Review: August of the Zombies (A Small Zombie Problem #3) by K.G. Campbell

 

It started out as a small zombie problem. Then four more zombies tagged along. Now there are too many to count! From the acclaimed illustrator of Flora & Ulysses comes the exciting conclusion to the Zombie Problems trilogy.

After facing an alligator attack and a paddle boat accident in search of the zombie stone, August comes out unscathed…but empty-handed. At least Claudette is still by his side, along with a few more zombies. Of course, it isn’t long before a few zombies becomes a horde, and August has so many questions: What is he supposed to do with all of these zombies? What is his Aunt Orchid hiding? Will his life ever be like Stella Starz (in her own life)? And most importantly, will he ever find the zombie stone and get everything back to normal? ~ goodreads

Source: Finished hardcover copy provided by the author in exchange for an honest review

Reviews for A Small Zombie Problem (book #2)  , The Zombie Stone (book #2)

A brief (non spoilery) series recap: Augustus is a sweet, lonely boy, with butterflies seemingly obsessed with flying around his head, which, as you can imagine, doesn't make him popular with other children. Although, I'd be all over that! lol He spends his time with his fearful Aunt Hydrangea, dreaming of his favorite show - In her Own Life, starring Stella Starz, and picking up a new friend (I use that term loosely - she follows him everywhere and they form a sort of alliance) Claudette. Who happens to be his great, great aunt, in the form of a child zombie.

From Goodreads A Small Zombie Problem (book #1) "In his fiction debut--and the start of a new series--celebrated illustrator K.G. Campbell brings a touch of Tim Burton to this singularly strange and wonderful story about a lonely boy whose life is about to get a whole lot more complicated when a zombie follows him home.

FYI: the series must be read in order, as each book builds upon the other

Review: August of the Zombies is the conclusion to this decidedly quirky and macabre mid-grade series about an ever growing band of zombies following a sweet but awkward boy named August.

For the entirety of the series, August has wished these zombies would just go away so he could be *normal* & fit in. None more than his great-great Aunt Claudette who, in in her decayed childlike form, relentlessly follows August everywhere.

I have a soft spot for Claudette and while I understood how she was cramping August's style and social life - I wished he could see the opportunity it presented. She was unrelentingly loyal and to be able to meet your family and learn from the past is a gift. 

I got my wish and then some with this final installment.

My one (minor) criticism of the series is that it often branched off into so many adventures. I couldn't see how the pieces would fit in the end or why they mattered but Campbell dovetailed it all together nicely.

There are gruesome zombie bits, wild adventures, plenty of laughs, a beautiful coming of age - found family story with a surprisingly touching exploration of grief leading to the resolution to August's "small zombie problem". 

What I was not prepared for was how emotional this story got. Especially the second half. I actually teared up reading the last page 😢 I'm getting a little verklempt again just thinking about it - but it also puts the biggest smile on my face. Perfect ending - for everyone!

Another thing I wanted to touch on, although I'm not a parent, is how the author never talked down to the (targeted MG) reader. The vocabulary and concepts are designed to provoke questions and further discussion and would make a wonderful group/bedtime read. 

It is also a bit gorey (zombies losing body parts and the like), there are natural disasters and discusses death and grief (beautifully IMHO) but may be a bit much for some children. Or like I mentioned above - read with your child and be ready to answer questions.

As always the illustrations (also by Campbell were lovely.

Review: The Zombie Stone (Zombie Problems #2) by K. G. Campell

What's worse than discovering you have a zombie problem? Imagine acquiring four more undead tag-alongs. . . . From the acclaimed illustrator of Flora & Ulysses comes the second book in the Zombie Problems trilogy, heralded as "reminiscent of Roald Dahl in uniting the macabre with realism."

When a zombie followed August DuPont home one day, he didn't expect her to stick around. But Claudette is in no hurry to leave August's side. And when he decides to go to Croissant City in search of the elusive Zombie Stone, Claudette joins him. It's a good thing she does, because no sooner had August set out than a mysterious white alligator began to follow him. Reptiles aren't the only creatures to look out for, though. When August is reunited with his dour cousins the Malveaus, and their menacing mother, Orchid, finding the stone before they do takes on a new urgency. Throw in a swamp doctor, a costume parade, a pop star, a seance, a band of smugglers, and four new zombies, and you'd better believe that August's quest is only going to get more complicated.  ~ Goodreads

Source: Final hardcover copy provided by the author in exchange for an honest review. (A very patient author! because it has taken me several months to read due to just a general lack of reading focus)

Review: Before I get to the review for book #2 in the Zombie Problem series - here's a quick recap of what the series is about. I will strive to be spoiler free but heads up if you don't wan to know anything going in. 

From Goodreads A Small Zombie Problem (book #1) "In his fiction debut--and the start of a new series--celebrated illustrator K.G. Campbell brings a touch of Tim Burton to this singularly strange and wonderful story about a lonely boy whose life is about to get a whole lot more complicated when a zombie follows him home.

A brief recap of book #1: Augustus is a sweet, lonely boy, with butterflies seemingly obsessed with flying around his head, which, as you can imagine, doesn't make him popular with other children. Although, I'd be all over that! lol He spends his time with his Aunt Hydrangea, dreaming of his favorite show - In her Own Life, starring Stella Starz, and picking up a new friend (I use that term loosely - she follows him everywhere and they form a sort of alliance) Claudette. Who happens to be his aunt, in the form of a child zombie. (my review of A Small Zombie Problem)

The Zombie Stone picks up from there, with Augustus trying to find a rare Cadaverite stone that can help return Claudette to her permanent resting place (which sounds mean when I type it lol) that sets him off on a new adventure with both old and new friends and enemies. And more zombies. There can never be enough zombies! 

This series and installment is full of whimsy from the names, the New Orleans like setting, pirate ships, white alligators rising out of the water, parades, costume contests to people with nefarious motives. It's a teeny bit gory, very funny and increasingly twisty. 

At times, having characters from the first book included while introducing new ones, didn't quite work giving short shrift to some plotlines but the author did have a few revelations up his sleeve in regards to Augustus's family and history to keep things exciting.

The new crew of bumbling zombies are a hoot. I know, understandably, Augustus hates having them around, and I get it, but I love how Claudette comes to his rescue and tries to be part of things around her and having a good time in her quasi afterlife - afterdeath?? Adding more zombies just makes it more fun. 

As with A Small Zombie Problem, I adore the illustrations done by the author. They add this extra element to things that help you visualize the more wacky elements.  

I think the adventure was a little less focused but still fun but there were more revelations and lead up to the next installment. I am decidedly not the target audience as a 50 something year old woman vs. a middle grader but I do enjoy this series and look forward to Augustus finding his purpose and confidence. 

Review A Small Zombie Problem (Book #1) by K.G. Campbell

In his fiction debut--and the start of a new series--celebrated illustrator K.G. Campbell brings a touch of Tim Burton to this singularly strange and wonderful story about a lonely boy whose life is about to get a whole lot more complicated when a zombie follows him home.

August DuPont has spent his whole life inside a dilapidated house with his aunt Hydrangea. His lonely existence ends abruptly with the arrival of an invitation to meet an aunt--and cousins--he didn't even know existed. When Aunt Orchid suggests that August attend school with his cousins, it's a dream come true. But August has scarcely begun to celebrate his reversal of fortune when he is confronted by a small problem on his way home. So begins an adventure filled with a wild child, a zombie, a fabled white alligator, and an unimaginable family secret. ~ Goodreads

Source: Finished copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review

* I also borrowed the audiobook version from the library and switched between the two.

Review:

A Small Zombie Problem was an adorably quirky mid-grade novel about a lonely boy named August DuPont who lives with his Aunt Hydrangea - a women so fearful that butterflies terrify her. She keeps August sequestered to her dilapidated house, homeschooling him and mourning her glory days as the former Miss Chili Pepper Princess and barely scraping by on the sales from the last of her DuPont’s Peppy Pepper Sauce.

Aunt Hydrangea is a kind, if flighty, woman, but August is so lonely that he seeks out social cues by watching the show Stella Starz (in Her Own Life) – a twice weekly show about a California teen. He gets the opportunity to test those skills when his wealthy Aunt Orchid contacts August and invites him for a visit and an offers to send him to school with his twin cousins.

August is SO excited to go outside and his cousins but just like his aunt Hydrangea, he’s a bit strange. He likes to make paper mache sculptures, wears a bee net hat and is generally very quiet, bespectacled and squeaky sounding.

As the title implies, August picks up a small zombie problem in the form of a  young girl named Claudette who literally breaks out of her grave and starts following August everywhere. August, trying to appear as normal as possible so he can finally have friends, tries to shake her off to no avail.

August and Claudette’s interactions are the highlight of this book. They are slightly gruesome (Claudette tries to give August her eyeball as a gesture of friendship) but so sweet as he tries to find a way to send her back. His research leads him on quite the adventure involving a gemstone that can raise the dead, traitorous relatives, family secrets and an illusive white alligator.

August also learns the value of true friendship and learning to better judge a persons character. Despite his initial timidity, his blossoming confidence and protectiveness of Claudette by the end was delightful.

At times this story tries to do too much, focusing less on the zombie aspect, and instead setting up several plot points and introducing too many characters – although it all ties together in the end and sets up quite the adventure for book #2 – it might make for slow or distracted reading for little ones trying to keep track and figure out what this all leads to. I was also surprised that this book ended on such a big cliffhanger, so keep that in mind as well.

The illustrations (by the author) were fantastic and really added another element to the story. I also listened on audio and that was wonderful as well because of all the quirky characters being acted out by narrator, Todd Haberkorn. I would recommend either format – or BOTH!

Thank you again to Random House Kids for sending the book for review and inviting me on the book tour.

Purchase links: Amazon | Audible | The Book Depository | Indie Bound

Author: website | Twitter

I'm Reading... The Zombie Stone by K.G. Campbell, Out of Character by Annabeth Albert

 

I feel like I'm finally hitting my groove reading-wise. I've cleared out two physical books (for the first time in almost 2 years) and usually have one audio and one other format book going at once now.

I don't have any arc's so it's all very low pressure. I wasn't so much a slump as I just haven't felt like reading. I don't feel like I need to read now but it also feels nice to be getting back to something I used to enjoy so much.

READ:

The Zombie Stone by K.G. Campbell ~ Goodreads

I really have to thank the author for being so patient with me on this one. He sent me a finished hardcover copy to review ages ago. I did inform him that my reading was not going great at the moment but still...I should have read it sooner. 

This is a sequel to A Small Zombie Problem (review) - a really cute mid-grade series about a awkward, shy boy named August Dupont and his (unwelcome) zombie companions. This installment is about August trying to find a stone that will send his zombie pals back to the grave. 

I'll have a full review up in a week or so. 

READING:

Out of Character (True Colors #2) by Annabeth Albert ~ Goodreads  I really love Albert's M/M romances, although her recent ones have fallen a little short for me. This one is NA (New Adult) and very sweet so far.

It follows Jasper and Milo as they try to recover a rare gamer card that Milo lost on a game. Second chance romance, cosplay, good deeds, make this a fun one so far.

I'm listening to it on audio and I dislike both narrators but I really like both characters and their sincerity and kindness shines though so I'm going to stick with the audio for now although it's also available as an e-book on Hoopla. 

What are you reading this week? Have you read anything you loved and recommend?

Monday inspiration...

Day 5: The Crossroads Blog Tour & Kindle Giveaway with Ty Drago & Carrie Harris

Welcome to The Crossroads Blog tour! Authors Ty Drago and Carrie Harris are here today to talk about the looming zombie apocalypse & what the heck a “whack-a-ding-hoy” is!

Be sure to enter for a chance to win a KINDLE – preloaded with books from all the Crossroads Tour authors! (Details at the end of this post)

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Karen: Tell us a little about what Will and the gang are in for in The Undertakers: Queen of the Dead, the sequel to The Undertakers: Rise of the Corpses.

Ty: Thirteen-year-old Will Ritter and the rest of the Undertakers have won their first victory, but the celebration is cut short when a new threat emerges through the Void between worlds. Lilith Cavanugh, the Queen of the Dead, is even more ruthless and dangerous than her predecessor, and her ambitions are even more sinister.

To defeat her, the Undertakers will need to prevent an assassination, rescue Will’s family, and somehow convince a skeptical F.B.I. agent that their cause is just. But how to you convince a grown-up that monsters are real?

Karen: The zombie apocalypse is upon us. What are your three must have items?

Ty: First: my son Andy. He's been planning for the zombie apocalypse for years! He knows exactly where to find sanctuary, how to equip yourself, how to locate food, where to deliver the most effective blows to the walking dead, etc.  I wouldn't last a day without him with the zombies closing in.

Second, a shotgun and a truck-load of shells. Yeah, I know.  A Quaker with a shotgun???  Well, this Quaker don't intend to be lunch for no rottin’ cadaver, and if that means relieving said cadaver of the ten pounds of meat atop his shoulders, then so be it! (Whew!  We are talking hypothetically, aren't we?)

And finally, I'd bring Jonathan Maberry's ZOMBIE CSU. You just can't beat it when it comes to zombie info, and knowing your enemy is half the battle!

Karen: I love all the fan artwork sent in by kids on the Join the Undertakers.com fan site. Is it exciting when you can have that kind of response from and interactive experience with the reader?

Ty: When I got into middle grade fiction, Heather Brewer told me that I'd love the audience, that there is nothing like fans of that age group!  Well, she was right. The enthusiasm I get when I visit schools or do other personal appearances is absolutely incredible! The fan letters warm my heart. Just knowing there are so many readers out there just waiting for Book Two of the Undertakers' story makes me want to work that much harder on Book Three!

Karen: Do you have to tone down the gore for the mid-grade level? It seems like the kids don't have any problem with it if their drawing are any indication lol

Ty: Gore in middle grade fiction is nothing new. Just ask Darren Shan. I wanted to make the Undertakers more character driven than plot driven; it's a story about the kids, not the Corpses. That said, this is a "zombie" novel - sort of - and you have to deliver on the promise that implies!
Gruesome things happen in my pages. And, as far as I can tell, my readers wouldn't have it any other way.  I know I wouldn't!

Karen: Thanks so much for the fun interview Ty!

Author links: Website | The Undertakers | Books

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Karen": Welcome to For What It’s Worth Carrie! According to your Short and Sweet Bio: "I am whack-a-ding-hoy. I write books that are also whack-a-ding-hoy" Um….elaborate please :-)  

Carrie: I first heard the phrase “whack-a-ding-hoy” in a video game called Afterlife. It’s one of those sim games where you have to maintain heaven and hell, and your guides are this very snarky demon and a really airheaded angel. And the demon says things like, “DEMONS DO NOT DRINK ROOT BEER.” And the angel says things like, “That’s totally whack-a-ding-hoy, boss! Tee hee!” And I have no idea why I’m telling you this, except that I really liked that game. Anyway, whack-a-ding-hoy means really crazy, and that describes both me and my books, I think.

Karen: You say that you are the "ultimate geek girl" Plan your ultimate geek dinner. Who would you invite?

Carrie: I guess that depends on whether or not I can invite fictional characters. I hope so! Because I think a dinner with Spock, Sheldon from Big Bang Theory, Wil Wheaton, and Batman would be about SEVEN HUNDRED DIFFERENT KINDS OF AWESOME. Although Sheldon would probably have to bring his couch, because he wouldn’t like mine. And after dinner, we’d all play Rock-Paper-Scissors-Lizard-Spock, which Spock would naturally win, because HE’S SPOCK FOR GOD’S SAKE.

Karen: As someone who's worked with actual brains for a living (as an autopsy coordinator/statistician and a manager of the National Prion Disease Pathology Surveillance Center) and written about zombies in your debut novel Bad Taste in Boys, how do you think you would fare during a zombie apocalypse? 

Carrie: I feel like I’m fairly well prepared for the zombocalypse. I play a lot of zombie video games, and I know a lot of things about zombies, but my most important element of zombie attack prep is that I married a ninja. So my survival plan is to stand behind him and all his ninja friends and yell helpful things like, “Get him in the head!” Which will probably annoy the crap out of them, but remember the valuable zombie knowledge I possess? I’m a valuable, if annoying, asset.

And yeah, I’m proud of that.

Karen: What is Halloween like at your house? Do you go all out with decorations and costumes? 

Carrie: Oh yeah! I go way the heck overboard, partly because Halloween has always been my favorite holiday, and partly because it’s my son’s birthday. So we start talking about our costumes around Christmas, and all of us change our minds about 700 times before settling on something. I’m not really able to decorate quite as extremely as I’d like because my kids are still young, and walking down the Halloween aisle at the store sometimes freaks them out. But I’m PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE, and the future includes plastic zombies in cheerleader costumes. I think that future is awesome.

I also think YOU are awesome. Thanks so much for having me to visit!

Karen: I had to tone down my Halloween decorating after one year I sent all the small kids screaming down my walkway in terror. Oops. But all the Dad’s were taking videos lol

Author links: Website | Blog | Connect | Books

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Grand Prize and How the Crossroads Tour works:

Each day of The Crossroads Blog Tour, a new research question will be revealed on The Crossroad Blog Tour main page and each day the answer to that question will be found within one of the different blog posts by Crossroads Tour authors. Your job is to get the question, read the blog posts, and collect all answers by the end of the tour.

Answers are to be emailed to tour host, Judith Graves by October 28th at MIDNIGHT. Winner of the grand prize will be announced on OCTOBER 31st – HALLOWEEN.

The GRAND PRIZE you’re vying for? A brand new KINDLE, preloaded with a title from each of the participating Crossroads Blog Tour Authors. That’s right folks, a free KINDLE preloaded with 13 free titles from the participating authors!

Crossroads Blog tour: Main page | Twitter
Twitter chat hosted by Mundie Moms on Monday 1/29 from 8-9 CST/ 9-10 EST

Participating bloggers:
Late Bloomer Online
A Simple Love of Reading
Scribing Shadows
For What It's Worth
Confessions of a Bookaholic
Mundie Moms Book Reviews
Most-Wanted Monsters
A Life Bound by Books

My Monday Musings: July Wrap-Up & August Goals

July was a weird reading month. Apparently, I read 13 titles, but don’t remember reading most of them lol

Here’s the link to all the book from my July shelf on Goodreads

The (random) Breakdown:

Lazarus, Vol. 1& 2, Raven were Graphic Novels – that’s a fairly new format for me but I’m liking it.

Tyler Johnson Was Here, Riven, Fix Her up were on audio so I’m continuing to progress on that front and I believe that’s how I got the total read up so high for the month.

A Small Zombie problem was my only review book.

Death Prefers Blondes was the book I FINALLY finished!

Prince of Killers and Top Secret were both M/M romance.

Kill the Queen was high fantasy but read more like UF to me.


Library Love: All books, except Top Secret, Death Prefers Blondes (bought) and Hilariously Ever After (freebie) were from the library.

I want to join in the Library Love Challenge that I saw over at Feed Your Addiction because I think I’m killing it! and would love to see how much I’m saving by using my local library this year.

This is pretty new to me. I just got a card in FL last year but didn’t start using it until this year. I have read about 30 library books so far for this year!

* BTW - the challenge is hosted by Angel’s Guilty Pleasures and you can join here at any time)\

Favorite: Hard to say – I enjoyed Lazarus Vol. !, Raven, Tyler Johnson Was Here and Top Secret a lot

Least favorite: Prince of Killers. I almost DNF’d several times, it took me forever to read AND it had a cliffhanger. Not a huge fan of The Friend Zone either and Lazarus, vol. 2 dragged a bit.

I completed my 2019 Goodreads Reading Challenge!

2019 Reading Challenge

Karen has completed her goal of reading 50 books in 2019!

hide

52 of 50 (100%)

view books

I’ll be raising it to 100 and hopefully Kevin won't make me move cross county again and I can meet that goal. Ha!

August Goals:

Zip. Zilch. Nada.

I don’t have any review books and no plans so I will let the book winds take me wherever…

I’m currently reading Notes from a Young Black Chef, A Memoir by Kwame Onwuachi and while typing this, my audiobook hold for Like a Love Story by Abdi Nazemian came in!

***FLAIL***

And I wanted to share this picture! This is ALL the books on my TBR shelf. FORTY THREE books. That’s it. They all fit on this small cart. Not the room full of IKEA bookshelves I had to by to fit them all in the past.

When I first started to tackle the TBR (physical books only) I had 148 books so this is amazing!!! Since I won’t be attending any book conferences any time soon – it’s also sustainable.

How was your July reading month? What do you have planned for August? Is there a book I should be reading this month?

My Monday Musings...

I was on a roll last week with blogging – 4 posts!

Of course that means I burned bright and don’t have anything for this week lol

So here’s a little recap of what I read and what I’m reading now and have coming up.

READ:

American Dreamer (Dreamers #1) by Adriana Herrera – narrated by Sean Crisden ~ Goodreads

Olivia from Olivia’s Catastrophe reviewed book #2 in the Dreamers series – American Fairytale. It sounded like my kind of romance so I checked the library and they had the series on audio so I decided to start with book #1 and it’s fantastic!

This was a multi-cultural, interracial, M/M romance that did such a beautiful job of bringing these men together while giving them fulfilling jobs (a food cart owner & a librarian) friends and (in Ernesto’s case) family.

The conflicts added just the right amount of tension and the story really allowed us to see how the couple functions when things aren’t going right.

So many romances are just – we’re in love! – and that’s enough. Nesto and Jude had a few rough patches and had to find ways to communicate better.

Also, Nesto screwed up real bad but gave good grovel 😉I plan on continuing with this series and on audio. Sean Crisden’s narration was perfection for me, a very picky audio-book listener, especially with romances.

READING:


Sky in the Deep by Adrienne Young ~ Goodreads

“Part Wonder Woman, part Vikings – and all heart.”

I’ve had this arc for a year but I just started it on audio. It has mixed reviews but it’s action packed and fun so far.








Courting Darkness (Courting Darkness Duology #1) by Robin LaFevers ~ Goodreads

I started this a few weeks ago but haven’t gotten very far. No reason – what I've read is good – just getting distracted by other things. This book is a honker and I don’t want to start reading again until I have time to really make a dent.







UPCOMING:

A Small Zombie Problem by K.G. Campbell ~ Goodreads

I don’t do a lot of book tours these days but this offer came up last week and it sounds too adorable!

I’ll be reading it soon and posting a review on July 8th.








What are you reading this week?

Review: Rotters by Daniel Kraus

 Grave-robbing. What kind of monster would do such a thing? It's true that Leonardo da Vinci did it, Shakespeare wrote about it, and the resurrection men of nineteenth-century Scotland practically made it an art. But none of this matters to Joey Crouch, a sixteen-year-old straight-A student living in Chicago with his single mom. For the most part, Joey's life is about playing the trumpet and avoiding the daily humiliations of high school.
Everything changes when Joey's mother dies in a tragic accident and he is sent to rural Iowa to live with the father he has never known, a strange, solitary man with unimaginable secrets. At first, Joey's father wants nothing to do with him, but once father and son come to terms with each other, Joey's life takes a turn both macabre and exhilarating.
Daniel Kraus's masterful plotting and unforgettable characters makeRotters a moving, terrifying, and unconventional epic about fathers and sons, complex family ties, taboos, and the ever-present specter of mortality. (YA)

*Note - review written by the hubs, Kevin


Review:
I saw this book in my wife's TBR pile and thought "oh zombie book". I picked it up, looked quickly, saw how long it was (464 pages) and then mumbled "a lot of words in there" but again thought it's a zombie book so no problem. I was wrong..............
It was not a zombie book. Yes there are dead bodies, body parts and grave yards but thats where the similarities end. I really don't how to describe it. It is dark, morose, macabre, strange, disturbing, gripping, gross.

Joey Crouch lives alone with his protective mother in Chicago. He lives a rather humdrum life. Joey plays his trumpet with his friend Boris, does his studies but doesn't really socialize. One day what little world he has is lost. He is thrust into living with his estranged father, Ken Harnett, in a small town and has to go to a new high school where he is noticed but not in a good way. He becomes the target of bullies and of one particular teacher who has it out for him. Harnett is never around and seems indifferent to his existence. Joey is lost and has no one.

Harnett says he is a garbage man but no one ever sees him pick up the garbage. He stinks in a way that is indescribable. Slowly Joey and Harnett begin to talk. Joey decides to confront his father about what he does. This is when it starts getting dark and disturbing at times. His father is a digger or grave robber. The rest of the book involves Joey realizing his "calling". It's a veritable coming of age novel for grave diggers. Who knew there was so much involved in the art of grave robbing? You will after reading Rotters.

The book meanders at times and gets a little wordy. In some ways, Kraus's writing is reminiscent of Edgar Allen Poe. It has the darkness but it gets very disturbing at times. There is one scene that had me cringing.....ME....the man who loves horror and gore. In the end I was speechless and I'm really not sure how to explain my experience. I guess the Scott Westerfield blurb on the cover says it best; "Grueling, demented, and so crammed with noxious awesomeness that I had to read it twice". I don't know about the read it twice but I did finish the book and am curious as to what Kraus will write about next and yes I will probably read it.

I guess what disturbed me most is that it could be real.........unlike zombies - I think.

Rating: I'm not really sure about a total score for this book. It would range from a 2.5 - 3.0 out of 4 Although YA, I would recommend this one for the older teens due to the graphic nature of the story.


Buy the book! Rotters
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers (April 5, 2011)
Find Daniel Kraus: website, Facebook, Twitter

The Friday 5 - Netflix picks

What I’ve been watching on Netflix!

1.

Sierra Burgess is a Loser

I was really looking forward to this one. The unpopular, nerdy, average looking girl gets the jock. Yes please!

Unfortunately, Sierra Burgess is a loser. But it’s not because of her looks, or her nerdiness, or awkwardness around guys. It’s because she’s ugly on the inside. She’s a bad friend and a liar.

She, accidentally, gets herself in a catfishing situation and relies on hot cheerleader, Veronica, to do the talking for her in person after she misleads cute jock, Jamey, while texting.

The problem is – that she goes far beyond duping Jamey and takes away his consent and choices. It’s gross.

Veronica, who is supposed to be the stuck up, shallow cheerleader is a wonderful person with a lot of problems at home. She’s a good friend to Sierra. She has a MUCH better character arc that Sierra does.

Sierra may feel awkward and ugly but there is nothing in this movie to indicate that is true. She has great friends, Jamey actually does show interest in the *real* her when he meets her, her family is wonderful…

I’m fine with flawed characters and their journey to redemption but that story was Veronica’s – Sierra was just a horrible person who didn’t deserve to get the guy and win her friend back in the end.

Take a hard pass on this one!

2.

Ghoul – subtitled

Ghoul is an Indian horror mini series ( 3 episodes) – set in a dystopian future India is based on the Arab folklore monster ghoul.

Nida, played by the wonderful Radhika Apte, is a new military officer serving under an authoritarian government.  In order to prove her loyalty to the regime she turns in her own father for sedition and is recruited by a covert military installation to interrogate the high profile resistance fighter, Ali Saeed.

She starts to realize there’s more going on as the ghoul gets into the interrogators heads (& flesh!) as all hell breaks lose at the detention center.

3 episodes of psychological torture and gore are the perfect length to tell this story. The first episode is a tad slow with all the setup required before it kicks into gear but well worth your time if you love horror and want something a touch different.

3.

The Wailing – subtitled

This is a South Korean horror film about a police officer who investigates a series of murders and zombie like illnesses in small villages.

Ghosts, shamans, and plenty of gore with a very cool ending mixed with some lighter slapstick moments make for an odd combo that doesn't always work but I really enjoyed this one.

4.

Set It Up

This had a lot of mixed reviews so I almost didn’t watch it. But I did and I loved it!

I’m curious why some people didn’t like it. Was it because they were expecting Lucy Lu and Taye Diggs to have bigger roles? If so, I get that. That’s what I thought it was about too.

However, Set It Up is more about their beleaguered assistants. It follows all the romcom rules starting with the meet cute but had a fresh, modern spin on it, IMO.

I loved how Harper found her backbone without compromising her ethics.

Charlie does cross those lines in his quest for a promotion but he gets his shit together and I enjoyed his redemption/grovel arc.

5.

Crazy Rich Asians

This isn’t on Netflix but worth going to see in theaters.

I was avoiding it because I’m not a big fan of the lifestyles of the rich and famous, shopping, glamorous parties…etc and the previews make it seem like this is the focus – but this was an incredibly sweet film about families, generational and class differences.

The romance was probably the least interesting thing to me, even though Rachel and Nick are cute enough.

Rachel, played by Constance Wu, is the breakout star and Michelle Yeoh managed to give a pretty cruel mother a lot of nuance. And I thought I was going to hate Awkwafina’s over-the-top performance based on the previews and yes, she gets most of the one liners and laughs but she’s an amazing friend and added more to the roll than funny bff sidekick.

Do you have any Netflix rec's for me?

I've had Netflix for a long time but have used it more int he last month than I have in the last decade! lol Personally, I love the original programming = especially the foreign offerings. I get really bored with how predictable US entertainment can be.