Kiss of Life (Generation Dead Series #2) »

The phenomenon that’s been sweeping the country seems to be here to stay. Not only are the teenagers who have come back from their graves still here, but newlydeads are being unearthed all the time. While scientists look for answers and politicians take their stands, the undead population of Oakville have banded together in a group they’re calling the Sons of Romero, hoping to find solidarity in segregation.

Phoebe Kendall may be alive, but she feels just as lost and alone as her dead friends. Just when she reconciled herself to having feelings for a zombie — her Homecoming date Tommy Williams — her friend Adam is murdered taking a bullet that was meant for her. Things get even more confusing when Adam comes back from the grave. Now she has romantic interest in two dead boys; one who saved her life, and one she can't seem to live without.

VOYA

This novel picks up immediately after Generation Dead (Disney/Hyperion, 2008/VOYA June 2008) ends. Previously Adam intercepted a bullet meant for Tommy, a "differently biotic" zombie. Adam dies and resurrects. Currently he is trying to relearn speech and body movement. Phoebe, whose life Adam saved, is devoted to assisting him in his recovery, while trying to sort out her feelings for Adam and Tommy. A zombie faction is pulling innocent nighttime pranks to call attention to their plight. Tommy, a born leader, travels to Washington DC to lobby for zombie rights. There is a growing backlash against zombies, led by Reverend Mather, whose minions are also pulling pranks, albeit more serious. Finally the zombies learn that Alish and Angela Hunter, their "friends," are performing dangerous experiments on them. A nighttime zombie prank turns disastrous, setting the stage for the third book in the series. This sequel will primarily attract fans of the first book and zombie lovers and does not stand well on its own. Few new characters are introduced. Water's writing is simple and in some cases silly, such as calling zombies "worm burgers." His attempt at aligning zombies' dialogue and thoughts to their jerky actions and speech is annoying, but there is action enough to interest readers. The plot parallels that of Robin Wasserman's Skinned trilogy, covering societal reaction to somewhat-human beings. Conflict, however, which should drive the book, is minimal. All cautions aside, there seems to be a fan base for this series. Use judgment. Reviewer: Ed Goldberg