Dearly, Departed by Lia Habel

Title: Dearly, Departed
Author: Lia Habel
ISBN: 9780345523310
Publisher: Ballatine Books
Released: October 18, 2011
Page #: 467
Source: My public library

Summary:
"Love conquers all, so they say. But can Cupid's arrow pierce the hearts of the living and the dead - or rather, the undead? Can a proper young Victorian lady find true love in the arms of a dashing zombie?

The year is 2195. The place is New Victoria - a high-tech nation modeled on the manners, mores, and fashions of an antique era. A teenager in high society, Nora Dearly is far more interested in military history and her country's political unrest than in tea parties and debutante balls. But after her beloved parents die, Nora is left at the mercy of her domineering aunt, a social-climbing spendthrift who has squandered the family fortune and now plans to marry her niece off for money. For Nora, no fate could be more horrible - until she's nearly kidnapped by an army of walking corpses.

But fate is just getting started with Nora. Catapulted from her world of drawing-room civility, she's suddenly gunning down ravenous zombies alongside mysterious black-clad commandos and confronting "The Laz," a fatal virus that raises the dead - and hell along with them. Hardly ideal circumstances. Then Nora meets Bram Griswold, a young soldier who is brave, handsome, and noble... and dead. But as is the case with the rest of his special undead unit, luck and modern science have enabled Bram to hold on to his mind, his manners, and his body parts. And when his bond of trust with Nora turns to tenderness, there's no turning back. Eventually, they know, the disease will win, separating the star-crossed lovers forever. But until then, beating or not, their hearts will have what they desire."
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First Lines:

"I was buried alive.
When the elevator groaned to a stop in the middle of the rocky shaft, I knew I was buried alive. Trapped thousands of feet below the earth's surface and hundreds above the bottom of the shaft, dangling in the dimly lit ten- by ten-foot cage over the black bowels of the very mine I had been so bloody relieved to get work in."
Page 3
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Review:

This book was so much better than I anticipated. Not that I thought it would be bad - but you never know what you're going to get when you completely choose a book based on its cover. Seriously, what a gorgeous cover. How can you not be intrigued?!

It is a post-apocalyptic story that is headed into another apocalypse. Can you even process that?! The world has already been ravaged and the ones that are left are all along the equator. There are some who survived that want to revive honorable society - others just want to survive. At some point along the way, this virus starts that keeps people from dying fully... becoming zombies. Some are good and some are mindless people-eaters. Nora's father has dedicated his life to saving these people (not that she knew about it). And she soon finds herself fully thrown into their world - and finding impossible love among the dead.

So... Central and South America are the setting for this novel. I had to remind myself of that at every turn. All of the ideals and society stuff are so very Victorian England (hence the whole New Victoria name), but it was really hard to transfer those to a new setting for me. Though - serious props to the author for pulling it together and for the extremely original idea.

I'm just gonna say that there were parts of this story that scared the bejesus out of me! I truly shouldn't have read some of it before going to bed. My bad. But it definitely has that horror element that I know a lot of teen readers get into. But perhaps my imagination is too vivid... I was shaking in my booties. In a good way, of course!

The romance is what really got me into this story - that's what pulled me in so hard. It's really a beautiful story about doomed love. How heartbreaking is it to fall in love with someone who has only a few years left to live - or to be undead. Either way. It's an amazing thought and I know it's one of the things that got me very emotionally invested in the whole story.

Could you possibly have a more kick ass heroine? I think not. Nora is totally my idol right now. She has been raised in high society, but was recently orphaned. She only has her friend Pam to count on. Then she gets kidnapped (supposedly) while finding herself in a battle for her life. She's calm, calculating, intelligent, and much more. I wish I could be more like her. I'm pretty sure if I found out there were zombies taking over, I'd have a panic attack... or ten. Toward the end of the story, I was hoping we would see more of the kick ass side of Nora, but it drops off a little. I hope to see more from her in the next book.

Speaking of next book, I honestly CANNOT wait for this one to come out. You're not left on a cliffhanger, really. There's a full conclusion, but there's definitely a taste for what is to come. Unfortunately, I have to wait until September. But here's to crossing my fingers for ARCs to come along! I'm not holding my breath. I just know the next book is going to be just as amazing.

I can already think of all the people I will be recommending this book to. I'd say if you're really easily frightened, then this might not be the book for you. Everyone else? Read it. Seriously. You will not regret it. I know the image on the front of the book is decidedly girly, but there's so much to the story that I know guys will like it too. I mean, zombie wars? Come on. It doesn't get more dude than that. Anyway, read it. I know you'll love it.
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Other Blog Reviews:

The Obscured Vixen
Between the Covers
Katie's Book Blog
Candace's Book Blog
Steph Su Reads
Stories of My Life
25 Hour Books

I Love Him to Pieces (My Boyfriend is a Monster #1) by Evonne Tsang

Title: I Love Him to Pieces (My Boyfriend is a Monster #1)
Author: Evonne Tsang; Illus. Janina Gorrissen
ISBN: 97807613370796
Publisher: Graphic Universe
Released: April 28, 2011
Page #: 126
Source: My local public library

Summary:
"Can love survive the zombie apocalypse?
Maybe Dicey Bell's first chance at a real relationship was dead from the start. She's the star of her high school baseball team, and Jack Chen's the star of the science program. Her idea of a study session includes sleeping in the sun, and his idea of a good game involves dungeons and dice. But opposites start attracting when they are assigned to be partners in a class project. When an outbreak of a weird infection hits the town - it eats your brains and makes you hungry for the living - it might not mean just the end of their first date. It might mean the end of everything.

Will Dicey and Jack's relationship fall apart faster than zombies in the Florida sun, or can they beat the odds and find a happy ending?"
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First Lines:

"'Where's Jack Chen? Jack Chen? Anyone?'
'I think Jack's in the Bio Lab.'
'Thanks! Jack Chen?'
'Yes?'
'Jack Chen, you're the father of my baby!'"
Page 3
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Review:

I don't do a ton of graphic reviews, but that's mostly because it feels a little like cheating. It takes me no time at all to read them, so I feel like I'm not doing them justice. But after reading this book, I just knew it deserved a review.

Girl meets boy. Boy meets girl. They decide to skip school together. Zombie outbreak ensues.

Okay, so it's not quite that simple (or is it?). They are high schoolers from two separate worlds - nerd-dom and jock-dom. All of Dicey's friends are boys, but they're her teammates. When she is forced to work with someone so intriguing and from a whole other world, she starts to fall for him. On their first date, the zombie virus takes over their town. Luckily, Jack's parents are scientists studying this particular thing. But for the moment, they are on the run and fighting for their lives.

I love Dicey's character. She's spunky, funny, and very real about things. She seems like just the type of person you'd want to be friends with. She's also a jock - and spends all of her time surrounded by guys. I think that allows you to build up a pretty tough skin. Jack, on the other hand, seems a little emo. It's a fun combination and I love how it's handled.

The illustrations in this book are very cool. Keep in mind that art isn't really my area, but I loved the way the zombies are portrayed. It's almost more like something is eating them than the other way around. Which is how the virus is described. I'm definitely a fan.

If your a graphic fan, I really think you'll like this one. It's realistic, it's fantasy, it's horror, it's a love story... it has everything. I have already requested the second book from the library - I'm sure it's going to be just as awesome!
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Other Blog Reviews:

An Abundance of Books
Book Dragon
Attack of the Book
Ana Mardoll's Ramblings
everead
1 More Page Please

Enclave by Ann Aguirre

Title: Enclave
Author: Ann Aguirre
ISBN: 9780312650087
Publisher: Feiwel and Friends
Released: April 12, 2011
Page #: 259
Source: ARC from the publisher (Late ARC review)

Summary:
"Deuce lives in an enclave, deep underground. Her friends are her family; her life revolves around training to become a Huntress, one of the elite cadres who protect the enclave.

Deuce is partnered with a mysterious Hunter named Fade, who is said to have lived in the surface world as a young boy. When she and Fade discover that the neighboring enclave has been decimated by the tunnel monsters - or Freaks - which seem to be growing more and more organized, the elders refuse to listen to warnings. And when Deuce and Fade are exiled from the enclave, the girl born in darkness must survive in daylight, in the ruins of a city whose population has dwindled to a few dangerous gangs. As the two are guided by Fade's long-ago memories, they face dangers, and feelings, unlike any they've ever known."
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First Lines: (Subject to change in final publication)

"I was born during the second holocaust. People had told us legends of a time when human beings lived longer. I thought they were just stories. Nobody even lived to see forty in my world.
Today was my birthday. Each one added a layer of fear, and this year, it was worse."
Page 3
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Review:

There are lots of things to love about this book and lots to compare it to other stories. It's a story about a girl who was born and raised in an underground community that survives each day on following the rules of the elders. Deuce is one of the Hunters in her community, so she goes out in the tunnels to search for caught meat and to fight the Freaks. In a couple of her trips out into the tunnels, she realizes that things aren't all as they seem. The elders seem to be keeping things from the citizens. Because of this, she is banished - along with her partner, Fade. She then has to learn how to survive under entirely different circumstances.

The Freaks, in my estimation, are zombies. That is never used. They are called Freaks, Eaters, and even Muties. The way they are treated in this book fully reminds me of The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan. They are treated as the sole source of terror for each of the books. In Enclave, they are just kept at bay by death - they happily feed on whatever meat they can get their hands on. I don't know that I thought of them as zombies at first... just these mutated humans who have not adapted to the world in the story. It was well done, really.

Our main girl, Deuce, is basically a hardass. In her world, people hardly live to see 30 - so you have to make every year count. She trained to become a Huntress for her entire life. Finally she got the chance to go out and do what she's been trained for. She treats every situation like a threat and hardly ever lets her guard down. Those few times she does, bad things happen to her. She also keeps her friends at a distance - knowing that Hunters have short lifespans. Like I said, hardass.

Because she keeps people at such a distance, it comes as a surprise to her that her partner might be interested in keeping her safe and secure. And that he might even have real feelings for her. But that is all tested through deaths of friends and enemies. They work together seamlessly, so it makes sense that they want to keep each other safe. There is a tiny bit of romance in this book, but it's really out of desperation more than anything else.

Looking back on this book, I'm going to say I loved it. By the end of the story, I was truly rooting for all of the characters (and trying to see beyond some characteristics of a few of them). But let me tell you... this book is truly frightening. Of course, the fear of things that go bump in the dark is a big one for me. So of course it's scary! I really couldn't read it right before bed. That's another way it reminds me of Carrie Ryan's books.

Anyway, it stands on it's own very well... and I think I will be recommending it along. Those who are fans of the dystopian novels will definitely love this one. I was just looking on the author's website and realized there is a second book coming out sometime next year. Very exciting! I think this book stands well on it's own, but I can't wait to see where this story takes us. I'd definitely give this one a try if you're into frightening books - and zombies. :)
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Other Blog Reviews:

One Librarian's Book Reviews
Small Review
The Discriminating Fangirl
Brave New Adventure
A Bookworm's Haven
Candace's Book Blog
Waking Brain Cells
Paranormal Haven

The Dead-Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan

Title: The Dead-Tossed Waves
Author: Carrie Ryan
ISBN: 9780385736848
Publisher: Delacorte Press

Summary:

"Gabry lives a quiet life, secure in her town next to the sea and behind the Barrier. She's content to let her friends dream of the Dark City up the coast while she watches from the top of her lighthouse. Home is all she's ever known,and all she needs for happiness.

But life after the Return is never safe, and there are threats even the Barrier can't hold back.

Gabry's mother thought she left her secrets behind in the Forest of Hands and Teeth, but like the dead in their world, secrets don't stay buried. And now, Gabry's world is crumbling.

One night beyond the Barrier...

One boy Gabry's known forever and one veiled in mystery...

One reckless moment, and half of Gabry's generation is dead, the other half imprisioned.

Gabry knows only one thing: if she is to have any hope of a future, she must face the forest of her mother's past."

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First lines:

"The story goes that even after the Return they tried to keep the roller coasters going. They said it reminded them of the before time. When they didn't have to worry about people rising from the dead, when they didn't have to build fences and walls and barriers to protect themselves from the masses of Mudo constantly seeking human flesh."

Page 1
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Review: (This may contain spoilers from the first book. Beware.)

I was right to have very high hopes for this book - the first one The Forest of Hands and Teeth was just amazing. I was hooked immediately and couldn't believe all that was going on in the story. When the next novel is a companion, I always have reservations about what the book is going to be like - whether it's going to live up to the original. If it's going to have the same feel to it. And this one absolutely did!

I didn't realize that it was going to take place so far in the future from the last story. It works because the world hasn't changed at all, but it was a little weird to see the original characters be so old and different. I had to wrap my head around that, but once I did, I really enjoyed getting to know these new characters.

At first I wasn't completely sold on Gabry - I really wondered about how the story could revolve around a character that was... well... weak. She sort of was a pushover and didn't seem to have a lot going for her. But the course of the story really showed how much she had grown and turned into quite the woman.

I'm wondering a little bit about the ending. Not gonna tell you what it is, but it's almost like the ending was at the start of a new-ish adventure. I really hope there's another book that's going to pick up where this one left off. I'd love to see exactly what happens from this point. I loved that this book kept the creepy-factor really high - there were times that I almost curled in a ball when I knew (or thought I did) what was coming.

This is such an amazing book - I've absolutely been recommending the first one to almost everyone who I know enjoys a great fantasy. I think really this is a great "series" for anyone interested in a solid, ya, dystopian novel.

Check out Carrie Ryan's website. It says she is working on the next book to come out next spring. I dunno if I can wait that long. :)
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Other Blog Reviews:

One Librarian's Book Reviews
I Was a Teenage Book Geek
The Book Smugglers
Book Addiction
The Compulsive Reader
There's tons of reviews out there, so take a look at all of them. It's totally worth it.

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

Title: The Forest of Hands and Teeth
Author: Carrie Ryan
ISBN: 9780385736817
Publisher: Delacorte Press

Summary:
"In Mary's world, there are simple truths.
The sisterhood always knows best.
The Guardians will protect and serve.
The Unconsecrated will never relent.

And you must always mind the fence that surrounds the village. The fence that protects the village from the Forest of Hands and Teeth.

But slowly, Mary's truths are failing her. She's learning things she never wanted to know about the Sisterhood and its secrets, and the Guardians and their power. And, when the fence is breached and her world is thrown into chaos, about the Unconsecrated and their relentlessness.

Now she must choose between her village and her future, between the one she loves and the one who loves her. And she must face the truth about the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Could there be life outside a world surrounded by so much death?"
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First Lines:

"My mother used to tell me about the ocean. She said there was a place where there was noting but water as far as you could see and that it was always moving, rushing toward you and then away."
Page 1

This was another line that I just loved (I deleted the spoiler bit).
"I stand at the edge [deleted] and stare out into the Forest and wonder how it is that we are never truly prepared for death. How can we be always surrounded by it, reminded of it, knowing that one mistake can lead to infection. And yet when it comes we are not ready. We still have too many regrets."
Page 174
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Review:

I would just like to emphasis one little point: EVERYONE SHOULD READ THIS ONE!! Ahem. I'm glad I got that off my chest.

Let me just start by saying that I had read reviews for this one and saw how well it was going over. I was a little worried about the whole zombie aspect of the book, because it's always done so.... hokie. Ya know? It's almost funny (see: all movies about zombies)... So, this seemingly serious story about zombies seemed kinda weird.

But it was done perfectly and I was blown away! The writing was so wonderful and there was something that reminded me of Hunger Games. Maybe it was the flow of the story... or perhaps something about the way the story was told. I'm not sure. I am sure that I loved it just as much.

I am definitely classifying this book as horror. There were some parts of this story that were out and out scary. I was pulled in by the story telling that certain parts could make me actually gasp or jump. riiiidiculous. That's the sign of an incredible book. Some of the words used to describe this book: Haunting, Chilling, Deep, and much more.

All of that to say... I highly recommend this book. I can imagine just about anyone loving this one, but maybe 7th grade and up? I mean, there's lots of violence... but it's against the undead. So does that still count? I dunno. But it's a wonderful book. I've already recommended it to at least 5 of my coworkers :).
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Other Blog Reviews:

The Book Smugglers

The Sleepy Reader

Jen Robinson's Book Page

Becky's Book Reviews

My Fluttering Heart

Presenting Lenore

There are lots of other reviews out there, so I suggest taking a look. It's totally worth it.

Zombie Queen of Newbury High by Amanda Ashby

Title: Zombie Queen of Newbury High
Author: Amanda Ashby
ISBN: 9780142412565
Publisher: Speak/ Penguin

Summary:
"Quiet, unpopular, noncheerleading Mia is blissfully happy, Rob - super hot football god - has asked her to prom! Life couldn't get any better. Eneter Samantha - cheerleader queen and Miss Popularity - who has made it quite clear that Rob should be her prom date. Mia is desperate to make sure she doesn't end up dumped in front of the whole school. So with prom in just a few days, she turns to Candice - her holistic, hypochondriac best friend - and decides to try a love spell to make Rob stay with her. Unfortunately, she ends up inflicting a zombie virus on her whole class instead, and she is their zombie leader! At first, she loves all the attention. But when she learns from zombie hunter hottie Chase that her classmates will actually try to eat her in a few days, she's not too thrilled. She's sure she and Chase can figure something out, but in the meantime, she's suggesting that no one wear white to prom, because things could get very messy."
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Review:

I'm so ready for this zombie thing to take off. I mean, this vampire stuff has been fun (and my next book is vampire), but I'm ready to move along to the zombie stuff. It's so much fun and there's a lot of comedy to be had in the shuffling, water-hating, brain-eating zombie stories.

I'd definitely recommend this to anyone open to moving on to the zombie stories. It's a great story and it pulled me in immediately. It's very humorous and upbeat - a very easy book to get into. I did wonder where the story was going to go at some points, but everything turned out perfectly.

There are a few other books by this author that I'm going to look for now. She's a great story teller and look forward to reading more of her stuff. I'd definitely recommend this one for any age, though - middle school and up.
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Other Blog Review:

The Book Splot
Tiny Little Reading Room
Juciliciousss Reviews
Persnickety Snark
Chicklish

Generation Dead by Daniel Waters

From the book jacket:

"All over the country, a strange phenomenon is occurring. Some teenagers who die aren't staying dead. They are coming back to life, but they are no longer the same. Termed 'living impaired' or 'differently biotic,' they are doing their best to blend into society agian.

But the kids at Oakvale High don't want to take classes or eat in the cafeteria next to someone who isn't breathing. And there are no laws to protect the differently biotic from the people who want them to disappear - for good.

With her pale skin and goth wardrobe, Phoebe Kendall has never run with the popular crowd. But no one can believe it when she falls for Tommy Williams, the leader of the dead kids: not her best friend, Adam, the star of the football team. Adam has realized that his feelings for Phoeve run much deeper than friendship. He would do anything for her - but what if protecting Tommy is the one thing that would make her happy?

Generation Dead is a sharp, funny, and original novel from an exciting new talent."
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I loved the way this book describes the reasons for teenagers turning into zombies - namely fast food. It's a very clever look at the possibilites of humanity living with zombies... or the undead.... or the "differently biotic." It actually takes this possibility as reality and describes the racism that could follow. The book was very funny - I caught myself laughing out loud a few times. I just thought it was really clever and enjoyed it very much.

If you're interested, the author has a blog: Daniel Waters

Other blog reviews: Here, Chicklish, Here, Here, Bookshelves of Doom, and more :)