What do you think?
Rate this book
White Trash Zombie #2
Even White Trash Zombies Get the Blues
Angel Crawford is finally starting to get used to life as a brain-eating zombie, but her problems are far from over. Her felony record is coming back to haunt her, more zombie hunters are popping up, and she’s beginning to wonder if her hunky cop-boyfriend is involved with the zombie mafia. Yeah, that’s right--the zombie mafia. Throw in a secret lab and a lot of conspiracy, and Angel’s going to need all of her brainpower--and maybe a brain smoothie as well--in order to get through it without falling apart.
Mass Market Paperback
First published July 1, 2012
114 people are currently reading
3137 people want to read
About the author
Diana Rowland
28 books2,852 followersDiana Rowland worked as a bartender, a blackjack dealer, a pit boss, a street cop, a detective, a computer forensics specialist, a crime scene investigator, and a morgue assistant, which means that she's seen a lot of weird crap. She won the marksmanship award in her Police Academy class, has a black belt in Hapkido, has handled numerous dead bodies in various states of decomposition, and can't rollerblade to save her life.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 745 reviews
April 30, 2014
I tend to prefer my zombies shambling. Fast or slow, no matter; it’s the survival/contagion aspect that fascinates me. How else is a hypochondriac supposed to enjoy a disease apocalypse without worrying it could become real? But Diana Rowland has created an unusual take on zombies with her “White Trash Zombie” series featuring a high school dropout who recently discovered she has an unavoidable craving for brains. While it’s definitely escapist entertainment, the unpredictable plotting and an unusual narrator elevate it above average.
Since the day Angel woke up in a hospital room with a mysterious note and a six-pack of strangely energizing smoothies, her life has undergone a complete change. A purposeless drug addict before the change, zombiism has cured her of drug cravings and mind-numbing highs. (Downside: a need for brains). A mysterious benefactor connects her with a position in the county morgue, Angel begins a new life, so to speak: a job where her skills are valued, a group of colleagues that appreciate her and–finally–a sense of self-esteem. (Upside: a steady supply of brains in the morgue).
****************************************
Actually, I rated this one three and a half stars, but GR won't bother changing their system.
Review at: http://clsiewert.wordpress.com/2014/0...
and
Since the day Angel woke up in a hospital room with a mysterious note and a six-pack of strangely energizing smoothies, her life has undergone a complete change. A purposeless drug addict before the change, zombiism has cured her of drug cravings and mind-numbing highs. (Downside: a need for brains). A mysterious benefactor connects her with a position in the county morgue, Angel begins a new life, so to speak: a job where her skills are valued, a group of colleagues that appreciate her and–finally–a sense of self-esteem. (Upside: a steady supply of brains in the morgue).
****************************************
Actually, I rated this one three and a half stars, but GR won't bother changing their system.
Review at: http://clsiewert.wordpress.com/2014/0...
and
March 17, 2016
This review can also be found at Carole's Random Life.
I didn't like this book quite as much as the first book in the series but I still really enjoyed it. I really think that I enjoyed this one a little more by going the audio route. The narrator is absolutely perfect for this series and really makes the story incredibly entertaining. This was a story that I really looked forward to listening to and proceeded to do so every chance that I could.
One of the things that I loved about the first book in the series was being with Angel as she discovered what she was and learning to live with it. In this book, Angel knows exactly who she is and not only accepts it but has embraced her new reality. I still really like Angel a lot. She wants to be a better person and tries really hard to be the absolute best that she can at her job. She even seems to accept the fact that people will judge her based on her prior actions and doesn't hold it against them.
When a body under her care is stolen from her at gunpoint, Angel becomes the focus of suspicion at the job that she loves. To clear her name, she does a little investigating and is eventually pulled into a much more sinister organization. She finds herself in a very dangerous situation and is forced to make horrible decisions.
There is a pretty interesting mystery at the center of this story. During the course of the story, we also get to learn a little more about the science behind zombies in this world. I liked that Angel really stood up for herself in this story and simply refused to be accept being treated poorly in any way. She really doesn't take a lot of crap from anyone in this story but she still shows that she has a softer side and cares about others.
Allison McLemore does a fabulous job with the narration of this story. In my mind, her voice is Angel's. I love her southern accent and the way she delivers the story. It was always clear to me who was speaking and I just found myself being carried away by the story. I felt like I was right there with Angel at times and really felt her range of emotions. I definitely plan to listen to more work from this narrator.
I would highly recommend this book. This is the second book in the series and is really best read in order since there are some parts of the story that are brought from the first book. I can't wait to start the next book in this fun series!
Initial Thoughts
I didn't like this one quite as much as I liked the first book in the series but I did enjoy my time listening to it. The narrator of this series is an absolutely perfect match for Angel.
I didn't like this book quite as much as the first book in the series but I still really enjoyed it. I really think that I enjoyed this one a little more by going the audio route. The narrator is absolutely perfect for this series and really makes the story incredibly entertaining. This was a story that I really looked forward to listening to and proceeded to do so every chance that I could.
One of the things that I loved about the first book in the series was being with Angel as she discovered what she was and learning to live with it. In this book, Angel knows exactly who she is and not only accepts it but has embraced her new reality. I still really like Angel a lot. She wants to be a better person and tries really hard to be the absolute best that she can at her job. She even seems to accept the fact that people will judge her based on her prior actions and doesn't hold it against them.
When a body under her care is stolen from her at gunpoint, Angel becomes the focus of suspicion at the job that she loves. To clear her name, she does a little investigating and is eventually pulled into a much more sinister organization. She finds herself in a very dangerous situation and is forced to make horrible decisions.
There is a pretty interesting mystery at the center of this story. During the course of the story, we also get to learn a little more about the science behind zombies in this world. I liked that Angel really stood up for herself in this story and simply refused to be accept being treated poorly in any way. She really doesn't take a lot of crap from anyone in this story but she still shows that she has a softer side and cares about others.
Allison McLemore does a fabulous job with the narration of this story. In my mind, her voice is Angel's. I love her southern accent and the way she delivers the story. It was always clear to me who was speaking and I just found myself being carried away by the story. I felt like I was right there with Angel at times and really felt her range of emotions. I definitely plan to listen to more work from this narrator.
I would highly recommend this book. This is the second book in the series and is really best read in order since there are some parts of the story that are brought from the first book. I can't wait to start the next book in this fun series!
Initial Thoughts
I didn't like this one quite as much as I liked the first book in the series but I did enjoy my time listening to it. The narrator of this series is an absolutely perfect match for Angel.
September 12, 2018
This series is so incredibly good. I’m obsessed. My full review will be up on my booktube channel at http://YouTube.com/peterlikesbooks
September 8, 2015
Buddy read with the MacHalo Group on the 7th of August
I absolutely loved the first book in this series - in fact, I enjoyed it a lot more than I expected to considering I don't tend to read zombie novels and I'm very squeamish! - so I had incredibly high hopes for Even White Trash Zombies Get the Blues. I fully expected this book to be just as awesome but unfortunately it ended up falling a little flat which was really disappointing.
One of the best things about My Life As A White Trash Zombie was the humour but somehow much of that seemed missing in the sequel. It's really hard to put my finger on exactly why I stopped finding Angel amusing but I think it was possibly the fact that she had completely turned her life around so quickly. I loved that she was working so hard to improve her life but it seemed like she had managed to get herself sorted out far too quickly and put her roots more or less completely behind her in a lot of ways. I also missed the blood, guts and brains from the first book (something I NEVER expected to find myself saying!), yes Angel still has to eat brains to survive but it was much more mundane here as she mixed it in with normal everyday food before eating it.
I think I was most disappointed by the direction things took between her and Marcus though. At the end of the previous couple they had just started to get to know each other properly and were beginning to date but here their relationship seemed to have jumped forward at the speed of light and they were practically living together. I could have dealt with that if it hadn't been for the way Marcus was so completely and utterly dismissive of Angel whenever she tried to ask his advice or tell him her suspicions about what was going on. It seemed completely out of character for him to act like that, especially considering the way he treated her in the first book. I'm not a fan of characters who keep secrets for no apparent reason and it puts other people in danger because they don't have all the information they need to stay safe and there was more than one occasion when I really wanted to reach into the book and slap some sense into Marcus.
The beginning of the book was a little on the slow side but things really picked up pace in the second half and in spite of the issues I had with Marcus I did find myself starting to enjoy the story much more. I may have been a little disappointed with this instalment but I loved the first book enough to give the series another chance. I just hope Diana Rowland manages to bring the magic back in White Trash Zombie Apocalypse.
I absolutely loved the first book in this series - in fact, I enjoyed it a lot more than I expected to considering I don't tend to read zombie novels and I'm very squeamish! - so I had incredibly high hopes for Even White Trash Zombies Get the Blues. I fully expected this book to be just as awesome but unfortunately it ended up falling a little flat which was really disappointing.
One of the best things about My Life As A White Trash Zombie was the humour but somehow much of that seemed missing in the sequel. It's really hard to put my finger on exactly why I stopped finding Angel amusing but I think it was possibly the fact that she had completely turned her life around so quickly. I loved that she was working so hard to improve her life but it seemed like she had managed to get herself sorted out far too quickly and put her roots more or less completely behind her in a lot of ways. I also missed the blood, guts and brains from the first book (something I NEVER expected to find myself saying!), yes Angel still has to eat brains to survive but it was much more mundane here as she mixed it in with normal everyday food before eating it.
I think I was most disappointed by the direction things took between her and Marcus though. At the end of the previous couple they had just started to get to know each other properly and were beginning to date but here their relationship seemed to have jumped forward at the speed of light and they were practically living together. I could have dealt with that if it hadn't been for the way Marcus was so completely and utterly dismissive of Angel whenever she tried to ask his advice or tell him her suspicions about what was going on. It seemed completely out of character for him to act like that, especially considering the way he treated her in the first book. I'm not a fan of characters who keep secrets for no apparent reason and it puts other people in danger because they don't have all the information they need to stay safe and there was more than one occasion when I really wanted to reach into the book and slap some sense into Marcus.
The beginning of the book was a little on the slow side but things really picked up pace in the second half and in spite of the issues I had with Marcus I did find myself starting to enjoy the story much more. I may have been a little disappointed with this instalment but I loved the first book enough to give the series another chance. I just hope Diana Rowland manages to bring the magic back in White Trash Zombie Apocalypse.
September 17, 2013
Can also be viewed at my blog, Now is Gone, at this link here.
Book Info: Genre: Urban Fantasy/Zombies
Reading Level: Adult
My Thoughts: I really loved the first book in this series, My Life as a White Trash Zombie; it completely changed the idea of zombies, and my thinking about them as well. Angel is a wonderful character, and I’ve been looking forward to this book with eager anticipation. I’m also looking forward to next year’s next book in the series, White Trash Zombie Apocalypse. And from the events in this book, I think it’s going to be epic!
This plot continues on shortly after the events at the end of book 1. Angel thought they had solved their zombie hunter problem when they ran off Ed (despite some lingering doubts that he did leave – maybe he’s still around? They don’t know), and now weird events are haunting Angel again.
Angel is one urban-fantasy heroine who deserves to have a low self-esteem; she’s had a hard life. Her anxiety at meeting Marcus’s uncle and his rich and powerful friends was completely understandable, and Uncle Pietro is actually rather a jerk in his smug self-complacency when she first meets him. Since Marcus, and his folks, are so nice, that rather surprised me. Then again, Marcus is really quite weak-willed – he’s nice, but he’s not willing to stand up for himself, or for Angel when it matters, and that makes me like him a little less. When Pietro talks down to Angel at his party and Marcus just sits there, I wanted to smack him. Fortunately they do redeem themselves, but I don’t want to add too many spoilers, so I’ll leave it at that.
I am loving Ben Roth more and more – he’s the only member of the sheriff’s department who treats Angel really well. We also learn some interesting facts about him in this book that made me admire him – but I’m not gonna tell you! I’ve given too many minor spoilers already! Speaking of nifty things we learn in this book, we also get a great lesson in Zombie Biology 101 and learn the theory behind why zombies exist in this universe, as well as exactly how zombies are made – and it’s not at all as easy as in traditional zombie literature. Very cool stuff.
All in all this is a wonderful follow-up in the White Trash Zombie series – even if you are not a fan of zombie literature, I think you will enjoy this unique and nontraditional take on zombie lore, and I think Angel is a zombie that anyone can love. Highly recommended for all fans of urban fantasy!
Disclosure: I purchased this book for myself, as a birthday present; I’m under no obligation to anyone, but I wanted to read something fun, something that I wanted to read, and I’m always happy to provide an honest review.
Synopsis: Angel Crawford is finally starting to get used to life as a brain-eating zombie, but her problems are far from over. Her felony record is coming back to haunt her, more zombie hunters are popping up, and she's beginning to wonder if her hunky cop-boyfriend is involved with the zombie mafia. Yeah, that's right - the zombie mafia.
Throw in a secret lab and a lot of conspiracy, and Angel's going to need all of her brainpower – and maybe a brain smoothie as well – in order to get through it without falling apart.
Book Info: Genre: Urban Fantasy/Zombies
Reading Level: Adult
My Thoughts: I really loved the first book in this series, My Life as a White Trash Zombie; it completely changed the idea of zombies, and my thinking about them as well. Angel is a wonderful character, and I’ve been looking forward to this book with eager anticipation. I’m also looking forward to next year’s next book in the series, White Trash Zombie Apocalypse. And from the events in this book, I think it’s going to be epic!
This plot continues on shortly after the events at the end of book 1. Angel thought they had solved their zombie hunter problem when they ran off Ed (despite some lingering doubts that he did leave – maybe he’s still around? They don’t know), and now weird events are haunting Angel again.
Angel is one urban-fantasy heroine who deserves to have a low self-esteem; she’s had a hard life. Her anxiety at meeting Marcus’s uncle and his rich and powerful friends was completely understandable, and Uncle Pietro is actually rather a jerk in his smug self-complacency when she first meets him. Since Marcus, and his folks, are so nice, that rather surprised me. Then again, Marcus is really quite weak-willed – he’s nice, but he’s not willing to stand up for himself, or for Angel when it matters, and that makes me like him a little less. When Pietro talks down to Angel at his party and Marcus just sits there, I wanted to smack him. Fortunately they do redeem themselves, but I don’t want to add too many spoilers, so I’ll leave it at that.
I am loving Ben Roth more and more – he’s the only member of the sheriff’s department who treats Angel really well. We also learn some interesting facts about him in this book that made me admire him – but I’m not gonna tell you! I’ve given too many minor spoilers already! Speaking of nifty things we learn in this book, we also get a great lesson in Zombie Biology 101 and learn the theory behind why zombies exist in this universe, as well as exactly how zombies are made – and it’s not at all as easy as in traditional zombie literature. Very cool stuff.
All in all this is a wonderful follow-up in the White Trash Zombie series – even if you are not a fan of zombie literature, I think you will enjoy this unique and nontraditional take on zombie lore, and I think Angel is a zombie that anyone can love. Highly recommended for all fans of urban fantasy!
Disclosure: I purchased this book for myself, as a birthday present; I’m under no obligation to anyone, but I wanted to read something fun, something that I wanted to read, and I’m always happy to provide an honest review.
Synopsis: Angel Crawford is finally starting to get used to life as a brain-eating zombie, but her problems are far from over. Her felony record is coming back to haunt her, more zombie hunters are popping up, and she's beginning to wonder if her hunky cop-boyfriend is involved with the zombie mafia. Yeah, that's right - the zombie mafia.
Throw in a secret lab and a lot of conspiracy, and Angel's going to need all of her brainpower – and maybe a brain smoothie as well – in order to get through it without falling apart.
February 25, 2018
3 stars
This book was a bitbloody long of a slow start. The first half of the book consisted of set-up and fleshing out of characters. I don't mind either of these - but an author has to learn how to balance these with plot. The overall story felt more like a White Trash 1.5 than a direct sequel.
Angel Crawford, one of the better urban fantasy protagonists of recent years, has become somewhat of a self-employed detective (along with her usual job as a morgue assistant and zombie) in this installment. Everything starts to get hairy when someone holds her at gunpoint to steal a corpse. As she continues her investigation, a lot of loose ends with no apparent connections keep popping up. Angel takes it upon herself to get to the bottom of this because her useless love interest is blind as well as being boring (but we'll get to that point later). What I did enjoy about this book was how many elements, choices and happenings of the previous installment had consequences that featured in this book. Any book with a good set-up and pay-off system makes me happy to read the rest of the series. But somehow Marcus, our plank of a boyfriend, ruined this book for me.
Angel has definitely experienced some character development. So has every other character, however minor. I love that minor characters are so well fleshed-out and are just seeping with backstory and humour. Now you'd think an author this fantastic at character development would be able to create a well-rounded and fallible love interest.
If the only personality traits a character has are
1) Hot bod
2) Never listens to what his girlfriend is trying to tell him.
3) Dismisses girlfriend
Then wouldn't you be frustrated as a reader?
There are so many wonderful characters whom Angel has chemistry with. Durrell, her gentle giant, ex-basketball player partner or Nick, the grumpy but ultimately mushy-on-the-inside med student who helps out with autopsies. But no - the author decides that Angel belongs with a spoon. Not even a spoon - a spoon has depth. Marcus is an ice-cream stick because all he does is try to be in something sweet.
Luckily this isn't a romance novel and Angel isn't a Mary-Sue, or I would have returned this book to Audible look ago. She tells Marcus off when he holds her back, using her trademark Southern drawl and sassy humour. I still enjoy Angel as a character and I'll definitely be picking up the next book in the series. I'm just hoping that time precious pages won't be wasted on a boring love interest and lackluster plot.
As always, please check out the audio. The narrator does a fantastic job at portraying Angel. She has a beautiful range of voices that cover the quirkiest and most gentle friend to the most psychopathic villain.
Edit:
Review to come this weekend (as well as my other reviews) because I'm swamped with work
P.S. Miss all of you here on Goodreads! Looking forward to everyone's reviews. <3
This book was a bit
Angel Crawford, one of the better urban fantasy protagonists of recent years, has become somewhat of a self-employed detective (along with her usual job as a morgue assistant and zombie) in this installment. Everything starts to get hairy when someone holds her at gunpoint to steal a corpse. As she continues her investigation, a lot of loose ends with no apparent connections keep popping up. Angel takes it upon herself to get to the bottom of this because her useless love interest is blind as well as being boring (but we'll get to that point later). What I did enjoy about this book was how many elements, choices and happenings of the previous installment had consequences that featured in this book. Any book with a good set-up and pay-off system makes me happy to read the rest of the series. But somehow Marcus, our plank of a boyfriend, ruined this book for me.
Angel has definitely experienced some character development. So has every other character, however minor. I love that minor characters are so well fleshed-out and are just seeping with backstory and humour. Now you'd think an author this fantastic at character development would be able to create a well-rounded and fallible love interest.
If the only personality traits a character has are
1) Hot bod
2) Never listens to what his girlfriend is trying to tell him.
3) Dismisses girlfriend
Then wouldn't you be frustrated as a reader?
There are so many wonderful characters whom Angel has chemistry with. Durrell, her gentle giant, ex-basketball player partner or Nick, the grumpy but ultimately mushy-on-the-inside med student who helps out with autopsies. But no - the author decides that Angel belongs with a spoon. Not even a spoon - a spoon has depth. Marcus is an ice-cream stick because all he does is try to be in something sweet.
Luckily this isn't a romance novel and Angel isn't a Mary-Sue, or I would have returned this book to Audible look ago. She tells Marcus off when he holds her back, using her trademark Southern drawl and sassy humour. I still enjoy Angel as a character and I'll definitely be picking up the next book in the series. I'm just hoping that time precious pages won't be wasted on a boring love interest and lackluster plot.
As always, please check out the audio. The narrator does a fantastic job at portraying Angel. She has a beautiful range of voices that cover the quirkiest and most gentle friend to the most psychopathic villain.
Edit:
Review to come this weekend (as well as my other reviews) because I'm swamped with work
P.S. Miss all of you here on Goodreads! Looking forward to everyone's reviews. <3
August 6, 2018
4.5 stars for the Audible version as narrated by Allison McLemore.
Oh, Angel! I didn't even know how much I really missed you! I love this series and when I finished this book it took a lot of willpower to not just start right into the next volume. I want to keep these, though, because they are just the right thing for pulling me out of listening slumps or cleansing the palate after a darker read or two.
I just love the characters that Diana Rowland has created, from the main players right down to some of the really minor roles. I love the way Angel's no-nonsense snark cuts through any bullshit anyone tries to feed her, but that underneath she's just as vulnerable as your everyday non-zombie.
Nothing very deep here, just a whole lotta easy fun.
Badass Female Character score: 5/5 -- Angel's a white-trash zombie. She kicks ass and then eats brains. Doesn't get much more badass than that.
Oh, Angel! I didn't even know how much I really missed you! I love this series and when I finished this book it took a lot of willpower to not just start right into the next volume. I want to keep these, though, because they are just the right thing for pulling me out of listening slumps or cleansing the palate after a darker read or two.
I just love the characters that Diana Rowland has created, from the main players right down to some of the really minor roles. I love the way Angel's no-nonsense snark cuts through any bullshit anyone tries to feed her, but that underneath she's just as vulnerable as your everyday non-zombie.
Nothing very deep here, just a whole lotta easy fun.
Badass Female Character score: 5/5 -- Angel's a white-trash zombie. She kicks ass and then eats brains. Doesn't get much more badass than that.
December 11, 2016
Lacked the thrill of book one.
The first 3/4 of the book was a slow ramble
The last 1/4 made up for the slowness with it's intensity
This was a story character development chapter in the series slow but has set up the world well.
On to #3
The first 3/4 of the book was a slow ramble
The last 1/4 made up for the slowness with it's intensity
This was a story character development chapter in the series slow but has set up the world well.
On to #3
August 30, 2019
*SQUEALS WITH LOVE*
Maybe i'll come up with a coherent review, maybe not, but Angel is awesome and so is this series (so far and I am very excited to continue it)!
Maybe i'll come up with a coherent review, maybe not, but Angel is awesome and so is this series (so far and I am very excited to continue it)!
July 1, 2012
* * * 4.5 Stars * * *
I opened my mouth to tell him he was full of shit, to tell him I knew he'd thrown me under the bus, but all that came out was, "Braaiinns."
Yeah, I was kinda hungry.
My first thought when closing this book was, "Damn, that was good!". There are so many different aspects of the story I enjoyed that initially I couldn't figure out how to begin my review.
Now that I've had a few days to reflect on it, I'm going to start with what impressed me most - Angel's character growth. This is a large focus of the story and is executed perfectly, written in a way that feels realistic and believable. If I didn't think I could become any more invested in Angel's character and the overall outcome of her story, I was proven wrong.
Angel has had to make significant adjustments to the changes that have recently been made in her life. She's comfortable with her job at the coroner's office, is in a steady relationship with Marcus, and finally has people in her life who are willing to support her. She's also attempting to slowly mend the relationship with her father. He's still struggling with his alcoholism and despite what he's put her through, she's trying to remain supportive and refuses to give up on him.
"Because it's a goddamn bar!" he shouted back. "And I'm trying to not go to bars any more, 'cause when I go to bars I drink, and I'm trying not to drink any more 'cause it's pretty much the only way to get sober, goddammit!"
As the story progresses, Angel's insecurities and feelings of inadequacy become more evident, especially after she accompanies Marcus to a social gathering and meets his successful, well-educated friends and family members. Shortly after, their relationship becomes less stable when Angel decides she is fed up with the way he makes decisions for her as if she isn't smart enough or capable enough to think for herself.
My first thought was that this was a plot device created just for the excitement of having tension in their relationship. And I think that most of you would agree that 99.9% of the time I would be correct.
While I won't comment on their relationship status at the story's conclusion (you'll have to read to find out), I will say that I couldn't have been more proud of Angel for wanting to make improvements in her life and thinking more seriously about furthering her education solely for herself and not to impress someone else. She didn't feel the need to make decisions based on what would make someone else happy and didn't spend time sullen and whining about whether or not her relationship could be mended. It was very refreshing and empowering and is another reason for me to admire Rowland and the fantastic character and series that she has created.
Another highlight of this sequel was the dark humor. 'Laugh out loud' is not just an expression, but a literal term when reading this story. Granted, the moments with the most humor appear in the later half of the story, but once it starts it's hilarious. And most of these moments occur during intense scenes, especially when Angel interacts with the "bad guy", making them that much funnier for their inappropriate timing.
"My sidekick?" I gave Ed a sidelong look.
"Yes, the knight in shining armor who rescued you from my dastardly clutches."
"Dude, you read way too many romance novels."
I also found myself very impressed by the scientific explanation for zombies. Rowland provides a creative and unique concept for their creation and continued existence. It completely changed the way that I looked at Angel's fast healing and craving for brains.
Overall, this is a series that I very highly recommend to fans of dark urban fantasy and flawed characters. The unbelievably kick ass book covers are just an added bonus.
"Yeah, well I ate his brain." I leaned back and laced my fingers behind my head. "Motherfucker shot me. I couldn't let that shit slide."
I opened my mouth to tell him he was full of shit, to tell him I knew he'd thrown me under the bus, but all that came out was, "Braaiinns."
Yeah, I was kinda hungry.
My first thought when closing this book was, "Damn, that was good!". There are so many different aspects of the story I enjoyed that initially I couldn't figure out how to begin my review.
Now that I've had a few days to reflect on it, I'm going to start with what impressed me most - Angel's character growth. This is a large focus of the story and is executed perfectly, written in a way that feels realistic and believable. If I didn't think I could become any more invested in Angel's character and the overall outcome of her story, I was proven wrong.
Angel has had to make significant adjustments to the changes that have recently been made in her life. She's comfortable with her job at the coroner's office, is in a steady relationship with Marcus, and finally has people in her life who are willing to support her. She's also attempting to slowly mend the relationship with her father. He's still struggling with his alcoholism and despite what he's put her through, she's trying to remain supportive and refuses to give up on him.
"Because it's a goddamn bar!" he shouted back. "And I'm trying to not go to bars any more, 'cause when I go to bars I drink, and I'm trying not to drink any more 'cause it's pretty much the only way to get sober, goddammit!"
As the story progresses, Angel's insecurities and feelings of inadequacy become more evident, especially after she accompanies Marcus to a social gathering and meets his successful, well-educated friends and family members. Shortly after, their relationship becomes less stable when Angel decides she is fed up with the way he makes decisions for her as if she isn't smart enough or capable enough to think for herself.
My first thought was that this was a plot device created just for the excitement of having tension in their relationship. And I think that most of you would agree that 99.9% of the time I would be correct.
While I won't comment on their relationship status at the story's conclusion (you'll have to read to find out), I will say that I couldn't have been more proud of Angel for wanting to make improvements in her life and thinking more seriously about furthering her education solely for herself and not to impress someone else. She didn't feel the need to make decisions based on what would make someone else happy and didn't spend time sullen and whining about whether or not her relationship could be mended. It was very refreshing and empowering and is another reason for me to admire Rowland and the fantastic character and series that she has created.
Another highlight of this sequel was the dark humor. 'Laugh out loud' is not just an expression, but a literal term when reading this story. Granted, the moments with the most humor appear in the later half of the story, but once it starts it's hilarious. And most of these moments occur during intense scenes, especially when Angel interacts with the "bad guy", making them that much funnier for their inappropriate timing.
"My sidekick?" I gave Ed a sidelong look.
"Yes, the knight in shining armor who rescued you from my dastardly clutches."
"Dude, you read way too many romance novels."
I also found myself very impressed by the scientific explanation for zombies. Rowland provides a creative and unique concept for their creation and continued existence. It completely changed the way that I looked at Angel's fast healing and craving for brains.
Overall, this is a series that I very highly recommend to fans of dark urban fantasy and flawed characters. The unbelievably kick ass book covers are just an added bonus.
"Yeah, well I ate his brain." I leaned back and laced my fingers behind my head. "Motherfucker shot me. I couldn't let that shit slide."
February 26, 2024
Loved! I enjoyed seeing Angel work towards bettering herself and helping her father get on a positive path, even though at times I wanted to smack him. Change doesn't happen overnight. Was annoyed with Marcus here and there, but I know he was worried about Angel. Uncle Pietro
November 1, 2013
This was a pretty decent follow up to the first book. I can't say that I enjoyed this one QUITE as much as the first one. There was a lot of repetitive stuff and recapping (which I may have noticed more because I was reading, or listening, to them back to back), and Angel's reactions to things just seemed a little strange and over-reactive, making certain situations seem a little off to me.
For instance, the scene where Angel is brought to Marcus's uncle's house for a party, she understandably freaks out when told that it's not just the uncle she'll be meeting, but his ENTIRE extended family and family friends. (I'd be a little pissed to find that out right before getting out of the car as well.) But then when she meets his mom and dad, they are nice, but to me, seemed a little cold and highbrow-distant. Angel loved them though, so that's cool.
Moving on to Sofia (Sophia?), the conversation was a little awkward, but I didn't get that there was any outright dislike, so later conversations regarding how their first meeting was so antagonistic and that Angel was surprised that Sof/phia would call her seemed strange, considering that they left things on a REASONABLY positive, if a bit forced, note.
And then there's the uncle Pietro, who seemed more like he was talking to someone who just didn't really know how things worked (which was kinda true) and that didn't really give him much reason to have faith in them on first meeting (also true), but she reacted as though he was actively trying to ruin her life or something.
I can't really go into much more because of reasons, but it just seemed off. Maybe he really didn't like her, but based on their ACTUAL conversation, I didn't get much more than that. She seemed to, though.
Otherwise, it was pretty decent, and I liked Angel's growth and how some of the plot has evolved. I like the reason and explanation given for there being zombies, and I like the rules of the situation. They make sense and it's still interesting to learn more as we go.
I'm definitely looking forward to the next book.
For instance, the scene where Angel is brought to Marcus's uncle's house for a party, she understandably freaks out when told that it's not just the uncle she'll be meeting, but his ENTIRE extended family and family friends. (I'd be a little pissed to find that out right before getting out of the car as well.) But then when she meets his mom and dad, they are nice, but to me, seemed a little cold and highbrow-distant. Angel loved them though, so that's cool.
Moving on to Sofia (Sophia?), the conversation was a little awkward, but I didn't get that there was any outright dislike, so later conversations regarding how their first meeting was so antagonistic and that Angel was surprised that Sof/phia would call her seemed strange, considering that they left things on a REASONABLY positive, if a bit forced, note.
And then there's the uncle Pietro, who seemed more like he was talking to someone who just didn't really know how things worked (which was kinda true) and that didn't really give him much reason to have faith in them on first meeting (also true), but she reacted as though he was actively trying to ruin her life or something.
I can't really go into much more because of reasons, but it just seemed off. Maybe he really didn't like her, but based on their ACTUAL conversation, I didn't get much more than that. She seemed to, though.
Otherwise, it was pretty decent, and I liked Angel's growth and how some of the plot has evolved. I like the reason and explanation given for there being zombies, and I like the rules of the situation. They make sense and it's still interesting to learn more as we go.
I'm definitely looking forward to the next book.
August 20, 2015
I liked it...in the end. The first 75% just felt like nothing was going on. And there were little things like Angel mentioning some dudes wouldn't recognize her out of her coroner's uniform. Look at the cover. Angel is supposed to have a very distinctive look. Little things like that bother the crap out of me. I'll pick up the next one but I'm in no rush.
July 19, 2019
Okay, I think the White Trash Zombie series is becoming an all time favorite. If you're a fan of Liv from iZombie and Bryn from The Revivalist series by Rachel Caine.
September 23, 2019
“Good thing I was a lying, untrustworthy bitch. ‘Cause there was no fucking way I was letting this shit go. Not as long as I was the one being slammed in the news. Both the zombie mafia and the rebel zombie alliance could suck my white trash undead ass.”
In her first life, before becoming a zombie, Angel Crawford was a loser. Now however, she’s working very hard at improving herself. After all, she could live a very long life provided she doesn’t run out of brains or get decapitated. She has a pretty steady relationship with a cop, her boss at the morgue enjoys teaching her and thinks she has great potential and her relationship with her dad is even improving bit by bit.
Then, a masked man forces his way into the morgue at gun point and steals a cadaver. She doesn’t resist….much because she knows there are cameras covering the entire property.
With luck much like her old life, the cameras haven’t been functioning for several days and so nothing is caught. The people who work directly with Angel believe her, but the higher ups that are running election campaigns have to lay the blame on someone since they have nothing to go on but Angel’s word. Her old life is brought to the forefront of the newspapers and she’s made to look like a drug addict who fell off the wagon and now some poor victim’s family doesn’t have a body to bury.
Even her boyfriend Marcus, thinks that she’s remembering things wrong or doesn’t know exactly what she saw. Thing is, she isn’t that junky bitch anymore and no one is going to treat her like it. If no one else knows what to do about it, she’ll figure it all out herself. She might be a high school dropout, but that was in a life that didn’t count.
Virtually on her own, a little help from friends here and there, she discovers that someone is experimenting on zombies. That someone convinced her old friend Ed to deliver zombie heads to them for research by fueling his hate of zombies he blamed for his parents death. But, it’s beginning to look like that person would like to have a ‘live’ zombie to experiment on and they know about Angel.
[image error]
In her first life, before becoming a zombie, Angel Crawford was a loser. Now however, she’s working very hard at improving herself. After all, she could live a very long life provided she doesn’t run out of brains or get decapitated. She has a pretty steady relationship with a cop, her boss at the morgue enjoys teaching her and thinks she has great potential and her relationship with her dad is even improving bit by bit.
Then, a masked man forces his way into the morgue at gun point and steals a cadaver. She doesn’t resist….much because she knows there are cameras covering the entire property.
With luck much like her old life, the cameras haven’t been functioning for several days and so nothing is caught. The people who work directly with Angel believe her, but the higher ups that are running election campaigns have to lay the blame on someone since they have nothing to go on but Angel’s word. Her old life is brought to the forefront of the newspapers and she’s made to look like a drug addict who fell off the wagon and now some poor victim’s family doesn’t have a body to bury.
Even her boyfriend Marcus, thinks that she’s remembering things wrong or doesn’t know exactly what she saw. Thing is, she isn’t that junky bitch anymore and no one is going to treat her like it. If no one else knows what to do about it, she’ll figure it all out herself. She might be a high school dropout, but that was in a life that didn’t count.
Virtually on her own, a little help from friends here and there, she discovers that someone is experimenting on zombies. That someone convinced her old friend Ed to deliver zombie heads to them for research by fueling his hate of zombies he blamed for his parents death. But, it’s beginning to look like that person would like to have a ‘live’ zombie to experiment on and they know about Angel.
[image error]
January 4, 2022
Funny and oddly inspirational. Great for iZombie fans.
Angel is trying to juggle many things. A new boyfriend, studying for her GED, her job, working with her dad to improve themselves, not to mention still adjusting to life as a zombie. Add to that a body stealing a gun man and a zombie uncle that gives off serious zombie mob boss vibes, and Angel can always claim that life is never boring.
I've really been enjoying this series. Still reminds me a lot of iZombie, but since I love iZombie, that works for me. It's funny and oddly inspirational at times. With Angel trying to better herself as well as trying to bring her dad with her, that's just inspirational in a way. The story has taken on a crazy new turn and I'm super curious to see how the story will play out from here.
The character development is the best part of this book. In book one she is just this broken shell of a person, who has completely stopped trying to be anything other than who others perceived her to be. She has a crappy boyfriend who treats her like crap, but she doesn't kick him to the curb till much later because she doesn't feel she deserves any better. In this book, she already won't back down and is starting to call people out for underestimating her. Including Marcus.
If there is anything I feel this story could use to keep it more engaging, I would say we need to work on the romantic aspect of it. I'm just not personally feeling the chemistry between Angel and Marcus. I think there is potential there, but we haven't really been allowed to get to know Marcus at all. So I'm really hoping we get to know him now in the next book.
I would recommend this book to those who like humanized zombies. Think iZombie. If you like this show/graphic novel, then I think you will enjoy this series. Definitely 18+. There is violence and gore and a ton of swear. F-bombs everywhere.
Find this review and others on my blog:
https://darklittomes.wordpress.com/
Follow me on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/darklittomes/
Angel is trying to juggle many things. A new boyfriend, studying for her GED, her job, working with her dad to improve themselves, not to mention still adjusting to life as a zombie. Add to that a body stealing a gun man and a zombie uncle that gives off serious zombie mob boss vibes, and Angel can always claim that life is never boring.
I've really been enjoying this series. Still reminds me a lot of iZombie, but since I love iZombie, that works for me. It's funny and oddly inspirational at times. With Angel trying to better herself as well as trying to bring her dad with her, that's just inspirational in a way. The story has taken on a crazy new turn and I'm super curious to see how the story will play out from here.
The character development is the best part of this book. In book one she is just this broken shell of a person, who has completely stopped trying to be anything other than who others perceived her to be. She has a crappy boyfriend who treats her like crap, but she doesn't kick him to the curb till much later because she doesn't feel she deserves any better. In this book, she already won't back down and is starting to call people out for underestimating her. Including Marcus.
If there is anything I feel this story could use to keep it more engaging, I would say we need to work on the romantic aspect of it. I'm just not personally feeling the chemistry between Angel and Marcus. I think there is potential there, but we haven't really been allowed to get to know Marcus at all. So I'm really hoping we get to know him now in the next book.
I would recommend this book to those who like humanized zombies. Think iZombie. If you like this show/graphic novel, then I think you will enjoy this series. Definitely 18+. There is violence and gore and a ton of swear. F-bombs everywhere.
Find this review and others on my blog:
https://darklittomes.wordpress.com/
Follow me on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/darklittomes/
March 13, 2023
Just fun, and gore, and a little heart as well. This series is great when I just need a light read to take my mind off of real life!!
April 13, 2024
3.5 Self-conscious Zombie Stars
Angel is new to being a zombie and feels like she is getting the hang of it but then she meets a few of the bigger players in town and starts to question everything. Seems like Marcus isn't letting her in on all of his life and there are some people who don't seem to think Angel is good enough for him including her sometimes.
It is hard to be white trash trying to pull yourself out of the gutter when some of the people around you are trying to push you right back in. Angel has some emotional baggage to deal with but she'll figure it out. I do like that she has found some way to make some progress with her addict father and build some boundaries.
There seems to be a zombie once thought dead come back to life. Things at the fancy lab in town just don't seem to be adding up but Angel is the only one that really seems to notice and Marcus just doesn't see how anyone in his circle of zombie friends might be involved. No worries our girl is never going to let a man tell her what to think even if that means she is going to need to make some discoveries of her own
Engaging story that I had some fun with. I actually liked seeing Ed come back and get more of his backstory and how that played into this installment of the series. Everyone has their reasons and Angel is willing to give more a second chance.
Kudos for the people at the morgue that Angel works at. I love that she finally has some people in her corner routing for her and trying to help her in her new journey.
Here is hoping Angel is getting smarter and will find a nice guy who gets her in some of the future books as I'm not a fan of the current love interest.
Angel is new to being a zombie and feels like she is getting the hang of it but then she meets a few of the bigger players in town and starts to question everything. Seems like Marcus isn't letting her in on all of his life and there are some people who don't seem to think Angel is good enough for him including her sometimes.
It is hard to be white trash trying to pull yourself out of the gutter when some of the people around you are trying to push you right back in. Angel has some emotional baggage to deal with but she'll figure it out. I do like that she has found some way to make some progress with her addict father and build some boundaries.
There seems to be a zombie once thought dead come back to life. Things at the fancy lab in town just don't seem to be adding up but Angel is the only one that really seems to notice and Marcus just doesn't see how anyone in his circle of zombie friends might be involved. No worries our girl is never going to let a man tell her what to think even if that means she is going to need to make some discoveries of her own
“Both the zombie mafia and the rebel zombie alliance could suck my white trash undead ass.”
Engaging story that I had some fun with. I actually liked seeing Ed come back and get more of his backstory and how that played into this installment of the series. Everyone has their reasons and Angel is willing to give more a second chance.
Kudos for the people at the morgue that Angel works at. I love that she finally has some people in her corner routing for her and trying to help her in her new journey.
“You’ve spent this time surviving. But that’s just existing. You can do more. Now it’s time for you to thrive.”
Here is hoping Angel is getting smarter and will find a nice guy who gets her in some of the future books as I'm not a fan of the current love interest.
July 2, 2012
Originally posted at http://smexybooks.com/2012/07/review-...
Favorite Quote: “We’re all monsters here.”
Angel Crawford has been given a second chance at life as a member of the undead and she’s determined not to blow it. The former junkie and delinquent is now drug and crime free, has a great job with the coroner’s office, and is dating hunky detective, Marcus Ivanov. But Angel’s been waiting for the other shoe to drop, and it drops with a BANG when bodies go missing and an old enemy starts hunting again. Toss in her probation officer, a secretive boyfriend, and an over zealous scientist and Angel knows she’s going to need all the brains she can get her hands on if she’s going to survive this time around.
Even White Trash Zombies Get The Blues is a wickedly funny, action packed, urban fantasy with a healthy dollop of romance and suspense. A romantic suspense…with zombies. I love Diana Rowland’s Kara Gillan series and expected nothing but fantastic things in here as well. I wasn’t disappointed. Rowland finds the perfect balance of macabre humor and realistic soul searching in here with heroine Angel Crawford. Angel was a complete screw up but when an accident turns her into a zombie, Angel grabs hold of her new found “life” with both hands. No longer compelled to try and self destruct, she has a great job and access to her much needed choice of food-brains. She has become more accepting of her condition, made friends, and she’s dating the man who gave her a new lease on life, detective Marcus Ivanov.
Angel still has self esteem issues though and I like that Rowland doesn’t sweep those under the covers, making the zombie-ism a “cure all”. Angel is still cleaning up the aftermath from her arrest, she’s on probation, and is also trying to repair the relationship with her father. Dating a hunk like Marcus isn’t all rainbows and unicorns either. She sees the differences between her and Marcus, made glaringly apparent when she is introduced to his family and friends. There is also Marcus’s attitude. He is beginning to make decisions for her without consulting her and the new Angel isn’t going to put up with it. She may be white trash but she’s not stupid white trash. I adore the mixture of vulnerability and steel that is readily apparent in her hilariously snarky dialogue. You can easily visualize the head rolling and finger snapping when Angel feels the need to put someone in their place. What I truly like about this series is the realism of it all. This isn’t an urban fantasy about zombies…it’s a urban fantasy that just happens to have a heroine who is a zombie.
The secondary characters are just as personable and well developed as Angel and only adds to the fun of this story. Angel’s dad is making strides in here, along with Angel, and I enjoyed seeing her interaction with her friends. She’s a good person and it’s nice to see that validated by others. The mystery of the story is quite inventive as Ms. Rowland pulls from book one and builds upon that storyline to expand the world she has created. We learn more about the zombie-ism and the steps some are taking to make sure the food supply doesn’t become overtaxed. Angel shows quite an aptitude for investigative work when she is unfairly penalized for a situation at the morgue and decides to take her future into her own hands and solve the mystery. A couple of shocking twists and turns makes for some wide-eyed moments. I look forward to seeing what going to happen in book three.
Even White Trash Zombies Get The Blues is the perfect sequel to My LIfe As A White Trash Zombie and a must read for all fans of urban fantasy and zombies. And may I add that the cover is phenomenal. Dan Dos Santos rocks it out again.
Overall rating: B
Favorite Quote: “We’re all monsters here.”
Angel Crawford has been given a second chance at life as a member of the undead and she’s determined not to blow it. The former junkie and delinquent is now drug and crime free, has a great job with the coroner’s office, and is dating hunky detective, Marcus Ivanov. But Angel’s been waiting for the other shoe to drop, and it drops with a BANG when bodies go missing and an old enemy starts hunting again. Toss in her probation officer, a secretive boyfriend, and an over zealous scientist and Angel knows she’s going to need all the brains she can get her hands on if she’s going to survive this time around.
Even White Trash Zombies Get The Blues is a wickedly funny, action packed, urban fantasy with a healthy dollop of romance and suspense. A romantic suspense…with zombies. I love Diana Rowland’s Kara Gillan series and expected nothing but fantastic things in here as well. I wasn’t disappointed. Rowland finds the perfect balance of macabre humor and realistic soul searching in here with heroine Angel Crawford. Angel was a complete screw up but when an accident turns her into a zombie, Angel grabs hold of her new found “life” with both hands. No longer compelled to try and self destruct, she has a great job and access to her much needed choice of food-brains. She has become more accepting of her condition, made friends, and she’s dating the man who gave her a new lease on life, detective Marcus Ivanov.
Angel still has self esteem issues though and I like that Rowland doesn’t sweep those under the covers, making the zombie-ism a “cure all”. Angel is still cleaning up the aftermath from her arrest, she’s on probation, and is also trying to repair the relationship with her father. Dating a hunk like Marcus isn’t all rainbows and unicorns either. She sees the differences between her and Marcus, made glaringly apparent when she is introduced to his family and friends. There is also Marcus’s attitude. He is beginning to make decisions for her without consulting her and the new Angel isn’t going to put up with it. She may be white trash but she’s not stupid white trash. I adore the mixture of vulnerability and steel that is readily apparent in her hilariously snarky dialogue. You can easily visualize the head rolling and finger snapping when Angel feels the need to put someone in their place. What I truly like about this series is the realism of it all. This isn’t an urban fantasy about zombies…it’s a urban fantasy that just happens to have a heroine who is a zombie.
The secondary characters are just as personable and well developed as Angel and only adds to the fun of this story. Angel’s dad is making strides in here, along with Angel, and I enjoyed seeing her interaction with her friends. She’s a good person and it’s nice to see that validated by others. The mystery of the story is quite inventive as Ms. Rowland pulls from book one and builds upon that storyline to expand the world she has created. We learn more about the zombie-ism and the steps some are taking to make sure the food supply doesn’t become overtaxed. Angel shows quite an aptitude for investigative work when she is unfairly penalized for a situation at the morgue and decides to take her future into her own hands and solve the mystery. A couple of shocking twists and turns makes for some wide-eyed moments. I look forward to seeing what going to happen in book three.
Even White Trash Zombies Get The Blues is the perfect sequel to My LIfe As A White Trash Zombie and a must read for all fans of urban fantasy and zombies. And may I add that the cover is phenomenal. Dan Dos Santos rocks it out again.
Overall rating: B
November 6, 2016
I totally found my zombie niche…
Book Title: Even White Trash Zombies Get The Blues
Author: Diana Rowland
Series: White Trash Zombie #2
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Adult, Zombies
Source: Kindle E-Book (Library)
♫My Pick for Book Theme Song: Titanium by David Guetta Featuring Sia --Angel has some personal growth in this second book. So…this kind of nails it.♫
⇝Ratings Breakdown⇜
Plot: 5/5
Characters: 5/5
The Feels: 5/5
Addictiveness: 5/5
Theme: 5/5
Flow: 5/5
Backdrop (World Building): 5/5
Originality:5/5
Book Cover: 4/5
Ending: 5/5. Cliffhanger: no
Will I continue this series? Yes!!! Loving this series so far!
☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆ 5/5 STARS ☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆
⇝My Thoughts⇜
Between this series and IZombie (CW Show) I have found zombies that I can live with. Zombies that mindlessly eat are really not my thing. They give me nightmares…These zombies are still functioning members of society, with thoughts and desires of their own.
With plenty of intriguing mystery, good friends, and a splash of romance this second book was even better than the first, Angel is really coming into her own, with being a zombie; and surviving the hunger for brains.
My only qualm with this series is the covers…they always have her holding a cigarette in every one of them. I don't get it, because in this book she clearly states how she can't even smoke because her parasite; (what makes her a zombie) has to use up her brains quicker to combat what damage the cigarettes are doing to her body. It's silly, I don't think it makes her look cooler because she's holding a cigarette.
⇝Sex Factor⇜ None that is explicit, it's really not the focus of this book…even the romance is dialed down and takes a back seat to the mystery.
Book Title: Even White Trash Zombies Get The Blues
Author: Diana Rowland
Series: White Trash Zombie #2
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Adult, Zombies
Source: Kindle E-Book (Library)
♫My Pick for Book Theme Song: Titanium by David Guetta Featuring Sia --Angel has some personal growth in this second book. So…this kind of nails it.♫⇝Ratings Breakdown⇜
Plot: 5/5
Characters: 5/5
The Feels: 5/5
Addictiveness: 5/5
Theme: 5/5
Flow: 5/5
Backdrop (World Building): 5/5
Originality:5/5
Book Cover: 4/5
Ending: 5/5. Cliffhanger: no
Will I continue this series? Yes!!! Loving this series so far!
☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆ 5/5 STARS ☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆
⇝My Thoughts⇜
Between this series and IZombie (CW Show) I have found zombies that I can live with. Zombies that mindlessly eat are really not my thing. They give me nightmares…These zombies are still functioning members of society, with thoughts and desires of their own.
With plenty of intriguing mystery, good friends, and a splash of romance this second book was even better than the first, Angel is really coming into her own, with being a zombie; and surviving the hunger for brains.My only qualm with this series is the covers…they always have her holding a cigarette in every one of them. I don't get it, because in this book she clearly states how she can't even smoke because her parasite; (what makes her a zombie) has to use up her brains quicker to combat what damage the cigarettes are doing to her body. It's silly, I don't think it makes her look cooler because she's holding a cigarette. ⇝Sex Factor⇜ None that is explicit, it's really not the focus of this book…even the romance is dialed down and takes a back seat to the mystery.
August 21, 2020
"Even White Trash Zombies Get The Blues" continues Angel Crawford's tale from where "My Life As A White Trash Zombie" left off. It has the same punchy style as the first novel and continues to benefit from Allison McLemore's first class narration.
The thing I liked most about the book is the way Angel grows and develops. She's turned becoming a zombie into an opportunity to turn her life around and become a better person, or at least one she likes and respects more. Putting aside the humour (which occasionally made me laugh out loud) and the zombie strangeness (which becomes satisfyingly complex) the main impact of this book comes from making the reader care about Angel Crawford.
"Even White Trash Zombies Get The Blues" is darker than the first novel. The scenes relating to Angel's treatment by her abductors are well enough written to be disturbing. This is about fear and humiliation and what happens when we treat people as things. Not a laugh a minute but not exploitative either. This is Angel's introduction to some of the more unpleasant realities of her new life. Her reaction to her experience forces her to grow or die and begins to shape her into someone who thinks about the big picture and not just how to survive until tomorrow.
Diana Rowland goes to some lengths to explain the science behind being a zombie. While I think this was important, even necessary, I felt there was a little too much info-dumping at some parts of the book. The science does sound plausible and it sets up all kinds of ideas that can feed future books but I'd have rather had it drip fed a little more. The best part of the explanation was Angel's reaction to it. Her enthusiasm for "learning cool stuff" is infectious.
I'm now a confirmed White Trash Zombie fan. I'll download them as they appear and consume them with pleasure.
I'm also a fan of Allison McLemore, not just for her Angel voice, which is perfect, but for her ability to give voices to other characters and to narrate the action scenes. I'll be looking at other books she's narrated.
If you'd like to hear how Alison McLemore reads Angel, click on the SoundCloud link below:
[soundcloud url="https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/984..." params="auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true" width="100%" height="450" iframe="true" /]
The thing I liked most about the book is the way Angel grows and develops. She's turned becoming a zombie into an opportunity to turn her life around and become a better person, or at least one she likes and respects more. Putting aside the humour (which occasionally made me laugh out loud) and the zombie strangeness (which becomes satisfyingly complex) the main impact of this book comes from making the reader care about Angel Crawford.
"Even White Trash Zombies Get The Blues" is darker than the first novel. The scenes relating to Angel's treatment by her abductors are well enough written to be disturbing. This is about fear and humiliation and what happens when we treat people as things. Not a laugh a minute but not exploitative either. This is Angel's introduction to some of the more unpleasant realities of her new life. Her reaction to her experience forces her to grow or die and begins to shape her into someone who thinks about the big picture and not just how to survive until tomorrow.
Diana Rowland goes to some lengths to explain the science behind being a zombie. While I think this was important, even necessary, I felt there was a little too much info-dumping at some parts of the book. The science does sound plausible and it sets up all kinds of ideas that can feed future books but I'd have rather had it drip fed a little more. The best part of the explanation was Angel's reaction to it. Her enthusiasm for "learning cool stuff" is infectious.
I'm now a confirmed White Trash Zombie fan. I'll download them as they appear and consume them with pleasure.
I'm also a fan of Allison McLemore, not just for her Angel voice, which is perfect, but for her ability to give voices to other characters and to narrate the action scenes. I'll be looking at other books she's narrated.
If you'd like to hear how Alison McLemore reads Angel, click on the SoundCloud link below:
[soundcloud url="https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/984..." params="auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true" width="100%" height="450" iframe="true" /]
November 22, 2018
4.5*
The second book in the white trash zombie series sees Angel being falsely implicated in the theft of an unusual body from the morgue. With her job on the line she investigates who could be behind the theft and comes across a disturbing organisation that ties in with the zombie mafia.
This was almost as good as the first book, there's not much difference in my rating for 1 & 2 just a feeling that I liked the first book slightly more. That being said this was all out fun, a little slow to start off with but there's a lot going on and it was a fast read once I got into it.
The biggest reason I am loving this series is Angel, she's such a great character. She undergoes quite a bit of character growth in this second book, starting to better and believe in herself more and it was heartening to see her move forward in her relationships with others, especially her father. She is a very relatable and overall likeable character, in no way perfect and better for it.
A fun read that has me itching to get the next one started. Highly recommended.
The second book in the white trash zombie series sees Angel being falsely implicated in the theft of an unusual body from the morgue. With her job on the line she investigates who could be behind the theft and comes across a disturbing organisation that ties in with the zombie mafia.
This was almost as good as the first book, there's not much difference in my rating for 1 & 2 just a feeling that I liked the first book slightly more. That being said this was all out fun, a little slow to start off with but there's a lot going on and it was a fast read once I got into it.
The biggest reason I am loving this series is Angel, she's such a great character. She undergoes quite a bit of character growth in this second book, starting to better and believe in herself more and it was heartening to see her move forward in her relationships with others, especially her father. She is a very relatable and overall likeable character, in no way perfect and better for it.
A fun read that has me itching to get the next one started. Highly recommended.
July 30, 2014
My name is Angel, and I'll be your zombie today.
These are the books I love to read when I want something where I don't want to think. Where I want to escape with something witty and fun.
Angel Crawford is a high school drop out, ex-felon who works at the coroner. Did I mention she also likes to eat brains? When a body is stolen from the morgue at gunpoint, Angel is caught up in the middle of a zombie conspiracy.
I can't put too much detail without spoiling the book but know this:
Angel isn't your typical protagonist. Not just because she is undead. She is trashy and sarcastic and she kicks ass!
Zombie powers activate!
A perfect escape.
May 12, 2016
Another fun read. I enjoy our main character and all her flaws. She makes no apologies. This was a continuation from the first book My Life as a White Trash Zombie, taking place not long after it finished. We had a few new characters, some old ones, we learn a little more about everyone. This was thoroughly enjoyable and I couldn't put it down. I fully intend to read the next book. If you are looking for something different in the zombie genre, I highly recommend what I have read so far. If you are thinking of dabbling, this is just plain fun.
November 25, 2018
Awesome!!
July 24, 2012
This and other reviews can be found on Reading Between Classes
Cover Impressions: Even if I hadn't read and enjoyed My Life As A White Trash Zombie, this cover would have made me start the series. It is the perfect mix of bad-ass and vulnerable in a completely unexpected scene (are there any other books that feature a punk-chick on a toilet?*) The cover is so detailed that it begs examination and I found myself looking it over every time that I closed the book and noticing new things each time.
The Gist: Angel Crawford is a zombie, but not the moaning, shambling type of zombie that drops body parts as it wanders the post apocalyptic world attacking survivors. As long as she keeps her stomach full up on brains, Angel is able to pass for any other trailer trash chick with a felony record and probation requirements to tend to. Because she doesn't have ENOUGH problems, Angel finds herself in the middle of a mystery that appears to involve a zombie mafia, secret lab and gruesome experiments.
Review: I normally shy away from zombie books. I tend to find them predictable in the whole "let me lull you into a false sense of security and then have zombies jump out of FUCKING EVERYWHERE" kind of way. However, I really love Diana Rowland's take on zombies. These zombies only rot when they are deprived of brains, but can lose their humanity as the disease takes over and promotes survival without fear of consequences. They also take jobs that will ensure the availability of brains, like Angel's job in the morgue. The thought of zombies working amongst us while secretly downing brain smoothies for lunch, intrigues and amuses me in ways I never thought possible.
The beginning of Even White Trash Zombies Get the Blues was a little slow. There is a lot of moaning as Angel tries to get her life together and laments her supposed inability to become part of polite society and make something of herself. She is the type of girl that you want to shake because you can see that she is smart and has a great deal of potential, she just needs to get out of her own way and let herself imagine a future that doesn't involve suffering for her past criminal activity, status as a high school drop out and white trash roots. Even through the whining, there are sparks of a stronger Angel and glimpses of bad-ass behavior. I loved Angel in the first book, and was really glad to see her getting her life together and (begrudgingly) start studying for her GED. As a character, her voice is fantastic. Witty, self-deprecating and all around total tough girl. She rarely takes shit from anyone, least of all the bad guys and proves that female characters can be scared out of their wits and still pull out a line that will leave the reader laughing.
There are a number of supporting characters (interestingly, all men) who work on the periphery of the story but never outshine Angel. In this novel, she is the star and she is not willing to allow anyone else to coddle her, protect her or rescue her. I would like to see these characters further developed and given a bit more personality. For example, Angel's partner (the name escapes me at the moment) has some really great lines, but we barely see him. Ed and Pietro could also be really interesting characters if they were fleshed out a little more.
While this novel was a little slow to start, it made up for it when the shit hit the fan. We were then treated to pretty much non-stop action in which we see Angel at her most vulnerable (and kudos to an author who can allow a kick-ass character to display that much vulnerability) and her most fearsome. The only thing that brought it down a notch was the serious info-dumping session that occurred afterwards. I understand that things needed to be explained and loose ends needed to be tied up, but the coffee klatch was a little much for me.
One note on content. I really enjoy this series and sincerely wish that I could recommend it to my students. However, there is A LOT of swearing and it is widely varied in level of profanity (see below). There is no way I could hand this one off to a student without serious fear of being fired.
Teaching/Parental Notes:
Age: 16 and up
Gender: Both
Sex: Mentioned, not described.
Violence: Gunplay, Zombie Mauling, Hand to Hand combat, Use of Tasers,
Inappropriate Language: LOTS!! Bitch, Fuck, Shit, Asshole, Bastard, Bullshit, Goddamn, Jesus Christ, Cocksucker, Cunt, Pissed, Motherfucker, Tits,
Substance Use/Abuse:
Notable Quotables:
"'Zombie Super Powers, activate, you fucking bitches'"
*If there are, please don't send me links, I am sure I don't want to see them...
April 27, 2019
After the exciting events in book one when Angel Crawford's life takes a dip into the bizarre with her new craving for chocolate brain smoothies and her restart in life working for the parish coroner's office about the time a serial killer of zombies starts up, she's ready for some calm days to begin figuring her life out- and maybe getting her GED. But, that is not to be and I was all in for the latest adventure of Angel the White Trash Zombie.
Even White Trash Zombies Get the Blues is the second book in a unique urban fantasy series that works best read in order as each installment carries on the storyline from the book before it.
Angel enjoys her job doing the body pick ups and helping with the autopsies at the coroner's office and she likes the self-respect she feels now that she's getting her life on track- no drugs, booze, or bad relationship decisions.
Sure, she has a parole officer that reminds her she needs to keep fulfilling her tasks like getting that GED she forgot about and yeah, Ed the zombie hunter is still out there and maybe plotting to add Marcus and her heads to his collection, but right now there's a new mysterious death and a body snatching to occupy her.
This is good because it takes her mind off meeting Marcus' family and her worry that they really do come from two different worlds. Handsome Marcus has an influential uncle and the family hobnobs with the governor and senators, he's on a career track for politics and working on his masters, and a girlfriend with Angel's background is a liability.
Angel may feel inadequate, but what gets her steamed is Marcus making all the decisions and does things 'for her own good'. And, don't get her started on the prickles of jealousy when a certain female scientist is always around and has known Marcus for years and the stronger vibes that hint that something hinky is going down at that top secret research facility where the woman works.
Now, I had a good time with the first book, White Trash Zombie. The Louisiana parish and small town setting, Angel's history and reputation as someone who generally made bad decisions for her life because she'd stopped caring after her mom took off and her dad sank into his beer can so that she got busted and is now on parole. Her life hit bottom and someone mysteriously stepped in and gave her a second chance of the supernatural variety. Now, she's gotten adjusted to all the changes and is settling into her new life. There is more about zombie-ism in this one, the return of an enemy or two and the rise of a new villain that seems likely to plague the zombies for the whole series Angel also gets the unwelcome news that zombies are no different than humans with their political plays and even mafia types.
Alongside the fun twisting murder mysteries to tease Angel's curiosity, this series is definitely the story of her figuring things out and getting it right this go around. I love having her as the narrator and cheering her on as she makes better decisions though it's a work in progress. Her relationship with her alcoholic dad and the inroads they make on building something new as father and daughter is a neat extra, too.
The first half of the book was slow as a lot of set up was going on, but it wasn't boring. That said, it was fabulous when things took off in the second half and I was riveted. Angel got into some bad spots and she was one tough cookie as she took care of business in her own way. Whew! She was impressive and kickbutt.
I am definitely wanting more Angel and her White Trash Zombie world. There are some squeamish moments for me because- zombies. But, its no more squeamish in ways than a gritty thriller or any other urban fantasy so it falls within my ability to handle it. I can definitely recommend this book/series to other Urban Fantasy lovers.
Even White Trash Zombies Get the Blues is the second book in a unique urban fantasy series that works best read in order as each installment carries on the storyline from the book before it.
Angel enjoys her job doing the body pick ups and helping with the autopsies at the coroner's office and she likes the self-respect she feels now that she's getting her life on track- no drugs, booze, or bad relationship decisions.
Sure, she has a parole officer that reminds her she needs to keep fulfilling her tasks like getting that GED she forgot about and yeah, Ed the zombie hunter is still out there and maybe plotting to add Marcus and her heads to his collection, but right now there's a new mysterious death and a body snatching to occupy her.
This is good because it takes her mind off meeting Marcus' family and her worry that they really do come from two different worlds. Handsome Marcus has an influential uncle and the family hobnobs with the governor and senators, he's on a career track for politics and working on his masters, and a girlfriend with Angel's background is a liability.
Angel may feel inadequate, but what gets her steamed is Marcus making all the decisions and does things 'for her own good'. And, don't get her started on the prickles of jealousy when a certain female scientist is always around and has known Marcus for years and the stronger vibes that hint that something hinky is going down at that top secret research facility where the woman works.
Now, I had a good time with the first book, White Trash Zombie. The Louisiana parish and small town setting, Angel's history and reputation as someone who generally made bad decisions for her life because she'd stopped caring after her mom took off and her dad sank into his beer can so that she got busted and is now on parole. Her life hit bottom and someone mysteriously stepped in and gave her a second chance of the supernatural variety. Now, she's gotten adjusted to all the changes and is settling into her new life. There is more about zombie-ism in this one, the return of an enemy or two and the rise of a new villain that seems likely to plague the zombies for the whole series Angel also gets the unwelcome news that zombies are no different than humans with their political plays and even mafia types.
Alongside the fun twisting murder mysteries to tease Angel's curiosity, this series is definitely the story of her figuring things out and getting it right this go around. I love having her as the narrator and cheering her on as she makes better decisions though it's a work in progress. Her relationship with her alcoholic dad and the inroads they make on building something new as father and daughter is a neat extra, too.
The first half of the book was slow as a lot of set up was going on, but it wasn't boring. That said, it was fabulous when things took off in the second half and I was riveted. Angel got into some bad spots and she was one tough cookie as she took care of business in her own way. Whew! She was impressive and kickbutt.
I am definitely wanting more Angel and her White Trash Zombie world. There are some squeamish moments for me because- zombies. But, its no more squeamish in ways than a gritty thriller or any other urban fantasy so it falls within my ability to handle it. I can definitely recommend this book/series to other Urban Fantasy lovers.
January 27, 2014
Reviewed by: Rabid Reads
I listened to the first two installments in Diana Rowland’s WHITE TRASH ZOMBIE series back-to-back after having absolutely freaking loved book one only to find myself wishing that I hadn’t. As much as I enjoyed EVEN WHITE TRASH ZOMBIES GET THE BLUES, I couldn’t help but feel a twinge of disappointment after the high I had experienced with the first novel. The zombie 101 elements that were prevalent in the earlier installment were mostly absent and this series’ story arc went from a slow lope to warped speed far too quickly. I still loved listening to Angel’s zombie shenanigans and I’ll definitely be buying the next book although, I am going to wait a bit longer to do that than last time.
The main character and Allison McLemore’s narration are the two main factors that keep me coming back for more. Angel is an incredibly unique and wildly entertaining heroine who I seriously just can’t get enough of. I love her snarky personality and her hilarious zombie vocabulary. It’s impossible not to giggle when she talks about tanking up or when she yells “zombie powers ACTIVATE!” I like how even though Crawford’s a newbie in this world she’s not afraid to throw her weight around, even when she’s up against some pretty heavy hitters. McLemore continues to wow me with her humorous portrayal of Angel and, I know that I’ve said this already but, I could listen to her southern twang all day long.
As much as I enjoyed this book’s plot, I did think that Rowland went a little overboard. Things just got a whole lot more complicated in the WHITE TRASH ZOMBIES universe and I’m not convinced that the author gave readers enough time to catch-up. I understand that she wanted to deliver an action-packed installment but I wish there’d been more of a transition from zombie 101 to full-on mafia war / government conspiracy. Also, most of the new developments in relation to Angel’s walking dead status were instinctual which made them less entertaining to read about because of the lack of the need for trial and error. I’m hoping things will have evened out by the third novel.
I’m still not sure how I feel about the romance between the two main protagonists. There were definitely a couple of cute moments between them and I liked learning how zombie relationships differ from human ones; like for instance, at one point Angel gives Marcus crap for not telling her sooner that she was beginning to smell. And, not like B.O. either but rotten flesh. Yuck. Ivanov had a stick stuck up his butt for a good part of this book but I began to warm-up to him towards the end when he seemed to realize that he had to get off his high horse if he wanted to continue dating Crawford.
EVEN WHITE TRASH ZOMBIES GET THE BLUES is another fun listen from Diana Rowland and Allison McLemore; definitely worth checking out if you like your snark with a side of brains.
I listened to the first two installments in Diana Rowland’s WHITE TRASH ZOMBIE series back-to-back after having absolutely freaking loved book one only to find myself wishing that I hadn’t. As much as I enjoyed EVEN WHITE TRASH ZOMBIES GET THE BLUES, I couldn’t help but feel a twinge of disappointment after the high I had experienced with the first novel. The zombie 101 elements that were prevalent in the earlier installment were mostly absent and this series’ story arc went from a slow lope to warped speed far too quickly. I still loved listening to Angel’s zombie shenanigans and I’ll definitely be buying the next book although, I am going to wait a bit longer to do that than last time.
The main character and Allison McLemore’s narration are the two main factors that keep me coming back for more. Angel is an incredibly unique and wildly entertaining heroine who I seriously just can’t get enough of. I love her snarky personality and her hilarious zombie vocabulary. It’s impossible not to giggle when she talks about tanking up or when she yells “zombie powers ACTIVATE!” I like how even though Crawford’s a newbie in this world she’s not afraid to throw her weight around, even when she’s up against some pretty heavy hitters. McLemore continues to wow me with her humorous portrayal of Angel and, I know that I’ve said this already but, I could listen to her southern twang all day long.
As much as I enjoyed this book’s plot, I did think that Rowland went a little overboard. Things just got a whole lot more complicated in the WHITE TRASH ZOMBIES universe and I’m not convinced that the author gave readers enough time to catch-up. I understand that she wanted to deliver an action-packed installment but I wish there’d been more of a transition from zombie 101 to full-on mafia war / government conspiracy. Also, most of the new developments in relation to Angel’s walking dead status were instinctual which made them less entertaining to read about because of the lack of the need for trial and error. I’m hoping things will have evened out by the third novel.
I’m still not sure how I feel about the romance between the two main protagonists. There were definitely a couple of cute moments between them and I liked learning how zombie relationships differ from human ones; like for instance, at one point Angel gives Marcus crap for not telling her sooner that she was beginning to smell. And, not like B.O. either but rotten flesh. Yuck. Ivanov had a stick stuck up his butt for a good part of this book but I began to warm-up to him towards the end when he seemed to realize that he had to get off his high horse if he wanted to continue dating Crawford.
EVEN WHITE TRASH ZOMBIES GET THE BLUES is another fun listen from Diana Rowland and Allison McLemore; definitely worth checking out if you like your snark with a side of brains.
June 7, 2013
A Solid 4.5 Stars
After being turned into a zombie in My Life as a White Trash Zombie, Angel returns for another adventure. Just when things are starting to look up for her, her life once again hits the skids.
Her job at the morgue is on the line after a body is stolen on her watch, her relationship with Marcus is on the rocks after he belittles her in front of his uncle. She suspects his uncle, Pietro is something of a zombie mobster who might be in cahoots with a mysterious research facility from which the aforementioned stolen body came.
Without the support of her boyfriend, she finds herself accepting help from a most unlikely source but desperate times call for desperate measures, and she needs to get to the bottom of the mystery before her parole is revoked and she's thrown back into jail.
Angel is fast becoming one of my favorite female characters in fiction. She's snarky, intelligent and determined. Those around her dismiss and belittle her but she always manages to land on her feet.
Fans of Molly Harper's Jane Jameson / Half Moon Hollow series' will love these books. They are suffused with the same intelligent writing and lively sense of humor.
After being turned into a zombie in My Life as a White Trash Zombie, Angel returns for another adventure. Just when things are starting to look up for her, her life once again hits the skids.
Her job at the morgue is on the line after a body is stolen on her watch, her relationship with Marcus is on the rocks after he belittles her in front of his uncle. She suspects his uncle, Pietro is something of a zombie mobster who might be in cahoots with a mysterious research facility from which the aforementioned stolen body came.
Without the support of her boyfriend, she finds herself accepting help from a most unlikely source but desperate times call for desperate measures, and she needs to get to the bottom of the mystery before her parole is revoked and she's thrown back into jail.
Angel is fast becoming one of my favorite female characters in fiction. She's snarky, intelligent and determined. Those around her dismiss and belittle her but she always manages to land on her feet.
Fans of Molly Harper's Jane Jameson / Half Moon Hollow series' will love these books. They are suffused with the same intelligent writing and lively sense of humor.
May 22, 2015
I've binge read this series in the last two days. The writing is just so easy to get into!
While Angel Crawford was more down on herself in the first book, she's come a long way since being turned into a zombie. I loved seeing elements of her character's vulnerability and self deprecation, mixing with the confidence in knowing that she cares for others and that she's more human than others. Angel really does kick ass in this installment, and there are some fantastic action scenes that she experiences.
I did get the feeling here that the zombies are much like vampires though, with how they turn people into other zombies who have super healing when they're juiced up. Just swap in blood with brains and you've pretty much got the concept. What makes the White Trash Zombie series different however, is the morgue, the scientific experiments, the murder mystery aspect in each installment and Angel's witty, lovable white trash self. It's a fantastic combination.
I also loved seeing Angel's relationship with her abusive dad evolve, although he's done some bad things that are unforgivable, at the end of the day he loves her, and they're trying hard together.
Another fantastic installment in the White Trash Zombie series, and I couldn't recommend it enough! On to the next one.
While Angel Crawford was more down on herself in the first book, she's come a long way since being turned into a zombie. I loved seeing elements of her character's vulnerability and self deprecation, mixing with the confidence in knowing that she cares for others and that she's more human than others. Angel really does kick ass in this installment, and there are some fantastic action scenes that she experiences.
I did get the feeling here that the zombies are much like vampires though, with how they turn people into other zombies who have super healing when they're juiced up. Just swap in blood with brains and you've pretty much got the concept. What makes the White Trash Zombie series different however, is the morgue, the scientific experiments, the murder mystery aspect in each installment and Angel's witty, lovable white trash self. It's a fantastic combination.
I also loved seeing Angel's relationship with her abusive dad evolve, although he's done some bad things that are unforgivable, at the end of the day he loves her, and they're trying hard together.
Another fantastic installment in the White Trash Zombie series, and I couldn't recommend it enough! On to the next one.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 745 reviews