids. Not her best friend, Margi, whose fear of the differently biotic is deeply rooted in guilt over the past. And especially not her neighbor, Adam, the star of the football team. Recently, Adam has realized that his feelings for Phoebe run much deeper than just friendship. He would do anything for her; but what if protecting Tommy is the one thing that would make her happy? (http://www.hyperionbooksforchildren.com/)

Ø Were there things you wanted to know that the author didn’t tell you?

Ø What makes a zombie different from a living person?

Ø Do zombies have souls? In the same way as living beings?

Ø What kind of groups of people might these zombies represent? (Minorities in a white school, the special ed students who get teased at lunch time, teens involved in mixed relationships, or just the strange kid in the seat next to you, the one who wears all black and hates going to football games.)

Ø Why do zombies have different rights than others, or no rights at all? What do you think about this? What kind of rights do you think they should have, if any?

Ø What do you think are the medical reasons that some teens are coming back to “life.”

Ø What kinds of things do you think might be going on behind the doors of the laboratories at the Hunter Foundation for the Advancement of Differently Biotic Persons?

Ø What are some ways to get involved in society reform or political activism? How can one reach out to a group that doesn’t seem to be listening? Is there any point in “preaching to the choir”?

Ø Tommy’s blog is still active (www.mysocalledundeath.com). What do you think about using modern technology and resources to extend a story beyond its “natural” life within a book’s pages.

Ø What do you think would happen in a sequel? Would you read it?


For food, I'm thinking gummy worms... maybe some fruit from Karen's lunch... or some after school snacks in honor of Phoebe & Margi (maybe something coffee-flavored?)...