Review of Zombie Queen of Newbury High by Amanda Ashby

Zombie Queen of Newbury High 

by Amanda Ashby

Published: March 2009

Publisher: Puffin

Available: Amazon

Blurb:

Quiet, unpopular, non-cheerleading Mia is blissfully happy. She is dating super hot football god Rob, and he actually likes her and asked her to prom! Enter Samantha - cheerleading goddess and miss popularity - who starts making a move for Rob. With prom in a few days, Mia needs to act fast. So she turns to her best friend, Candice, and decides to do a love spell on Rob. Unfortunately, she ends up inflicting a zombie virus onto her whole class, making herself their leader! At first she is flattered that everyone is treating her like a queen. But then zombie hunter hottie Chase explains they are actually fattening her up, because in a few days, Mia will be the first course in their new diet. She's sure she and Chase can figure something out, but she suggests that no one wear white to prom, because things could get very messy.

Review

When I initially read this book I was quite happy with it. A solid 4/5 I would have given it,  But in the days that have passed since I finished it, I've found that my memories of the book have diminished. There are bits and pieces that I can remember, and not all of them are good, so in the end I would have to say that 4/5 would have been extremely generous. 

What do I recall? There's the voodoo ritual Mia does that creates the zombies, and I love that they're not out and out zombies right away. Mia was a bit annoying with her constant references to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, maybe that's just because I hated the television show, but it didn't make me think she was cool for being into that retro stuff. I just felt sad for her pathetically boring life. Candice was at least funny. Her obsession with her health is what keeps the zombie virus from being the typical stuff. As for Chase, he was boring, even after his true identity is revealed. 

The best part of this book was the way the soon to be zombies were attempting to fatten Mia up. I loved the way she was completely oblivious at first and then when she clues in, she goes to some extreme lengths to keep them from attacking her.

The end was a bit too obvious for me, even with the attempted twist. I think the ending was what ultimately made this a forgettable book. There was nothing there to draw me back in to reading it again.