Review - Even White Trash Zombies Get the Blues (White Trash Zombie, Book 2) by Diana Rowland (4.5/5 stars)

Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Size: 320 pages
Publisher: DAW
Release Date: July 3, 2012
ISBN-13: 978-0756407506
Stand Alone or Series: 2nd book in the White Trash Zombies series
Source: Borrowed from Library
Rating: 4.5/5 stars

This is the second book in Rowland’s White Trash Zombie series. Right now Rowland has three book on contract for this series. This is a different type of zombie book with an excellent mystery and some good humor; it was a very fun read.

Angel is finally getting used to her new job and her need for brains. Then things get shaken up when she finds out that her parole officer is out to get her for a felony she committed before zombiehood. Then she finds out her boyfriend’s uncle is part of a zombie mafia of sorts and all of this might be tied into some sort of secret lab conspiracy. Angel is going to need a lot of brains (in more ways than one) to survive all of this!

This is a very well done investigative urban fantasy. This book had an excellent mystery for Angel to solve;, one involving genetic tampering and zombie mobsters. I really enjoy this series, it's different from all the other zombie books out there. The zombies in this book are just people who happen to be dead and tend to start rotting if they don’t eat brains.

Angel is a wonderful character, her life sucked before she was turned into a zombie and it’s been great to see Angel slowly getting her life together while dealing with her zombiness. It’s somewhat ironic that being turned into a zombie is one of the best things that has ever happened to her. Angel is really going against the odds to try and turn her life around. I loved watching her stand up to her boyfriend as well, she is finally seeing some worth in herself and gaining some self-respect. Her relationship with her father is interesting too.

The side characters are all well done and have depth to them; although Angel is definitely the true star of the book the side characters support her nicely.

The book is humorous, well written, and a bit gross at times... I had a hard time putting it down and really enjoyed the way all of the different threads of plot wove a wonderful mystery in the end. It is just very well done and a very enjoyable read. Definitely for older readers, as there is talk about sex and oodles of swearing. The book also gets pretty gory and disgusting at times...but it is about zombies...soooo....

This book has a great ending, it is seriously one of the best endings I’ve read in a while. It’s an upbeat ending that just leaves you feeling great and wanting to read more about Angel and her world!

Overall this was an excellent continuation of this series. I loved it even more than the first book. Angel is growing so much as character and I am totally rooting for her! I enjoyed the investigation and mystery; it was very well done. I also really enjoy the creative take on zombies that Rowland has used in this series. Highly recommended to fans of investigative urban fantasy and to fans of zombies of course!

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
- Zombie Reading Challenge
- Horror and Urban Fantasy Challenge
- 150+ Books Reading Challenge

Review - My Life as a White Trash Zombie by Diana Rowland (4/5 stars)

Reading level: Adult

Genre: Urban Fantasy
Size: 320 Pages
Publisher: DAW

Release Date: July 5th, 2011
ISBN: 978-0756406752
Stand Alone or Series: 1st book in the White Trash Zombie series
Source: Bought
Rating: 4/5 stars

I bought a copy of this book because of the awesome cover, oh and I had read a lot of great reviews on it...also I like zombie books....  This was a creative take on the zombie condition, at times pretty funny, and well written.  All in all a highly amusing book that I really enjoyed reading.  This is the first book in this series, the second (Even White Trash Zombies Get the Blues) is scheduled for a July 2012 release.  Right now there are three books planned in this series.

Angel Crawford is your typical white trash young woman.  She lives in a filthy trailer with her drunk dad, can't hold a job to save her live, and is constantly experimenting with the lastest new drug.   Things hit rock botton when Angel wakes up in the ER; apparently she was found passed-out stark naked on the side of the road.  She had a billion drugs in her system and is a presumed OD; problem is Angel doesn't remember any of it...the glimpses she does remember don't match what she's been told.  Then upon exiting the ER she finds someone has left her a cooler of strange drinks and a job offer at the morgue.  As time passes Angel realizes that she is....different...and she really, really craves brains.

This was a fun story and a creative take on zombies.  This isn't a zombie apocalypse story, but more a zombie as the minority and in hiding type of story.  The zombies in this book look and act just like anyone else...as long as they get a good amount of brains to keep things moving.  This is an interesting and creative idea and I enjoyed reading about; the why behind it is never really explained, but if you just go with it, it's a lot of fun.

Angel is a great lead, she is tough and funny but really wants to turn her life around.  Looking over her shoulder as she learns how to be a tech at the morgue was interesting, fun, and kind of gross at times.  As with most zombie books this one gets pretty graphic; especially since Angel visits a lot of crime scenes to pick up dead bodies.  So not a book for the weak of stomach.

All of the above would be interesting on its own but Rowland also ties in a good murder mystery.  When a number of the vics Angel picks up are missing their heads, she suspects foul play and gets drawn into trying to solve this mystery.  It is a well done mystery with a couple of unexpected twists and turns.  The story is mainly urban fantasy, but does have a teeny tiny bit of romance.

The story is nicely wrapped up, leaving a few small things unresolved for the next book.

Overall I really enjoyed this book and had a lot of fun reading it.  Angel is a great protagonist; she is fun, tough, smart and really wants to turn her life around.  Zombies are dealt with in a creative and fun way and all of this is wrapped together with a murder mystery that is very well done.   I thoroughly enjoyed this story and can't wait to see what happens in the next book, Even White Trash Zombies get the Blues.  A great book for fans of zombies and urban fantasy, especially those who like some black humor in their books.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:

- Horror and Urban Fantasy Challenge
- 100+ Reading Challenge
- Zombies! Reading Challenge