Alice in Zombieland (White Rabbit Chronicles Book 1) Review

From Goodreads

Alice in Zombieland (White Rabbit Chronicles Book 1)
by Gena Showalter
Expected Release Date: 9.25.12
From Goodreads:

She won’t rest until she’s sent every walking corpse back to its grave. Forever.

Had anyone told Alice Bell that her entire life would change course between one heartbeat and the next, she would have laughed. From blissful to tragic, innocent to ruined? Please. But that’s all it took. One heartbeat. A blink, a breath, a second, and everything she knew and loved was gone.

Her father was right. The monsters are real….

To avenge her family, Ali must learn to fight the undead. To survive, she must learn to trust the baddest of the bad boys, Cole Holland. But Cole has secrets of his own, and if Ali isn’t careful, those secrets might just prove to be more dangerous than the zombies….


I wish I could go back and do a thousand things differently.
I'd tell my sister no.
I'd never beg my mother to talk to my dad.
I'd zip my lips and swallow those hateful words.
Or, barring all of that, I'd hug my sister, my mom and my dad one last time.
I'd tell them I love them.
I wish... Yeah, I wish.

My Thoughts:  As intriguing as the title of this book and the cover were, I was a little apprehensive.  I thought it would be more of a retelling of the Wonderland story but with zombies.  Fortunately, Showalter kept the action above ground and really tweaked zombie lore.  I'm still not sure I understand the zombie rules the author has set up, but the characters and action are enough to keep me reading.  Plus the book managed to surprise me now and again, which I give major points too.

Alice, or Ali as she's called through most of the book, makes for a good heroine.  Yes, she feels guilty over the deaths of her family, and yes this makes her a bit reckless and impulsive... but at least she's got a reason.  I can't stand when characters do stupid, dangerous things for no reason.  Plus, Ali has some skills, she's not just a girl, she's all Gwen Stefani on the zombie's butts.

In the beginning of the book, in just a few short pages, Showalter establishes a wonderful bond between Alice and her younger sister Emma, who is impossible not to love.  Her parents are a little less fleshed out, but you can see that her mother struggles to keep the family together and that Alice thinks her father drinks too much and doesn't really see monsters.  Despite all the tension, the family does seem remarkably close, which you just don't see much in YA... which is why they have to be killed off.

Ali goes off to live with her grandparents who are hilarious and sweet, especially her grandmother.  She meets Kat, who helps her make through the ordeal of switching schools and warns her off the bad boy hottie that catches Ali's eye.  And when I say "catches her eye" know that I mean this in a BIG way.  Cole Holland is all hot, steamy and dangerous.  But, he was such a jerk in the beginning that it took awhile for me to warm up to him.  He did that "you should stay away from me" routine, even while he pursued Ali.  I know girls have the reputation of being contrary, but when it comes to YA boys, they take that title away, especially the tortured heroes.

So after the accident that stole her family away from her, Ali starts seeing things and thinking that maybe her Pops wasn't crazy after all, and Cole and his gang of misfits seem to be connected.  Ali doesn't just sit and cry over her loss, she's determined to do something with her life to make amends.  It's survivor guilt, but Ali soon proves to be up for the new role life has handed her.

Other than the heat between Ali and Cole, my favorite part of the book was Kat.  She was so lively and fun, plus with her on again/off again relationship with Frosty, that she added a much needed lightness to the Ali's dark moodiness.

Some things I didn't like: almost all of the kids Ali meets at her new school have super trendy names or nick names.  Sometimes I just long for some Marys, Toms, Mikes, or Susies.  When you make every name unique it just makes it hard to remember who's who.  For instance, I couldn't keep Kat's friends straight.   I also thought so much more could have been done with the character of Justin, who I liked in the beginning, I kind of felt like his story was dropped until the end.  Maybe the next book?  The zombie lore in this book, while really fresh, was also confusing.  But that could just be me.  Okay, it probably is just me.

Overall I really liked this book.  It was a fast read, I cared about Ali and Cole.  Bad stuff happens in this book, because bad things happen in life.  Ali, while sporting some serious anti-zombie skills, isn't throwing Bella-like shields over her loved ones, so people die.  Showalter proves that Ali isn't just in a little danger, but serious, real, not coming back from the dead danger.  There is enough light to balance the dark though, and I'd recommend it.  It's not really connected too much to Alice in Wonderland, but in my opinion that's okay.

Alice in Zombieland gets a Midnight Book Rating of:

The cover gets a Midnight Book Cover Rating of: 

Love it even though the dress really isn't Ali's style, it's at least evocative of Alice in Wonderland.

**I received a copy of this book through Around the World ARC Tours in exchange for my honest opinion**

Something Strange and Deadly Review

Something Strange and Deadly
by Susan Dennard
Expected Publication: 07.24.12
From Goodreads:

The year is 1876, and there’s something strange and deadly loose in Philadelphia…
Eleanor Fitt has a lot to worry about. Her brother has gone missing, her family has fallen on hard times, and her mother is determined to marry her off to any rich young man who walks by. But this is nothing compared to what she’s just read in the newspaper—
The Dead are rising in Philadelphia.
And then, in a frightening attack, a zombie delivers a letter to Eleanor…from her brother.
Whoever is controlling the Dead army has taken her brother as well. If Eleanor is going to find him, she’ll have to venture into the lab of the notorious Spirit-Hunters, who protect the city from supernatural forces. But as Eleanor spends more time with the Spirit-Hunters, including their maddeningly stubborn yet handsome inventor, Daniel, the situation becomes dire. And now, not only is her reputation on the line, but her very life may hang in the balance.  

  My Thoughts:  This book was unexpected.  It didn't even feel like a YA book, despite the age of the characters, but that's not to say that it's not YA appropriate.  I think it's the period of the story, because a young woman was usually much more mature than the average teen now.  


Eleanor, or Miss Fitt (yes, it did take me until she figured it out that her name was misfit), is a great YA heroine.  She's brave, taking care of her delusional mother and searching for her lost brother.  Trying to keep her and her mother afloat financially would be hard enough, but then her brother is kidnapped by a zombie raiser and suddenly she's going all Buffy at with the help of the Spirit-Hunters.


There's a little romance in the form of two men in her life.  First is her friend's rich, ambitious brother.  Clarence is a jerk, but he genuinely seems shocked by Eleanor and her attitude.  He's got secrets, and Eleanor is not the type of girl to just let things go.  Plus her mother is fairly determined that Eleanor should marry Clarence to save the family.


Daniel is one of the Spirit-Hunters, and not even the leader.  He's got his secrets too, but sparks fly between him and Eleanor in a very Hans Solo-Princess Leia way.  Only because the setting is in the 1800's don't expect too much, this is a time period where just a man and woman touching in the most innocent way was considered steamy.  There's a scene between Eleanor and Daniel that reminded me of the Pride and Prejudice (Kiera Knightley and Matther Macfadyen version) movie where Darcy helps Elizabeth into the carriage and their bare hands touch and it shakes both of them up.  And I love that!  I love that a simple touch can mean so much more in a time when unmarried people just didn't touch.  In someways its a lot sexier than any actual sexual act could have achieved in the book.  


The two other Spirit-Hunters, Joseph and Jie, are equally awesome.  Joseph is all Creole and tragic hero, and Jie is just kick ass.  She lives as a Chinese boy in a time period where it's very hard to be Chinese in America, but even worse for Chinese American women.  Or just women in general, because Eleanor is under a lot of pressure from society to fit into their rigid views of how women of a certain background should act.  Joseph, Jie, and Daniel make a great team, and Eleanor worms her way in, and it's a perfect fit despite her friction with Daniel. 


I've seen this book categorized as Steampunk, and while it does kind of have that feel when it comes to the Spirit-Hunters, I don't know that it really fits that genre.  Something Strange and Deadly just isn't like a lot of other books.  I really felt Susan Dennard captured the time period quite well, which I'll admit I wasn't really expecting in a YA book.  I will definitely read the next book in the series, because the ending left so many loose strings, not unanswered questions necessarily- I don't want you to think the author cheats the ending, but there is definitely enough hanging in the air that you want to know what will happen to our Miss Fit and the Spirit-Hunters.


Something Strange and Deadly gets a Midnight Book Rating of:

The cover gets a Midnight Cover Rating of:

It's pretty and eye-catching.  It definitely made me want to read the book, but it doesn't really fit the book all that well.  While Eleanor is pretty, she's not some 17-inch waisted Scarlett O'Hara as she's pictured on the cover. Still, it's a cool cover.


**Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book through Around the World ARC Tours in exchange for my honest opinion.

Dead Reckoning Review

Dead Reckoning
by Mercedes Lackey and Rosemary Edghill
Expected Publication Date: 06.05.2012
From Goodreads:

Jett is a girl disguised as a boy, living as a gambler in the old West as she searches for her long-lost brother. Honoria Gibbons is a smart, self-sufficient young woman who also happens to be a fabulous inventor. Both young women travel the prairie alone – until they are brought together by a zombie invasion! As Jett and Honoria investigate, they soon learn that these zombies aren’t rising from the dead of their own accord … but who would want an undead army? And why? This gunslinging, hair-raising, zombie western mashup is perfect for fans of Cowboys vs. Aliens and Pride & Prejudice & Zombies.

My Thoughts: What a different, unique read!  Okay, we've got Western, Steampunk, and zombies, plus two incredibly kick ass heroines and a hero that's been raised by Indians.  I kind of expected this book to suck, because it just seemed impossible that all these elements could come together and make a great read, but it all comes together in a fantastic way.

It took me about a chapter or two before I settled into the voice of the novel,  but the authors did a great job using speech and vocabulary from the days of the Wild West but it's as fast paced as most YA books.Not that I'm complaining!  It was nice to read a book that really tries to stay true to the time period.  I used to read a lot of Historical Romance, and the best reads were always the ones that the authors had done a little research on before writing, and the worse ones always had a lot of modern dialogue and spotty history events. 

Now for the characters:

Jett, dressed as a man, is struggling to stay tough and deal with zombies, all the while in search of her twin brother.  Jett was probably my favorite character, she tried so hard and even when she was afraid she was brave.  She took a lot of personal responsibility, and then she took a little more.  She's also the first character we meet, and the one we learn the most about.  And out of all three of the characters, she was the one that I was able to understand the most.

Gibbons was... unique.  As a young woman, traveling on her own in a steam wagon, and a scientist to boot she was both amusing and annoying, but again, a very strong heroine.  There is no question she's not interesting in answering- as long as she can do it with science!  In a lot of ways, Jett is more feminine than Gibbons, since until the war Jett was all girl and Gibbons has been raised to behave as she pleases. I would have loved to have seen Gibbon's father join the trio because he sounded like a very interesting character!

The friendship that forms between the two young woman reminds me of other great female friendships- Rizzoli and Isles, Laverne and Shirley, Blair and Serena... okay, maybe strike the last one.

Then there's White Fox.  Sure, he gets ignored in the summary, but he's definitely part of the story, with chapters alternating between him, Gibbons and Jett. Unlike the women, we learn the least about White Fox, other than he was raised by Indians.  He and Jett are similar, and if this was a typical YA book then no doubt they'd be dating by the fifth chapter.  As it is, there was definitely something between them, which surprised me because somehow I got the impression from the back of the book that Gibbons and Jett might be a potential couple.  Which, I imagine, will certainly end up the topic of lots of fan fic if this book gains some popularity.

And that brings me to a crucial point.  I really enjoyed this book (as a 34 year old), but I'm not sure it's quite in the YA realm.  Yes, Jett, Gibbons and White Fox are around the 17-20 age range, but given the world they live in they are leap years above most teens nowadays.  I do think older teens will like it, but it could be marketed successfully to adults and fans of Steampunk.  I'll be interested to see how other YA reviewers, who are actually still young adults themselves, react to this book. 

Overall, I really liked Dead Reckoning.  It's a great western novel, a great zombie novel, and a good introduction to steampunk.  I would have liked a bit more background on all the characters, and I really wanted more information on Jett's twin brother, but I'm hoping there's some sequels. I liked that the women were just as capable, and in most cases even more capable, as the men.  I liked that Jett was a gunslinger and Gibbons designed and drove a steam wagon, and I really liked that White Fox didn't have any problem hanging with such women.  I would definitely recommend this book!


Dead Reckoning gets a Midnight Book Rating of:

The cover gets a Midnight Cover Rating of:

I like it, even though you can barely see Gibbons and Jett looks a lot like a girl, and not a successful girl dressed as a boy.  White Fox on the cover is hot, but not exactly as described in the book... but the zombies are cool, and it would definitely grab my attention from the shelves.

Disclaimer: I did receive a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Vacation Post #3

This past few days have been fail when it comes to reading, but win when it comes to beach time and playing wiffle ball with the family in the street.  I finally finished World War Z by Max Brooks this morning.  I'm sure it would have been a much faster read had I been at home.  There's too much distraction here- way too many kids and noise and what was that?  It's time for ice cream again?  So reading time is a bit hard to find.

I woke up early the other morning and commenced reading on the porch.  I've been waking up before most of my family so that's pretty much been my only reading time.  Beach reading is hard to do since my two year old niece has a tendency to run, and run fast, down the beach. 

World War Z is a history of a zombie war- a bunch of different interviews from survivors all over the world and covers the beginning, middle and "end" of the war.  It was a very engrossing read, but I wish I had saved it for home.  There is a lot of information, so it's best read when there aren't a lot of distractions around.  Still, I enjoyed it and I really feel it's helped me prepare for the inevitable zombie uprising.

World War Z gets a Midnight Book Rating of :

Now onto my next beach read- Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children!  Happy Friday Reads!

Vacation Post #2

Hit the beach early this morning and managed to finish my first official vacation read, Dog On It by Spencer Quinn.

It was a great beach read, full of mystery and told from the viewpoint of Chet the dog, faithful canine partner to Bernie, his PI owner.  I read this as part of my Stephen King Summer Reading List Self-Challenge, and once again I was rewarded with a good read.  There's an awesome dog narrator (again, it can't be said enough, it's totally Bunnicula for the over 30 club), there's a young girl who may or may not be a runaway, several suspicious Russians, and lots of food mentioned.  Even a little tiny hint of romance- for Bernie, not Chet.

Dog On It gets a Midnight Book Rating of:

Started today: World War Z  by Max Brooks

I doubt there will be much reading done tonight because my nieces are here and there are  already screams and giggles.  Although that may be the ideal background noise while reading a zombie book...

Zombie Blondes

Zombie Blondes
By Brian James
pgs= 232 (hardcover)
Grade A-

Hannah and her father move around a lot. He's on the run from bills and from the harassment that lingers from his past job as a New York Cop. Sometimes Hannah and her dad stay a few months, sometimes just a few weeks. But they always stay in small towns, her dad convinced that they're the safest places to flee. Then they come to Maplecrest, where the streets have more houses for sale than houses that are occupied.

Once more Hannah must find her place in a new school, but on the first day she discovers that the entire school is run by the perfect blonde cheerleaders. Outcast Lukas warns her to stay away from them, that they're zombies, but Hannah is just as entranced with the perfect cheerleaders as the rest of the town. When her dad goes out of town for a job, Hannah is plagued with doubts over Lukas' claims of a town run by zombies, her desperate wish to just fit in, and all the things in the town that just don't add up.

I really enjoyed this book, in part because zombies rock. I love the walking dead- whether they're shambling slowly or running like drug crazed track stars. Hannah is easy to relate to, her wish to fit in, or at least to not stick out, is something most people can understand. The author does a good job of casting doubts on Lukas' claims- yes the cheerleaders are just a little too perfect, but you have to wonder if at times zombies is just a metaphor for losing your identity to be popular. All the cheerleaders have bleached blonde hair and names that begin with "M", having cast off their past personalities and names in order to be part of the perfect squad. As much unease as Hannah feels about certain aspects of the squad and the town, she is willing to suppress her suspicions in order to be popular.

The ending is good too, while the author answers questions raised throughout the book, he ends the book with a whole bunch of new ones. The book is suspenseful, but builds at a slow pace. Brian James will be an author I keep an eye out for. Zombie Blondes is a great read for those that love zombies, hate cheerleaders, and despise hometowns. It's the ultimate book for anyone that's ever been forced by their family to move from a perfectly happy suburban town to some dinky, creepy town where there's more cows than people... or maybe that's just me. I still haven't forgiven my parents for that particular move and it's been 19 years. And there weren't even any zombies to make it interesting!