Began reading: 23.3.2017
Completed reading: 6.4.2017
Overall rating: 3 stars
Zombies stalk the night.
Forget blood and brains. These monsters hunger for human souls.
Sadly, they've got mine.
Alice Bell has lost so much. Family. Friends. A home. She thought she had nothing else to give. She was wrong.
After a new zombie attack, strange things begin to happen to her. Mirrors come to life, and the whispers of the dead assault her ears. But the worst? A terrible darkness blooms inside her, urging her to do very wicked things...
Through the Zombie Glass by Gena Showalter is the second instalment in The White Rabbit Chronicles. It is a fictional young adult novel that contains fantasy, paranormal and romance themes. I didn’t know what to expect after the first novel – it was ok, but not great. I thought that there were some good improvements in this novel, but it’s far from perfect and I’ll explain why soon.
Losing everyone and everything she loves has made Ali Bell stronger in so many ways. She has learnt to fight for everything she believes in – Cole, her friends, family and life; especially when she is infected with zombie toxin and begins to transform into a monster. Hearing voices in her head, moving reflections of her zombie self in the mirror, and feeling an unbearable hunger for human souls, Ali must find a cure before her human self loses the fight against her zombie side. The question is, can she find a treatment before she loses the fight between her good and evil sides and consumes the souls of her friends and family?
In comparison to the previous novel, this book was well-written, with no errors that I could locate. I found this story to be more immersive and fast-paced, despite Ali’s swinging back and forth of how much she needs Cole then doesn’t need him – girl, just make up your mind! Anyway, Showalter did a good job of using literary techniques to increase depth and detail. As well as others, the use of slang, humour and tone made the story more engaging. There were also a few great quotes, including:
Everything around us is subject to change. Today is cold. Tomorrow, heat will come. Flowers bloom, then wither. Those we love, we can grow to hate. And life… life can be perfect one minute and in shambles the next (p. 9).
Everything changed. The world. The seasons. Time. People. Nothing and no one ever stayed the same. Accepting another change should be easy. After all, even I would change (p. 88).
Justin closed his eyes, drew in a shaky breath. But that was it, his only reaction. And yet my heart broke for him. I knew what he was doing, because I’d done the same thing. I’d boxed up my grief and shoved it deep, deep inside.
He would feel better for a little while. Then, one day, someone would come along and say something, or he would see something, and the box would begin to open. All of those negative emotions would come pouring out, and he’d be helpless to stop them. He would break down (pp. 298-299).
‘[…] I get more joy from your smiles than anything else,’ he continued. ‘I look at you, and I want you. There’s a sweetness to you, a vulnerability you allow so few people to see, but I’m one of the lucky ones and I’ll be forever grateful’ (p. 430).
More quotes from the novel can be found here.
As mentioned in my review for Alice in Zombieland, there was a range of secondary characters which added diversity to the plot. I believe that characters are just as important as a book’s plot, as they are just as memorable and add interest to the story. In this book, the range of secondary characters was increased with two more slayers thrown in. These new characters created new plot lines, especially as they put a strain on Cole and Ali’s relationship. The secondary characters had various personalities and voices, and had different effects on Ali. The amount of secondary characters was good – not too many to be confusing. The characters are one of the reasons why I enjoy this series, and I hope that this continues as the series progresses!
Another positive thing about this book was the plot. I loved the idea of Ali having to fight an evil side to herself; the ability to see her zombie self in the mirror, and hear voices in her head made the narrative more intense. I wouldn’t say that it was unique because I feel like I’ve seen or heard of something similar, but it was still interesting and exciting. Honestly, I thought that this plot was superior to that of the previous book, so I have to applaud Showalter for this.
I have mixed feelings about this next point, which is why it’s between the good and not-so-good arguments. There were a few steamy moments scattered throughout the book, but they were almost instantly cut short – which was frustrating. I understand that it creates anticipation, but it can only happen so many times before it becomes irritating. I loved the steamy scenes, especially:
‘You need to sleep in your old bedroom tonight,’ he said. ‘I’m sending everyone home and sneaking in.’
‘Don’t want Kat and Reeve to her your best moves?’
‘Don’t want Kat and Reeve to hear the way you respond to my best moves’ (p. 441).
But can it either happen or not happen already? It’s quickly becoming annoying and predictable, which isn’t good.
Speaking of romance, it still resembled Twilight and this bothered me. I realised this while I was reading the first book, but it became even more apparent as I progressed through this one. I won’t lie, I was a fan of Twilight back in the day, but the romance aspect never appealed to me. I found that the same thing was going on here, and it was odd to say the least. One noticeable example was this:
‘When is the madness going to end?’ he asked. ‘I must be obsessed with you, Ali. Addicted’ (p. 271).
Hmmm. Sound familiar?
Moving on. I suppose that there was meant to be some kind of mystery surrounding who the spy for Anima Industries was? You’d have to be pretty stupid not to guess who the spy was. It was so predictable that it was laughable! I couldn’t believe that it was so obvious. This really ruined the book for me, as a mystery should be unpredictable and sufficiently detailed. I liked the story behind why the spy was motivated to betray the slayers, but it wasn’t good enough to be considered a suspenseful mystery.
My favourite character is still Kat, as she was loyal, bubbly, optimistic and ruthless. She was a bit over-the-top for me, but her overall personality was the most agreeable. Gavin is a notable character.
*WARNING: SPOILER* Ethan got what he deserved – he shouldn’t have betrayed Reeve, because she is sweet and innocent. Because of him, she is now exposed to the zombie world. Like I said before, I liked the reason for his betrayal but Reeve didn’t deserve to be betrayed by him. I’m glad that the slayers released him to care for his sister, though. It was considerate, and I hope that he has learnt his lesson and stayed away from Anima Industries.
My favourite parts of the book were the scenes with Gavin and Ali, and Ali’s time in Anima Industries. Ali and Gavin would have been so cute for each other, despite him being a player. I liked that he hit on her relentlessly, and made Cole jealous of him. His visions with Ali were intense but steamy. Ali’s time at Anima Industries brought out the best in her, especially when she helped Jaclyn. The way in which they escaped was full of suspense, which kept me wanting more.
Recommendation time! If you like the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer, the Reaper Diaries series by Michele Vail, and The Callahan Chronicles by J.B. Thomas, you will love this book. Also, I recommend this book to anyone who likes The Walking Dead tv series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer tv series, Dawn of the Dead, and Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.
I will also be reviewing the rest of the White Rabbit Chronicles series: The Queen of Zombie Hearts, and A Mad Zombie Party. Keep an eye out for those!
My review for Alice in Zombieland can be found by clicking on the title.
Happy reading!
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