Zom-B Underground

April 1, 2013

Gr 7 Up-After the events that ended not only the first book but also her life, B Smith is surprised to wake up in the middle of a deadly fight between zombies and heavily armed figures. The figures turn out to be just like B: zombies who have regained their consciousness and intellect. These Revitalizeds are kept prisoner in a top-secret military complex and are subjected to experimentation and observation. B tries to fit in as best she can, but that was not her strong suit even when she was alive, and she finds herself at odds with both her captors and her fellow prisoners. An outside attack gives her a chance at freedom, which she takes, along with her fellow Revitalizeds, and she once again finds herself on the run and trying to get answers for what she has become. The story starts off a little slowly with B sorting out and giving readers her thoughts and perceptions on her situation, but once the action starts, it doesn't let up. This sequel is not about action alone, however, as it focuses primarily on B as she tries to come to terms with what she has done and find her place in the world. Shan has done a good job of balancing this angst with B's more physical situation, and it is the strength of this installment. The other characters are not as fully developed, but they are all interesting in their own way. The story should leave readers eager for the next book and the continuation of B's journey.-Erik Knapp, Davis Library, Plano, TX

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 1, 2013
Grades 9-12 Endings don't get more shocking than the final page of the series starter Zom-B (2012), namelyspoiler alertthe death-by-zombie of its main character. This sequel picks up six months later, as B wakes up in an underground military bunker. Yep, she is now a zombie. Well, sort of. Down here zombies are known as revived, while zombies who maintain their intellect are known as revitalized. B is the latter, and slowly she comes to terms with her new physicality: the gaping hole in her chest; the bones poking out of her fingers; and her new, sharper teeth. Oh, and her appetite has changed a bit, too. Life is, as she relates in her punky, antisocial narration, a world of murder, cannibalism, and sweet, sweet brains. Shan's choice to imbue B with little concern over her horrid state is a bit odd, but most of the good stuff from Zom-B is present here: effective metaphor, lose-lose moral quandaries, and one or two huge surprises. Ten more volumes are to follow, one released every three months.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2013
Becky (surprise! B's a girl), wakes up in an underground research facility--heartless, undead, conscious. Some revitalized corpses maintain cognitive function so long as they eat brains. When the compound is attacked by mutants who control the zombie hordes, B escapes into London's infested streets. These sequels distort--then drop--the discussion of racism (vital to stronger book one) in exchange for horror.

(Copyright 2013 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)