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Zom-B #9
Zom-B Family
B has been taken hostage by Dan-Dan and his evil associates . . . who include her father, but someone is coming to her rescue . . .
"What's wrong, Daddy dearest?" I simper. "Oh, that's right, you can't beat me up any more, can you? Unless you want to go get a plank to hammer me over the head with."
"Don't say such things," he croaks, sitting again, looking on the verge of tears.
"Why not?" I shout. "You never gave a damn about me really. And what happened to Mum? You haven't mentioned her. If you're such a big family man, that's the first thing you would have told me. Go on, Dad, let me have it. Did you look for her? Did she even cross your mind?"
"Of course she did," he yells. "She was my wife. I loved her."
"And?" I whisper when he doesn't continue, fearing the worst, sure he's going to tell me he couldn't find her or that she was dead when he got there. Instead he shocks me.
"She's here," he mumbles.
"What's wrong, Daddy dearest?" I simper. "Oh, that's right, you can't beat me up any more, can you? Unless you want to go get a plank to hammer me over the head with."
"Don't say such things," he croaks, sitting again, looking on the verge of tears.
"Why not?" I shout. "You never gave a damn about me really. And what happened to Mum? You haven't mentioned her. If you're such a big family man, that's the first thing you would have told me. Go on, Dad, let me have it. Did you look for her? Did she even cross your mind?"
"Of course she did," he yells. "She was my wife. I loved her."
"And?" I whisper when he doesn't continue, fearing the worst, sure he's going to tell me he couldn't find her or that she was dead when he got there. Instead he shocks me.
"She's here," he mumbles.
224 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2014
28 people are currently reading
1393 people want to read
About the author
Darren Shan
243 books8,274 followersLibrarian's note: Also writes books for adults under the name Darren Dash. And in the past he has released books for adults under the names D.B. Shan and Darren O'Shaughnessy.
Darren Shan (born July 2, 1972 in London, England) is the pen name of the Irish author Darren O'Shaughnessy, as well as the name of the protagonist of his book series The Saga of Darren Shan, also known as The Cirque Du Freak Series in the United States. He is the author of the series The Demonata, The Saga of Larten Crepsley, and Zom-B. He has also released the stand-alone novel, The Thin Executioner, and the stand-alone short novels, Koyasan, and Hagurosan. Plus, for adults, he released The City Trilogy (originally under the name of D.B. Shan), and Lady of the Shades..
Darren Shan (born July 2, 1972 in London, England) is the pen name of the Irish author Darren O'Shaughnessy, as well as the name of the protagonist of his book series The Saga of Darren Shan, also known as The Cirque Du Freak Series in the United States. He is the author of the series The Demonata, The Saga of Larten Crepsley, and Zom-B. He has also released the stand-alone novel, The Thin Executioner, and the stand-alone short novels, Koyasan, and Hagurosan. Plus, for adults, he released The City Trilogy (originally under the name of D.B. Shan), and Lady of the Shades..
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 120 reviews
March 30, 2019
So I just finished Zom-B Family by Darren Shah.
Rating: 4.5/5🌟
It is the 9th book in the Zom-B series. So if you guys haven't read the first 8 books then stop reading this coz It might spoil those books for you.
The story starts where the 8th book ended, when Brian is taken hostage by Dan Dan and his evil associates which includes her father too.
Later she finds out about her mother. But she could not help her.
B is tortured a lot in this book coz literally I wanted to puke and I was crying a lot.
This book was so disturbing and it was bloody gruesome. B went through so much in this book. This has to be the most gruesome book in the whole series.
Like I said in my precious reviews, these books are really gruesome. They contain a lot of blood shed and some really creepy illustrations.
Rating: 4.5/5🌟
It is the 9th book in the Zom-B series. So if you guys haven't read the first 8 books then stop reading this coz It might spoil those books for you.
The story starts where the 8th book ended, when Brian is taken hostage by Dan Dan and his evil associates which includes her father too.
Later she finds out about her mother. But she could not help her.
B is tortured a lot in this book coz literally I wanted to puke and I was crying a lot.
This book was so disturbing and it was bloody gruesome. B went through so much in this book. This has to be the most gruesome book in the whole series.
Like I said in my precious reviews, these books are really gruesome. They contain a lot of blood shed and some really creepy illustrations.
October 6, 2014
I assume that by picking up this book that A) You’re up to date on this series so far or B) You’re an older fan of Darren Shan and you’re curious as to what he’s up to now.
Well, let me catch you up on what he’s been doing.
Zom-B family is the ninth book in the zombie-infested series by the ‘Master of Horror’ Darren Shan. If you are not up to date on the series and are allergic to spoilers…put on your face mask and blindfold now.
You have been warned.
At this point in the series, we have learnt that B. Smith is sort of dead. Yes, she is a zombie, but she has retained all of her thinking abilities and consciousness. This is as a result of being inoculated as a child by the mysterious Dr Oystein. She struggles with this new way of life for a long time throughout the series. She eventually reconciles with her new place in the world however, and joins other ‘revitalised’ as they are known to become ‘Angels’. These help Dr Oystein in the fight to save humanity from the gruesome clown figure Mr Dowling.
Toward the end of the last book Zom-B Clans, we see B betrayed by one of her fellow Angels and taken captive. Her captors include the sick, twisted and downright creepy child-killer Dan-Dan, racists (of which her father is one and who she despises) and the ever present Owl Man.
Now that we’re up to date, what follows is without doubt, one of the most gruesome, bloody and gory bits of writing I’ve read in a very long time.
As a student of Mr Shan and having read every one of his books to date, I can safely say that he’s learnt a few new tricks for this book.
Better tricks…check.
Better violence…check.
Ability to make your dinner come back up your throat…double check!
Mr Shan has stepped up his game in terms of sheer brutality here. The torture scene between two characters is a detailed and organised mess of blood, flesh, maiming, blood and taunts, that will leave you with your own scars on your mind, so powerful is the writing.
Even after all of this, we have death fights, brain smashing, ripping limbs and a whole host of other delightfulness that fans of Shan will sink their teeth into!
Away from the violence, the plot is advanced along very nicely. I felt that the reveal of Owl Man’s personality and a closer look up at Mr Dowling and his henchmen is a welcome relief for fans who have been feeding on scraps for so long. The change of scenery from Dr Oystein and the angels too is appreciated as we see if the grass really is greener on the other side of the zombies.
A delightful little mystery is introduced at the end too. If you’re like me, then when you’re reading the passage…you will be screaming at the book for it to be revealed!
The ending is very much akin to a lot of Shan’s other work…I can’t say much more without fear of spoiling it. The last few pages have the inevitable feel about it. We always knew that B would end up where she ends up. What we don't know is how it will all turn out. That is the million dollar question here!
Book ten is scheduled for February 2015 so until then…Happy Brain Munching!
Well, let me catch you up on what he’s been doing.
Zom-B family is the ninth book in the zombie-infested series by the ‘Master of Horror’ Darren Shan. If you are not up to date on the series and are allergic to spoilers…put on your face mask and blindfold now.
You have been warned.
At this point in the series, we have learnt that B. Smith is sort of dead. Yes, she is a zombie, but she has retained all of her thinking abilities and consciousness. This is as a result of being inoculated as a child by the mysterious Dr Oystein. She struggles with this new way of life for a long time throughout the series. She eventually reconciles with her new place in the world however, and joins other ‘revitalised’ as they are known to become ‘Angels’. These help Dr Oystein in the fight to save humanity from the gruesome clown figure Mr Dowling.
Toward the end of the last book Zom-B Clans, we see B betrayed by one of her fellow Angels and taken captive. Her captors include the sick, twisted and downright creepy child-killer Dan-Dan, racists (of which her father is one and who she despises) and the ever present Owl Man.
Now that we’re up to date, what follows is without doubt, one of the most gruesome, bloody and gory bits of writing I’ve read in a very long time.
As a student of Mr Shan and having read every one of his books to date, I can safely say that he’s learnt a few new tricks for this book.
Better tricks…check.
Better violence…check.
Ability to make your dinner come back up your throat…double check!
Mr Shan has stepped up his game in terms of sheer brutality here. The torture scene between two characters is a detailed and organised mess of blood, flesh, maiming, blood and taunts, that will leave you with your own scars on your mind, so powerful is the writing.
Even after all of this, we have death fights, brain smashing, ripping limbs and a whole host of other delightfulness that fans of Shan will sink their teeth into!
Away from the violence, the plot is advanced along very nicely. I felt that the reveal of Owl Man’s personality and a closer look up at Mr Dowling and his henchmen is a welcome relief for fans who have been feeding on scraps for so long. The change of scenery from Dr Oystein and the angels too is appreciated as we see if the grass really is greener on the other side of the zombies.
A delightful little mystery is introduced at the end too. If you’re like me, then when you’re reading the passage…you will be screaming at the book for it to be revealed!
The ending is very much akin to a lot of Shan’s other work…I can’t say much more without fear of spoiling it. The last few pages have the inevitable feel about it. We always knew that B would end up where she ends up. What we don't know is how it will all turn out. That is the million dollar question here!
Book ten is scheduled for February 2015 so until then…Happy Brain Munching!
May 21, 2017
Actual Rating: 4.3
This was an intriguing read. This is my favourite book of the series. I thought it was really good. I was happy that B got some revenge. Also, I loved the bravery that Vinyl showed during that situation. I can't believe he let B do that. I think it just shows how much their friendship means to him. Love it. Also, I thought B's dad was a great character to learn more about. He showed who he really was near the end, and it is clear that he is a better person. I was shocked by the moment between Dan and B. No thank you. However, the reason this is my favourite book in the series is because of that ending. I need Book 10 to see what happens to B next. Overall, a great read.
This was an intriguing read. This is my favourite book of the series. I thought it was really good. I was happy that B got some revenge. Also, I loved the bravery that Vinyl showed during that situation. I can't believe he let B do that. I think it just shows how much their friendship means to him. Love it. Also, I thought B's dad was a great character to learn more about. He showed who he really was near the end, and it is clear that he is a better person. I was shocked by the moment between Dan and B. No thank you. However, the reason this is my favourite book in the series is because of that ending. I need Book 10 to see what happens to B next. Overall, a great read.
September 27, 2014
(As with all my Zom-B reviews, this contain spoilers for previous books in the series but remains spoiler-free for this book).
It very much looks like the end of the line for B Smith at the start of this book. Betrayed by fellow undead Rage, she finds herself among a group of evil people who have joined together to achieve their own goals in the apocalyptic world. There's the Ku Klux Klan, which includes B's own father in their number, the Board, a group of rich people wanting to rule the planet (including the disturbing child killer Lord "Dan-Dan" Wood) and the still largely mysterious Owl-Man, whose motives are unclear. B is forced to co-operate or die, and she chooses the latter. This will be no quick death though as she is handed over for Dan-Dan to play with...
Darren Shan really pushes the limits on the gruesome here. Compared to past series, the Zom-B series has been relatively free from graphic horror up to this point. However, Dan-Dan's torturing of B is properly horrific and is one of the best torture scenes I've ever come across in any medium. The thing is, B is already dead so Dan-Dan has the opportunity to take things much further than he would have done were she still living.
The series plot is pushed along gently here and Shan does a great job at dealing with the relationship between B and her father. It is well done, managing to contain the conflict of love and hate at the same time without becoming a major part of the book.
For me, this is probably the best of the series so far. It's so dark, so disgusting and so Darren Shan. And yet again there's another stunning ending.
It very much looks like the end of the line for B Smith at the start of this book. Betrayed by fellow undead Rage, she finds herself among a group of evil people who have joined together to achieve their own goals in the apocalyptic world. There's the Ku Klux Klan, which includes B's own father in their number, the Board, a group of rich people wanting to rule the planet (including the disturbing child killer Lord "Dan-Dan" Wood) and the still largely mysterious Owl-Man, whose motives are unclear. B is forced to co-operate or die, and she chooses the latter. This will be no quick death though as she is handed over for Dan-Dan to play with...
Darren Shan really pushes the limits on the gruesome here. Compared to past series, the Zom-B series has been relatively free from graphic horror up to this point. However, Dan-Dan's torturing of B is properly horrific and is one of the best torture scenes I've ever come across in any medium. The thing is, B is already dead so Dan-Dan has the opportunity to take things much further than he would have done were she still living.
The series plot is pushed along gently here and Shan does a great job at dealing with the relationship between B and her father. It is well done, managing to contain the conflict of love and hate at the same time without becoming a major part of the book.
For me, this is probably the best of the series so far. It's so dark, so disgusting and so Darren Shan. And yet again there's another stunning ending.
January 13, 2016
At A Glance
Genre: Young Adult; Zombie
Love Triangle/Insta Love/Obsession?: no
Cliff Hanger:Rating: 4 stars
Score Sheet
All out of ten
Cover: 8
Plot: 8
Characters: 8
World Building: 7
Flow: 8
Series Congruity: 9
Writing: 8
Ending: 8
Total: 8
In Dept
Best Part: B got her revenge.
Worst Part: Gore scenes very gore!
Thoughts Had: oh no!; ick ick ick ick!; GET HIM!
Conclusion
Continuing the Series: yes
Recommending: yes
Short Review: oh, this is one of my favs of this series. I can't spoil much, but i'm so glad that B got her revenge. More zombie on zombie fights! I can't believe Vinyl(?) let B do that, he was brave for sure. B's dad needed to get his shit straight, but in the end he was a better person. The scenes with Dan and B, ick. I could barely read that!
Review in GIF Form:
Genre: Young Adult; Zombie
Love Triangle/Insta Love/Obsession?: no
Cliff Hanger:Rating: 4 stars
Score Sheet
All out of ten
Cover: 8
Plot: 8
Characters: 8
World Building: 7
Flow: 8
Series Congruity: 9
Writing: 8
Ending: 8
Total: 8
In Dept
Best Part: B got her revenge.
Worst Part: Gore scenes very gore!
Thoughts Had: oh no!; ick ick ick ick!; GET HIM!
Conclusion
Continuing the Series: yes
Recommending: yes
Short Review: oh, this is one of my favs of this series. I can't spoil much, but i'm so glad that B got her revenge. More zombie on zombie fights! I can't believe Vinyl(?) let B do that, he was brave for sure. B's dad needed to get his shit straight, but in the end he was a better person. The scenes with Dan and B, ick. I could barely read that!
Review in GIF Form:
April 30, 2017
3.5 stars
This book was extremely heartbreaking and I never thought Darren Shan could be capable of this much hurt. This book is about Rage turning on the angels and bringing along B with him. They end up at the place with Dan-Dan, Owl Man, the KKK clan, and even B's father (surprise). This book was a little dragged out around the beginning where B was trying to figure out what she was going to do and then once the middle came along your spirits were about as high as B's (which were extremely low). B finds out that B is given the chance to help them find more cures and be a study subject, but declines and is left to Dan-Dan's torture. This was a cruel scene where he tears down B's spirit and hope/want to live. The ending is even more cruel when I really liked Darren's writing in this book, but it was extremely sad compared to all the others I've read.
This book was extremely heartbreaking and I never thought Darren Shan could be capable of this much hurt. This book is about Rage turning on the angels and bringing along B with him. They end up at the place with Dan-Dan, Owl Man, the KKK clan, and even B's father (surprise). This book was a little dragged out around the beginning where B was trying to figure out what she was going to do and then once the middle came along your spirits were about as high as B's (which were extremely low). B finds out that B is given the chance to help them find more cures and be a study subject, but declines and is left to Dan-Dan's torture. This was a cruel scene where he tears down B's spirit and hope/want to live. The ending is even more cruel when I really liked Darren's writing in this book, but it was extremely sad compared to all the others I've read.
May 3, 2019
Ok granted, I went into this book thinking it wouldn't be that great, given the last few books have focused more on the lore and things happening in the back ground. But it turned out to blow my freakin mind, so much happened in so short a time. Old grudges ended in very satisfying ways, it went places that the books haven't gone in terms of theme and events, old characters and a few old ones reappearing and a lot of character development for our Becky.
We ended on another intense cliffhanger and we have to see where it goes with the end of the series in sight.
We ended on another intense cliffhanger and we have to see where it goes with the end of the series in sight.
December 14, 2014
I loved this installment! Things are finely veering off track from what I'd originally expected. And FINALLY (maybe) there'll be more of Dowling, Owl Man, and the babies in the next book. I am dying to know the connection they share with B.
January 8, 2015
B's best line in this one: "Get stuffed, fat man."
November 22, 2016
موندم چجوری میخواد جمش کنه دیگه داره لوس میشه
حوصلم سر رفت
حوصلم سر رفت
May 23, 2015
این یکی بهتر از جلدای قبلی بود
October 17, 2022
2.5 stars. I think I am getting burnt from this series. And having to deal with B's father again did not help. How can she love a man so much that she knows is cruel, beyond racist, and even beat her and her mom?! It is such a messed up relationship. Between that and what she goes through in this my stomach was churning in all the wrong ways. It was the zombies that sicked me. Humans can be terrible!
March 21, 2018
Personal Response:
I liked the book Zom-B Family because of the details of the content. It had many gruesome parts that made my stomach turn. I thought that it had many parts could've been described better
Plot Summary:
In this book B is reunited with his racist father. Her father saved her from being slaughtered by the other KKK members. B is showed around the fort. Her father opens a cell door which leads to a zombie strapped to a bed. Her father explains how he got out with her mother but, later she was taken out by zombies which is why she was strapped down. They continue the tour around the facility towards the lab where they did research on organisms. After the tour of the lab, they asked B if shes willing to help get back clements 13 for Owl Man to take to Mr. Dowling. B refuses to betray Dr. Oystein, which they become furious with her. Owl Man and DanDan decide what to do with her. Owl man decides that DanDan can have her for her refusal. Coley tasers B, and takes her to another room with a table lying on top. They strap her down to the table and torture her for some time. They placed buckets around the table to collect blood that fell from the table. Soon after others came in and takes her out to a cage where captured survivors were held captive. B was placed into the cage with the captives with her last friend Vinyl. The other captives had a rope around their neck holding them to the bars of the cage. The clan threw the buckets of B's blood onto them, turning them all into zombies. While they were still held down, DanDan, explained the game that B was gonna play. In order to save Vinyl she has to kill the other zombies without them reaching Vinyl. B decides to take on the challenge to save her last friend. They let the restrained zombies go, and they advance towards vinyl. B strikes out at the furthest one. only to smash her fingers into a hard skull. She looks back down at her claws that are no longer existing. DanDan laughs as she cusses and swears. She then grabs the zombie and bites through its skull. ripping off a finger for a dagger to use. She eventually kills the rest of the zombies using the same strategies. She turns back to her friend standing unharmed. DanDan says that she'll have to take on many more waves. They decide that its no use of trying, so B kills Vinyl to avoid having him being turned into a zombie. One of the fortress guards shouts out that a mob of zombies and mutants are holding up a picture of B. They prepare for the assault. The sirens suddenly disabled they commence the attack, taking over the fortress. B and her father are corned into the cell where her mother is held in. Her father decides that his destiny was mean't to be ended with his wife. So he uses a grenade to blow her and himself up. B is taken with Mr. Dowling.
Recommendation:
I recommend that the reader should expect many loses during this book. The reader should expect that something bad would happen now that she is hostage to DanDan. The reader should be able to understand why B makes certain decisions.
I liked the book Zom-B Family because of the details of the content. It had many gruesome parts that made my stomach turn. I thought that it had many parts could've been described better
Plot Summary:
In this book B is reunited with his racist father. Her father saved her from being slaughtered by the other KKK members. B is showed around the fort. Her father opens a cell door which leads to a zombie strapped to a bed. Her father explains how he got out with her mother but, later she was taken out by zombies which is why she was strapped down. They continue the tour around the facility towards the lab where they did research on organisms. After the tour of the lab, they asked B if shes willing to help get back clements 13 for Owl Man to take to Mr. Dowling. B refuses to betray Dr. Oystein, which they become furious with her. Owl Man and DanDan decide what to do with her. Owl man decides that DanDan can have her for her refusal. Coley tasers B, and takes her to another room with a table lying on top. They strap her down to the table and torture her for some time. They placed buckets around the table to collect blood that fell from the table. Soon after others came in and takes her out to a cage where captured survivors were held captive. B was placed into the cage with the captives with her last friend Vinyl. The other captives had a rope around their neck holding them to the bars of the cage. The clan threw the buckets of B's blood onto them, turning them all into zombies. While they were still held down, DanDan, explained the game that B was gonna play. In order to save Vinyl she has to kill the other zombies without them reaching Vinyl. B decides to take on the challenge to save her last friend. They let the restrained zombies go, and they advance towards vinyl. B strikes out at the furthest one. only to smash her fingers into a hard skull. She looks back down at her claws that are no longer existing. DanDan laughs as she cusses and swears. She then grabs the zombie and bites through its skull. ripping off a finger for a dagger to use. She eventually kills the rest of the zombies using the same strategies. She turns back to her friend standing unharmed. DanDan says that she'll have to take on many more waves. They decide that its no use of trying, so B kills Vinyl to avoid having him being turned into a zombie. One of the fortress guards shouts out that a mob of zombies and mutants are holding up a picture of B. They prepare for the assault. The sirens suddenly disabled they commence the attack, taking over the fortress. B and her father are corned into the cell where her mother is held in. Her father decides that his destiny was mean't to be ended with his wife. So he uses a grenade to blow her and himself up. B is taken with Mr. Dowling.
Recommendation:
I recommend that the reader should expect many loses during this book. The reader should expect that something bad would happen now that she is hostage to DanDan. The reader should be able to understand why B makes certain decisions.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 16, 2019
Good book I would really recommend it is a very good series of books .this is a Horror genre
It's a series which I enjoyed. It was funny and suspenseful . It had a good cliffhanger at the end.
I would recommend for all genders from 10+ and would be okay for year 7 + it's not too bad
It's a series which I enjoyed. It was funny and suspenseful . It had a good cliffhanger at the end.
I would recommend for all genders from 10+ and would be okay for year 7 + it's not too bad
December 3, 2020
Very gruesome in some parts.
June 28, 2019
Amazing book, is the ninth book in the series. The book is a horror and was really amazing.
December 20, 2016
This is one of my favorite books in the series so far, and its so good as well as being so much more gory!
And this right here is my fav line:
' but if there’s a fight to be fought, I’m compelled every time to stand my ground and face it. I’m a sucker for lost causes. '
B is so freaking cool, I was with her 110% and I believe in her so much. She has a similar point of view of the world as me, and so I felt for her more.
Vinyl is so awesome and smart, B's friend is like an average friend you'd want to have in a zombie apocalypse as well as to have without one. He's so brave, and you can feel their connection and deep friendship they have for each other. What happened to him in the end broke my heart.
And B's dad is still an asshole but was I the only one that felt bad for him or at least pitied him? I know a lot what he says is wrong but he's not completely heartless - even after all he did to his daughter and wife he still loved them. He admitted to B that he was 'stupid' to go back home to find his wife that he assumed was already dead but he still went back to make sure because he WANTED her to be still alive, and he went to B's school even though he didn't need to, (risking his life) to find and save his daughter; and even now when he knows his daughter is a revived mutated zombie he still wants to protect her and still loves her, and is weirdly proud of her?!
I think the reason I really like Darren Shan's work is because most of his characters are not black and white, they're human, and you can't just label them as evil or good because everyone is different and are capable of both acts. Everyone has a bit of both in them and that's why its hard to categories them easily - expect Dan-Dan because he's evil!
This is one of the things I've struggled with from near the beginning, probably happened to me when I read book 2, but ever since then I've found it hard to hate/not like Rage, I like him so much and because my outlook on life is usually realistic; I usually agree with Rage on a lot of things.
I ship Rage and B so much, I swear if the world didn't end and they didn't become zombies, and they met normally in life - they probably would of became boyfriend and girlfriend because they both like each other a lot, they have flirted, and they respect and admire each other. I believe Rage himself has never met anyone like B before, and most likely didn't think a person like her existed, and this is just my theory, but I believe for Rage thought throughout his life never found a real challenge, was bored, and found other people too boring to pay any attention to them for too long, or not at all. Then he met Becky and he could not ignore her and had to pay attention to her, and besides they are very competitive towards each other.
And seriously those mutant babies are so creepy and weird.
And this right here is my fav line:
' but if there’s a fight to be fought, I’m compelled every time to stand my ground and face it. I’m a sucker for lost causes. '
B is so freaking cool, I was with her 110% and I believe in her so much. She has a similar point of view of the world as me, and so I felt for her more.
Vinyl is so awesome and smart, B's friend is like an average friend you'd want to have in a zombie apocalypse as well as to have without one. He's so brave, and you can feel their connection and deep friendship they have for each other. What happened to him in the end broke my heart.
And B's dad is still an asshole but was I the only one that felt bad for him or at least pitied him? I know a lot what he says is wrong but he's not completely heartless - even after all he did to his daughter and wife he still loved them. He admitted to B that he was 'stupid' to go back home to find his wife that he assumed was already dead but he still went back to make sure because he WANTED her to be still alive, and he went to B's school even though he didn't need to, (risking his life) to find and save his daughter; and even now when he knows his daughter is a revived mutated zombie he still wants to protect her and still loves her, and is weirdly proud of her?!
I think the reason I really like Darren Shan's work is because most of his characters are not black and white, they're human, and you can't just label them as evil or good because everyone is different and are capable of both acts. Everyone has a bit of both in them and that's why its hard to categories them easily - expect Dan-Dan because he's evil!
This is one of the things I've struggled with from near the beginning, probably happened to me when I read book 2, but ever since then I've found it hard to hate/not like Rage, I like him so much and because my outlook on life is usually realistic; I usually agree with Rage on a lot of things.
I ship Rage and B so much, I swear if the world didn't end and they didn't become zombies, and they met normally in life - they probably would of became boyfriend and girlfriend because they both like each other a lot, they have flirted, and they respect and admire each other. I believe Rage himself has never met anyone like B before, and most likely didn't think a person like her existed, and this is just my theory, but I believe for Rage thought throughout his life never found a real challenge, was bored, and found other people too boring to pay any attention to them for too long, or not at all. Then he met Becky and he could not ignore her and had to pay attention to her, and besides they are very competitive towards each other.
And seriously those mutant babies are so creepy and weird.
October 31, 2014
As I'm typing this review I keep looking at the book cover, and every time I do I find myself stopping stopping typing and being transfixed by those eyes, those creepy, staring eyes, and so I'm thinking I might have to continue typing this with my eyes closed and hope my touch typing has improved!
Here we have the next piece of the puzzle, or as i'm starting to think of it the next TV episode in the Zom-B series, because that's what the series feels like to me, short bursts of action that gives so much but at the same time leaves you hanging for more.
With a lot of Shan's book, the gruesome and gory is focused on the fantasy elements of the characters, whether they be vampires, demons, and in this case zombies, but with this book there was a more humane nature to the plot, and true to its title it explored different meanings of family. But this isn't you're regular normal family issues, Oh no no no, this is Darren Shan we're talking about, and family here has a dark twist. But that created some beautiful moments, between B and those around her, from her father, to Vinyl and even to some extent with the babies! Yes I said it...they're sort of like the aliens from Toy Story, and them chanting 'mummy' is weird but also fascinating!
This book was a bit of a heavy read at times due to the nature of the violence implicated, so may not be for the feint hearted. Dan Dan gets to exhibit his full colours here, and he makes your spine crawl even more! Karma is a b...well karma comes back around sometimes and no one is really safe in this world of zombies!
The setting of Battersea Power station was a nice touch, because it was so visual in my mind, and kept the action nicely in one place. And action was the word, because so much happened in this short space of book. I found I was flying though the book as quickly as I was flying across the world ( I read the book on my 11 hour flight) and it built up to a fantastic end that's left me guessing and wondering at the treats Zom-B bride is going to bring! Will our B really be getting hitched! Is Mr Dowling the gallant Groom.
I feel like the notches are starting to turn up very quickly at this point in the series and looking back at how far we've come this was a very enjoyable snapshot of the whole picture, that when you look back at everything has a lot packed into it, and I'm excited for what is to come!
This will be the perfect Halloween read!
Here we have the next piece of the puzzle, or as i'm starting to think of it the next TV episode in the Zom-B series, because that's what the series feels like to me, short bursts of action that gives so much but at the same time leaves you hanging for more.
With a lot of Shan's book, the gruesome and gory is focused on the fantasy elements of the characters, whether they be vampires, demons, and in this case zombies, but with this book there was a more humane nature to the plot, and true to its title it explored different meanings of family. But this isn't you're regular normal family issues, Oh no no no, this is Darren Shan we're talking about, and family here has a dark twist. But that created some beautiful moments, between B and those around her, from her father, to Vinyl and even to some extent with the babies! Yes I said it...they're sort of like the aliens from Toy Story, and them chanting 'mummy' is weird but also fascinating!
This book was a bit of a heavy read at times due to the nature of the violence implicated, so may not be for the feint hearted. Dan Dan gets to exhibit his full colours here, and he makes your spine crawl even more! Karma is a b...well karma comes back around sometimes and no one is really safe in this world of zombies!
The setting of Battersea Power station was a nice touch, because it was so visual in my mind, and kept the action nicely in one place. And action was the word, because so much happened in this short space of book. I found I was flying though the book as quickly as I was flying across the world ( I read the book on my 11 hour flight) and it built up to a fantastic end that's left me guessing and wondering at the treats Zom-B bride is going to bring! Will our B really be getting hitched! Is Mr Dowling the gallant Groom.
I feel like the notches are starting to turn up very quickly at this point in the series and looking back at how far we've come this was a very enjoyable snapshot of the whole picture, that when you look back at everything has a lot packed into it, and I'm excited for what is to come!
This will be the perfect Halloween read!
September 25, 2014
**CAUTION CONTAINS SPOILERS FROM ZOM-B CLANS**
B Smith finds herself in the one position she didn't want to be. Captive in the camp of the KKK after being turned on by a fellow angel whilst delivering Dan Dan to them in exchange for her best friend and the other captives from New Kirkham.
What will she do knowing that Dan Dan wants to see her hurt.
How will she deal with the fact that Owl Man appears to be in league with them. But more importantly can she finally have the answers from her dad about what happened to her family since the apocalypse happened.
Darren's latest offering to the twelve book series see B in her biggest danger yet and is by far one of the more gruesome of the series. We get to see just how truly deranged and how far that Dan Dan will go to satisfy his twisted desires.
She also has to deal with the fact she has been reunited with her dad who she has given up for dead but found embraced in the heart of the movement and belief's which made her despise him so much on the day of the apocalypse.
Also Owl Man is fleshed out more and allows us to get an idea into what his role is in future of the world.
What will B find the more she gets deeper into the organisation and just how desperate mankind has become in its way to survive.
The book is nice and fast paced as ever with Darren's writing with excellent plot making this one of the strongest books in the series.
Definitely recommended
B Smith finds herself in the one position she didn't want to be. Captive in the camp of the KKK after being turned on by a fellow angel whilst delivering Dan Dan to them in exchange for her best friend and the other captives from New Kirkham.
What will she do knowing that Dan Dan wants to see her hurt.
How will she deal with the fact that Owl Man appears to be in league with them. But more importantly can she finally have the answers from her dad about what happened to her family since the apocalypse happened.
Darren's latest offering to the twelve book series see B in her biggest danger yet and is by far one of the more gruesome of the series. We get to see just how truly deranged and how far that Dan Dan will go to satisfy his twisted desires.
She also has to deal with the fact she has been reunited with her dad who she has given up for dead but found embraced in the heart of the movement and belief's which made her despise him so much on the day of the apocalypse.
Also Owl Man is fleshed out more and allows us to get an idea into what his role is in future of the world.
What will B find the more she gets deeper into the organisation and just how desperate mankind has become in its way to survive.
The book is nice and fast paced as ever with Darren's writing with excellent plot making this one of the strongest books in the series.
Definitely recommended
September 8, 2018
i dont normally read these books but in a cruel sadistic way really enjoying the gruesome of this work and the way people are brought back like vinyl who must admit have forgotton about and with only 3 books left in the series is really hotting up !!!
January 17, 2015
What can I say? Exactly what I continue to say about this series. Absolutely amazing! Thank goodness I only have to wait until February for the next book. So much going on this book and I am so happy that certain "people" are no longer with us.
November 3, 2014
The best one yet! So gross!
November 17, 2014
Love the series, love B, hate waiting for the next installment.
November 19, 2014
Good but surprisingly not as good as other Darren Shan, and reminded me strongly of Gladiator
January 10, 2022
This one is by far the best in the series. Definitely worth the build up now. Without the other parts this would be completely lost. While the character development has truly stepped up in this one so has the plot. With each twist and turn you think you know what's going to happen but with the previous book ending the way that it did and this one picking up en medias res this is truly a master piece. I'm starting to change my idea of what happens in the end but now there are so many more questions left unanswered.
Stop reading here if you don't want hints at what's to come.....
I was hoping that there would be some information revealed about the spreading of Zombies and how that came to be. Obviously zombies just don't spring up out of nowhere there has to be something bringing them forward. Additionally the new question I'm left with is in regards to Rage and what made him change his mind against Dr. O. Something pretty bit had to have drawn his attention if it was able to lure him away from what's currently perceived as "the good side". He doesn't seem like at he type of person to be easily lured away so that leads me to believe that Dr. O is actually "evil" unlike his claims of being a moral person. And maybe Mr. Dowling is actually the moral high ground setting out to destroy the inventions of Dr. O and make sure that society and humanity can be reestablished/functioning again. This also stems on some insight to the future/ a past discrepancy that caused Mr. Dowling to lose his voice and really on others to be his voice box so to speak. I think Becky will come to switch sides but only time will tell.
Stop reading here if you don't want hints at what's to come.....
I was hoping that there would be some information revealed about the spreading of Zombies and how that came to be. Obviously zombies just don't spring up out of nowhere there has to be something bringing them forward. Additionally the new question I'm left with is in regards to Rage and what made him change his mind against Dr. O. Something pretty bit had to have drawn his attention if it was able to lure him away from what's currently perceived as "the good side". He doesn't seem like at he type of person to be easily lured away so that leads me to believe that Dr. O is actually "evil" unlike his claims of being a moral person. And maybe Mr. Dowling is actually the moral high ground setting out to destroy the inventions of Dr. O and make sure that society and humanity can be reestablished/functioning again. This also stems on some insight to the future/ a past discrepancy that caused Mr. Dowling to lose his voice and really on others to be his voice box so to speak. I think Becky will come to switch sides but only time will tell.
May 10, 2024
I liked the closure we received between B and her father this book. He’s a bigot and abuser in the most overt sense, yet also displays occasions where he cares for his family and has some tough conversations with B. I appreciate how Shan can write objectively morally depraved people that you actively root against and still make them a compelling part of the story.
March 2, 2018
Zom-B Family is the 9th book in the Zom-B series following Becky Smith and her freakish journey through the chaos of apocalyptic London. After her Escort of the menacing child-killer Daniel Wood, she was captured by the KKK and brought in to the complex where she was approached by her father after being saved from death by him. He talks about what happened after the school attack and the fate of her mother, and after her conversation she is taken around the complex by Owl Man and The Board to show her what they are about and is asked to join them. She declines and is taken by Daniel to his quarters for the most painful torture of her “death”, she needs to figure out how to get Vinyl and the rest of the survivors out of this hellhole. This book seriously delivered on her reunion with her racist father and her mother. The tragicness of the whole confrontation really nailed how B would react to seeing her father again and how her father would react to reuniting with B. This book also delivers on the story with knowledge of the “bad guys”, so to speak, and the suspense of B’s torture and actions toward her father and freeing Vinyl. B learns a lot about her true feeling for her father and how he changed his feelings about her. Not only that but it truly delivers on the backstory and horrific nature of Daniel Wood, Owl Man’s motivations, and even the objective of the KKK. This book is definitely a suspenseful and tragic journey in the whole story and I give it five stars.
September 24, 2020
This was a very satisfying addition to the series. We get to find out a bit more about Owl Man and Mr. Dowling. We get clarification on Rage, and we get a conclusion to many of the narrative arcs that we've had outstanding thus far in the series. Dan-Dan is still one of my most hated characters of all time, and that's praise for Shan's writing. Every time he's on the page, you as the reader feel uneasy, slimy in a way, and he carries that through to this novel well. There was a large shortcoming in this novel (that's wholly opinion), but having this story be centered around Dan-Dan pretty much took care of the bigger issues for me.
That shortcoming to me, and the reason for the 4 star instead of the 5 star was the "family" plot line. There are characters that get off far too easily for who they are and what they have done, and frankly, are forgiven far too easily for my taste. It took me out of the book a bit because I didn't feel as though it was all that believable. It was too black and white (pun totally intended) and not gray enough for what the characters went through.
Shan keeps us on our toes with Rage's storyline however, and I'm really curious to see how that will tie into the remainder of the series.
That shortcoming to me, and the reason for the 4 star instead of the 5 star was the "family" plot line. There are characters that get off far too easily for who they are and what they have done, and frankly, are forgiven far too easily for my taste. It took me out of the book a bit because I didn't feel as though it was all that believable. It was too black and white (pun totally intended) and not gray enough for what the characters went through.
Shan keeps us on our toes with Rage's storyline however, and I'm really curious to see how that will tie into the remainder of the series.
January 17, 2020
Zom-B family definitely ramps up the gore and the imagery. The descriptions of the torture Dan-Dan puts B through is almost more gut-wrenching than the gore seen throughout the series so far. This is also helped massively by the illustrations at certain points. This instalment sees B Smith come to terms that her Father, who she previously thought had died, is in fact now a member of the KKK and is still a bigot and racist. She finds out her mother is in the same compound, but is a zombie. A slightly strange dynamic between B and her Father, where she hates him, he loves her, yet B seems to have an odd love for him still despite everything. I found it a little confusing as to whether she cares, doesn't care, likes or dislikes him. It should be seen as a conflict within B, but struggles to come across that way. However, towards the end we finally see something human from her father and that was nice. The gore as usual was amazing and the buildup to finally dispatching of Dan-Dan was extremely satisfying. Hopefully, with this ending, it will be the beginning of the end for the KKK element. Onto Zom-B Bride
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