Generation Dead by Daniel Waters

Synopsis

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?

Review

While it may be shallow, the first thought in my head when thinking of Generation Dead is, “It is nothing like its cover.” The cover displays a zombified cheerleader reclining on a set of bleachers. It looks like a cover for a book full of fluffy fear and stereotyped supernatural love. However, the very fact that it displayed zombies and not, say, affectionate vampires, or Taylor Lautner sans shirt, gave me pause. Zombie YA books are pretty rare. After doing a quick Amazon search, I found that Generation Dead had received some very positive reviews. So I bought it.

No, Generation Dead will not be one of my favorite books of all time. I won’t reread it every day for a week or be found spouting off my favorite phases to unsuspecting strangers. But, Generation Dead will likely be one of my favorite books I’ve read this year. And I cannot emphasize enough how thought-provoking it was. Daniel Waters’ concepts were completely fresh and original, his execution was realistic and witty, and his ending was absolutely, painfully beautiful. The character dynamic was extremely interesting, and I cannot wait to read Kiss of Life, the sequel. So. If I were you, I’d stop reading this review and go out and buy Generation Dead. Or at least rent it from your local library. Enjoy!

~bella aire~

Purchase Generation Dead here.