Zombie Blondes by Brian James

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Hannah and her father move from town to town in search of a job for her father that he can actually be happy about and keep. Their latest move takes them to Maplecrest, where some things are not as they seem and the cheerleaders have an eerie perfectness and an odd blue fire in their eyes. Plus there's the social outcast Lukas who is absolutely convinced that they're zombies and Hannah is about to fall under the allure of their beauty and popularity.
This was an odd one. At times Hannah and her desire to fit in were very easy to empathize with because who hasn't been the new person in school or some other setting? Who doesn't want to, as Hannah puts it, be adored (or at least not the butt of jokes)? The Stepford feeling is easy for Hannah to brush-off, but she has to decide how much she's willing to sacrifice to be in the popular clique. To me that's the real heart of this story, forget about the title and the creepy vibe. Hannah's inner struggles to fit in and process her ever-changing life come together and form a crossroads. The ending was a bit disappointing and too rushed, although it does end with a humdinger. I guess I'd recommend this one, but it's not for everyone. Don't go into it looking for too much zombie action, but instead much more teen angst and you'll be set.

Copy Source: Library