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Nathan Abercrombie, Accidental Zombie #1
My Rotten Life
Ten-year-old Nathan Abercrombie is having a really bad day. First, Shawna Lanchester, the prettiest girl in his class, doesn’t invite him to her party. Then he gets picked last in gym class. Things couldn’t get any worse…until he gets doused with an experimental serum that turns him into a half-dead zombie! Nathan soon discovers that being half dead isn’t all bad. He doesn’t need any sleep, so he can stay up all night and play games online. He doesn’t feel any pain, so there’s no need to worry about Rodney the bully anymore. Still, Nathan would rather be human. Will he find a cure? Or will Nathan be half-dead forever? Fans of David Lubar’s popular Weenies short story collections—which have sold more than one million copies—will love My Rotten Life , the first of a series of hilariously rotten adventures starring Nathan Abercrombie, Accidental Zombie.
160 pages, Hardcover
First published August 4, 2009
20 people are currently reading
781 people want to read
About the author
David Lubar
107 books244 followersDavid Lubar created a sensation with his debut novel, Hidden Talents, an ALA Best Book for Young Adults. Thousands of kids and educators across the country have voted Hidden Talents onto over twenty state lists. David is also the author of True Talents, the sequel to Hidden Talents; Flip, an ALA Best Book for Young Adults and a VOYA Best Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror selection; several short story collections: In the Land of the Lawn Weenies, Invasion of the Road Weenies, The Curse of the Campfire Weenies, The Battle of the Red Hot Pepper Weenies, and Attack of the Vampire Weenies; and the Nathan Abercrombie, Accidental Zombie series. Lubar grew up in Morristown, New Jersey, and he has also lived in New Brunswick, Edison and Piscataway, NJ, and Sacramento, CA. Besides writing, he has also worked as a video game programmer and designer. He now lives in Nazareth, Pennsylvania.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/davidl...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 128 reviews
November 9, 2017
Worum geht es?
Nathan ist ein echter Loser, wieder einmal blamiert er sich bis auf die Knochen. Erst lässt das beliebteste Mädchen ihn auflaufen, dann wird er beim Sport in keine Mannschaft gewählt und als ob das alles nicht genug wäre, versagt er total beim Videospielen. Kein Wunder, dass er sich nichts mehr wünscht, als keine miesen Gefühle mehr zu haben. Kaum hat er den Wunsch ausgesprochen, meldet sich Abigail, eine Mitschülerin, die angeblich die perfekte Lösung kennt. Lediglich ein Tropfen, einer von ihrem Onkel erfundenen Flüssigkeit, und er würde sich nie wieder als Versager fühlen. Doch leider kippt sein bester Freund aus Versehen, den gesamten Inhalt des Laborglases über ihm aus. Die Folgen sind fatal: Nathan wird mit jeder Stunde mehr zu einem Zombie!
Wie hat es mir gefallen?
Da ich selber zu den Reste-Exemplaren gehörte, die niemand beim Sport in seinem Team hatte haben wollen, kann ich Nathan sehr gut verstehen. Ob ich allerdings den Mut aufgebracht hätte, mein Schicksal einem dubiosen Wissenschaftler anzuvertrauen? Ich glaube nicht.
Das ‚Nicht-dazu-gehören‘ und was man nicht alles dafür tut (und besser sein lassen sollte), um nicht von den coolen Kids ausgeschlossen zu werden, sind das Hauptthema der Geschichte.
Das Buch hat einen flotten Erzählstil. Nathan, sein Freund Mookie und Abigail haben mir auch sehr gut gefallen. Ich mochte es sehr, dass hier keine Patentlösungen gegen Mobbing geliefert werden, aber trotzdem gezeigt wird, dass das Gras in Nachbars Garten, nicht unbedingt immer grüner ist.
Man kann sich gut in Nathan hineindenken und die Zombiesache ist schon sehr konsequent durchdacht, was auch ein weiterer Pluspunkt für mich ist.
Das Cover kann mit den beiliegenden Stickern mitgestaltet werden – Eine richtig gute Idee, die prima zu dem Inhalt passt.
Nathan ist ein echter Loser, wieder einmal blamiert er sich bis auf die Knochen. Erst lässt das beliebteste Mädchen ihn auflaufen, dann wird er beim Sport in keine Mannschaft gewählt und als ob das alles nicht genug wäre, versagt er total beim Videospielen. Kein Wunder, dass er sich nichts mehr wünscht, als keine miesen Gefühle mehr zu haben. Kaum hat er den Wunsch ausgesprochen, meldet sich Abigail, eine Mitschülerin, die angeblich die perfekte Lösung kennt. Lediglich ein Tropfen, einer von ihrem Onkel erfundenen Flüssigkeit, und er würde sich nie wieder als Versager fühlen. Doch leider kippt sein bester Freund aus Versehen, den gesamten Inhalt des Laborglases über ihm aus. Die Folgen sind fatal: Nathan wird mit jeder Stunde mehr zu einem Zombie!
Wie hat es mir gefallen?
Da ich selber zu den Reste-Exemplaren gehörte, die niemand beim Sport in seinem Team hatte haben wollen, kann ich Nathan sehr gut verstehen. Ob ich allerdings den Mut aufgebracht hätte, mein Schicksal einem dubiosen Wissenschaftler anzuvertrauen? Ich glaube nicht.
Das ‚Nicht-dazu-gehören‘ und was man nicht alles dafür tut (und besser sein lassen sollte), um nicht von den coolen Kids ausgeschlossen zu werden, sind das Hauptthema der Geschichte.
Das Buch hat einen flotten Erzählstil. Nathan, sein Freund Mookie und Abigail haben mir auch sehr gut gefallen. Ich mochte es sehr, dass hier keine Patentlösungen gegen Mobbing geliefert werden, aber trotzdem gezeigt wird, dass das Gras in Nachbars Garten, nicht unbedingt immer grüner ist.
Man kann sich gut in Nathan hineindenken und die Zombiesache ist schon sehr konsequent durchdacht, was auch ein weiterer Pluspunkt für mich ist.
Das Cover kann mit den beiliegenden Stickern mitgestaltet werden – Eine richtig gute Idee, die prima zu dem Inhalt passt.
August 1, 2014
My son, who is 10, found this book to be amazing. We read it together. He also found it quite funny. I found it started out really slowly. If my son hadn't been enjoying it, I wouldn't have finished it. However, though it was somewhat silly, I ended up enjoying the book as well. My son is excited to continue with the series. Easy to read with fun characters.
December 13, 2013
**Spoiler Alert**
This is a cool book to read!Have you ever think how it would feel like to be dead and to not be able to feel any pain? Well this would be a great chance for you to read this book. This book is obviously fantasy because it has a type of supernatural in it. As you can see in the title it has the word zombie in it. I actually loved this book because there is one part that only the bravest people can do which is almost taking your life for a person.
This book is about an ordinary boy named Nathaniel Abercrombie who gets picked on in school, and his best friend named Mookie. Then one day Nathan (Nathaniel) was tired of his huts being hurt because this girl named Shawna told Nathan that she was having a Halloween part and that he wasn't invited, and she told him this just so that she can hurt Nathans feelings hurt. When I read this part I was like " really"? That was just so plain rude. So then this girl named Abigail told Nathan that her uncle is a scientist that made a formula that helps get rid of emotions. But something terrible happened when Abigail's uncle was going to give the Hurt-Be-Gone (the name of the formula that gets rid of emotions) Mookie thought that it was Kool-Aid and he rushed to get some cups but he bumped Abigail's uncle so he dropped the whole thing on Nathan. Then, Abigail's uncle gets arrested because of doing illegal experiments. The next few days Nathan started to have symptoms such as not needing to breath, not being able to eat and digest food, and being strong. he tells this to Abigail and Abigail tries to make an antidote for him, she needed scales from a rare tropical fish called the Lazarus mullet which lived in Bezimo island, a mushroom, and alexandrite (a rare gem that is the color purple). The problem was that Shawna had the gem in her bracelet so Nathan tries to think of a plant to steal that bracelet. Then, Shawna changes her and letting Nathan come to the party. When Nathan was in his room with Mookie he was searching for his board games but in his closet is was a mass of boxes in there so when Nathan tried to carry those boxes his finger came off which was pretty disgusting. When Nathan went to the party he tricked Shawna by putting his finger, when Shawna drank it she screamed and dropped the soda and her bracelet. I Immediately Nathan takes the bracelet and runs outside where Mookie and Abigail are waiting. Nathan notices he got the wrong bracelet and gets upset, Abigail admits to them that she lied about needing the mushroom because she wanted to spend time with both of them and also admits that the gem wasn't necessary because she just wanted to go to a party because she has never gone to one. She gives the antidote to Nathan which was a band aid that had the antidote on it. she told Nathan that he needs to keep it on and he sis not allow to take off the band aid because he would become a full zombie, when Mookie and Nathan are partying Abigail goes home to eat his mom's delicious chili , but when Nathan and Mookie were done partying they notice that Abigail's house was on fire. So Nathan tries to save her but he can't because of the fire so he took off the band aid and saves Abigail. By the time both of them came out Nathan became a full zombie and there is not any antidote for that. Abigail's house is burned down so the buy another one and all three of them became good friends. The setting is in October, around the 20th. In the story the location doesn't say. The exposition is that Nathan and Mookie are best friends and Nathan gets picked on, the rising action is when Abigail helps Nathan by taking him to her uncles lab to give him a formula so that he wouldn't have any emotions. The climax is that Abigail's uncle spills the whole thing on Nathan, the falling action is that all three of them (Abigail, Nathan, Mookie) try to get all the ingredients they need for the antidote, lastly, the resolution is when Abigail puts on the antidote on Nathan. The conflict is person vs. destiny/fate because Nathan tries to fight the formula for example they try to get all the ingredients for the antidote. Nathan is skinny a little tall, has brown hair, brown eyes, nice playful cool. Mookie is a little chubby, brown hair, blue eyes, wears glasses, he is playful and funny. Lastly, Abigail is short , has hazel eyes, brown hair, she is school smart, a bookworm, nice, and sweet.
I was moved by in the text it said that Nathan rather be a zombie and save Abigail than being human and letting Abigail die. I was moved because that was so sweet and cool of him and letting himself die than letting Abigail die. I thought the ending of the book was pretty good because in the story Abigail lives and as I said I don't like people dying in a story. I understood why Nathan saved Abigail because since he took off the antidote he is a zombie right and since he is a zombie he cant kill himself because of the fire also he wants Abigail to be safe. I can't relate to Nathan because I am not a zombie and I never saved anyone yet because in the text it states that Nathan is a zombie and he saves Abigail. Lastly, the purpose of the author is to entertain the readers because in the story it has funny parts for example in the text Nathan tricked Shawna by putting his finger in the soda and she screamed, it was really funny and disgusting at the same time because the finger moved in the soda. In my mind I was like "ugh that is so gross but funny at the same time LOL.
I compare this book to text to world because just like Nathan saving Abigail from the fire the firemen do the same thing they risk their lives just like Nathan (even though Nathan is dead) to save other peoples lives.
Well again I did love this book because of the funny parts and all :]. I rate this book like an 9 because I did enjoy it and I was entertained. I recommend this book who like supernatural stuff like zombies. So, what do you think where you entertained by what I told you about this book.
This is a cool book to read!Have you ever think how it would feel like to be dead and to not be able to feel any pain? Well this would be a great chance for you to read this book. This book is obviously fantasy because it has a type of supernatural in it. As you can see in the title it has the word zombie in it. I actually loved this book because there is one part that only the bravest people can do which is almost taking your life for a person.
This book is about an ordinary boy named Nathaniel Abercrombie who gets picked on in school, and his best friend named Mookie. Then one day Nathan (Nathaniel) was tired of his huts being hurt because this girl named Shawna told Nathan that she was having a Halloween part and that he wasn't invited, and she told him this just so that she can hurt Nathans feelings hurt. When I read this part I was like " really"? That was just so plain rude. So then this girl named Abigail told Nathan that her uncle is a scientist that made a formula that helps get rid of emotions. But something terrible happened when Abigail's uncle was going to give the Hurt-Be-Gone (the name of the formula that gets rid of emotions) Mookie thought that it was Kool-Aid and he rushed to get some cups but he bumped Abigail's uncle so he dropped the whole thing on Nathan. Then, Abigail's uncle gets arrested because of doing illegal experiments. The next few days Nathan started to have symptoms such as not needing to breath, not being able to eat and digest food, and being strong. he tells this to Abigail and Abigail tries to make an antidote for him, she needed scales from a rare tropical fish called the Lazarus mullet which lived in Bezimo island, a mushroom, and alexandrite (a rare gem that is the color purple). The problem was that Shawna had the gem in her bracelet so Nathan tries to think of a plant to steal that bracelet. Then, Shawna changes her and letting Nathan come to the party. When Nathan was in his room with Mookie he was searching for his board games but in his closet is was a mass of boxes in there so when Nathan tried to carry those boxes his finger came off which was pretty disgusting. When Nathan went to the party he tricked Shawna by putting his finger, when Shawna drank it she screamed and dropped the soda and her bracelet. I Immediately Nathan takes the bracelet and runs outside where Mookie and Abigail are waiting. Nathan notices he got the wrong bracelet and gets upset, Abigail admits to them that she lied about needing the mushroom because she wanted to spend time with both of them and also admits that the gem wasn't necessary because she just wanted to go to a party because she has never gone to one. She gives the antidote to Nathan which was a band aid that had the antidote on it. she told Nathan that he needs to keep it on and he sis not allow to take off the band aid because he would become a full zombie, when Mookie and Nathan are partying Abigail goes home to eat his mom's delicious chili , but when Nathan and Mookie were done partying they notice that Abigail's house was on fire. So Nathan tries to save her but he can't because of the fire so he took off the band aid and saves Abigail. By the time both of them came out Nathan became a full zombie and there is not any antidote for that. Abigail's house is burned down so the buy another one and all three of them became good friends. The setting is in October, around the 20th. In the story the location doesn't say. The exposition is that Nathan and Mookie are best friends and Nathan gets picked on, the rising action is when Abigail helps Nathan by taking him to her uncles lab to give him a formula so that he wouldn't have any emotions. The climax is that Abigail's uncle spills the whole thing on Nathan, the falling action is that all three of them (Abigail, Nathan, Mookie) try to get all the ingredients they need for the antidote, lastly, the resolution is when Abigail puts on the antidote on Nathan. The conflict is person vs. destiny/fate because Nathan tries to fight the formula for example they try to get all the ingredients for the antidote. Nathan is skinny a little tall, has brown hair, brown eyes, nice playful cool. Mookie is a little chubby, brown hair, blue eyes, wears glasses, he is playful and funny. Lastly, Abigail is short , has hazel eyes, brown hair, she is school smart, a bookworm, nice, and sweet.
I was moved by in the text it said that Nathan rather be a zombie and save Abigail than being human and letting Abigail die. I was moved because that was so sweet and cool of him and letting himself die than letting Abigail die. I thought the ending of the book was pretty good because in the story Abigail lives and as I said I don't like people dying in a story. I understood why Nathan saved Abigail because since he took off the antidote he is a zombie right and since he is a zombie he cant kill himself because of the fire also he wants Abigail to be safe. I can't relate to Nathan because I am not a zombie and I never saved anyone yet because in the text it states that Nathan is a zombie and he saves Abigail. Lastly, the purpose of the author is to entertain the readers because in the story it has funny parts for example in the text Nathan tricked Shawna by putting his finger in the soda and she screamed, it was really funny and disgusting at the same time because the finger moved in the soda. In my mind I was like "ugh that is so gross but funny at the same time LOL.
I compare this book to text to world because just like Nathan saving Abigail from the fire the firemen do the same thing they risk their lives just like Nathan (even though Nathan is dead) to save other peoples lives.
Well again I did love this book because of the funny parts and all :]. I rate this book like an 9 because I did enjoy it and I was entertained. I recommend this book who like supernatural stuff like zombies. So, what do you think where you entertained by what I told you about this book.
August 4, 2011
MY ROTTEN LIFE:
NATHAN ABERCROMBIE, ACCIDENTAL ZOMBIE
By David Lubar
Yet another book I picked up at ALA11 in New Orleans. They were giving away copies of this already released book. That trip is going to be memorable for years to come for so many reasons but most of all the fact that meet so many cool people and brought home some great books.
My Rotten Life: Nathan Abercrombie, Accidental Zombie is a book I didn’t get from standing in a line but a book I found when I was sitting down for a rest working on a book of my own and noticed someone had left two copies of it sitting on the floor near the trash can across from where I was seated.
One of the things that really bugged Mar and I both while attending the conference was how some people were just grabbing anything free and then later discarding them. We saw books tossed on the floor, in the trash, and many places you should never leave a book. We only tried to get books that we had interest in for the writer, artist, or content. People were being so wasteful and that pissed me off. Not everyone was doing this but enough were for it to bother me a lot.
And since these books I found were homeless and mistreated I just had to give them a home. Plus Mar loves zombie stuff so I thought she might like a copy. I’ve read so man Middle Grade books of that that I really enjoyed I’m always looking for more good Middle Grade books.
And if you wondering about some Middle Grade books I would recommend here’s a quick list off the top of my head: Dani Noir by Nova Ren Suma, Horton Halfpott by Tom Angleberger, and Peter Nimble And His Fantastic Eyes by Jonathan Auxier to name a few.
My Rotten Life turned out to be another great book surprise and when I showed the book to Mar back at the hotel after the day at the convention Mar said she knew the writer and enjoyed his writing so I decided to give it a try even if I’m not the biggest zombie fan.
I’m really glad someone was stupid and tossed these. Their lose turns out to be my gain. After finishing Peter Nimble And His Fantastic Eyes this became my before bedtime read and I loved it. I finished it quicker than I normally do before bedtime reads but that’s because I was sick for a few days and read it early in the morning also after making Mar coffee.
My Rotten Life is a Middle Grade book by David Lubar about ten year old Nathan Abercrombie. This book is full of great humor, a very well written supporting cast, and a story that moves fast but without any sacrifices in its storytelling for its speed.
Though this book has tons of humor it only has some really heart twisting moments when it comes to how Nathan and his friends are treated by the popular kids. And I felt these moments with more strength than a lot of the more graphic nature of some YA books that tackled the issues of bullying and school life.
I loved all the characters in this story. Supporting cast, parents, teachers, and settings all took you deeper into this world. Such good craft in the storytelling. One of the better supporting cast of characters in a book I’ve read in a long time of any level, style, or genre.
A little note: Everyone talks about the absent parents that are in YA books and that is true in a lot of YA books but it seems like to me Middle Grade books have more of a parental presence in their stories and that’s because of the age of the characters but in books of the quality like that of My Rotten Life you are glad to see more of the parents because they added a lot to the world of this story. From the parents of lead character Nathan to the parents of his friend Abigail the life of the young characters is expanded by including well written parents.
Nathan’s friend Mookie is the comedy character you will find in a lot of stories but he’s a great character overall and him being the so called comedy character works even more here because he doesn’t stand out as that “type” of character because of the humor of the other characters.
All of the characters in My Rotten Life exist very natural and I loved that take in this type of story instead of only creating stereotypes which is the route a lot of writers would have gone.
This story is funny, heart wrenching, gross, and wants me wanting more. I’m glad to have read by the sample at the back of this book that there are plans for more adventures of Nathan Abercrombie, Accidental Zombie.
Just checked Amazon and it seems like there are already a couple more in the series out and for sale but also checking my local library shows they don’t have any for check. Sorry to find that out. If I can find some used copies cheap I’ll buy and probably donate. I’ll be keeping the first book though because if I get the chance I would love to get it signed in the future.
MY ROTTEN LIFE:
NATHAN ABERCROMBIE, ACCIDENTAL ZOMBIE
4 out of 5 stars
NATHAN ABERCROMBIE, ACCIDENTAL ZOMBIE
By David Lubar
Yet another book I picked up at ALA11 in New Orleans. They were giving away copies of this already released book. That trip is going to be memorable for years to come for so many reasons but most of all the fact that meet so many cool people and brought home some great books.
My Rotten Life: Nathan Abercrombie, Accidental Zombie is a book I didn’t get from standing in a line but a book I found when I was sitting down for a rest working on a book of my own and noticed someone had left two copies of it sitting on the floor near the trash can across from where I was seated.
One of the things that really bugged Mar and I both while attending the conference was how some people were just grabbing anything free and then later discarding them. We saw books tossed on the floor, in the trash, and many places you should never leave a book. We only tried to get books that we had interest in for the writer, artist, or content. People were being so wasteful and that pissed me off. Not everyone was doing this but enough were for it to bother me a lot.
And since these books I found were homeless and mistreated I just had to give them a home. Plus Mar loves zombie stuff so I thought she might like a copy. I’ve read so man Middle Grade books of that that I really enjoyed I’m always looking for more good Middle Grade books.
And if you wondering about some Middle Grade books I would recommend here’s a quick list off the top of my head: Dani Noir by Nova Ren Suma, Horton Halfpott by Tom Angleberger, and Peter Nimble And His Fantastic Eyes by Jonathan Auxier to name a few.
My Rotten Life turned out to be another great book surprise and when I showed the book to Mar back at the hotel after the day at the convention Mar said she knew the writer and enjoyed his writing so I decided to give it a try even if I’m not the biggest zombie fan.
I’m really glad someone was stupid and tossed these. Their lose turns out to be my gain. After finishing Peter Nimble And His Fantastic Eyes this became my before bedtime read and I loved it. I finished it quicker than I normally do before bedtime reads but that’s because I was sick for a few days and read it early in the morning also after making Mar coffee.
My Rotten Life is a Middle Grade book by David Lubar about ten year old Nathan Abercrombie. This book is full of great humor, a very well written supporting cast, and a story that moves fast but without any sacrifices in its storytelling for its speed.
Though this book has tons of humor it only has some really heart twisting moments when it comes to how Nathan and his friends are treated by the popular kids. And I felt these moments with more strength than a lot of the more graphic nature of some YA books that tackled the issues of bullying and school life.
I loved all the characters in this story. Supporting cast, parents, teachers, and settings all took you deeper into this world. Such good craft in the storytelling. One of the better supporting cast of characters in a book I’ve read in a long time of any level, style, or genre.
A little note: Everyone talks about the absent parents that are in YA books and that is true in a lot of YA books but it seems like to me Middle Grade books have more of a parental presence in their stories and that’s because of the age of the characters but in books of the quality like that of My Rotten Life you are glad to see more of the parents because they added a lot to the world of this story. From the parents of lead character Nathan to the parents of his friend Abigail the life of the young characters is expanded by including well written parents.
Nathan’s friend Mookie is the comedy character you will find in a lot of stories but he’s a great character overall and him being the so called comedy character works even more here because he doesn’t stand out as that “type” of character because of the humor of the other characters.
All of the characters in My Rotten Life exist very natural and I loved that take in this type of story instead of only creating stereotypes which is the route a lot of writers would have gone.
This story is funny, heart wrenching, gross, and wants me wanting more. I’m glad to have read by the sample at the back of this book that there are plans for more adventures of Nathan Abercrombie, Accidental Zombie.
Just checked Amazon and it seems like there are already a couple more in the series out and for sale but also checking my local library shows they don’t have any for check. Sorry to find that out. If I can find some used copies cheap I’ll buy and probably donate. I’ll be keeping the first book though because if I get the chance I would love to get it signed in the future.
MY ROTTEN LIFE:
NATHAN ABERCROMBIE, ACCIDENTAL ZOMBIE
4 out of 5 stars
Read
April 19, 2018I really liked this book, because It's a mix of genres. I really liked the ending, because it described all the details about it, and it was intense. If you want to know what actually happened, and the backstory of how it happened, I would highly recommend this book.
July 7, 2011
I am giving it three stars because it didn't make me laugh out loud, but I think that 9-11 year old boys will be rolling as Nathan Abercrombie almost loses one of his fingers to the neighbor's dog and hangs from parallel bars to upchuck his food (zombies can't digest, you know). I like that it's a series which will appeal to boys who enjoy mild gross-out humor. I see this as an upper elementary book or lower middle school book for had to please readers.
July 31, 2017
This was a cute story about a boy who is accidentally turned into a zombie. I liked the three main characters. I also liked how the author spoke about the various cliques at school and how Nathan, the main character dealt with them. I'm looking forward to reading the second book in the series!
September 12, 2019
My 9 year old son rated it 5 stars as he seemed to really enjoy it. He said he wants to read more books in the series and recommends it for kids his age. He thought it was funny, not scary or gross and the main character had cool abilities almost like a superhero.
October 28, 2013
Tremendously cute tale about friendship, and overcoming embarassment that involves zombies.
April 27, 2021
Zum Inhalt:
Der 12-jährige Nathan ist nicht der absolute Oberloser der Schule - er gehört zu den sogenannten Zweitbesten. Denen, die niemand sieht. Normalerweise zumindest. Doch nachdem Nathan von dem beliebtesten Mädchen des Jahrgangs fertiggemacht wurde, als letzter in die Sportmannschaft gewählt und beim Videospiel versagt hat, wäre er am liebsten vollkommen gefühllos.
Und Abigail, ein Mädchen vom "Tisch der Opfer", hat eine Lösung: Einen Trank, der schlechte Gefühle vertreiben soll! Doch leider schüttet Nathans ungeschickter Freund Mookie das ganze Glas über ihm aus - und Nathan stirbt auf einmal ab. Langsam, aber sicher, verwandelt er sich in einen Zombie! Während Abigail nach einem Gegenmittel sucht, lernt Nathan die Vor- und Nachteile des Zombiedaseins kennen.
Cover:
Dieses Cover kann sich richtig sehen lassen. Wir sehen hier im Comicartigen Stil den Protagonisten Nathan, der ungläubig auf seine Hand blickt, weil diese sich total zombiemäßig aufzulösen scheint. Außerdem haben wir im Randbereich seine beiden Freunde Abigail und Mookie, welche recht schockiert dreinblicken. Und im oberen Bereich sehen wir noch Abigails verschrobenen Onkel, den Wissenschaftler Zardo, welcher sich scheinbar freut ein passendes Opfer für seine Experimente gefunden zu haben. Dieses Cover passt sehr gut zum Inhalt der Geschichte und hat sogar noch einen Bonus, was ich richtig raffiniert finde. Denn im Booklet befinden sich Aufkleber, die man, wenn man dem Cover das Gesicht von Nathan abgezogen hat, wieder auf das Cover kleben und so Nathan ein völlig neues Aussehen verpassen kann. Wie cool ist das denn bitteschön?
Eigener Eindruck:
Nathan ist in der fünften Klasse und weiß genau, dass man in der fünften Klasse eigentlich beliebt sein sollte. Doch man ist nicht beliebt, wenn man von irgendetwas eben nur der Zweitbeste ist. Sei es der Zweitdünnste wie er oder der Zweitdickste wie sein Freund Mookie. Sie, die Zweiten, sind alle Luft für ihr Umfeld und deswegen sitzen sie alle mittags immer am Tisch der Opfer. Eigentlich kann es also nicht mehr schlimmer kommen. Doch da irrt sich Nathan gewaltig. Denn das beliebteste Mädchen der Schule schafft es, dass Nathans Gefühle am Boden liegen und der restliche Tag verläuft auch nicht besser. Als seine Mitschülerin Abigail dies mitbekommt, bietet sie ihm an, mit ihm zu ihrem Onkel zu gehen, der ein Serum entwickelt hat, welches Gefühle abtöten soll. Nathan ist sofort Feuer und Flamme und geht mit ihr und Mookie in Onkel Zardos Labor. Doch dort kommt es zu einem folgenschweren Unfall, bei dem Nathan mit dem Serum komplett übergossen wird. Und Hilfe könne sich die Kinder nicht von dem Wissenschaftler erhoffen, denn der wird kurz danach von der Polizei festgenommen. Tage nach dem Unfall stellt Nathan fest, dass etwas mit ihm nicht stimmt. Denn sein Körper wird taub, er fühlt keine Schmerzen mehr und atmen muss er auch nicht. Mookie ist sich sicher, dass Nathan langsam aber sicher zum Zombie wird, aber Abigail könnte ein Heilmittel beschaffen…
Der erste Band zu „Plötzlich Zombie“ aus der Feder von David Lubar ist alles, außer langweilig. Humorvoll berichtet der Autor über das Leben von Nathan und seinen Freunden. Dabei erzählt er aber nicht nur aktuelle Vorkommnisse, sondern gibt auch Schoten aus der Vergangenheit zum Besten, die lustig sind, aber eben auch Nathans doch recht trauriges Leben beleuchten. Die Charaktere der Geschichte sind dabei auch sehr vielschichtig gestrickt und es macht Spaß sie alle kennen zu lernen. Aber richtig Fahrt nimmt die Geschichte schließlich auf, als Nathan nach und nach zum Zombie wird und die Freunde versuchen dies zu verhindern. Das ist auch wieder lustig, aber auch spannend zu lesen. Dass das Buch schließlich so endet, wie es endet, hätte ich so nicht erwartet, es zeigt aber, dass Nathan im Grunde echt ein feiner Kerl ist. Mit diesem ersten Band ist nun also der Auftakt für zombiemäßige Abenteuer gestaltet und ich bin gespannt, was Nathan in seinen weiteren Abenteuern erleben wird. Humorvoll dürfte es auf jeden Fall werden.
Fazit:
Eine wirklich schöne Jugendgeschichte rund um das Thema Beliebtheit in der Schule, Freundschaft, Mut und Zombies. Absolut humorvoll verpackt und lesenswert.
Idee: 5/5
Charaktere: 4/5
Logik: 4/5
Spannung: 4/5
Emotionen: 4/5
Gesamt: 4/5
Daten:
ISBN: 9783833900686
Sprache: Deutsch
Ausgabe: Fester Einband
Umfang: 153 Seiten
Verlag: Baumhaus
Erscheinungsdatum: 16.03.2012
Der 12-jährige Nathan ist nicht der absolute Oberloser der Schule - er gehört zu den sogenannten Zweitbesten. Denen, die niemand sieht. Normalerweise zumindest. Doch nachdem Nathan von dem beliebtesten Mädchen des Jahrgangs fertiggemacht wurde, als letzter in die Sportmannschaft gewählt und beim Videospiel versagt hat, wäre er am liebsten vollkommen gefühllos.
Und Abigail, ein Mädchen vom "Tisch der Opfer", hat eine Lösung: Einen Trank, der schlechte Gefühle vertreiben soll! Doch leider schüttet Nathans ungeschickter Freund Mookie das ganze Glas über ihm aus - und Nathan stirbt auf einmal ab. Langsam, aber sicher, verwandelt er sich in einen Zombie! Während Abigail nach einem Gegenmittel sucht, lernt Nathan die Vor- und Nachteile des Zombiedaseins kennen.
Cover:
Dieses Cover kann sich richtig sehen lassen. Wir sehen hier im Comicartigen Stil den Protagonisten Nathan, der ungläubig auf seine Hand blickt, weil diese sich total zombiemäßig aufzulösen scheint. Außerdem haben wir im Randbereich seine beiden Freunde Abigail und Mookie, welche recht schockiert dreinblicken. Und im oberen Bereich sehen wir noch Abigails verschrobenen Onkel, den Wissenschaftler Zardo, welcher sich scheinbar freut ein passendes Opfer für seine Experimente gefunden zu haben. Dieses Cover passt sehr gut zum Inhalt der Geschichte und hat sogar noch einen Bonus, was ich richtig raffiniert finde. Denn im Booklet befinden sich Aufkleber, die man, wenn man dem Cover das Gesicht von Nathan abgezogen hat, wieder auf das Cover kleben und so Nathan ein völlig neues Aussehen verpassen kann. Wie cool ist das denn bitteschön?
Eigener Eindruck:
Nathan ist in der fünften Klasse und weiß genau, dass man in der fünften Klasse eigentlich beliebt sein sollte. Doch man ist nicht beliebt, wenn man von irgendetwas eben nur der Zweitbeste ist. Sei es der Zweitdünnste wie er oder der Zweitdickste wie sein Freund Mookie. Sie, die Zweiten, sind alle Luft für ihr Umfeld und deswegen sitzen sie alle mittags immer am Tisch der Opfer. Eigentlich kann es also nicht mehr schlimmer kommen. Doch da irrt sich Nathan gewaltig. Denn das beliebteste Mädchen der Schule schafft es, dass Nathans Gefühle am Boden liegen und der restliche Tag verläuft auch nicht besser. Als seine Mitschülerin Abigail dies mitbekommt, bietet sie ihm an, mit ihm zu ihrem Onkel zu gehen, der ein Serum entwickelt hat, welches Gefühle abtöten soll. Nathan ist sofort Feuer und Flamme und geht mit ihr und Mookie in Onkel Zardos Labor. Doch dort kommt es zu einem folgenschweren Unfall, bei dem Nathan mit dem Serum komplett übergossen wird. Und Hilfe könne sich die Kinder nicht von dem Wissenschaftler erhoffen, denn der wird kurz danach von der Polizei festgenommen. Tage nach dem Unfall stellt Nathan fest, dass etwas mit ihm nicht stimmt. Denn sein Körper wird taub, er fühlt keine Schmerzen mehr und atmen muss er auch nicht. Mookie ist sich sicher, dass Nathan langsam aber sicher zum Zombie wird, aber Abigail könnte ein Heilmittel beschaffen…
Der erste Band zu „Plötzlich Zombie“ aus der Feder von David Lubar ist alles, außer langweilig. Humorvoll berichtet der Autor über das Leben von Nathan und seinen Freunden. Dabei erzählt er aber nicht nur aktuelle Vorkommnisse, sondern gibt auch Schoten aus der Vergangenheit zum Besten, die lustig sind, aber eben auch Nathans doch recht trauriges Leben beleuchten. Die Charaktere der Geschichte sind dabei auch sehr vielschichtig gestrickt und es macht Spaß sie alle kennen zu lernen. Aber richtig Fahrt nimmt die Geschichte schließlich auf, als Nathan nach und nach zum Zombie wird und die Freunde versuchen dies zu verhindern. Das ist auch wieder lustig, aber auch spannend zu lesen. Dass das Buch schließlich so endet, wie es endet, hätte ich so nicht erwartet, es zeigt aber, dass Nathan im Grunde echt ein feiner Kerl ist. Mit diesem ersten Band ist nun also der Auftakt für zombiemäßige Abenteuer gestaltet und ich bin gespannt, was Nathan in seinen weiteren Abenteuern erleben wird. Humorvoll dürfte es auf jeden Fall werden.
Fazit:
Eine wirklich schöne Jugendgeschichte rund um das Thema Beliebtheit in der Schule, Freundschaft, Mut und Zombies. Absolut humorvoll verpackt und lesenswert.
Idee: 5/5
Charaktere: 4/5
Logik: 4/5
Spannung: 4/5
Emotionen: 4/5
Gesamt: 4/5
Daten:
ISBN: 9783833900686
Sprache: Deutsch
Ausgabe: Fester Einband
Umfang: 153 Seiten
Verlag: Baumhaus
Erscheinungsdatum: 16.03.2012
January 6, 2018
I enjoyed the character interactions in this—most especially the look at the way students treat each other and the “categories” people fall into. Popularity in young adulthood is so vitally important to young people—this looks at what you’re willing to put up with to achieve it. I didn’t realize when I started that it was part of a series. It’ll be interesting to see where they take it.
July 20, 2017
A good zombie friendship book for my 4th graders.
September 20, 2018
My 8 year old son liked it, but wasn't clamoring for me to read it to him. He read some of it on his own (he doesn't like to read). Found it slow going, but he liked the story.
January 17, 2019
Read with middle school students. They loved it.
February 14, 2022
Everyone should read this tbh its so fun
June 26, 2022
3,5-4
July 15, 2025
As a kid I did not understand the existential horror of being turned into a zombie
October 30, 2025
So funny and kind. This is a great quick read!
November 9, 2018
My Rating : 3🌟
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This book follows Nathan who one day goes to a friend's uncle house looking for a cure to numb his emotions, Unable to digest all the bullying. But accidents happen and he starts turning into a zombie! Will he be able to find a cure? Will he become human again?
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The first thing I loved about this book was the fact it was really easy going and dealt with a lot of bullying at school and how not to react to it. It was really handled in a simple yet effective way.
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The second thing was, Don't judge a book by it's cover! I was really impressed by how the book ended! .
If you are looking for a book that deals with friendship, zombies, adventure, and a very short & easy read, I recommend you pick this up! .
.
This book follows Nathan who one day goes to a friend's uncle house looking for a cure to numb his emotions, Unable to digest all the bullying. But accidents happen and he starts turning into a zombie! Will he be able to find a cure? Will he become human again?
.
The first thing I loved about this book was the fact it was really easy going and dealt with a lot of bullying at school and how not to react to it. It was really handled in a simple yet effective way.
.
The second thing was, Don't judge a book by it's cover! I was really impressed by how the book ended! .
If you are looking for a book that deals with friendship, zombies, adventure, and a very short & easy read, I recommend you pick this up! .
November 8, 2009
Nathan Abercrombie is not popular and he's having one of the worst days ever. The girl he likes has just ripped his heart out and then he gets picked last for baseball teams, even after the kid who spends his life with his hand jammed into his armpit/nose/ear/etc. Just when it looks like his day can't get any worse, his friend, Abigail invites Nathan and his best friend, Mookie, over to her uncle's laboratory. Nathan is accidently doused with a strange chemical that leaves him a half zombie! What's a 5th grader to do when he finds out that he's half dead and still has to go to school?
This is a book for boys. Filled with gross out humor (that, yes, made me laugh), video games, and gym class popularity, it's guaranteed to entertain most middle grade boys. Nathan is a character boys will relate to. He reminded me of Greg, from Diary of a Wimpy Kid, except a little less self centered. Nathan is a "second bester,” which means that he's not good enough to be popular and not bad enough to be a complete loser. He and his friends are at the bottom of the middle. They're the second skinniest kid in school, the second fattest, second funniest, and so on. Nathan, second skinniest, is tired of being hurt by the kids in his class, but Abigail's uncle seems to have a cure with his "Hurt-Be-Gone" solution. Unfortunately, the solution is what ends up turning Nathan into a half zombie.
Now, you're probably thinking, "Half zombie? What in the world is that?" Half zombie means that Nathan is alive, but doesn't need to do anything to maintain his life. He doesn't need to eat, drink, breathe, or have a heartbeat, but he's not really dead. This has its ups and downs. He might not be able to eat his favorite food anymore, or heal when he gets hurt, but he also doesn't get tired or feel pain...ever.
If you're looking for a fun book for middle grade boys, this one is perfect. There's lots of stuff to gross them out and crack them up and it's written in a fast paced style that will keep even the most reluctant readers turning pages. There's even a discussion guide at the back of the book, so teachers/librarians/parents can take the opportunity to talk to kids about something they'll really like! Check out My Rotten Life at the library or your local bookstore!
This is a book for boys. Filled with gross out humor (that, yes, made me laugh), video games, and gym class popularity, it's guaranteed to entertain most middle grade boys. Nathan is a character boys will relate to. He reminded me of Greg, from Diary of a Wimpy Kid, except a little less self centered. Nathan is a "second bester,” which means that he's not good enough to be popular and not bad enough to be a complete loser. He and his friends are at the bottom of the middle. They're the second skinniest kid in school, the second fattest, second funniest, and so on. Nathan, second skinniest, is tired of being hurt by the kids in his class, but Abigail's uncle seems to have a cure with his "Hurt-Be-Gone" solution. Unfortunately, the solution is what ends up turning Nathan into a half zombie.
Now, you're probably thinking, "Half zombie? What in the world is that?" Half zombie means that Nathan is alive, but doesn't need to do anything to maintain his life. He doesn't need to eat, drink, breathe, or have a heartbeat, but he's not really dead. This has its ups and downs. He might not be able to eat his favorite food anymore, or heal when he gets hurt, but he also doesn't get tired or feel pain...ever.
If you're looking for a fun book for middle grade boys, this one is perfect. There's lots of stuff to gross them out and crack them up and it's written in a fast paced style that will keep even the most reluctant readers turning pages. There's even a discussion guide at the back of the book, so teachers/librarians/parents can take the opportunity to talk to kids about something they'll really like! Check out My Rotten Life at the library or your local bookstore!
November 16, 2012
Reviewed by Jaglvr for TeensReadToo.com
Never say that you are having a bad day. Nothing can compare to the day Nathan has had!
When he wants to just get rid of his bad feelings, the new girl, Abigail, suggests that her uncle has a magic potion in his lab that can do the trick! So Nathan, his best friend, Mookie, and Abigail head off to the lab to get the "Hurt Be Gone." But at the lab, Nathan is splashed by some strange liquid and soon, he starts to feel weird.
When he reports to Abigail that his body doesn't feel right and things are happening, they try to go back to the lab. However, they soon discover that Abigail's uncle had to run from the law, and he can no longer help them.
Nathan is dejected, but goes on with his life. When he gets poked in the nose with a fork, and no blood comes out, he knows that he's in serious trouble. He also starts to give off a foul stench. It's Mookie who discovers that Nathan isn't digesting his food anymore and helps him in a creative way to relieve himself of his stomach contents.
Abigail is certain she can help Nathan, so the three begin a quest for the ingredients Abigail will require. The three friends hit the aquarium, the woods, and even manage an invitation to Shawna's (the popular girl's) party to find the things they need.
MY ROTTEN LIFE is a story that will certainly appeal to boys. With lots of gross talk and body parts falling off, they will be giggling and enraptured until the final page. Listening to the story as an audio book will add more appeal, because the narrators are able to read the descriptions in vivid detail. Read by both male and female voices, the story moves quickly as Nathan struggles to retain his humanity.
MY ROTTEN LIFE is the perfect story for young readers to pick up, especially during the Halloween season.
Never say that you are having a bad day. Nothing can compare to the day Nathan has had!
When he wants to just get rid of his bad feelings, the new girl, Abigail, suggests that her uncle has a magic potion in his lab that can do the trick! So Nathan, his best friend, Mookie, and Abigail head off to the lab to get the "Hurt Be Gone." But at the lab, Nathan is splashed by some strange liquid and soon, he starts to feel weird.
When he reports to Abigail that his body doesn't feel right and things are happening, they try to go back to the lab. However, they soon discover that Abigail's uncle had to run from the law, and he can no longer help them.
Nathan is dejected, but goes on with his life. When he gets poked in the nose with a fork, and no blood comes out, he knows that he's in serious trouble. He also starts to give off a foul stench. It's Mookie who discovers that Nathan isn't digesting his food anymore and helps him in a creative way to relieve himself of his stomach contents.
Abigail is certain she can help Nathan, so the three begin a quest for the ingredients Abigail will require. The three friends hit the aquarium, the woods, and even manage an invitation to Shawna's (the popular girl's) party to find the things they need.
MY ROTTEN LIFE is a story that will certainly appeal to boys. With lots of gross talk and body parts falling off, they will be giggling and enraptured until the final page. Listening to the story as an audio book will add more appeal, because the narrators are able to read the descriptions in vivid detail. Read by both male and female voices, the story moves quickly as Nathan struggles to retain his humanity.
MY ROTTEN LIFE is the perfect story for young readers to pick up, especially during the Halloween season.
August 10, 2009
Some days just stink.
Nathan Abercrombie is having the worst day of his life. To say that it was horrible would be an understatement. First off, he's diss'd by the prettiest girl in school-- the one he just happens to have a huge crush on. Then he's chosen last during gym. And then... and then, in a foolish effort to ease the heartache of being stuck forever at the losers' table, he gets talked into visiting a mad scientist, where he accidentally gets doused with an experimental fluid that leaves him dying, one inch at a time.
I won't disclose the rest of the plot (nor the twist at the end), but suffice it to say that Nathan and Abigail (the mad scientist's neice) and Nathan's best friend Mookie, end up on a hunt for a cure for Nathan's zombie-like condition. A hunt that teaches them quite a few life lessons.
Wrap-Up:::
If you've got a kid who has a funny bone and who likes a little gross humor, point them at My Rotten Life.
It's a light-hearted book that they should amuse most kids (and mom's like me!). David Lubar's jazzy writing keeps the story moving along. And I swear he had me chuckling outloud on just about every page.
Funny and insightful, Nathan Abercrombie, Accidental Zombie ought make a good Read-aloud. Now that I've finished the book, I plan on sharing it with my 7- and 9- year-olds.
No foul language. No unseemliness, unless you count a little rotting flesh.
Pam
mom and Reviewer at BooksForKids-reviews
Nathan Abercrombie is having the worst day of his life. To say that it was horrible would be an understatement. First off, he's diss'd by the prettiest girl in school-- the one he just happens to have a huge crush on. Then he's chosen last during gym. And then... and then, in a foolish effort to ease the heartache of being stuck forever at the losers' table, he gets talked into visiting a mad scientist, where he accidentally gets doused with an experimental fluid that leaves him dying, one inch at a time.
I won't disclose the rest of the plot (nor the twist at the end), but suffice it to say that Nathan and Abigail (the mad scientist's neice) and Nathan's best friend Mookie, end up on a hunt for a cure for Nathan's zombie-like condition. A hunt that teaches them quite a few life lessons.
Wrap-Up:::
If you've got a kid who has a funny bone and who likes a little gross humor, point them at My Rotten Life.
It's a light-hearted book that they should amuse most kids (and mom's like me!). David Lubar's jazzy writing keeps the story moving along. And I swear he had me chuckling outloud on just about every page.
Funny and insightful, Nathan Abercrombie, Accidental Zombie ought make a good Read-aloud. Now that I've finished the book, I plan on sharing it with my 7- and 9- year-olds.
No foul language. No unseemliness, unless you count a little rotting flesh.
Pam
mom and Reviewer at BooksForKids-reviews
December 10, 2009
Nathan Abercrombie is the second skinniest kid at school. He spends most of his time with the second tallest kid, the second fattest kid, and the second fastest kid. He doesn’t have a lot of friends and he’s used to being picked last for sports in PE, but for the most part, it doesn’t bother him. Until, the girl he’s been crushing on for a long time embarrasses him in front of the entire cafeteria. He is desperate to stop feeling the pain in his heart.
Things only get worse for him when Abigail, a girl from school, takes him to see her scientist uncle for an experimental cure for feelings and gets doused with serum. Soon he realizes he doesn’t feel quite right. He doesn’t get sleepy, he can’t digest food, he doesn’t blink, and he doesn’t breathe. His best friend, Mookie, finally decides the only answer that makes sense is that Nathan is becoming a zombie.
After the initial shock wears off, Nathan decides living life half dead isn’t all that bad, but does he want to stay like this forever? After he has to glue his thumb back on, he decides he needs to do whatever it takes to find a cure. Together the three of them, Abigail, Mookie, and Nathan, attempt to stop him from turning into a complete and total zombie.
MY ROTTEN LIFE is a quick and humorous story about the importance and meaning of true friendship. MY ROTTEN LIFE is the first in the Nathan Abercrombie, Accidental Zombie series. The second book, DEAD GUY SPY is set to be released January 2010.
Things only get worse for him when Abigail, a girl from school, takes him to see her scientist uncle for an experimental cure for feelings and gets doused with serum. Soon he realizes he doesn’t feel quite right. He doesn’t get sleepy, he can’t digest food, he doesn’t blink, and he doesn’t breathe. His best friend, Mookie, finally decides the only answer that makes sense is that Nathan is becoming a zombie.
After the initial shock wears off, Nathan decides living life half dead isn’t all that bad, but does he want to stay like this forever? After he has to glue his thumb back on, he decides he needs to do whatever it takes to find a cure. Together the three of them, Abigail, Mookie, and Nathan, attempt to stop him from turning into a complete and total zombie.
MY ROTTEN LIFE is a quick and humorous story about the importance and meaning of true friendship. MY ROTTEN LIFE is the first in the Nathan Abercrombie, Accidental Zombie series. The second book, DEAD GUY SPY is set to be released January 2010.
July 30, 2012
Nathan Ambercrombie was having a really bad day. He has been getting picked on constantly by the popular kids at school and by his teachers. The this strange girl Abagail offers him a way to make all the hurt and embarrassment go away. Her uncle has developed Hurt-be-Gone and Nathan signs up to try it. Unfortunately, his friend Mookie spills the entire serum on him and bad things start to happen. Nathan does feel anything but he also doesn't eat or go to the bathroom anymore and he starts loosing body parts. Nathan is turning into a ZOMBIE! Abagail says she can fix it with rare ingredients but there has to be some part of Nathan that is still alive for the antidote to work. If they don't get it in time Nathan will be a zombie forever.
This was a fun book that I am sure boys are going to love. There is enough gross humor and adventure to satisfy most young readers. I loved the interactions between Nathan, Mookie and Abagail. They were great characters and really fun to read. I thought their friendship was a nice counterpoint to the mean popular kids. Those kids seemed liked your typical mean kids who get whatever they want and expect everyone else to fall in line. Sure there wasn't much depth to them but that was to be expected. I have to say that I really enjoyed the ending and Nathan's journey from nobody to hero.
I received a signed copy of this book from the author at PLA 2012.
This was a fun book that I am sure boys are going to love. There is enough gross humor and adventure to satisfy most young readers. I loved the interactions between Nathan, Mookie and Abagail. They were great characters and really fun to read. I thought their friendship was a nice counterpoint to the mean popular kids. Those kids seemed liked your typical mean kids who get whatever they want and expect everyone else to fall in line. Sure there wasn't much depth to them but that was to be expected. I have to say that I really enjoyed the ending and Nathan's journey from nobody to hero.
I received a signed copy of this book from the author at PLA 2012.
August 28, 2022
Fun book with a cool premise but it’s much more childish than I remember. Very simply written
February 7, 2013
Most kids have bad days. But Nathan’s days get an unusual twist when he gets doused with a potion to erase feelings and instead gets turned into a zombie. Nathan’s natural (or rather unnatural) progression into one of the undead is persuasive. It shows, oddly enough, the perks of losing all feeling in your body—not needing to eat or sleep, performing all sorts of strenuous physical activities without getting winded (a boon for a kid with asthma), being able to face tense situations without breaking a sweat or losing your nerves and going swimming without coming up for air. Neat!
Of course, there’s always a down side. Nathan has to strive to appear normal to an eagle-eyed mother while acing unbeatable video games and trying to keep from freaking out his classmates (no sensitivity means no watery eyes which means going without blinking for really LOOOONG periods of time). His difficulties with
His attempts to make himself human again, a real live boy, wind themselves amusingly through the thread of his self discoveries. However, the ending felt contrived, his return to the zombie state forced through an inconvenient fire and the baffling abandonment of a true friend. I realize the author wanted to make this into a series but a better way could have found besides this.
Of course, there’s always a down side. Nathan has to strive to appear normal to an eagle-eyed mother while acing unbeatable video games and trying to keep from freaking out his classmates (no sensitivity means no watery eyes which means going without blinking for really LOOOONG periods of time). His difficulties with
His attempts to make himself human again, a real live boy, wind themselves amusingly through the thread of his self discoveries. However, the ending felt contrived, his return to the zombie state forced through an inconvenient fire and the baffling abandonment of a true friend. I realize the author wanted to make this into a series but a better way could have found besides this.
March 9, 2010
Nathan thinks he has a rotten life...but things get much worse after he gets some experimental liquid called “Hurt-Be-Gone accidentally spilled on him! After that, parts of his body start losing feeling, he stops digesting food, and he doesn’t need to go to the bathroom!
His friends Mookie and Abigail help him get the ingredients for the mixture that will stop him from becoming a total zombie—ingredients that include a scale from a rare breed of fish and
a strange mushroom. The problem is, he must have at least a little bit of feeling somewhere on his body for the mixture to work. The more time that passes, the more he losses feeling everywhere! Will the mixture be ready in time for him to use before he become a walking dead boy?
This is a funny story with very likable characters. Nathan’s friend Mookie was probably my favorite with his laid-back attitude. Even Nathan, who is very unhappy about becoming a walking dead boy, deals with his zombie-ness as best as he can. It appears as though a sequel is on its way. Recommend this book to those who enjoy the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series (Kinney) and the Captain Underpants books (Pilkey).
His friends Mookie and Abigail help him get the ingredients for the mixture that will stop him from becoming a total zombie—ingredients that include a scale from a rare breed of fish and
a strange mushroom. The problem is, he must have at least a little bit of feeling somewhere on his body for the mixture to work. The more time that passes, the more he losses feeling everywhere! Will the mixture be ready in time for him to use before he become a walking dead boy?
This is a funny story with very likable characters. Nathan’s friend Mookie was probably my favorite with his laid-back attitude. Even Nathan, who is very unhappy about becoming a walking dead boy, deals with his zombie-ness as best as he can. It appears as though a sequel is on its way. Recommend this book to those who enjoy the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series (Kinney) and the Captain Underpants books (Pilkey).
January 23, 2012
My Rotten Life by David Lubar talks about an unpopular boy thats having a really bad day. Just when he thinks things can't get much worse, it does. After being picked on by kids at school, a strange girl Abigail,
invites Nathan to try out an experiment that could cure his pain of embarrassment. Just as he's about to try the -Hurt-Be-Gone invented by Abigail, his best friend Mookie spills it on him which brings things downwards from there. As the three try to find a cure for Nathan,
Weird things start happening to him like loosing feeling of parts of his body.
I picked up this book, because I've had this book for a while and never actually read it. The cover seemed interesting to me so I decided to read it and see what it talks about.
I finished this book, because as I started it, the book was a bit confusing to me. But as I hope I'd catch on later, I did and actually found the book really interesting further and further on.
I think my friends would like the read this book because it's a relaxing yet interesting book that doesn't create too much unanswered questions causing too much thinking.
invites Nathan to try out an experiment that could cure his pain of embarrassment. Just as he's about to try the -Hurt-Be-Gone invented by Abigail, his best friend Mookie spills it on him which brings things downwards from there. As the three try to find a cure for Nathan,
Weird things start happening to him like loosing feeling of parts of his body.
I picked up this book, because I've had this book for a while and never actually read it. The cover seemed interesting to me so I decided to read it and see what it talks about.
I finished this book, because as I started it, the book was a bit confusing to me. But as I hope I'd catch on later, I did and actually found the book really interesting further and further on.
I think my friends would like the read this book because it's a relaxing yet interesting book that doesn't create too much unanswered questions causing too much thinking.
October 20, 2009
Nathan isn't the coolest kid in the class - not even close. In fact, he was having a pretty bad day until he decides to look into his friend's crazy uncle's experimental Hurt-Be-Gone - only it accidentally gets poured all over him. There was one fatal error in the concoction - instead of using the corpus flower, he had used the corpse flower, and now, Nathan is slowly becoming undead - a zombie.
But life as a zombie isn't half bad. He doesn't need to use his lungs any more so gym class is no sweat. He can't feel any pain so if a bully hits him, what does he care? Nathan has to decide if it's worth taking the cure or not.
I really enjoyed this book - it had enough gross-ness to appeal to boys, a funny enough plot to appeal to boys and girls, and great themes - friendship, bullying, and what's important in life or undead.
The characters were interesting and the plot kept you turning the page. I almost expected the ending, just because it seemed to work out a little too perfectly to be the end of the first book.
Overall, a fantastic read - right in time for Halloween.
But life as a zombie isn't half bad. He doesn't need to use his lungs any more so gym class is no sweat. He can't feel any pain so if a bully hits him, what does he care? Nathan has to decide if it's worth taking the cure or not.
I really enjoyed this book - it had enough gross-ness to appeal to boys, a funny enough plot to appeal to boys and girls, and great themes - friendship, bullying, and what's important in life or undead.
The characters were interesting and the plot kept you turning the page. I almost expected the ending, just because it seemed to work out a little too perfectly to be the end of the first book.
Overall, a fantastic read - right in time for Halloween.
August 25, 2010
Both my 10 yr old son and I read this book. I received the sequel to this book as an ARC, and after reading the first chapter, I HAD to buy the this book. I prefer reading books in sequence, even though sequel stood nicely on it's own.
This book was absolutely hilarious. It had both my older son and I cracking up (the younger son hasn't gotten a chance to read it since it fell into the clutches of boy#1).
Nathan thought his life was rotten until Abigail's estranged uncle spilled Hurt-Be-Gone on Nathan. He started losing feeling in his body parts, his food didn't digest, and he couldn't sleep. Unfortunately, and the man responsible has disappeared.
There's a cure, but how are Nathan and his two friends, Mookie and Abigail, going to help him get it?
The gross-out factor kept my son reading and giggling. And kids can identify with bullly problem Nathan had in the story. I'm not going to say more about the actual plot, because you need to read this book. It's full of fun, adventure, humor, spy antics, and more.
This book was absolutely hilarious. It had both my older son and I cracking up (the younger son hasn't gotten a chance to read it since it fell into the clutches of boy#1).
Nathan thought his life was rotten until Abigail's estranged uncle spilled Hurt-Be-Gone on Nathan. He started losing feeling in his body parts, his food didn't digest, and he couldn't sleep. Unfortunately, and the man responsible has disappeared.
There's a cure, but how are Nathan and his two friends, Mookie and Abigail, going to help him get it?
The gross-out factor kept my son reading and giggling. And kids can identify with bullly problem Nathan had in the story. I'm not going to say more about the actual plot, because you need to read this book. It's full of fun, adventure, humor, spy antics, and more.
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