At first it is all about zombies. And then not so much. In fact, there's nary a zombie to be seen for most of the book. Yet it is a very interesting read, not least for the fact that the protagonist of this tale, B, is so interesting and compelling yet not very likable. It's an interesting study on how racism/bigotry is propagated in insidious and violent ways. B is a hard character to like, yet Shan manages to convey B's struggle against her inherited bigotry and you cannot help but root for her to rise above it, even when she fails time and time again. After years of suffering at the hands of a violent father abusing both her and her mother, B has fallen into the relative safety of just parroting her father's racist beliefs to gain his approval. Yet in doing so B not only comes across as just as bigoted and narrow-minded as her father but has fallen into a pattern of racism herself. And while she feels uncomfortable with this prejudice it has become a part of her. Intolerance of other cultures is a strong theme in the book and B's struggle to find her footing away from the influence of her father is compelling. The backdrop of zombies (and in this book it really is just a backdrop for three-fourths of the novel) is done very well; it serves as the trigger for B to try to move beyond what she is. The first of a 12 book series, this short book is most certainly a good start and I look forward to Shan's other installments. And more zombies. Hopefully lots more.