The first book is Rot and Ruin by Jonathan Maberry.
In the zombie-infested, post-apocalyptic America where Benny Imura lives, every teenager must find a job by the time they turn fifteen or get their rations cut in half. Benny doesn't want to apprentice as a zombie hunter with his boring older brother Tom, but he has no choice. He expects a tedious job whacking zoms for cash, but what he gets is a vocation that will teach him what it means to be human.
Follow Benny and his friends as they leave behind the safety of their fenced-in town to search for the living in the world of the dead. Along the way they discover that the greatest evil they’ll face still has a heartbeat. - excerpt from book jacket
This book, the first in a series of four, falls into the classic-type zombie category: people died, they came back from the dead, they had turned into mindless, rotting, animated corpses who attacked living people and infected them. I didn't really enjoy the book. In fact, I only finished reading it to find out how it ends, only to discover that it doesn't. I decided to just leave the story hanging and not continue with the rest of the series. So, what was wrong with it? Well, it did try to get the characters (and readers, I presume) to view the zombies as victims to be respected and left alone if possible, which I guess is nice, and a new perspective to take, but I was really unimpressed with the writing. I thought the pacing was much too slow for most of the book, and it read more like a Juvenile Fiction novel than the YA fiction I tend to go for. A middle grade student with less reading under their belt might enjoy it, but it was kind of long, so I really wouldn't recommend it for the reluctant reader.
Rating: 2.5 Stars
Reading Level: 5.0
Age Appropriate: Upper Middle Grades and above
The second book is Contaminated by Em Garner.
After the Contamination—an epidemic caused by the super-trendy diet drink ThinPro that turned ordinary citizens into violent, uncontrollable creatures—the government rounded up the "Connies" to protect the remaining population. Now, two years later, the rehabilitated are being allowed home, complete with shock collars that will either control, or kill, them.
Velvet Ellis has struggled to care for her ten-year-old sister since her parents were taken in the round up. When she finds her mother in one of the "Kennels," Velvet resolves to do whatever it takes to put her family back together. But the danger isn’t over. It’s beginning all over again… - excerpt from book jacket
This novel did the not-dead-but-otherwise-all-characteristics-of-the-classic-zombie thing. But, there was a twist - the contaminated (zombies) could be un-zombiefied, and maybe, some of them, could have a full recovery and become normal people again. Very interesting.
I liked this one. It took a brand new approach that I hadn't come across before. The writing was good, the pacing was just right, and it was pretty much believable. It is the first book in a trilogy. The second book, Mercy Mode, just came out a couple of months ago. It wasn't quite as good as the first one, but good enough to keep me interested in reading the final installment.
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Reading Level: 4.4
Age Appropriate: Upper Middle Grades and above
Page Count/Word Count: 330/ 80,572
Genre: Action/Adventure, Post apocalyptic/Pandemic
Keywords: zombies, family relationships, survival
The third book is Reboot by Amy Tintera.
Five years ago, Wren Connolly was shot three times in the chest. After 178 minutes she came back as a Reboot: stronger, faster, able to heal, and less emotional. The longer Reboots are dead, the less human they are when they return. Wren 178 is the deadliest Reboot in the Republic of Texas. Now seventeen years old, she serves as a soldier for HARC (Human Advancement and Repopulation Corporation).
Wren’s favorite part of the job is training new Reboots, but her latest newbie is the worst she’s ever seen. As a 22, Callum Reyes is practically human. His reflexes are too slow, he’s always asking questions, and his ever-present smile is freaking her out. Yet there’s something about him she can’t ignore. When Callum refuses to follow an order, Wren is given one last chance to get him in line—or she’ll have to eliminate him. Wren has never disobeyed before and knows if she does, she’ll be eliminated, too. But she has also never felt as alive as she does around Callum.
The perfect soldier is done taking orders. - excerpt from book jacket
Okay. So this one has the dead coming back to life, but instead of being mindless and decaying and ravenous for human flesh, they are more like cold-blooded (in both senses of the word) super-humans. Not anything like the typical zombie, but undead nonetheless.
This is a two-book series that I really enjoyed. It was fast-paced and interesting, with lots of action, but also the depth of plot and characters that you would expect of a YA novel. Here is the official trailer to give you a little taste:
Reboot is a good book for people who enjoy reading, as well as for those reluctant readers out there. The little bit of romance that is hinted at in the excerpt from the book jacket shouldn't deter guys from reading this either - it is so totally not a romance novel. It is probably not appropriate for readers younger that high school aged, though, due to some content (other than violence).
Rating: 4 Stars
Reading Level: 4.7
Age Appropriate: Upper Grades
Page Count/Word Count: 365/ 81,217
Genre: Action/Adventure, Post Apocalyptic/Pandemic
Keywords: zombies, soldiers, survival
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