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Undead Redhead
You know things are bad when being dead is the BEST part of your day. Things have gone from rotten to, well, actually ROTTING for Sharon Backovic after her tragic wedding photo-related death. Now, she's got no job, no phone, no place to live, and absolutely no idea of what a zombie who's apparently STILL a Vegan should eat. . .
278 pages, Paperback
First published March 16, 2014
30 people are currently reading
72 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
July 13, 2016
Omaha! This book cracked me up so much! It was a bit difficult to follow at times, especially in the beginning with the jumping around to the different characters, and despite everything going on non-stop between the multiple layers of plotlines, I still found it a bit slow-paced (at the beginning). But once I got used to the characters and started piecing together how they were all connected to each other, it made much more sense and I got a few giggles. I also kind of thought it was a bit sad and reminded me of my own pathetic life... how everyone saw Sharon's death as just a nuisance and then no one came to her funeral... yeah, totally how I picture my own death. Yes, that was morbid. Anyway, it was still a fun read once I got into the "meat" of it. Hahaha.
There was one minor thing that really bothered me though.... vegans don't eat tuna, do they?!?!?!
There was one minor thing that really bothered me though.... vegans don't eat tuna, do they?!?!?!
July 7, 2014
Undead Redhead is not your usual zombie tale. Funny and clever, often quite touching, the novel tells us the story of Sharon Backovic, a sweet, cheerful and trusting girl who suddenly wakes up inside a coffin. When she comes the only logical conclusion she can reach— she must be a zombie—an already unspeakable situation is further complicated by the fact she’s a vegan. Jen Frankel’s ingenious and completely believable solution to Sharon’s problem is one of the many delightful things about this novel, which explores everything from zombie rights to zombie speed-dating. Sharon’s undead adventures transform her from a demure girl who’s easily taken advantage of to a person who’s ready to stand up for herself, rotting flesh and all; she finally becomes aware of her own worth, and beyond the grave she begins to meet people who truly appreciate her. In her words, “Everyone who’s out of my life now obviously never liked the real me, even without the dying thing.” Undead Redhead is a great, fun and empowering read, with hilarious gems like “His picture of her as a kind of earthy phoenix, rising from her own ashes-to-ashes, was far more appealing than her own stubborn feeling that it was all some big cosmic joke with her as its butt” and “We’re not just about brains anymore. Now, we want your hearts as well.” It’s an enjoyable, uplifting and original take on the zombie phenomenon that’s sure to win many hearts.
June 20, 2016
A vegan zombie, what a cool idea! I have read quite a few zombie books, so I know how hard it is to find a good one. I was in the mood for a good zombie book, so started this one. Let me tell you from the start, I enjoyed it immensely and chuckled all the way through.
This is the story of Sharon Backovic, a redhead gal who has died in a freak accident and comes back to life in mysterious circumstances. The undead Redhead isn't your run-of-the-mill zombie either. She is a vegan, thank you very much, so no brains for this gal! She soon finds out that being a zombie is the easiest part of her new life, zombies have a bad image, and being undead has its own rewards. Our Undead Redhead tries to adjust to her new life and stay optimistic no matter what hurdles life, or death to that matter, throws her way.
I loved the incredibly fresh take on the zombie tale. The story could use a bit of polish, there were too many side stories, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. The story was engaging, the characters believable, and the steady pace of the plot kept me turning the pages. One can't but love the Undead Redhead and root for her. The book is dripping with humour, and puns, and was a very enjoyable read. If you like a story about emotion and character growth and some good overall fun, this is the book for you!
This is the story of Sharon Backovic, a redhead gal who has died in a freak accident and comes back to life in mysterious circumstances. The undead Redhead isn't your run-of-the-mill zombie either. She is a vegan, thank you very much, so no brains for this gal! She soon finds out that being a zombie is the easiest part of her new life, zombies have a bad image, and being undead has its own rewards. Our Undead Redhead tries to adjust to her new life and stay optimistic no matter what hurdles life, or death to that matter, throws her way.
I loved the incredibly fresh take on the zombie tale. The story could use a bit of polish, there were too many side stories, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. The story was engaging, the characters believable, and the steady pace of the plot kept me turning the pages. One can't but love the Undead Redhead and root for her. The book is dripping with humour, and puns, and was a very enjoyable read. If you like a story about emotion and character growth and some good overall fun, this is the book for you!
September 7, 2014
This was a delightful read. Funny and resonant of modern society in all its North American wackiness.
I was immediately drawn to the title of the book and heard the author read a few pages of the novel at an event. The story delivered the light tone and the humorous tale promised by the excerpt and jaunty title.
Even though this was my first zombie novel, I thoroughly enjoyed it, and found the speculative elements very well done. The protagonist faces all the challenges that anyone would if they found themselves a zombie (assuming they were still cognizant of their existence). I loved the satire in the story, sentimentally for the redhead in the pink bridesmaids dress (been there), but more intellectually for the fun poked at the pomp of weddings, the irrationality of internet sensations, the opportunism of the media, and the way humans can interact in crazy, unfeeling ways. All that said, the characters were realistic, and some were caring, compassionate people. The narrative moves through a few different points of views, but this is skilfully done and reads just fine. I also enjoyed the setting, as most people do when story is set in a city they are quite familiar with - Toronto, in this case.
A pleasant, easy read, but one that provokes some thought all the same.
I was immediately drawn to the title of the book and heard the author read a few pages of the novel at an event. The story delivered the light tone and the humorous tale promised by the excerpt and jaunty title.
Even though this was my first zombie novel, I thoroughly enjoyed it, and found the speculative elements very well done. The protagonist faces all the challenges that anyone would if they found themselves a zombie (assuming they were still cognizant of their existence). I loved the satire in the story, sentimentally for the redhead in the pink bridesmaids dress (been there), but more intellectually for the fun poked at the pomp of weddings, the irrationality of internet sensations, the opportunism of the media, and the way humans can interact in crazy, unfeeling ways. All that said, the characters were realistic, and some were caring, compassionate people. The narrative moves through a few different points of views, but this is skilfully done and reads just fine. I also enjoyed the setting, as most people do when story is set in a city they are quite familiar with - Toronto, in this case.
A pleasant, easy read, but one that provokes some thought all the same.
March 5, 2017
Genres are useful constructs for discussing certain works of art, but it is important to remember that they are constructs, artificial categories that are not always helpful. You see this in confused reviews of books that don’t seem to conform to any specific genre expectations. (These books are sometimes lumped into “literary fiction,” which is often misconstrued as a catchall, “none of the above” category.)
The fluidity of genre is also demonstrated by hybrid works that mix genres. Consider these equations:
comedy + war = Catch 22
comedy + science fiction = Galaxy Quest
comedy + science fiction + high school romance = Back to the Future
high school romance + noir detective = Veronica Mars
science fiction + noir detective = Red Planet Blues
You could likely find examples of every genre mashup you could imagine. (I sense a parlour game in the making…)
Jen Frankel’s novel Undead Redhead combines humour with horror. It is the story of Sharon, a meek young woman who, in her life, didn’t seem to make much of an impression on the people around her. The novel starts with Sharon waking up in a coffin in a hearse, a strange pattern of stitches on her chest, her flesh slightly gamy. Could she be…a zombie? And, if she is, could it actually be an important milestone in her self-actualization?
Frankel has attempted an especially difficult combination to pull off, since the two genres affect the reader in conflicting ways. Well written horror will get the reader’s heart pumping and increase the amount of adrenaline, which prompts the “fight or flight” response in animals, in her body. It is meant to excite the reader. Successful humour, on the other hand, releases endorphins, the body’s natural painkillers, into the reader’s brain. This tends to calm the reader down.
How can a writer combine these genres so that they don’t cancel each other out, leaving the reader with a bland, unworkable mess?
Undead Redhead works as a comedy by deemphasizing aspects of its horror. Key to this is Frankel’s decision to make her zombie a Vegan. In addition to leading to some funny scenes in which she tries to find food that she can stomach, it means many of the most horrific tropes of zombie stories are missing from the novel: there is no eating of brains, turning of ordinarily people into zombies or zombie hordes attacking the last few humans in a cabin in the woods.
Contributing to the fun is the engaging voice of the main character, Sharon. Zombie stories are rarely told from the zombie point of view, since, in most cases, they have no personality or subjectivity. However, as we find out later in the novel, Sharon was created by Haitian Vodun (rather than a virus, or nuclear testing, or sunspots), which reanimates her with her personality intact.
The main character is augmented by several engaging, wildly entertaining secondary characters. These include: Undead Redhead, an Internet poseur who claims to be the zombie in order to usurp her fifteen minutes of fame; V. X. Morgoni, an intense cryptoparapsychocriminologist (which I believe means she hunts down unusual phenomena) who is slow to realize that the zombie she is tracking may have become her new roommate, and; a sympathetic bag lady.
Frankel is good at creating credibly absurd scenes. Early in the novel, for instance, we learn that Sharon’s death has something to do with the subject of her final, hazy memory from her life: a wedding rehearsal. When she meets her former boyfriend and his current girlfriend, they turn out to be so self-absorbed that, rather than express sympathy for her death, they blame her for ruining the wedding. The climactic scene in the novel, which brings many of the main characters in the story together in a television studio, wraps up storylines in a satisfying humourous way.
To her credit, Frankel is trying to do something fresh with a currently overexposed sub-genre. Those who are expecting a zombie apocalypse will be disappointed by Undead Redhead. However, those who are looking for a fun, original take on the zombie sub-genre will find a very rewarding book.
Originally published on the Amazing Stories Web site (http://amazingstoriesmag.com/2014/06/...) on June 17, 2014.
The fluidity of genre is also demonstrated by hybrid works that mix genres. Consider these equations:
comedy + war = Catch 22
comedy + science fiction = Galaxy Quest
comedy + science fiction + high school romance = Back to the Future
high school romance + noir detective = Veronica Mars
science fiction + noir detective = Red Planet Blues
You could likely find examples of every genre mashup you could imagine. (I sense a parlour game in the making…)
Jen Frankel’s novel Undead Redhead combines humour with horror. It is the story of Sharon, a meek young woman who, in her life, didn’t seem to make much of an impression on the people around her. The novel starts with Sharon waking up in a coffin in a hearse, a strange pattern of stitches on her chest, her flesh slightly gamy. Could she be…a zombie? And, if she is, could it actually be an important milestone in her self-actualization?
Frankel has attempted an especially difficult combination to pull off, since the two genres affect the reader in conflicting ways. Well written horror will get the reader’s heart pumping and increase the amount of adrenaline, which prompts the “fight or flight” response in animals, in her body. It is meant to excite the reader. Successful humour, on the other hand, releases endorphins, the body’s natural painkillers, into the reader’s brain. This tends to calm the reader down.
How can a writer combine these genres so that they don’t cancel each other out, leaving the reader with a bland, unworkable mess?
Undead Redhead works as a comedy by deemphasizing aspects of its horror. Key to this is Frankel’s decision to make her zombie a Vegan. In addition to leading to some funny scenes in which she tries to find food that she can stomach, it means many of the most horrific tropes of zombie stories are missing from the novel: there is no eating of brains, turning of ordinarily people into zombies or zombie hordes attacking the last few humans in a cabin in the woods.
Contributing to the fun is the engaging voice of the main character, Sharon. Zombie stories are rarely told from the zombie point of view, since, in most cases, they have no personality or subjectivity. However, as we find out later in the novel, Sharon was created by Haitian Vodun (rather than a virus, or nuclear testing, or sunspots), which reanimates her with her personality intact.
The main character is augmented by several engaging, wildly entertaining secondary characters. These include: Undead Redhead, an Internet poseur who claims to be the zombie in order to usurp her fifteen minutes of fame; V. X. Morgoni, an intense cryptoparapsychocriminologist (which I believe means she hunts down unusual phenomena) who is slow to realize that the zombie she is tracking may have become her new roommate, and; a sympathetic bag lady.
Frankel is good at creating credibly absurd scenes. Early in the novel, for instance, we learn that Sharon’s death has something to do with the subject of her final, hazy memory from her life: a wedding rehearsal. When she meets her former boyfriend and his current girlfriend, they turn out to be so self-absorbed that, rather than express sympathy for her death, they blame her for ruining the wedding. The climactic scene in the novel, which brings many of the main characters in the story together in a television studio, wraps up storylines in a satisfying humourous way.
To her credit, Frankel is trying to do something fresh with a currently overexposed sub-genre. Those who are expecting a zombie apocalypse will be disappointed by Undead Redhead. However, those who are looking for a fun, original take on the zombie sub-genre will find a very rewarding book.
Originally published on the Amazing Stories Web site (http://amazingstoriesmag.com/2014/06/...) on June 17, 2014.
December 19, 2019
Sharon the zombie
Imagine waking up dead...that is what happened to Sharon, the leading lady of this tale. Ride along with her while she tries to figure out her way through the land of the living while trying to figure out how she ended up in the back of a hearse.
Not your run of the mill zombie story. I found it interesting.
Imagine waking up dead...that is what happened to Sharon, the leading lady of this tale. Ride along with her while she tries to figure out her way through the land of the living while trying to figure out how she ended up in the back of a hearse.
Not your run of the mill zombie story. I found it interesting.
August 10, 2018
I Hate Zombies, But I Loved This Book!
Check out my full-length review soon on TheBoldMom.com. This book combines horror and comedy in the exact right proportions. There is nothing better for comedy than a little existential dread!
Check out my full-length review soon on TheBoldMom.com. This book combines horror and comedy in the exact right proportions. There is nothing better for comedy than a little existential dread!
February 28, 2019
Great fun!
A different take on a zombie story, well written, and funny! Let's call it a "zombie coming of age" story?! Lol!
A different take on a zombie story, well written, and funny! Let's call it a "zombie coming of age" story?! Lol!
February 25, 2024
Funny and full of heart. Sharon is someone to root for, and identify with, while grinning along with her escapades.
May 17, 2014
UNDEAD REDHEAD begins with the death of Sharon Backovic, the main character, who upon waking up in a coffin en route to the cemetery, must come to terms with how she has died (zombified) as well as how poorly she has lived her life. Discovering her friends aren't truly friends and that her own parents didn't bother to attend her funeral, Sharon must figure out how to exist in the world as a lonely homeless vegan zombie. All this time, she's completely unaware that her death was captured on film, has gone viral on the Internet, and her identity is being taken over by a nameless woman seeking fame.
Personally, I'm not well read in zombie fiction at all, but based on the movies I've seen coming out lately, which tackle the point of view of the zombie, Jen Frankel does a wonderful job at delving into the psyche of a repressed main character who acquires personal liberty while being the living dead. It's a refreshing, lively, and entertaining story.
The cast is diverse and interesting, and near the latter half of the book a little difficult to follow at times. Still, they are very interesting--a gang of deadbeat friends, a crack lady, Morgoni the cryptoparapsychocriminologist (say that ten times fast), an Internet stalking identity thief, and the ever precocious and adorable Waglet... to name a few.
This is a nicely written book; fun, silly, and intelligent too. I enjoyed the interjections in the narrative voice, but at times later in the story there were too many instances of them and they ceased having an impact. Other than that, the prose was fluid and concise and natural in its execution. It's an easy read, but I wouldn't advise reading it too fast or you might miss moments of subtle humour.
The message in this book was one I could definitely relate to: "It's never too late to stand up for yourself." So I have a fondness for this story that's perhaps a bit biased. Still, its a good story and I'm not surprised at all that it has been optioned for being made into a movie.
Personally, I'm not well read in zombie fiction at all, but based on the movies I've seen coming out lately, which tackle the point of view of the zombie, Jen Frankel does a wonderful job at delving into the psyche of a repressed main character who acquires personal liberty while being the living dead. It's a refreshing, lively, and entertaining story.
The cast is diverse and interesting, and near the latter half of the book a little difficult to follow at times. Still, they are very interesting--a gang of deadbeat friends, a crack lady, Morgoni the cryptoparapsychocriminologist (say that ten times fast), an Internet stalking identity thief, and the ever precocious and adorable Waglet... to name a few.
This is a nicely written book; fun, silly, and intelligent too. I enjoyed the interjections in the narrative voice, but at times later in the story there were too many instances of them and they ceased having an impact. Other than that, the prose was fluid and concise and natural in its execution. It's an easy read, but I wouldn't advise reading it too fast or you might miss moments of subtle humour.
The message in this book was one I could definitely relate to: "It's never too late to stand up for yourself." So I have a fondness for this story that's perhaps a bit biased. Still, its a good story and I'm not surprised at all that it has been optioned for being made into a movie.
November 28, 2018
Hilarious & Original
I found this book to be amusing. A vegan zombie love story... What isn't there to enjoy? I thought the way the author setup a wrote this book was refreshing and enticing. I couldn't put the book down because I wanted to know what happened to Sharon.
I found this book to be amusing. A vegan zombie love story... What isn't there to enjoy? I thought the way the author setup a wrote this book was refreshing and enticing. I couldn't put the book down because I wanted to know what happened to Sharon.
July 12, 2014
The Zombie genre is ever expanding and in this novel, Jen Frankel takes on romance, mystery, and how to be true to yourself even if you want to be nice. With an excellent pace that never lets you down and a good dose of humour, the main character Sharon Backovic gradually rediscovers herself as a Vegan zombie.
Along the way we get a taste of Toronto zombie culture - even Zombie Speed Dating, learn that imitation is surely the greatest complement even when you're death is on You Tube and none of your supposed friends are willing to make a tribute Facebook page.
As an optimist, Sharon's death is finally the chance she needs to take stock of her friendships and even her boyfriend who was cheating on her with her best friend. Sounds like heavy material and yet in Jen Frankel's capable hands, it is full of hilarious moments with things like Sharon hiding under a bush watching her ex-boyfriend and former best friend out for a walk in the woods. When she is discovered, somehow her ex-boyfriend is intrigued by her undead state more than he ever was by her when she was alive. Don't let Monica know, but keep in touch.
The supporting characters are quite rewarding, with an undead guinea pig, an obsessive supernatural hunter, comic book shop staff, a crack head friend, an undead imitator, former friends good and mostly bad, and of course new friends who make it all worthwhile for a self-respecting zombie.
If you like zombie stories from the perspective of the undead themselves, this is definitely worth a look.
Along the way we get a taste of Toronto zombie culture - even Zombie Speed Dating, learn that imitation is surely the greatest complement even when you're death is on You Tube and none of your supposed friends are willing to make a tribute Facebook page.
As an optimist, Sharon's death is finally the chance she needs to take stock of her friendships and even her boyfriend who was cheating on her with her best friend. Sounds like heavy material and yet in Jen Frankel's capable hands, it is full of hilarious moments with things like Sharon hiding under a bush watching her ex-boyfriend and former best friend out for a walk in the woods. When she is discovered, somehow her ex-boyfriend is intrigued by her undead state more than he ever was by her when she was alive. Don't let Monica know, but keep in touch.
The supporting characters are quite rewarding, with an undead guinea pig, an obsessive supernatural hunter, comic book shop staff, a crack head friend, an undead imitator, former friends good and mostly bad, and of course new friends who make it all worthwhile for a self-respecting zombie.
If you like zombie stories from the perspective of the undead themselves, this is definitely worth a look.
September 26, 2014
This is the second book of my acquisitions from ConBravo this summer and I wish I had read it sooner. The book is just so much fun.
Sharon is killed at her friend's wedding while catching the bouquet and wakes up as a zombie. But this is not the start of the zombie apocalypse; it's the start of Sharon's new life.
Before she died, Sharon was a sweet, loving girl who had tons of friends and a boyfriend who all treated her like dirt. She was the doormat they all stood on to feel better about themselves. When she dies, no one attends her funeral - they are all mad at her for the inconvenience of her death! At first Sharon struggles to make amends to these people, but it rapidly becomes clear that she's much better off without them.
Frankel's zombie story is light and so refreshing. Sharon suffers no angst/drama/whininess over her condition. She's happy and accepting of her new state. Other people struggle to understand and figure out her new identity, but Sharon is not worried about it much. Sure, she has moments of doubt and worries that her friends will reject her - but she doesn't let it change who she is or who she wants to be. She's a lovely, empowering (and kind of adorable) heroine.
Reading this book was just such a pleasure. I think I had a smile on my face the whole way through.
Sharon is killed at her friend's wedding while catching the bouquet and wakes up as a zombie. But this is not the start of the zombie apocalypse; it's the start of Sharon's new life.
Before she died, Sharon was a sweet, loving girl who had tons of friends and a boyfriend who all treated her like dirt. She was the doormat they all stood on to feel better about themselves. When she dies, no one attends her funeral - they are all mad at her for the inconvenience of her death! At first Sharon struggles to make amends to these people, but it rapidly becomes clear that she's much better off without them.
Frankel's zombie story is light and so refreshing. Sharon suffers no angst/drama/whininess over her condition. She's happy and accepting of her new state. Other people struggle to understand and figure out her new identity, but Sharon is not worried about it much. Sure, she has moments of doubt and worries that her friends will reject her - but she doesn't let it change who she is or who she wants to be. She's a lovely, empowering (and kind of adorable) heroine.
Reading this book was just such a pleasure. I think I had a smile on my face the whole way through.
June 1, 2014
This was a cute, fun read and I really enjoyed the characters and the story. It's more a book about self-confidence and what it means to be alive than it is a zombie tale, but it's fully enjoyable. Jen did a great job weaving together all of the viewpoints and subplots into an amusing and fulfilling climax.
My only complaint is that it could have used more polishing before going to print, but it still didn't take away from me enjoying the story.
My only complaint is that it could have used more polishing before going to print, but it still didn't take away from me enjoying the story.
March 18, 2016
Every author has at least one book that they are best known for, the first title that comes to mind when their name comes up in conversation. I believe Undead Redhead is that book for Toronto author Jen Frankel. UR has fun, believable characters and a new take on the zombie genre, with original ideas most wouldn't think to put in a book about the undead (like zombie dating!). We need more books like this. Way to go, Jen!
February 29, 2016
Jen Frankel did a great job bringing the story together... I really love the zombie genre and this interpretation was really good. We get to follow along with her main character's "Birth", though the evolution, self realization, to the conclusion you'll have to read to learn about.
July 4, 2016
Frankel has a remarkable ability to find completely new ground in a well-travelled subgenre. If you want to relive the other 300 zombie books you've read by reading exactly the same thing, this ain't it. Interesting characters, and a plot that twists just enough.
July 8, 2016
Great characters, engaging premise. Pacing builds throughout the story. I hope for another book that continues in Sharon's world.
June 25, 2016
Sharon wakes up in a coffin. It seems she was killed whilst catching the bouquet at a friend's wedding. But what's an undead redhead supposed to do?
This was an enjoyable light read.
This was an enjoyable light read.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews