I Kissed a Zombie and I Liked It, by Adam Selzer

I Kissed a Zombie and I Liked It, by Adam Selzer. New York: Delacorte Press, 2010. 177 pp. ISBN 9780385904971


READER'S ANNOTATION
To Alley, Doug is the cutest guy, with impeccable taste in music: hers.  So what if he's a little -- well, a lot -- pale?

GENRE
Horror, Humor

SUMMARY
Alley Rhodes is a high school senior who lives in a small Iowa town in what has been termed the "post-human era".  It is so called because humans, zombies, and vampires live together, without harming each other for the most part.  The era began when the vampires came out of the shadows to successfully spearhead a legal action on behalf of the zombies, whom the Megamart chain had brought back from the dead to use as slave labor.  Against this satirical backdrop is an engaging story about Alley's meeting of and dating Doug, a guy from a neighboring town who sings with a local band and shares Alley's taste in music.  But she shortly realizes that he is not quite human.  However, he is her first real love, and their relationship really transforms for the better the way that she treats others.  She also grapples with the question of whether a teen like herself should make permanent life-altering decisions in order to be with the person she loves. 

EVALUATION
This is an easy and fun read which will get teens thinking about social issues and interpersonal ones as well.  The plot is fairly simple but the story is well-paced; Alley's experiences day-to-day at school and dating milestones such as having Doug meet her parents, going to prom, etc. are balanced with her sorting through her feelings about the relationship. The story is quite funny at times, and Alley is a likeable character with whom I think teens will identify.  The other characters are not as developed.
What may make this novel controversial to some are a couple mentions of teenage drinking and teens dying in order to become vampires or zombies.

HOW THIS BOOK HELPS
I think this novel could help teens involved in romantic relationships to keep their perspective and not let the relationship radically change their post-high school plans.  It could also help teens to develop more compassion for physically challenged or ill classmates.

WHY I CHOSE TO READ IT
The phrasing of the title and the idea of dating a zombie made me laugh.

Going Bovine, by Libba Bray

Going Bovine, by Libba Bray. New York: Delacorte Press, 2009. 480 pp. ISBN 9780385904117


READER'S ANNOTATION
Escaping his hospital bed to travel cross country with his hypochondriac mama's boy roommate and save the world -- this is the mission presented to Cameron by his very own punk angel.

GENRE
Fantasy, Realistic Fiction

SUMMARY
Cameron is a sixteen-year-old who really is not making much of his life, and whose only real passion is listening to music.  Suddenly, he is diagnosed with Creutzfeldt-Jacob, or "mad cow" disease, landing him in the hospital.  A hypochondriac dwarf roommate named Gonzo then moves in, and he and Cameron -- encouraged by the angel Dulcie who has begun visiting Cameron -- embark on a road trip to find the man who purportedly has the cure for mad cow disease and also save the world from the evil wizard and fire giants who have also begun appearing to Cameron.  During this trip, which parallels Don Quixote in many ways, Cameron and Gonzo have various adventures at stops as varied as a New Orleans jazz club, the headquarters of a happiness cult, and a spring break party spot in Florida.  Along the way, they take on a third traveling partner, a living breathing lawn gnome/Norse god.  By the end of the journey, Cameron must use the strength and wisdom he has gained to face the dark forces.

EVALUATION
I absolutely love this novel.  It is completely zany fun (you have to read it just for Cameron's hysterically funny visit to the "Church of Everlasting Satisfaction and Snack-n-Bowl" alone) and at the same time conveys some earnest messages about the importance of connection with others and jumping right into life with purpose and gusto.  Cameron is a fully-fleshed, entirely believable character, as is his emotional growth by the end of the story.  As the story is picaresque, it is composed of several distinct adventures, yet all are pulled together cohesively by Cameron's ultimate quest to save the world and himself.  Make sure to get your hands on this thought-provoking read as soon as possible.  What some may find controversial is the novel's subject matter of terminal illness and some language.

HOW THIS BOOK HELPS
This book could be very helpful to terminally ill teens, but also to any teen who is socially isolated.

WHY I CHOSE TO READ IT
It sounded like a lot of fun and unlike anything I'd ever read before, and also won the Print Award in 2010.