100 by 30 Book 57 - My Life as a White Trash Zombie

My Life as a White Trash Zombie by Diana Rowland is awesome!

So this is a first person tale of Angel Crawford, a young lady who wakes up in a hospital only to slowly discover that she is a zombie now. Also, she's a drug addict and convicted felon who lives with her alcoholic father in their crappy trailer.

There are 2 major elements that make this such an entertaining story. First of all, Rowland does a great job of tweaking the zombie mythos without losing the horror. Brains have always been a staple in the zombie appetite, but it never seemed to factor in to any of the zombie fiction I encountered in any significant way. Here, brains are necessary for Angel's very survival. She is gifted with a job as a coroner's assistant from the mysterious figure who turned her. This gives her access to brains which keep her healthy, but a few days deprivation result in a growing stench and a rapid deterioration resulting in rotting flesh and the quick descent into the shambling zombie we are all familiar with. It's an interesting tweak that I quite enjoyed. Angel will literally rot and die if her access to brains is cut off. This way, we get a coherent narrator, who also rots and gets really, really gross from time to time.

The other major element is Angel herself. This is actually a redemption story in the guise of a horror story. Angel's story starts with her life in absolute shambles. She was found naked and drugged on the side of the road. Her sort of boyfriend is a druggy too, and her dad is in an unemployed drunken turd. It's hard to be in a worse state than that. Her new situation ironically gives her a new lease on life. She suddenly finds herself with a job she has to keep in order to survive and her new zombification has left her unable to feel the effects of any drugs or alcohol. It's like an instant rehab program. Angel's struggle to finally gain control of her life is the biggest draw here, and it's a complete joy to read. Plus there's all kinds of murder and grossness going on. There is also a slight dash of romance, but it's a zombie book, so if you have sex without the proper amount of brains in your system, clothes aren't the only thing that can fall off.... In all seriousness though, this book is great fun, and I finally found a Louisiana horror series I like better than the True Blood books.

10/10

100 by 30 Book 56 - White Oleander

White Oleander by Janet Fitch


This is a pretty amazing book, but definitely not for the faint of heart. The story follows Astrid as she is passed around through the foster system after her mother is sent to jail. What follows is a harrowing tale of 5 years of physical abuse, neglect, and emotional abuse. Throughout Astrid's journey, she is trying to find comfort where she can, and slowly comes to realize the extant of her mother's extreme narcissism. It's a nice portrait of a child coming to the realization that the parent they loved was actually abusive. There comes a point about two thirds of the way through the book where I almost gave up because I got so bummed out. Don't worry though, it gets better and the final confrontation between Astrid and her mom is one of the best written scenes I've ever read. I highly, highly recommend this book, but you will probably want to have a puppy or other cuddly creature nearby.

9/10