Originally posted at Hooked on Books

The entire time I was reading this book all I could think was one thing. And I know some people with disagree with me, but this is honestly 100% how I feel about this book in one sentence: This book is American History X with zombies.

This book has all the blood and guts and violence of your traditional zombie novel. There's multiple deaths (and re-deaths), there's some scare the pants off you twists and of course, there are some incredibly gruesome images put forth. For those who like The Walking Dead and similar stories, this will be right up your alley. As much as I love all the new spins authors are putting on zombie tales, it was nice to see something straightforward and horrifying again.

But what makes Zom-B really stand out is the way it approaches racism. Our protagonist (or antagonist depending how you look at it), B, is a racist. At times you are really not going to like B and there are some cringe worthy scenes. I can't lie, there were some moments that made me down right uncomfortable. But much like American History X, Darren Shan makes sure you know, that nothing in B's situation is plain and simple. There's the issue of the father and the environment he has created for his family. I was incredibly impressed with the amount of questions Darren Shan raised about nature vs. nurture and the power of change/choice.

Ever since I finished this book I haven't been able to get it out of my head. Zom-B was definitely not what I expected but it has given me a lot to think about. I think it stands pretty strongly by itself, but it will be continuing as a series in 2013 and I am interested to find out what themes Darren Shan will touch upon next.

Recommendation: A gory and horrifying zombie story, that ends up being much deeper than you would have anticipated. Be prepared for a difficult read - but know that it is worth it.

I chose to read this as I remembered reading books written by this author when I was younger. Most of the story is set before the outbreak really hits and is a bit dull, but it really picks up towards the end. Seems to be aimed at young adults going on the writing style and illustrations. I strongly disliked the main character throughout.
I'm tempted to read the next one because it did improve in the final third. I feel like it deserves another chance.

Rating 3 - 3.5 out of 5 stars.
The zombie parts were really exciting and cool, but there was a LOT of filler and even though this is a very short book, I feel like some of the waffle could have been left out to make room for more action.

See the full review on Short & Sweet Reviews.

So as you may have guessed already, I am a sucker for anything weird and creepy, and anything involving zombies. The social commentary around racism was just an added bonus, as I love anything that tries to tackle those kinds of issues in a way that gets younger readers thinking about them.

B is an interesting character, raised by an abusive, racist father and a mother who's often on the receiving end of that abuse. B tries to intervene whenever there's physical abuse, but doesn't seem to have many problems going along with dad's racist tirades, just to keep in dad's good graces. Since the book is from B's perspective, we get to see first-hand someone trying to come to terms with the fact that what your parents teach you isn't always right.

The writing level in this book seemed sort of low, almost like it was a middle grade book, if not for all the gore and zombie violence. I'm guessing it seemed like an easier read because it was written in first person from B's perspective, so we get a lot of rambling thoughts and lists of every single person who is in a room, etc. It did make for a quick read, even if the language did feel a bit stilted from time to time. Something also happens at the end which is a bit of a shocker -- like a genuine, did-not-see-it-coming shocker -- but it also comes with a complete personality transplant for one of the characters which made all of the previous build-up and character development feel cheap and, honestly, kind of sexist. I can't really say much more without spoiling it, but if anyone else reads this book and feels the same, I'd love to talk about it!

There are a lot of great ideas in Zom-B, including how people react to sporadic zombie outbreaks -- are they conspiracies? Lies? Real life? Who knows. Unfortunately, it doesn't always feel like the great ideas live up to their real potential. Characters die and you don't even feel bad because you never got a chance to know any of them or get invested in them as people. Many of the interesting scenes in Zom-B -- particularly the opening pages and one briefly recurring character who B nicknames the Owl Man -- don't quite pay off in the way I'd hoped. Zom-B is the start of a series, so I'm guessing those are the sorts of scenes which are going to tie the rest of the books together. Even though Zom-B wasn't a perfect book, it was short and a fast enough read that I'd be interested in checking out the rest of the books to see what kind of twist Shan and company give to the zombie genre.

Definitely need to like zombies but also be ready to deal with the real theme of the book, racism.

Didn't really give me the thrilling scare I expected. I wanted to flip the pages fast for excitement, not for the hopes of the book ending: I have unanswered questions that push me for the next in the series..but am unsure if I want to see it through.

Holy unexpected plot twists, Batman! I read an ARC of Zom-B, and the first page of the book is a note from Darren Shan, encouraging reviewers to be very careful not to spoil any surprises when reviewing the book. So, this review probably won’t be as “complete” as others I would write, for that reason. I won’t spoil anything, because that would ruin the entire reading experience.

The main character, B, is tough-as-nails and not afraid to pick a fight to save face. B has to be tough, growing up with an abusive racist for a dad and a mom who takes the abuse without complaint. B tries hard to shield her from the violence, but that usually ends up with them both being beaten. The whole town think it’s a huge joke when the news starts reporting zombie outbreaks in nearby towns, and nobody takes it seriously. All of the students are shocked when the threat turns out not only to be real, but actually shows up at their school.

It took a while for the actual zombie action to start (aside from a little bit in the beginning). There was a lot of backstory about B’s family and friends. We learned how B met them all, how they got their nicknames, how they all get along… It got to be a bit too much for me. I kept thinking, “Let’s get on with the action already!” But once it did, it was fast paced and exciting. The book is short and really zipped along; I read it in only a few hours. There was a lot of chasing and hiding, gore and ickiness and bravery and cowardice.

And now, on to the plot twists: there were 3 that I consider major. The first surprise showed up in the beginning, right when I’d gotten into the groove of the book and thought I knew what to expect. The second was a shocker and made me stop to consider everything I’d read so far in a new light. And the ending-I did not see that coming! Every time I got comfortable, Darren Shan surprised me. That’s a great thing to be able to say, especially in a genre that sometimes feels like it’s run its course.

The cover is okay and sufficiently creepy; there’s no mistaking it for anything other than a zombie story. I actually prefer the old monotone cover, though. It’s simplicity is a perfect cover for all of the chaos inside the novel itself.

The sum up:
Campy, gory and unexpected, this is a fun new take on the zombie genre.

Nice quick read. Definitely interested in continuing the series.