Monday, May 16, 2011

Zombies Don't Cry by Rusty Fischer (Review)

Genre:Young Adult, Paranormal, Horror
Publication.Date  May 1st 2011
Pages:371
Where to get: Barnes and Noble, Amazon,
WebsiteRusty Fischer- Zombies Don't Blog
Zombies Don't Cry - Goodreads
My review copy:Received from the author (Thank you!)





          In the sleepy small town of Barracuda Bay, Maddy Swift leads the life of a fairly typical teenager, but while attending a party one night, Maddy is struck by lightning and awakens to realize she has been reanimated and turned into a zombie. While becoming acquainted with her new "lifestyle," Maddy stumbles upon two unexpected undead chaperones, fellow students Dane and Chloe, who begin to teach her the ways of zombie life, including defending the populace from Zerkers—the bad zombies. Together, on prom night, the three teens must ultimately defend Barracuda Bay High from an all-out zombie Armageddon.
(goodreads.com)




"I can tell I'm a little stiff. Okay, but who wouldn't be after a nighttime jaunt in a tsunami? I mean, lightning strikes nearby, you get knocked on your butt, you're gonna feel a little bad, right? It isn't until I get home that I realize I'm not just stiff. I am a stiff.
"We can smell for miles, see in the dark, and hear a mosquito fart two towns away.




     Rusty Fischer is officially my new hero! The story he created is simply phenomenal. Original and so unbelievably fun to read, it's a MUST-HAVE not only for every Zombie fan out there, but for anyone who loves great YA paranormal/horror books with amazing sense of humor.  

     Maddy is a super likable character. She’s more or less an ordinary teenage girl, who doesn’t wear tons of make-up and prefers khaki pants over flashy dresses. She might not be the most popular girl in school, but she gets by just fine, having her best friend, Hazel, and her open-minded and understanding dad at her side. And then things get even better, when she literally runs into the "new, hot guy", Stamp, who just recently moved to the town. Stamp asks her to accompany him to a party at a friend's house and Maddy gladly accepts the invite. Everything seems to be going just peachy, she even manages to sneak out of the house without her dad noticing and she almost makes it to the party... Almost, because then something unexpected happens. It starts raining and Maddy can hear the thunder approaching. It's getting closer with every minute and then it hits somewhere not far away from where she stands, and Maddy collapses to the ground. After awhile she wakes up face down in the puddle of mud, all drenched in muddy water, with her makeup streaking down her face. Not only, though, her clothes and make up are ruined and she missed out on her chance to spend the evening with her prince charming, but she suddenly realizes that her heart is not beating, like, AT ALL, and she's not breathing either. As it turns out the lightning didn't strike somewhere close to Maddy. Maddy was stricken with the lightning. And now she's turned into a living dead, a zombie!

     It would be an understatement to say that her life was about to be turned up-side-down. She's an undead now and she has to learn how to survive as one. On the Internet she learns that she has to consume some brains within 48 hours from being turned, otherwise the transition to a zombie won't be completed and she will die.  Again. And so Maddy goes for a “midnight-snack run” to the local grocery store and orders 10 pounds of goat brains (because these are the only brains available). While waiting for her order to be prepared, she's joined at the store by two of her school-mates, Dane and Chloe. These two, as it later turns out, are both zombies, too, and they take Maddy to meet the Council (Zombie Elders). As a new Zombie she must vow to uphold the Zombie laws and fight the Zerkers (Zombies gone wild!). She’s told that she can continue "living" like she used to, but she can't let any human know about the existence of the "unholy" kind. Much to her desperation, she also learns that she's not allowed to date Normals, and if she breaks any of the rules, she will die. Again. Maddy might be a zombie, with her body ice-cold and her heart dead in her chest, she might not be able to cry, sweat or gain weight, but she is still capable of feeling the very same emotions she used to feel before turning into a living-dead. Zombies don't cry, but they most definitely would if they could.

*

     I loved it, loved it, loved it!!! It's not just another Zombie flick, this book is so much more than brain-eating zombies roaming around and groaning "brains... eat brainssssss..", it's a refreshing and original new take on the Zombie world, based on a solid, gripping plot, with fantastic characters and positively geeky sense of humor. I got sucked into the story from the very first page and, much to my husband's annoyance, wasn't able to put it down until I literally passed out on the couch. I picked it up first thing in the morning and finished it before even eating breakfast, that's how great it was! (I mean, come on, you gotta appreciate the fact that I chose this book over my husband's strawberry waffles, right? It never happened before!). 

     Zombies Don't Cry is nearly 400 hundred pages long, and yet there's not a single passage that would come across as boring or unnecessary. Every word accounts for something. And the humor.. you just gotta love the humor! I was constantly cracking up and shaking my head in pure amazement. Even the way the chapters are named already suggests that you're about to be taken on a crazy zombie-coaster ride (Chapter 5: Rainbows keep falling on my dead; Chapter 13: Cloudy with a chance of gray matter; Chapter 23: Any grave will do). Rusty's writing style is superb, light and extremely enjoyable. I started reading expecting a humorous and witty story, and I wasn't disappointed, but what I didn't at all expect was the ending, which actually made me cry. All of a sudden this book got so much more depth and I realized how well-thought-out the whole story was. The ending really got to me!  

     And Maddy.. Maddy is just such a great character. She goes through so much and yet she’s still strong and positive, she keeps a healthy distance to herself and she even manages to joke about all that has happened to her. She's definitely one of my favorite female characters! All the other characters, even the smallest ones, were vivid and real. Each and every single one of them was very essential to the story. 

     I’m thankful to Rusty that he didn’t do to Zombies, what Stephenie Meyer did to Vampires, i.e. he didn’t embellish them,  didn’t make them all lovely, pretty and friendly (and sparkly!).  He depicted them as they were, with gray skin and dark circles under their eyes. It worked really well, making the story more believable. These are not beasts that need to feed on human brains, but choose to SACRIFICE THEMSELVES  and limit their diet to goat brains. They just don’t really care where their brains come from, as long as they can eat some! Isn’t that just so much better? Thank you, Rusty!  

     I thoroughly enjoyed reading Zombies Don’t Cry and can’t wait for more of Rusty Fischer’s works.  It’s a breath of fresh air in the Zombie department and you definitely don’t want to miss out on it!



 


45 comments:

Bookish Brunette said...

Yep! This is totally one of my FAVS of 2011! I absolutely loved it!!!!

LunaMoth said...

i want it!!! lol. i will have to put it on my wishlist.

Bonnie said...

What a fabulous review Evie! I have never actually read a zombie book but I think I need to change that - especially after reading your review. I have been hearing so much praise for zombie books this year and I don't know what's holding me back - I guess I'm thinking about the zombies from Resident Evil etc. and wondering how much of a story could be there? But apparently I'm missing out!

Unknown said...

I've never read a Zombie book. Sounds interesting and it look like I'll be adding it to my list. Thanks. Donna
http://mylife-in-stories.blogspot.com

Shelagh said...

Must. Get. Now.

This looks like so much fun, with the bonus of having what sounds like a solid story behind it. Great review and definitely one for my wishlist!

Shelagh
The Word Fiend

Anonymous said...

Great review. I don't like Zombies to much but this sound good.

Ivana said...

A nice review! I have never read a zombie book before but I think Ill add this to my to-read list. It sounds interesting and original.

Alexis @ Reflections of a Bookaholic said...

Wonderful review! I've never read a Zombie book, but you have definitely inspired me.

Shannon said...

Sounds great, thanks for the review! I will be putting this on my to read list :)

ABookVacation said...

I just won a copy of this and Randy sent it via Amazon. I can't wait to read it--looks so good and your review makes me want to move it up the list in my TBR pile! :)

ABookVacation said...

ACK! Rusty, not Randy! I must be losing my mind... I'm going to blame the pneumonia. :D

Betty: Reflections with Coffee said...

I don't care for zombie books -- no wait, that isn't a fair statement, I've never read a zombie book. Your review has convinced me to try this one!

Akshay Bakshi said...

The title itself had me hooked to the review, adding it to my 'To Read' list.

Akshay

Victorique de Blois said...

nice review. hope it won't dissapoint me when I read it.

Unknown said...

It sounds really good, never heard of... Good Review...

Ashley Ziemer said...

I have never been drawn to zombie anything-movies, books, etc. But after reading your review it really sparked my interest in this book. I absolutely LOVE books that just suck you in! Almost like an addiction! :) Thanks for posting this!

IdentitySeeker said...

Wow! I knew the book was good but no one had told me it was that good! Now I'm bumping it up to the top of my wish list!

Anonymous said...

This sounds like an awesome book. I just can't believe that zombies could keep their existence a secret. So want to read this.

Janine said...

WOW! five stars! really wanna read this now!

Danah said...

I've been wanting to read this book. Thanks for reviewing it. I love anything with Zombies in it. I have only read a few Zombie books though compared to the many Zombie movies i've seen. Looking forward to reading this one.

Miss Page-Turner said...

Usually I am no fan of zombie novels, but Zombies Don't Cry doesn't sound that bad.I also really like the title, b/c it suggests something more meaningful.

Christie (Neliss) said...

I don't like zombies, but this review is really good! I'd love to read this books sometimes.

SpadesHighReads said...

Ive been wanting to read this book for a while now because i havent read any stories on zombies yet, but ive heard many praises about this. And you review just tipped the scale... and i love the fact that you compared the book to twilight lol and in my head, emphasized the word 'sparkly' hahaha now i really need to read this.. thanks for an awesome review!!

SpadesHigh @ http://SpadesHighReads.com

tfalick said...

I really want to read this one. I've heard great things about it and your review of it makes me want it even more :)

Asheley T. said...

I love zombies and I love the way this book is generating a bit of buzz lately. It is at the top of my TBR list and I'm so excited to read it...hopefully soon. Great review.

Nikita said...

This sound really!! amazing and I have just one sentence to describe my excitement: I love zombieees! :D :D
Nikita

Tran D said...

This book sounds interesting. I love the cover too. I can't wait to read it myself!

Reading Away The Days said...

I love Zombie movies, resident evils, 28days etc but I have never read any Zombie books before, maybe this will be a great first Zombie read, I'm going check it out.

Lindsay Cummings author said...

want this one!!!

Anonymous said...

Sounds like a good book to start the zombie-themed readings. :D

Asenath said...

I normally stay away from zombie books, but I just might give this one a try. It sounds like a new take, something that will make zombies seem less gross.

Anonymous said...

I love books that make you laugh! And reading your views is so much fun, I feel bad for not commenting on them often.

The YA literary world needs more male authors, and I'm glad Rusty Fischer wrote an apparently amazing novel that was chosen over strawberry waffles. C:

By the way, I love the quotes feature you always put into your reviews. It's what makes the reviews more interesting, proof that the book is really good.

aurora M. said...

This book looks like one of those quick bedtime reads. I like this and your review is great. Thanks

Krystal Larson said...

My sister has this book and I never gave it a chance, I'd better go back and take a look :)

In Julie's Opinion said...

I am a HUGE zombie fan, but sometimes zombie books are just too "zombiesh", if you know what I mean. I wasn't sure if I wanted to read this one or not, but after reading your review, I am definitely going to read it now! Thanks for a great review :)

jwitt33 at live dot com

R bo said...

HA! I read the first two quotes and laughed out loud. this is now on my TBR list:D

erin said...

OOOOH... I WANT! Thanks for an awesome review!

Yvonne @ The Shadow Realm said...

This sounds like a great, fun read! I want it! :)

Unknown said...

Another zombie book <3! I hope I enjoy it as much as you!

Munnaza said...

This book sounds absolutely incredible. Maddy sounds liek a relateable character, the story sounds unique (zombie by lightning!), and just everything about the book sounds so... fun! I also love that you mentioned it was nothing like Twilight, and that the zombies are still zombies and terrifying and the way they should be. It's one of the things I dislike about the Twilight series and I keep seeing other YA authors doing this, so I'm glad this isn't the case here. Thanks for the review!

Lisa Richards/alterlisa said...

Sounds like one I'd enjoy so off to add to my wishlist.

Jaime Lester said...

Yaayy! I am so excited about this book. I had never heard about it until I was checking out your reviews. The title screamed at me to look, and the cover hollered at me to read. This book sounds fantastic. Zombies, baby! I love zombie books, but I have only read one or two that were actually decent reads. If I am to go by your review, which I always do by the way, I think I may have a new book in my hands or on my kindle asap! thanks so much for this review.

E_V_E said...

Wow, it is so original story! I know just bad zombie, who don´t know have to control yourself and he know just killing and eating brains. But these zombies are different. It is very likeable theme.

Mariki93 said...

Reading your review I really want to read it!! It should be fantastic...very funny!!

Roberta said...

Great review :D
I'll read this as soon as possible.. it really have to be funny :D

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