This is very different book on the subject of zombies (if they can even be called that, I think the undead would be a much more appropriate word) than I've ever read before. As you read the back cover and see something about a type of zombiefication brought on by fast food, it seems like a quite hilarious concept; but as you delve into the book you realize this is a very serious issue the characters in the book are facing. The plot is quite simple: dead teenagers are somehow coming back to life and no one knows why. These small community is trying to deal with a phenomenon no one understands and parents wait while their dead teenagers come back to life; something that not always occurs. The 'living impaired', as they're called, must be taught basic human functions all over again so they can once again fit in with the living; but the thing is, they won't ever fit in again. Like with the mutants in X-Men, there is a segregation. People fear the unknown and in this case it's a bunch of undead teenagers. Bullying starts occurring and an organization is started to try and make people understand these people who are only trying to fit in. Daniel Waters gives an incredibly interesting twist to the theme of every teenagers life: fitting in. In this case he give the teens reading something to think about: "You think you don't fit in at school? Try being the undead." He shows us the effect of having confidence and trying to understand others that may seem different to us.
Phoebe is our main character and she is quite charismatic. She is a girl that doesn't fit in at school, a 'goth' kid. She dresses differently and is immediately seen as a freak by her peers. With her Waters introduces the theme of not fitting in. However, she is soon forgotten as the 'freak' at school when the 'living impaired' kids start appearing. She finds herself not being the girl that doesn't fit in anymore, but rather the girl that must come to accept and understand the new outsiders, the undead. Phoebe has no particular qualities to her and I think that's what makes her so appealing and charming to the reader. She's not a Mary-Sue nor perfect by any means, she's just your typical teenager trying to fit in and suddenly she's thrust into an extraordinary situation where she must learn to be accepting of others rather than trying to be accepted.
I would like readers to not be fooled by the fact that this series is being sold as a romance. That is not true, in my opinion. The romance in the book takes a secondary role to the main theme. The real theme here is the social problems brought on by the fear of the unknown, the lack of wanting knowledge of that which we do not understand, the lack of understanding towards the different and the hardships of fitting in. All of this is of particular appeal to teenagers, but it also something that adults should look into as well.
Daniel Waters in the first YA male author I've read and I must say he has been one of the best out of all of them. He not only understands and conveys the feelings of a female character very well, but he also adds a lot of masculine touches throughout the book like retelling a football game in exquisite details, something only a male could do. I applaud him for creating such a wonderful and different YA book that, at first glance, seems like a hilarious concept but is actually a very deep one.
Generation Dead is the typical case of don't judge a book by it's cover. It's cover is quite horrible and cheesy, but perhaps that's what they were going for. But don't be fooled by it or the word Disney on the cover, under all that there is a true gem of the YA genre and one that, I fear, will remain undiscovered by readers under all the big famous books. So don't fear Generation Dead, give it a read and delve into the problems of teens and society in general.
For a unique read and different POV from a male author: I give Generation Dead (Book 1) a 5 out of 5 stars!
And I look forward to reading the next two books in this series.
Now for what's coming up in the next few weeks!
Reviews:
-Last Sacrifice (Vampire Academy Book 6) by Richelle Mead
-A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray
Special Essay:
- Dear Mr. Potter - I write a letter to Mr. Harry Potter as a thank you for 12 amazing years.
