Title: Generation Dead

Author: Daniel Waters

Published: May 6th 2008

Publisher: Simon & Schuster (UK)

Pages: 392

Genre: Young Adult, Zombies, Paranormal, Paranormal Romance

Series: Generation Dead #1

Rating: 2.5/5

Phoebe Kendall is just your typical Goth girl with a crush. He’s strong and silent…and dead.

All over the country, a strange phenomenon is occurring. Some teenagers who die aren't staying dead. But when they come back to life, they are no longer the same. Feared and misunderstood, they are doing their best to blend into a society that doesn’t want them. The administration at Oakvale High attempts to be more welcoming of the “differently biotic." But the students don’t want to take classes or eat in the cafeteria next to someone who isn’t breathing. And there are no laws that exist to protect the “living impaired” from the people who want them to disappear—for good. When Phoebe falls for Tommy Williams, the leader of the dead kids, no one can believe it; not her best friend, Margi, and especially not her neighbor, Adam, the star of the football team. Adam has feelings for Phoebe that run much deeper than just friendship; he would do anything for her. But what if protecting Tommy is the one thing that would make her happy?-Goodreads

If you are a regular reader of this blog, you will know that I love zombies. Although I wouldn't particularly like to meet one, I really enjoy reading about them!! This book has always featured fairly high on most people's list of zombie novels (especially YA)and I was really looking forward to it. Unfortunately it really let me down :(

Firstly the characters; Phoebe was a pretty cliché character, a Goth who wrote deep and meaningful poetry and wore a lot of black. She seemed to be a Goth for no other reason than to be something "different" in YA. She really had very little interesting or original to say, I was pretty disappointed by her as a main character.

Her love interest is a zombie called Tommy, who was a pretty limp character, he wasn't particularly fleshed out (excuse the pun!).

The other minor characters in the novel include Adam, who fills the clichéd role of the best friend who is in love with our main character, and Margi the other best friend, who Phoebe tries to convince that zombies aren't all bad.

I also had a problem with the zombies themselves in this novel. They were the weakest and most pathetic zombies I've ever read about. They did nothing even remotely zombie, I understand that they're trying to be integrated back into society, but if they're so like humans, why is everyone creating such a fuss? I also would've liked a bit more information on exactly why these teenagers were coming back as zombies, absolutely nothing was explained about this at all. I understand it's a series, but c'mon!

The author also used some weird language throughout the novel, including very lengthy descriptions of things, that frankly didn't need to be explained. For example "Phoebe's breath preceded her, puffs of vapour like spirits dancing in the light of the moon." There was no reason for all the dancing spirit stuff, we all know how our breaths appear when it's cold!

There were also some just plain weird descriptions, like this one; "Phoebe just looked at her beautiful egg salad sandwich and wished that she had any desire left to eat it." A "beautiful egg sandwich"? Seriously!

The story also had a weird point of view, which changed from a third person POV to jumping between many different characters POVs with very little warning. It all meant a rather confusing time for the reader,

Overall I really didn't enjoy this novel, if you hadn't noticed!! I had such high expectations for it and it really disappointed me.