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Zombie Blondes
From the moment Hannah Sanders arrived in town, she felt there was something wrong.
A lot of houses were for sale, and the town seemed infected by an unearthly quiet. And then, on Hannah’s first day of classes, she ran into a group of cheerleaders—the most popular girls in school.
The odd thing was that they were nearly identical in blonde, beautiful, and deathly pale.
But Hannah wants desperately to fit in—regardless of what her friend Lukas is telling if she doesn’t watch her back, she’s going to be blonde and popular and dead—just like all the other zombies in this town. . . .
A lot of houses were for sale, and the town seemed infected by an unearthly quiet. And then, on Hannah’s first day of classes, she ran into a group of cheerleaders—the most popular girls in school.
The odd thing was that they were nearly identical in blonde, beautiful, and deathly pale.
But Hannah wants desperately to fit in—regardless of what her friend Lukas is telling if she doesn’t watch her back, she’s going to be blonde and popular and dead—just like all the other zombies in this town. . . .
232 pages, Hardcover
First published June 24, 2008
29 people are currently reading
1618 people want to read
About the author
Brian James
106 books226 followersI've written numerous children's books, including the Pirate School series and the Catkid series. I'm also the author of several novels: Pure Sunshine; Tomorrow, Maybe; Perfect World; Dirty Liar; Thief; Zombie Blondes; The Heights.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 347 reviews
October 5, 2008
As another fan of zombies and YA lit, I've been looking forward to reading this book all summer, but I was terribly disappointed and frustrated by the wasted potential.
The author does a good job from the beginning evoking a sense of unease about Hannah, her father, and their new home in Maplecrest. Part of this mood comes from the hints that Hannah's father has a dark past as a former police officer. A dark past that is brought up every time Hannah mentions her dad, moving, or police officers (at least once per chapter?). And yet we never get the payoff about what this terrible past is. Also, we're told that Hannah's father often works odd jobs that he hates since, for some reason, he can't be a police officer any more, but all we know about his current job is he's some kind of courier that conveniently gets him out of the way so Hannah's story can happen without the protection of an adult. The sense of foreboding his heightened when Hannah meets the super popular, and eerie, cheerleading squad - and the lone voice of dissent, Lukas, that says they're not nearly as perfect as Hannah thinks they are.
I really wanted to like Lukas - the idea of a kid fighting zombies by what he's learned in comic books could have been used to great effect, but he also fell short.
I also had a lot of problems with Hannah herself. First of all, she's almost completely unlikable for 90% of the book. I can see an element of realism in her defensiveness, first because she's a teenage girl and second because after moving so often she probably would have developed some abrasive coping mechanisms, but I couldn't find a single redeeming quality in her that made me want to root for her. And when she's finally faced with the incontrovertible proof of the zombies, she takes it way too well and all of a sudden seems like a little bit of a zombie fighting prodigy.
And finally, this may be me just being a little paranoid, but the book seemed to have no problem with promoting at least mildly abusive relationships. Lukas keeps coming back to Hannah like a kicked puppy (he in fact is often described as having puppy dog eyes) because he likes her so much he'll put up with the abuse just to be near her/rescue her, and Hannah when Hannah begins dating a guy in the school, she talks about how he forces/commands her to do things - and she likes it. After suffering through the glorification of stalking/abuse in the Twilight books, maybe I'm being over sensitive, but with hints of abuse popping up in two separate relationships it seemed a little "off" to me.
The author does a good job from the beginning evoking a sense of unease about Hannah, her father, and their new home in Maplecrest. Part of this mood comes from the hints that Hannah's father has a dark past as a former police officer. A dark past that is brought up every time Hannah mentions her dad, moving, or police officers (at least once per chapter?). And yet we never get the payoff about what this terrible past is. Also, we're told that Hannah's father often works odd jobs that he hates since, for some reason, he can't be a police officer any more, but all we know about his current job is he's some kind of courier that conveniently gets him out of the way so Hannah's story can happen without the protection of an adult. The sense of foreboding his heightened when Hannah meets the super popular, and eerie, cheerleading squad - and the lone voice of dissent, Lukas, that says they're not nearly as perfect as Hannah thinks they are.
I really wanted to like Lukas - the idea of a kid fighting zombies by what he's learned in comic books could have been used to great effect, but he also fell short.
I also had a lot of problems with Hannah herself. First of all, she's almost completely unlikable for 90% of the book. I can see an element of realism in her defensiveness, first because she's a teenage girl and second because after moving so often she probably would have developed some abrasive coping mechanisms, but I couldn't find a single redeeming quality in her that made me want to root for her. And when she's finally faced with the incontrovertible proof of the zombies, she takes it way too well and all of a sudden seems like a little bit of a zombie fighting prodigy.
And finally, this may be me just being a little paranoid, but the book seemed to have no problem with promoting at least mildly abusive relationships. Lukas keeps coming back to Hannah like a kicked puppy (he in fact is often described as having puppy dog eyes) because he likes her so much he'll put up with the abuse just to be near her/rescue her, and Hannah when Hannah begins dating a guy in the school, she talks about how he forces/commands her to do things - and she likes it. After suffering through the glorification of stalking/abuse in the Twilight books, maybe I'm being over sensitive, but with hints of abuse popping up in two separate relationships it seemed a little "off" to me.
January 8, 2009
Lukas: This town is full of zombies!
Hannah: Whatever!
Lukas: You'll see!
Hannah: You read too many stupid horror comics.
Lukas: Hrmph.
Repeat for 100 pages.
The book had a mildly surprising ending, but the rest was a repetitive slog narrated by one of the most unlikeable characters I've ever read.
Hannah: Whatever!
Lukas: You'll see!
Hannah: You read too many stupid horror comics.
Lukas: Hrmph.
Repeat for 100 pages.
The book had a mildly surprising ending, but the rest was a repetitive slog narrated by one of the most unlikeable characters I've ever read.
July 8, 2010
I picked this book for the cool manga-esque illustration on the cover and the hope of a wonderful story about decapitating undead blondes. What I got was a big pile of 'blah' that reminds me how many guys cannot write from inside a teenage girl's mind.
Hannah is forced to uproot her life every few months when her dad's many debtors find out where they've gone off to. This time, she's landed herself in Maplecrest- a small town that feels oddly empty (almost every second house is for sale). Although Hannah's used to being an outsider since she never settles in, Maplecrest has a more established elitist popular group than most towns- the perfect little blonde cheerleaders who all look and act alike. In fact, they all even change their names to start with an 'm' in this town. Lukas, one of the few outsiders in town who dares to be different, swears to Hannah that they're zombies and the whole town is a giant conspiracy. Nonplussed by the clearly crazy Lukas, Hannah decides to give it a go and try for the cheerleading squad and one chance at actually being popular. Despite a few girls who are out to get her, Hannah finds herself accepted and soon begins to fit in with the other girls... but is this normal socialization or something more sinister?
Ugh. The only upside of this book is that it's a quick read and will go over well for reluctant readers who don't care about things like depth or character development. It's a pretty short book and it definitely flies by- very little time is spent after Hannah actually makes the squad. The whole ending is squashed in. Hannah herself is just so bland; a very stereotypical mindless teenage female who has no interest in anything other than being popular with a great boyfriend and even is willing to starve herself for several days to fit her cheerleading uniform. The book is open-ended, but I'm hoping the author doesn't decide to chase this with another because it would stretch an already thin premise way too far.
Hannah is forced to uproot her life every few months when her dad's many debtors find out where they've gone off to. This time, she's landed herself in Maplecrest- a small town that feels oddly empty (almost every second house is for sale). Although Hannah's used to being an outsider since she never settles in, Maplecrest has a more established elitist popular group than most towns- the perfect little blonde cheerleaders who all look and act alike. In fact, they all even change their names to start with an 'm' in this town. Lukas, one of the few outsiders in town who dares to be different, swears to Hannah that they're zombies and the whole town is a giant conspiracy. Nonplussed by the clearly crazy Lukas, Hannah decides to give it a go and try for the cheerleading squad and one chance at actually being popular. Despite a few girls who are out to get her, Hannah finds herself accepted and soon begins to fit in with the other girls... but is this normal socialization or something more sinister?
Ugh. The only upside of this book is that it's a quick read and will go over well for reluctant readers who don't care about things like depth or character development. It's a pretty short book and it definitely flies by- very little time is spent after Hannah actually makes the squad. The whole ending is squashed in. Hannah herself is just so bland; a very stereotypical mindless teenage female who has no interest in anything other than being popular with a great boyfriend and even is willing to starve herself for several days to fit her cheerleading uniform. The book is open-ended, but I'm hoping the author doesn't decide to chase this with another because it would stretch an already thin premise way too far.
February 8, 2015
This was a tough one for me. This book had me feeling bipolar in some ways. It had these really great moments where I felt the author would redeem the female lead for me, and then he would go back down into this pit of unlikablity. Hannah wasn't a character I would call strong. I guess with the way the author wrote her, he pulled if off if that was his goal. She was weak-minded, superficial, selfish, and really mean. But I also felt that every female character in this book was laid out to be this way. I couldn't figure out if this was the way the author wanted this 'town' to be, but based on Hannah's introspect, the author seemed to make a generalization of how girls are in high school. It is laid out that every teenage girl wants to be popular, blonde, worshiped, and adored. This guy has obviously never met the comic book|fangirl|nerd chick (That was me.) I didn't care about popular, actually I related to Lukas if I am being honest. I live my life in origin stories, revenge stories, or redemption stories aka comic book story arcs. But I'm not sure if this author was venting a personal hatred towards high school girls in general, or if he was writing a cautionary tale. I honestly was thinking one way, then Hannah's action would have me going towards the other story arc option. Not to mention the author built TOO much tension. He waited until the last 2 1/2 chapters for anything amazing to happen. I was waiting and waiting for zombie action, how this was going to take place, and I was WAITING. When you spend too much time in a characters head who is unlikable you tend to not care about the awesome gruesome action when you get there.
I kept finding myself wanting more Lukas, then feeling bad when he came into the scenes because Hannah treated him like garbage. Then she realizes AT THE END he was a good person? I kinda wanted to toss her ot the flesh eating cheerleaders at that point. When I don't care if a cheerleader lives or dies that is a problem. It was written similar to old school Tales from the Crypt episodes because the leads in those were very rarely good people. You always were waiting for them to get their comeuppance. At the end of the day, I just wasn't totally feeling this story. I am not sure it was right for him to write in a female POV, I would have totally enjoyed the book if it was in Lukas's POV. The book gets two stars for him putting in what I like to call one of MY people into the story, and for the fact he isn't a bad writer, he just wrote in a female POV and it didn't work for me. I have to like the girl who's head I'm in. I see this as more of a 'boy book' he wouldn't mind it because I'm pretty sure teen boys think this of teen girls. But on the other hand with the rise of the comic book films no one has to face persecution for showing you like comics now--so this book might prove to date itself a bit.
As a whole, I would recommend this book to the teenage boy crowd. I don't think females would find this book very flattering.
*I purchased a copy of this book at the friends of the library bookstore*
I kept finding myself wanting more Lukas, then feeling bad when he came into the scenes because Hannah treated him like garbage. Then she realizes AT THE END he was a good person? I kinda wanted to toss her ot the flesh eating cheerleaders at that point. When I don't care if a cheerleader lives or dies that is a problem. It was written similar to old school Tales from the Crypt episodes because the leads in those were very rarely good people. You always were waiting for them to get their comeuppance. At the end of the day, I just wasn't totally feeling this story. I am not sure it was right for him to write in a female POV, I would have totally enjoyed the book if it was in Lukas's POV. The book gets two stars for him putting in what I like to call one of MY people into the story, and for the fact he isn't a bad writer, he just wrote in a female POV and it didn't work for me. I have to like the girl who's head I'm in. I see this as more of a 'boy book' he wouldn't mind it because I'm pretty sure teen boys think this of teen girls. But on the other hand with the rise of the comic book films no one has to face persecution for showing you like comics now--so this book might prove to date itself a bit.
As a whole, I would recommend this book to the teenage boy crowd. I don't think females would find this book very flattering.
*I purchased a copy of this book at the friends of the library bookstore*
January 9, 2019
I wonder if there is a book 2?
March 27, 2017
I picked this book up close to a year ago at a library book sale near my house. I don't even remember if I purchased it or my son but somehow I ended up with it. And for the life of me I don't know how, because when I picked this up out of my TBR pile my first thought was "What the hell was I thinking with this book?"! But It is only 232 pages and I figured one less book in my stack and because it's so short I could endure a bad read.
But that was not the case. I actually kind of liked the book. It was written much better than I expected. It did have some annoying parts like Lukas, who keeps telling Hannah over and over everyone is a zombie. She doesn't believe him but still continues to be his friend and they have the same fight over and over when he brings it back up. That got old fast.
But the book also drew me in to Hannah's dilemma, of having to be the new girl constantly because her dad moves them around every couple of months or so. And her desire to make friends with the popular girls and be a part of something for once and not labeled as a loser like Lukas. I felt the impact of how her dad's lifestyle was affecting her. So much so that she overlooks Lukas' warnings and some undeniably weird goings on in the town to try to fit in anyway.
It was definitely interesting trying to figure out if Lukas' rants were a product of his obsession with his gruesome horror comic books or if there is truly something wrong with all the clone like cheerleaders in Maplecreek. But you will just have to read it yourself to see!
Which I do suggest if your in the mood for a short, pretty entertaining and not to deep type of a young adult book with a splash of horror. Maybe just don't read late at night!
But that was not the case. I actually kind of liked the book. It was written much better than I expected. It did have some annoying parts like Lukas, who keeps telling Hannah over and over everyone is a zombie. She doesn't believe him but still continues to be his friend and they have the same fight over and over when he brings it back up. That got old fast.
But the book also drew me in to Hannah's dilemma, of having to be the new girl constantly because her dad moves them around every couple of months or so. And her desire to make friends with the popular girls and be a part of something for once and not labeled as a loser like Lukas. I felt the impact of how her dad's lifestyle was affecting her. So much so that she overlooks Lukas' warnings and some undeniably weird goings on in the town to try to fit in anyway.
It was definitely interesting trying to figure out if Lukas' rants were a product of his obsession with his gruesome horror comic books or if there is truly something wrong with all the clone like cheerleaders in Maplecreek. But you will just have to read it yourself to see!
Which I do suggest if your in the mood for a short, pretty entertaining and not to deep type of a young adult book with a splash of horror. Maybe just don't read late at night!
January 7, 2014
Jsem v pokušení si ji přečíst znovu. Vím, že se mi poměrně líbila, ale když vidím všechny ty hodnocení kolem... :D
April 23, 2020
Summary:
When Hannah's dad drags her to yet another new town, she is less than thrilled. Things quickly go downhill when the popular cheerleaders seem to have it out for her at her new school. The only friend she manages to make is a boy named Lukas who insists the cheerleaders are really cult-like zombies controlled by the head cheerleader, Maggie.
It isn't until Hannah gets a spot on the cheerleading squad that she realizes he was right all along.
Personal opinion:
This book reminded me a bit of the Welcome to Dead House from Goosebumps by R. L. Stine. It is more of a PG-13 version with barely any gore, blood shed or graphic flesh eating. Younger teenage me would have liked this book I think.
A few things I didn't like:
How in denial Hannah was about something obviously being wrong in the small town. While I get the pressure to be popular and accepted as a new kid in school, her reasoning wasn't exactly believable.
The author used the stereotypical pretty, blonde cheerleaders as the popular mean girls. Since it is a slightly older book, I'll let that one go. But something more original like artsy or even nerd zombies would have made things more interesting
I also would have enjoyed more actual zombie action considering the word zombie is in the title.
Overall, it kept my interest long enough to finish, but I wouldn't recommend it as a great read.
June 12, 2017
I was disappointed with this book. I picked it up thinking it'd be a fun quick YA story involving zombie high school drama, but it was pretty monotonous. The first 3/4 of the book is all the main character in denial and acting sort of whiney, and the last quarter is her finding the truth but not really being the one to do anything about it. The ending just annoyed me because it doesn't really wrap anything up and is supposed to be threatening but since we don't really SEE the zombies do anything we just hear about it, the threat feels false and not really all that scary. It also feels off because if her dad is a cop, and supposedly a good one, shouldn't he have some sense of things being off in this town?
I think this could have been a great zombie book that comments on the "drones" of the popular high school people, but instead it was just kind of boring and I even ended up putting it down for over a month before coming back to finish it, which I normally NEVER do with a zombie book. In general I finish anything involving zombies within a day or two, a week max. So that says a lot about how slow this one was and how much the tension was missing.
I do want to say the writing itself wasn't terrible. There were some great moments, but the story just failed to maintain tension because we don't really see anything frightening or threatening happen to the protagonist. Everything is a veiled threat, which doesn't make for a tension filled chapter where you fear what's going to happen. I think if we had maybe gotten a chance to see something more of the zombies being zombies, it would have helped the novel greatly.
I think this could have been a great zombie book that comments on the "drones" of the popular high school people, but instead it was just kind of boring and I even ended up putting it down for over a month before coming back to finish it, which I normally NEVER do with a zombie book. In general I finish anything involving zombies within a day or two, a week max. So that says a lot about how slow this one was and how much the tension was missing.
I do want to say the writing itself wasn't terrible. There were some great moments, but the story just failed to maintain tension because we don't really see anything frightening or threatening happen to the protagonist. Everything is a veiled threat, which doesn't make for a tension filled chapter where you fear what's going to happen. I think if we had maybe gotten a chance to see something more of the zombies being zombies, it would have helped the novel greatly.
August 12, 2010
This book was okay. There was nothing really special about it, but it **kind of** kept my interest.
I liked the overall idea of the book and the zombie theme. However, I think it could have been executed a little better.
For example, I picked this up hoping to get some major zombie action. Well, it was until the last 20 pages that Hannah even found out that they were zombies. And, even then, there was no flesh eating awesomeness, for the conclusion was blah. It just took waaaaayyyyy to long for the author to confirm the existence of zombies. Anyone who saw the cover would know this book was about zombies, so why take so freakin' long to get to the point?
I found all the physical abuse kind of disturbing. Hannah was constantly being crushed, scratched, squeezed, and controlled by the other characters. And, the thing is, she didn't even seem to mind it. She actually enjoyed it.
On the topic of Hannah, I had an issue with her. Spineless, mindless and annoying-ness. I don't know how to explain it exactly, but I don't like teenage characters that exhibit the qualities reflected by a lot of today's teenagers. You know, the whinny "I, like, wanna be popular," and the "without friends and a hot boyfriend, my life is meaningless," kind of crap. It's so trite. Well, that triteness was the main characters. I want to read about characters who can stand on their own two feet, who are unique and independent. I hate the same old song and dance.
I liked some things about it though. Like I said above, the original idea has potential: evil, zombie teenagers living in a small town. I also liked how it portrayed the tight, strangling confinements of a small town. I actually felt constricted as I read the book. I've been a new kid in a small town, and the author reflected exactly what it felt while living there. But, I have to admit, I never let flesh-eating, blond zombies strip away my identity.
Anyways, I also liked Lukas. He had potential. It's a shame the author didn't develop him more. And, finally, the cover of the book is great.
Overall, again, it was okay. It probably would have redeemed itself with some zombie action, but, alas, there was none. It was a cool idea, but it just didn't deliver. I don't necessarily recommend it.
I liked the overall idea of the book and the zombie theme. However, I think it could have been executed a little better.
For example, I picked this up hoping to get some major zombie action. Well, it was until the last 20 pages that Hannah even found out that they were zombies. And, even then, there was no flesh eating awesomeness, for the conclusion was blah. It just took waaaaayyyyy to long for the author to confirm the existence of zombies. Anyone who saw the cover would know this book was about zombies, so why take so freakin' long to get to the point?
I found all the physical abuse kind of disturbing. Hannah was constantly being crushed, scratched, squeezed, and controlled by the other characters. And, the thing is, she didn't even seem to mind it. She actually enjoyed it.
On the topic of Hannah, I had an issue with her. Spineless, mindless and annoying-ness. I don't know how to explain it exactly, but I don't like teenage characters that exhibit the qualities reflected by a lot of today's teenagers. You know, the whinny "I, like, wanna be popular," and the "without friends and a hot boyfriend, my life is meaningless," kind of crap. It's so trite. Well, that triteness was the main characters. I want to read about characters who can stand on their own two feet, who are unique and independent. I hate the same old song and dance.
I liked some things about it though. Like I said above, the original idea has potential: evil, zombie teenagers living in a small town. I also liked how it portrayed the tight, strangling confinements of a small town. I actually felt constricted as I read the book. I've been a new kid in a small town, and the author reflected exactly what it felt while living there. But, I have to admit, I never let flesh-eating, blond zombies strip away my identity.
Anyways, I also liked Lukas. He had potential. It's a shame the author didn't develop him more. And, finally, the cover of the book is great.
Overall, again, it was okay. It probably would have redeemed itself with some zombie action, but, alas, there was none. It was a cool idea, but it just didn't deliver. I don't necessarily recommend it.
October 2, 2010
funny, and scary, too. as ever, james, shows a keen sense of the absurd, inviolable rules of high school life. the adult characters are particularly well drawn, which is also unusual in a y.a. novel. some of the action sequences are killer, so to speak. a great look at high school, then or now. if you like zombies, you'll dig this book; if you went to high school, you'll love it.
December 13, 2019
This is a tough book to review. It isn't terrible. It tells a story that you can find worth in. It just annoyed me more than it entertained me.
Let's start off with what I consider a mistake. The title. It gives away a plot point. The tagline if "They're beautiful. They're popular. They're dead" is also not something I would have needed.
Moving past the cover you meet the main character. From the start, she is hard to like. She gets even worse as the story progresses. The first thing about a protagonist in a zombie (this isn't a spoiler, see the title) story is that you have to care if they live, die or become undead. I really didn't here. Her father didn't turn out to be a main character despite the first few chapters. There is nothing interesting to say about how he was written.
The best character is one she meets early and who warns her. I feel that if this story was told from his point of view then it would have been better.
Then you have the titular blonde zombies. All shining with a near complete lack of individual personality. With a different title this might have worked. Plus one more main character who I had to check his name as he was that memorable.
The plot moves too slow. It takes too long to get anywhere. The ending does have a surprise or two but the road to it made it almost a chore to get to.
What saved this book from getting one star was one character and the fact I feel that the author could have done more with some of the good ideas here. With a few tweaks and a more likeable main character it could have been a lot better.
I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone. I also wouldn't recommend they avoid it completely. I doubt that someone who really enjoyed this book would write an eight paragraph review of it. It can be noted that when I start a review with "This is a tough book to review." then my review is probably going to be a long one.
Let's start off with what I consider a mistake. The title. It gives away a plot point. The tagline if "They're beautiful. They're popular. They're dead" is also not something I would have needed.
Moving past the cover you meet the main character. From the start, she is hard to like. She gets even worse as the story progresses. The first thing about a protagonist in a zombie (this isn't a spoiler, see the title) story is that you have to care if they live, die or become undead. I really didn't here. Her father didn't turn out to be a main character despite the first few chapters. There is nothing interesting to say about how he was written.
The best character is one she meets early and who warns her. I feel that if this story was told from his point of view then it would have been better.
Then you have the titular blonde zombies. All shining with a near complete lack of individual personality. With a different title this might have worked. Plus one more main character who I had to check his name as he was that memorable.
The plot moves too slow. It takes too long to get anywhere. The ending does have a surprise or two but the road to it made it almost a chore to get to.
What saved this book from getting one star was one character and the fact I feel that the author could have done more with some of the good ideas here. With a few tweaks and a more likeable main character it could have been a lot better.
I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone. I also wouldn't recommend they avoid it completely. I doubt that someone who really enjoyed this book would write an eight paragraph review of it. It can be noted that when I start a review with "This is a tough book to review." then my review is probably going to be a long one.
August 14, 2021
This book is for a young audience and I admit in my early twenties it wasn’t intended for me but I really enjoyed it I felt like a kid in school again reading in any spare moment just because I was excited. However I’m only giving it 4 stars because the book ended but it didn’t finish if that makes any sense at all.
October 3, 2022
It was okay. I stopped halfway out of boredom because in the beginning it was kind of boring, but maybe at the end it's better. Who knows?
September 2, 2008
James, Brian. 2008. Zombie Blondes.
I loved this book. I just LOVED this book. It was just so readable. Compelling I guess is the proper word for it. I was just hooked from the very beginning. "There aren't any rules to running away from your problems. No checklist of things to cross off. No instructions. Eeny, meeny, pick a path and go. That's how my dad does it anyway because apparently there's no age limit to running away, either." Our narrator, a teen girl named Hannah Sanders, is tired of running away. Dragged away is more like it. Her father, a former cop, is always on the move. But when the two move to the seemingly quiet town of Maplecrest, it will be Hannah who wants to run. And not without good reason.
Zombie Blondes could have been named ... Pretties or I Was a Non-Blonde Cheerleader or Geek Magnet, for example. (I'm not saying that the book resembles the plot lines of those books. Just that taken at face value, the titles could work for Zombie Blondes.) Hannah was hoping--really hoping--that in a town as small as this one, a town as dead as this one--that she'd have a chance to be one of the pretty people, the beautiful people, the popular people. Instead, against all the odds, the town is full of strangely attractive beautiful-and-popular people (from the cheerleaders, the football players, the teachers and coaches, the town sheriff, etc.) Some of these people seem to have a mesmerizing, hypnotic effect on others. (Especially when the cheerleaders perform their routines.)
This is something Hannah notices on her first day of school. How beautiful the popular girls are. How they all look the same. How they do everything the same really. And it's something that Lukas, a geeky boy who is unmistakably drawn to Hannah, points out to her as well. He offers his friendship, yes, but more importantly he offers her advice. Again and again and again and again. His advice is strange to her ears. Very strange indeed. He keeps rambling on and on about how the cheerleaders are zombies. About how she needs to stay away from them...and above all else she MUST not join them or she'll be turned.
IF you were Hannah, you'd be thinking this Lukas is one strange guy. Don't deny it. After all, Hannah doesn't have the benefit of knowing that she's in a book called ZOMBIE BLONDES.
So when one of the cheerleaders offers her a chance to try out....Hannah decides that it's worth a try. What could go wrong, right?
Do I recommend Zombie Blondes? Yes!!! A bit predictable....maybe. But it's fun. Part of the appeal, at least the way I see it, is that it reads like realistic fiction. Hannah is a person that is easy to relate to. Who doesn't wish to have a best friend? to have a boyfriend? to be loved? Hannah wants something that most of us would readily admit to wanting back in high school--a place she fits in, a place to belong, a place to blend in and feel comfortable. She wants to NOT be different. She wants to be "normal." And Hannah's home life, in a way, also adds another layer to the novel. Her father is absent even when present. He's emotionally shut down, unavailable, checked out. And Hannah is tired of being the grown up in the house. Very tired of this relationship being stuck in the same old patterns.
First sentence: "I can usually pick out the popular kids soon after setting foot into a new school. The girls, anyway. They wear popularity like a uniform for everyone to see. From their hairstyles to their expensive shoes. Everything about them is torn from the glossy pages of the latest teen fashion magazines. Everything about them is perfect. At least on the outside, anyway."
Back cover:
He’s about to walk away but stops. Turns to me and opens his mouth and starts to stutter like he’s not sure if he should say what he wants to. Then finally deciding to go ahead and say it, but refusing to take his eyes off the floor when he does. “It’s just . . . you’re kind of pretty . . . and she might try to turn you into one of them . . . one of her clones,” he says. “I don’t want to see that happen to you, that’s all.”
I tuck my lip under my top teeth.
“Is that supposed to be a compliment?”’ I ask.
“Nope,”’ he says.
“Just a warning.”
232 pages.
© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews
April 21, 2020
Pues es un libro de corte juvenil, creo que empezando por eso y el titulo, uno ya mas o menos debe de tener idea de que esperarse, quiero decir que pues no es un libro con personajes muy profundos; de hecho a mi parecer todos son muy simples, y pues esperaba algo mas de acción y trama, porque si, se queda muy corto para desarrollar mas historia. El libro es muy corto te lo lees tranquilamente una tarde. Creo que un punto a resaltar es que trata el tema del adolescente que trata de encajar en el instituto, con los populares porque su vida a sido muy difícil de llevar, que quiere sentir que lleva una vida normal... igual y por ahi podría haber mas desarrollo o incluso la historia de amor... bueno también por ahi se queda muy corta. Creo que es una novela juvenil que tenia mas potencial dado que en algún momento parece película de "folk horror" pues la historia se desarrolla en un pueblito en medio de la nada donde todo es muy extraño, en fin aun con todas sus carencias o fallas argumentales (hay cosas que se sienten muy repetitivas), lo disfrute bastante al momento de leerlo, es ya al final que termino decepcionandome un poco, en fin aun así lo recomiendo para pasar un rato agradable si te gustan las historias juveniles, de zombies y ligeras. 🌟6/10🌟
August 28, 2009
I bought this book because I needed a book that started with "Z" for my A to Z Challenge. This was the first one I ran across and actually, I enjoyed it.
Hannah’s dad has had trouble ever since he turned in some dirty cops. Now he and Hannah move around every 1 to 6 months to stay away from bill collectors and harassment for his past.
Their newest town? Maplecrest. It seems like a ghost town driving in. Houses are For Sale everywhere.
Hannah makes a new friend at school, but he’s not the most desirable. He’s a bit of a freak, to put it nicely. And within the first day, Lukas is warning Hannah of the “it girls”.
They are the popular girls. They are the cheerleaders. They are beautiful. Super skinny. Electric blue eyes. Ghost white skin. And all of their names start with M.
Hannah would do anything to be one of the popular girls, but as her dream starts to come true, she realizes it may be more of a nightmare.
The title pretty much gives the point of the story away, but that didn’t ruin the book for me.
It was very well written and quite the page turner. And although the plot is obviously not realistic, I imagine most teenage girls could relate. High school is all about popularity and to be popular, there aren’t many boundaries.
One thing that I didn’t like about this book – even though it was a pretty big part – was all the girls names start with M. I understand the concept, but throughout the book, I never knew who anyone was. I know Morgan is the mean one. Meredith is the nice one and Maggie is the leader, but it took me until the end of the book to figure it out.
I’m very much a “series book” kind of girl. I liked the ending of this book because it left it open for a series if James would ever want to write one. And he left it with a lot to work with.
I enjoyed this book and although I’ve heard it hasn’t gotten many good reviews, I’m going to give it 4 bookmarks.
Hannah’s dad has had trouble ever since he turned in some dirty cops. Now he and Hannah move around every 1 to 6 months to stay away from bill collectors and harassment for his past.
Their newest town? Maplecrest. It seems like a ghost town driving in. Houses are For Sale everywhere.
Hannah makes a new friend at school, but he’s not the most desirable. He’s a bit of a freak, to put it nicely. And within the first day, Lukas is warning Hannah of the “it girls”.
They are the popular girls. They are the cheerleaders. They are beautiful. Super skinny. Electric blue eyes. Ghost white skin. And all of their names start with M.
Hannah would do anything to be one of the popular girls, but as her dream starts to come true, she realizes it may be more of a nightmare.
The title pretty much gives the point of the story away, but that didn’t ruin the book for me.
It was very well written and quite the page turner. And although the plot is obviously not realistic, I imagine most teenage girls could relate. High school is all about popularity and to be popular, there aren’t many boundaries.
One thing that I didn’t like about this book – even though it was a pretty big part – was all the girls names start with M. I understand the concept, but throughout the book, I never knew who anyone was. I know Morgan is the mean one. Meredith is the nice one and Maggie is the leader, but it took me until the end of the book to figure it out.
I’m very much a “series book” kind of girl. I liked the ending of this book because it left it open for a series if James would ever want to write one. And he left it with a lot to work with.
I enjoyed this book and although I’ve heard it hasn’t gotten many good reviews, I’m going to give it 4 bookmarks.
August 4, 2010
I was really looking forward to reading this book. It has a cool cover (good art is scarce these days, isn't it?), a title that cracked a smile...
I was disappointed.
There's nothing really wrong with this book, I guess. But... it had so much potential. There are so many threads that could've been picked up and woven into the story. So much that could've been further developed. And this dude isn't even a bad writer (for the sake of the actual writing, guys) for YA fiction.
So. From the beginning we get that the popular cheerleaders are zombies. I mean, read the title, look at the cover, read the very first description of them. Right. But it takes until the very end before we actually get to see any zombie action! And then it's short-lived, no brains, completely disappointing. (This couldn't even've been remedied with some jet packs.)
Most of this book is the main character, Hannah, slowly not-figuring-out the new town her father's moved her into until it's too late. It's not that it didn't hold my attention, it's just that the whole time I was waiting to get to something substantial, some miraculous break-through brain-eating fest that never came.
There was no reason for me to like any of the characters. Hannah was shallow. I really wanted to like Lukus, the weirdo/geek/i'm-so-in-love-with-you-for-no-reason stalker kid, but like the rest of them, his character was barely developed. So it's not like I could care about any of them.
I say don't bother with this book unless your only other option is M.T. Anderson, but don't expect too much. Page skipping is not condemned here.
I was disappointed.
There's nothing really wrong with this book, I guess. But... it had so much potential. There are so many threads that could've been picked up and woven into the story. So much that could've been further developed. And this dude isn't even a bad writer (for the sake of the actual writing, guys) for YA fiction.
So. From the beginning we get that the popular cheerleaders are zombies. I mean, read the title, look at the cover, read the very first description of them. Right. But it takes until the very end before we actually get to see any zombie action! And then it's short-lived, no brains, completely disappointing. (This couldn't even've been remedied with some jet packs.)
Most of this book is the main character, Hannah, slowly not-figuring-out the new town her father's moved her into until it's too late. It's not that it didn't hold my attention, it's just that the whole time I was waiting to get to something substantial, some miraculous break-through brain-eating fest that never came.
There was no reason for me to like any of the characters. Hannah was shallow. I really wanted to like Lukus, the weirdo/geek/i'm-so-in-love-with-you-for-no-reason stalker kid, but like the rest of them, his character was barely developed. So it's not like I could care about any of them.
I say don't bother with this book unless your only other option is M.T. Anderson, but don't expect too much. Page skipping is not condemned here.
November 15, 2009
I think the author pulled off really well Hannah's self-consciousness and self-doubt - to me, the zombie-cheerleaders plotline was secondary to the story being told of Hannah moving to a new school and dealing with all those issues that you face there - starting over, making friends, being ostracised, trying to figure out your place, etc. She was so clueless about the zombies and perhaps a bit boring in parts (Lukas was a lot livelier), but I think most teenage girls will find something relatable in her.
I don't think you should expect when reading this novel there to be a huge zombie element because I don't think it really is what the entire book is centralized around (and it took a while to warm up to the zombie plotline); moreso it was about Hannah's personal journey. Though the ending was classic. It's not a novel that really makes you think too hard, and it's certainly easy reading.
This novel had a similar feel to Generation Dead by Daniel Waters - the whole zombies in high school thing, but without the zombie-prejudice. I think this novel will appeal to teenage girls (maybe 12-15) who like novels with that very traditional teen novel plot (new girl at new school, clashes with popular girls...) and will really really appreciate the zombie twist (it's kind of like the monster mash, but it's different. There's more brains. The zombie twist...).
I don't think you should expect when reading this novel there to be a huge zombie element because I don't think it really is what the entire book is centralized around (and it took a while to warm up to the zombie plotline); moreso it was about Hannah's personal journey. Though the ending was classic. It's not a novel that really makes you think too hard, and it's certainly easy reading.
This novel had a similar feel to Generation Dead by Daniel Waters - the whole zombies in high school thing, but without the zombie-prejudice. I think this novel will appeal to teenage girls (maybe 12-15) who like novels with that very traditional teen novel plot (new girl at new school, clashes with popular girls...) and will really really appreciate the zombie twist (it's kind of like the monster mash, but it's different. There's more brains. The zombie twist...).
March 30, 2015
This is one of those books I put on the back burner for quite some time because I wasn't sure how good it would be. I am so glad I finally took the time to pick it up. I think I could have devoured it in one sitting if given the chance. I was constantly questioning what the final outcome would be and if Lukas was just some weirdo hell bent on hating the popular kids or if there was something really wrong with the it crowd.
Even the setting of the book adds to the eerie quality that something weird might be going on here. Though Hannah is used to moving from town to town, she has never quite experienced one with so many for sale signs. I would think this odd too but I have been in some of these towns which seem to disappear right before your eyes so from first hand experience, I know they exist. When the first girl goes missing I really begin to wonder what the heck is going on, but no on in the town really gives any clues, so once again I am on the edge of my seat trying to figure out if there are zombie or just a really catchy title.
This book was definitely more than that I thought it would be and I encourage anyone looking for a good quick read to pick this one up. This for anyone who has endured high school clicks, and fans of a great mystery.
Even the setting of the book adds to the eerie quality that something weird might be going on here. Though Hannah is used to moving from town to town, she has never quite experienced one with so many for sale signs. I would think this odd too but I have been in some of these towns which seem to disappear right before your eyes so from first hand experience, I know they exist. When the first girl goes missing I really begin to wonder what the heck is going on, but no on in the town really gives any clues, so once again I am on the edge of my seat trying to figure out if there are zombie or just a really catchy title.
This book was definitely more than that I thought it would be and I encourage anyone looking for a good quick read to pick this one up. This for anyone who has endured high school clicks, and fans of a great mystery.
January 17, 2011
Being the zombie enthusiast that I am, I really loved this book! It was a good mix of horror (but not very scary) and contemporary fiction/school popularity.
Hannah and her dad are constantly forced to move around to new cities because her dad cannot afford to pay rent, and they're always running from previous lives. When they arrive in Maplecrest, Hannah knows something is wrong. She becomes friends with Lukas, a pretty awesome guy who is so obviously the bestest character, who warns her that the popular cheerleading squad are really zombies. Still, Hannah tries out for the cheerleading squad, just because she's never had a chance to fit in.
The cheerleaders all have blonde hair, creeeeepy blue eyes, have a name starting with M, and only eat carrots, etc. They are... weird (or zombies?!). But Hannah starts to become "friends" with them, apart from Lukas's objections. What will become of her? I don't know, read the book!
Zombie Blondes was entertaining, a fast read, and a really good zombie book. If you like zombies but aren't necessarily a big horror fan, you will most likely love this book as much as I did.
Hannah and her dad are constantly forced to move around to new cities because her dad cannot afford to pay rent, and they're always running from previous lives. When they arrive in Maplecrest, Hannah knows something is wrong. She becomes friends with Lukas, a pretty awesome guy who is so obviously the bestest character, who warns her that the popular cheerleading squad are really zombies. Still, Hannah tries out for the cheerleading squad, just because she's never had a chance to fit in.
The cheerleaders all have blonde hair, creeeeepy blue eyes, have a name starting with M, and only eat carrots, etc. They are... weird (or zombies?!). But Hannah starts to become "friends" with them, apart from Lukas's objections. What will become of her? I don't know, read the book!
Zombie Blondes was entertaining, a fast read, and a really good zombie book. If you like zombies but aren't necessarily a big horror fan, you will most likely love this book as much as I did.
July 3, 2008
Creepy! Definitely not the book to read when you're home alone on a dark and stormy night....
Hannah and her father move around a lot, so Hannah is kind of an expert on being the new girl. Her newest home is Maplecrest, a tiny town where the cheerleaders rule the school and everyone else is just wallpaper. Seems like every other place Hannah's lived, until her new friend Lukas warns Hannah that the pretty and popular cheerleaders are actually undead cannibals that need fresh blood in order to stay "alive." Wait, zombies in New England? Hannah can't quite stomach this crazy explanation, but there certainly is something a little strange going on in Maplecrest. I found Hannah to be a very believable and sympathetic character; she's the girl who has never really had a close friend and would love nothing more than to be popular and feel like she belongs somewhere. Does she want it badly enough to become one of the "zombie blondes" herself? Check this one out for some great high school angst, cool twists of phrase, and an ending that gave me a shiver.
Hannah and her father move around a lot, so Hannah is kind of an expert on being the new girl. Her newest home is Maplecrest, a tiny town where the cheerleaders rule the school and everyone else is just wallpaper. Seems like every other place Hannah's lived, until her new friend Lukas warns Hannah that the pretty and popular cheerleaders are actually undead cannibals that need fresh blood in order to stay "alive." Wait, zombies in New England? Hannah can't quite stomach this crazy explanation, but there certainly is something a little strange going on in Maplecrest. I found Hannah to be a very believable and sympathetic character; she's the girl who has never really had a close friend and would love nothing more than to be popular and feel like she belongs somewhere. Does she want it badly enough to become one of the "zombie blondes" herself? Check this one out for some great high school angst, cool twists of phrase, and an ending that gave me a shiver.
March 21, 2010
This book falls into the "candy" category: it's good for what it is, but you should only expect one dimension. So. Essentially this is teen horror. Hannah and her father move to a small town with a disproportionate number of beautiful popular people. Befriended by Lukas, the local creepy kid/true ally who continually warns her of the popular crowd's evil intentions, she notices an increasing number of strange occurrences. Consider the title and you see where this is going.
A few things. One: Hannah is almost a convincing female main character, but not quite. "X disappeared mysteriously, but I still thought Y." Ha! Girls are certainly gullible, aren't they? James also uses a couple...shortcuts? that betray less than awesome characterization. "I said X, then did Y to let her know Z." That is really on the nose to the point of not working. Show, don't tell! Show, don't tell! Maybe we can work up another evil cheer routine for it.
That said, I had a pretty good time with this. It's worth a look for casual, fun reading.
A few things. One: Hannah is almost a convincing female main character, but not quite. "X disappeared mysteriously, but I still thought Y." Ha! Girls are certainly gullible, aren't they? James also uses a couple...shortcuts? that betray less than awesome characterization. "I said X, then did Y to let her know Z." That is really on the nose to the point of not working. Show, don't tell! Show, don't tell! Maybe we can work up another evil cheer routine for it.
That said, I had a pretty good time with this. It's worth a look for casual, fun reading.
March 4, 2015
Hannah Sanders moves to a new town with her loser dad, and she tries hard to fit in. And, I'm sorry, but I'm sick of reading books about female characters with low self-esteem who want nothing more than to be a member of the cool, bitchy it crowd. Can you tell I feel strongly about this crap? I mean, really, where are the strong kick-ass characters in the zombie/werewolves/fairy novels? Must the girls make stupid decisions because they are tempted by the cute evil boy?
Hannah, in her stupidity, doesn't notice that most of the people in her town are zombies until they practically drain her blood in the locker room as they are dyeing her hair blonde. Ugh.
Borrrrring. It's like watching a horror movie and wondering why the dumb pretty one runs to the bathroom to escape the bad guy. Stuppppiddd.
Hannah, in her stupidity, doesn't notice that most of the people in her town are zombies until they practically drain her blood in the locker room as they are dyeing her hair blonde. Ugh.
Borrrrring. It's like watching a horror movie and wondering why the dumb pretty one runs to the bathroom to escape the bad guy. Stuppppiddd.
July 22, 2010
Omg, I cannot believe how much I enjoyed this book. I didn't think it would have been that entertaining but I thought it really was. It had bad reviews but I still really wanted to read it because I had never read anything like it before (not really into the whole vamps, werewolves, zombies thing) but since it was on sale I decided to pick it up. This book reminded me a lot of the movie Jennifer's Body which I really liked (as much as you can like a zombie movie) so it made me like the book more. It's not an amazing book or anything but the story line just hooks you in and makes you want to finish it just to know how it ends. I'm so happy I gave this book a shot because I really enjoyed it and and found it very entertaining, also the ending was perfect! The last paragraph gave me chills.
August 8, 2009
I enjoyed this quick read, but it wasn't fantabulous. I thought it could have used just a little more back story - the author hinted about things that happened in the past that was influencing current behavior, but he didn't give much info about those events. I kept thinking there might be a connection or something or maybe a breakthrough? But, I did like the ending. After looking at his pic in the back, it doesn't really surprise me that he'd end it this way. Then again, I think I must not have got too attached to the main characters to not be annoyed.
January 2, 2012
This book brings back zombies is a fashionable way ! (:
How Brian James Describes the Zombies is awesome because they are girls so its really unexpected .
The Story Actually Goes A Little Slow which dropped a star rating .I also was quite annoyed at the Girl Main Character ( I forget her name HAHA) because She Didn't Listen to The Guy's Warning .
Anyway I Recommend this book to any girl who loves a good fantasy fiction book :D
How Brian James Describes the Zombies is awesome because they are girls so its really unexpected .
The Story Actually Goes A Little Slow which dropped a star rating .I also was quite annoyed at the Girl Main Character ( I forget her name HAHA) because She Didn't Listen to The Guy's Warning .
Anyway I Recommend this book to any girl who loves a good fantasy fiction book :D
Read
January 21, 2013This book was extremely weird. It takes being obsessed with being popular to a whole new level! At first I thought it would just be about some girl that was trying to be a wanna-be. But nope! the girls she were trying to be like were actually zombies. and she either had to become one of them, or become their next food source! (They have to have human blood to stay young and pretty.)This is one of my favorite books. I've probably read it about six or seven times now. :P
May 14, 2016
A lot of people asked me why was I reading a book like this (by looking at the cover). It was defiantly a fast read, very interesting, and different & original. I was always told "Uh, that book is a lame zombie high school version of Means Girls." And all of them admitted that they never read it. Like I said, it's a fast read and it's almost like a mystery for the first-half. I recommend this book to people who aren't into the typical zombie novels.
January 3, 2016
Me esperaba más de este libro. La protagonista es demasiado tontorrona, en vez de pensar un poco por sí misma culpa de todo a la imaginación del "friki" del instituto y se deja llevar por su afán de ser popular... Quitando el tema de los zombies, este libro es como cualquier peli americana donde la chica nueva quiere ser amiguita de las animadoras y con ello conseguir ser popular
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