Published: September, 2011
Publisher: Self-Published
ISBN: 2940013006850
Available: Amazon
GoodReads Blurb:
When life gives you lemons, kill zombies -- turns out lemon juice neutralizes the undead.
After a failed attempt at running away, best friends Nathan and Misty return home expecting to face angry parents. Instead, they discover the military has destroyed the bridges out of their rural town and everyone's fled--except a small horde of the living dead. The stress of flesh-eating zombies may be more than their already strained relationship can handle.
Even with the help of the town geek and lemonade-powered Super-Soakers, there's not enough time to squeeze their way out of this sticky mess. Unless the trio eradicates the zombie infestation, while avoiding the deadly zombie snot, the military will blow the town, and them, to pulp.
Their only shot is something with a lot more punch. Something like the Super Zombie Juice Mega Bomb. But even if their friendship survives, there's another problem: Someone has to lure the undead into the trap.
***
This book was the perfect blend of 'B movie' humor and the zombie gore I love, and I say that with all the positive feeling I can. I loved this book! The characters were fun, and refreshing. The violence was necessary, bloody, and at times funny.
Obviously this was written for slightly younger audiences than the other Zombie books I've been reading, but it's probably the one that I had the most fun reading. It definitely doesn't fit the horror genre, but Ware has hit the nail on the humorous angle of zombies.
Parts of the plot are similar to what you would expect in any zombie movie, but Ware acknowledges this and has fun doing so. The best part is that he works with what he has. These are young teens, preteens really, and they don't have access to guns or other weapons, and they certainly don't start off with mature survival instincts. Their first idea is to go to the mall. Too bad it's a strip mall. Then they head for Walmart, which is a much better idea. But even then they do some silly things, the first night the get a TV, and then set up a generator inside. His concept for lemon juice to be lethal to zombies is great. It gives his characters something to work with that doesn't seem too obvious for them, especially since they discover it by accident.
I was surprised by the ending, and had thought it would end a bit differently, with a perfect happy ending that most lighthearted children/middle grade/YA novels do, but Ware gave us a happy ending that is still sad.
Overall, an awesomely fun read, and I would definitely recommend this for ages 9 and up, particularly boys.
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