Friday, July 12, 2013

Review: Alice in Zombieland by Gena Showalter

Alice in Zombieland  (White Rabbit Chronicles, #1) by Gena Showalter
Publisher: Harlequin Teen Australia
Publication date: October 1st, 2012
Number of pages: 404 pgs
Format: Paperback
Purchase: Amazon | The Book Depository | Bookworld AU

She won't rest until she's sent every walking corpse back to its grave.

Forever.


Had anyone told Alice Bell that her entire life would change course between one heartbeat and the next, she would have laughed. From blissful to tragic, innocent to ruined? Please. But that's all it took. One heartbeat. A blink, a breath, a second, and everything she knew and loved was gone.

Her father was right. The monsters are real.

To avenge her family, Ali must learn to fight the undead. To survive, she must learn to trust the baddest of the bad boys, Cole Holland. But Cole has secrets of his own, and if Ali isn't careful, those secrets might just prove to be more dangerous than the zombies.


Oh boy! Man, this was pure awesome. I have a big fan of Gena's work. I've read some of her YA (Intertwined) and I go crazy over her PNR series (LotU) so naturally this was a MUST READ for me.
I love re-tellings of fairytales and the sort, and the thought of zombies in a story like this, with a twist intrigued me even more so.
I could smack myself for waiting this long to read it though. I had so much to read and it kind of fell to the backburner, but I am so glad I did give this a chance as it was so awesome. I should not have expected anything less from a fabulous author such as Gena!

Gena gives us  such an amazing story. It's not what you would expect, nor are used to, but Gena brings a whole new aspect to this world and it's such an interesting one that I would not have wanted anything but.
We meet Alice fairly quickly who is the daughter to two loving parents and a sister to a younger sibling. Then, one things changes everything. A horrible crash completely throws her whole world upside down. Her life. Gone. Her family. Gone.  As a survivor to a horrible tragedy, she can't get the image of how her family was taken from her... but this is a secret she can't bare to tell anyone for fear she may appear to be crazy.

Soon Alice (going by "Ali") has to move in with her grandparents and attend a new school. As if that isn't daunting enough. The moment she sees bad boy Cole Holland, she is drawn in by him. A first look and she is smacked with images, exotic and intense images of the two of them making out. WHAT THE? You must be thinking. It is kind of strange, I thought so too.  The relationship between Ali and Cole was so intense, so soulful, exciting and aching to see more.
Gena sure knows how to write romances, and this one is no exception. She brings out everything and more.. especially when things begin to get complicated...

I really adored the characters. Ali, our protagonist I felt for quite deeply. How could you not? After witnessing the murders of her family, having been uprooted and starting a new life someplace else --- it couldn't have been an easy adjustment for a teenager. Her experiences. Her emotions and everything that came after was so real. It's easily relatable especially if you have lost someone close to you. Becoming an orphan is not something she anticipated and that is something Ali needs to deal with and find some way to cope.

Cole easily became a favourite character of mine by the end of the book. Initially he may appear to be your average bad boy, but he was so much more than that. As you begin to get to know him, you see him for who he is, what he has been through and the world he has opened up to Ali.

Of course given the title of the book, it was a given that this take on this world would include zombies. That might have been a little odd to think about at first, but Gena works it into this story as easy as pie. They aren't your average zombies. They are different, but yet have that similar feel about them.
I was very intrigued and this version of zombies enticed me throughout the story. I will never look at them the same way again.

If you are a fan of Genas, or never heard of her before. If you want something different and are intrigued by this story, then I would recommend giving this a shot. You will not be disappointed.
I look forward to the upcoming sequel. I can't wait to find myself back in this world once again.

Review: 5/5









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