Dang. I did NOT want to get hooked into another YA series right now. I knew this was the first in a series, but I thought that it would be just another gore-fest that I could listen to quickly then move right on to a stand alone novel. I should have known better.
Having not read any of Darren Shan's books before, I don't know if insanely high cliff hangers are his M.O., but he certainly left me teetering on the edge at the end of Zom-B.
I liked that there were other issues at play in the novel as well, specifically some serious issues involving racism, making this more than just another zombie-eat-world novel. Also, B's character is really well fleshed out (sorry).
I can't say much more without giving away a totally shocking plot twist in the novel. Well, shocking for me at least.
Fun and fast-paced- I'm hooked!

Not too bad. I really liked the ending. Wasn't expecting it.
Lots of other readers complained about there not being a lot of zombies. Um...how many zombies did the book need? There were plenty of decaying, flesh and brain eaters for me. Will probably read the next one in the series, but don't know how many others.

Review:

Spoiler free!

This is the first Darren Shan novel that I have read (I have read some graphic novel adaptations previously), and despite some reservations, I enjoyed it very much. ZOM-B kept me happily entertained on a flight to OKC; it’s a fast read, with blistering action and compulsively readable prose. I gobbled this up in just a few hours, and was disappointed when I reached the last page, because this one comes to a painful, screeching halt. It has no ending, just one of those annoying To Be Continued on the last page. While I now feel invested in the series and will be on board for the next volume, I worry that the next book won’t work for me as well. This one hit at the right time; with Halloween looming, I was in the mood for something scary, and being trapped on a plane for was few hours, I needed something to occupy my time and keep me from wallowing in boredom. ZOM-B did that; in spades. I don’t know if I will feel the same way, or have the right circumstances, when ZOM-B Underground hits stores February of next year.

B is a high school student, and after hearing reports of a zombie invasion in an Irish town, B’s father laughs the news off as a hoax. When B’s mother voices her concern, her husband reacts violently, silencing her fears. B isn’t sure what’s going on, but if the videos and the pictures of rotting dead people viciously attacking and eating helpless people is true, B doesn’t know what to do. When the zombies show up at school, chaos erupts. Only those brave enough, and willing to do anything to survive, will live through the massacre. Will B make it out of school alive?

B is a hard character to like. After years of trying to fend off his father’s abusive attacks, both on B and on B’s mother, B is exhausted. Playing along with his father’s racially biased views in order to avoid beatings, B comes across as just as bigoted and narrow-minded as his dad. While he tries to deny his prejudice, because, hey, he has a black friend, it’s hard to ignore the things B says and does. The intolerance towards other cultures is a strong theme in the book, but it is so heavy-handed that at times it didn’t work for me. It grated on my nerves. Yes, B’s dad is a bully and a jerk, but I didn’t need to be reminded of that every other page.

B has a lot to deal with at home as his father’s temper often flares out of control. When news of a zombie plague hits the news, everyone laughs it off as an elaborate joke. When B’s worst nightmare comes true and the zombies overrun school, it seems as though the world is ending. Only quick thinking and brutal reactions keep B and a small handful of students alive. The zombies are relentless, and B’s little group is shrinking fast. One after another is picked off and eaten by the ravenous zombies. Soon, it’s everyone for themselves. While the small group is forced to work together, it is painfully obvious that the peace will only hold as long as it is mutually beneficial. If tossing a student or two to the zombie mob will buy the more ruthless survivors a reprieve from a painful death, so be it. The group dynamics were always shifting, which made the read even more suspenseful, because you never knew when someone would be sacrificed or eaten by the zombies.

This is a fun, fast, gory read, right up until that dreaded, hated, To Be Continued. I like a little more closure to my books, but as this is the first in a projected 12 book series, I guess I need to get used to running into a lot of brick walls.

Grade: B/B-

Another fantastic book from Darren Shan. I will say if you have problems reading about violence, physical abuse or racists then this isn't the book for you, try a different Shan book :)
Shan gave a great insight into how racism can be passed down through the generations and how difficult it can be as a child to challenge the view of a parent, especially if that parent is a violent individual.
The zombies really only came into play at the end of this novel which gave plenty of time for setting up the main characters.
Can't wait to dive into the next book.

To see my review for this book, go here.
http://yafturtles.blogspot.com/2013/08/zom-b-by-darren-shan-jenea.html

Zom-B is another zombie apocalypse novel. The zombies first strike in Ireland, but this story occurs in a school in London. The majority of the novel occurs in the days leading up to the attack.

Since this novel is set in England, the names of the characters were very confusing for me. I had a hard time distinguishing the male characters from the female characters.

There was a lot of open racism and child abuse in the novel. At first, I had no idea why these themes were so prominent. Having finished the novel, I am still not sure I see the point. I think that Darren Shan was trying to make some profound point but he missed the mark.

I despised the ending. Supposedly this book is "to be continued," but I do not see how this will be possible.

I read another book by Darren Shan and I absolutely loved it. However, I do not share the same feelings with this book. I will not be reading the rest of the Zom-B series.

Love the narrator for this book!!

Wtf was that ending?