 | Title: My Life As A White Trash Zombie
 Sexual Content: Kissing. References to sex. Rating:
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Description
Angel Crawford is a loser
Living with her alcoholic deadbeat dad in the swamps of southern Louisiana, she's a high school dropout with a pill habit and a criminal record who's been fired from more crap jobs than she can count. Now on probation for a felony, it seems that Angel will never pull herself out of the downward spiral her life has taken.
That is, until the day she wakes up in the ER after overdosing on painkillers. Angel remembers being in an horrible car crash, but she doesn't have a mark on her. To add to the weirdness, she receives an anonymous letter telling her there's a job waiting for her at the parish morgue--and that it's an offer she doesn't dare refuse.
Before she knows it she's dealing with a huge crush on a certain hunky deputy and a brand new addiction: an overpowering craving for brains. Plus, her morgue is filling up with the victims of a serial killer who decapitates his prey--just when she's hungriest!
Angel's going to have to grow up fast if she wants to keep this job and stay in one piece. Because if she doesn't, she's dead meat.
Literally.
Review
Diana Rowland was becoming one of my favorite urban fantasy authors thanks to her demonically good Kara Gillian series, and now with MY LIFE AS A WHITE TRASH ZOMBIE, she’s cemented that position. Trust me, this is the zombie book for people who never read zombie books. It’s a nonstop riot of gross and girly fun.
Angel is nothing like her namesake. She’s white trash, pure and simple. She’s a dropout on probation for a little pill problem, her boyfriend could teach classes on how to be a loser, she can’t keep a job, and her dad is an angry drunk. She literally has NOTHING going for her. Until she becomes a zombie.
Zombieism in MY LIFE AS A WHITE TRASH ZOMBIE is a lot like vampirism. Strong cravings, preternatural strength, agelessness etc. Except instead of blood, Angel craves brains. Granted, noshing on brains from the morgue is not as sexy as a nibbling on necks, but there is none of the mindless staggering around Romero style action going on. As long as Angel stays ‘tanked up’, she’s as normal as she ever was. And thanks to her new dietary needs, she lands a sweet new job, the attention of a seriously hot detective, and for the first time in her life, friends.
The writing is super fun and full of sarcasm and just the right amount of snark. Angel knows she’s white trash and when she feels insecure or threatened, out comes the bravado. The combination made me feel both protective and proud of her with occasional moments of disappointment when she let people dismiss or take advantage of her. But she had street smarts in spades which she used to brilliantly navigate the intricacies of her new lifestyle and her budding sense of self respect.
If you didn’t know, Diana Rowland used to work as morgue assistant and crime scene investigator and the details she provides in MY LIFE AS A WHITE TRASH ZOMBIE benefit greatly from her experience. Everything felt authentic, and yet thanks to Angel’s voice, never intimidatingly complex. It was the perfect balance of info and entertainment.
Overall, MY LIFE AS A WHITE TRASH ZOMBIE is every bit as fun and trashy as the brilliant cover. The story is gory and gorgeous with plenty of humor and a great new protagonist to root for. There is also a tightly written murder mystery too that shocked me by the end. The next book in the series is called EVEN WHITE TRASH ZOMBIES GET THE BLUES and will be published in 2012. I’m already feeling the Hunger.
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This cover is so gross, I have this book pre-ordered and can't wait to read it. I have Mark of the Demon on my TBR shelf, I'll move it to the top.
ReplyDelete:D Been dying to read this one since I first saw the title on Amazon last year. So glad to see my interest isn't unfounded. Thanks so much for the review Abigail!
ReplyDeleteI am so jealous to see you got to read this already! I love Diana Rowland and this looks great.
ReplyDeleteThat cover is pretty amazing. Gross, horrid and spot-on for the title. I love the pink which still looks dirty somehow. I will check out one of her other books, too!
ReplyDeleteI don't read reviews as often anymore but when there is a stunning cover like that, I have to check it out! So cool that the author previous jobs helped in this novel! I will keep this in mind!
ReplyDeleteRain Maiden - Gross? Really? I think it's just awesome :)
ReplyDeleteRhianna - It was so much fun. Really different from her Demon series, but just as entertaining.
Rebecca - There is a copy on ARC Swap right now if you are a reviewer :)
Stephsco - The cover is is my fav of the year. I can't wait to see what the next one looks like :)
Diana - You can really tell in the book too. Lots of little details that bring each scene to life.
This looks like it is going to be so mych fun! I was sold the second I saw the cover.
ReplyDeleteGreat review.
Shelagh
The Word Fiend
Love that White Trash is becoming a theme for writers! Can't wait to read Diana Rowland's book! You make it sound like a great book!
ReplyDeleteI've read all of her previous books and I love Diana Rowland. I only found out about this book about two weeks ago but already it feels like it's been longer that I've been waiting. And right now I'm so jealous that you got to read her new book.
ReplyDeleteCan't wait for this book
I AM LITERALLY IN TEARS!!! I want this SOOO freaking bad and could not get a copy to save my life!!!
ReplyDeleteIt would have been perfect for my Zombie Craze!!
I'm glad it's as good as I hoped!
The Bookish Brunette
Great review! Is going on the TBR list.
ReplyDelete