Review: Alice in Zombieland by Gena Showalter

Alice in Zombieland by Gena Showalter

Release Date: October 1st 2012
Series: White Rabbit Chronicles #1
Publisher: HarlequinTEEN
Source: received from publisher for review purposes
Format: Paperback
Collins | Book Depository | Amazon
My Rating: 

Alice Bell has lived her entire life with her father telling her and her sister about the monsters that roam the night time. Her father has always obsessed about the monsters, never letting his daughters out at night from pure fear of them. Everyone thinks that he has lost the plot.

Ali's sister desperately wants to perform in a dance recital. The only problem? It's at night, and her father would never go for it. This is where Ali steps in. For her sister she would do anything. Ali's birthday is coming up and her parents constantly forget, not much changes this year. Ali convinces her mum that it's ok, if they go to the recital. Somehow her parents are convinced and they go. The recital is a great success but now it's night time, and the Bell's are out in the open. 



The Bell's hurry to the car, being rushed by their father to get home as soon as possible. The unthinkable happens on the way home. They are unable to bypass the cemetery. Ali's fathers worst nightmare. It becomes even worse when they are in a car accident. Ali doesn't know what's happen but she comes to and her dad has crashed threw the windshield and there are things around him. The monsters that her father has always warned her about.
Ali loses more than she can bare in that tragedy. Now she has to continue on with life, knowing what's out there, and what they are capable of. Ali moves in with her grandparents and changes schools. On her first day she makes eye contact with a boy, Cole Holland, and something happens. She has a vision. By the look on his face, so did he.
Cole Holland and his 'misfit' group of friends are constantly showing up to school with bruises or worse, not showing up at all... Dead. Killed, more specifically. In action. Cole and his group of friends have a.... special talent, if you will. Killing the monsters, which later Alice finds out are Zombie's.

Though I was weary of Cole at the beginning, I liked seeing him develop as a character and in his case, appearance can be very deceiving. Alice and Cole start to fall for each other, it must be hard not to when your out saving the world from zombie's together.

Ok so when I first heard about this book, I was expecting a zombie retelling of Alice in Wonderland, and I didn't get it. The only real connection was that they were offing zombies heads. "Off with their heads!" and all, you know? I found this one very hard to give a rating as I did enjoy it but it wasn't what I was expecting. If I take away the expectation of an Alice in Wonderland retelling it is a great read that I recommend to all zombie lovers, especially those who are new to the zombie genre!

If you like the sound of this then I also recommend (even though they aren't zombie books) The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin and Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

Also it could just be me but the girl on the cover of this book looks so much like an actor who was in The Sleepover!!

Can you recommend me any more zombie books that I should read??

Happy reading!
- Amy