Alice in Zombieland

October 1, 2012
“If they see you, they will chase you. And if they catch you, they will devour you.” Alice Bell’s father warned her about the monsters that come out at night, but Ali doesn’t believe him until she sees zombies kill her family. After relocating to a new town, 16-year-old Ali is relieved to discover that she isn’t entirely on her own: it turns out that local bad boy Cole Holland and his rough crowd hunt zombies. In this kickoff to the White Rabbit Chronicles, Ali works to keep her remaining loved ones safe, decode ghostly warnings, learn new tricks to take down evil spirits, and figure out whether she’s ready to get involved with the hottest guy she’s ever known. Balancing graphic zombie fighting and complicated romantic relationships, Showalter (the Intertwined series) fleshes out this action-packed paranormal story with a giddy focus on the push-and-pull attraction between Ali and Cole and the nastier side of the high school social scene. The result is a zippy story with crossover appeal that highlights the power of guilt, faith, and self-confidence. Ages 14–up. Agent: Deidre Knight, the Knight Agency.

September 1, 2012
Attack of the invisible zombies! Alice Bell has never been an ordinary girl--she's never been allowed outside after dark courtesy of her paranoid father and the monsters he sees everywhere. But after a terrible car accident kills Alice's family, she begins to see the undead, too. Now living with her grandparents and starting a new school, Ali--she eschews her old name due to memories, grief and survivor's guilt--can't build a new life while being followed by her father's demons. As if being chased by slobbering, decaying dead things wasn't enough, Ali also navigates well-meaning if out-of-touch grandparents and the tension between her new social group and the rough crowd (more specifically, Ali's interested in its leader, Cole Holland). The obligatory love triangle never threatens the main love story, but at least Ali's friendships with other characters, especially her quirky new best friend Kat, are interesting. While using an Alice in Wonderland motif and established survival/horror video game staples (such as a gradually revealed journal written in code), Showalter creates an original zombie mythology and a completely new set of rules for the monsters to follow, as covered by the sometimes-clunky exposition. The climax is rushed, especially when compared to the pacing of the first act of the story, but action-packed. Showalter has created a promising playground for future story installments. (playlist, author Q&A) (Horror/paranormal romance. 12-17)

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