Tuesday, December 8, 2009

No Brain Munching Here

Phoebe is just your typical goth girl with a crush. He's strong and silent... and dead.

All over the country, a strange phenomenon is happening. Some teenagers who die aren't staying dead. They are coming back to life, but they are no longer the same-- they stutter, and their reactions to everything are slower. Termed "living impaired" or "differently biotic," they are doing their best to fit into a society that doesn't want them. Fitting in his hard enough when you don't have the look or attitude, but when almost everyone else is alive and you're not, it's close to impossible. The kids at Oakvale High don't want to take classes or eat in the cafeteria next to someone who isn't breathing. And there are no laws that exist to protect the differently biotic from the people who want them to disappear-- for good.

With her pale skin and Goth wardrobe, Phoebe has never run with the popular crowd. But no one can believe it when she falls for Tommy Williams, the leader of the dead kids. Not her best friend, Margi, whose fear of the differently biotic is deeply rooted in guilt over the past. And especially not her neighbor, Adam, the star of the football team. Adam has just realized his feelings for Phoebe run much deeper than just friendship. He would do anything for her, but what if protecting Tommy is the one thing that would make her happy?

Generation dead is a sharp, funny, and breathtaking original novel from an exciting new talent.


Title: Generation Dead
Author: Daniel Waters
Series: Generation Dead, Book 1
Start & Finished: 5/25/09
Published: 2008
Publisher: Hyperion Teens
Pages: 392
Genre: YA- Fiction/ Fantasy
Official Book Site

After hearing about acts of random violence that were being performed and filmed to place on YouTube, Daniel Waters decided that he wanted to write his first book about that. However, nothing seemed to click until one day “out of the blue [he] thought that if zombies really existed they would be the most discriminated against group ever." Soon after that he set to work creating his first book Generation Dead which is now the first in a series.

Zombies have always scared me. They are one of the few things that I have repeatedly had nightmares about ever since I was a kid and yet I finally convinced myself to pick up a book that I knew had zombies in it. Or differently biotic, living impaired, etc. as they are also called in the book. Instead of the disgust I had expected to feel toward the dead kids, I actually felt the same way I feel when I read books about racism and prejudice. I believe that was the point the author was trying to make and it came across just fine. Matter of fact, in an interview he said he “see’s the book as very anti-death. If there are messages to be found, I suppose "Choose life, choose love" are among them.”

If you ask Mr. Water's, he will tell you that he wrote a love story with Generation Dead. "It just happens to be a love story with zombies. Teenaged zombies.” Now, this is supposed to be YA fiction and it is. The story is even set in high school but Mr. Waters avoids most of the high school drama and while this is a welcome change, it wasn’t very realistic in that respect. My only other complaint was the ending of the book which upset me a little but I understand that it was mandatory for the story to be able to continue in a series.

This book may have zombies in it and at the end of the day zombies still freak me out but Daniel Waters really is writing about "kids who’re trying to live” and that is what makes this story so unique.

Generation Dead
1. Generation Dead (2008)
2. Kiss Of Life (2009)
3. Passing Strange (2010)

First Paragraph: Phoebe and her friends held their breath as the dead girl in the plaid skirt walked past their table in the lunchroom. Her motion kicked up a cool trailing breeze that seemed to settle of the skin and catch in their hair. As they watched her go by, Phoebe could almost tell what everyone was thinking. Everyone, that is, except for the dead girl.

Links

Interviews:
2009-Fantastic Book Reviews
2008- The Horror Library
2009- Jackie On Air
2009- Largehearted Boy (author's playlist for the book)



Picture Explanations
School Hallway: Most of the school and the country want nothing to do with the dead kids.
Grave: Yes, someone dies in the book.
Football: Tommy tries out for football though every one from the players to the coach hates him.

13 comments:

  1. Greta post! I have wanted to read this book for awhile... your post and all the info on the book makes me want to read it more!

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  2. Thank you for your review, Jen! The premise is very different and fresh.

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  3. Okay, I had no idea this was a series....I've been wanting to read it, but no time...maybe in 2010.

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  4. This looks like a very interesting read. However, I'm hoping it doesn't fall into the Twilight trap.

    I gotta ask, Jen, are you going to continue the series?

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  5. I'm not one for zombies either - maybe I should give this book a try.

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  6. Sheila (Bookjourney): I'm glad! It really was a neat book.

    Wendy: Thank you for reading it lol. The book really was unique.

    J.Kaye: I think you may like this :). I'm hoping to read so many books in 2010 myself... of course a good majority I'll probably still need to read in 2020!

    Paxton: Heck yes! I picked up the second one but we were busy moving so I didn't get to read it before it was due back. It's one of the one's on the top of my TBR list. Mmm, it didn't remind me of Twilight at all actually. It's more conflict than romance.

    Bermudaonion: Oh I don't like them at all. If a zombie movie is on, I'll leave the room until hubby changes the channel. I really did like this though.

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  7. Ladytink_534, I am there with you. I just checked my wish list at Amazon and have 95 books that I want to read in 2010. That's not even my complete list! This year, I will read about 160 - 180 books. No way I will complete what is on my wish list and I don't have the complete list of books to be published in 2010. I must accept this is a never ending cycle. ;)

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  8. I keep coming across this series - maybe it's a sign that I should read it! I do like zombies - even the films. Zombieland is one of my favorites of the year. :-)

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  9. I don't know why, but I'm just not interested in reading any zombies book. However, movies is another matter.

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  10. I'm not one for zombies either, but I may have to try the first book. The allegorical message about discrimination really appeals to me.

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  11. You make it sound good, but I don't know. Zombies just aren't my thing.

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  12. J. Kaye: Wow! Good luck :)

    Darla D: Oh I'm almost positive you'd love this.

    Melody & Carol: Like I said, they don't really come off as zombies for the most part. Creepy at times but no grr... argh... "want to eat your brains".

    Alex: It's the whole reason I stuck with this book. Zombies really do give me nightmares.

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  13. I just picked this up in the bargain bin and added it to my TBR stack. Good to see it was a worthy acquisition.

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