This is the first Darren Shan book I have ever read and I'm going to look into reading more of his works. He does a good job pulling you into the story and making you feel for the characters both negatively as well as positively. The way he brings the reader into B's world is brilliant even though most of the time I just wanted to strangle the main character. At the same time, however, I understand how B's personality came to be what it is and I wanted to see how things would play out. B's internal conflict is the one redeeming element that kept me engaged in the story instead of just setting it aside out of frustration.
You may have concluded already that Zom-B is more than just a zombie book and you would be correct. The zombies don't even show up in full force until at least half way through the book. The first half of the book deals with B growing up in an abusive family. The main conflict in B's life is whether to succumb to the idealogy and abuse of the past and present or to break free and become a better person. The zombies seem to be a catalyst to B's final decision in that respect.
I like the fact that this book is a quick and easy read. I would habe finished it in one day as opposed to two if I wasn't so busy yesterday. I'm eagerly awaiting the next book in this series to see how it develops.