Alice in Zombieland - Gena Showalter

Began reading: 9.3.2017
Completed reading: 18.3.2017
Overall rating: 3 stars

She won't rest until she's sent every walking corpse back to its grave. Forever.

If anyone had told Alice Bell that her entire life would change course between one heartbeat and the next, she would have laughed. From blissful to tragic, innocent to ruined? Please. But that's all it took. One heartbeat. A blink, a breath, a second, and everything she knew and loved was gone.

Her father was right. The monsters are real.

To avenge her family, Ali must learn to fight the undead. To survive, she must learn to trust the baddest of the bad boys, Cole Holland. But Cole has secrets of his own, and if Ali isn't careful, those secrets might just prove to be more dangerous than the zombies.

Alice in Zombieland by Gena Showalter is a fictional young adult novel that contains fantasy, paranormal and romance themes. It took me so long to get into this series, and I have mixed feelings about this book. Honestly, I had such high expectations after reading Firstlife, but this book didn’t live up to them and I’ll explain why as we go on.

Alice Bell would do anything for her family, especially for her little sister Emma. When Emma pressures Alice to ask her parents to attend a ballet performance, they agree despite knowing the dangers that come at night. After the performance, Alice and her family are involved in a freak accident, killing everyone except her. Although she couldn’t believe it, Alice witnessed zombies feasting on her parents. When she returns to school, Alice meets Cole Holland – the leader of the ‘bad boys’ and zombie slayer. With Cole, Alice learns to fight the zombies but she has difficulties with resisting the attraction that continues to grow between them. She fears the return of her now-zombie father, but when she comes face-to-face with him, will she be able to end him once and for all?

There were a few spelling and grammatical errors throughout the book, but the literary techniques that were employed almost counteracted this. Showalter utilised literary techniques such as humour, foreshadowing and the use of a nemesis (a group of, in this case). These devices assisted with creating a detailed, intriguing and well-developed novel. There were some interesting quotes scattered through the book, including:

I’d rather the world considered me crazy while I go down fighting than spend the rest of my life hiding from the truth (p. 8).

I flinched, his words echoing hollowly through my mind, at last breaking me. No, he wasn’t going to change his mind, and now, I didn’t want him to. He was done with me, and I was done with him. I’d tried, at least. He couldn’t say the same (p. 228).

I knew the devastation of loss, the sick feeling of realising someone you loved had suffered greatly (p. 317).

If only there was something I could say to comfort them, but I remembered my disdain for the doctors, nurses, friends and family who had offered me ridiculous platitudes after the accident.

You’ll be okay. They would carry on, yes, but they would never forget their own sense of mortality.

Time will heal you. Losing a loved one was like losing a limb. You were always aware of what you were missing, of what you used to have.

I’m sorry. I was, but those words wouldn’t really mean anything to any of them. Their friend was gone, and they wouldn’t see him again until they died. That thought wouldn’t comfort them tonight (p. 319).

More quotes from the book can be found here.

I must commend Showalter for her range of secondary characters. In my opinion, secondary characters are just as important as the protagonists – they help build the narrative and keep the plot flowing. A variety of different secondary characters make the story more realistic and generates a sense of diversity. In the book, there was a decent amount of secondary characters – not too many to make things confusing. The male and female groups presented two different spheres: the boys represented the world of zombies, while the girl group symbolised the ‘normal’ world. I thought that was interesting and clever, and it makes me wonder if these two spheres will ever merge (I know that it has already begun)…

Unfortunately, that’s pretty much all the positive stuff that I got from the book. One of the issues I had was the unrealistic atmosphere that arose from the plot itself. Why does everyone who finds out about the existence of zombies (e.g. Ali’s nana) just accept it with no questions asked? Why don’t they freak out or at least question this? I’m not sure about you guys, but I’d definitely think that they were losing it unless I saw some kind of proof. Why doesn’t anyone question their sanity?

                     

Romance was to be expected, especially after Cole was mentioned in the blurb. The problem with it was that it resembled Twilight in a few ways: Cole was manipulative and somewhat abusive. He was possessive and just came on too strong. I did not like it. I believe that a romance should have a likeable love interest – I don’t understand the attraction associated with a manipulative and possessive lover. I know that Cole is portrayed as an aloof guy and that also flows into his relationship with Ali, but it didn’t work for me.

                                            

Another thing that really bothered me: stereotypes. I hate stereotypes! The way that some of the characters were described were so stereotypical that it was almost hilarious. Cole’s group of zombie slayers: badass boys, who enjoy causing trouble. How are they described? They have vibrantly coloured hair, body piercings, numerous tattoos and even ankle bracelets. I’m sorry, but this makes them sound like a 90s punk rock band. Just because they fight zombies doesn’t mean that they have to fill the stereotype of a ‘bad boy’. It was laughable and I couldn’t take them seriously.

I will take the blame for this one, but what was the point of the title? IT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH ALICE IN WONDERLAND! Usually, I don’t really care whether or not the book’s title is relevant to the narrative but I found this title to be very misleading. I should have read some reviews before purchasing this series but I was just so excited. It hardly has any connection to Alice in Wonderland, except for the rabbit cloud and Alice’s name. I’m not the only one who thought that this series would be a dark retelling of the classic tale, but we were deceived. I don’t think I will forgive myself for not checking out the reviews before buying the books. I’m just so mad!

                    

Anyway, let’s move on! My favourite character was 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. Emma was a notable character – why did she have to die?

WARNING: SPOILER* I’m not very good at discovering antagonists before I get to the plot twist, but I managed to find out who it was long before it was revealed. I had always suspected Dr. Wright! Well, not always but I knew something was up when she appeared at Reeve’s house. I’m also not a fan of either Justin or Jaclyn – I knew that they were strange from the beginning, especially when Jaclyn gave Ali all of those death stares. Here’s a question: why the heck didn’t Ali know that they were siblings?

My favourite part of the book was the final battle at Anima Industries. It was emotional, suspenseful and full of surprises. I was on my toes the entire time! Final battle scenes are always exciting because they reveal so many plot twists. Many of the twists that occurred during this scene were unexpected, and I loved it!

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: Through the Zombie Glass, The Queen of Zombie Hearts, and A Mad Zombie Party. Keep an eye out for those!

Happy reading!

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Lost & Found - Brooke Davis

Began reading: 28.2.2017
Completed reading: 5.3.2017
Overall rating: 3 stars

Millie Bird has been left behind in a department store by her mum.

Agatha Pantha hasn't stepped out of her house since her husband died, seven years ago.

Karl the Touch Typist has escaped from a nursing home.

Three lost people needing to be found. They just don't know it yet.

Lost & Found by Brooke Davis is a contemporary fiction novel that takes place in Australia. I purchased this book a while ago because of all the awards it had received, but I only just got around to reading it. I liked the book because it was somewhat nostalgic, but at the same time I felt that it was a little unrealistic. I’ll explain why a little later.

Millie Bird's father has died from cancer, and her mother has abandoned her in a department store. As she wanders around, looking for her mother, she meets Karl the Touch Typist. Karl has lost his wife, Evie, and has difficulty obeying instructions. Without Evie, he feels lost and alone; that is, until he meets Millie. Agatha Pantha has lost her husband and shut herself in her house, refusing to go outside for anything. She lives across the street from Millie, and when she sees Millie's mother running away with her daughter, Agatha decides to help Millie find her mum, by travelling around Australia. Along with Karl and Agatha, Millie comes across a range of people whom she teaches that death is inevitable but it's ok.

The novel was well-written, especially in relation to its pace and structure. It flowed well, and I was surprised at how easy it was to read. I wouldn’t say that it was a light read, as it explored death and grief, but I didn’t think that it was dense. Davis employed various literary techniques to give the book depth and intrigue. Humour was one of the key techniques that all three protagonists utilised. For example:

A teenage boy walks past them on the street. He has braces and pimples and wears his hat sideways. Probably thinking about masturbating, she says as they brush shoulders.

[…] What’s masturbating? the little girl asks. It’s what boys do to keep busy! Agatha says. What about girls? the little girl says. What about girls! Boys touch themselves, girls get themselves ready to be touched by boys. That’s it, that’s life! You should be writing this down! (p. 98).

There were also some great quotes, including:

…they ate together, slept together, sat together, breathed together – but had never been further apart (p. 53).

There’s an advertisement on the wall, a photo of a lady holding a sign that reads Old Can Wait. Agatha stands in front of it as though they’re facing off in a Western. The blond boy is still staring at Agatha. Old is not a choice! she yells at him. The boy begins to cry and his mother glares at Agatha. There’s no point keeping it from him, Agatha says, and sits down again (pp. 99-100).

Life decides what happens, not you! (p. 104).

Maybe when you let out your last breath, you let out everything, your memories and thoughts and things you wished you’d said and things you wished you didn’t say… (p. 137).

The start date and the end date are always the important bits on the gravestones, written in big letters. The dash in between is always so small you can barely see it. Surely the dash should be big and bright and amazing, or not, depending on how you had lived (p. 144).

Can you love and hate the same person? If you love them more than you hate them, will they forgive you? (p. 173).

More quotes from the book can be found here.

The plot was interesting, especially as Davis kept the balance between light and dark concepts. The protagonists travelled through Australia to find Millie’s mum, riding on the Indian Pacific train. I have always wanted to travel on that train, and I see it often when I’m at train stations, so to be able to read about the characters riding on it was pretty special. It was also fascinating to read about how Millie and Karl would spend their nights in the department store after it had closed. The way Millie used different sections of the store to keep herself entertained was so creative and adorable.

                       

The use of realistic characters for protagonists was something that I need to applaud Davis for. Realistic characters give readers something to relate to – we could meet similar people on the street, or be friends with them. Millie’s inquisitiveness, Agatha’s aloofness, and Karl’s friendliness and sense of adventure seemed very realistic. Creating realistic characters can be challenging, but I believe that Davis did an awesome job. Not all authors can successfully make their characters realistic, but Davis managed just fine.

A good conclusion needs to provide closure, address the theme or themes, and maybe propose or indicate how the characters develop in the future. The conclusion for this book was decent, in that it provided some closure, addressed the themes of death and loss, and gave us an insight into the protagonists’ futures. I would have liked more closure, especially Millie’s reunion with her mother, but it was good enough so I can’t complain.

                       

An author’s writing style has the ability to stand out, and I believe that Davis’s writing style definitely did that – but not in a good way. I noticed that I wasn’t the only person who thought this, as I have seen numerous reviews on Goodreads that mentioned the book’s writing style. The dialogue in this novel was not separated by quotation marks, nor was it placed in its own paragraph. At first, I thought that they were memories, as dialogue in memories or flashbacks tend to be in italics, but I don’t think that this is the case. The lack of quotation marks were confusing and irritating, as was the combination of dialogue with the rest of the narrative in the same paragraph. I never realised how much I appreciated quotation marks until I read this book.

I mentioned earlier that the characters, especially the three protagonists, were realistic. This was mostly due to their personalities, and being able to relate to them in some way. At the same time, I found them to be a little unrealistic. In particular, Millie – how can ANY seven-year-old be so obsessed with death? I was very concerned for her, as were a couple of other secondary characters. Similarly, Millie’s mother seemed very unrealistic. I know that she was grieving, but how can a mother ditch her daughter and disappear for (I’m assuming) years?

                       

My favourite character by far was Agatha Pantha – her name is a plant. How cool is that?! Anyway, she was the most relatable, fierce, wise and flawed. I was surprised by how much I related to her – we both hate talking to people, both a little crazy and willing to help those in need. Millie was a notable character.

Like I said before, I want to know why Millie’s mother thought leaving her in a department store was a good idea. She was grieving, but leaving a child like that is horrible! I also want to know what happened when Millie reunited with her – did Millie’s mum apologise? Did Millie forgive her?

My favourite parts of the book were when Agatha threw the food onto her front lawn, and the cliff scene when Millie wanted to jump. When Agatha threw the food on the lawn, it was because she didn’t want pity. After throwing all of the food away, she sat on the steps of her porch, eating potato bake with her hands. To be honest, I think that this would be my way of grieving.

Recommendation time! If you like the If I Stay series by Gayle Foreman, The Memory Tree by Tess Evans, Nest by Inga Simpson, and Let Her Go by Dawn Barker, you will love this book. Also, I recommend this book to anyone who likes the This Is Us tv series, the Little Big Lies tv series, A Single Man, Magnolia, and Never Let Me Go.

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The Sleeping Prince - Melinda Salisbury

Began reading: 23.2.3017
Completed reading: 28.2.2017
Overall rating: 4 stars

Some fairy stories should never come true...

Errin knows the old story well: the Sleeping Prince, who rises from his slumber every hundred years to wreak horror and bloodshed. She just never imagined he was real.

As this terrifying enemy rises and a war begins, Errin is forced to flee. With no one to turn to, her only hope is the mysterious Silas, a man whose face she has never even seen...

The Sleeping Prince by Melinda Salisbury is a fictional young adult novel that contains fantasy and romance. I put this book off for a while, especially after the first novel, but I’m glad that I finally got around to it. It was definitely an improvement but with a few characters from the prior book. I definitely have to get my hands on the final book because I NEED to know how it all ends!

Errin has been abandoned by almost everyone in her family – her father is dead, her mother doesn’t recognise her, and her brother Lief is missing. The only person she can rely on is the mysterious Silas, a man she she knows next to nothing about. In order to keep her house and survive, Errin uses her apothecary skills to make and sell potions. However, news of the Sleeping Prince’s return puts everyone in danger, forcing Errin to leave her mother in a refugee camp and look for a girl who could defeat the Prince’s deadly army. With everything riding on the return of this girl, Errin will be challenged, betrayed and have to question everything she knows. Who can she trust?

The book was well-written, well-paced, and the structure was clearly defined. Salisbury did an excellent job with incorporating literary techniques into the plot, especially the use of foreshadowing. I knew from the beginning that Errin’s dreams were significant, and I suspected correctly that her dream man was not who she thought he was. Descriptions were also detailed, so it was easy to imagine how a character looked or how a scene played out as if it was right in front of me. Also, there were some great quotes, including:

Mysterious boys are not as enjoyable in reality as they are in stories (p. 29).

‘If wishes were horses then beggars would ride’ (p. 164).

That’s the trouble with knowing things: you can’t unknow them. Once you let yourself look at them, or say them aloud, they become real (p. 237).

‘I did love you,’ Amara says. ‘I tried’ (p. 341).

He shakes his head. ‘Twylla, I – ‘

‘If you say you still love me then I swear to the Gods I will kill you,’ she hisses.

‘I wasn’t going to,’ he says, and the ring of honesty in his words makes her recoil (p. 349).

More quotes from the book can be found here.

The plot was one of adventure and discovery, which I found interesting. Errin travelled around Tregellan, meeting various people and doing interesting things – like hiding on the roof of an abandoned cottage. I haven’t read very many books that involve much exploration around different places, so I enjoyed this plot a lot. Also, the use of Errin’s dreams for foreshadowing made the plot unique. I got into the plot from the beginning; however, I really immersed myself after Errin found ‘Dimia’. The primary reason being that it began to link with the first book, which was great to see. I’m hoping that the next book has an adventurous plot, or at least something just as interesting!

                 

As I mentioned, there was a variety of secondary characters in this novel which kept things exciting. First of all, Errin was only mentioned in The Sin Eater’s Daughter, so I’m happy that we got to hear her perspective. There were a couple of characters from that first book that were brought back into this one, especially Twylla and Lief. I was grateful that they made a return because I really liked Twylla and I wanted to know what happened to these two characters after the conclusion of the last book. There were also characters from Lief and Errin’s childhood, which gave me an insight into their past. Overall, I thought that Salisbury did an awesome job with including secondary characters and using them to better shape the book’s plot.

A plot with a decent amount of romance will always be appealing to me. Salisbury’s use of romance is subtle, being only a minor plot line among others. Mostly, the book involved romantic tension – the whole he-likes-me-he-likes-me-not dilemma, which is alright with me. The tension wasn’t just between Errin and Silas, which was another notable point. None of the romantic encounters were full on, which was good – as I’m not a fan of excessively romantic gestures. There was a decent amount of romance and romantic tension, which is another reason why I enjoyed this book.

Similar to The Sin Eater’s Daughter, there was a good amount of plot twists – unpredictable and dramatic. I love strategically-placed plot twists, especially if they are unpredictable and full of suspense. In this novel, there were quite a few that left me shocked, especially towards the conclusion. Some were predictable, in particular the identity of Errin’s dream man, but still made the story more intriguing. My favourites were Dimia’s true identity and the return of a particular male character.

             

The conclusion definitely left me wanting more, just like the previous novel. It was dramatic and bittersweet, and was also another plot twist. It made me gasp, as all good conclusions should. In particular, the epilogue was exciting and provided a decent amount of closure to the plot. I am so excited to see how Errin reacts to her new palace friend! Salisbury knows how to end a book, as she never leaves any questions unanswered. THAT is how a book should end!

My favourite character is Twylla, even though she didn’t play a major role until towards the end. Twylla is hospitable, considerate, compassionate, loyal and a badass. What more could you want? I liked how she handled Lief at the Conclave – it was cold, and just what he deserved. Errin and Silas are notable characters.

I’m a little confused about Lief – is he good or bad? If I had to guess, he’s been influenced by the Sleeping Prince but wants to protect those he loves. I just hope things are clarified in the next book!

My favourite parts of the book are scenes with Errin and Silas, Twylla and Amara’s final conversation, and the epilogue. Errin and Silas are cute together – when they decided to be together. There was a lot of romantic tension between them throughout the book which made their union more exciting. Twylla and Amara’s final conversation was really raw and emotional. They talked about how they each cared for their family, with Twylla accusing Amara of not caring for them. Amara’s final words to Twylla: ‘I did love you,’ […] ‘I tried’, made me want to burst into tears! Finally, the epilogue was really dramatic and included a final plot twist which left me surprised and excited for the next book.

                   

Recommendation time! If you like the War of the Princes series by A.R. Ivanovich, The Black North by Nigel McDowell, and Stealing Snow by Danielle Paige, you will love this book. Also, I recommend this book to anyone who likes the Harry Potter series, Suspiria, and Tideland.

I will also be reviewing the rest of The Sin Eater’s Daughter series, including The Scarecrow Queen. Keep an eye out for that!

My review for The Sin Eater’s Daughter can be found by clicking on the title.

Happy reading!

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