Tag: zombies

What an ending! she says sarcastically.

I know, I know. I’m giving this book a 4 stars, which is still oddly higher than book 1, Alice in Zombieland.

It’s not that the ending wasn’t great, but as the ending of the series, I was kind of disappointed, to be honest. There was the suspenseful sequel, Through the Zombie Glass, that made me feel this didn’t live up to the climax that it was supposed to be.

The Queen of Zombie Hearts focuses mainly on Anima, the company hoping to use the zombies, and not so much on the zombies themselves. From the beginning, it seems happily-ever-after wasn’t something for these zombie slayers. I feel so bad for them. Showalter has made me love them all so much, even when some of them seem like the least likely type of people that I would want to care about. More people die in this book. I have to give her kudos for keeping it real, unlike some action stories where all the secondary characters just miraculously live through each and every battle nearly unscathed.

The pacing was okay, albeit a little slow in places near the middle. I actually found myself missing zombie attacks, but ah well. For a girl who doesn’t really enjoy zombies, they sure were fascinating in this series. Come on! They’re zombie spirits! That makes a difference from the average zombie story.

Cole and Ali’s relationship are intact, I am happy to say. Of course, there are still other people who are hating on her for stealing away Cole, and I just want to tell them to suck it up and move on. Grrr stay away from my favourite couple!

The problems the group had to solve weren’t as dramatic or as suspenseful as the previous books, and the visions were somewhat predictable in how they were going to come true.

Okay, this review is starting to sound kind of pessimistic, and I just want to say, IT’s NOT. I think. I’m just sad at the ending. It built up to a dramatic point with Anima…and then it just got resolved. In like 20 pages. *snap!* Just like that. It was over.

When I got to the last page, I was thinking, “Noooo, this can’t be it.” There were sadly, loved ones gone and I had so wanted to see the aftermath of that. I know happy endings aren’t always present in novels, so I would at least like to see what was going to happen to those left behind. I’m just in a funk or withdrawal from having this series end. So yeah, if this is sounding sad, that’s probably why. Pinch me. I still loved it. I just hoped it would have gone longer.

On that note, some things I did enjoy were guessing at Anima’s inside source. Kat was her usual perky self, and I loved her willingness to stick by the slayers’ side even in danger. There wasn’t a lot of Nana in this one, but her lingo is still just as weird by text. I’m not sure “fo sheezies” will ever, or had ever, been popular…

And my favourite part? Gavin, the “he-slut”, seems to be falling for a girl. *tries to contain my glee*. If you read my review for Through the Zombie Glass, you’ll know that I have some strange liking for him. He’s just charming, and he has a gooey centre somewhere underneath that player outlook. Sigh, I wish there would be a separate book with him and his potential girl, whom I shall not name ’cause it’s rather mind blowing.

As the end of a trilogy, it did wrap things up yet left a bittersweet taste in my mouth. Yep, I think I’m going into Ali Bell/Cole Holland withdrawal. Probably more for Cole.

Overall Recommendation:
It may not be as action-packed as its two predecessor in the trilogy, but it sure leaves us wondering what is going to happen next. Showalter is not afraid to kill off secondary characters, even those we may have come to love so hard. That in itself should keep you in your seat and reading till the very last page.
As always, there are plenty of zombie fun in the story, although this one centres more on Anima and humans instead. Ew, I know right? Mindless zombies are cooler than cruel humans any day. But if you loved the series as a whole so far, you HAVE to finish it with The Queen of Zombie Hearts. HAVE TO! Enjoy, and hopefully, don’t go into Cole Holland withdrawal like I am. Or maybe..I’m just in Gavin withdrawal…

It doesn’t happen often, but occasionally, the sequel usurps the first novel of the book. Many authors fall into the trap of “second book syndrome” in a trilogy, where the second book is always full of “filler” junk. It’s not the glorious beginning of the world building concept to the series, or the drastic climax and epic ending. It’s just…the middle.

Gena Showalter does not fall into this trap at all. I LOVED Through the Zombie Glass. First off, that title? Another amazing nod to Lewis Carroll’s sequel to Alice in Wonderland, titled…you guessed it. Through the Looking Glass.

This story picks up soon after where Alice in Zombieland ends. The happy ending with Cole and Ali gets cut short. Something is up with that boy, and it sure irked me a lot throughout the novel. I know romances get dull if there aren’t problems between the couple. I at least am glad that this book isn’t a love triangle. There was a HUGE potential in going down that road, like most books sadly do to keep the drama up. Nope! Showalter doesn’t resort to these measures to make the book interesting, and I love her all the more for it.

However, we DO get introduced to two brand new zombie slayers from Atlanta. One’s a juicy hot guy who has possibly an even LONGER line of girls behind him than Cole does. Oh, yes, Ali refers to him lovingly as the “he-slut”. ‘Cause…that’s kind of what he is. He doesn’t do relationships, but enjoys the physical aspects of one. Yet, he’s still so loveable in his own way. I don’t know how Showalter does this to me! All these secondary characters are just “totes amaze-balls”, as Ali’s bestie Kat would have put it.

And the other slayer is…well, Cole’s ex. Now that already makes it seem like double the trouble for Ali and Cole. And it sure spices things up, to say the least. This girl is really try to grab Cole back for herself. I can happily say that I don’t really like her. But she sure makes for a wonderful and entertaining thorn in the side.

The central plot in this book I felt was more suspenseful and unique. Ali surprisingly gets infected with a zombie inside of her. Doesn’t that sound deliciously creepy? What is she going to do about it? Zombie Ali (or Z.A. as she calls her) causes a mighty lot of trouble that sure kept me at the edge of my seat. I couldn’t stop reading, I swear.

The pacing was better in this book, with the problematic twists set fairly early on in the plot. The visions between Ali and Cole were not predictable in how they were going to play out so I was definitely anticipating for the logical explanation to those.

For the most part, the book is a little intense. So many things happen, with zombie attacks and Anima raising havoc at the same time. Which is why clever Gena Showalter added the glorious comic relief in the form of Kat and Ali’s Nana. Kat is her usual self, egotistical and totally awesome in her outlook at life. Nana…for a grandmother, I think she’s the coolest person in the book older than 20. Her attempts at modern day lingo…oh my. Let’s just say, I think “douche-purse” sounds way cooler than “douche-bag”.

Overall Recommendation:
Picking right up from where its predecessor Alice in Zombieland left off, Ali and Cole are immediately faced with grand-scale problems. More ferocity from Anima? Check. More zombie complications? Check. Major zombie infection problem for Ali? Check. Relationship problems between the happy couple? Sadly, check.
Its well-paced action and suspenseful twists are kept balanced by the humorous dialogues between the characters that are still so vividly drawn out on those pages. This is an example of the second book in a trilogy being better than the first. If you enjoyed the first one, Through the Zombie Glass is a DEFINITE must-read. It’s like falling in love with those characters all over again.