Book Review: Undead with Benefits
Undead with Benefits
By: Jeff Hart
Published by: HarperTeen
Release date: August 26, 2014
Genre: YA paranormal/horror
416 pages
Buy it at Amazon, IndieBound, Book Depository, or Barnes & Noble
Source: ARC kindly provided by publisher
Reiterating my previous content warning: this series features mature language and graphic description of characters eating humans.
Our friends Jake, Amanda, and Cass are on their way to Iowa in search of a rumored cure. Cass's former co-workers are making things tough for them, however- and it's likely to only get worse. Not that it isn't already bad, what with the awkward social dynamics in the group, and two of them occasionally being tempted to eat the third. Achieving goals as a group is difficult, since they all have differing motives and needs to be met.
The plot in this volume moves right along, just as it did in book 1. One decision led me to get pretty irritated with the character; I really expected more of that person. I'm reminded of an observation that I made about book 1: the writing is deceptively strong, and the use of multiple viewpoints is a brilliantly-used device.
New characters in this book to look forward to: The Lord of Des Moines, AKA Reggie, who could just be Jake's new BFF; Cody, a super-hot blonde country boy who is just trying to carry on his father's work; Truncheon, perfectly disgusting in every way, and a horde of the undead, who teach us the difference between regular zombies and ghouls. Each bring a fresh voice and great material to fuel the story.
These books are the best kind of guilty pleasure- no calories, no incriminating pictures, all fun. If you're looking for pure entertainment, this series is a great choice.
Read my review of book 1 here.
I mean it in the best way possible when I say that Jeff
Hart has a sick sense of humor. Between the blood and guts that goes with
describing zombie feeding frenzies, and the normal crudeness that goes with a
(somewhat) typical adolescent male protagonist, I’m often finding myself
shaking my head while I laugh at what’s going on in his books. If you’re the
kind of person who either likes to make fun of low-budget horror films or doesn’t
mind hanging out with people who do, I think you’ll enjoy this series.
Our friends Jake, Amanda, and Cass are on their way to Iowa in search of a rumored cure. Cass's former co-workers are making things tough for them, however- and it's likely to only get worse. Not that it isn't already bad, what with the awkward social dynamics in the group, and two of them occasionally being tempted to eat the third. Achieving goals as a group is difficult, since they all have differing motives and needs to be met.
The plot in this volume moves right along, just as it did in book 1. One decision led me to get pretty irritated with the character; I really expected more of that person. I'm reminded of an observation that I made about book 1: the writing is deceptively strong, and the use of multiple viewpoints is a brilliantly-used device.
New characters in this book to look forward to: The Lord of Des Moines, AKA Reggie, who could just be Jake's new BFF; Cody, a super-hot blonde country boy who is just trying to carry on his father's work; Truncheon, perfectly disgusting in every way, and a horde of the undead, who teach us the difference between regular zombies and ghouls. Each bring a fresh voice and great material to fuel the story.
These books are the best kind of guilty pleasure- no calories, no incriminating pictures, all fun. If you're looking for pure entertainment, this series is a great choice.
Summary:
With its heartwarming blend of guts, romance, and humor, this road trip–ready sequel to Eat, Brains, Love is The Walking Dead meets John Hughes.
Jake and Amanda are in love, on the run—and undead. They've picked up a new psychic friend, ex-government-zombie-hunter Cass, and are making a break for Iowa, where a cure for the rapidly spreading zombie virus is rumored to be waiting. But in order to find it, they have to contend with an unlikely undead warlord, ghoul-infested cornfields, a psycho psychic out for blood, and their own super-awkward love triangle—all before Iowa goes up in flames.
Every reader with a pulse (or without one) will devour Jeff Hart's surprisingly romantic and laugh-out-loud funny take on friendship, love, and finding the meaning of (un)life in an eat-or-be-eaten world.
With its heartwarming blend of guts, romance, and humor, this road trip–ready sequel to Eat, Brains, Love is The Walking Dead meets John Hughes.
Jake and Amanda are in love, on the run—and undead. They've picked up a new psychic friend, ex-government-zombie-hunter Cass, and are making a break for Iowa, where a cure for the rapidly spreading zombie virus is rumored to be waiting. But in order to find it, they have to contend with an unlikely undead warlord, ghoul-infested cornfields, a psycho psychic out for blood, and their own super-awkward love triangle—all before Iowa goes up in flames.
Every reader with a pulse (or without one) will devour Jeff Hart's surprisingly romantic and laugh-out-loud funny take on friendship, love, and finding the meaning of (un)life in an eat-or-be-eaten world.
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I had this on my waiting on Wednesday a couple of weeks ago! I'm glad you liked it and I hope I do too!
ReplyDeleteKatelynn
www.literarychameleon.blogspot.com