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hirvimaki's review against another edition
3.0
At first it is all about zombies. And then not so much. In fact, there's nary a zombie to be seen for most of the book. Yet it is a very interesting read, not least for the fact that the protagonist of this tale, B, is so interesting and compelling yet not very likable. It's an interesting study on how racism/bigotry is propagated in insidious and violent ways. B is a hard character to like, yet Shan manages to convey B's struggle against her inherited bigotry and you cannot help but root for her to rise above it, even when she fails time and time again. After years of suffering at the hands of a violent father abusing both her and her mother, B has fallen into the relative safety of just parroting her father's racist beliefs to gain his approval. Yet in doing so B not only comes across as just as bigoted and narrow-minded as her father but has fallen into a pattern of racism herself. And while she feels uncomfortable with this prejudice it has become a part of her. Intolerance of other cultures is a strong theme in the book and B's struggle to find her footing away from the influence of her father is compelling. The backdrop of zombies (and in this book it really is just a backdrop for three-fourths of the novel) is done very well; it serves as the trigger for B to try to move beyond what she is. The first of a 12 book series, this short book is most certainly a good start and I look forward to Shan's other installments. And more zombies. Hopefully lots more.
stormyharper's review against another edition
5.0
What can I say another great book by Darren Shan I love the pictures in this book what are telling you what's is going on I also like how we get to know b for the zombies appear
mehsi's review against another edition
5.0
Wow, just wow. The book was amazing.
It all starts with zombies attacking a small village in Ireland. Very gruesome things happen (and it doesn't help if you are already sick) and then we switch to another city, Londen.
On the news and internet there is all kinds of news about zombies attacking, soldiers fighting them off and more. No one believes it, and I can't blame them. With the technology these days you can do a lot.
B (we will find their name out later in the book) just continues their live. Not that it is a fun life for a lot of the time. Having a dad who is often drunk, is a racist/fascist and who beats his child and his wife. School is no fun. Luckily B has good friends, a nice tight group with nicknames fitting to them.
For the most of the book there are no zombies. Only mentioned occasionally when the group is viewing some youtube clip, or when it is mentioned on the news or internet.
Most of the book is about B and how they react to their dad. B feels pressured, loves dad but yet also hates him for the views he has, the beatings and the way he pushes his views on B.
B makes mistakes, fights and argues with people who are of a different colour. I still think B is a good kid, even when they make mistakes you can see clearly they don't want it, they are struggling.
Then at about page 100 we get zombies entering the school. Chaos spreading. Truly Darren Shan does his best again, the details of how people turned to zombie or how they got eaten (and the pictures don't really help) made me even sicker then I was. I almost felt like I was there.
My biggest shock came when the remaining group found 2 gunmen, B's dad and someone else. I always thought B was a guy, but actually B is a girl. But the way she reacted, the way she acted and other things clearly let me think she was a guy. I can't find any other hints about B being a girl. But at the end of the book, B's dad says people should move because it is his daughter. B actual name is Becky.
I was kinda sad that B died (and such gruesome way to go).
I recommend this book to everyone who can handle gore and who are fans of Darren Shan, you won't be disappointed. It is a great book and I can't wait until the second book comes out.
It all starts with zombies attacking a small village in Ireland. Very gruesome things happen (and it doesn't help if you are already sick) and then we switch to another city, Londen.
On the news and internet there is all kinds of news about zombies attacking, soldiers fighting them off and more. No one believes it, and I can't blame them. With the technology these days you can do a lot.
B (we will find their name out later in the book) just continues their live. Not that it is a fun life for a lot of the time. Having a dad who is often drunk, is a racist/fascist and who beats his child and his wife. School is no fun. Luckily B has good friends, a nice tight group with nicknames fitting to them.
For the most of the book there are no zombies. Only mentioned occasionally when the group is viewing some youtube clip, or when it is mentioned on the news or internet.
Most of the book is about B and how they react to their dad. B feels pressured, loves dad but yet also hates him for the views he has, the beatings and the way he pushes his views on B.
B makes mistakes, fights and argues with people who are of a different colour. I still think B is a good kid, even when they make mistakes you can see clearly they don't want it, they are struggling.
Then at about page 100 we get zombies entering the school. Chaos spreading. Truly Darren Shan does his best again, the details of how people turned to zombie or how they got eaten (and the pictures don't really help) made me even sicker then I was. I almost felt like I was there.
Spoiler
We find out that the hooded mutants(?) who B encountered earlier are planning this, with a whistle they control the hordes of zombies. They locked up the school so that no one can ever leave.My biggest shock came when the remaining group found 2 gunmen, B's dad and someone else. I always thought B was a guy, but actually B is a girl. But the way she reacted, the way she acted and other things clearly let me think she was a guy. I can't find any other hints about B being a girl. But at the end of the book, B's dad says people should move because it is his daughter. B actual name is Becky.
I was kinda sad that B died (and such gruesome way to go).
I recommend this book to everyone who can handle gore and who are fans of Darren Shan, you won't be disappointed. It is a great book and I can't wait until the second book comes out.
alli_thebookgiraffe's review against another edition
3.0
This one tells the story of B(Whos gender is supposed to go unknown till the end). B is your typical teenager who doesn't really get along with their parents. One day B is watching the news and hears of a zombie outbreak in Ireland(setting). B doesn't really believe it and then, at school the zombies attack.
This story was a miss for me. It is a short book but, there is not enough zombie action here. There are 174 pages and the zombie outbreak doesn't occur until about half way through. I just wasn't feeling the story, either. On the other hand Shan is a fantastic horror writer. The gory details will make you cringe. I most likely will not be continuing the series.
This story was a miss for me. It is a short book but, there is not enough zombie action here. There are 174 pages and the zombie outbreak doesn't occur until about half way through. I just wasn't feeling the story, either. On the other hand Shan is a fantastic horror writer. The gory details will make you cringe. I most likely will not be continuing the series.
katykelly's review against another edition
5.0
Very clever. A male reader of Darren Shan's previous work will come to this thinking "great! Gore! Blood! Zombies!" And he won't be wrong.
But he's also going to get quite a lot to think about - racism, family relationships, and he's going to have to work for his gore... There isn't a zombie attack for much of the length of this short book.
There's also a great, great twist that would be interesting to question the typical reader about when they've finished. Didn't see it coming, and was very pleased Shan took the book in this direction.
The story is simple - zombies have apparently started appearing in Ireland. Ireland you say? Pah! Far away, probably a hoax. So the story focuses on B, a teenager with a racist father and issues to deal with. Only later do the two stories collide, and set the rest of the series up.
Will be recommending this to my 10+ readers in the library, and for an adult it's not a bad read either. Very well done, Mr Shan, you'll hook 'em.
But he's also going to get quite a lot to think about - racism, family relationships, and he's going to have to work for his gore... There isn't a zombie attack for much of the length of this short book.
There's also a great, great twist that would be interesting to question the typical reader about when they've finished. Didn't see it coming, and was very pleased Shan took the book in this direction.
The story is simple - zombies have apparently started appearing in Ireland. Ireland you say? Pah! Far away, probably a hoax. So the story focuses on B, a teenager with a racist father and issues to deal with. Only later do the two stories collide, and set the rest of the series up.
Will be recommending this to my 10+ readers in the library, and for an adult it's not a bad read either. Very well done, Mr Shan, you'll hook 'em.
merel24's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
brittany88's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
celjla212's review against another edition
5.0
B is a high school kid who lives in London with a racist, abusive alcoholic father, and a mom who doesn't stand up for herself. B hangs out with a tough group of friends, and has gotten a bit of a reputation.
When the zombie attacks that happened in Ireland (which B and family did not believe were real) come breaking through the front door of B's high school, race and reputation don't mean much. After all, zombies don't notice skin color when digging through someone's skull to devour their brains.
Well, I never had trouble getting into this book, but I will admit it had a slow start. Besides the prologue, it took more than half the book for zombie action to even happen. But once it did, HOLY CRAP.
The entire first half of the book was basically showing the foundation of B's dysfunctional family. The father, Todd, is an extreme racist who believes England should be whites-only. Todd drinks too much and takes his frustrations out on his wife, until B gets between them.
Yet in spite of this abuse, B has a sick desire to please Todd. B regularly bullies a black kid named Tyler, and picks fights for no reason. Even though B knows it's wrong, the urge to make Todd proud is a strong one.
So, then zombies attack at B's school one day. I must say, this was a zombie novel done right. Blood and gore are not spared in the narrative, and it's awesome. The undead hordes quickly consume kids in their path, using sharp nails to drill through skulls like plywood. B and friends form a large group to try to find some escape, but their numbers start dropping quickly. Imagine B's surprise when one of the strongest, most level headed members is a black boy.
As I said, the first half of the book was slow, but the GIANT twist at the end and the explosive final page, combined with an abundance of zombie gore, more than made up for it in my opinion.
When the zombie attacks that happened in Ireland (which B and family did not believe were real) come breaking through the front door of B's high school, race and reputation don't mean much. After all, zombies don't notice skin color when digging through someone's skull to devour their brains.
Well, I never had trouble getting into this book, but I will admit it had a slow start. Besides the prologue, it took more than half the book for zombie action to even happen. But once it did, HOLY CRAP.
The entire first half of the book was basically showing the foundation of B's dysfunctional family. The father, Todd, is an extreme racist who believes England should be whites-only. Todd drinks too much and takes his frustrations out on his wife, until B gets between them.
Yet in spite of this abuse, B has a sick desire to please Todd. B regularly bullies a black kid named Tyler, and picks fights for no reason. Even though B knows it's wrong, the urge to make Todd proud is a strong one.
So, then zombies attack at B's school one day. I must say, this was a zombie novel done right. Blood and gore are not spared in the narrative, and it's awesome. The undead hordes quickly consume kids in their path, using sharp nails to drill through skulls like plywood. B and friends form a large group to try to find some escape, but their numbers start dropping quickly. Imagine B's surprise when one of the strongest, most level headed members is a black boy.
As I said, the first half of the book was slow, but the GIANT twist at the end and the explosive final page, combined with an abundance of zombie gore, more than made up for it in my opinion.
abbylynn000's review against another edition
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0