"Generation Dead" by Daniel Waters

Judge a book by its cover

I'm a YA fan AND a zombie fan (I LOVE "The Walking Dead"), so if you combine those two... of course I'm going to read it!  I mean, there's zombie cheerleader on the front cover, how could I not pick up this book?

Synopsis

In America, some teenagers who died, aren't staying dead.  But when they come back, they aren't the same people they were when they are alive - the first time.  The zombies, or the politically correct term "differently biotic", are trying their best to fit back in to a world that doesn't want them.

Phoebe finds herself falling for the cute boy in her algebra class - Tommy.  Only problem is, Tommy is a dead kid.  Not only will her best friend, Margi, and her neighbor, Adam, not approve, but society wouldn''t stand for it either.  Phoebe feels like there is more to the dead kids, especially Tommy, that people aren't willing to see.  So, she convinces Margi and Adam to join the Undead Studies group that their high school is offering, to learn more about the "differently biotic", from the dead kids themselves.  Adam, however, has feelings for Phoebe that run deeper than "just friendship".  He would do anything for her.  But does that include putting his own happiness aside to protect Tommy for Phoebe's sake?

Humble Opinion

Loved it.  It was funny, cute, and kept a great pace.  I didn't want to put it down, but I also didn't have "withdrawal" if I didn't read it as soon as I got home.  (Endless Knight anyone??)  It had a Twilight forbidden love feel to it (only much better written), yet it's easily able to stand on its own as not to be thought of as "another Twilight book".

Phoebe and Adam are very likable characters.  Their friendship seems a little odd since he's the football star and she's the "goth girl", but since they have been neighbors for years and Adam has a crush on Phoebe, I bought into it.  Tommy is... mysterious.  I wanted to like him, but at the same time he was a huge question mark for me because there is so much that you don't know about him.  Meanwhile, Margi is written as a realistically, annoying best friend that most people don't like, but for some reason you're friends with.  The other supporting characters - Karen (who I'm pretty sure is supposed to be the girl on the book cover), Pete, Thorny, Colette, etc - are nicely developed and definitely add welcomed layers to the story.

Final say

I really enjoyed the book!  So much so that I ordered the sequel, Kiss of Life (which I am reading right now), immediately after finishing the book.  I could see this as a Disney series (since Disney's Hyperion Books is the publisher), and I would totally watch it.  I think the book is able to appeal to tweens, Twilighters, zombie fans, and general YA fans.  It's a fun book for everyone!