Although not all my reviews are spoilery, which I do not consider this one to be, here is a little warning just in case.

Review Written: Early 2010

Generation Dead by Daniel Waters

Zombies. Aren’t those the characters you kill in video games with bits of rotting flesh and gormless looks on their faces?

Aren’t they the most popular fictional fantasy characters of all time? (Yes, they are even more popular than vampires!)

You think you know all there is about these ‘evil’ characters?

Well, guess again.

All over America, teenagers who die aren’t staying dead. They’re going back to school, having their own parties...falling in love.

I purchased this book in 2008 when it was first published in the UK. It was 3 for 2 in Waterstones and I took advantage and purchased this book. What’s that old saying? You should never judge a book by its cover. Of course, with people we never do, but we always seem to with books. The front cover of this book is simple. Red, with a black rose in the middle. Effective, and it caught my eye immediately.

The book follows a girl named Phoebe. She isn’t your average beautiful teenager you always read about in books. Phoebe and her friend Margi are Goths who happen to hang about with a member of the football team, Adam. These are the main three in the story. Then there’s Tommy Williams. He’s gorgeous, funny, on the football team, and dead. Then things start to get complicated. Phoebe has a bit of a crush on him, and Tommy also happens to like her...but so does Adam.

Every book needs a baddie and the name of the villain in this book is Pete Martinsburg. He’s taken the ‘my girlfriend died and didn’t come back to life so now I must kill all the zombies and the traitors who are friends with them’ route rather than the ‘I’ll always remember her but I must try to move on and do some good in the world’ route. Pete and his gang of greasy teens go around trying to destroy zombies in horrible ways (a bit like those computer games!)

These zombies aren’t rotting and ugly. Their skins may be grey but it shines, most of them are attractive and they want to fit in and find love. A downside to certain teenage books is that most are written by females. We tend to get very into the love part of the story and I think Daniel Waters has realised this. It’s like he wanted to make this book for both male and female readers and although there is love involved, the book doesn’t focus just around this very aspect. With a twist at the end which I really wasn’t expecting, the first book by Daniel Waters is a success, such a success that there’s a sequel Kiss of Life which I also recommend.