Zombie Killer

Creative writing prompts to finally nip this block in the bud? ...

I cannot wait to get out of this prison. For the next two months my only responsibilities are getting a tan and reading trashy magazines. I am almost finished emptying my locker of the detritus that accumulates throughout a school year when Adam slams into the locker beside mine.

"You have to come with me. It's a matter of life and death." Then he grabs my hand and starts pulling me after him toward the cafeteria. As we approach, I begin to hear it. The moans and groans and utter chaos that accompanies an undead outbreak. I pull Adam to a stop and head toward the last hallway we passed. Luckily, my locker is not the last place I need to clean out before leaving campus.

When we get to the choir room, Adam starts lecturing. "We can't just hide from them! We have to do something! How can you just hide in here? I don't know what is going on out there, but I know that we have to do something about it!"

"Dude, we need supplies. I do know what's going on out there, and running in empty handed is only going to get more people killed. Namely, you and me. And if you are honest with yourself, you know what you saw. So call my dad. Tell him, 'Ravens winning in the cafeteria,' and wait for him to get here."

"Wait for him? No way! I'm coming with you. Dude... why do you have a crossbow and hunting knife in the sheet music closet?"

Without time to argue or explain, I run out of there and toward the fray. When I finally see the cafeteria, I am extremely thankful that most of the kids who drive to school have left. It looks like the entire freshmen class is in the cafeteria trying to bite the few upper class stragglers left. So I do what I have been trained my entire life to do. I kill every zombie in that cafeteria. My knife is slick with their black rot when I make it to the back corner and find the culprit behind the outbreak slipping out of the window and running away.

I had known all year that my biology teacher was a little too excited about dissections. Too enamored of the study of life, or more accurately, the ending of life. And now I know why after catching the glint of the telltale ruby jewel in his gauged earlobe. A necromancer. Looks like my summer may have just gotten more interesting.

Words Matter

The last novel that I featured on this here blog was a wonderful tribute to faith, love, and the things that happen to people during times of war. If you haven't read Hero's Welcome I still urge you to do so. But if you don't have the desire to do that, maybe you will enjoy Rosalind Foley's blog, and maybe after reading her blog you'll understand why her book is so darn good! So this is my plug to read her blog, people! It will make me happy :).

Here's the link:

http://www.rosalindfoleyauthor.com/index.html

Hero's Welcome

Title: Hero’s Welcome

Author: Rosalind Foley

Publisher: Rosalind Foley, 2013

Pages: 239

Genre: Historical Fiction

Corporal Jacques Viator, wounded shortly after D-Day returns to his Louisiana rice farm thinking the war for him is over. His Hero’s Welcome quickly turns into a nightmare when he awakes his first morning home to the sound of German voices. What happens next sets Jacques, his wife Adele, his deaf sister Jeanette, his Cajun Papa and their friends on a rocky journey to forgiveness and peace. In telling their stories Rosalind Foley has reduced war to its most human dimension, showing how it affects the lives of ordinary people on both sides. Before writing the novel she spent two years helping document the until then little-know era when thousands of German POWs were interned in Louisiana.

I must be honest in telling you that I was not expecting to enjoy Hero’s Welcome as much as I did. It’s not my usual cup of tea, but I was pleasantly surprised! Rosalind Foley is my very dear friend’s grandmother. I started this book in support of their lovely family, but I finished it for much more selfish reasons!

I am ashamed to say that I knew little of the German POWs internment in Louisiana, and I have lived in Louisiana my entire life. When I say I “knew little” of it, I knew nothing of it. If this was mentioned in my 8^th grade Louisiana History class, I have successfully forgotten it. I thoroughly remember learning of the Japanese internments on the Pacific coast, so it’s strange to think that I would have completely wiped this huge portion of Louisiana history from my mind. Alas, I know of it now.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this novel. I knew it was about southern Louisiana during World War 2, but apart from that I had no idea. (I suppose that’s how it always is when picking up a new book, but humor me.) And while it is in fact about southern Louisiana during World War 2, it goes so much deeper than that. It explores the intricacies of family, marriage, and faith.

Hero’s Welcome required me to decide how I feel about the sanctity of marriage. How much does one tolerate before giving up? It’s lovely to read about a time when giving up was not an option. These were people who loved their marriage and couldn’t give up on the holy bond that it represents. It encourages me to remind people that marriage is not something that we enter into blithely. Because I hope that if and when I am able to marry, I have the sense and the conviction to do it forever. Marriage is truly meant to be forever, and when people decide to enter into this club on a whim it does destroy marriage. So listen (read) well, don’t take marriage lightly. Just don’t.

Onto my next soapbox… This novel implores you to remember that the sins of our government are not our own. We do not choose which battles to fight or which agendas to support. However it also reminds us that it is our duty to support the soldiers who do the fighting. Because most of the time, like us, they didn’t pick which battles to fight. They simply did what was expected of them. It requires us to look at “enemies” and remember that they aren’t all evil. In fact, it would stand to reason that they were simply following orders. I am not trying to say that all “enemies” or “allies” are innocent. It is naïve to believe that. But it is also impossible to believe that every one of them is guilty. Sometimes we are forced to remember that pesky gray area! And Hero’s Welcome thrives in that place between black and white.

I highly recommend Hero’s Welcome to everyone. If you know anything about southern Louisiana culture, it is a ton of fun! But that’s certainly not a requirement to understand and enjoy the overall message that is so spectacularly delivered.

Ratings

Cover: 3/5  

Characters: 4/5

Plot: 5/5

Writing: 4/5

Individuality: 5/5

The Whole Shebang:  4.2/5

Additionally, I am aware how democracy is designed to operate. We elect representatives who we feel share our beliefs so that they may make decisions for the nation on our behalf. I feel that I may not have explained that thoroughly above, and I chose to add this in separately because it doesn't have much to do with the review. I just want you to know that I know that everyone is responsible for the sins of their government in some regard. 

Hemlock Grove

Title: Hemlock Grove

Author: Brian McGreevy

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux; 2012

Pages: 318

Genre: Horror

The body of a young girl is found mangled and murdered in the woods of Hemlock Grove, Pennsylvania, in the shadow of the abandoned Godfrey steel mill. A manhunt ensues—though the authorities aren’t sure if it’s a man they should be looking for.

Some suspect an escapee from the White Tower, a forbidding biotech facility owned by the Godfrey family—their person fortune and the local economy having moved on from Pittsburgh steel—where, if the rumors are true, biological experiments of the most unethical kind take place. Others turn to Peter Rumancek, a Gypsy trailer-trash kid who has told impressionable high school classmates that he’s a werewolf. Or perhaps it’s Roman, the son of the late JR Godfrey, who rules the adolescent social scene with the casual arrogance of a cold-blooded aristocrat, his superior status unquestioned despite his decidedly freakish sister, Shelley, whose monstrous medical conditions belie a sweet intelligence, and his otherworldly control freak of a mother, Olivia.

At once a riveting mystery and a fascinating revelation of the grotesque and the darkness in us all, Hemlock Grove has the architecture and energy to become a classic in its own right—and Brian McGreevy the talent and ambition to enthrall us for years to come.

This novel is truly beautiful. Brian McGreevy is an incredibly talented author. The language with which he weaves his story is absolutely exquisite, and I cannot degrade it with my usual trite remarks. Hemlock Grove, in my humble opinion, is a modern-day classic. McGreevy revamps gothic fiction just enough to ensure he is not simply recreating the old but making something entirely new.

McGreevy recounts the unlikely and twisted alliance between Peter Rumancek and Roman Godfrey. Hemlock Grove becomes the hunting ground for an evil murderer not long after Peter, a gypsy werewolf, moves to town. Naturally, suburbanites fear Peter’s nomadic lifestyle. They, as a community, cannot grasp the idea of not having roots or obligations. And it is only natural to fear the unknown and misunderstood. Peter then meets Roman, the severely fucked-up heir to a large fortune, who can make people do what he wants not only because of his last name, but because he is an upir. The pair become linked by their curiosity involving the murders of these young women. They resolve to find the responsible party, and hope to help him recover his sanity. It is their belief that the murderer is simply sick, not evil.

Roman’s sister, Shelley, is by and large my favorite character. It is alluded that she is sustained by phosphorous; not any sort of life force with which she was born, but something gifted to her at the White Tower after her death as a young child. She is incredibly smart with a keen eye for reality. As a fan of the clever use of literary devices, I also greatly appreciate her name. I mentioned that McGreevy revamps gothic fiction. He uses a werewolf, vampire, and zombie (what does one call a creature like Shelley?) to tell his story. It is a lovely work of art.

I highly recommend this novel to everyone on the planet. As I can’t possibly speak to everyone on the planet, my recommendation is limited, but no less heartfelt. If you want to kill book fairies everywhere, don’t read this book. But if you don’t read the book, promise me you will find a way to watch the series on Netflix. It was written and produced by McGreevy, and as such is an almost acceptable substitute. I can only hope that he will write another book because as I said before, the man has a gift.

Seriously, read it.

Ratings

Cover: 3/5  

Characters: 5/5

Plot: 5/5

Writing: 6/5

Individuality: 5/5

The Whole Shebang: 4.8/5

The Lightning Thief

Title: The Lightning Thief

Author: Rick Riordan

Publisher: Miramax Books for Kids, 2006

Pages: 377

Genre: Fantasy

Series: Percy Jackson and the Olympians

Percy Jackson is about to be kicked out of boarding school … again. And that’s the least of his troubles. Lately, mythological monsters and the gods of Mount Olympus seem to be walking straight out of the pages of Percy’s Greek mythology textbook and into his life. And worse, he’s angered a few of them. Zeus’s master lightning bolt has been stolen, and Percy is the prime suspect.

Now Percy and his friends have just ten days to find and return Zeus’s stolen property and bring peace to a warring Mount Olympus. But to succeed on his quest, Percy will have to do more than catch the true thief, he must come to terms with the father who abandoned him; solve the riddle of the Oracle, which warns him of a betrayal by a friend; and unravel a treachery more powerful than the gods themselves.

I have now read this book twice. I went to the theater to see the second installment of this series, and I wanted to reread the books because there was a lot in the movie that I didn’t remember At All. However, after reading The Lightning Thief, I remember how different the movie was from the book. So that’s probably why I didn’t recognize any of the plot for The Sea of Monsters; I’m fairly certain it didn’t happen that way in the book. And oddly enough I’m totally fine with that. Today, at least. It might irritate me tomorrow. But today, I’m good with it, Hollywood.

Let’s be real, I love mythology. One of my very favorite courses was Ancient Civilizations because of how thoroughly we covered mythology. All kinds of mythology. Maybe because they’re all centered around narcissists like me. Probably because they all discuss beings with superpowers. Whatevs.

Anyways, if you hadn’t already guessed it, this series puts a neat spin on Greek mythology. Think Clash of the Titans kid-style, and book-style… So Percy (aka Perseus) is the son of Poseidon. He has to save the world, obviously. While his gross step-dad is calling him a crazed lunatic on the news, and while monsters and gods are trying to kill him. Pretty impressive for a 12-year-old. When I was 12 I was only worried about ‘N Sync and when I would be getting my braces removed. So my 12-year-old self says, “Way to go, Percy, you totally make me look like a loser.”

But my nearly adult self says this is a great book. It’s a lot of fun! Who doesn’t love a good epic?? You have to remember it was written about a 12-year-old, most likely for other 12-year-olds. So it’s a very quick read. I especially recommend this to parents and young-ins!! But if you’re an adult bookworm with a love for fiction, I’m sure you’ll appreciate it too.

Ratings

Cover: 4/5

Characters: 5/5

Plot: 5/5

Writing: 4/5

Individuality: 5/5

The Whole Shebang: 4.6/5

Keeping You a Secret

Title: Keeping You a Secret

Author: Julie Anne Peters

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Pages: 181

Genre: Young Adult

With a steady boyfriend, the position of Student Council President, and a chance to go to an Ivy League college, high school life is just fine for Holland Jaegar. At least it seems to be. But when Cece Goddard comes to school, everything changes. Cece and Holland have undeniable feelings for each other, but how will others react to their developing relationship?

Spoiler Alert!

Keeping You a Secret is a coming out tale, and I had some really intense reactions to what was going on in this book. Holland’s story is my worst nightmare; to have everyone you love turn his or her back on you because of who you are intrinsically.

Holland is a high school senior who’s not really sure about who she is or who she wants to be. I remember senior year of high school. It was a whirlwind. I was cramming for school and ACTs and SATs. I was trying to spend as much time with my friends as possible because I knew everything would be different after graduation. I was trying to finish college applications and scholarship applications, then trying to pick which school I wanted to go to and what I was going to do once I got there. I couldn’t imagine trying to deal with figuring out and accepting my identity as a lesbian during that time. But that’s what Holland did. During this hugely transitional year of her life, she figured out and admitted to herself that she was a lesbian. Wow.

So she admits and accepts she is a lesbian, and now Holland’s ready to tell everyone. Her girlfriend, Cece, doesn’t feel quite the same way. She asks Holland to keep it a secret. Cece frames it with pretty words like she’s trying to protect Holland from the backlash and hate, but we later find out it was for much more selfish reasons. Duh. People are selfish. I really disagree with anyone trying to say when a person has to tell people about their identity as homosexual. It is a personal experience, and only you can know when the right time is. It is no one else’s right to say you have to do it before (or even after) you are ready. And because Holland agreed to wait, someone did the honors for her.  Again, I can’t stress enough how wrong it is for someone to take this decision away from her. I know that it happens all the time, but it is an incredible invasion of privacy.

Holland is “outed” by someone she cares about, which is bad enough. But her mother’s reaction is my ultimate worst fear come to life. Her mother says some truly hateful things and then kicks Holland out of the house. The words she uses are exactly what I was most afraid of hearing when I was coming out. It was raw, and unfortunately extremely realistic for a lot of people when they’re coming out. Too many people get told by the ones they love the most that who they are is wrong, perverted, disgusting, etc. And too many kids end up on the streets because of who they are. It is a sad, sad fact of where we are as a culture.

But even through all of the hate that Holland endures, in the end she is in a much better place than the beginning. Sure she lives in a run-down shelter for kids who’ve been kicked out because they’re gay. She lost a mother who resented her from birth. She lost some bitchy “friends” who never really cared about her. But she is happy, she knows who she is, and she has a much better picture of who she wants to be. And that isn’t necessarily who society and her parents want her to be, but who she was born to be. It is a very empowering ending.

Ultimately, this book just made me so grateful for my friends and family. I can’t say enough how much it means to me that so many of the people I care most about are still in my life. This book showed me how bad coming out can be. And it made me realize how amazing my support system is, and I am really feeling the love that they have shown me over the years. So thanks, y’all!! I love you, too.

Ratings

Covers: 4/5

Characters: 4/5

Plots: 4/5

Writing: 4/5

Individuality: 4/5

The Whole Shebang: 4/5

Top Ten YA Series

10. House of Night PC and Kristin Cast

This series is about Zoey Redbird. In the first book she gets "marked" and is sent to the House of Night, a school for fledgling vampires. There she learns all about being a vampire; vampire history; and the normal reading, 'riting, 'rithmetic. I picked up the first book, Marked, when I was at Barnes and Noble with 4 of my very dear friends waiting around for the midnight release of Breaking Dawn. It had a relatively gloomy cover, which always peaks my interest. Also Barnes and Noble told me I would like it, so I bought it. Good job, Barnes and Noble, I Did like it! I can't decide if it's the part of me that wants to be a rebel (and loves the idea of lace filigree tattoos) or if it's because I'm just a nerdy, vampire-book lover. But I love this series. I like the mix of Cherokee beliefs and the vampires' beliefs. Zoey’s grandmother and the Cherokee values guide Zoey in her quest as this chosen, badass, fledgling vampire. Basically the goddess, Nyx, decided Zoey needed to whip the House of Night into shape. And she does just that throughout the series. At times it can be trite, and with so many books in the series I feel like it's almost overdone. But I will still read them to find out how Zoey's story finally ends because all in all they're very entertaining!

  

9. The Wake Trilogy Lisa McMann

Wow. These 3 books are so awesome. They tell the story of Janie who has a very unfortunate gift. Whenever she falls asleep, if there is a person sleeping nearby she will wake up in their dream. This sounds kind of cool, but the drawbacks are the pits. She never gets any rest because she's always awake, whether in her consciousness or someone else's unconsciousness. I was sucked into these books because it's not often that something I would consider a super-power is discussed negatively. But I think it's definitely cool to look at the other side of the coin. This girl was born with this ability, she doesn't want it, doesn't like it, and ultimately it could lead to her early demise. I had never once thought about super-powers this way. Not that dream-waking usually comes to mind when I think about awesome super-powers, but roll with it. I had never thought about them being a burden, or something to consider a curse. These books changed that. I also really like Janie's struggle to accept her ability, learn to master it, and eventually use it to save the day. That part was pretty typical of a super-hero story, but it's a great theme nonetheless. 

8. Night World LJ Smith

I really like LJ Smith’s stuff; she is a hard-core romantic, and it definitely shows itself in this series. The bond that LJ Smith creates between soul mates is my favorite part of Night World. In Night World (and The Secret Circle series, f.y.i.) every soul mate pair is connected by this shimmery, silver string of energy. It’s not like they walk around all day with these lightning bolts sticking out of their chests; it’s symbolic. But when 2 soul mates kiss they are overwhelmed with this energy, and they can hear each other’s thoughts. It sounds just like a Disney movie, and it is; which is probably why I love it. But Night World is about just that, the world that LJ Smith created. It’s not a series based on one specific character or couple. Sure the characters in each book are all linked in some way; whether they are distant cousins or happen to meet at some point in the book. But it’s more about how all of these loosely linked characters end up working together toward the same goal. I really like series like this. You read just enough about a character to really like them, but they don’t really have time to get annoying.  Also one of my favorite characters, Ash, has eyes that change color. And not the kind of color-change where you wear a blue shirt so your eyes look extra blue. No, legitimately change colors in the middle of a conversation. I just think that’s cool.

7. Twilight Stephenie Meyer

I couldn’t leave Twilight off the list. My friend at Blockbuster recommended this book one night at work, and I never looked back. I am sure we all know the story of the moody, non-descript teenage girl who managed to seduce the 80-year-old man-child into stalking her and nearly killing himself before they were married and lived happily ever after with the most perfect of happy endings in almost any book. I mean, seriously, Bella got everything she could have ever asked for. It’s pretty frustrating. But you know I love that mess. I’m a sucker for unrealistic expectations and vampires. And if you’re reading this, it means you’re most likely my FaceBook friend. That means you have probably seen evidence of my Twilight obsession before, and it would be pointless to lie to one another and pretend that it doesn’t exist.

6. Wicked Lovely Melissa Marr

So this is the series that changed my definition of fairy. Before reading Wicked Lovely, fairies were tiny girls with wings and pixy dust. (Obviously these are pixies, so my generalization is rather atrocious.) And now I know the error of my ways thanks to these books. The best part about the Wicked Lovely books is the villains. Bananoc and Irial are my favorite characters to hate. Bananoc is pure chaos; she thrives on conflict and discord. And Irial is the villain to whom this most aptly applies: “The enemy of my enemy is my friend.” Irial is King of the Dark Court, but when Bananoc challenges his court (along with the other 3) he looks to the protagonists for help. There’s also the Hunt, who are some badass biker fairies that do Irial’s bidding.

5. Morganville Vampires Rachel Caine

Rachel Caine, you are a genius. And so is her main character, Claire Danvers. Claire is 16 when she moves to Morganville, Texas to go to college. She arrives and has the snot kicked out of her within one week of living in the dorms. This is all Michael, Eve, and Shane need to see before they agree to her moving into the Glass House with them. And from then on out it is one crazy vampire attack after another. Claire is one of my favorite leading ladies. Had I read this series when I ranked the Top Ten BA Females, Claire would definitely have made the list. She is such a nerd. She loves school, and will not miss a class even if her life depends on it. I like that her brain gets her out of the tough situations just as often as her fancy anti-vampire weapons and her friends. I really like the dynamic between Eve, Michael, Shane, and Claire in the first half of the series. I just read book 13 and things are changing, as is natural for early adulthood, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it.

4. Uglies Scott Westerfeld

I stand by what I have said in the past, Tally Youngblood is such a badass. In Uglies we are taken to a place where any kind of self-modification/enhancement is possible, painless, and free on your 16^th birthday. Before that, you are completely normal. No more or less beautiful than anyone else is when they’re born and live to be 15. And I believe that if I could ask 50 15-year-old girls right now if they would want to change something about themselves on their 16^th birthday, most would say yes. That’s why Tally is such a badass. She said no. She knew that the surgeries did not just make physical changes, and she was not going to have them take away her Tally-ness. The series is based around a dystopian society, about which I love reading! But I think for me, the best part of this series is the vocabulary. Scott Westerfeld created a whole new dialect for these books, and I love the creativity that went into it.

3. Mortal Instruments/Infernal Devices Cassandra Clare

 

So the Mortal Instruments and Infernal Devices are technically two separate series by Cassandra Clare. However, I make the rules, so I say they count for one for my purposes. Both series transport you to the world of the Shadowhunters and Downworlders. Shadowhunters are the warriors of the Nephilim, a race of humans that were blessed by an angel to protect regular humans from Downworlders. Downworlders being your typical baddies: warlocks, vampires, werewolves, demons and the lot. The Infernal Devices are set in turn of the century London, and you get to meet Tessa, Will, and Jem. In the trilogy you learn about the Infernal Devices themselves, 3 devices designed to be the demonic balance for the 3 angelic Mortal Instruments.  The Mortal Instruments are discussed in…wait for it….The Mortal Instruments series. Phew, it’s a doozy. But these books are set in present(ish) day New York City, and we meet Clary, Jace, and their rag tag group of friends. This really is a fascinating world that Clare created, and just so you know the movie premieres August 21, 2013 (The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones)!!!

2. The Hunger Games Suzanne Collins

Here is another dystopian series because I can’t seem to get enough. I’m pretty sure if I could find a dystopian vampire novel my head would explode. So my favorite thing about these is how Suzanne Collins describes the Capitol and its citizens. The books are written in Katniss Everdeen’s voice, and I love her dry, no-nonsense commentary. She has little patience for the Capitol’s citizens. Katniss was raised in District 12 where most everyone barely has enough food to survive, and in the Capitol she sees more decadence and waste in an hour than she has seen her whole life. And reading about the Hunger Games is very interesting as well. The barbaric nature of sending 24 teenagers into one place to kill one another is outrageous, and yet it is the Capitol’s favorite source of entertainment. This is an extremely well written, edge-of-your-seat story about the proletariat sticking it to the man. Of course it’s awesome!

1. Harry Potter. Duh. JK Rowling

Obviously, this is the greatest of the greats. It defines my generation. I remember standing in a book fair when I was in the 3^rd grade and picking up my first copy of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. I remember being devastated that I was already 11 and I hadn’t received my entrance letter to Hogwarts. I even remember why the last 100 pages of my copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows have tearstains on them (a mixture of the happenings in the book and the fact that it was actually going to be over). I waited for every book and every movie with barely restrained glee, and I still get disappointed when I realize that there won’t be any more. If you haven’t read them, shame on you! I implore you to get your butt to your nearest book store and buy them. (Not a library. Borrowing simply will not do.) Read them for yourself, read them to your children, I don’t care. Just read them! Now.