Review: Alice in Zombieland by Gena Showalter

Title: Alice in Zombieland (White Rabbit Chronicles book 1)
Author: Gena Showalter
Age Group: Young Adult
Release Date: October 2012
Publishers: Harlewuin TEEN Aus
Available from: Amazon

The Book Depository
Source: Harlequin TEEN Aus 

She won’t rest until she’s sent every walking corpse back to its grave. Forever.

Had anyone told Alice Bell that her entire life would change course between one heartbeat and the next, she would have laughed. From blissful to tragic, innocent to ruined? Please. But that’s all it took. One heartbeat. A blink, a breath, a second, and everything she knew and loved was gone.

Her father was right. The monsters are real….

To avenge her family, Ali must learn to fight the undead. To survive, she must learn to trust the baddest of the bad boys, Cole Holland. But Cole has secrets of his own, and if Ali isn’t careful, those secrets might just prove to be more dangerous than the zombies….

******

I have a thing for zombies (don't know why, I just do) and I am a massive Gena Showalter fan. So when I saw these two combined I could not pass up the opportunity to review Alice in Zombieland. I can say I'm never disappointed after reading one of Gena's books. She always delivers. There are just some authors that you know you can buy any of their books and know you will enjoy it.

Alice just wants to be a normal 16 year old. Instead her fathers a drunk and crazy; he's always going on and on about monsters and how they're real and will kill you. Except no one has ever seen them. Until the night Alice's life changes forever. She knows the monster are real and wants to destroy them. I loved Alice's voice, some of her lines are hilarious. She's rather innocent and naive in the beginning with a  stubborn streak. I really enjoyed how much she grew throughout the book into this strong, determined, kick-ass, zombie killing chick. She knows her life will never be the same, and she handles everything with a maturity you don't think she possesses. 

At her new school she meets Cole, tall, dark, mysterious and oh so badass, and she's immediately drawn to him. The first time their eyes meet something happens and a connection is made. Neither of them understand it, but it draws them together. Ladies, you will be adding Cole to your long list of book boyfriends. He's quite a mature character, having suffered many losses while fighting zombies. Cole has an edge to him that is slightly dangerous and gives him that sex appeal. He's one of those guys that would rather die than see you hurt. Strong, protective and gorgeous? What more could a girl ask for?

Gena just has a way of telling a story that draws you in and doesn't let you go, even after you've finished the last page. I always feel despondent after finishing any of her books. Alice in Zombieland is a great blend of high octane action and romance. There never seems to be a dull moment, whether it's zombie killing, first kisses or intriguing bits of information about Alice and zombie killers that have come before her. There are some teary moments that had me reaching for the tissues, but overall this is an action packed, fun and entertaining read. Gena has created a new take on the classic zombie myth, and I don't know whether these are just as freaky as normal zombies or not. There are a few loose references to Alice in Wonderland, mostly with chapter titles, but I loved the whole book. This is definitely one of my favourite books of 2012. Book 2 can not get here fast enough.

4/5