Review: I Kissed a Zombie and I Liked It

I Kissed a Zombie and I Liked It by Adam Selzer
Date Released: January 26, 2010
Published by: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Pages:  Paperback, 177 pages
Young Adult
Overall:

Algonquin “Alley” Rhodes, the high school newspaper’s music critic, meets an intriguing singer, Doug, while reviewing a gig. He’s a weird-looking guy—goth, but he seems sincere about it, like maybe he was into it back before it was cool. She introduces herself after the set, asking if he lives in Cornersville, and he replies, in his slow, quiet murmur, “Well, I don’t really live there, exactly. . . .”

When Alley and Doug start dating, Alley is falling so hard she doesn’t notice a few odd signs: he never changes clothes, his head is a funny shape, and he says practically nothing out loud. Finally Marie, the school paper’s fashion editor, points out the obvious: Doug isn’t just a really sincere goth. He’s a zombie. Horrified that her feelings could have allowed her to overlook such a flaw, Alley breaks up with Doug, but learns that zombies are awfully hard to get rid of—at the same time she learns that vampires, a group as tightly-knit as the mafia, don’t think much of music critics who make fun of vampires in reviews. . . .
Synopsis via Goodreads

My Thoughts:

I honestly have no clue how to write this review.  I've been sitting here for probably an hour staring at my screen looking for the right words for this. Really, I have no clue.

Alley Rhodes shouldn't have been a character that I enjoyed reading.  She was nasty, judgmental and one of the mean girls I couldn't stand in high school.  Yet, I loved her.  Even her friends, who were no better then her in all of their Vicious Circle glory, had me giggling even with the little character development there was.

Our main character who starts out as a rather judgmental and close-minded, jaded teenager comes-of-age by way of one of our lives most memorable and life changing events- finding our first true love.  Unfortunately for Alley, later self-dubbed Gonk (the middle 'noise' of her full name), she has to over come several prejudices (which I must say she does quite easily with the realization that her attitude wasn't exactly a positive one) to allow herself to continue loving the boy, well Zombie, that captured her heart by way of music.

This story wasn't only eye catching with it's cover and it's title, it was part parody, part epic-ill-fated romance, comedy and wait for it..... a story with lay-low morals.  Yes! I said it!  Deep within the confines of this zombierific-love-story there are morals to be found- morals that I didn't plan on finding.  Of course, these morals didn't come in the form of angel-like characters, but still, they were there. We aren't given a Twilight worthy happy-ending, but I found the ending fulfilling of the story.

I Kissed a Zombie and I Liked it was an awesome quick read!  One which perhaps lacked some of the makings of an truly brilliant YA fiction read but I couldn't help but love it.  It is definitely one that you have to have a sense of humor to read.

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Check out my interview with Author Adam Selzer Here!