Zom-B Underground

Shan, Darren. Zom-B Underground.
2 January  2013 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

After throwing Taylor to the zombies, B has been turned into one, and is being held at an undergroung military facility after coming back to some semblance of consciousness. There are revived zombies, who keep going longer than many, but Z is a revitalized one. These zombies can be kept from attacking and eating people's brains, can learn to talk and act almost as if they are still human. The government has located a few teens who fit this profile and has them under lock and key in a facility where they are studied and watched very closely. Z isn't wild about being dead or being locked up, but tries to gets along with the others and not eat the government people. There's still plenty of gore, and but are kept from the full extent of the war raging outside the facility, but I'm sure that will be remedied in Zom-B City on 9 April 2013 and Zom-B Angels on 9 July 2013. A fifth, as yet untitled book is also in the works.
Strengths: It's Darren Shan. It has zombies. It's a series. What more could any middle school student want? Looking at the state of my Cirque du Freak books (falling into tiny pieces from sheer wear), I should probably buy three copies of each.
Weaknesses: The first book was just brilliant-- huge plot twist at end, philosophic treatment of xenophobic father; good stuff. This is "meh" by comparison. I didn't care for the illustrations, either. They were odd and didn't add much. I would have left them out and increased the size of the font.


Zom-B City (#3) April 9th 2013 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers and Zom-B Angels (July 9th 2013) will be followed by at least one more book.