Team Human by Justine Larbalestier and Sarah Rees Brennan

Mel lives in New Whitby, a town founded by vampires.  She isn't a big fan of the Shade, where most of the vampires live.  When Francis, a teen vampire, enrolls in their high school, Mel knows it will cause trouble.

The trouble comes in the way of Cathy, Mel's best friend, and vampire lover.  While most of the girls in their school are enthralled by Francis, he seems to return Cathy's attention.  Mel is determined to save Cathy from Francis--even when she doesn't want to be.

Not only that, but their friend Anna is also upset and wonders about her mother.  Anna's dad ran off with a vampire over the summer break, and it seems to be hitting Anna and her mother hard.  Anna's brought her mother's behavior to Mel's attention and Mel feels she needs to help figure out what's wrong. 

On top of everything else, Mel meets Kit, a human living in Francis' home.  He plans on becoming a vampire when he's 18.  Mel doesn't know what to think of that--she was beginning to like Kit. 

Everything soon comes to a head and Mel and her friends need to figure out what to do. 

Not quite what I was expecting but still a good story.  Definitely not your normal vampire book, and it's about time too!

Rise of the Corpses by Ty Drago

The first in the Undertakers series.

Will is startled and extremely disgusted when he leaves his house one morning and stumbles upon his neighbor, Mr. Pratt. A very dead Mr. Pratt. Who is still walking around and talking, only Will can also hear his voice in his head. Will runs as fast as he can to get to the bus and away from what he assumes is a hallucination (a bad Pop-Tart perhaps?).

However, when he gets to school he's met with even more undead people. His math teacher. The assistant principal. A couple of janitors. He tries to control his panic, but it's hard. And they seem to realize he can see them. When they attack, Will tries to fight back and luckily is saved by Helene, a cute girl in his class. She fights them off and they escape. Helene tries to explain to Will what's happened, but they're followed everywhere by what she calls Corpses. Soon he's taken to Haven and the whole thing seems unreal. Apparently these beings have come to earth and inhabit dead bodies--but they can animate them for a time. And Will's father is the only adult anyone knows of that could see them for what they are. Which makes Will a big target for the Corpses--they want to study him. And kill the rest.

So...you might have some reluctant readers hesitate to pick up this book. It is pretty thick. The story moves fast for the most part--it could have used a little more editing before printing, but that seems to be the norm now. There is A LOT that goes on, even for the numerous pages. However, it was worth the reading. It's a good story with action, adventure, friendship, and discovering oneself. Not to mention alien beings invading dead bodies.

The Enemy by Charlie Higson

Everyone over the age of 16 has come down with an illness that rots their brains and bodies and makes them crave human flesh. Fresh human flesh, which is why all the grown-ups are chasing around children. Children are the only ones who have survived. At least until they turn 16.

Maxie is second-in-command to Arran and their group of kids live in a supermarket reinforced to keep the grown-ups out. They also fight another group of kids--Blue's crew--for food. They soon realize some of the grown-ups are still intelligent and join forces to find a new place to live. They head to Buckingham Palace with Jester, who was sent out to find groups like theirs.

Traveling through London isn't easy though. A big group like theirs draws a lot of attention, and not just from the grown-ups. Once they arrive at Buckingham Palace, things are not as they seem. David, the one in charge, has plans to be on top and to unite all the kids of London together. Maxie and Blue, however, have something to say about that.

Ok, not a book for the faint-at-heart. While the adults eating kids isn't exactly described to the bare bone, it does have some description to it. The adults are vicious and hungry. The children are great characters and their fear and survival are well-portrayed. Looking forward to reading The Dead, which is a companion/prequel, and the third one that brings everything together.

Zombies Don't Cry by Rusty Fischer

Maddy's Home Ec class has had some...problems. In the past three months, three girls have died. They weren't well known, but after the third death, people start to wonder.

Then Maddy runs into the new boy Stamp, literally. He asks her to meet him at a party one night, so she sneaks out. On the way, she's struck by lightning and dies.

She's not dead though, just undead. A zombie. And as such, she needs to follow the rules or be put down for good. But Bones and Dehilia--no surprise they're Zerkers--can't wait to take Maddy down. Going through everyone she cares about to do it. And Maddy must join Dane and Chloe to fight.

Too bad none of them know what to expect.

I enjoyed this zombie romance. Maddy's a fun character, but she isn't the only fully-fleshed one. The setting is well-done and even though almost everyone dies, highly entertaining.

Dark and Hollow Places by Carrie Ryan

Ok, so once again, I find myself reading a book in a series, and I don't want to give away what happens in the other two books by talking a lot about this book.

What I will say about this book is this one was the best of the three. I didn't think it would be when I started, but I absolutely could not put it down. This pulls stories mostly out of the 2nd book, Dead-Tossed Waves, but there are a few references back to The Forests of Hands and Teeth.

Well worth the read, and wonderful!

Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry

Benny lives in Mountainside, the only town he's ever really known. He was 18 months old when First Night happened--the night people started turning into zombies. His first memory is of his mother pushing him into his older brother Tom's arms and telling Tom to run while she faces their father--already a zombie. Benny has disliked his brother for being a coward and running away.

Now Benny's 15 and it's time for him to get a job or his rations will be cut. He tries a wide variety before deciding he might as well become Tom's apprentice. His first time in the Rot & Ruin (what they call the area outside the perimeter fence) is eye-opening. His brother calls himself a closure specialist, instead of bounty hunter like the others. His job is to find people who have been turned into zombies and to put them down. On their journey, Benny sees men he's always admired torturing zombies for fun. He knows he'll never be the same again.

But his lessons aren't over. Soon Benny's friend Nix is kidnapped and her mother murdered by the very bounty hunters Benny has always admired. And Benny and Tom know they must go out into the worst of the Rot & Ruin to find her. Before she's handed over to zombies for entertainment.

Utterly believable and well-executed. Benny can be annoying and frustrating at times--especially in the beginning, but that's on purpose. He does mature and grow as the book moves on, thankfully. Enough action, adventure, characterization, setting, danger, suspense, and a little romance to keep the pages moving. Thoroughly enjoyed it!

Zombies vs Unicorns, editted by Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier

Zombies vs Unicorns is actually an anthology of 12 stories dealing with either zombies or unicorns. Holly Black is the head of 'Team Unicorn' while Justine Larbalestier is the head of 'Team Zombie'.

Each story is given commentary by the editors at the beginning about the pros and cons of zombies and unicorns. While the deciding factor is up to the reader, their comments and debate are hilarious.

Out of all the stories, I enjoyed "The Care and Feeding of Your Baby Killer Unicorn" by Diana Peterfreund, "Bougainvillea" by Carrie Ryan, and "Prom Night" by Libba Bray. Not that the others weren't also great, I just enjoyed these three most of all.

The only thing missing was a story of zombies and unicorns fighting each other...

Three Quarters Dead by Richard Peck

Kerry believes her life is on it’s way to the top—she’s a sophomore invited to sit with the three most popular girls in school at lunch!

And while no one questions Tonya, Kerry can’t believe her luck until she learns she’s expected to give something in return.

At first it’s just pranks, but when Tonya, Natalie, and Makenzie die in a freak car accident that could have included Kerry, she starts to wonder if they might want or need something else from her too.

It took a while for me to get into this book. Kerry narrates her tale, and while interesting, the best part of the book happens in the later half. Not a huge fan of Peck's work but the horror in this one makes it worth it...for the most part. The ending is anti-climatic, and the beginning is slow, but the middle and last half of the book are interesting enough to keep reading.

My So-Called Death by Stacey Jay

Karen didn't know she had a genetic mutation that would keep her alive when she fell off the top of the cheerleading pyramid in front of the whole school.

Now she's head to a boarding school for the Un-Dead. As soon as she arrives bad things start happening. Some students at DEAD aren't mutants like her--they were raised from the dead by a magician and rescued. Those students are now in jeopardy, including Karen's new friend Trish. Girls have been found with their brains missing and Karen and Trish are determined to find the culprit. Karen gets distracted by cute Gavin--her number one suspect and then Trish is attacked. Now Karen and Gavin must find the attacker before they're the next victims.

An interesting paranormal romance--all the elements are here. There's a lot of description from Karen about being a zombie (including brains and eating them). The real killer is one of the plot twists and Karen's reaction to everything is as well. I wouldn't say this is on par with Jay's other Undead series, but I still enjoyed the story.

I Kissed a Zombie and I Liked It by Adam Selzer

Alley can't believe the craze vampires, werewolves, and zombies have stirred up. Ever since they've gone public, most teens try to be goth or just date one--everyone wants to be a vampire or werewolf. Not Alley though. She and her friends stand back and watch the mayhem without getting too involved.

Then she meets Doug, and to her, he's the perfect kind of guy. They like the same music and he isn't a poser--he's the real thing. She ignores the warning signs until all the popular girls tell her they're dying to meet him. Apparently, Doug is a zombie--something Alley didn't figure out on her own. Now she has to decide if she's going to die to be with him or break up. Before a vampire decides for her.

As a satire on the whole paranormal romance movement, it succeeds. However, by the way the author narrates through Alley, it's apparent he didn't date in high school. The characters are all stereotypical girls and guys--girls and guys are both attractive and pretty brain-dead. Alley's comments and observations are amusing. The book was very entertaining--hand off to anyone annoyed with the Twilight era.

You Are So Undead To Me by Stacey Jay

Megan's a Settler--someone who helps the dead complete their unfinished business so they can move on. The zombies find her wherever she might be--but Megan's power has been dormant for many years. Or so she thought. Then a zombie appears on her doorstep one night and she realizes her powers are coming back.

Her power is stronger than anyone expected. An old friend comes back, Ethan, to help her control her powers and to make sure she follows all the rules. Unfortunately, it seems Megan is the target for a dark witch who is unleashing all sorts of zombies out to get her.

I enjoyed yet another zombie book. There's romance, action, and suspense, of course. A good combination of magic and zombies.

The sequel to this is called Undead Much? and it's pretty good--the storyline twists a bit. I enjoyed them both and I'm looking forward to the next in the series.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith and Jane Austen

What would the Bennets' life been like with zombies?

You're about to find out! A humorous retelling of the famous Bennet sisters who are not only husband-hunting, they're also zombie-hunting. Having trained in 'inferior' China (as opposed to Japan) the sisters are well known for their fighting skills and kills of zombies in Hertfordshire. Having to give up killing zombies once they are married, the sisters struggle between their father's insistence in fighting and their mother's insistence in attending balls and dinners.

Mr. Bingley makes an appearance as the purchaser of Netherfield, and our story begins. Instead of playing piano, the girls often demonstrate their abilities fighting zombies. All of your favorite characters are here, as Grahame-Smith took the original story and inserted zombies, a few tongue-in-cheek comments, and loosened the language.

If you're a die-hard Austen fan, you may not like this version of Pride and Prejudice. I had a hard time with it at times--especially when a comment made by Mr. Bennet or Mr. Darcy would be ignored by the recipient even though polite society wouldn't have allowed such bad behavior.

Despite these drawbacks, I found the story amusing and well done.

Kiss of Life by Daniel Waters

Kiss of Life picks up a couple of weeks after the end of Generation Dead, with a few new twists. It's hard to talk about the sequel to a book without revealing what happens at the end of the first, but I'm going to try.

First of all, this book is told a little differently than Generation Dead. This book varies focus on many of the main characters and jumps between what they are all doing. But at the heart of the novel is a story about acceptance, tolerance, and prejudice. And tragedy.

Tommy decides it's time to take his message out to Washington and so he leaves with Karen and Phoebe in charge of his website. The girls grow a strong bond, as Margi and Colette have reconciled and spend a lot of time together. Phoebe struggles to spend time with Adam, and Pete...well, Pete is up to his usual tricks, only this time he has help.

A still very powerful novel. I had to put it down several times today because I was getting anxious/sad/angry/nervous about what was going to happen.

Generation Dead by Daniel Waters

Something's wrong with the world's teenagers. If they die, they don't stay dead--they come back to life. Sort of. Not your typical zombies though.

Phoebe, Adam, and Margi go to high school with some of those undead. And they join a group that's working towards tolerance and acceptance of the living impaired. Phoebe has an ulterior motive--she has a crush on Tommy. Adam has an ulterior motive--Phoebe. Not everyone is happy with accepting the living impaired in the school, their lives, and in society in general. Tensions build and just when you think this is a simple romance novel, the twists come out to surprise you.

This was a great first novel. I'm not always in the mood for a chick lit, but this wouldn't classify. There are many things about this book that I enjoyed. The sequel, Kiss of Life, is out now too!