I Zombie surprised me. From my experience, zombie books are typically filled with thrills, chills and LOTS of gore, but Jo Michaels offers a different experience.
First of all, there’s more emphasis on the storyline as opposed to violence and gory details. Don’t get me wrong, there are some cringe-worthy moments, but nothing beyond PG-13. I should also mention that a specific cause for the outbreak is identified, which is an aspect that is often underdeveloped in zombie books.
Second, the zombie/human dynamic in this story is very unique; the infected are actually harmless while a large majority of the uninfected are hellbent on destroying anyone with zombie-like symptoms. Seeing this role reversal actually made me think of discrimination in the real world, which is something I’ve never reflected on while reading a zombie novel!
Trixie, the main (zombie) character was very likable. I especially loved the fact that she has a special ability, which is another unique aspect of this book. What a cool twist! In fact, the ending had me feeling a bit upset until Trixie’s ability fixed things for me. Phew. (You’ll have to read it all the way to the end to find out what I mean!)
If you are a fan of YA fiction and zombie novels and are interested in checking out something that strays from the expected norm, I recommend this book.
K. J. Farnham 