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They Call Me Zombie #3
Kangaroo
Kangaroo… a cute, cuddly animal, from the land down under, right? Except when it’s not. Except when it’s really a six-foot tall demon-monster from the land of the dead. Then it’s not so cute and cuddly. And that’s just one of Mikey’s problems. Trying to figure out girls and dealing with bullies, deciding who you can and cannot trust and of course, helping out angry ghosts who need favors; and that’s all before lunch. No one said Junior High would be easy, but it’s even worse when you’re back from the dead.
216 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 23, 2020
3 people want to read
About the author
John Mercer
3 books4 followersJohn Mercer is a retired 6th grade teacher from Fulton, NY.
They Call Me Zombie, John’s first novel, was crafted over a two and a half year period. Using a pseudonym to introduce the story to his students, John was able to receive feedback from nearly two-hundred kids prior to publication, making his book kid tested and approved!
His follow-up novels, They Call Me Zombie: Hope, and They Call Me Zombie: Kangaroo continue the frightening and funny adventures of Mikey.
They Call Me Zombie books are available on Amazon and Kindle.
John is available as a guest speaker and for author visits.
In addition to his writing, John is an avid fan of Syracuse Football and Basketball. In the spring and summer he continues with his feeble attempts at golf.
They Call Me Zombie, John’s first novel, was crafted over a two and a half year period. Using a pseudonym to introduce the story to his students, John was able to receive feedback from nearly two-hundred kids prior to publication, making his book kid tested and approved!
His follow-up novels, They Call Me Zombie: Hope, and They Call Me Zombie: Kangaroo continue the frightening and funny adventures of Mikey.
They Call Me Zombie books are available on Amazon and Kindle.
John is available as a guest speaker and for author visits.
In addition to his writing, John is an avid fan of Syracuse Football and Basketball. In the spring and summer he continues with his feeble attempts at golf.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
October 25, 2020
When it comes to the They Call Me Zombie series, the stories just keep getting better and better. Kangaroo, the third installment from author John Mercer, takes the tormented world of 12 year old Mike to whole new level with the introduction of a malevolent spirit bent on doing serious bodily harm.
Mike's first encounters with uneasy spirits from beyond the grave were scary and unsettling. This time it's starting to look like a matter of life or death as an evil spirit known as the kangaroo, first introduced at the end of TCMZ-Hope, returns with an appetite for destruction.
As was the case in the first two editions, the plot of Kangaroo moves at break-neck speed, making it an extremely difficult book to put down. The familiar cast of characters are back and there is an added surprise with the addition of two new adult characters, both of whom seem to know exactly what Mike is going through. Unlike the stereotypical bespectacled, hair in a bun librarians who spend their times shooshing children, substitute librarian Ms. Wilson makes an immediate bond with Mike. She believes him when he tells her about his sudden ability to communicate with the dead, and she just might have the answers he is seeking. Another new character, Harold, shares Mike's ability to see ghosts, although his advice may need to be taken with a grain of salt due to his peculiar ways.
The familiar middle-school setting that was front and center in the first two books is still there, but in a more secondary role. His friends Rosie, Tom and Garth are also back for more, as is the preteen conflict produced by the dynamic between Mike, his girlfriend Melissa, and his girl friend Liz. Mrs. Grey returns to provide her usual help and guidance while Mike's mother remains a constant source of embarrassment without even realizing it. And yes, the ongoing struggle with school bully Craig and a boy simply known as "Caveman" is still looming as well, and it provides some very surprising and interesting plot twists along the way.
But despite the return of familiar friends, foes, associates and even conflicts, this chapter of the TCMZ series has a whole different, darker feel. Mercer's first person narrator captures the feelings of his 12 year old protagonist wonderfully, and while there may not be as much humor as before, the dialogue remains top-notch. The multiple plotlines, characters and conflicts all come together in the end, and there is an added bonus as the author has set the stage for more chapters in the ongoing saga of Mike, the boy they call "zombie."
Readers of all ages will enjoy the entire They Call Me Zombie series as it just keeps getting better with every installment. I wasn't sure how Mr. Mercer would top TCMZ-Hope, but he has done all of that and more with They Call Me Zombie-Kangaroo!
Mike's first encounters with uneasy spirits from beyond the grave were scary and unsettling. This time it's starting to look like a matter of life or death as an evil spirit known as the kangaroo, first introduced at the end of TCMZ-Hope, returns with an appetite for destruction.
As was the case in the first two editions, the plot of Kangaroo moves at break-neck speed, making it an extremely difficult book to put down. The familiar cast of characters are back and there is an added surprise with the addition of two new adult characters, both of whom seem to know exactly what Mike is going through. Unlike the stereotypical bespectacled, hair in a bun librarians who spend their times shooshing children, substitute librarian Ms. Wilson makes an immediate bond with Mike. She believes him when he tells her about his sudden ability to communicate with the dead, and she just might have the answers he is seeking. Another new character, Harold, shares Mike's ability to see ghosts, although his advice may need to be taken with a grain of salt due to his peculiar ways.
The familiar middle-school setting that was front and center in the first two books is still there, but in a more secondary role. His friends Rosie, Tom and Garth are also back for more, as is the preteen conflict produced by the dynamic between Mike, his girlfriend Melissa, and his girl friend Liz. Mrs. Grey returns to provide her usual help and guidance while Mike's mother remains a constant source of embarrassment without even realizing it. And yes, the ongoing struggle with school bully Craig and a boy simply known as "Caveman" is still looming as well, and it provides some very surprising and interesting plot twists along the way.
But despite the return of familiar friends, foes, associates and even conflicts, this chapter of the TCMZ series has a whole different, darker feel. Mercer's first person narrator captures the feelings of his 12 year old protagonist wonderfully, and while there may not be as much humor as before, the dialogue remains top-notch. The multiple plotlines, characters and conflicts all come together in the end, and there is an added bonus as the author has set the stage for more chapters in the ongoing saga of Mike, the boy they call "zombie."
Readers of all ages will enjoy the entire They Call Me Zombie series as it just keeps getting better with every installment. I wasn't sure how Mr. Mercer would top TCMZ-Hope, but he has done all of that and more with They Call Me Zombie-Kangaroo!
February 17, 2024
This series just keeps getting better. Can't wait to read more!
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews