Friday, May 27, 2011

Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion

Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion
Atria Books, April 26, 2011
239 pages
Book Source: Public Library

A zombie who yearns for a better life ends up falling in love—with a human—in this astonishingly original debut novel.

R is a zombie. He has no memories, no identity, and no pulse, but he has dreams. He doesn’t enjoy killing people; he enjoys riding escalators and listening to Frank Sinatra. He is a little different from his fellow Dead.

Not just another zombie novel, Warm Bodies is funny, scary, and deeply moving.

-- Summary from GoodReads.com 

Judging by the cover...: Little weird (seriously, what is that red stuff?), but slightly creepy, which fits the book. It's desolate, like the mind of a zombie.

Favorite Elements:
  • Zombies - If there ever was a war between Zombies and Unicorns... Oh, wait! There totally was! And zombies kicked the magic unicorn blood out of the, well, unicorns! (And if you haven't read about their epic battle, you must read Zombies vs. Unicorns.) Just like they would any other supernatural creature. Because what harm could you do to a zombie? They're already dead!
  •  BFF - Nora is the quintessential BFF. Loyal, loose, and just wacky enough to trust in Julie and R.
  • Crazy Theories That Just Might Work - Have you ever read a book and thought, "Wow! That was great! But I wonder what a book would be like from the viewpoint of a zombie..."? Well, I have. Thankfully, Marion had the same idea!
  • Spoilerific! - Anything else that I tell you I love will completely give it away! But believe me, there's awesomeness galore in these pages.
Overall: A+
I don't give out As freely, and certainly not A+s. This isn't your typical zombie book, so it doesn't deserve a just any grade. We all know how the Living view the Dead, but what do the Dead think about us? Do they only want our brains so they can view our memories, or could there be something else in there, some piece of humanity left deep inside that only needs a Julie to coax it out? The next time you're out zombie hunting, think about their feelings. 

It's not just the premise that I find so enthralling. I seriously could not stop laughing while reading, even during the "dinner" scenes. The dialog between R and M, best friends since death, is absolutely hilarious, and the zombie culture could not be more entertaining (how many zombies do you know that love to ride escalators?). I heartily raise a glass to Marion for bringing the lighter side of zombies to life. 

Recommendation: Warm Bodies is not for the faint of heart, but if I can stomach their feasts, then I think anyone could. Older teen boys (the frequent appearances of sex and foul language would rule this out for the younger set) will be dying to get their hands on it. And at 239 pages, any reluctant reader will be reluctant to put it down.

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