Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
Quirk Books, 2011
352 pages
approximate age: 12+

Sixteen year old Jacob is at the point in his life where he's ready to face adulthood, and for him that means at last acknowledging that all the fanciful stories his grandfather told him about his grandfather's adolescence in a orphanage with a group of children that each had extraordinary powers are indeed make-believe. Of course they were just fairy tales -- this is the real world and physics-defying children simply do not exist and believing in them is not rational, not normal, and not cool. But then something terrible happens to Grandpa Portman and Jacob is sure he sees the monster, yes real-life monster, responsible -- a twist of fate that turns all his well-ordered adult logic on its head and leads him back to one question -- what if the stories were real? Only a trip to the small, desolate Welsh island that was once home to Grandpa Portman and the other peculiar orphans may hold the answers Jacob needs to solve the mystery about his grandfather's life once and for all. But Jacob is not the only one hunting Miss Peregrine's Home and its inhabitants, and danger is much closer than Jacob could possibly know.

Miss Peregrine Home for Peculiar Children is a tightly woven fantasy/mystery that combines the whimsical with the delightfully creepy. Peppered throughout the book are photographs of the children and Miss Peregrine, the orphanage's head, and the photos' antiquated appearance along with their frequently bizarre compositions can really send chills up readers' spines. Unbelievably, since the pictures blend-in perfectly with the story, they are all real vintage photographs that Riggs was lent from collectors, which makes them even more thought-provoking and disturbing.

In addition, the elements of the fantastical in the novel blend well with Jacob's regular-guy character. Beginning the book in a familiar setting causes the transition into the strange island of the orphans to be even more magical because it has roots in a world we know all too well. Readers will want to be in Jacob's shoes as he discovers these amazing boys and girls, not stuck in their dull, ordinary lives.

There is also an aura of mystery that spans the entire book. At first readers are curious about Jacob's grandfather's stories. Are they entirely real? Does the grandfather really have something to fear as he believes? And then, when readers find the wonderful orphanage they wonder if the orphans are all they seem -- or is their something dark lurking behind their smiles? Is an unnamed threat really after them? Is it after Jacob, too? Just when readers think they've answered one question, Riggs gives them three more to ponder as they feverishly turn the pages.

Finally, the ending is satisfying, yet open for a much hoped for sequel. With no explicit sexuality or violence, librarians should feel comfortable freely recommending this book to middle and high school students.


Official Book Trailer:



Read-alike suggestions:

St. Lucy's Home for Girls Raised by Wolves by Karen Russell

Pretty Monsters by Kelly Link

The Glass Demon by Helen Grant

The Magicians by Lev Grossman

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman

House of Many Ways

House of Many Ways by Diana Wynne Jones
published by Greenwillow Books, 2008
416 pages
approximate age range: 10+

Charmain Baker has led a very proper -- and very dull -- life doing only very proper things with very proper people. Well, up until now, that is. When her imposing great aunt Sempronia asks Charmain to house sit for her Great Uncle William, the royal wizard of High Norland, Charmain realized this is finally her chance to get out from under her mother's thumb and experience a bit more out of life. But Charmain, whose extracurricular activities to date have only involved reading books, has no idea how much her life will change from the moment she walks in the door of Great Uncle William's magical maze of a house, a strange place where one single doorway leads to a vast number of rooms and other places throughout High Norland. From her first day on the job Charmain immediately finds herself doing things she has never done before -- caring for a loveable, but peculiar, stray dog named Waif, attempting to do magic herself, squaring off against an evil beast called a lubbock, preventing an apprentice wizard, Peter, from making a giant mess wit another bad spell, and even -- Charmain can hardly believe it -- washing dishes and doing laundry. Charmain's life gets even more exciting when she is offered an additional position as a library assistant to the king and she is thrown into a nefarious royal intrigue involving a great deal of missing gold and a mysterious elf gift. With the help of Sophie Pendgragon, Wizard Howl, and fire demon Calcifer, who are already on the case, Charmain must discover how the secrets of Great Uncle William's house connect to the mystery at the castle before all of High Norland falls into the hands of something truly evil.

If you've read Howl's Moving Castle or watched the Miyazaki anime of the same name, then you have already met Sophie, Howl, and Calcifer and discovered what sorts of hilarious and exciting adventures they often find themselves in. Yet, even if you haven't a clue what a fire demon even is, Charmain's story works so perfectly as a standalone tale that you won't even realize you're reading a sequel. Wynne Jones really creates a world that you won't want to leave -- one that is both believable and magical, a quirky place where you will alternate from pausing in peals of laughter, to frantically turning pages to see what happens next. Teens will love spunky Charmain and appreciate House's fast pace and short, kookily-titled chapters. The anime tie-in can be a real plus for recruiting hesitant readers, especially if they are manga fans. In addition, audiobook listeners are in for a real treat as reader Jenny Sterlin is so skilled at creating different voices for each character you'll feel like you're listening to a full cast.


Read-alike suggestions:

Howl's Moving Castle by Dianna Wynne Jones

Hold Me Closer, Necromancer by Lish McBride

Going Bovine by Libba Bray

Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman

The Gates by John Connolly

Alice in Zombieland

Alice in Zombieland by Nickolas Cook and Lewis Carroll
published by Sourcebooks, 2011
256 pages
approximate age range: 12+

You know this story, of course: once upon a time Alice was dreadfully bored and so followed a talking black rat down an empty grave and ended up in a horrific world where almost everyone was dead, or undead, or on their way to being one or the other. Wait, that doesn't sound quite right, does it? In this tongue in cheek parody of the well-known classic, Nickolas Cook lets his dark imagination run wild while sticking to most of the events of the original, but with a few twists of course -- Lewis Carroll probably never imagined his sweet heroine as a zombie herself with a strong craving for the flesh of Wonderland's inhabitants.

"'... How are you getting on now, my dear?' it continued, turning to Alice as it spoke.

'Hungry -- I mean as wet as ever,' said Alice in a melancholy tone: 'it doesn't seem to dry me at all.'
The Dodo looked her over humorlessly, his little eyes staring at her wilting hair and pale skin.
Alice's brow furrowed in aggravation and she was about to say something, but as she opened her mouth to speak, one of her teeth tumbled from her mouth, and she was so disturbed to see it fall to the ground, she kept her mouth close-lipped from that moment on. Her hair was falling out, and now her teeth, too? Alice felt a chill wash over her that could not be blamed solely on being soaking wet."

Despite having been written over 150 years ago, Alice in Wonderland is still a popular work today, having spawned movies, miniseries, comics, and various re-workings, such as Frank Beddor's Looking Glass Wars series. Teens will enjoy seeing a story they've grown up with mutated into a gross-out zombie parody that still maintains the basic structure of Carroll's tale. The original illustrations by John Tenniel are also slightly, but skillfully, redone, now containing extra gore, insanity, and un-death, making them quite amusing for readers with strong stomachs. While not startling unique, Alice in Zombieland is a fun romp and a quick read that will swing delighted readers from amusement to horror to disgust and back again.

Read-alike suggestions:

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

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls by Steve Hockensmith

Breathers: A Zombie's Lament by S. G. Browne

The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor

Zombies vs. Unicorns edited by Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith

ghostgirl

ghostgirl by Tonya Hurley
published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2008
336 pages
approximate age level: 12+

Charlotte Usher has been virtually invisible at high school, but she hopes all that is about to change. After a summer of personal improvement, Charlotte starts school with a brand new makeover and one goal: get gorgeous Damen to fall for her, take her to the Fall Ball, and give her an exquisite midnight kiss. Not even Damen's popular and perfect girlfriend Petula can stop her, especially after Charlotte lucks out when she's assigned as Damen's lab partner and he asks her to be his physics tutor. Swoon! But then fate deals Charlotte a terrible blow just when she thinks things are going her way -- death by asphyxiation on a gummy bear. Now, Charlotte really is invisible, but she's not going to let that stop her from achieving her dream. With the help of her new friend Scarlet, Petula's goth little sister and the only person who can see her, Charlotte must find a way to get to the Fall Ball with Damen -- even if it means breaking every rule there is to being dead.

More satire than romance, ghostgirl is a surprisingly lighthearted comedy about high school and death. Hurley's novel is full of a lot of hilarious scenes, snappy dialogue, and tongue-in-cheek caricatures of well-known high school stereotypes: the popular girl, the crushable guy, the in-crowd clique, the goth girl. Reluctant readers will love the short chapters, quick pacing, and adorable black and pink illustrations that begin each chapter.

Even so, parts of ghostgirl fall a bit flat due to many of the characters being, well, flat. Though Charlotte does grow a lot throughout the book, for the first half she is a rather one-dimensional, and pathetic, character without many likable traits due to the fact her entire being is centered around achieving popularity and getting Damen. Scarlet is much more interesting right from her first appearance, and it might puzzle readers why a self-assured individual like Scarlet would give Charlotte the time of day, especially after the novelty of having a ghost as a friend has worn off. Petula, too, is a static villain with no redeeming qualities and who is clearly only around as an obstacle for Charlotte and for comedic effect. However, readers will enjoy Hurley's treatment of Damen, which is much more detailed as he emerges as an interesting leading man with a real personality and unique interests.

Yet despite these drawbacks, many aspects of ghostgirl are very enjoyable like the descriptions of the new ghost high school Charlotte attends, especially her morbid classmates who still show the injuries that caused their deaths -- some of which are delightfully gruesome. ghostgirl ends with a satisfying conclusion, one which proves just how much Charlotte has evolved from the beginning of the book. Currently, there are two sequels which follow Charlotte, Scarlet, Damen, and Petula on a few more supernatural adventures: ghostgirl: Homecoming and ghostgirl: Lovesick.

The ghostgirl series also has a wonderful official website: http://www.ghostgirl.com/

The third book in the series has a trailer with an original song by musician Polly Scattergood:


Read-alike suggestions:

ghostgirl: Homecoming by Tonya Hurley

ghostgirl: Lovesick by Tonya Hurley

Bad Girls Don't Die by Katie Alender

Bleeding Violet by Dia Reeves

Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr

The Secret Life of Sparrow Delaney by Suzanne Harper

Zombies vs. Unicorns

Zombies vs. Unicorns edited by Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier

published by Margaret K. McElderry, 2010

432 pages

approximate age range: 13+

Ah, the age old question -- which does the esteemed reader prefer: staggering, brain devouring zombies, or magical, majestic unicorns? Been there, done that? Okay, what about pitiful, pining zombies longing for love or ferocious, man-eating unicorns menacing society? In this collection of short stories gathered by well-known YA authors Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier, readers may find that it's hard to choose sides in the zombie vs. unicorn debate as stereotypes of each are shattered and both are reinvented in very innovative and, at times, rather humorous ways. Garth Nix, Libba Bray, Scott Westefeld, Carrie Ryan, Meg Cabot, and many more popular teen authors toss their hats into the ring, forming teams that dream up tall tales about their favorite creature and face off for the reader's affection. Each story is thoughtfully labeled with a picture of either a zombie or a unicorn so any readers that are adamant about not reading stories from the competition can easily avoid them. In addition, excerpts of an ongoing snippy, tongue-in-cheek conversation between Black (team unicorn) and Larbalestier (team zombie) on the positives and negatives of each prefaces every story and sets the quirky, off-the-wall tone of the collection.

Zombies vs. Unicorns is an easy sell to teens as it's a short story collection with a little bit of everything that will appeal to a wide range of readers and fans of different genres and authors. There are hilarious stories, gory stories, thoughtful stories, romantic stories, post-apocalyptic stories, and so on -- all of which give a fresh, worthwhile look at what one may feel like are two over-examined genres. Every writer is on top of his or her game and it's clear that they had fun with these short fictions that are some of the most creative and clever readers will come across. Narrative voices vary wildly from a runway girl living on the streets, to a princess, to a teenage cop, to a zombie himself. In addition, a couple of stories have gay and lesbian protagonists whose sexual orientation is portrayed in a positive way and deftly interwoven with the supernatural plots. Even so, though Zombies vs. Unicorns is a fun collection with a lot to love, beware when recommending it to younger or more sensitive readers as many of the stories contain mature content such as profanity, teenage sexuality, violent imagery, and, in one instance, alluded-to bestiality.

The official book trailer is appropriately hilarious:

Read-alike suggestions:

The Princess Bride by William Goldman

Stardust by Neil Gaiman

The Gates by John Connolly

White Cat by Holly Black

Liar by Justine Larbalestier

Going Bovine by Libba Bray

Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

Rot and Ruin by Jonathan Maburry

The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle

Lockdown

Lockdown: Escape from Furnace, book 1 by Alexander Gordon Smith

published by Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 2009

288 pages

approximate age level: 13+

14 year old Alex knows that his life of petty theft and home invasions isn't going to end well, but it's hard to give up when his family is poor and his best friend keeps inviting him on new jobs. Finally, Alex promises himself he'll quit -- right after he helps Toby hit one more house. It should be easy since the owners aren't even home, but things go terribly wrong when horrifying men come out of nowhere, kill Toby, and frame Alex for his murder. Unfortunately for Alex, because of a bloody crime spree a few years ago, all juveniles convicted of murder are sent immediately to Furnace, a privately owned prison built underground where kids and teens will spend the rest of their lives without visitors, sunlight, or any hope of parole. And that's not even the worst part -- not many teens in Furnace survive long since if the other inmates, the guards, or the vicious dogs don't get them, the strange men wearing gas masks that come in the middle of the night will. As soon as he arrives, Alex finds out that Furnace really is a hell on earth and he has only one hope of survival -- escape.

Lockdown is part mystery and part thriller, with some very creepy, supernatural elements thrown in for good measure. Alex is a likable narrator, and readers will be rooting for him as he tries to uncover the mysteries of Furnace and plot his escape. Boys will love the all-guys prison atmosphere, compete with inmate fights, skinless, man-eating dogs, mutated guards, and even, perhaps, the devil himself playing warden. The descriptions of the prison are detailed enough to set a dark tone and put reader nerves on edge, and the action is continuous from first page to last. However, action is not the only compelling element, as the relationships between the boys are very believable and the main characters well-rounded and sympathetic. Because it's the first in a series, Lockdown doesn't answer all the questions it poses and ends on a dramatic cliffhanger that guarantees readers will be looking for the next book (luckily, Solitary has already been published).

Book trailer:

Bonus video of author Alexander Gordon Smith introducing his Furnace series:

Read-alike suggestions:

Solitary: Escape from Furnace, book 2 by Alexander Gordon Smith

The Enemy by Charlie Higson

Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill

Gentlemen by Michael Northrop

Incarceron by Catherine Fisher

Rot and Ruin

Rot and Ruin by Jonathan Maberry
published by Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing, 2010
464 pages
approximate age level: 12+

15 year old Benny Imura really, really needs a job. But he doesn't just want some extra pocket change, he wants to have enough food to eat. In Benny's world, zombies have taken over and his entire universe is one small town surrounded by tall fences that keep the undead at bay. Since there isn't a lot of anything, Benny's got to do something if he wants to keep his rations coming. After failing at a string of jobs like locksmith, fence tester, carpet coat salesman, and erosion artist, to name a few, Benny is forced to take the one job he swore to himself he'd never take -- apprentice to his older half-brother, and town hero, Tom, who kills zombies out in the wild and dangerous lands beyond the gates, called the Rot and Ruin. True, being a zombie bounty hunter, or, as Tom refers to himself -- a closer specialist -- sounds cool, but Benny can't stomach following in Tom's footsteps after what he did years ago -- abandoning Benny's mother to die by zombie attack while he fled like a coward. Yet, out in the wilderness with Tom, Benny discovers things that change what he was sure he knew -- about his town, about the zombies, and even about who the real enemies are. For Benny, in the untamed and unpoliced Rot and Ruin, zombies aren't even the most dangerous threat.

Though the first few pages of Rot and Ruin are similar to a few other YA zombie novels, Maberry doesn't fall into a stereotypical rut and soon takes things for a turn few readers will expect. While there is plenty of action and lots of zombies lurching about, Rot and Ruin's central focus is on relationships and society, particularly how people behave in a world where normal society has completely broken down and there are no longer any rules. Maberry's characters develop naturally throughout the novel, and even secondary characters are well-formed enough to draw and maintain reader interest. Moreover, a running discussion of how zombies are perceived by the living -- not just as mindless killers, but as the remains of loved ones -- is an important addition lacking in most other zombie books. The questions this story raises for readers would make it a good choice for a book discussion, especially a Guys Read program. It’s also nice to see a non-white protagonist in a popular YA novel (Benny is half Japanese). The ending wraps things up nicely, but leaves room for a hinted-at sequel.

There's no book trailer, but here is an interesting video of author Jonathan Maberry talking about Rot and Ruin:

Read-alike suggestions:

Patient Zero by Jonathan Maberry

The Enemy by Charlie Higson

World War Z by Max Brooks

The Zombie Survival Guide by Max Brooks

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

Lockdown by Alexander Gordon Smith

The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey

The Stone Child

The Stone Child by Dan Poblocki
published by Random House Books for Young Readers, 2009
288 pages
approximate age level: 9-13

Twelve-year old Eddie Fennicks thinks it’s pretty neat that he’s moving to Gatesweed, the town where his absolute favorite author Nathaniel Olmstead used to live and work before he mysteriously disappeared thirteen years earlier. In fact, Eddie can’t believe his luck when before he’s even unpacked, his antique-hunting parents give him what appears to be a battered journal by Olmstead himself written in code. Excited to investigate the book, and the ominous sounding “Olmstead Curse,” Eddie starts asking questions around town -- but something strange is going on in Gatesweed, something its residents are too scared to talk about, something that has to do with Olmstead and his terrifying stories. Soon Eddie and his friends Maggie and Harris start seeing really creepy things -- unnatural creatures that bear a striking resemblance to the monsters they thought existed only in Olmstead's imagination. But what if everything he wrote is real? Eddie’s been reading Olmstead's books for years -- now, can he survive living in one?

Fans of the Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark series by Alvin Schwartz who are unsure about what to read next can rejoice because The Stone Child is a truly creepy, stay-awake-all-night-with-the-light-on story that is perfect for them. There aren’t many children’s books that could be classified as horror, but The Stone Child definitely fits the bill and is an incredibly readable mix of spookiness and mystery that will draw readers in and keep them guessing until the last page. Poblocki is an expert at creating the perfect unsettling atmosphere for his story that gives readers chills even before any real action has begun. Moreover, the twist that the deadly monsters have seemingly crawled out of horror novels, just like the one readers are holding in their hands, adds an extra spine-tingling level of creepiness that may have them looking over their shoulders more than once.

While there's no official book trailer, here's a great one made by http://booksandliteratureforteens.blogspot.com/:


Read-alike suggestions:

The Nightmarys by Dan Poblocki

Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark series by Alvin Schwartz

The Last Apprentice series by Joseph Delaney

The Zombie Chasers

The Zombie Chasers by John Kloepfer, illustrated by Steve Wolfhard
published by HarperCollins, 2010
224 pages
approximate age level: 9-12

On the way home one Friday Zack Clarke is a bit puzzled that his neighborhood seems dead quiet, but he has more important things to worry about – like his older sister Zoe and her awful friend Madison forcing him into a “makeover” and plastering his lipsticked shame all over the internet. Then Madison eats the last slice of his super delicious birthday cake that he had been craving all day and Zack thinks his day can't possibly get any worse. But it does -- Zack soon finds out that everyone in his neighborhood has become a brain-eating zombie when they descend upon his house and turn his sister into the walking dead. Now, on the run for his life with snotty Madison and his dorky friend Rice, Zack must evade the zombies, make it to a safe zone, and possibly un-zombify Zoe, preferably before his parents find out.

The Zombie Chasers is a silly romp with slap stick action, snappy dialogue, and cartoon illustrations of scenes from the story cropping up every couple of pages. Boys will love all the zombie vs. kids confrontations, especially the multiple gross-out scenes, and the illustrations will appeal to reluctant readers. It's not going to win any awards for exemplary literature, but The Zombie Chasers is a lot of fun and a quick and easy read that kids will find appealing enough to pick up – and finish. Try to stay alive for the sequel Undead Ahead coming out March 29, 2011.

The Zombie Chasers also has a nifty official website with games and a zombie survival guide.

Read-alike suggestions:

Captain Underpants series by Dav Pilkey

Ricky Ricotta's Mighty Robot series by Dav Pilkey

My Weird School Daze series by Dan Gutman

Diary of a Wimpy Kid series by Jeff Kinney

Dust City

Dust City by Robert Paul Weston
published by Razorbill, 2010
304 pages
approximate age level: 12+

Henry Welp has had a tough life. His mom is dead, his dad is in jail, and he's locked away in a reform school outside of town. Oh, and one more thing - he's the son of The Big Bad Wolf – yes that wolf, cold-blooded killer of Little Red Riding Hood and her Granny. When Henry's therapist dies under mysterious circumstances and his best friend Jack hightails it out of school with the help of some magic beans, Henry decides he, too, needs to escape to nearby Dust City, a gritty metropolis that's not so magical ever since the fairies vanished years ago. But when Henry discovers that his dad may have been framed by crime bosses who monopolize a black market of extra-potent fairy dust, Henry's life becomes a lot more dangerous.

Dust City is both a fractured fairytale and a dark romp through a seedy urban underbelly. While populated with a fantastic cast of characters, including ravens, wolves, nixies, and elves, the story touches on topics that are relatable to teens such as racism and drug use. Though at times the plot seems hurried and some situations feel more like ways to advance the story rather than believable events, even within the make believe world Weston has created, Dust City is still an enjoyable and quick read. Narrator Henry is very likeable and all the action and plot twists make it a hard book to put down. Teens will also like seeing their favorite fairy tale characters reborn into such a serious, mature setting. While rather mild in terms of content compared to other YA lit, there is some violence, including a torture scene, and the fairy dust use is equatable to drug use, though it is not promoted by either Henry or the plot.

Read-alike suggestions:

Gentlemen by Michael Northrop

The Grimm Legacy by Polly Shulman

The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor

Fables graphic novels series by Bill Willingham

The Gates

The Gates by John Connolly
published by Washington Square Press, 2009
304 pages
approximate age level: 12+

Three days before Halloween, 11 year old Samuel Johnson and his faithful sidekick, a dachshund named Boswell, decide to show some initiative and start trick-or-treating early. However, instead of ending up with a bag full of sweets, Samuel instead witnesses his neighbors, the Abernathys, performing a strange ritual that opens a portal to hell and releases a group of demons with one goal – to bring the ultimate evil, The Great Malevolence, onto earth. Helped by a rag-tag team including his two best friends, a confused CERN scientist, and a surprisingly sweet, but incompetent, demon named Nurd, Samuel must, against all odds, save the world.

The Gates is full of quirky characters, hilarious asides, and a bunch of fast-paced, slapstick action that makes for an amusing and engaging read. Though this book is cataloged as Adult Fiction in my library, neither the content nor the language make it inappropriate for recommending to teens and it would be great for booktalking to school classes and reluctant readers as it's a fun roller coaster ride that's easy to sell. John Connolly is also the author of The Book of Lost Things, recipient of the 2007 Alex Award.

Read-alike suggestions:

The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly (Alex Award recipient)

Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman (Alex Award recipient)

Stardust by Neil Gaiman (Alex Award recipient)

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman (Newbery Award winner)

Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

Going Bovine by Libba Bray (Printz Award winner)

The Princess Bride by William Goldman

The Enemy

The Enemy by Charlie Higson
published by Hyperion Book, 2010
448 pages
approximate age level: 14+

In a dystopian world where everyone over sixteen has contracted a disease that has turned them into mindless zombie-like creatures, a group of surviving kids and teens try to traverse the dangerous streets of London to get from the grocery store in which they have been living to a promised refuge in Buckingham Palace.

The Enemy is a fast-paced horror/thriller packed with action from page one. Yet, though the story is plot driven, a handful of characters are well-rounded and surprisingly relatable despite their circumstances. Told from constantly shifting viewpoints, we follow the events from the eyes of both boy and girl narrators, making the story appealing to readers of both genders. The action between teens and zombies does get pretty gory and violent and teens are killed - and eaten - so this book isn't for everyone, but it is an engaging, quick read and would be a great choice to booktalk to reluctant readers, especially boys. With the recent resurgence of zombie popularity seen in the success of shows like The Walking Dead, and the cinematic way The Enemy is told, I doubt it'll be hard to get an audience of teens interested. Though ending with a satisfying conclusion, not all loose threads are tied up as this title is also the first in a series. I'm anxious to see where Higson takes the story in his sequel, The Dead, which is set to be released in June, 2011.

The official website for the book offers a creepy book trailer, excerpts, author information, and even a zombie gallery.



Read-alike suggestions:

World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks

The Zombie Survival Guide: Complete Protection from the Living Dead by Max Brooks

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

The Walking Dead comics by Robert Kirkman

The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey