Comment

Apr 27, 2016jsloane rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
This is an Alice re-telling in the absolute loosest sense of the word. So if that’s what you were expecting, this is probably not going to be your cup of tea. The only real nods that I noticed was the white rabbit and the a blonde-haired blue-eyed girl named Alice. That’s it. Mostly it reads like a high-school romance with paranormal elements. I was looking forward to this book because I really like another series that the author, Gena Showalter, writes. I thought “talented author + zombies = GIMME!” Well, while there were some elements that I loved (and the primary reason the book got a 4 instead of a 3), overall the book was kind of a disappointment. Its got a very weak beginning that did not hook me immediately. I pretty much slogged through the beginning chapters. Also, I found myself thinking “Oh god, here we go. A freaking love triangle.” Now, I’m happy to report that the love triangle never fully materializes, but it doesn’t feel like its deliberate that it did. It kind of reads like Showalter realized before it was too late that the love triangle thing has been ridiculously overdone, and she corrected it before it could take hold. If I had to describe this book to someone, I’d probably say something like “Twilight, no sparkles, no love triangle, Bella with an actual personality.” Is that completely accurate? Of course not, but that’s the slot it fit itself into in my mind. Now, Showalter’s dialogue shines in Alice in Zombieland. I found myself grinning at some of the snappy back-and-forth. I loved that Alice did actually have a strong personality, and wasn’t willing to take crap from anyone. Her friend, Kat, was awesome, and I loved how she was relentlessly cheerful without being despicably shallow. The way she approaches Alice’s grieving is great. She acknowledges it, makes sure she doesn’t need anything, but doesn’t pity her or anything like that. I also absolutely adored the very unique take on zombies. Took me completely by surprise, and though I’m not going to spoil what it is for you, I will say that it really was a breath of fresh air. There’s definitely a religious theme that runs through the book, and you can tell this is meant for teens. While there’s obvious hormones, there’s no sex (though it is talked about in non-graphic detail), no cursing, and church, faith, angels/witnesses, and praying are definitely sprinkled sporadically throughout the novel. Overall, once it found its feet, it was an entertaining read that I blew through in one sitting. However, I’d be shocked if I decided to read the second book in the series. This was essentially a fluff piece with a few good points, and I don’t do the fluff well.